"This ......" Zhang Yun looked at Liu Cong, he was not a reckless person, the task Liu Cong said was really not ordinarily difficult.

"If you don't, I'll find someone else." Liu Cong also didn't give him a chance to think.

"The end will be vouched for with his head and guaranteed to complete the task!"

"Okay, if you have any difficulties, you can find Mr. Kong Ming, or you can come to me directly. The widened river may not be as deep as it should be, but it must not be crossed by a light rider. In addition, the excavated earthwork cannot be placed at will, and must be transported to the south of Fancheng. In addition, after the moat is widened, there will be no suspension bridges on the east and west sides of Fancheng, and access will be from the north and south gates. ”

"Understood!"

Liu Cong's arrangement was actually to move the center of gravity of the battlefield north to Fancheng, where the moat was connected to the Han River, and after the widening, Ganning's naval army could support Fancheng at any time, and the soldiers and ordinary people of Fancheng could quickly withdraw to Xiangyang. And by closing the east and west city gates and suspension bridges, Cao Cao could not encircle Fancheng on all sides, and even if he had more troops, he could only block the north gate.

If you go to the south gate, you will face the danger of fighting against the water and being attacked on both sides. There is no drawbridge at the east and west gates, and the Cao army must go down the river if they want to attack, which will give the defenders of Fancheng and Gan Ning and others a chance.

Originally, Liu Cong wanted to give up the north of the Han River and stick to Xiangyang, which had a better chance of victory, but Liu Biao was in Jingzhou for eighteen years, and Xiangyang City was no longer what it used to be. The degree of prosperity far exceeds that of Luoyang and Chang'an. It can't even be compared, and the population is quite dense.

Once Cao's army successfully crossed the river, it would definitely use all kinds of siege weapons, especially catapults, to smash on the city wall, at most, it was a hole, if it was smashed into the city, the ordinary houses would definitely not be able to support it.

Zhang Yun received such a difficult task, although he had no bottom in his heart, he had to do it.

After instructing Zhang Yun, Liu Cong began to assign tasks to others again

"Wen Chang, you must complete the construction of the urn city at the north gate within a month, and the height and width of the city wall are consistent with the requirements of the main city wall!"

Wei Yan had 5,000 men under his command, and the stones for building the city wall had already piled up in Fancheng, so as long as he worked hard to catch up with the work, it was not a big problem. So Wei Yan agreed.

"Brother Cong, General Huang, your task is to lead four thousand cavalry within a month to familiarize yourself with all the terrain from Fancheng to Xinye, including rivers, mountains, and villages within at least a hundred miles on the east and west sides. And every soldier must be familiar with the terrain and do it without obstacles. ”

This request seems nonsensical, but Liu Cong thinks that it is the key to this campaign. Liu Pan and Huang Zhong have always had a clear division of labor, although there are only more than 1,000 horses, they have trained 4,000 soldiers who are good at riding and archery. Liu Cong's use of this time was very useful for them to investigate and familiarize themselves with the terrain.

Compared with Zhang Yun and Wei Yan, the task of the two is at least a lot easier on the surface, and as two veterans, there is naturally no reason to refuse.

"Zhongye, from now on, in addition to strengthening the training of soldiers, it is also necessary to organize Fancheng Zhuangding to conduct war drills, including carrying arrows and stones, and how to evade attacks. I need at least 10,000 or more support groups. ”

"Understood!" As a general who stood alone back then, Wen Ping certainly knew the importance of the people in the city to defend the city.

Whether the soldiers fought the city walls to resist the enemy army, whether the inhabitants of the city scattered and fled everywhere, or whether they carried rolling logs and arrows in an orderly manner can even determine the outcome of a battle to some extent.

"Pan Rui, this month, your main task is to assist General Wen and do a good job in the resettlement of the residents in the city. For those who are willing to go to Xiangyang for temporary refuge, Xiangyang City must ensure their food and lodging. Those who are willing to stay in the city must join the whole army to resist the Cao army. ”

Liu Cong then swept Huang Zu and Zhuge Liang with his eyes: "Maybe at first you thought that the task was easy, but the two of you are in addition to the usual tasks. During this period until the start of the battle, the army and civilians were organized to build armor, arrows, rolling logs, bows, crossbows, and bed crossbows.

