The news of the Japanese pirates' invasion again inevitably plunged Jingnan County into a panic, especially the people who had just been naturalized in Jingnan after the flood. Their panic was even more serious. The locals in Jingnan had experienced victory in the last anti-Japanese war, and they were relatively confident in Zhu Ping'an and the defense against the Japanese pirates. The people who had just been naturalized in Jingnan had not had this experience, so they lacked confidence and feared the Japanese pirates like a tiger, and their panic grew wildly like weeds in a barren field.
"The Japanese pirates are coming to kill us soon. They are like ghosts, with green faces and fangs. They kill people without hesitation and do all kinds of evil. I heard that they like to drink with human hearts and livers the most."
"There are more Japanese pirates this time than last time?!"
"This time the pirates were sent by Wang Zhi. Wang Zhi is the uncrowned king of the sea. The pirates he sent must be more powerful than the last time, right?!"
The speed at which panic spread was far beyond the reach of confidence. In a short time, panic spread rapidly in Jingnan like a plague, and many local people in Jingnan also began to panic.
Just as panic was spreading rapidly, suddenly people heard a shout of surprise: "Look, the county lord, the county lord is here."
Hearing this surprised shout, people turned their eyes towards the main street in the city.
Zhu Ping'an is very easy to recognize. He is wearing the official uniform and hat of a county magistrate. He is the only one of his kind.
Suddenly, more surprised shouts of "The County Magistrate is here" rang out one after another.
The four words "The county magistrate is here" were like a panacea, and the plague of fear disappeared by half in an instant.
"Hey, why is the county lord carrying a bedding roll? Is he... planning to run away?!"
A citizen who became a citizen after the flood suddenly noticed that Zhu Ping'an was carrying a roll of bedding on his back, looking like he was fleeing. His face turned pale immediately, thinking that Zhu Ping'an was trying to run away.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, laughter broke out around him.
"Hahaha, you idiot, if you don't understand, don't talk nonsense. What do you mean by running away? Is our county lord such a person?! The county lord wants to settle down on the city wall and swear to live and die with the county."
"That's right. The last time the Japanese pirates came, the county magistrate also carried a bed roll like this and spread it directly on the city wall. From the moment the county magistrate climbed the city wall until the Japanese pirates were driven away, the county magistrate ate, slept and slept on the city wall. He never stepped off the city wall. The county magistrate also posted a notice that as long as the Japanese pirates did not retreat, he would not step off the city wall. If he stepped off the city wall, anyone could chop off his head."
... ...
The people who had experienced the last battle to defend the city against the Japanese invaders laughed at a few newly naturalized citizens from other places.
"What?! The county lord will live and die with the county?!"
"The county lord actually has such courage?!"
Several foreign citizens who had been naturalized heard this and were shocked and dumbfounded. They couldn't believe their ears. In their opinion, officials always put their own safety at the top. The city and the people were nothing compared to their own safety.
Can our current county magistrate really live and die with the county? !
They are skeptical about this.
However, reality dispelled their doubts. Zhu Ping'an really went straight up the city wall, spread out his bedding, and posted a notice with the county magistrate's seal on it just like last time: I will not go down the city wall until the Japanese pirates retreat. If I take even a single step down from the city wall, please chop off my head.
Zhu Ping'an's words and actions gave everyone a shot of adrenaline. Even the county magistrate is not afraid of death, so why should we, the common people, be afraid of anything
"My fellow villagers, as you have heard and seen, the Japanese pirates have come to invade Jingnan again. There are more than 300 Yawata ships and about 5,000 to 6,000 Japanese pirates. Jingnan is once again facing a life-and-death situation..." Zhu Ping'an stood on the city wall, picked up a special diffuser loudspeaker and shouted to the people. He did not hide the number of the Japanese pirates, but told them the truth.
Because Zhu Pingan knew that this could not be hidden. Zhang Erniu and his men had already told everyone the number of the eight-foot-long ships before reporting to him. It was easy to calculate the number of the Japanese pirates based on the number of the eight-foot-long ships. In this case, it would be better to tell the truth and be honest.
When the people heard the number of Japanese pirates, they couldn't help but feel a little panic in their hearts. The last time the Japanese pirates came, there were only about 3,000 of them, but this time there were more than 5,000 of them.
Zhu Ping'an scanned the expressions of the crowd. He expected their worries. Then he pulled the corners of his mouth and smiled. Dasheng said to them, "Of course, this is a matter of life and death, but also a day to make a fortune. Last time, more than 3,000 Japanese pirates attacked the city, and we received 63,960 taels of silver as a reward. Each citizen who participated in defending the city received an average of nearly 20 taels of silver. This time, there are 5,000 to 6,000 Japanese pirates, nearly double the number of last time. Doesn't that mean the reward will also double? Haha, don't you think this is a day to make a fortune?!"
"Hahaha, it really is a day to make a fortune..."
"Hahaha, these are not Japanese pirates at all, they are clearly a mountain of gold and silver coming over here."
"My mother used the reward money last time to find me a wife. This time I want to have a big house..."
"If you don't defend the city, you will die. If you defend the city, you will get rich. Even a fool knows which choice to make."
The people present couldn't help but burst into laughter when they heard this, especially the young and strong people who received the reward silver last time, they laughed even more excitedly. Not only that, they also shared their own experiences and described in vivid detail the reward silver they received, which immediately made the people around them envious and jealous.
Zhu Ping'an issued a "reward order" at the right time, promising the same as last time: those who bravely defended the city would be rewarded with 10 taels of silver; those who were injured while defending the city would be rewarded with an additional 10 taels of silver; those who died while defending the city would be given an additional pension of 50 taels. After this battle, those who were interested in serving in the county government would be given priority.
All of a sudden, people's attention shifted from the fear of the Japanese pirates to the reward silver, their enthusiasm was mobilized, and the panic atmosphere over Jingnan dissipated for the most part.
"In addition, this time the Japanese pirates' invasion is different from the last time. The last time the Japanese pirates attacked the city, they wanted to break into the city and plunder. This time is different. The reason why Wang Zhi sent his Japanese pirates to invade Jiangsu and Zhejiang is mainly for revenge. The purpose is to create momentum, expand the influence, intimidate the court, and force the court to agree to his request to open the port for trade. Therefore, the Japanese pirates will not fight us to the death in Jingnan. As long as we hold off the first wave of Japanese pirates' siege, the Japanese pirates will find that we are a tough nut to crack, and they will retreat and change to the next target... The difficulty of defending the city this time is several times easier than the last time..."
Zhu Ping'an went on to say that it would further reduce people's fear and enhance their confidence.
People were inspired.
"Fellow villagers, extinguish the torches, lower the flags, and keep quiet! Move all the archers and crossbowmen to the side of the city gate. When the Japanese pirates come, we will teach them a lesson by surprise, so that they can see how powerful we are..."
After everyone's emotions had stabilized and their enthusiasm had been aroused, Zhu Ping'an gave orders to everyone.