Chapter 119 – The Truth Behind the Snowflakes

In the late fall, the wind from Shuo, cold air whistling along the sky vein from the far north of the land south, all the way swept through the northern desert, stretches for an unknown number of miles of the North Sea Lake, came to the north of Cangzhou. Cangzhou is located in the northern end of the Southern Qing Dynasty, is the closest city to the Northern Qi, if purely based on geography, should be in the southeast of the capital city, however, because of the yearly cold winds along the southward south of the Heavenly Vein, so this place is even colder than the capital city.

Around the autumn trees have long fallen out of the leaves, the fields under the city grabbed at the end of summer on the harvest of the only season harvest, and now into a crop of beard, and covered with a layer of frost, looking very poor.

Early has already fallen several snow, beyond the south of Qingtun Tian, around the distant hills are still covered with snow, looks like a clear. On top of those snowy plains, many black dots and the Northern Qi army flag waving in the snowy wind can be seen faintly.

Cangzhou City, a general narrowed his eyes and looked over there, the scouts have already returned the news, this time the North Qi side of the army south of the sky, dense unknown number, I’m afraid that it is already a convergence of the North Qi southern army’s full strength.

The North Qi people are coming! Cangzhou City’s defenders are not very afraid, although the enemy is powerful, they still do not feel the slightest fear, because during these twenty years, both sides have fought countless games, and the Northern Qi people have never taken the slightest advantage. Even though over the years, a generation of famous generals of Northern Qi, Uesugi Hu, had been transferred out of the Northern Gate of Heavenly Pass by the Northern Qi Emperor and came to the south, there was no way for them to take a step forward amidst the tight defense of the Southern Qing army.

The only thing that worried the Cangzhou generals was the man called Uesugi Tiger. Since Emperor Qing stopped leading the army himself twenty years ago, the only person in the entire world who could truly be called the God of the Army was probably this General Uesugi Tiger. This was the honor that this man had earned from his years of bloody battles with the barbarians in the north.

These years, the Northern Qi army obviously morale and equipment are far less than the Southern Qing, but still can maintain a balanced situation in the Cangzhou area, all because of this person called Uesugi Tiger, this person with the army as God, good use of the division of the art of penetration, did not really exhaust all the strength, but the two roads of the Southern Qing side of the army are consumed in this side.

Years of small conflicts and friction, each side of the border strictly guarded, and did not really big military action. In the eyes of the Southern Qing side, they are just making preparations, storing up grain and ordnance, waiting for His Majesty to finally issue the decree to send out troops. His Majesty the Emperor was still cleaning up his court, and these pioneer armies of Qing were waiting, but how could they not expect that they had not fought their way through, but the Northern Qi had come first.

According to the usual practice in previous years, once mid fall, both sides would stop harassing and testing each other, and Grand Admiral Uesugi Tiger would even be recalled back to the Upper Capital for his annual vacation, so how come this year he suddenly came back from within the Upper Capital?

The earth slowly shook, the vibration was not very loud, the sound was also not how amazing, those distant black lines above the snowy hills, gradually drew closer to the direction of Cangzhou. As the distance is getting closer and closer, in the eyes of the officials and soldiers on Cangzhou city, this countless densely packed black lines, such as the dark clouds of the general military formation, but also gradually be broken down into a part of a part of the combination of military camps, broken down into a specific person, wearing armor, holding a sword and gun, face full of solemn meaning of the soldiers of Northern Qi. The officers and soldiers on Cangzhou City even felt that they could see clearly the frost condensed on the eyebrows of those Northern Qi men, as well as those pale hands of theirs holding their lances.

A tense and depressing atmosphere quickly spread across Cangzhou City. Immediately accompanied by the low huffing and puffing of those school officials, the messengers with flag orders hurried back and forth in the dozen or so corner towers of the city wall.

The Cangzhou general put down the monocular made by the inner treasury in his eyes, frowned extremely deeply, and said to himself, “What exactly do these Northern Qi people want to do?”

