Just as the Qin family was gradually adjusting to their new life, the situation in the capital had reached an extremely tense state.
The Hu Ben army guarded several gates of the outer city solidly, and there were patrolling soldiers all around. People in the capital could hardly fly, and they completely cut off all communication with the outside world.
Not to mention that Liu Yingshi of Nanyan controlled the waterway to the point that the food supply was blocked, and found that even without Liu Yingshi, even if the Supreme Emperor was willing to recruit the whereabouts of the huge sum of money, it would be difficult for Yuchiyan to sell food supplies.
The limited food in the city has become a very precious thing. Yuchi Yan took the lead in eating gruel, and ordered that food and grass should be given priority to the army. but not much.
Nearly a month and a half has passed, Yuchi Yan and the queen have lost more than ten kilograms of meat, and many officials can still eat white rice.
For the soldiers on the front line, the food is only getting worse day by day. Now that the autumn tigers are rampant, they only serve two meals a day when they are soldiers, and each meal is only given to a woman's fist-sized black stone.
"Fuck, is this fucking eaten by humans!" A soldier guarding the city took a bite of the dry pancake, almost broke half of his teeth, and after chewing for a while, he stretched his neck and swallowed it with a "guru". food in the mouth.
"Let's be content, we still have cakes to eat. The people in the city have long been digging wild vegetables and peeling tree bark. It is said that many people have starved to death, and there are still people who change their food." The person who spoke took a small bite. The pancakes, as if carefully tasting the taste of the food, took a sip of cold water and swallowed them carefully.
"Hey, have you heard that Liu Shangshu's house was also breached yesterday, and the people rushed in, not looking at the valuables, but just grabbing food, but Liu Shangshu's house didn't have much to eat. ."
There were a few people on the side and said: "These officials are more comfortable than the emperor. The emperor has been drinking porridge for more than a month, and there are steamed buns in the official's family."
"We don't eat well, but we can't starve to death, and the common people suffer. The people of Dazhou are like the iron barrels surrounding the capital. They want to trap us alive in the city."
"I really don't know how to fight this battle. The people of Da Zhou are too cruel."
The original 350,000 Yan army defending the city lost 30,000 in the hands of King Ning, and after handing it over to Duke An, now only 300,000 have been consumed. The Hu Ben army only suffered less than 1,000 casualties.
The most shameful thing is that the Hu Ben army is attacking the city, and they are defending the city.
Such a disparity in combat power, coupled with the panic caused by hunger in the stomach and the cut off of supply sources, made these soldiers unable to even eat, and they always felt that Lord Yama and Black and White Impermanence were already standing beside them and grinned.
A few people looked down the city and saw that the Zhou Dynasty military camp besieging the city was also making a fire to cook, and they could vaguely smell the aroma of stewed meat.
Although the supply line in the Zhou Dynasty was long, they were not surrounded, and they had insufficient food. They could hunt, fish, dig some wild vegetables, or directly grow some vegetables. Compared with the trapped Kyoto City, the Tiger Ben army lived much more comfortably.
Smelling the smell of meat under the city tower, the saliva of several soldiers flooded, and the bland and hard pancakes were even more difficult to swallow.
At this moment, footsteps came from the steps.
Immediately, someone greeted: "Grandpa, Qin Taishi."
Several people quickly stood up straight.
Seeing the golden-armored Duke An Guo striding forward with his hairpin and tassels in his helmet, next to him, half a body behind, was Qin Huaiyuan, who was dressed in a light blue Confucian shirt and had a much clearer face. Behind Qin Huaiyuan, there was an extremely beautiful young servant and a middle-aged Chang Sui.
The crowd hurriedly bowed.
An Guogong waved his hand and stood at the gate of the city to look down.
The goal of entering is a continuous barracks. The handsome flag of the Tiger Ben army is fluttering in the wind, and the golden tiger on it shows its fangs, as if it will jump from the flag at any time and devour people into its belly.
An Guogong felt his legs go weak when he saw this scene.
The real battle with Pang Xiao allowed him to see the ability of the Hu Ben army to fight one-to-ten with a single soldier, and also to see the ability of Pang Xiao to be called a ghost in the formation of troops.
An Guogong originally thought that his military advisor was also a well-known intellectual and multi-star. With the ability of "Zhi Pan'an", he was able to design and kill Pang Zhongzheng at first, but now he can't fight Pang Zhongzheng's son
But in fact, the war between these two is really like if they meet their opponents, they will meet good talents.
Hu Ben has few soldiers, but it can defeat ten by one, but it is at an unfavorable angle for siege.
There are many people in the Dayan Dynasty, but the combat power is weak and unorganized, but it stands in a strong position of defending the city.
According to the game between Qin Huaiyuan and Pang Xiao, the 320,000 soldiers and horses originally handed over to Duke Anguo were not left with only 300,000.
But after a period of time without fighting, Duke An was led out of the city by Pang Xiao's lure and was trapped in a mountain in the west for a day and a night. If Qin Huaiyuan hadn't rescued him in time, let alone brought him out. Even with 20,000 soldiers, even Duke An Guo himself would not be able to return.
An Guogong now recalls the scene of that day, and he feels terrified.
Since then, he has been beaten to death without opening the city gate to fight, no matter how the enemy shouts and scolds, he should not hear it.
