Author: Zero Romance

April 16, 1657, Yixing County, Changzhou Prefecture.

Qian Wenxian, the county magistrate, was woken up from his sleep by the yamen. He rubbed his red and swollen eyes. Seeing that the lights were still on in the house and the sky was still dark outside, he asked impatiently: "What's wrong?"

The Yamen servant reported in a low voice: "Sir, Wang Qianhu from Wujin County, General Qin from Liyang, and Lord Liao from Jintan County have all come to the Yamen to collect food!"

Qian Wenxian sighed heavily and slowly stood up from the chair. He was doing business here last night and felt sleepy while sitting. He didn't know when he fell asleep. But these foreign military attachés came to his door.

Come on, it was probably the middle of the night, and I guess I didn't get to sleep for too long.

In fact, this lack of sleep started about ten days ago.

At that time, news came out from Hangzhou that the Ming Dynasty factory guards failed to assassinate senior officials of the Haihan Executive Committee and were captured in Hangzhou. Haihan was furious and wanted to raise troops to attack the Ming Dynasty again.

Once the two countries go to war, places like Yixing County, which is located at the junction of the areas controlled by the two countries, will inevitably bear the brunt of the war.

However, there are less than a thousand troops stationed in Yixing County on weekdays, and there are less than 2,000 militiamen in the county. It is absolutely impossible to block Haihan's offensive. Qian Wenxian can only quickly report to the superiors to seek reinforcements, and at the same time let everyone under his rule

Villages and towns began to raise money and food and recruit civilian men.

However, the panic caused by the war was far more effective than a few notices posted by the county government. Soon a wave of people fleeing began to appear near the county seat, which also caused Yixing County's war preparations to not go smoothly.

However, the response from above was very fast. Within a few days, troops from other places arrived in Yixing County one after another for reinforcements.

In fact, everyone knows whether Liao can really kill the Haihan army in Fudong Town. If he had such ability, how could he condescend to be a small captain in Jintan County?

It's time for him to be promoted to a commander by the Ministry of War.

Qian Wenxian said: "I heard that Mr. Liao sent troops out to raise food early in the morning. I must have gained something, right?"

At first Qian Wenxian was happy about this, thinking that this could greatly alleviate the pressure faced by Yixing County. But soon he discovered that the actual situation was not as simple as he thought. Yixing County not only had to deal with the coming Haihan

The Ming army also had to deal with the food, drink, food, shelter, and other bizarre requests of these foreign Ming troops.

Moreover, when the generals, officers, and lieutenants of the various reinforcements arrived here, they had to arrange decent accommodation. Qian Wenxian could only mobilize the big households in the county to let them make room for these military attachés to stay temporarily.

Another military attaché with a thin face and dark skin continued: "Sir Qian, the forward battalion of the Haihan Army has entered Yixing County, and may arrive at the county seat in a few hours. If you want the brothers to risk their lives to defend the city,

Then you have to come up with something good to inspire everyone. Such a simple truth, you don’t need me to explain it anymore, right?"

Qian Wenxian came to the hall and bowed to several military attaches waiting here: "My lords, you are visiting the county government late at night. What's the urgent matter?"

The burly officer lost no time in boasting: "Master Liao is so powerful, then the next battle with the Haihan Army will depend on Master Liao's performance!"

Qian Wenxian gritted his teeth and could cope with the two families with the money from the county grain depot. But every Ming army that came later had this charter, and he really couldn't bear it.

Some Ming troops who were unable to obtain supplies in time began to take measures on their own to "recruit" money, food and civilians from surrounding villages and towns.

A bearded military attache said: "Sir Qian, I have been waiting for your money and food for two days. Can you please give me an accurate answer as to when it will be delivered?"

Qian Wenxian said anxiously: "Everyone, it's not that Qian is reluctant to give up money and food, but the inventory has been exhausted. Qian is still organizing various parties to raise funds. Please wait one more day!"

Although Qian Wenxian did not want to see such troubled local situations occur in his jurisdiction, the military attachés led by each Ming army were at least fifth-level starters, which made it difficult for him as a small seventh-level county magistrate.

Have the confidence to criticize the military attachés for their actions.

The Haihan army was about to approach the city, and no one was willing to jump out to take the lead. This man named Liao actually boasted for the sake of face, so Wang Qianhu and Qin Shenqian had a tacit understanding and put him on the fire.

In the past two or three days, more and more Ming troops have arrived in Yixing County. The county has become overcrowded, and there are groups of Ming troops everywhere inside and outside the city. The supply of various daily necessities has also begun to become increasingly tight.

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The black-skinned officer next to him sneered: "Master Liao has always been brave. Since we bumped into him in Fudong Town, he must have taught the Haihan people a lot of lessons!"

The bearded military attache said: "Wait one more day? The Haihan Army is about to attack the county town. You are still thinking about how to delay money and food. If I had known this, I would not have brought troops to Yixing!"

After these troops arrived in Yixing, most of them would ask for money and food from Qian Wenxian on the grounds that "they were ordered to dispatch urgently, but the imperial court has not yet allocated combat supplies."

The bearded military attache's face darkened and he said: "What a gain! It took me more than two hours to arrive at Fudong Town, but before I even started doing things, the Haihan Army arrived! It was a waste of time, and it cost me a lot of money."

Man No. 10 is there!"

Besides, he really couldn't satisfy the requirements of these generals. If he didn't turn a blind eye to these behaviors, what could he do?

The last person to speak was a sturdy military attaché, and his tone was even more impolite: "Yixing County is inherently undefeable. If it wasn't for the fate from above, who would want to come here to confront the Haihan Army head-on? I think since

Mr. Qian has no intention of organizing resistance, so we should retreat early and maintain our strength to fight the next battle!"

The bearded man glared and said: "That's natural! I led my own soldiers to kill three in and three out in Fudong Town, and killed the Haihan Army in one breath until they retreated! If Fudong Town was not too small to defend, the local area

And I don’t have enough supplies, so I don’t plan to withdraw to the county seat yet.”

Seeing that he was about to lose his position, the bearded man quickly returned to the previous topic: "If we want to fight the Haihan Army, we still have to have enough money and food... Mr. Qian, you should quickly think of a way to give us the money and food we need.

Give it first!”

Qian Wenxian complained secretly in his heart, and could only promise in a low voice that he would definitely be able to raise money and food by visiting all the big houses in the county after dawn.

At any rate, these debt collectors were finally sent away.

In Yixing County, Qian Wenxian has visited all the places where money and food can be found in the past few days, but the results are not ideal. Now that Fudong Town in the south has fallen, the Haihan army is about to arrive in an instant, but the defenders are still there.

If the county government is threatened with a strike, can the county seat really be defended?

Expecting foreign military attaches like Liao Dabeard to work for Yixing County seems to be overthinking. If I had known this, it would be better not to move reinforcements and wait for the Haihan Army to come and surrender directly to Kaicheng. Maybe the losses would be smaller.

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Chapter completed!