First Minister of Ming Dynasty

The battle is imminent, and there is no room for relaxation. Even if Lao Zhu has the protection of destiny, will there be people around him?In the bloody battle for more than ten years, there were not a few warriors who were killed or injured.Hu Dahai, the Duke of Yue, is not inferior to Chang Yuchun in courage, and Ding Pulang, who lost his head and still pretends to be fighting, is like Xingtian at the end of Yuan Dynasty.

Zhang Ximeng didn't dare to say that he could live in peace and stability until the day when the Ming Dynasty was founded.Seeing the holes in the city defense, he was really anxious and frightened.

The current hope is all on Mrs. Ma, it depends on how capable the future Empress Ma will be... Zhang Ximeng returned to the small courtyard where he lived, anxiously waiting for news.

Besides, at the Shuai Mansion, Guo Zixing called several people over to discuss, including his son-in-law Zhu Chongba, Peng Da from Xuzhou, and Sun Deya.

"The commander checked the defenses of the four cities and found that there are still many houses near the city walls. The trenches outside the city have not been dug, and the moat has not been cleared. If things go on like this, how can they resist Yuan soldiers?"

After Guo Zixing finished speaking, Peng Da stood up immediately, his expression very excited, "Marshal Guo, to tell you the truth, Xuzhou just let the tartars come in through the water gate, and broke through the city in one fell swoop. One hundred thousand brothers, most of them were killed or injured!" Peng Da was moved. Said: "I also saw Haozhou's lack of defense, and I was thinking about how to tell the commander in chief, but I didn't expect the commander to find out first. I didn't say anything. I agree to repair it immediately!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Sun Deya said, "Brother Peng, it's easy for you to say, the officers and soldiers may arrive in half a day, now digging trenches and clearing the moat, is it too late?"

Peng Da was very angry, "Shuai Sun, you still ask me? What have you been doing these past few months? You think that the officers and soldiers are all face-to-face, so there is no need to worry about it. Those we lost from Xuzhou are all incompetent Trash, you don’t have to do anything to beat back the officers and soldiers.”

"you!"

Sun Deya was furious, he thought he was half the master of Haozhou, you are just bereaved dogs, you dare to teach yourself a lesson!

He was about to scold back when Guo Zixing snorted, "Stop arguing, the enemy is at hand, don't talk about the past. I thought it was too late to repair the moat, so I could only work hard in the city, dig trenches, and build low walls , Clear out all the thirty feet away from the city wall, and use it to guard against officers and soldiers."

Guo Zixing threw out the plan, Peng Da's eyes lit up, and he was about to praise it, but Sun Deya was ahead of him.

"Marshal, are you going to start a big construction project?"

Guo Zixing nodded, "That's right!"

Sun Deya sneered and said, "Marshal, if you ask me, this idea is too stinky!"

Guo Zixing frowned, and asked in a deep voice, "How do you say it?"

Sun Deya said: "It's not obvious, it's demolishing houses, digging ditches, and repairing walls... who will do it? Is it the people in the city, or our brothers? Will the people be willing to come out to work? If Let our people work, and the Yuan Tartars have exhausted themselves before they come, so how can we defend the city?"

Guo Zixing was taken aback, and seemed to have said the same thing.

Sun Deya continued: "There is another layer. No matter how well it is repaired inside, it can still be stronger than the city wall? It's just that this city wall, if you can hold it, you will hold it. If you can't hold it, you will forget the past! If you want me to say, don't bother, the big guys will raise it. Gather up your energy, polish your knife to shine, and when the Yuan Tartars come, fight them hard! If others are afraid, I will stand on the city wall!"

Guo Zixing has never been able to make decisions, and it is not unreasonable to hear these two points from Sun Deya... He subconsciously looked at his son-in-law Zhu Chongba.

At this time, Zhu Chongba suddenly laughed, "Marshal Sun, do you think that digging ditches and repairing the wall is to prepare the city wall to be broken so that we can continue to fight?"

Sun Deya was taken aback, "Isn't it?"

"Yes and no!"

Zhu Chongba turned his head to Guo Zixing and said, "Commander, a few months ago, the red scarves in the city were mostly traffickers and pawns, and they had never seen swordsmen. Now that Jia Lu's army is coming to attack, the soldiers defending the city are easily frightened. The embankment was destroyed by ant nests. As long as there is one thing that is not prepared, the whole game will be lost."

