In years of famine and drought, their village even rejected fatty meat.

Chapter 746 Vicious

Of course, these wealthy households still gave Zhu Changhe some face and were willing to provide some grain and fodder.

However, the amount of food they provided was far from enough to feed the Qingzhou army for three days.

"Such selfishness will lead to your deaths once the Yang family army enters the city!"

Zhu Changhe glanced back at the mansion behind him, then strode away with a gloomy expression.

…………

…………

time flies.

Yang Erlang's 40,000-strong army continued its assault, capturing city after city.

Meanwhile, in the prefectural city, Yang Zheng remained inactive, stationing his troops outside the city and occasionally sending soldiers to shout from below the city walls to intimidate everyone inside.

As the siege dragged on, the food shortage within the city became increasingly severe.

On the tenth day of the siege, although the price of grain in the city was high, as long as you were willing to spend money, you could still buy some grain.

By the twentieth day of the siege, there was no food left to buy in the market, and most people's food reserves had run out. Starving people could be seen everywhere in the city gnawing on tree bark and grass roots.

The Qingzhou army was also in extremely poor condition. Their meals were reduced from two meals a day to one meal a day, and many soldiers felt weak and dizzy while defending the city.

"General."

Bai Jie, who had been ordered by Zhu Changhe to inspect the military camp, reported to Zhu Changhe with a solemn expression: "If the food shortage situation cannot be alleviated, our army's combat strength will probably be wiped out."

The Qingzhou Army has more than 30,000 soldiers, almost all of whom are starving. How can an army that is hungry and weak be considered a fighting force?

Bai Jie estimated that if this continued, his own army would probably collapse before Yang's army even attacked.

"That brat Yang Zheng is truly vicious!"

Zhu Changhe couldn't help but curse. Now he realized Yang Zheng's intention. The reason Yang Zheng held back was simply to trap the Qingzhou army in the city and make them collapse without a fight.

And things unfolded exactly as Yang Zheng had hoped. Because of the lack of food supplies from the outside world, chaos broke out frequently in the city, and public resentment was boiling over.

Even the soldiers of the Qingzhou Army were starving and extremely dissatisfied with their commander, Zhu Changhe. Some time ago, a group of soldiers who were dissatisfied with Zhu Changhe even caused trouble in the military camp. Fortunately, Bai Jie reacted in time and quickly suppressed the disturbance. Otherwise, it might have caused a major disturbance and given the Yang family army outside the city an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

"Bai Jie, do you have a good plan?"

While cursing Yang Zheng, Zhu Changhe asked Bai Jie with eager eyes.

Bai Jie was his confidant and the "strategist" he valued most. He was able to become the commander of the Qingzhou army not only because of the help of the King of Qing, but also because of the advice and strategies that Bai Jie, his confidant, provided behind the scenes.

Therefore, whenever he encountered difficulties, Zhu Changhe would ask Bai Jie for advice.

"Out of town!"

After a moment of contemplation, Bai Jie decisively said, "The best course of action now is to take advantage of the fact that our army still has the strength to fight and go out of the city to engage in a decisive battle with the Yang family army."

Bai Jie knew very well that continuing to hold out was tantamount to waiting for death. The only way to survive was to break out of the city and break the Yang family army's blockade while the Qingzhou army still had the strength to fight.

Otherwise, once the army's food supplies are completely exhausted, the fate of the prefectural city will be nothing but fall.

"No!"

Upon hearing Bai Jie's words about going out of the city for a decisive battle, Zhu Changhe was shocked and stood up abruptly from his chair: "The Yang family army is extremely ferocious. Even the imperial army is no match for them. Our army's morale is low and its combat strength is weak. We must not confront them head-on."

Seeing Zhu Changhe's reaction, Bai Jie couldn't help but feel disappointed. He knew that Zhu Changhe feared the Yang family army, but he didn't know that Zhu Changhe was afraid of the Yang family army to this extent.

Even when in dire straits, they still dared not engage in a direct confrontation with the Yang family army, as if they were afraid of the Yang family army or were afraid of fighting to the core.

"Lord Wang's letter has been sent to the capital."

Seemingly to comfort himself, and perhaps to explain to Bai Jie, Zhu Changhe said, "We only need to hold out for a month, no, twenty days, and the imperial reinforcements will surely arrive. Once the imperial army arrives, the Yang family army will surely retreat, and the siege of the prefecture will be easily lifted."

The 20th?

Bai Jie disagreed, saying that in the current situation, let alone twenty days, they might not even be able to hold on for ten days.

Of course, Bai Jie didn't say this aloud.

After a moment of contemplation, Bai Jie said, "The army's rations are running low. If the general is determined to hold out to the death, then we will have no choice but to... use human flesh as rations!"

Doxxing!

Zhu Changhe's expression changed. Even though he didn't care about the lives of ordinary people, he couldn't help but tremble when he heard that human flesh would be used as military rations.

However, thinking about the fate he would face after the city fell... Zhu Changhe hardened his heart and gritted his teeth, saying, "You arrange this matter, and do it discreetly."

"Yes."

…………

…………

The sun sets.

Smoke rose from the Yang family army camp outside the city.

On the city wall, the Qingzhou soldiers who had been guarding the city for a day began to change shifts one after another and returned to their barracks in the city to prepare for dinner.

"This job is absolutely inhuman."

On his way to the kitchen, Xu Xiaoma, a soldier of the Qingzhou Army, felt weak all over. He hadn't eaten a single bite since morning, yet he had to stand on the city wall in heavy armor and weapons. He was so hungry that he was dizzy and almost fainted on the city wall.

"That's right! If this continues, even if I don't starve to death, I'm afraid I'll die from exhaustion."

"Damn it, we're working ourselves to the bone and we can't even get a decent meal."

"That bastard Zhu Changhe only knows how to skimp on our rations."

"..."

A chorus of agreement arose from the surrounding crowd. Now, in the Qingzhou army camp, as long as someone cursed Zhu Changhe, it would immediately elicit a chorus of agreement. This had become the main theme in the Qingzhou army camp.

Soon after, the soldiers arrived at the kitchen one after another, rushing to the food station and urgently asking the cooks to serve them their food.

"You're in for a treat today."

As the cook served rice to the soldiers, he said with a smile, "General Zhu specially sent over a batch of meat, so everyone will have meat to eat today!"

The cook who said this expected to be greeted by cheers from the soldiers, but instead, he heard only the soldiers' suspicious voices.

"How could that be? Zhu Changhe wouldn't be so kind."

"Eating meat? I wouldn't even dare to dream about it."

"If Zhu Changhe were willing to give us meat, pigs would fly."

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"Zhu Changhe would rather have the kitchen cook stones for us than give us meat."

"..."

The soldiers clearly didn't quite believe what the cook was saying.