Unknown Knight

The leaders' strategy worked. For half a month, Aix returned to his original nature, busy all day long and not wanting to leave. He never mentioned going out to do business again.

But in such a turbulent time, how could he be allowed to remain in peace and corruption?

That day, Ran Hu sent someone to report that they had ambushed a 30-man Kugit team near Shules. They were going to Shules to transport supplies, and the team included more than a dozen cavalrymen and more than 20 herdsmen slaves.

At that time, two of the enemy cavalrymen were alert and ran away. Another five were killed and six were captured. The remaining herdsmen did not resist and were also captured.

After personally interrogating the prisoners who were escorted back, Aix further verified his previous guess that Sera Khan was indeed going to use Shules as a forward base to prepare for the attack on Kudan City.

The team of cavalry and slaves escorting the supplies were not only specifically responsible for transporting supplies, but they also received an order to stay directly in the fort of Shules after the transportation was completed to assist in the defense of the original fort.

After discussing with a group of leaders, it was concluded that the Kugits would launch another invasion of Vijia by next autumn at the latest.

Moreover, two Kugit cavalrymen escaped this time, which might bring an early attack to the Shules Fortress. Aix hurriedly asked Robin Hood to lead thirty elite archers to support, and asked Fatis to lead thirty cavalrymen to garrison near Shules, ready to provide support at any time.

Fortunately, Aix's previous contraction-type construction was very effective. The walls of Shules's fortress had been completely sealed, and the trenches outside had been dug. Aix had all the construction materials transported into the fortress, leaving only one hundred subjects to slowly strengthen the details, and the other one hundred people withdrew to Tangquan Fortress.

He also asked Manide to transport several carts of food and arrows so that Ran Hu and his men could be prepared to hold out for a long time.

Sure enough, within a few days after Manides returned, Fatis sent back a battle report saying that the Kugites had sent nearly three hundred cavalrymen to attack Shules' fortress.

However, these people were not good at attacking strongholds. After making a few simple ladders, they rushed to the front of the fort and sent their lives.

Although the Kugits who climbed up were holding shields, they were shot at left and right by the crossbowmen on the shooting arrows protruding from the four corners, and suffered heavy casualties.

After losing more than twenty bodies, the Kugits gave up the assault and switched to a siege with superior forces.

What they didn't know was that this was not an isolated Vigerian army. That night, Fatis attacked their camp in the middle of the night and set fire to their food and supplies.

The next day, the Kugit people who could no longer hold on sent people to persuade Ran Hu to surrender. The envoys promised Ran Hu many benefits, including fiefdoms, treasures, and beautiful women.

Would Ran Hu agree to this? He had been in the Khugit Khanate for so many years, but he still didn't know what kind of conduct they were? He rejected the Khugits on the spot and told them that it was impossible to surrender, and he would never surrender in this life.

Moreover, Ran Hu also said what Aix had instructed him to do before, telling the Kugits that he had nearly seventy captive Kugit elite cavalrymen, including three of the Yan nobles. If they wanted him to release these people, it was not impossible, they could be used for exchange. As for what to use for exchange, it was the Tang slaves in the hands of the Kugits.

Aix also put forward detailed requirements. Each Kugit cavalryman can be exchanged for three young and strong Tang people under the age of 35, and five elderly Tang people between the ages of 35 and 50. The Yan nobles need to be exchanged for 20 Tang people. Moreover, these Tang people cannot be sick, injured, or disabled. Those who are thin and spiritless are considered elderly Tang people even if they are young.

The Kugit leader failed to achieve his goal of persuading the troops to surrender, and after hearing Ran Hu's conditions for replacement, he had to lead his team away in disappointment.

Five days later, the Kugits came back, and with them were more than 300 Tang slaves who were driven like sheep by them.

The exchange was carried out in front of the suspension bridge of the dock. In order to prevent the Kugits from cheating, Aix instructed in advance that Ran Hu should be exchanged in batches, with no more than three people at a time. In order to prevent spies from infiltrating, Zhang Ping and Li Da were sent to him to help identify them.

Every time three Kugit cavalrymen are released here, the other side must release the corresponding Tang people's pastoral slaves. Only after confirmation by the Han people here can the next batch of exchanges be carried out.

The shepherd slaves who had just arrived were asked by Zhang Ping, Li Da and others about their ancestral hometown, surnames, family members and other relevant information. Only after confirmation that everything was correct were they allowed to cross the suspension bridge and enter the fort.

Sure enough, the Kugit people were not honest and more than a dozen suspicious elements were quickly identified. Ran Hu did not get angry and directly detained them. Then he asked the Kugit people to exchange them for one of the two Tang people and warned them that any more suspicious elements would be killed directly.

In this way, nearly seventy Kugit prisoners were replaced in the whole morning, and when there were only two Nayan nobles left, the other side had no slaves left. It seemed that the crowd they drove away should be enough. It seems that these Kugit people had bad intentions and planned to send more than twenty spies to infiltrate the fort.

