For the Song army in Xiangfan, the elderly and weak were unnecessary, and keeping them was also a waste of food in the city.

Unless you are a skilled person, a craftsman, a doctor, a breeder, a musician, etc., you can stay and serve the senior management of the Song army.

So Wang Yan ordered all the old and weak in the city who had no skills to escape from it. Whether they starved to death or were killed by the Ming army, they had nothing to do with the Song army in the city.

After tense combat preparations, the Xiangyang army plundered 40,000 young men and more than 30,000 young women from the surrounding areas.

This wave of action almost wiped out the young and strong men and women in the areas they could reach. Because there was not enough, it was inevitable to catch some middle-aged men and women and young men and women to make up the numbers to facilitate the number Wang Yan needed.

After the elderly, weak, sick and disabled in Xiangfan City were collectively driven out, the food conditions and living environment in the city have been greatly improved. The grain reserves, which were originally expected to be able to support three years, can now last for more than four years.

At this time, it is a very good choice for Wang Yan to come to Wang Yan. He needs a large number of young and strong men and women to enter the second city of Xiangfan to contribute to his defense plan.

As for what the army did to the local people in this process, and how they made their wives and their children separate and their families and their families die, it was not within Wang Yan's consideration.

He doesn't want the process, he will reward him with the result as long as it is the result that satisfies him.

As for the process

Who cares?

The Song soldiers walked out with knives and laughed. After a while, they pushed the young men and women back, carried large and small bags, and returned with a full load.

They not only wiped out the surrounding manpower, but also wiped out the food and property of the surrounding areas.

They searched all the food and use of the two cities of Xiangfan, leaving only the elderly, weak, sick and disabled people waiting to die in the surrounding areas.

Of course, if these old and weak dare to come forward to protect their families, they will end them with one knife and show no mercy.

So wherever they passed, corpses were everywhere, and blood was flowing into a river. Fortunately, the undead hugged the bodies of their dead relatives and cried bitterly, crying and shouting, but they were powerless.

All that awaits them is ruthless death.

In addition, there are not no special groups that have been treated specially.

For example, local officials, as long as they are willing to pay a sum of money to the senior officials of the Song army, they can get their protection and enter Xiangyang.

Or when those rich and wealthy families find that they can no longer escape, they can pay a sum of money to the senior officials of the Song army and they can also enter Xiangyang to take refuge.

They will all receive relatively good treatment. The senior leaders of the Song army promised them that they could get food supplies after entering Xiangyang and live the same way as before until the end of the war.

As for local real estate

When the court clears the siege in the future, they can still return to their original hometown, and their real estate will still be theirs.

As long as people live, they are not afraid of losing money, but if they are gone, what's the use of having more money?

The senior leaders of the Song army fooled them like this.

As a result, a large number of officials and wealthy families felt that they could not get any benefits under the peasant army, so they took this opportunity to enter Xiangyang City.

Wang Yan and a group of senior executives of the Song army successfully achieved side businesses and earned income. The money was ruthless, which was a win.

With such a wave of combat readiness and self-purification, the military strength of the Song army in Xiangfan and the two cities was greatly improved, and the defense was also greatly improved and long-term guaranteed.

They have been prepared to stay in Xiangfan City for a long time, and they have prepared everything they should prepare. They are ready to deal with excrement such as shit, urination, and peeing.

Some people even pushed down houses and opened up farmland in Xiangyang City and Fancheng, preparing to plant some vegetables, fruits, etc. in the city for the enjoyment of senior Song army officials and officials in the city.

Finally, after sending dozens of messengers to the Lin'an court and Chengdu to ask for help, they stopped going out, closed the city gate, walked up to the city day and night to patrol, waiting for the arrival of the peasant army and the Ming army.

They were prepared to fight here for three years and were determined to hold on here for three years, giving the Southern Song court three years of respite.

As long as they die here, the Ming army cannot go south with confidence, and the Jinghu War Zone will not be lost. As long as the two cities of Xiangfan are still there, even if all the surrounding areas are captured by the Ming army, the barrier function of the Jinghu War Zone will continue to be maintained.