The temperature on the city’s head was extremely low, and the words he spoke were immediately turned into mist that shrouded his face, just like those densely-packed Northern Qi troops and horses in the distance outside of Cangzhou City, hiding the truth and leaving countless people wondering.

The guard slowly gripped the hilt of his sword at the side of his waist, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the astonishingly loud Northern Qi people under the snowy hills in the distance, as if he wanted to see through the other party’s true intentions. Could it be that the other party was really trying to move south in a big way? The guard did not believe this, because he believed that a generation of famous general, Uesugi Tiger, would never be confused to such an extent. No matter how much the famous general of Northern Qi used his army like a god, there was no way that he would labor in this bitter cold weather of late autumn and stab Nanqing directly, this was a death seeking approach.

Attacking the city? South Qing’s soldiers also do not believe, because the North Qi army that appeared outside Cangzhou City, although the momentum is amazing, estimated to reach the number of 40,000 people, but with these field army, and did not have enough siege equipment, what can they take Cangzhou City down?

Cangzhou city has 20,000 elite soldiers waiting for them!

“General, the Northern Qi have already penetrated deep into the country.” A colonel warned at the side of the Cangzhou guard, his eyebrows twitching twice, obviously a little angry at the inaction of the Cangzhou side. Watching the Northern Qi army invade the national border without the slightest reaction from the Northern Battalion, this kind of humiliation had not been endured by Southern Qing for many years.

Cangzhou guards, however, did not have the slightest reaction, he knew that the conservative response of the past two days had made many proud Southern Qing generals angry, however, he knew that he was facing the Uesugi Tiger, especially such a big action of the Northern Qi military without warning, suddenly like a snowflake drifting in, it really made him very wary, and he couldn’t guess what the other side really wanted to do.

Beiqi southern army divided into three roads, with very fast speed, broke through the border between the two countries, encroachment to the north camp of South Qing within the control of the military, this is the North Qi people have not been engaged in twenty years of big action, bias before this, whether it is the Supervisory Yuan around, or the military’s own intelligence system, have not smelled the slightest wind.

Beiqi 100,000 strong army, forced entry, looks like a great momentum, but it is not possible to straight burst southward, and any military action, there will always be its purpose, so …… what is the purpose of this shocking move of the Uesugi Tiger?

Cangzhou city has 20,000 defenders, while the strong strength of the northern camp is scattered in four military camps with Cangzhou as the core. In front of the city far away 40,000 northern Qi southern army, imposing, but divided into troops, deep into the southern Qing border, is the other side is not worried about their own northern battalion around the deployment of troops to close the siege?

In the late fall, cold, deep and heavy dew, the northern qi side of the lone division far into the logistical aspects will be a great problem, as long as the city of cangzhou closed city not to attract the Shangsugi tiger to attack, the northern battalion of four camps quietly surrounded, the 40,000 northern qi army, in addition to the first to retreat, but also what kind of choice?

A little benefit can not be gained, but to mobilize so much military power, consume so much food and spirit, the Uesugi tiger …… what exactly does he want to do?

Cangzhou guard’s brow wrinkled extremely tightly, looking at in the far side of the city has begun to prepare to camp and set up camp in the North Qi people, fell into a deep thought, simply did not pay attention to the subordinates of those generals of the angry look ……

It’s already the fifth day, and the biggest military operation of Northern Qi in twenty years has unexpectedly met one of the most stoic responses of the Southern Qing army. The Cangzhou guards are sealing off the city and not coming out, and all the military camps in the northern camp are just standing by, watching these Northern Qi people step on their own land without making any strong reaction.

This is too inconsistent with the pride and iron blood of the Southern Qing soldiers, and even those Northern Qi troops who entered the Southern Qing border in silence, always waiting for a blood-and-fire battle with the Southern Qing troops on the sand field, felt a hint of surprise and strangeness.

In a small city sixty miles away from the border between the two sides, the base camp of this military operation of Beiqi is located here, inside a requisitioned private room, the snow charcoal in the fire pot is burning, the red inside seeps out through the layer of silver ash outside, making the whole room full of warmth of spring.

