The snow finally stopped, but the wind blew harder. The sky was overcast with clouds, and the weather was colder than when it snowed.

According to past experience, Chu Tianya estimated that the maximum temperature during the day is about minus five to seven degrees, and it is even colder at night.

According to the method provided by Chu Tianya, Wang Xun finally strengthened the walls of the four directions. At a glance, Taiyuan looks like an ice city. Ice blades up to half a foot thick are difficult to cut into, and the smooth and cold provide good protection for the city, and the enemy wants to use ladders and other objects to attack the city, which is more difficult than ever.

But the disadvantages of the ice city are also quite obvious, once the weather warms up and the ice and snow melt, the fragile city walls will be beaten back to their original prototype and become vulnerable. In other words, the seemingly indestructible ice city in front of you can at most survive until the spring of the next year.

Within three days, more than 70 percent of the aborigines in Taiyuan had fled. In the past, the city was bustling and a little crowded, but now it is extremely deserted. Especially at night, all you can see is pitch black. Occasionally, a few lights flickered in the darkness, cold and empty, and sometimes some wails and weepings were heard. It feels like walking into a large cemetery, and the ghost is chilling.

Taiyuan is like a dead city.

But it didn't take long for countless people to flee from all directions!

The prefect's order had already been issued, forcing the people of all counties, towns and villages under the rule of Taiyuan Prefecture to move out, and not a single grain could be left for the Jurchens. At the same time, the rebels of Xishan and Taihang also took action. Whether they want to or not, all the people in the ten counties under the rule of Taiyuan Mansion have all become displaced people and fled in all directions!

Driven by the rebels, they could only go south. Some of them fled into the city of Taiyuan. Within two days, the city of Taiyuan, which had been empty, fell into a state of noise, chaos and panic again. Most of those who fled to the city this time were farmers working in the countryside. They have just lost their homes and lands, and are in pain and grief. Therefore, after entering the city, they began to seize the vacant urban houses -- just as our peasants who were demolished and occupied their land and demanded compensation and resettlement houses -- they took it for granted!

As a result, conflict is inevitable. In just one day, no less than 50,000 peasants fled into the city, and the pressure on law and order in the city increased unprecedentedly.

Chu Tianya, together with Wang Yu and Zhang Xiaochun, urgently discussed the handling method. Unlike urban artisans and merchants, peasants have always had a strong sense of geography and a strong dependence on the land, and they are the most reluctant to leave their homeland.

In other words, this group of people now has the deepest hatred in their hearts, and they are also the most anxious to wait for the war to end and take the land and property that they have. For such people, they can only be appeased, not suppressed, otherwise it is very likely to trigger a fierce civil uprising.

In addition, in the history of China, whenever there was a change of dynasty or a great turmoil in the world, the most effective army was often composed of the poorest peasants -- these people were also very useful!

Therefore, Chu Tianya strongly built a strong plan, following the ready-made resettlement method of the Great Song Dynasty, absorbing these poor peasants who had fled into the army, providing food and winter clothes for unified training and management, and giving priority to the enlisted peasants to arrange winter houses to withstand the cold wind and resettle their families. From now on, the houses in Taiyuan City will also be included in the plan management, and they will not be allowed to be forcibly occupied without permission, and the government will uniformly distribute the displaced people who have fled to be resettled. Zhang Xiaochun is responsible for this matter.

Within three days, about 100,000 refugees poured into the city of Taiyuan!

According to the method proposed by Chu Tianya, in order to alleviate the future food crisis, the government came forward to distribute rations and persuade them to temporarily flee south from the city of Taiyuan. If it is Ding Zhuang, he can enlist in the army and stay in the city to participate in the defense of the city, and in addition to getting back the original land in the future, he can also be rewarded for military merits.

Therefore, 20,000 sergeants were extracted from these refugees and handed over to Wang Xun for emergency training.

On the seventh day, the government issued an ultimatum - the gates of Taiyuan were about to be closed, and from now on, unless it was 100% certain that the crisis had been resolved, the gates would never be opened again!

On this night, there were no more people fleeing in and out of the Sifang City Gate, and the gate of Taiyuan City was slammed shut. He put iron latches and poured copper juice, and shut them up to death. I don't know when I want to open it again.

