mtl008 Chapter 454: Deployment
Chapter 454: Deployment
After arranging the guards, Shen Yanzhou's gaze fell on Shi Wanxia, and his tone became more serious: "Sister Wanxia, there are currently less than two hundred Imperial Guards and city garrison soldiers in Chuzhou City."
"If the rebels come in large numbers, the military alone may not be able to handle the situation."
Shi Wanxia's heart stirred, and she understood the Crown Prince's intention.
"You have been in charge of the Chu Prefecture government and have won the hearts of the people these days—I want you to mobilize the people."
Shen Yanzhou paused, then emphasized, "They don't need to engage the enemy head-on; they only need to assist in defending the city: able-bodied men can help with patrols and relaying messages."
Women and children can help transport medicine, boil water, and cook meals;
“They could even form an encirclement simply by holding hoes and sticks and guarding the streets and alleys.”
"These traitors want to disrupt the peace of Chuzhou? Then let them see if the people of Chuzhou are easy to bully!"
The phrase "people's war" flashed through Shi Wanxia's mind, and her eyes lit up.
She had read countless similar cases in modern history, and now she was going to put them into practice in Chuzhou.
She took a deep breath, bowed, and accepted the order: "Your subject understands! Please rest assured, Your Highness! The people of Chuzhou have just emerged from the hardships endured by Yuan and Wang, and have finally achieved a peaceful life. We will absolutely not allow the traitors to disrupt it!"
"I will go and mobilize them immediately; I am sure they will respond with overwhelming support!"
"it is good!"
Shen Yanzhou patted her shoulder, his eyes full of trust, "Huai'an, Wenzhu, the prison's defense is in your hands."
"Reinforce the prison gates, increase the number of guards, and set up an ambush around the prison to ensure that the traitors never return!"
"Yes!"
Choi Ji-ho and Choi Yu-an responded in unison.
Cui Zhihao immediately took out his pen and ink and began to draw a defense map of the prison, while Cui Yu'an turned around to dispatch prison guards and arrange patrol shifts. The two acted quickly and without delay.
When I left the prison, the morning mist had dissipated and the sun was high in the sky.
Shi Wanxia did not return to the government office, but instead took Shuyun, Qinxin, and Qinglan directly to the refugee resettlement site in the west of the city—the place where the most people lived, and the place that should be the most visited.
At the resettlement site, people were busy drying grain, and several women were sitting under a tree mending clothes.
Upon seeing Shi Wanxia arrive, everyone stopped what they were doing and gathered around her, greeting her warmly: "Lord Shi is here!"
"What brings you here today, sir?"
Shi Wanxia walked to the center of the crowd, her gaze sweeping over familiar faces—there was the old woman who had come to plead her case, Shen Wanshan who had taken back his land, and Lin Acui, whom she had arranged to work in the textile workshop.
She took a deep breath and said in a clear voice, "Fellow villagers, I have something important to tell you today."
"On the fifteenth of the seventh month, the Ghost Festival, some traitors are going to the prison to kidnap people. They want to disrupt the peace of our Chu Prefecture!"
Upon hearing this, the crowd fell silent instantly, followed by a burst of discussion.
"What? A traitor?"
"They want to destroy our home?"
"No! We absolutely cannot let them succeed!"
The old woman, leaning on her cane, walked up to Shi Wanxia, her voice trembling with emotion: "Lord Shi, please tell us what you need us to do! My son was killed by Yuan Xiaomiao, and I absolutely cannot let his accomplices do evil again! Although I am an old woman, I can still stand guard at the alley entrance with my cane!"
"Yes, sir! We'll do as you say!"
Shen Shaoshan also stepped forward, "You helped me get my family's land back, and my shop assistants can now patrol it!"
"And I!"
Lin Acui stepped out of the crowd, her face resolute. "I learned a trade at the textile workshop, and I can help make bandages for wounds! The other women are all willing to come!"
Looking at the passionate crowd before her, Shi Wanxia felt a surge of warmth in her heart.
She raised her hand to press down, and continued, "Fellow villagers, we don't need to fight the traitors to the death."
"Young and strong men, come with me to the government office to collect wooden sticks, divide into small teams, patrol the streets and alleys, and immediately report any unfamiliar faces to the authorities."
"Girls, ladies, go to Qin Xin's place to get some cloth, sew it into bandages for wound treatment, and boil some hot water to deliver to the soldiers guarding the city."
"The elderly stay at home to watch over the children and pay attention to the activities of their neighbors. If anything seems amiss, they will sound the alarm by banging a gong."
"As long as we are united, we can defend Chuzhou!"
"it is good!"
"Listen to the adults!"
The crowd cheered, and everyone immediately sprang into action. The able-bodied men followed Shi Wanxia to the government office to collect wooden sticks.
The women surrounded Qin Xin and followed her to the storeroom to get the fabric, while the old people went home to get their gongs and stood guard at the alley entrance.
Shuyun did not go to the resettlement point, but went straight back to the government office.
Her task was to organize the government's supplies—to tally the quantities of grain and medicine, and to arrange for people to transport them.
They also need to record the patrol team rosters to ensure smooth communication.
She sat at her desk, her pen never stopping. The handwriting on the ledgers was neat and clear, and she remembered every single entry. She managed the operation of the government office flawlessly.
Qinglan went to a cement workshop outside the city.
She had the freshly produced cement moved to the city wall, and together with the craftsmen, she used the cement to reinforce the gaps in the wall, and also dug several deep trenches at the base of the wall.
If the rebels tried to climb the city walls, these deep trenches would trap them.
As the craftsmen worked, they discussed the traitors with disdain: "They think they can conquer Chu Prefecture?"
"Our city walls are reinforced with cement, so even if they have ladders, they can't climb them!"
Cui Yu'an followed Cui Zhihao and set up defenses around the prison.
They had the cell doors replaced with solid ironwood and buried several traps in the cell yard, covering them with thatch so that no trace could be seen.
Cui Yu'an also specially arranged for more than a dozen archers to ambush on the roof of the prison, so that they could shoot arrows immediately as soon as the traitor appeared.
"Third Uncle, which direction do you think the rebels will come from?"
Cui Yu'an squatted on the ground, looking at the defense map, and asked.
Choi Ji-ho pointed to the alley on the west side of the prison: "This is the narrowest part, making it easy for people to hide. They will most likely make their move from here."
“We’ll set up an ambush at the alley entrance, and once they come in, we’ll close the door and beat them.”
As the sun set, Chuzhou City was already bustling with activity.
On the street, every few dozen steps there was a young man holding a wooden stick. They were dressed in the same coarse cloth short jackets, with red cloth strips tied around their waists, and they watched the passers-by with wary eyes.
On the city wall, craftsmen were still busy reinforcing it, the afterglow of the setting sun shining on the cement, giving it a cold, hard sheen.
Inside the government office, Shuyun was still checking the list of supplies. The candlelight illuminated her profile, making her look serious and focused.
Shen Yanzhou stood in the pavilion of the government office, looking at the busy scene below, his eyes full of satisfaction.
He turned to look at Shi Wanxia beside him and said with emotion, "Wanxia, you see—the will of the people is the strongest defense."
"With such people, how can we not destroy the rebels?"