gnovel Chapter 32 The Fortifications Are Not Yet Completed, the Enemy Is Approaching
Chapter 32 The Fortifications Are Not Yet Completed, the Enemy Is Approaching
The county seat of Fushi was located in the same place as the city of Yanzhou Prefecture. Five hundred laborers were conscripted first. Gao Yunquan compiled a roster according to the villages and handed it over to Gao Xingzhou.
The military governor would then compile a list of materials needed for the construction of the city, open the official granaries, and allocate the materials according to the required quantities.
"Two hundred large logs."
"Fifty cartloads of lime."
"Two thousand five hundred shi of grain."
These three types of supplies are the most numerous.
Timber was used for everything from building the walls and scaffolding to piling and laying foundations, and even for firewood and fuel. It was said that "firewood was not sold for ten miles, and rice was not sold for a hundred miles." Whether the local area produced timber was the key factor in determining the cost of building the city.
"Fortunately, there are many mountains near Yanzhou, so there is no shortage of timber. Small pieces can be sourced locally."
"What do you need so much lime for?"
"Does the young master know the method of steaming soil?"
Lu Qian was erudite and seemed to know a little about everything: "Rammed soil is divided into two types: raw and mature. Fermented mature soil is mixed with sand, clay, lime and water to form a three-component soil, which is several times more solid than ordinary loess."
"It is said that Helian Bobo used this method when he built Tongwan City."
As for food, with 3,000 laborers and 800 soldiers, and each receiving an average of two liters of rice per day, the total daily food consumption for 4,000 people would be 80 shi (a unit of dry measure), amounting to 2,400 shi per month. Bringing enough supplies would be sufficient, and even if the construction was slightly delayed, a small subsidy from a neighboring county would suffice.
"Will it take a whole month?"
Gao Huaide had never been away from home for so long before, and with his youthful spirit, he was quite excited.
"The method of building a city. A city wall that is one zhang tall should be built with a height of five zhang, which is 93 zhang, 7 chi, and 5 cun. If the wall is built to a height of one zhang, there will be 7 chi and 5 cun left over for each step, which requires 278 people to work."
Lu Qian rattled off a string of numbers, leaving Gao Huaide feeling dizzy and disoriented.
"There's no need to build a five-zhang-high city wall this time. If we take half the number, it will take about sixty man-days to build one zhang of wall. Three thousand man-days is equivalent to ninety thousand man-days, which is enough to build a 1,500-zhang-high city wall. One hundred and fifty zhang is one li, so it will be a ten-li-high city wall."
Lu Qian smiled: "The above is just a rough estimate. The actual efficiency is not that high. The journey alone will take up a third of the time. In a month, it would be good if we could build a city with a radius of three to five li." (Note 1)
Gao Huaide couldn't help but worry: would he have to know how to count if he became a general in the future? Otherwise, he would be completely clueless about how much manpower to mobilize and how much supplies to distribute.
"Young master, there's no need to worry. Everyone has their own expertise, and there are specialists for everything. Those in positions of power only need to be good at managing people."
Gao Huaide put aside his worries about the future and looked at the long list again: in addition to the building materials, it also included various tools and utensils such as walking sticks, raincoats, abacuses, ink boxes, plumb lines, hammers, wrenches, machetes, and sticks, as well as livestock such as dogs, donkeys, mules, and horses. The list was so extensive that it made his eyes dizzy.
Several clerks checked and verified each item one by one, and then distributed the physical items.
"Mule and horse are for transporting supplies, why bring a dog? It's not like we're hunting."
"It's useful for watching over livestock and keeping watch at night."
"All right."
This isn't a war mission; it's a construction site.
Looking at the long queue, Gao Huaide once again felt a surge of excitement as he conjured up the battle scenes that had filled his mind.
……
Kuanzhou is located more than 200 li northeast of Yanzhou. Passing through various counties, laborers joined the journey one after another, and the team grew larger day by day.
Having had previous experience in military campaigns, Gao Huaide did not find the days of marching difficult.
He had been close to his cousin since childhood. Riding alongside Gao Huaiyuan, he asked curiously, "Brother, isn't eight hundred soldiers a bit too few? What if the enemy attacks?"
Gao Huaiyuan replied, "Kuanzhou is under the jurisdiction of my Zhangwu Army. Building a city here does not infringe upon our territory. What reason do neighboring towns have to attack us?"
Gao Huaide felt relieved, but for some reason, he was also somewhat unwilling. He looked up at the endless line of people stretching into the distance.
Most of the laborers wore thin, patched cloth shirts, or worked together to push carts loaded with supplies; or carried a bag that could hold six bushels and weigh over forty pounds on their backs—the number of mules and horses was limited, so they had to rely on manpower.
Compared to the trip to Bao'an Town, this time the number of people has more than tripled, and with all the supplies, the team appears much larger.
The marching method was also different. The vanguard led the way, the rearguard brought up the rear, and the remaining soldiers were scattered on both sides, carrying the civilians in the middle, just like escorting and guarding them.
Taking civilians with them on the march slowed the pace considerably. Every day, setting up camp was chaotic, and it was common for them to be unable to set off and rest on time. Gao Huaide's ears were filled with constant shouts and reprimands, which never stopped all day long.
That's the difference between soldiers and civilians.
The journey was similar to that to Bao'an Town, and it wasn't until the sixth day that we finally arrived at our destination.
Kuanzhou already had an old stone city, saving the trouble of site selection and foundation construction. After on-site inspection, the military craftsmen suggested dividing the old city in half and extending the city walls southward along the terrain of the hills to the riverbank.
The terraces on the east side of the hill are more than ten feet high, forming a natural cliff. The new city was built on this high ground, measuring 250 paces east to west and 200 paces north to south, with a total circumference of two and a half li.