However, the several senior generals of Northern Qi in the room were not roasting the fire, they were standing by a table, looking worriedly at the southern military map being flattened out on the table, occasionally glancing at the person sitting on the eunuch’s chair.

Uesugi Tiger was sitting on the eunuch chair with his eyes slightly closed, seemingly in deep thought and slumber, suddenly he slowly opened his eyes and asked, “It’s been five days since the three armies entered the country, has there been any movement on the Cangzhou side?”

The first general of Northern Qi’s voice is not big, but thick to the extreme.

“Reporting to the Marshal, Cangzhou City is still locked up and not coming out.” A general replied respectfully, “Following the marshal’s military order, the three armies have not dared to go deeper, except for …… the Cangzhou one.”

“I can’t imagine that these southern counterparts are more able to endure than in previous years.” Uesugi tiger face expressionless stood up, walked to the side of the long table, pointing to a certain point on the map, said: “But the Qing people more pride and arrogance, and this is the war of the positive trend, can not use deception, Cangzhou defenders at best two days to hold out, it is not possible to wait until their Kyoto’s will to arrive, then it is necessary to go out to war …… Otherwise he can’t answer to the Southern Qing court.”

“What if they remain closed to the city?” That Uesugi Tiger’s close general said worriedly, “This time we poured out our full strength, if the other side stays up for two more days, the four military camps of the northern camps see through the reality of the other two routes, and directly encircle them, and one of us is not able to receive …… only to lose a great deal of money.”

Beiqi military this sudden big action, not only the generals of the North Battalion of South Qing can not guess the reality, even these Beiqi people themselves do not know why they suddenly send troops, and braving the cold, risking so much, deep within the border of Qing, although it is true that this is very relieved, but as a military man, to the actual results of the war, rather than pay thousands or even tens of thousands of lives, just go to the other side of the city in front of the city to go in front of the other side’s city and show off.

The only people who really know the inside story of this military expedition are perhaps His Majesty the Emperor in the palace of the Northern Qi’s Shangjing Palace, and the silent General Uesugi Tiger at the moment, but who in the world would dare to ask them?

“Although we have been on the defensive all these years, you should not think of the Qing army as too scary.” Uesugi Tiger’s palm steadily landed on top of the map and said, “The Southern Qing Northern Battalion has Cangzhou as its hub, yet five days have passed and the remaining four armies of the Northern Battalion have not come to join in the aid, on the one hand it can be said that they have been staunched by those two armies of ours, and on the other hand it also shows that the Northern Battalion lacks a backbone at the moment.”

Uesugi Tiger’s face surfaced a hint of a meaningless smile, “The South Qing equipment military strength is far above our side, if …… Yan Xiaoyi was still alive, five days ago, he would have ordered to shed the other two gaps, to close the siege of Cangzhou, and swallowed my 40,000 strong army alive. Yet right now in the northern camp, who would dare to give this risky military order?”

“Yan Xiaoyi died, and here comes a Shi Fei, that general Shi is not as good as Yan Daidu, but he is also a formidable character, and it so happens that the Southern Qing Emperor is not at ease with his own side, and transferred him to the Kyoto Guard Division.” Uesugi Tiger sneered, “Back then, the Northern Battalion was involved in the plot to rebel, the Emperor of Qing had much to fear, right now these Northern Battalion’s generals, where is the ferocity that they had under Yan Xiaoyi back in the day?”

“These years, South Qing seems to be accumulating national strength and preparing to invade my Daqi, yet in reality, it is in the self-loss of national strength, especially in the northern camp this …… Emperor Qing is a marvelous character, yet these marvelous characters under his hands are dying one after another. ” Uesugi tiger sighed, seems to feel a little tedious, said:” in that case, my 100,000 troops go in for a walk, and who can stop me?”

“Conservative, is their best choice, is also their worst choice, is also their choice of last resort …… Just that clever Cangzhou guardian, only can not suppress too long north camp counterattack desire.”

“So it’s just two days later.”

After Uesugi Tiger said these words, he left the house, leaving behind the generals who looked at each other in disbelief.

