The group soon arrived at the governor's office, where a large number of people had gathered. The officials were all furious and arguing heatedly, all discussing what to do. The war came too suddenly and too violently, leaving them unprepared.
According to the rules of the Great Jin Dynasty, as long as the city survives, the people survive; if the city falls, the people die. They don't want to die, and they don't want to go to the battlefield to kill the enemy. For a scholar who is not even capable of tying a chicken, going to the battlefield to kill the enemy is tantamount to committing suicide.
The governor's face was as gloomy as water, which gave everyone more confidence. Everyone looked at the governor expectantly, waiting for his decision, hoping that the governor could come up with a good plan.
Someone suggested: "The civilian population needs to be appeased, otherwise the consequences of the people becoming chaotic will be disastrous."
Some people were worried, but I didn’t know whether they were worried about themselves or the people: “The streets are in chaos, and we must send people to maintain order.”
"Now that chaos has just broken out outside, we must come up with a solution."
"People are already fleeing from the city gates."
"When will the reinforcements arrive?"
"What if the Qiang people attack us?"
Everyone was talking at once, their mouths bubbling with anxiety. Lord Wang said fiercely, "I have to send my family away first."
With his start, the others immediately began to think about how to protect their families. As for fighting the enemy and the common people, who cared
Li Yaonan watched coldly, and the last bit of guilt was completely wiped out. It was true that the top beam was crooked and the bottom beam was crooked. Such an official deserved to be put to death.
There were also a few people who were very silent. They were not high-ranking officials, and their faces showed anger, but they dared not speak. Li Yaonan carefully remembered them. If he wanted to accomplish something, he would need his right-hand man. He looked at Mr. Huang with disdain, maybe he could use him. A person's character can only be seen in times of crisis. This is absolutely true.
The officials had talked enough and all looked at the governor expectantly. The governor was the only one who had troops at his disposal. Although there were not many, only 8,000 guards, it was enough to appease the people.
The governor did not disappoint everyone. With a few words, he calmed the officials down: "The general will be here soon. I have already sent a letter to the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou. Don't worry. The Qiang tribe cannot defeat us."
"That's good." Lord Liu looked pleased, and Lord Zhang also breathed a sigh of relief.
Lord Wang was still thinking about sending his family away as soon as possible.
Mr. Huang said righteously: "When will the city gates be closed? What will happen to the people? What about food? How much food is there in Dali now? Please make a decision, sir."
Li Yaonan was quite surprised. He didn't expect that Mr. Huang had such courage.
The governor glanced at him calmly: "This is..."
Lord Mao hastily apologized: "He is the governor of the lower court, his brain is not working very well, please forgive me."
Lord Yang and Lord Li echoed: "What Lord Mao said is true. Everyone in our yamen knows about this."
Lord Huang felt very aggrieved. Why was it that every time he gave advice, others always ignored it? This time, he was even slandered as having a mental problem. He looked at Lord Li with grievance, hoping that he could say something fair.
Huang thought that although Li had a bad temper, he was definitely a good official who was dedicated to the people. Even though he repeatedly encountered setbacks, it still could not stop him from worshipping Li. Especially when he saw Li behead the magistrate of Huayang County, Huang's admiration for Li was like the Yellow River flooding out of control.
"What does Lord Li have to say?" The governor's face was gloomy and his tone was not very good.
Li Yaonan felt that he was being criticized, and quickly retracted the slight change of opinion that Mr. Huang had just made. He said calmly, "I think the people need to be comforted and the food needs to be counted. What do you think?"
Li Yaonan decided to divert the blame. Food was related to people's livelihood and even to everyone's survival. He was not afraid that the officials would not agree.
Lord Liu nodded quickly: "That's right, the war has already started on the border, and food will definitely be in short supply. We must count it as soon as possible."
Lord Zhang's heart tightened, and he continued, "There are 8,000 guards at the city gate to support. If there is not enough food, should we collect it from the people?"
Li Yaonan looked at him coldly, feeling annoyed. "Let's count the food first. Do you think the people are not in chaos enough?"