Wang Yan was ready to fight to the death, defended Xiangfan to the death, and never retreated.

After winning successive victories, the main force of the peasant army led by Zhao Yucheng personally led the First Division and the Second Division led by Xu Tong met in Jingmen. After the two armies met, they launched a northern expedition with 40,000 troops, headed north along the Han River and finally arrived in Yicheng.

However, they did not notice the movements of the Song army in Yicheng. Around Yicheng, there were only a pile of exhausted, miserable, and sick and disabled people who were about to starve to death.

When Zhao Yucheng and Xu Tong were faced with such a situation, they were shocked and immediately arranged for troops to restore order, and used military rations to make porridge to help the elderly, weak, sick and disabled people, and then asked them what was going on.

After some inquiry, Zhao Yucheng and Xu Tong finally knew what was going on.

Then their fists became hard, their blood pressure was high, and their teeth were worn more.

It turned out that this was also part of the Song army's operation to clear the fields.

Not long ago, the Song army in Xiangyang City was dispatched collectively to start a war on the clearing of the fields in the entire Xiangfan area. However, their clearing of the fields was relatively bad and did not take everyone away. They only took away young men and women and all supplies, leaving behind lonely, helpless, elderly, weak, sick and disabled.

Not only that, they also drove out the old, weak, sick and disabled in Xiangyang and Fancheng, causing them to lose everything and could only wander around in despair and wait for death.

Without food, these people will starve to death if they can't go far, and these people who are about to starve but do not starve to death will become a huge burden for the peasant army and the Ming army.

In contrast, there are abundant food and manpower within Xiangyang City and Fancheng, which will give Xiangyang City and Fancheng extremely high defense and endurance.

Zhao Yucheng was very angry, and Xu Tong was also very angry.

And Xu Tong also discovered it.

The powerful enemy he had always longed for, the shrewd general, finally appeared.

According to the original residents in Xiangyang City, the person who issued the order was Wang Yan, the prefect of Xiangyang, who was familiar with the name Zhao Yucheng and Xu Tong.

One of the three generals of the Sichuan-Shu War Zone in the Southern Song Dynasty, the prefect of Xiangyang after Yao Zhong fell, and the successor to the position of commander-in-chief of the Xiangyang army, a famous general of the Southern Song Dynasty.

They originally thought they could get rid of Xiangyang before Wang Yan arrived, but now it seems that Wang Yan's speed is faster than they thought and has already taken action.

"I thought I could take Xiangyang quickly, but now it seems that it is not possible. Wang Yan has come and has made a tough move to clear the world. This is our specialty. If you put it in their hands, not only will the solid walls and clear the world, but you will not leave any difficulties for yourself."

Zhao Yucheng gritted his teeth in anger and said angrily: "This person is sinister and will kill him!"

"My enemy is the hero of the enemy, but these ordinary people are obviously not within the scope of their own people. It is estimated that only the official people of the Southern Song Dynasty will think that he is a hero."

Xu Tong sighed and whispered: "Director, the situation is already very obvious now. It is impossible for us to win quickly. We also understand the tenacity of Xiangyang and Fancheng. At least 40,000 defenders, we can't beat Xiangyang and Fancheng by ourselves."

Zhao Yucheng nodded helplessly and agreed with Xu Tong's statement.

"The two cities have tall walls, wide and deep moats, and extremely dangerous locations. If they really want to fight, it should be difficult to take down without a 100,000 army. It is absolutely impossible for us to do so. So it depends on when the Henan Corps will come."

Xu Tong turned his head and looked to the north.

"We've sent the information, right?"

"That's natural. The Henan Corps has established a forward base in Biyang and Rangcheng. It is said that they have to wait for the Shenji Camp sent by Zhongdu to attack Xiangyang before attacking, but I don't know when the attack will be launched."

Zhao Yucheng said, "Anyway, are they trying to strengthen the walls and clear the country? Let's just go directly. Anyway, we have 40,000 troops to help us get the foundation. Even if we fight head-on, we will not be at a disadvantage. What do you think?"

Xu Tong nodded.
Chapter completed!