Up to this time, there were 40,000 forbidden troops and Shengjie troops under the central court in Taiyuan City; more than 15,000 soldiers of various types such as the Xiang army, native soldiers, etc.; 20,000 new recruits composed of Ding Zhuang; And there were seventy-eight thousand people remaining. That's about 150,000 people in total.

As early as about 10 years ago, there were about 1.2 million people in Taiyuan Prefecture, and there were no less than 300,000 people in Taiyuan City alone. In the past ten years, there have been no disasters and no disasters in Hedong, and the people have lived and worked in peace and contentment, and the population will only grow, not decrease. Now there are only seventy or eighty thousand people left in the city—less than one-fifteenth remaining.

Together with the army stationed in the city, there are only 150,000 people, which is less than half of the permanent population of Taiyuan in the past. You can see how deserted and desolate the city will be today.

Chu Tianya and Zhang Xiaochun's government counted the grain and grass together, and registered all the soldiers and civilians in the city. After careful calculation, according to the plan of two meals a day, the food in the treasury was only enough for 150,000 people in the city to eat for three or four months!

For this reason, Zhang Xiaochun complained bitterly - if he knew this, he would not be so anxious to pay the grain tax after the autumn harvest! Because the grain tax and grain storage in the Hedong area were all transported to the granary in Luoyang for storage, there was not much grain in Taiyuan City. If that batch of grain taxes is not transported, it will at least last for half a year!

In this regard, Chu Tianya didn't care. Because he knew that the ice-forged city could only last until the spring of the following year, and it was only three or four months away from this time. At that time, if the city is destroyed, it will be useless to have another ten years of food stockpiles!

Moreover, the history of the Great Song Dynasty has changed now, will Taiyuan still be breached after a year? If Taiyuan can't hold on, the lone army will go deep into the Jurchen army on an expedition to the south, and the south will not be able to hold on to the well-defended city and the environment of the fortified walls and clear fields prepared in advance!

Three months is estimated to be the limit of the Jurchen army - that is, it will probably be the spring of the next year, and it will be time to separate from the Jurchens!

After nightfall, Chu Tianya, who had been tired all day, was preparing to go home to rest. In the past few days, he has been staying in the camp of the military patrol shop to take care of official business and has not returned home, and he is also a little worried about whether He Bo and Xiao Linglong have been affected by the turmoil, so he is anxious to go home to visit.

Today's Taiyuan is different from the past, the city is extremely unpeaceful, and there have been many fights and robberies and murders in the past few days. Therefore, Chu Tianya also had a heart, and took seven or eight military patrol followers with him. There were very few pedestrians on the street, and occasionally one or two people flashed, and when they saw Chu Tianya, these soldiers in armor and sharp armor, they all dodged in a hurry. Chu Tianya truly realized what it meant to be in chaos and panic.

As I walked to the head of the familiar small stone bridge, I heard a woman's exclamation from the other side of the bridge: "Ah, don't!!" - Help! ”

Then there was the muffled roaring and tearing of several men.

Chu Tianya couldn't help frowning, such a vulgar thing also happened to me?

"Go and save people." Chu Tianya didn't say much, so he gave an order. The military patrols who followed behind him drew their swords and rushed forward, beating the two gangsters who robbed the road to the ground in three or two strokes, and rescued the woman.

Chu Tianya stepped forward and couldn't help but smile bitterly - "Xiao Ai, why are you?" ”

"Brother Chu!" Xiao Ai was frightened, and when he saw Chu Tianya, he threw himself into his arms and cried.

"Okay, don't cry." Chu Tianya patted her on the back and comforted, and said to the military inspectors, arrest these two gangsters who don't know how to die and hand them over to Wang Xun, and let them repair the city and carry them as coolies!

At this time, labor is also a precious resource. A thief like this who is a traitor happens to be caught as a coolie.

"You're not at home in the middle of the night, what are you doing running out?" Chu Tianya asked Xiao Ai.

"The county lord is sick and has a high fever. I'm going to go to the city to find Lang Zhong to see her......" Xiao Ai choked up.