Mr. Zhang's face darkened: "Are you responsible for the lack of food?"
Li Yaonan said, "Are you responsible for the chaos among the people? What benefits did the Qiang tribe give you to make you work so hard? The people were in chaos, and the Qiang tribe took advantage of the situation to invade. What exactly is your intention, Lord Zhang?"
"You..." Lord Zhang's face turned red with anger.
The governor said calmly, "Lord Li is very eloquent."
Li Yaonan cupped his hands and smiled, "Thank you for the compliment, sir."
The governor glanced at him nonchalantly and said, "In this case, the common people will be pacified by Lord Li. If there are any problems, I will only ask you for your help."
Li Yaonan bowed and said, "I obey your orders."
The governor no longer looked at him, comforted the officials with a few words, told them not to worry, and then sent everyone back to wait for news.
Lord Huang's eyes were shining. He felt that Lord Li was so majestic just now. Just when he was about to take a few steps forward, he was stopped by Li Yaonan's cold eyes. He bit his handkerchief in his heart, wondering why Lord Li was always so cruel and never spoke to him.
After getting rid of the plague god, Li Yaonan quickly returned home and called all the guards. Except for ten people who stayed behind, the rest followed him out.
Li Yaonan put on his official uniform, his face was solemn, and there was a hint of sadness between his brows. He looked in the mirror and gave his expression a perfect score. Li Yaonan waved his hand, and his whole body was full of ambition: "Let's go to the government office."
The guard was startled by his master's expression and his tense mood relaxed.
Li Yaonan led a group of people and stood in front of the yamen to give a loud speech. His voice was calm and unhurried. There were no words of comfort and no promises. There was a faint sadness in the air. Li Yaonan only told everyone how to deal with the war. Food should be hidden well and not just put in one basket. The hiding place should be safe. The elderly and children in the family must be protected. The able-bodied men can dig traps and set ambushes.
As time goes by, more and more people come to listen to the lectures. Such plain and simple language makes people feel more at ease than any empty promises.
The people listened very carefully. Li Yaonan explained very carefully, and occasionally gave them an example, saying that if they encountered an enemy, they must not resist head-on, but how to conceal their presence and then annihilate them by surprise. The young men who listened were excited, and the old men praised him.
The tense atmosphere gradually eased. There is no one who does not love his hometown. If a modern person were here, he would definitely understand Li Yaonan's intention. This was simply naked instigation.
Li Yaonan spoke for three consecutive days until he was thirsty. The audience, from the imperial officials to the common people, all listened attentively. Several officials even took out their pens and ink to write down everything he said.
Of course, there were even more people who didn't take it seriously and were anxious to make arrangements for their families, ready to flee at any time. Li Yaonan wrote down the attitudes of the officials in a notebook, and felt somewhat relieved in his heart, at least not all Yunnan officials were lounge bums.
On the fourth day, news came from Fengshan that the Qiang tribe had already approached the city, but the reinforcements had not arrived yet. Fengshan could only hold out for two days. If the governor did not bring troops, Fengshan would be lost.
The governor's mansion was filled with gloom. As the pillar of Yunnan, many officials visited him hastily, placing all their hopes on the governor, hoping that he could tell them a surprising answer.
On the fifth day, Fengshan City was broken. The fleeing people were in rags and looked desolate. They had lost their loved ones and homes. They cried loudly and were in extreme pain.
Li Yaonan closed his eyes and felt heavy-hearted. Having grown up in a peaceful era in his previous life, he had never seen a war, nor had he experienced the cruelty of war. At this moment, he suddenly felt a little regretful. Was it right or wrong to ignore the interests of the general public for his own selfish reasons
Erwazi is thirteen years old this year. His parents died at the hands of the enemy in order to let him escape. When he arrived at a safe place and saw the official who was the father of the people, he cried out in agony: "Lord Li, you are the great judge, you must make the decision for us."
Li Yaonan had a very good reputation. Not to mention his three years in Yuxi, he had also received a lot of praise from the people in the past few months last year. When the people of Fengshan saw him, they felt like they had seen a savior. However, when facing other officials, he glared at them with hatred in his eyes without disguising it at all.
