xymnovel Chapter 35 The Thieves Break Through the Spring and Emerge from Qingjian City
Chapter 35 The Thieves Break Through the Spring and Emerge from Qingjian City
As the cavalry leisurely ascended the hill, Gao Huaide's mood had not yet fully calmed down. Thinking about his first battle, which resulted in killing a civilian, he felt quite bitter.
When Gao Huaide saw soldiers carrying piles of heads they had captured, gleefully recording their achievements, and knowing that one of them was one he had killed, he realized that the heads of other laborers were likely mixed in, and he felt a deep unease.
"Young master, being a soldier isn't easy. Everyone is born of a father and mother. In front of you, there's a hail of bullets and arrows, and behind you, there are generals with broadswords. Your legs tremble, but you still have to hold on. It's either killing or being killed."
Lu Qian patiently explained, "Generals need to consider the outcome of the battle. What do ordinary soldiers hope for? They're lucky if they can survive and earn some reward money."
"They can't hold onto their money. A few drinks and a night of passion, and it's all gone. What's that called again? Right, taking from the people and using it for the people."
Gao Huaide felt that Fu An's choice of words was not quite appropriate, but he didn't bother to correct him and nodded.
Born into a chaotic era, the sons of military families could only rely on their horses, guns, and these soldiers. If they didn't take care of them, who else would they take care of? Killing a fleeing civilian was nothing to be pretentious about.
Gao Huaide felt a little better.
Gao Huaiyuan rode up to him, spear in hand, and lifted a corner of his battle robe to wipe the bloodstains from his weapon: "Brother De, are you alright? When the Suizhou army attacked the hillside, were you frightened or injured?"
The next moment, Gao Huaiyuan noticed his cousin imitating him, wiping a smear of crimson from the tip of his spear with the corner of his clothes, and exclaimed in surprise, "You killed an enemy soldier? That's amazing! Uncle will be overjoyed when he finds out."
Gao Huaide shook his head, finding it difficult to speak, and said that he had actually killed an unarmed laborer.
He changed the subject and asked the church brother to lie in ambush. It was understandable to lie in ambush outside, but why did he wait until they were right in front of him before launching the attack? What if they were discovered in advance?
"This is something that military treatises wouldn't write about."
Gao Huaiyuan smiled slightly and imparted the essentials of mounted combat: "Do not ride a warhorse unless you encounter a formidable enemy; wait until you are close to the enemy's army before riding a newly tamed horse, when its hooves have spare strength."
"The Khitan war tactics stipulate this, and the same applies to our dynasty. Warhorses are very precious. Even with armored knights charging at full speed, they can only cover two or three miles at most. They are only used in critical moments to deliver the decisive blow on the battlefield."
"Our Gao family has a cavalry general background from Youzhou. Learn more from your uncle, and you will surely achieve great things in the future."
With so many things to do after the war, Gao Huaiyuan didn't have time to chat with him much. He offered a few words of comfort and then left.
Searching for fleeing soldiers, gathering scattered laborers, restoring order and resuming work, Gao Huaide sat cross-legged on a rock, watching everyone who seemed like ants and bees, all with their own purpose, while he alone had nothing to do.
As the sun rose, its warmth bathed him, and he suddenly felt tired. He lay down fully clothed and fell asleep.
……
When he woke up, he found an extra blanket on him and his father standing beside him. He almost thought he was dreaming.
"woke up?"
Gao Xingzhou stood with his hands behind his back, not turning his head, and said, "You're quite carefree, able to sleep soundly even when the enemy is attacking."
"Huaiyuan and the others all say that you killed an enemy soldier, but judging from your appearance, I don't quite believe it."
Gao Huaide opened his mouth, but did not offer any explanation.
It's one thing if my cousin doesn't know the truth, but Lu Qian, Fu An, and those soldiers should know, so why are they all trying to take credit for me to my father?
What puzzled him even more was why his father had arrived so quickly. Had he foreseen the enemy's attack?
"Warfare is a matter of life and death, how can we be negligent in the slightest? This city is of great importance, concerning the strength of Dingnan and Zhangwu towns. It is no wonder that Father has come to oversee it."
Gao Huaide felt that what his father said was not entirely true. If they were going to come, they would have come from the beginning. Why wait until the Suizhou army attacked?
Since asking would be pointless, he simply stopped caring.
Gao Xingzhou listened to the battle report, comforted generals such as Gao Huaiyuan and Li Jidu, rewarded them according to their merits, distributed wealth, dealt with the captured soldiers, inspected the progress of the city construction, and handled affairs in an orderly manner with composure and calmness.
Around noon, a rider galloped in, and Gao Xingzhou raised his eyebrows.
"Report to the General: Gao Junli has sent word that Li Yimin has been expelled!"
"Ha ha ha ha."
Gao Xingzhou laughed heartily: "My brother Junli has indeed lived up to my expectations."
The construction of Kuanzhou was a two-pronged strategy, and only now did the full picture of the plan emerge.
The Gao family was a prominent clan in Hexi, with a long history of distinguished service. They held official positions in the royal court and were renowned among the Yi tribes. Countless members of the Gao family were scattered throughout Yan'an, Suide, and Pingyang.
Gao Junli's father, Gao Sizhen, served in the late Tang Dynasty. For his meritorious service in defeating the rebel leader Chao, he was appointed Minister of Works and Prefect of Suizhou, and was a contemporary of Gao Siji. After Gao Sizhen's death, Suizhou was occupied by the Li family of Xiazhou, and his son, Gao Junli, took up a post in the prefectural government. (Note 1)
Gao Xingzhou cleverly used the kinship ties to befriend the Li family, demonstrating the court's will and persuading Gao Junli to expel the Li family and take control of the prefecture and county himself, promising that he would recommend him.
