Zhu Ping'an sent away the enchanting woman Ruonan who kept asking questions. As soon as he returned to the Jingnan County Office, he received a copy of the imperial report from Taizhou Prefecture. The imperial report recorded Wang Zhi's request to open the port for trade. Three days ago, Wang Zhi submitted a letter to the court, requesting the opening of the port for trade. Today, the court replied, not only did it not agree to Wang Zhi's request to open the port for trade, but it also severely reprimanded Wang Zhi, asking him to change his ways and attack the pirates who burned, killed and plundered to apologize... ...
The great Japanese invasion of Jiajing began!
As soon as Zhu Ping'an saw this record, he immediately realized this and quickly ordered to closely monitor all coasts in Jingnan, especially those suitable for landing, to guard against the invasion of Japanese pirates in Jingnan. At the same time, he ordered to notify the people in various places to fortify their walls and clear the fields, and to retreat to the county town, sentry forts, and deep mountains nearby to avoid the invasion of Japanese pirates. He assigned officers with experience in fighting against Japanese pirates to the county town walls and various sentry forts against Japanese pirates, and sent young and strong people nearby to assist in the defense of the county town and sentry forts... ...
After fighting against the Japanese pirates and disasters, Zhu Ping'an's prestige in Jingnan was at its peak. No one questioned Zhu Ping'an's words, and everyone followed his orders. For a time, the whole of Jingnan was mobilized. The people loaded their food and property onto trucks, drove pigs, cattle, sheep and horses, and brought the elderly and children into the county town and sentry forts to avoid the Japanese pirates.
After people retreated into the county town and the anti-Japanese sentry fort, the city gate and the fort gate were closed. Moreover, layers of heavy objects were piled behind the city gate to prevent the Japanese pirates from breaking in.
The golden juice feast that had made great contributions in the last anti-Japanese war was also arranged in advance for the Japanese pirates. On the city walls and in the sentry forts, there were large iron pots filled with golden juice, ready to give the Japanese pirates a feast... ...
To describe it in modern terms, Jingnan has entered the first level of anti-Japanese status.
On the first day, people were extremely nervous and on edge all the time, especially those on the coast guard. They didn't even dare to blink, fearing that the pirates would appear in their sight in the next second. However, Jingnan was calm that day. Not to mention the shadow of the pirates, the entire sea was very quiet, with no strong winds or big waves, and even the evening tide was much milder, which was obviously harmless to people and animals.
On the second day, Jingnan was also calm and the Japanese pirates did not invade.
On the third day, Jingnan was also calm, and there was no sign of the Japanese pirates until sunset. Some people who fled to Jingnan during the flood felt that the county magistrate was making a fuss out of nothing, and began to complain one after another.
"The flood has just passed, and we have just settled down. We have just moved into our new home, planted vegetables, and raised two pigs. We have hope for the future, but the county magistrate said, 'The Japanese pirates are coming,' and asked us to abandon our homes and land again... Look, it's already the third day, and there is no sign of the Japanese pirates. Don't you think the county magistrate is just making things difficult for us?"
A refugee who had fled to Jingnan brought his family and two pigs and hid in the nearby Jingnan County. Looking at the messy temporary residence, he couldn't help but complain to others.
"That's right. Apart from anything else, my heart is almost sick with fear because of the county magistrate's words 'the Japanese pirates are coming'. Brother, you are also a refugee from other places, what a coincidence, so am I. To be honest, this flood is terrible, but no matter how terrible it is, it is not as terrible as the Japanese pirates. When the Japanese pirates passed through the border, they raped, killed, robbed, and committed all kinds of evil. They were extremely cruel. Alas, our village experienced a Japanese pirate incident ten years ago. It was so miserable. I am not afraid of you laughing at me when I tell you this. I still have nightmares every night. When the county magistrate said that the Japanese pirates were coming, I was so scared that half of my soul was scared away, and I haven't come back until now. Let me tell you, I was so scared that I didn't eat a single bite of food for the past three days. But, look, there is no trace of the Japanese pirates here. I am afraid that my suffering these days was in vain..."
This man was also a person who fled to Jingnan during the flood. The man's words just now resonated with him immediately, and after the man finished complaining, he couldn't help but join in the complaints.
"What are you talking about? Do you have any conscience when you say this? You've been eaten by dogs. If it weren't for the county magistrate, your family would have starved to death long ago. You still want a house to live in?! You still want a wife and children to live in?! You still want to have land to farm and pigs to raise?! If I were three or five years younger, you would have to be beaten with my cane."
An old man with a white beard who had also fled from other places, couldn't help but walk up to them with his crutches when he heard what they said, and glared at them with a frown.
"Grandpa, let's put this aside. We are not the kind of people who repay kindness with enmity or are ungrateful. The county lord saved us, and we are grateful to him from the bottom of our hearts. We still have a longevity tablet for him at home, and we burn a stick of incense every morning and evening, and we have never forgotten. However, no one is perfect, and the county lord is also a human being, and he also makes mistakes sometimes. It is precisely because of our gratitude to the county lord that we cannot bear to see him make mistakes."
After being scolded by the old man, the man's face suddenly turned red as if it was congested, and he hurriedly defended himself.
"That's right, even tigers take naps. What's wrong with our county lord taking a nap? It's normal. We point out the problem because we hope our county lord can do better. If we all turn a blind eye, it will harm the county lord. Old man, do you have to be so excited?!"
Another person followed suit.
"Ahem... You are so ungrateful, so shameless, so ungrateful..."
It would have been fine if they didn't explain, but this explanation made the old man so angry that he started coughing, banged his cane on the ground, stretched out his wrinkled hands, pointed at the two men's noses and cursed them.
"Come on, old man, you have gone crazy. If we can't afford to offend you, can't we just hide from you?!"
The man waved his hand, turned around and ignored the old man with white beard.
"that is."
The other person also turned around.
"Haha, you outsiders are so self-righteous. Let me tell you, our county magistrate has never made a mistake. The ones who are always wrong are self-righteous people like you. The last time we fought against the Japanese pirates, it was all thanks to the county magistrate's keen observation. He determined in advance the main attack gates of the Japanese pirates and took precautions. That's why we in Jingnan successfully resisted the Japanese pirates. The county magistrate said that the Japanese pirates are coming, so they must be coming soon."
A local heard their conversation and couldn't help but chuckle and said sarcastically.
"Just keep bragging and exaggerate. Is the county magistrate really that great?!" the two men were dissatisfied.
"I don't know about small matters. But we have never seen the county lord miss such a big event."
The locals nodded seriously.
"hehe... ... "
The two didn't say anything else, but they said everything because everything was in haha.