When Li Yaonan asked, he found out that the Fengshan prefect was so afraid of death that he offered no resistance and opened the city gate to let the Qiang people pass.
Li Yaonan was filled with hatred, and the emotion he had just felt was instantly wiped out. He was right. As the saying goes, there is no construction without destruction. Yunnan had already decayed from within, and if the trunk was not uprooted, the losses would only be even greater.
More than 800 people escaped from Fengshan. Li Yaonan handed them over to his husband and asked him to find a way to settle them down.
Lin Yixuan took over the task assigned by her husband very cautiously, arranged them in a villa outside the city, and also imitated her husband's appearance, brainwashing everyone every day to arouse their desire for revenge.
The atmosphere in Dali became increasingly tense. There was no news of reinforcements yet, so the officials began to pack their bags and flee in groups of three or four.
Finally, one morning, an official who visited the governor found that the governor's house was empty.
A small number of officials showed mocking expressions, as if it was expected. Most of the officials felt that the sky had fallen, and the officials were the first to become chaotic before the people did.
Li Yaonan immediately ordered to block the news and not allow anyone to spread the matter. Once the governor escaped, the governor would definitely take action. He had been planning for so long and would never allow others to get ahead of him. This time, he would not only steal the credit from the governor, but also catch the governor in one fell swoop and make him lose more than he gained. What use would he have for such a selfish governor
Li Yaonan gathered the people and gave a passionate speech: "The Qiang have already attacked Fengshan, killing, burning and looting in Fengshan. When they have collected enough food and gold, silver and treasures, they will definitely attack Nanquan next. So what will happen after Nanquan? Have you thought about it?"
Li Yaonan looked at everyone with a heavy face, and without waiting for their reply, he continued: "Yes, it is Dali. They will definitely attack Dali. Have you thought about what to do? Stand here and wait for death, or try to resist the 100,000-strong Qiang army with only your meager strength."
The people were at a loss and didn't know what to do. Lord Li had previously taught them how to resist the enemy and how to save their lives. Wasn't all this useful
"When the nest is overturned, no egg can remain intact. If Nanquan is not protected, how can Dali live in peace? I don't want the incident in Fengshan to happen again. I have decided to take people to Nanquan in person. I swear that as long as the city survives, the people will live, and if the city is destroyed, the people will die. I will defend the people of Yunnan until my death."
"Okay! Lord Li, I support you and I also want to do my best. Please lead me there." Lord Huang immediately shouted excitedly.
Li Yaonan's lips twitched. He was too lazy to look at him and continued to stare at the people below: "Do you have any ideas? My life or death is uncertain when I go to Nanquan. I will not force you. I will do my best to protect our homeland. What about you? Do you want to fight the enemy? Do you want to seek revenge? Do you want to go with me and kill him? Say it out loud."
"I want to—" Lord Huang responded in a hoarse voice, he was so excited that he could hardly control himself. He looked like he wanted to kill all the Qiang people in the world, a bit like a little angry young man.
Li Yaonan didn't like him at first, but Mr. Huang's agreement was not without benefit. His emotions infected others. A young man from Fengshan stood up, his eyes red, and said loudly: "I want to fight in the battlefield and avenge my parents."
"I want to go too. I want to defend my homeland."
"And me."
Mr. Huang's blood boiled, he raised his hand and shouted: "Defend our homeland and drive away the Qiang people."
Another person, full of passion, shouted out loudly, "Defend our homeland and drive away the Qiang people."
"Defend our homeland and drive away the Qiang people."
The people were filled with emotion, from panic, to confusion, to high morale. For a moment, the shouts inside and outside the yamen were deafening.
Li Yaonan was satisfied and said a few high-sounding words, promising to share life and death with everyone. Then he assigned an official to register the people who volunteered to go to Nanquan and prepare to set off the next morning.
As for Mr. Huang, Li Yaonan had another task assigned to him, requiring him to make sure to get the food.
Lord Huang was very excited. Lord Li was finally willing to believe him and promised solemnly that he would complete the task.
