Chapter Five: Seizing the City

  Looking at the back of Lu Zhenfei and other high-ranking officials, Duan Xiyue licked his lips and looked incredulously at Zhu Pingan, "Lord Lu actually listened to a little kid like you?"

  Zhu Ping'an shrugged his shoulders, cleared his throat and said, "Sir, let's hurry up with the arrangements! Lord Lu's move will put our High Wall Guards in a precarious position! If Fengyang falls, I'm afraid neither of us will have a good ending!"

  Duan Xiniang's eyes rolled a few times, and she finally figured out the crux of the matter. With a bitter stamp of her foot, "I've been had by you."

  After that, a string of orders was issued like flowing water. Only two thousand households ran to gather soldiers with bitter faces, and before leaving, they glared at Zhu Ping'an with resentment. However, everyone knew that Zhu Ping'an was the confidant of Duan Xianian, so no one dared to say anything more. Zhu Ping'an pretended not to see it and took Zhang Dagou to meet with his soldiers.

  The Fengyang Imperial City was first built in the third year of Hongwu. It is divided into Wu Men, Donghua Men, Xihua Men and Xuanwu Men. The city wall of the imperial city was rebuilt and fortified after the flow of thieves left in the eighth year of Chongzhen, with a height of 3 zhangs, 9 chi and 5 cun, plus the female wall, with a total height of more than 4 zhangs and 5 chi. The city wall is made of stone foundation, the wall body is built with large city bricks, and there are moats on the east, south and west sides of the city. The north side is the Wansui Mountain, which is also known as the Fengyang City Mountain. The wall is built along the mountain, with a height of over 4 zhangs and 5 chi. One side relies on the mountain, two sides are surrounded by forests, and the west side of the village is the Hao River.

  After the Zhengtong period of the Ming Dynasty, the military household and guard system gradually deteriorated. Officials at all levels occupied land, arbitrarily conscripting soldiers from the guards, causing military households to become tenants of the powerful, with no medical care when ill and no coffins when dead. Soldiers fled in droves, while officers profited from the shortages by embezzling rations. By the Tianqi and Chongzhen periods, the military household and guard system had all but disappeared, while the mercenary system that emerged during the Jiajing period brought the Ming Dynasty one step closer to the abyss of destruction.

  In the ninth year of Chongzhen, Zhu Ping'an arrived in Fengyang to take up his post. The situation he took over was like this. The High Wall Garrison had only three thousand households left, and Zhu Ping'an took over one of them. In the early years, there were still more than 1,500 military households under its jurisdiction, but by the ninth year of Chongzhen, there were less than 500 households left. If Zhu Ping'an hadn't led people to secretly reclaim hundreds of acres of wasteland in Fenghuang Mountain, these military households would have dispersed and fled long ago.

  As soon as they entered the village, they ran into Zhang Dagou's brother, Zhang Ergou, who was pulling a mule cart with his mother and family belongings heading out.

  Zhang Ergou's eyes shrank slightly as soon as he saw Zhu Ping'an, and his head involuntarily turned to the side. On the other hand, his mother, Zhang Qinshi, hastily stopped the carriage, got down from it with a tottering gait, and addressed him as "sir", blocking Zhu Ping'an's path.

  Zhu Ping'an smiled and responded to the old woman's concerned inquiry, while asking Zhang Ergou if his diarrhea had improved and if there were any difficulties with leading the troops. As a result, Zhang Ergou became even more hesitant in his speech, and his usual quick wit was nowhere to be seen. Zhu Ping'an didn't suspect anything, thinking that he was just tense before the big battle, so he gave him a few words of advice and turned to leave.

  Zhang Ergou turned around and looked at Zhu Ping'an's back, wanting to speak but stopping himself. He let out a sigh, helped the old lady onto the carriage, and then loudly shouted at the military households who had already formed a line behind him, as well as the family members carrying thick luggage: "Everyone speed up! Hurry to the designated district in the imperial city to settle your families, and then immediately gather at Donghua Gate. Whoever delays the affairs of the hundred officials, my knife and military law will not show any mercy!"

  In the temple gate of the village, more than 100 soldiers wearing light armor were lined up to receive their settlement silver. Behind a wooden table sat a fat man in a small flag uniform, with two silver boxes under his buttocks and another open one beside him, still shouting.