"What?" Chu Tianya couldn't help but be surprised, "Isn't there a lot of medicine at home, but it can't cure her disease?" Where else is there a medical hall in the city now? Also, how could Uncle He let you run out alone, it's dangerous, you know? ”

"The county lord suddenly fell ill when he was just lying down, and she didn't let me sue my father-in-law. I don't know those medicines. So I had to ......," Xiao Ai said timidly, "Brother Chu, I'm sorry." It's because I'm too stupid to think of this. I haven't been out in days, and I don't know it's like this. I'm really causing you trouble. ”

Chu Tianya shook his head with a wry smile, "Forget it, I can't blame you." Lord Xiao just likes to be strong, so he doesn't let you sue others. In such a cold weather, she often wears a spring and autumn thin shirt to practice martial arts, she is too focused and tired, sweating a little and getting cold, so it's no wonder that she doesn't get sick and have a fever. The medicine to cure this disease got a lot of Liu Daoscar last time. Let's go back and boil medicine for her! ”

"Hmm!" Xiao Ai finally broke into a smile, "As soon as Brother Chu comes back, he will have the backbone, and everything will be easy to do!" ”

"You stupid girl!" Chu Tianya pinched her nose with tears and laughter, "Lord Xiao won't let you sue Uncle He, so you really won't sue him?" If something happens to you just now, not only Uncle He, but all of us will be ashamed for the rest of our lives, you know? ”

Xiao Ai smiled and dodged back, but was grabbed by Chu Tianya and leaned against him. Xiao Ai snuggled up to him and walked towards home side by side. Although her face was so cold that she couldn't make any expressions, her heart was already warm.

At this time, it was already very late, and it was even more cold. Xiao Ai first took Chu Tianya to the room where she was with Xiao Linglong and lit an oil lamp.

Chu Tianya saw that Xiao Linglong had dissolved her hair and was wearing only a white undershirt, and she was shaking her head with her eyes closed and a painful expression; Her hands were stretched out and fluttering wildly, and most of her body was exposed outside the quilt.

"Oh no, she's having a fever and nightmares!" Chu Tianya hurriedly stepped forward and pulled the quilt to cover her, and asked Xiao Ai to go to the cellar to get the medicine box, which contained a special medicine for treating fever.

"It's getting worse again, she can still talk to me just now!" Seeing Xiao Linglong like this, Xiao Ai was also frightened, and hurriedly ran to the cellar.

Chu Tianya reached out and touched Xiao Linglong's forehead, it was hot; Looking at her lips again, they were dry and bloodless, and she really had a high fever!

Although it is not a serious disease, if it is not treated properly, it may burn out the brain or cause other serious diseases.

I don't know what kind of nightmare Xiao Linglong had, Chu Tianya had just covered her with the quilt, and she pushed the quilt away with both hands, revealing half of her body. Helpless, Chu Tianya had no choice but to cover her with the quilt again, and tried to hold her hands down.

"No, don't! No! Xiao Linglong suddenly shouted a few times, and the whole person sat up, hugging Chu Tianya to death!

Chu Tianya was stunned, hurriedly pulled the quilt to wrap her body, then held her in his arms, and comforted her in his ear, "It's okay, don't be afraid, don't be afraid!" ”

"No, don't kill my father! Don't kill my family! Don't! - "Xiao Linglong was in Chu Tianya's ear, shouting hysterically!

The silence of the whole night was broken.

"Okay, don't kill, don't kill." Chu Tianya had to be so comforted, thinking to himself, probably because Xiao Linglong had seen the scene of chaos in Taiyuan City in the past few days, and he thought of the various tragic scenes when the Liao State was destroyed. I thought about it day and night, and this was a nightmare!

At this time, Xiao Linglong had already begun to cry, she almost used all her strength to hug Chu Tianya to death, and squeezed him regardless of it, like a wounded little sparrow desperately looking for a safe place to escape. At this time, the power emitted by her arms almost made Chu Tianya breathless!

Chu Tianya felt that her body was as hot as coals, and her chest was even hotter. Two delicate and soft balls pressed tightly against his chest, and the whole person was attached to his body.

"Don't let people live...... Chu Tianya couldn't help but smile bitterly, and said in his heart that if this continues, I will have an instinctive reaction, and I will boil the blood of the beast!"

At this moment, Uncle He, Ada and Anu were all awakened and rushed over, and Xiao Ai, who went to the cellar to get medicine, also came.

Everyone stood at the door, watching the scene in front of them, and they were stunned for a while.