Chapter 6: On Defending the City

Zhu Chongba thought seriously for a moment and immediately nodded, "Indeed, young sir, you have a point. This Jialu is a formidable enemy. Young sir, the commander has permitted us to participate in the discussions at the command hall. What do you think we should do?"

Do not be disheartened by our loss in Xuzhou; this time in Haozhou, we will fight with all our might to win

Zhang Ximeng took a look and felt quite moved; after all, how could a normal person remain calm upon seeing a bag of golden treasures? However, Zhang Ximeng had lofty aspirations. As a trusted confidant of the future emperor, how could he be swayed by a mere bit of gold?

Zhang Ximeng said: "Your Excellency, having discussed the enemy, it is time for us to talk about ourselves. I have reflected on several battle examples, and in fact, they are beneficial for the defending side."

Zhu Chongba achieved a promising start for the city of Haozhou

He not only vented his anger, but also, having joined the Red Turbans in Haozhou for less than a year, he distinguished himself in battle and became a personal guard of the commander, even marrying the commander's adopted daughter, thus achieving rapid success.

Zhu Chongba paused for a moment before saying: "I also find it somewhat difficult to understand. Logically speaking, the common people detest river dredging and currency exchange. This Jia Lu is in charge of the river repairs, so we should hate him to the core, wishing we could devour his flesh. Yet, I also ponder that if the Yellow River breaches and we do not repair it, wouldn't that be an even greater sin? I have heard that Jia Lu is knowledgeable about river works and is also an honest official. There are many matters that are beyond his control."

Zhang Ximeng laughed heartily and shook his head, "Your Excellency, you are mistaken. There are countless who can speak, but those who can accomplish things are but one in ten thousand. The safety and stability of Haozhou depend entirely on you, Your Excellency!"

In stark contrast to Lu Anmin, Zhu Chongba has never experienced such glory in his life, not even when marrying and entering the bridal chamber, which pales in comparison

Alas, in the blink of an eye, the Yellow River has flooded, and Anfeng has also suffered disaster. Some people wished to seek Lu Anmin's assistance in speaking up for their hometown, requesting a reduction in taxes and corvée labor. Unfortunately, Lu Anmin did not dare to utter a word; he merely contented himself with enjoying his beautiful jade-like companion and his house of gold.

Not only was Guo Zixing pleased with this son-in-law, but even others displayed expressions of admiration, especially Peng Da, who was particularly surprised and appreciative

Little sir, every word strikes at the heart of the matter. You, under our command, have truly wasted talent!

Zhang Ximeng's narration prompted Zhu Chongba to nod repeatedly

Zhu Chongba gradually clenched his fists, recalling the tense scene he had witnessed with Zhang Ximeng in the marketplace, which made his scalp tingle uncontrollably

This has ignited emotions, and even the common people in Haozhou City are enraged. What kind of conduct does the court exhibit? How could they not be aware? If this group were to invade Haozhou, no one would survive

It is this dog that, a few years ago, passed the imperial examination and became a jinshi. At home, he was celebrated with great fanfare, and a ceremonial arch was erected for him, enjoying a continuous banquet for half a month

This distinguished top scholar, upon leaving Haozhou, was covered in filth, with his head and face injured...! What made him even more anxious was that his reputation for this lifetime was completely ruined; at least in his hometown in Huaixi, no one would speak well of him. It would truly be better to kill him!

You don't care about the old man at all, and now you serve as a lackey for Yuan Ting! You beast!

Good lad, you have courage

However, he works for Yuan Ting, acting as Yuan Ting's watchdog. The more capable he is, the greater the harm he poses!" Zhang Ximeng said solemnly: "I have heard that in order to repair the river, along the banks of the Yellow River, dozens of states and prefectures have mobilized hundreds of thousands of laborers... Jia Lu may not be particularly strong in combat, but his skills in mobilizing troops, manufacturing equipment, and besieging cities are absolutely present, and not only present, but also very strong!

Zhu Chongba turned and left, while Zhang Ximeng had a premonition that someone was about to face misfortune

Lu Anmin was dragged out of the General's residence. When he arrived outside, he was met by a crowd of commoners who pointed and shouted at him, cursing loudly. Among them was also Anfeng, who had come running over.

Who says that war must always be fought with swords and weapons? The exchange of envoys, the clash of words, is equally a form of combat

A monk who has hardly attended school managed to scold a scholar of jinshi status to the point where he sat on the ground, drenched in sweat, his face changing colors, resembling a dog that has fallen into water

Zhang Ximeng rolled his eyes, indicating a narrow mindset

Zhu Chongba furrowed his brows and after a moment slowly said: "So, does this mean that Jia Lu is a good official?"

During the Yuan Dynasty, the imperial examination was suspended for a long period of time, and it was not until the reign of Emperor Ren of Yuan that it was reinstated. Coincidentally, Zhang Xi Meng's uncle, Zhang Yang Hao, was the chief examiner of the first examination. Throughout the entire Yuan Dynasty, a total of sixteen imperial examinations were held, with a very limited number of candidates being admitted each time

"Do not kill the envoy; we do not wish to harm him. Is it not enough for us to spit at him?"