The wind and snow had picked up outside the house, the snowflakes weren’t big, and some of them were crunchy and tiresome. Uesugi Tiger narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the busy soldiers and logistic officials in the city, a trace of very complicated emotions surfaced on his face, he thought of that Emperor’s Majesty in the Upper Capital, and thought of the last time when His Majesty declared himself to the palace urgently, ordering him to send troops at all costs, and also to help stabilize Dongyi City.

The front pointing to the northern camp was to attract that Yanjing City’s border army to come to their aid and help Dongyi City to temporarily ease the pressure. Uesugi tiger’s eyes flashed a cold, thinking that even if the south of that power really want to flip with the Qing Emperor, but they have to pay such a big price, is it really cost-effective?

Regardless of whether it is cost-effective or not, this military action of Northern Qi will eventually have to pay the price, just as what Uesugi Tiger analyzed, by the sixth day of the opening of the war, the Southern Qing military finally made an extremely strong response, the Northern Battalion’s two elite armies were in the position of a crab pincer, swooping over towards Cangzhou City, while the other two battalions were out in full force, braving the light snow that sprinkled from the sky, rushing towards the other two large armies of Northern Qi that had initially entered the country’s borders. The past.

In just one day, three beacon fires were lit, and the wilderness in the north-central part of the continent was suddenly turned into a killing field. Cavalry were charging, bow strings were flicking, arrows were flying across the sky, iron spears were piercing the field, blood was bursting out, flames were everywhere, corpses were in the middle of the dirty blood, and the sound of killings were rushing into the dark clouds in the sky.

Silent for several years of this land, finally because of the Northern Qi military attack and lively, a total of more than 100,000 entangled in the sands of life, just at this moment pulled open the curtain, bombarded to kill in a place.

However this curtain was quickly re-drawn by Uesugi Tiger.

Without a trace of blood on his body, the general of Cangzhou, escorted by a brigade of his own soldiers, walked out of the city and coldly watched his subordinates cleaning up the battlefield. Looking at those arrows deeply inserted into the dead trees, listening to the tragic howls of the wounded that sounded from time to time, his face did not have the slightest trace of emotion, as a soldier, fighting on behalf of His Majesty is a matter of course. As a soldier, fighting for His Majesty is a rightful duty. However, there is always a touch of coldness in his heart, which can’t be waved away, even the joy after this disastrous victory can’t be washed away.

After a night of forced marching, the two reinforcements from the northern camp of the Qing army finally formed an encirclement outside of Cangzhou with their own defenders, but before they had time to rest for a few moments, they suddenly realized that the army of Northern Qi seemed to have signs of leaving the battlefield.

The Qing army was so powerful, how could they let the enemy come within the border of the country and then leave in such a leisurely manner, a not well-prepared charge thus began. Fortunately, the northern battalion border soldiers have been fighting for many years, the Qing military power is extremely strong, so such a hasty attack, but also maintains a very strong impact.

However, Uesugi tiger single-handedly trained out of the northern qi elite and is not good with the generation, after a big battle, the northern qi military after throwing down more than a thousand corpses, still will formations remain extremely intact, with a kind of unimaginable speed, detached from the front battlefield, extremely strong throw down a few battalions of abandonment, did not give the southern qing border troops any opportunity to pursue.

This battle, no, should be said to be an inexplicable battle ended, South Qing has the advantage of geographical advantage as well as already have the advantage, naturally achieved victory, but this victory did not achieve the expected results.

The Northern Qi people ran too fast.

Looking at the annihilated provisions and rations, the Cangzhou general’s eyes narrowed and he felt a chill. He finally understood why he hadn’t seen the Beiqi’s siege equipment at the beginning, even if it was a trap, the other side wouldn’t be so bad as to not bring a single ladder with them.

It turned out that the other side from the beginning, just ready to fight a battle and run, they what difficult to carry provisions did not bring, the whole army lightly loaded, no wonder the last touch but not routed, running like a rabbit.

