"What's the news from the Qing army?" Huang Li took a sip of tea and said slowly: "The three-province encirclement and suppression campaign failed because of the disastrous defeat of the Qing army in Huguang. The Qing government will not be reconciled, let alone give up."

Li Yue nodded, his face became serious, and he said: "The news is not confirmed yet, but there are already rumors. It is said that the Qing government will mobilize the Eight Banners soldiers in Xi'an and the Forbidden Brigade of the capital to come to help in the battle. Is it true or false?

”

"Then it must be true. This has been the case in history." Huang Li lowered his eyes and pondered for a long time without saying a word.

Li Yue pondered for a moment and said: "If the news is true, it will take about two months for the Qing army to gather in large numbers. A counterattack is imperative, and time is not ample."

Huang Li nodded and said: "The preparation time is very tight, so we need to work harder to build the cartons and other equipment. If there are not enough craftsmen, we might as well work together with the military and the civilians."

Carts can not only provide cover during sieges, but can also transport grain and grass supplies without increasing the burden of marching.

The difficulty in attacking Yiling lies in the moat. This is the conclusion Huang Li came to after analysis. To fill up the moat, it is necessary to carry out carriages.

"By the way, this is the latest information from reconnaissance and spying in Yiling City." Li Yue took out the information he brought from his father and handed it to Huang Li.

It is about 250 or 60 miles from Xingshan County to Yiling, and Huang Li has been busy for five or six days. Obviously, Li Laiheng was really preparing with all his strength, and the sentry had already been dispatched, so he was so fast.

Huang Li opened the information and spread it on the table. By the light of the oil lamp, he looked at the simple map and instructions on it, thoughtfully.

The moat of Yiling City is located thirty to fifty steps outside the city wall. It is two feet deep, more than thirty steps at its widest point, and more than ten steps at its narrowest point.

One step is equivalent to 1.3 meters. The conversion is very simple. Huang Li quickly nodded his head and smiled slightly on his face.

Whether it is dredging, filling, or both, it is a big project. But if this obstacle can be overcome, it is a high probability that the city can be breached.

One month is always enough. Being able to win a big victory before the Qing reinforcements arrive is the biggest turning point.

Rectangular water flow like a moat is easily blocked at the corners of the city, so it is usually built into a large arc. Even so, the river bed will still become shallower.

"There are plum blossom piles all over from the moat to the city wall." Li Yue pointed with his hand and said: "If it is a tunnel blasting, it should have no impact."

"Yes, there is no impact." Huang Li said with a smile: "I think from the picture, it would be faster to fill in the moat at the corner of the city and dig the tunnel here."

Li Yue nodded in agreement and said: "What you said is absolutely true. Not only can it be filled, but it can also be dug for drainage."

"If there are 25,000 to 6,000 troops, it should be enough to prevent the Qing army from leaving the city." Huang Li guessed: "It seems most advantageous to attack the city from the northeast corner."

"If our army takes the land route, it is approaching Yiling from the north." Li Yue said: "If it goes along the river, it will be from the north or west."

Huang Li was not very clear about the marching speed in ancient times, so he asked: "Two hundred fifty or sixty miles, if we march by land, can we get there in seven days, right?"

One house is thirty miles away, he calculated it based on this.

Li Yue smiled and said: "If there is no battle, it will not take seven days, but five or six days at most."

This is almost fifty or sixty miles a day! It’s not considered a rush march, so there should be no big problem.

If it takes five or six days, plus the siege, calculated as half a month, it can definitely be completed before the Qing army gathers in force. Of course, in terms of the amount of food and supplies, the faster the city is conquered, the better.

Yiling is close to the Yangtze River, and there are many rivers in the territory, so the groundwater should be very shallow. Excavation of tunnels will probably require a lot of support.

Huang Li was not very worried about this. When he taught the miners to dig tunnels, they included the support of two columns and one beam, as well as the construction operations of digging and supporting.

It should be faster to excavate at the shortest distance, or to excavate the trench of the moat after draining the moat.

Huang Li estimated the distance again and judged that it would be difficult to be attacked by the city. But it is not impossible to solve it. Just strengthen the protection.

But no matter what, the attack on Yiling City is a certainty. Although there are difficulties, there are ways to overcome them. As the east gate of the Three Gorges, the Qing army has always been very defensive, and the city's grain and grass supplies are definitely indispensable.

After chatting for a while, nearly an hour passed in the blink of an eye before Li Yue stood up to say goodbye.

Huang Li sent him outside, returned to the house and studied some more before going to bed to rest, but his thoughts could not calm down for a long time. He didn't know when he fell asleep.

………………

The sun poked its head out over the mountains in the east, its light dispelling the hazy sleepiness of the earth, announcing the beginning of a new day.

Huang Li also started a new day after time travel. He got dressed and got up. After washing up, Ying Ying brought breakfast, as punctual as a clock.

"Hello, Mr. Huang." A small figure flashed out from behind Ying Ying and said hello to Huang Li abruptly.

"Oh, it's you little girl!" Huang Li chuckled, looked at the cute girl, and said, "Is your injury healed?"

Wei'er grinned happily and said, "I'll be fine soon. Mr. Huang's medicine is really effective."

"That's good." Huang Li nodded and said with a smile: "You have to pay more attention to safety when you go into the mountains. Fortunately, the poisonous snake that bit you is not the most powerful one. Otherwise, it will be troublesome."

Ying Ying smiled and said nothing, and brought the food into the room. In order to show that she was not idle, Wei'er handed a few goose feathers to Huang Li, "Mr. Huang, do you think these goose feathers are suitable for use?"

When it comes to calligraphy, Huang Li has also practiced calligraphy. It was originally an interest class that his parents dragged by the ears when he was young. Later, from the publicity committee member of the school to the publicity officer of the unit, he did not fall behind.

The most convenient thing to use is a hard pen like a fountain pen. At least in terms of writing speed, Huang Li still prefers hard pens.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she said it casually, Ying Ying would remember it, find it for herself, and present the treasure through Wei'er.

"It's suitable, it's suitable." Huang Li reached out and touched Weier's little head, and said with a smile: "Thank you, I will come over with my sister at noon and treat you to a game barbecue."

When Wei'er heard the good news that she had been looking forward to the most in the past few days, she giggled happily and nodded vigorously.

Ying Ying walked out of the room, saluted Huang Li, and said, "Mr. Huang, please eat first, and the servants will come and clean up soon."

Huang Li nodded and said, "Thank you very much, Miss Ying."
Chapter completed!