Iron Dynasty

Your Highness, do you mean to deal with the barbarians alone?

Qian Dafu looked like he could believe it.

Xiao Ming nodded, Yes, this time this king wants to protect his fief by himself. No one can rely on him these days, he can only rely on himself.

The affairs of the Wang family, Princess Pingyang's calculations, and King Wei's secret plans, all told Xiao Ming that the wolves around him were looking around, and there was no one to trust.

The only thing he could count on was himself.

His Royal Highness, this is not a child's play. The Great Yu Kingdom is a powerful country, and it has still ceded land to pay indemnity over the years. Does Your Highness expect the land of the six states to be able to deal with the barbarians? Qian Dafu continued to persuade.

As long as he can remember, the name barbarian has been as terrifying as ghosts. When he was a child, the grandmother in the family used to use barbarians to scare you away. ’

This shows the image of the barbarians in the hearts of the people of Dayu.

Qian Dafu's reaction was as expected by Xiao Ming. The events three years ago left Qian Dafu an indelible memory of terror.

At that time, the city of Cangzhou was destroyed, and the iron cavalry of the barbarians poured into the hinterland of the six states, burning, killing, looting, and doing everything. On their way to Chang'an, they could see the bodies lying in a pool of blood.

Many corpses lost their heads. This is because the barbarians used their heads to record their military exploits, and many barbarians massacred people for military exploits.

This memory is very clear in Xiao Ming's mind, which shows how deeply this incident left a deep impression on his predecessor Xiao Ming.

It is precisely because of this invasion that the vitality of the six states has been greatly damaged, and it has not recovered for three years.

This king only needs to defend Cangzhou and prevent the barbarians from stepping into this king's fief.

At this stage, Xiao Ming can only achieve this level, and it is basically impossible to counterattack the grasslands, because the current comprehensive strength of Qingzhou is not enough to support him to take the initiative to attack a grassland empire whose national strength does not belong to the Great Yu Kingdom.

After all, the base of the population is here, the army is limited, the food is limited, and the silver is limited.

But can you hold it? Qian Dafu was a little anxious, Your Highness, keep the green hills so that you won't worry about no firewood.

Qian Dafu! Xiao Ming suddenly became impatient, This is the fief of this king, without the fief, this king is nothing. When I return to Chang'an, not to mention the father and the emperor, will the other princes let me live for the rest of my life?

This... Qian Dafu stopped talking. Xiao Ming's words were right. Since Dayu became a state, each generation of monarchs had many descendants, but few princes could survive.

Take the princes of Xiao Wenxuan's line as an example, now there is only one Prince Wei, one Prince Kang, and the other ten princes all turned to dust.

Almost every generation of princes is like this, and now this fate is on Xiao Ming's turn.

Old slave understands. Qian Dafu's expression suddenly became firmer, Empress Zhenfei once instructed this old slave to protect His Highness. If His Highness stays in Cangzhou City to resist the barbarians, the old slave will go with His Highness.

Well, this is what this king's people should say. Xiao Ming said.

This time it wasn't that he was stupid and bold, nor was he blindly confident. During this time, he wanted to understand a problem, that he had nowhere to go.

If you want to survive, you can only manage your own fiefs carefully, and now the barbarians want to move their own cakes, which is of course not possible.

This incident was so sudden that Xiao Ming no longer had any intention of staying in the palace, but went to the governor's palace.

At this time, Pang Yukun was talking to a young official.

Seeing Xiao Ming coming over, Pang Yukun said, Your Highness, aren't you discussing medical skills with Doctor Sun? Why are you here?

The barbarians will attack Cangzhou at the end of this fall.

Qian Dafu also followed, and before Xiao Ming could speak, Qian Dafu hurriedly said.

The young man standing beside Pang Yukun chuckled and asked, Since the barbarians are going to attack Cangzhou, it must be a very secret matter, so why did His Highness know it in advance?

Pang Yukun seemed to mean the same, but remembering something, he said to Xiao Ming, Your Highness, this is the Zhan Xingchang I mentioned to you.

Xiao Ming glanced at Zhan Xingchang and said, You are Zhan Xingchang? Pang Changshi said that you are resourceful and decisive, so why don't you tell me how this king should deal with it.

Knowing your enemy and knowing yourself is the only way to be victorious in a hundred battles. How did Your Highness find out about this news in the first place? Zhan Xingchang asked neither humble nor arrogant.

Looking at Qian Dafu, Xiao Ming brought Hongyun to him and mentioned the matter of the Wang family.

Pang Yukun frowned and said, Your Highness, the words of a Qinglou woman may not come true. Has Your Highness been hasty?

I'd rather believe it if it exists than if it doesn't. Can Pang Changshi forget what happened to the barbarian cavalry last year? I'm afraid those cavalrymen didn't mean it when they arrived outside Qingzhou City, but they came to Qingzhou City because they were looking for someone to go the wrong way. Xiao Ming said.

Zhan Xingchang said: So now we should send people disguised as caravans to spy on the grasslands and pay close attention to the movements of the barbarians.

This is one of them, but what if this is confirmed? Xiao Ming asked again.

His Royal Highness should know better than me, and you should guard Cangzhou City to protect the safety of the six states.

What if this king wants to take back the lost land in the north? Xiao Ming asked.

Of course not. You should build a fortress widely and keep the walls clear. This is the so-called technique of building. Zhan Xingchang still looked as usual.

Pang Yukun stroked his beard satisfactorily and said, Xingchang, please explain carefully what this technique is.

Zhan Xingchang continued: The most important thing in attacking the grasslands is the food route. At this time, facing the powerful barbarian cavalry, the food route is very dangerous, so we should build a fort every other day, so as to ensure the The baggage can be transported to the fortress.

Second, the steppe cavalry is not good at attacking cities, and defending the city is our advantage. The distance between the fortresses is short, so we can quickly support each other. If the barbarians bypass the front fortress and attack Cangzhou, the army in the fortress can be dispatched to cut off the barbarians' food. Dao, stand in an invincible position.

Xiao Ming nodded, this Zhan Xingchang really has two brushes, the best way to deal with the nomads is to push forward tactics of the fortress, and at the same time, the barbarian cavalry cannot be fed by the strong wall and clearing the wilderness.

However, this tactic also requires the Qingzhou Army to have enough field capabilities to ensure, otherwise how to advance the fortress?

Let's not talk about the technique of building construction, now we still have the ability to attack like this, let's talk about how to defend the city. Xiao Ming said.

Zhan Xingchang said: Only Cheng Jian, the fire torch.

Xiao Ming narrowed his eyes slightly. The torch has already been used in the Great Yu Kingdom. It is basically equivalent to the first generation of artillery, but it shoots stone bullets, and the range is not far. Really, it is not taken seriously at all.

On the other hand, Zhan Xingchang proposed the fire-cannon defense, which can be said to be a very advanced idea in this era. This fire-cannon is the first generation of artillery.

Today, with the capabilities of Xiao Ming Iron and Steel Workshop, precise guns cannot be made, but there is no problem with earth cannons such as torches.