  "Let me repeat, remember this well, all of you. The silver is in your pockets, after the battle is won, whether you drink and eat meat or go find women, it's up to you, just make sure to keep your mouths shut tight. This is our superior's benevolence, it's his own silver. We've received so much kindness from him this year, but this favor isn't for you to brag about, put it deep in your hearts, when the time comes to risk your lives, don't waste your worthless lives, got it?"

  The soldiers cheered loudly. "Don't worry, Master Bao, we hundred or so men are all desperate and homeless vagrants, if it weren't for the benevolence of the Hundred Households' leader, who knows where we'd end up? Following the Hundred Households' leader, we have food and drink, not to mention a monthly allowance of copper coins and silver, what more could we ask for? We'll fight to the death!"

  At this time, another small flag officer squeezed out of the crowd and silently raised his arm. The surroundings suddenly fell silent, even the fat man sitting in the middle had a slightly stiff face. "Yue Xiaoqi, what do you have to teach?"

  Xiao Qi Yue Jin Feng pinched the silver in his hand, his angular face expressionless, not a single change, even his voice was icy and piercing. He casually tossed the silver back into the silver box, "First store it here, if luck is bad, consider it as expenses for after death!"

  The silver ingot drew a parabola and fell into the box, making a crisp collision sound. The soldiers behind Yue Jinfeng were stunned for a moment, then they threw the silver ingots back one after another. "Boss, please keep them for us first. If we come back alive, we'll have a good time drinking and eating; if not, please help us find a place to rest!"

  Pangzi Xiaoqi was stunned on the spot, "How can you say that, how can we explain it to Baihu Daren?"

  Yue Jinfeng didn't answer again and turned around to leave, but saw Zhu Ping'an behind him. "Your Excellency!" Everyone hurriedly paid their respects.

  Zhu Ping'an waved his hand, "It was my oversight!" He squeezed into the crowd and looked at the shiny silver ingots in the box. Zhu Ping-an said to Hong Bao-zi, "Hong Bao-zi, register them by name. From now on, this will be one of our rules. For all brothers who have no family or home, except for the monthly allowance that is paid directly to their hands, as for the settlement silver, it will first be stored with you and distributed together with the rewards after the war."

  "Understood!" Hong Paozi straightened his waist, and the fat on his face shook back and forth.

  Yue Jinfeng and his men dispersed, Hong Baozi couldn't help but shiver, "This dead face, every time he's by my side it feels like the weather in the tenth month of winter."

  Zhu Ping'an smiled, "Lao Yue comes from a military background, after all, what's his origin, one day will be known. Now he doesn't want to say, there must be his reason. Besides, you also understand his cold face and warm heart temperament, why always argue with him?" Cao Wu Shang couldn't help but laugh.

  Hong Paozi followed with a smile, and immediately patted his forehead, bringing over the account book on the table for Zhu Ping'an to review. "The steel three-edged blood groove gun head, crossbow and our army's forged steel knife have been distributed, all of which are well hidden, and those guys from Ban Caojun and Huling New Army will definitely not be able to find out. There are still about 5,000 taels of silver left, and soon I'll send someone to load it onto a cart and deliver it to the Imperial City for safekeeping."

  Hong Paozi looked at the back mountain and sighed, "It's a pity that our cultivated land was wasted. The fertilizer that was finally brought out by the adults was used to fertilize it, but with the arrival of these bandits, I'm afraid it will be ruined again."

  Zhu Ping'an waved his hand nonchalantly, "What's there to be afraid of? As long as one is alive, there's always a chance for a comeback. And those rebels are also human beings, just peasants, they won't dare to ruin the land."

  Hong Paozi nodded thoughtfully and said, "Indeed, that's the truth! You are wise, sir!"

  At this time, Yue Jin brought his soldiers to gather the war horses scattered in the back mountain. They were called war horses, but in fact, there were only more than 30 qualified war horses among them. The Ming Dynasty was not short of war horses, but due to the Mongolian civil strife, the three guards of Duo Yan successively betrayed, and the channel for sourcing war horses from the Yellow River Basin was blocked.

  To build up the old soldiers led by Yue Jinfeng, Zhu Ping'an put in a lot of effort, using both soft and hard tactics, spending money to get some from Duan Xinyan, but Fengyang Prefecture was never a major military stronghold, so it's only natural that they couldn't have any high-quality warhorses, for now, they can only meet the training needs of over a hundred people.

