Snow fell for another two days. After settling on their targets, Xiang An led three generals in harassing the defenses of three cities, stirring up considerable panic before returning to the army camp at Tuo County.
"Get someone to boil four barrels of hot water, quick! Damn it, I'm freezing my balls off." The moment he dismounted, Xiang An called Liao Ye over and rubbed his arms.
"Right away, right away."
Behind Xiang An, the three generals were rubbing their arms as well.
"Good thing we wore enough layers when we went out and kept moving the whole time. Otherwise, we might've frozen to death outright." Wei Hao had the weakest physique among them. His feet had suffered some frostbite and now felt numb.
For the past two days, they had been searching for abandoned buildings to spend the nights in, so frostbite had been unavoidable. Fortunately, it was not serious. A couple days of rest would be enough.
Xiang An raised his head and glanced at the sky. There was not a cloud in sight, and the heavy snow had stopped. It was time to put the next stage of the offensive on the agenda.
The groundwork he had laid earlier was about ready to serve its purpose.
Xiang An's army did not waste time. The next day, they set out again and advanced northeast. The county towns they encountered along the way seemed as though they had been struck by schemers: either their resistance was pitifully weak, or their defenses were hastily assembled and collapsed after barely two exchanges. One county town even opened its gates and surrendered outright, as if welcoming Xiang An's arrival.
"Deputy General Wei, I'll leave this place to you. Incorporate them as you see fit. If they refuse, kill them all. Don't leave