After Ran Hu discussed with Zhang Ping and others, they decided not to bother the Kugit people anymore and asked them to exchange forty good horses. The Kugit people naturally refused, and the two sides argued for a while. Finally, the price was set at thirty-five horses, which put an end to the exchange.

Before leaving, these Kugits threatened that they would soon get their comeuppance, but all they got in return was a round of ridicule from the people in the fort.

Having gained more than 300 tribesmen and 35 good horses, Aix slapped his thigh with joy after receiving the letter at Tangquan Fortress.

After ensuring the return of the Kugits, Fatis brought these Aix people back to Tangquan Fortress.

But Aix was still not reassured, so he asked several leaders to screen these people one by one. After some effort, they actually identified five suspicious people.

After being isolated, interrogated and tortured, it was found that these people really had problems. However, they were indeed Tang people. They all had close relatives detained by the Kugits, and they agreed to become spies for the Kugits under coercion and inducement.

Axel was not annoyed by these people's behavior and told them not to be afraid, saying that they might be reunited with their loved ones soon.

And have their names and the names of their detained relatives and family members registered, but for now they have to endure the indignation of staying in the dungeon for a while.

The conditions in the dungeon are not bad either. It is now cleaned very well. They are provided with enough food and have good and warm clothes. After all, they are his own people. Aix still has humanistic care for them to transform and save them. He hopes that one day they will be able to change their ways from the bottom of their hearts and truly repent.

After the exchange of prisoners, the territory enjoyed more than a month of peace.

The territory now has nearly 1,700 subjects, a population that is almost catching up with the direct subjects of his father-in-law Iaya, who is an old Nord noble and the city lord.

The surging population made the territory extremely bustling, but also increased various consumptions. According to Zhang Ping and Aix's calculations, the territory's current reserves were not enough to survive the coming winter. Aix had to ask Bandak and his men to go out again and make two business trips.

At present, the outer fortress of Tangquan Fortress has been basically repaired and completed. Yamanti is organizing people to repair and build the inner fortress. All urban construction is proceeding in an orderly manner.

Of the outposts outside the fortress, only the port on the riverside has begun construction, and the dock above is already in the final stage, so there is no problem in docking dozens of merchant ships.

Knowing that supplies in the territory are tight, the chief and his subjects are very supportive and contribute their own efforts to the territory.

Ran Hu and Robin Hood stationed in Shules used hunting as training after daily patrols. Taking advantage of the fact that animals were growing fat in the autumn, they launched several rounds of hunting in the meadows and forests near Shules, and successively captured more than 120 wild boars, more than 90 elks, and more than 200 sika deer. Other small animals such as pheasants, flying dragons, and snow rabbits that were given to Aix and the other leaders to taste were not included.

Fatis, Niza, Desevi and the cavalry and crossbowmen who stayed in Tangquan Fortress were not to be outdone. They also took advantage of the good weather to start hunting, and their harvest was no less than that of Ran Hu and his men.

The craftsmen who were processing dried meat and animal hides were so exhausted that they couldn't even straighten their backs.

The women led by Catherine also took active action. Under the protection of the cavalry, they scattered in the fields and forests near the fortress, collecting wild vegetables, mushrooms, edible tubers, wild fruits, etc., and drying the wild vegetables and mushrooms into dried goods that could be stored for a long time.

In order to ensure that everyone had something fresh to eat during the winter, Aix built a cellar in the outer castle to store the vegetables harvested from the territory and the tubers and wild fruits picked by the women.

Igor, who was in charge of fishing, also had a good harvest. With the help of fishing boats, the scope of their fishing operations expanded, and the farthest they reached was almost near the city of Kudan. When they returned every day, the boat was full of fat river fish, weighing at least thousands of kilograms.

Fortunately, there is no shortage of salt in the territory, and all these fish have been made into dried salted fish. Now the area near the port is filled with a fishy smell, and the flat ground outside the port is covered with wooden drying racks, which are hung with dried salted fish, forming a large drying yard.

In fact, if all the food he had gathered and hunted were added together, plus the stored food that Aix had originally calculated, he should be able to get through the winter. However, there is still an uncertain factor, which is the unpredictable cold weather.

Before coming to the territory, Aix found out from the royal archives in Zhivadin that the winter here usually lasts from October to March of the following year, spanning as long as five months, which is a typical cold climate.

But this refers to the general situation. Aix saw records of winters lasting seven months in the archives, and he had confirmed this with Igor. If he was unlucky enough to encounter such a long winter, the two months of food shortage would be enough to starve most of his subjects to death.

Aix didn't dare to bet whether this year would be a long winter or a short winter, nor could he just endure it. This was not something he could rely on luck, as it was a matter of survival for nearly 1,700 people.

Therefore, he is now trying every possible way to stockpile food and dares not slack off at all. He does not seek anything else but the Chinese people's calmness and composure when their granaries are full of grain, as well as the peace of mind as a parent official.