  Two miles out of the village, it is the main road to the imperial city. The originally bustling shops on both sides of the road have become a piece of ruins, and only the tattered signboards that keep appearing in front of one's eyes show the prosperity that once was here.

  Cao Wushang followed up without knowing when, "Young master, it's this area. Jewelry and jade shops, pawnshops and salt merchants' industries are all nearby."

  Zhu Ping nodded slightly, "Let's enter the city first and talk about it later. The things here won't run away. We can only find another opportunity to come back for them. The top priority is to eliminate Shi Yingjue, this hidden danger, and ensure the safety of the prince. Only then can we leave with peace of mind!"

  He immediately ordered Cao Wujing: "After entering the city, you will go to the high wall side and stare at it. In the chaos of war, who knows what tricks Shi Yingqiu will come up with!"

  Since the last looting, Fengyang City has lost many of its people. On one hand, it was because they had no homes to return to; on the other hand, it was because over the years, land had become increasingly concentrated in the hands of wealthy and powerful families, making it difficult for ordinary people to make a living. Some people chose to take risks and join the bandits' ranks. Therefore, there were not many local residents left in Fengyang City; most had already entered the imperial city to temporarily settle down.

  The main road was still crowded with people, but Zhu Ping'an was stunned to see that they were all old, weak, women and children, dressed in tattered clothes and with disheveled hair. Hong Baozi urged his horse forward and caught up, "Sir, it seems these are refugees from nearby areas who have come to Fengyang to escape the disaster!"

  "Take refuge?" Zhu Ping'an hesitated for a moment. The bandits were approaching Fengyang in a strong wind, and it was believed that the news had already spread throughout the surrounding area of several hundred miles.

  Zhu Ping'an had read the local gazetteer of Fengyang in his previous life. Except for being occupied by the Qing army during the 8th year of Chongzhen, Fengyang had never been lost again and had become a thorough Manchu territory after the Qing army occupied Beijing and marched south. There was no record of it falling again during this period, which is why Zhu Ping'an believed that this time, with the bandits attacking, Fengyang would not be in danger of being lost, and this was also the reason he decided to defend Fengyang to the death.

  However, Zhu Ping'an also remembered that Fengyang was in a state of war on all sides. In the eighth year of Chongzhen's reign, refugees were willing to flee to Shandong rather than come to Fengyang for temporary shelter. How could there be so many refugees rushing to Fengyang today? Had the situation changed again?

  Zhu Ping'an carefully sized up the refugee crowd, but suddenly discovered that among them were some sturdy men with thick luggage on their backs. They seemed to be deliberately covering their faces with hats and woolen cloth. Whenever someone's gaze swept over, they would involuntarily lower their heads.

  Zhu Ping'an hadn't spoken yet, but beside him, Yue Jinfeng unusually came over and said, "Something's off, sir!"

  Zhu Ping'an furrowed his brow, the city gate of the Imperial City had already appeared in sight, and the sun was slightly westward, it was close to the hour of You. "Everyone be careful and prepared, once there's a change, immediately kill the leader!"

  The city gate was crowded, the soldiers of the military department and more than a dozen constables waved short sticks and whips, urging the refugees to enter the city as soon as possible. The crying voices of infants and women, the mournful cries filled the air. It made the lonely Fengyang Imperial City under the sunset even more oppressive.

  In the chaos, a loud shout suddenly rang out, "Brothers, take the city!"

  A burly man with a whisker-like beard pulled out a sharp blade from the bamboo basket behind him, raised it to the sky, and in an instant, dozens of people around him responded, pulling out shiny steel knives and rushing towards the city gate. The unprepared yamen runners and soldiers were instantly cut down by seven or eight, while the rest retreated into the city in a state of panic.

  The whiskered man was overjoyed and shouted, "Brothers, the big boss has spoken! Whoever captures the city first will be rewarded with gold, silver, and women of their choice!"

  The sound stopped abruptly. The crowd turned around to look, and suddenly a crossbow arrow was nailed to the throat of the man with the moustache.

  Not far away, a crowd of refugees scattered in all directions like waves, and more than 100 armored cavalrymen rushed along the main road.

  A slightly trembling childish voice echoed, but in the ears of these cavalrymen, it was an unreserved order.

  "Exterminate the rebels, don't let a single one escape!"