Thinking of this, An Guogong's whole body was agitated. Pointing to the Dazhou Barracks not far from the city gate, where the smell of meat was wafting, he said with a heavy expression, "How do you fight this?"
Qin Huaiyuan stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes deep.
He knew in his heart that no matter how hard he fought, Dayan would be the last to do it.
If there is enough food and grass, even if there are only 30,000 people defending the city, he is confident that he can withstand the 100,000 soldiers and horses of the Hu Ben Army, and directly consumes the Hu Ben Army until the food and grass are exhausted and have to retreat.
However, there is no food in the city.
Working hard as a soldier, fighting on the battlefield, the picture is to eat a meal.
Now that they can't even provide enough food, can they rely on making pie for the soldiers all day long to keep them from going hungry? If you just want to serve the court, can you be full of water
People in the city starve to death every day. Under starvation, ordinary people can also turn into mobs.
Now, which of the big families in Kyoto City has not been harassed by the mob
Some were destroyed, and some escaped.
But just grabbing these is far from enough for the people to eat.
When there are no wild vegetables to eat, there is still bark, and when the bark is stripped, there are grass roots. But Kyoto is such a big place, if all the grass roots are eaten up, what will there be nothing to eat
That's the only thing left to eat people...
People are so anxious. What about these soldiers
I'm afraid, when the time comes, if the soldiers can't eat people, they will rebel first!
Qin Huaiyuan lowered his head. Thinking of the chaos in the city, thinking of the hungry emperor walking and fluttering, and thinking of the family members eating wild vegetables, the feeling of powerlessness swept through the whole body again.
Da Zhou hardly needed much effort. As long as he surrounded them for another half a month, the capital city would be self-defeating without attacking, and the country could be destroyed by cannibalism.
Qin Huaiyuan closed his eyes, and immediately felt dizzy and dizzy for a while, and fell down after shaking his body.
"Master Hou!" Cao Yuqing noticed that Qin Huaiyuan was swaying, and hurriedly supported the person, and together with Qitai, he slowly laid Qin Huaiyuan flat on the ground.
An Guogong was also taken aback and said hurriedly, "Could it be that Taishi Qin is starving and dizzy? Hurry up and pour some water and get some food."
The soldiers who complained that the pancakes were difficult to swallow just now felt sad.
Even Qin Taishi was fainted from hunger, and it seemed that he was really going to stop cooking.
Qin Huaiyuan was helped down by Cao Yuqing and Qi Tai together.
Beneath the tower, in the Dazhou military camp not far away, Pang Xiao put away the "Thousand Miles Mirror", carefully passed it through the silver chain and hung it on his waist, frowning worriedly.
Hu Zi said curiously, "Master, what did you see?"
"We have trapped the capital for forty-three days."
"Yeah." Hu Zi sat cross-legged beside Pang Xiao, and said, "It seems that the capital is almost exhausted. In this hot day, people are trapped in a city hungry, so it's not crazy. "
Pang Xiao's brows furrowed even tighter.
"So, she must be starving too." Pang Xiao said, lowered his head slowly, and grabbed his hair with both hands.
Only then did Hu Zi know what Pang Xiao was thinking.
But on second thought, it was indeed the case.
There are so many people in the capital, and there is no supply. I am afraid that they have eaten all they can eat now, and a large number of people will starve to death.
Under such circumstances, Qin Yining is a weak girl, and her injuries are still unhealed, so she needs to rest, can she survive...
Huzi only dared to think in his heart, but he never dared to say this in front of the prince.
He had to change the subject and said, "My lord, is our broth still cooking? Why don't you give the brothers some to drink first."
In fact, Hu Benjun deliberately cooks broth under the city every day, so that the people of the Yan Dynasty above the city gate can smell it, which is also a way for Pang Xiao to shake the hearts of Dayan.
He did this, firstly, the other party could not understand the real situation of the supply of the Huben army, and secondly, it could also shake the hearts of the Yan Dynasty.
Let the hungry people watch the enemy eat meat every day, the mental torture, temptation and suppression are absolutely incalculable.
However, in fact, the supply of the Hu Ben army has also been faulted. They only have the advantage of freedom over the people of the Yan Dynasty. If it is bad, they can go further and have some ideas, so as not to be trapped in the city and starve to death like the people of Kyoto. .
Pang Xiao lowered his head and was silent for a long time before he said: "Cook, this battle must end quickly. If we continue to surround, this king is afraid..."
Pang Xiao didn't say any more, but there was determination in his sharp eyes.
After getting up and pacing for a while, Pang Xiao whispered and called Hu Zi to the front and instructed: "If you think of a way to pass the news to the Marquis of Anping, you say that this king wants to see him in secret. You can arrange the specific matters."
Hu Zi was stunned when he heard the words, then nodded solemnly, and quickly stepped back.
Pang Xiao looked at the closed city of Kyoto not far away with his hands behind his back, but his heart was already anxious and was about to grow wings and fly to Qin Yining's side.
The woman he loves must be suffering now, but the most uncomfortable thing is that he is the culprit who caused her suffering. However, because of his identity, this battle has to be fought.
This is the helplessness of living in troubled times.
At this time, the person who was worried about Pang Xiao was squatting in front of the stove and cooking a large pot of dark-brown wild vegetable soup with Jiu Girl.