Li Yaonan nodded and patted his shoulder appreciatively, indicating that everything depended on him.
Mr. Huang puffed out his chest and raised his head, looking serious, and suddenly felt the great responsibility on his shoulders.
Li Yaonan was relieved, as he had finally found a way to deal with the idiot, and his husband was also left in Dali by him. Lin Yixuan was not happy about it, but her husband had no connections in Dali, and he could not rely on the government for logistics. If he did not stay and take charge, if there was any chaos in Dali, the gains would outweigh the losses. So she could only agree reluctantly.
Li Yaonan was just about to go to Nanquan, but seven or eight out of ten officials from Dali were gone overnight. Many people laughed at Li Yaonan for being stupid, but no one really admired him.
Li Yaonan had a blank expression on his face. He decided to trust the remaining officials, regardless of their character, as long as they were able to stay and perform the duties of an official.
After explaining the affairs of Dali clearly, Li Yaonan set out with 3,000 troops early the next morning. He kept encouraging their morale along the way and even taught them some techniques to kill the enemy during breaks.
When we arrived at Nanquan, we saw desolate scenery everywhere. The streets were in chaos and some people were looting in broad daylight. The enemy had not yet arrived, but the people were already in chaos.
Li Yaonan frowned and revealed his identity directly, asking to see the Nanquan County Magistrate.
When the soldiers at the city gate saw them, they were filled with sadness after their joy. They thought that reinforcements had arrived, but they turned out to be a group of civilians.
The Nanquan County Magistrate came out, his eyes red from staying up late. He was in his forties, and half of his hair was white. "Your humble servant greets Lord Li."
"Lord Yang, there's no need to be so polite. What's the situation now?" Li Yaonan dismounted and bowed in return.
Lord Yang smiled bitterly, his face showing deep fatigue: "The Qiang attacked once last night, and it is not expected to be so fast today. Why did Lord Li come here?"
Lai Yaonan said righteously: "When the country is in trouble, every citizen has a duty to take. As an official appointed by the court, how can I ignore it?"
Lord Yang gave him a deep look and said, "Nanquan's food can last for another half a month, but the Qiang's offensive is fierce. I'm afraid it won't last until tomorrow night."
Li Yaonan frowned and said calmly, "Take me to have a look first. Besides, the people in the city should be comforted." He turned to look at Sun Ruisi, "You go and do this. Remember to bring a few Fengshan people with you."
Sun Ruisi understood: "Yes, sir." Only the people of Fengshan can make the people of Nanquan share the same hatred and unite. The power of the people should not be underestimated. If they form an army, coupled with the arrangements made by the lord, Sun Ruisi believes that it will be no problem to resist for ten days or half a month.
Lord Yang took the lead and led Li Yaonan to the top of the city wall. The soldiers staggered here and there, taking advantage of the gaps to rest. The air was filled with the smell of blood, and the bright red bloodstains on the city wall had not yet been cleaned, and the red was shocking.
Li Yaonan stood on the city wall and looked at the huge camp in the distance: "When do they usually attack?"
"Not necessarily. Sometimes it's at night, sometimes it's at noon. Nanquan had 5,000 guards, but now there are only 3,000 or so left. I'm afraid..." Lord Yang burst into tears as he spoke.
Li Yaonan spared no effort to discredit the Governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, and said indifferently: "Lord Yang, there is no need to do this. My brother-in-law is the governor of Yizhou. He will come to rescue in a few days. The Southeast Army will also arrive in a few days."
Lord Yang's lips trembled. How could he not understand Lord Li's meaning? The Governor would not send troops, and the only thing he could do was to ask for help from the Southeast Army. The people of Yunnan were also the people of Dajin. Why had it become like this? The Governor was a disaster, and the Governor had his own troops. Even if someone came to rescue, what could it be? He didn't know if Nanquan could hold on until that time.
"Of course you can." Li Yaonan said firmly.