Zhu Chongba listened quietly, seemingly moved, yet in the end, he still shook his head and smiled

... ...

The elders of my hometown, I take great pride in their honor

Naturally, there were quite a few chaotic discussions. Zhu Chongba's heart was strong enough to withstand it, yet he also hoped to prove himself

I am teaching you to be the Emperor

In an instant, rotten vegetable leaves, clods of earth, stinky shoes, eggs... Everything was thrown at Lu Anmin.

First and foremost, it is essential to unite as one, creating a fortified city akin to an iron barrel. We must arrange for personnel to patrol day and night, dividing the city into zones for systematic inspections. The common people must not be allowed to come and go freely, nor should they spread idle gossip that could disrupt the morale of the troops. Those who disseminate rumors and undermine morale must be severely punished. Zhang Ximeng paused for a moment and continued: "Ultimately, the most critical aspects of defending the city are food supplies and military equipment. We must control the food within the city and implement a strict distribution system... ensuring that the soldiers have enough provisions while also providing the common people with food to eat. We must be vigilant against hoarding and price gouging. In summary, as long as we maintain our stability, not to mention Jia Lu, even if Chancellor Tuo Tuo leads a large army, it would not necessarily be able to capture Haozhou"

What else can be said, just two words: straightforward

Zhu Chongba subtly inquired, reaching out to grab a dozen heavy gold beans, which he directly stuffed into Zhang Ximeng's hands. Without waiting for a rebuttal, he directly asked: "Young sir, how do you think we should defend Haozhou next?"

"Little Sir, are you teaching us how to be a great leader?"

He, Young Master Zhu, has finally emerged in the military and has become a notable figure

My lord, the art of war states that knowing oneself and knowing the enemy leads to victory in every battle. What do you think of this Jia Lu?

Zhu Chongba immediately inquired, "How should we schedule? And how should we utilize personnel?"

Jia Lu sent someone over, intending to sow discord among the Hongjin of Haozhou, undermine morale, and seize the initiative. Even if Guo Zixing and others would not surrender, if they were to be caught in a dilemma, they would still lose face, and rumors would spread throughout the city, shaking the resolve of the troops

Therefore, the emergence of a successful candidate for the imperial examination is indeed worthy of extensive documentation

Even Guo Zixing regarded his son-in-law with special attention, and specifically allowed Zhu Chongba to participate in discussions. This means that a mere chief of nine households could express opinions in front of several great leaders, a privilege that even Guo Zixing's son, Guo Tianxu, did not enjoy

"Little Master, thanks to your teachings, we must express our gratitude to you." In the evening, Zhu Chongba returned, bringing with him two bolts of silk and an additional small bag of gold beans

Without delving into distant examples, during the Three Kingdoms period, Sun Quan of Eastern Wu besieged Hefei several times with an army of 100,000, yet could not capture the city defended by merely a few thousand. Similarly, during the An-Shi Rebellion, Zhang Xun held out in Suiyang for ten months, prolonging the Tang dynasty's existence by 150 years. Even during the Jingkang era, Wang Bing of Taiyuan managed to hold off the Jin army's western forces for over 250 days. These are all instances where a few thousand faced tens of thousands, or even over a hundred thousand. As long as the deployment is appropriate and the personnel are effectively utilized, defending a city is not difficult

Zhang Ximeng was slightly taken aback, pondering in his heart, while simultaneously stuffing the golden beans into his sleeve

Fellow villagers, in the event of a battle between two armies, we do not harm the envoys. The commander has instructed us to escort him out!

Zhu Chongba leaned forward, getting closer to Zhang Ximeng, earnestly seeking guidance

The soldiers of the Red Scarf Army responsible for dragging Lu Anmin were also affected

"Little Sir, let us go meet the General now"

Your Excellency's generous bestowal brings me great joy. However, to achieve great undertakings, it is essential to have clear distinctions between rewards and punishments. While being stingy with money is certainly undesirable, indiscriminately granting favors is equally problematic. This time, Your Excellency has given too much, which may lead to arrogance and an inflated sense of one's own importance. One might come to believe that without oneself, nothing could be accomplished. If this continues, lacking self-awareness and becoming reckless would indeed lead to self-destruction.

If anyone dares to persuade surrender, just kill him

Zhang Ximeng nodded repeatedly, "Your Excellency, the Yuan court has long been decayed from top to bottom. At this moment, regardless of right or wrong, as long as something is done, the good turns bad, and the bad turns worse! This is often the case when a dynasty reaches its final moments."

Zhu Chongba placed it in front of Zhang Ximeng and said earnestly: "It is a gift from Peng Da, even if it is just a token of appreciation, please accept it, young sir!"

Refuting Lu Anmin is not merely a matter of gaining an advantage in words

Although the Yuan Dynasty primarily used paper money, wealthy families still possessed a considerable amount of gold and silver jewelry. Moreover, Peng Da was a prominent leader of the Red Turban Army, so it is only reasonable that he would have some gold and silver. Otherwise, it would be quite a joke if he were to give Zhu Chongba a sack of banknotes!

It is unknown who picked up a handful of rotten vegetable leaves and threw them at Lu Anmin