Once the boundaries were demarcated, the laborers began construction.
First, dig an outer trench, pile up loess for later use, cut down trees and saw them into large planks, assemble them into inner and outer sides, erect pillars to fix them in place, and then tie ropes to tighten them.
A group of four: one person adds water, wets the soil and mixes it, one person fills the soil between the wooden boards, and two people lift and tamp it down firmly.
This is the rammed earth construction method that has been passed down for thousands of years since the Xia and Shang dynasties.
The so-called brick city was actually still made of earth with a layer of bricks on the outside. This time, even the process of firing bricks and building walls was skipped. In Gao Huaide's eyes, this earthen city was really dilapidated.
Even with such a simple fortress, it took about a hundred people a whole day to build a section of the wall that was about ten feet wide and three feet high.
Gao Huaide calculated that at this pace, it would take at least another ten days.
The laborers ate and slept on the hill, working until the evening of the day. They would then be counted according to the roster and given food. After their meal, they would go to their designated areas to rest, according to their respective counties and townships.
Li Jidu led the Jinming garrison troops to camp at the foot of the slope, guarding the entrance and exit of the mountain. Gao Huaiyuan's two squads of elite soldiers, both cavalry, were stationed on the banks of the Xiuyan River at the foot of the mountain.
Gao Huaiyuan divided the hundred men into two groups, selecting several of the most valiant and skilled to patrol and roam over a hundred miles away, keeping a close eye on the movements of Suizhou City, and reporting back day and night in shifts.
"Brother, didn't you say before that if we built a city within our territory, the other side would have no reason to attack?"
Faced with his cousin's question, Gao Huaiyuan chuckled and said, "There's no legitimate reason, but you can pretend to be a thief."
"..."
"Warfare is based on deception. Brother De, one must not overestimate the morality of one's opponent on the battlefield."
Gao Huaiyuan teased his cousin a little and explained to him Gao Xingzhou's intention in building the city here.
"Kuanzhou was a tributary state. More than a hundred years ago, the imperial court relocated the Dangxiang and Tuyuhun people here, and the Han and non-Han people lived together. The non-Han soldiers and generals could be recruited as cavalry, while the Han people were employed as soldiers and farmers, and could be trained to become archers."
Gao Huaiyuan commented, "The local people are martial, and even under the protection of the city walls, they still have the courage to shoot at the enemy."
"Once the main city is completed, fortresses and strongholds can be built around it to form a defensive network that supports each other. We can also recruit refugees to cultivate land to replenish the army's food supplies and attract merchants to trade goods."
"If the enemy comes to plunder, the Han and non-Han people, along with their cattle and sheep, can enter the city to hide. If they defend, they can protect the farmland and the border, and safeguard the people and their fields. When the troops advance, the city will become a stronghold for advancing. This is the strategy of advancing from the fortified villages."
"I see."
Unlike his father, his cousin was not stingy with words, always leaving him to ponder things carefully. Gao Huaide understood why they had built the city here, and also figured out why the enemy was willing to disguise themselves as thieves to invade.
"Since there are such great benefits, the other side won't let us build the city, right?"
……
Sure enough, just five days after work began, a patrol of soldiers brought back the expected news.
A group of people, numbering about a thousand, emerged from Suizhou City without any flags, including two hundred cavalrymen.
"It's about time to make a move. Anyone who can govern a province, unless they are mediocre, can usually discern the advantages and disadvantages."
After Gao Huaiyuan learned the details, he couldn't help but smile: "It's quite rare to see over a thousand bandits equipped with horses, weapons, and armor."
At this time, the city wall was far from complete, with gaps in the east and west, and the moat was of varying depths, failing to constitute an effective defense.
Gao Huaiyuan spoke lightly, but in reality, with thousands of regular soldiers attacking an unfinished fortress, their side had little defensive advantage.
If the enemy finds an opportunity, they can storm the camp, kill and scatter the laborers, and then set fire to the equipment and supplies, making it difficult to mobilize and rebuild for at least several months.
"Now that the rebel army has left the city, they will surely attack within three days."
Upon hearing his cousin's assessment, Gao Huaide became anxious and asked whether they should seek help from the prefectural capital.
"For such a small matter to require Uncle's intervention, wouldn't it be too incompetent of me, the military commander?"
Upon hearing the news, Gao Huaiyuan remained calm and composed: "This place is 120 li from Suizhou. Even if the cavalry travels at full speed, it will take them more than an hour. By the time they arrive, their horses will be exhausted, and they will be unable to fight. Moreover, we also have infantry on foot. There will be no trouble today."
He issued an order: "Send word to Commander Li to change his post to guard the mountain tonight."
Gao Huaide, well-versed in military affairs, immediately understood his cousin's intention: "Brother, are you trying to lure the enemy into attacking?"
"Indeed. The enemy has light cavalry. If they fail to strike once, they will flee far away and return to harass us repeatedly. If this continues, it will be difficult to prevent them from making mistakes. We might as well create an opening for them."
"Brother De, you stay inside the city walls and observe the battle. Don't worry, as long as you don't wander off, you'll be fine."
Gao Huaide felt that he was being underestimated, and he was also worried that his cousin's fighting strength was too weak, as he only had a hundred soldiers.
Gao Huaiyuan smiled slightly: "Brother De, you haven't seen the might of our Youzhou elite cavalry charging into battle. A hundred riders are enough to defeat the enemy. Moreover, with you in charge, Commander Li will definitely do his best to defend against the enemy."
Gao Huaide agreed, but then suddenly remembered something and asked his cousin for confirmation: "What if the laborers cause a disturbance?"
The usually amiable Gao Huaiyuan seemed like a completely different person, replying coldly and ruthlessly: "Anyone who dares to charge the battle lines will be killed without mercy!"