Li Yimin sent his brother Li Yijun to lead troops to attack, leaving the city vulnerable, which was the perfect opportunity to launch an attack!
Overnight, Li Yijun was defeated, and Suizhou changed hands. In the struggle for Yanxia, Gao Xingzhou made the first move and gained the upper hand.
"I, Gao, was ordered to build the city wall. It just so happened that your younger brother was patrolling the border. It was late at night and I could not distinguish him from the enemy. I mistook him for a thief, and there was a minor misunderstanding. Fortunately, your younger brother was unharmed. I am sending him back here. I hope you will not blame me."
Gao Xingzhou did not make things difficult for Li Yijun, but gave him a horse and released him, offering a plausible excuse. As for the matter of Suizhou, he did not mention it at all, as if it were entirely unrelated to him.
The other prisoners were not so lucky; they were all scattered and used as laborers.
……
With the addition of several hundred laborers, the construction progressed faster than expected. In less than ten days, the three-zhang-high city walls were completed, and a fortified city nestled against the mountain and beside the water had taken shape.
Everything is going smoothly, except for one problem that remains unresolved.
Although there is a river not far from the foot of the mountain, the enemy will surely cut off the waterway if they attack. We will need a well in the city to draw water so that we can defend our position.
The well-drilling craftsmen reported that they had dug several feet into the ground but still had not found water.
The hill was over ten zhang high, and they had not yet dug to the bottom of the ground. It was normal that no water was found. Gao Huaiyuan ordered the digging to continue.
They dug a hole 150 feet deep, but still found no water.
Gao Huaiyuan knew something was wrong and reported the matter to his uncle.
Gao Xingzhou convened a meeting with his subordinates, and opinions varied widely.
The changes in waterways over a century are unpredictable, and this may be the reason why the old city of Kuanzhou was abandoned. Some even cite the example of Ma Su's loss of Jieting, arguing that a place without water is indefensible and should be abandoned.
Is it possible that all the planning and manpower and resources spent could be wasted due to a single miscalculation?
Gao Huaide looked at his father with concern.
Gao Xingzhou hesitated for a moment, then ordered, "Take me to see it."
As a border fortress, when the enemy besieged the city, it was necessary to supply water to thousands of soldiers and civilians throughout the city. This was not a small well that could be embraced by an ordinary household, but rather a pool the size of an octagonal table that had been dug.
The wellhead is round on the outside and square on the inside, and the four walls are fixed with wooden piles to prevent collapse. It extends from the top of the slope to the bottom, and the inside is pitch black and unseen.
What does fifteen zhang mean? Even if you filled that nine-story pagoda in Yanzhou with it, it wouldn't stand out.
A craftsman descended in a suspended basket. The winch spun countless times, and the long rope, almost at its end, finally touched the bottom.
After a long time, he was promoted again.
"General, the area below is all rocks; we can't dig it up."
Gao Xingzhou looked at the craftsman, who was covered in dust and mud, and seemed to understand something.
"The Xiuyan River is just a few miles away. Judging by the mud and water on your clothes, how could you possibly not be able to dig for water?"
Gao Xingzhou gave a reprimand and was about to go down into the well to check on things himself when his subordinates quickly stopped him.
Gao Huaiyuan conducted the survey on behalf of the miners and returned to the wellhead after a long while to report the situation underground.
"General, there might be water."
Gao Huaiyuan explained the difficulties: "The soil layer is exhausted, and what lies beneath is indeed hard rock. We become exhausted after only a few digs. Moreover, the gravel is heavy, and transporting it up and down is quite time-consuming and laborious."
"This is nothing difficult."
Gao Xingzhou chuckled and immediately summoned a military officer: "Issue the order! Regardless of whether they are soldiers or laborers, for every basket of stones they retrieve, they will be rewarded with one hundred coins."
Soon after the order was issued, cheers erupted, and soldiers and laborers rushed to go down into the well to participate in the excavation, so that soldiers had to be called in to maintain order.
A long line of four hoisting winches were installed around the wellhead, constantly moving up and down. If the well weren't so narrow that it couldn't accommodate multiple people working at the same time, they would have all rushed up together long ago.
Even the hardest stone cannot withstand the burning passion of people. They smashed it into pieces with pickaxes and chisels, then packed it into winnowing baskets and hampers and carried it out.
Gao Xingzhou ordered that gleaming copper coins be piled up beside the well, and that each person who came up could exchange a stone for a hundred copper coins.
Gao Huaide never expected that besides building the city and fighting, he would also witness the effect of rewards. The enthusiasm and drive that people showed in the face of money made him secretly amazed.
Money makes the world go round. Perhaps only a transcendent immortal like the old man in the tower can ignore these material possessions?
In less than half a day, a shout came from down the well: "Water has come out!"
The echoes collided and reverberated in the deep well walls. The officers and soldiers cheered enthusiastically, while many others stared at the pile of money, which was only half gone, feeling regretful.
The sound of water murmurs, from a gentle soaking to a trickle, and then to a gushing out.
By evening, the water level had risen to half its maximum. A bucket was lowered into the water and left to settle for a while to remove the silt and sand, until the water was clear and the bottom was visible.
Gao Xingzhou scooped up some water and tasted it. It was sweet and refreshing. He exclaimed, "What a wonderful spring! This water is like a clear mountain stream. This city should be named Clear Stream City." (Note 2)