Lord Yang said nothing more. He knew that Lord Li was a good official. However, being a good official did not mean that he could lead troops to fight. It did not mean that the 3,000 soldiers in the city could resist the enemy's 50,000 troops and another 50,000 troops would arrive soon. Otherwise, he might not be able to hold out for even two days.
Li Yaonan quickly began to make arrangements. Some of the soldiers on the city wall stayed behind while some went down to rest. Only when they were fully refreshed could they kill the enemy. The three thousand troops he brought were just right to replace the exhausted soldiers.
Unfortunately, God did not give them any buffer time, and everything was not yet arranged...
"Woo—" A horn sounded in the distance.
Lord Yang's expression changed: "The Qiang are about to attack the city."
Li Yaonan did not dare to be careless at all. He turned around and looked at the 3,000 people he brought with him, and said loudly: "Look, those are the people who want to destroy our homes. What do you think we should do?" The deep and powerful voice was inspiring.
"Fight to the death." The people shouted loudly.
"Kill him without leaving a single piece of armor."
"Defend our homeland and drive away the Qiang people."
"Good!" Li Yaonan smiled and pointed at the faint black dot in the distance: "The Qiang people have begun to gather their troops and will attack us soon. I hope that all the good men in Yunnan will perform well for me."
"Yes!" The three thousand people have developed a habit in the past few days. Whenever Li Yaonan asks a question, they will answer loudly.
"Are you afraid?"
"No."
"Kill one and it's a profit. Kill two and it's a profit. I'm not afraid."
"I'm not afraid either. My parents are dead, and I want revenge."
"I want to defend my homeland and protect my fellow villagers."
"Okay, now everyone line up and hold your posts."
"yes!"
As the loud conversations continued, the soldiers on the city gate seemed to be infected by the atmosphere and their expressions became more determined.
Lord Yang was deeply impressed. In front of Lord Li, he felt inferior to him. A hope rose in his heart. With Lord Li's help, could he save Nanquan
Li Yaonan's face was gloomy, and he calmly ordered: "Prepare oil and strong liquor for me, the more the better, and take them all to the city wall."
Lord Yang was stunned and wondered what he needed those things for.
Li Yaonan frowned and said, "Go quickly. Nanquan is your territory. Send the things over quickly."
Lord Yang did not dare to delay. Although he did not understand the meaning, he thought that Lord Li was a smart man and would never do useless work.
The Qiang army was approaching the city in a huge mass. Li Yaonan stared coldly ahead and asked the soldier beside him, "How long can we delay them?"
"A quarter of an hour at most."
Li Yaonan pondered for a moment and said, "Drag it out first. When the strong liquor and oil come, pour them all on me. Pay attention to the fire attack."
Some soldiers were confused about what it meant, but some suddenly realized: "Oil is slippery, and wine is flammable."
Li Yaonan's eyes flashed with a fierce look: "We will waste time with them first and attack at night tonight."
"Night attack—" The soldiers were horrified. They couldn't even cope with the Qiang tribe's offensive, and Lord Li actually wanted to launch a night attack.
Li Yaonan rubbed his temples and explained, "The best defense is offense. Consume their energy during the day and surprise them at night."
The soldier's eyes lit up and he became more energetic.
The Qiang tribe attacked quickly, and there were shouts of killing on the city walls. It was the first time that Li Yaonan saw such a tragic scene. The shock in his heart was beyond words. He unconsciously became ruthless and shot arrows with his crossbow. Seeing the enemy soldiers fall one by one, he was not moved at all.
Oil and liquor were quickly delivered, and a large pot was set up on the city wall. Boiling tung oil was poured into the pot, and screams were heard from the enemy.
The battle lasted for a long time, and the Qiang tribe only called back their troops at night.
"The enemy is retreating, the enemy is retreating." The soldiers shouted loudly and cheered excitedly.
This battle was not easy for them, but it was much better than the previous two days. After counting the number of people, only 328 people were killed.
Li Yaonan's heart trembled when he heard this. The soldiers had sad expressions, but also smiles as if they had survived a disaster. Not many people died this time. I wonder if they can hold on and survive.
The author has something to say: Thank you, I will continue to work hard. o(n_n)o
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