Every month there must be at least 100 sets of iron armor, 1,000 sets of mixed armor made of leather and iron, 500 crossbows, 100 bed crossbows, and 50,000 arrows! ”

After listening to Liu Cong's instructions, Huang Zu also gasped, for so many years, he knew the hard work of logistics preparations, and every time he ordered his subordinates to do it. This time I finally couldn't escape, but fortunately, there was Zhuge Liang, who was Huang Zu's niece and son-in-law. After a short period of contact, I also have an understanding of Zhuge Liang's talent.

Liu Cong handed over this task to Huang Zu and Zhuge Liang to do it for consideration, first, Zhuge Liang has always been responsible for the research and development of the bow and crossbow. Second, the two of them are on the south bank of the Han River, not affected by the front line, and can make equipment with peace of mind. Following this progress, Cao Cao set out from Xuchang and waited until Cao Cao arrived in Fancheng. Liu Cong was able to arm his four or five hundred ironclad cavalry, as well as five or six thousand infantry and crossbowmen wearing body armor, these people stood on the walls of Fancheng plus three hundred crossbows, and Cao Cao would have to pay the price if he wanted to bite hard.

"Also, Xiangyang City must prepare at least 3,000 soldiers and 5,000 stone of grain, and if Cao's army attacks Xinye, it will be sent to Xinye as soon as possible."

As soon as Liu Cong said this, Liu Bei would probably scold his mother if he heard it. But there are other feelings here, and they all feel that Liu Cong knows the general situation, and he can still decisively abandon grievances and support Liu Bei on the front line at the critical moment.

"Gan Ning, Huo Jun, Wang Wei, you can't be idle during this time, from the Xiangyang countercurrent, the river channel within a hundred miles downstream, the depth of the water, and the terrain on both sides of the Han River are also familiar. Every possible place to cross the river must be marked, and it must be manned in time of war. The fortifications on the south bank of the Han River must be completed as soon as possible, and what I want is that even if Cao's army breaks through Fancheng, not a single soldier can cross the Han River! ”

Gan Ning and others now have nearly 20,000 sailors under them, which is one-third of all the garrisons near Xiangyang. Liu Cong repeatedly emphasized the importance of shore-based fortifications, and Gan Ning naturally knew it. And Cao Cao had a large number of people, so he naturally did not want to be blocked in Fancheng as soon as the war started. We will definitely find a way to cross the river and hold the defense line of the Han River.

......Seeing that the generals had a clear task before the big war, Jiang Wan was anxious, and he was only vaguely asked to garrison Fancheng with Liu Cong. But Cao Jun hasn't arrived yet, is he just so idle?

Liu Cong smiled and signaled Jiang Wan not to worry.

"Your task is quite heavy, it's not that I don't believe you. But in order to ensure that all defenses are in place before the start of the war. Brother Gongyan asks you to check your progress every five days for a period of five days! ”

"This ......" In terms of qualifications, Jiang Wan is just about the same as Pan Rui. Moreover, most of the other generals have experience in leading troops, although Jiang Wan is good, he has not been to the military camp since he came out.

"You don't have to mind, I'm sure you can understand. But you can't show favoritism, don't forget that you are checking the progress on my behalf, and there is another important task, since Fancheng is the main battlefield, then Cao Cao must prepare some gifts outside the city. In your spare time, you go to the north of the city to check the terrain, mark the suitable places for traps and ambushes, and then I will arrange for someone to do it. ”

"Yes!" Supervision is not what Jiang Wan is good at, but it is inconvenient to shirk due to the king's order. But setting traps and the like is what Jiang Wan is good at.

"You also have a very important question, that is, from now on, strangers are strictly prohibited from entering Fancheng and Xiangyang, especially those with northern accents. Before the war, Cao Cao must have sent a lot of spies and spies.

The city should also strengthen daily investigations, widely post notices, and let the people mobilize and report rewards. In short, there are still omissions, so everyone should bring them up as soon as possible. As long as we deploy well and execute strictly. When Cao Cao arrived in Jingzhou, he let him see the iron plate and retreat in spite of the difficulties! Whether you succeed or not depends on your next efforts. I am sure that you will do your best. When Cao Cao is repulsed, Jingzhou will usher in a more prosperous day! ”

Liu Cong is not worried about the people here, but he is worried that other celebrities and ordinary people in Jingzhou will not follow him, so the necessary publicity is indispensable. This is also the reason why Liu Cong advocated moving the battlefield north to Fancheng. As long as Xiangyang City is not destroyed, most people are still reluctant to leave Xiangyang, from this point of view, they support Liu Cong, after all, Liu Biao's eighteen years, Xiangyang was stable. Sometimes there are many factors that determine the outcome of a war, and if it can be taken into account, Liu Cong is naturally unwilling to let it go.