Why did they run? This top general of the Cangzhou side was once again in deep thought. He knew that he was no match for Uesugi Tiger, but if he could truly understand Uesugi Tiger’s thoughts, then there would be a way to target them, and he wouldn’t have to be still in fear even though he had won a battle like the one in front of him.

On the second day, the other two battlefields also came from the shocking battle report, those two roads of Northern Qi elite entry is not far away, in Cangzhou city outside the South Qing military for a combined attack at the same time, the rest of the North Battalion’s military force also struck at the same time, killing the enemy barracks at the border place……. However, those two roads of Northern Qi elite, but even ran faster!

All the generals of the northern battalion were alerted, they did not know what kind of calculations the famous general of Northern Qi was playing. So they forcibly restrained their men and did not let the iron cavalry of Southern Qing take advantage of the momentum of the counterattack to kill into the border of Northern Qi.

On the third day, a bad news came. The 40,000 elite troops of Northern Qi that had broken away from the siege underneath Cangzhou City, on their way back to the territory of Northern Qi, unusually and marvelously penetrated eastward into the territory of the Dongyi City of Song, occupying a state city on the border of Song.

It was said that the troops on the Song State’s state city did not put up the slightest resistance, and the Dongyi City side did not react in any way, thus allowing those 40,000 elite troops to enter the state city.

This state city seems inconspicuous, nearly deserted, in the past there is no power to notice this place, however, now Uesugi tiger led troops into the station, the map more a big red dot, the South Qing military eyes open to see, and suddenly found that this state city is exactly in the middle of the North Camp and Yanjing City range, like a fishbone, piercing all the soldiers in the South Qing are extremely uncomfortable!

Is this the real intention of Uesugi Tiger?

The Battle of Cangzhou, Northern Qi lost, Southern Qing won, it seems so, however this inexplicable war, could it end just like this?

After another ten days or so, the Supervisory Yuan and the military intelligence system simultaneously sent information to the generals in the northern camp, after the 100,000 troops of Northern Qi withdrew into the country, they did not retreat for a rest, but started to camp in the same place, and the vast depths of the Northern Qi’s country began to send all kinds of supplies to the south in a steady stream.

This is obviously a precursor of a decisive war, coupled with the insignificant state city captured by Uesugi Tiger, the Southern Qing military was immediately alert, and before the arrival of the decree from Kyoto, they had already begun to make preparations to meet the real war.

The war may be in the spring of next year?

That Marshal Wang Zhikun in Yanjing City was also forced to withdraw his attention from the direction of Niutou Mountain, betting on the 40,000 Northern Qi troops straddling his head. He frowned tightly, his heart extremely angry. How could he not have imagined that the variable Fan Xian had utilized was collusion with the Northern Qi?

Immediately afterward, the decree from Kyoto arrived, reaching the hands of all the senior generals in Yanjing City and the northern camp. No one knew exactly what His Majesty the Emperor of Qing said in the decree, but ever since that decree, the military forces in the north of Qing had begun to rest, to hibernate, and to calm down.

Immediately after that, Dongyi City’s Lord Yun Zhilan wrote a letter to the world, expressing his strongest protest and anger at the Northern Qi’s blatant invasion, stating that Dongyi City would stand by the side of His Majesty, the great Emperor of the Kingdom of Qing, and that all invaders would be dealt with with the most violent and destructive blows.

The most terrifying Thirteen Sons of the Sword Lodge in Dongyi City suddenly disappeared, not knowing where they had gone. Getting the news, the defense force of the Uesugi Tiger Marshal Battalion in that state city immediately tightened up a lot.

Just as the chaos in the northern part of the continent was rising, the Beiqi palace was at peace, and Li Guifei, who was highly favored by His Majesty, looked at His Majesty, who was lounging on the couch, and bit her lip as she said softly, “Dongyi City is considered to be preserved for Fan Xian, and His Majesty has paid so much for it, I really don’t know what he should take to thank you for it.”

“Thank me?” The Emperor of Beiqi let out a cold laugh, gently rubbed his stomach, and said, “That shameless man with a belly full of bad water, but always claiming to be a saint, will only be cursing me in the mansion for lightly starting the war.”