Zhu Chongba talked eloquently, and he said calmly: "If you build ditches and walls in the city, you can prevent the defenders from fleeing. Behind the wall, you can also arrange a supervisory team. The soldiers will not be frightened and flee. Even Yuan soldiers It really broke the city wall and came in. We can also prepare a fresh army behind the wall, wait for work, push the Yuan army out, and then take the opportunity to repair the city wall and fight again!"

"If we don't have these preparations and just rely on a city wall and a group of mobs to stop the elite soldiers, we don't have the confidence!"

What Lao Zhu said is to have one more buffer and one more preparation.

Digging ditches and repairing walls can not only guard against enemy soldiers, but also prevent our own people from fleeing.And with an extra wall, there will be more security, and the hearts of the people in the city will be more stable.

This arrangement definitely has a lot of benefits and can be called exquisite.

Peng Da couldn't help clapping his hands, "Okay, that's great! If Xuzhou could build a wall inside, it would not be so easy for the Yuan Tartars to come in! Mr. Zhu, you are really versatile in both civil and military affairs!"

Peng Da praised Zhu Chongba highly, Lao Zhu blushed slightly, and did not dare to agree.

There is no doubt that, from a logical point of view, digging ditches and repairing walls is tenable.

At this time, Sun Deya's face was ashen, Zhu Chongba dared to slap his own mouth, it was really audacious!He snorted coldly and said, "What you said is reasonable, but why didn't you say it earlier? Who is going to repair the wall now? There are only tens of thousands of soldiers in the city. Do you want to exhaust the big guy to death?"

He had just finished speaking when suddenly a person walked in from the outside.

She first saluted Guo Zixing Wanfu, and then said: "Father is handsome, my daughter is not talented, and I am willing to take orders to repair the wall."

It was Ma Shi who came.

Guo Zixing was startled, he couldn't help standing up, and reproached him with a sullen face: "Girl, what are you talking about? Could it be that all the men in the city are dead?"

Although Sun Deya didn't open his mouth, he still sneered, as if he was saying that fighting is a matter for gentlemen, you little girl, why join in the fun?

Mrs. Ma calmly said, "Father Commander, 10,000+ yuan soldiers came into the city. Men are just killed. We women will not only die, but also be humiliated. Instead of sitting and waiting for death, we should do our best to earn a living. "

"Also, once the soldiers besiege the city, there may be deficiencies in addition to the little food that every household can buy. Anyone who comes out to repair walls and dig ditches, no matter old or young, can receive a share of food, one catty It doesn't matter if it's half a catty, it's a way to stutter anyway. It's better than starving and freezing, and people's hearts are in turmoil."

Guo Zixing was shocked when Ma Shi said this reasoning, he didn't think of it?My own goddaughter, Hua Mulan is alive, a hero in the face of fans!

"Girl, the truth is good, but how can you show your face?"

Mrs. Ma smiled, "Going back to my father's command, my daughter's husband puts on a strong stick, defends the city and kills the enemy, and my daughter's adoptive father is responsible for the lives and deaths of countless soldiers and civilians, and he is exhausted. My daughter is not a heartless person, so how can she live at home? With one more monkey, you can gain three points of strength, please be kind to my father!"

Then, Ma Shi saluted again, but Guo Zixing was so moved, he ran over quickly, grabbed Ma Shi, turned his head, and stretched out his hand to grab Zhu Chongba, shaking hard!

"Good daughter! Good son-in-law!" Guo Zixing excitedly said, "Just do as you say, whoever dares not listen, follow the military law!"

The husband and wife cooperated tacitly and finally got their wish.

Zhu Chongba couldn't help feeling distressed and said: "Sister, you and us have suffered again."

Mrs. Ma shook her head lightly, "They're both husband and wife, why bother talking about this! Am I willing to just watch Yuanbing come in? I'm not afraid of suffering, but I'm afraid of not doing a good job and ruining a big event... I heard it too, what Marshal Sun said, The people in the city are not of the same mind, I am really afraid that there will be accidents."

Zhu Chongba also sighed quite a lot, people are not in harmony, vision is not high, it is really difficult to do things!

"Sister, we want to defend the city. There is no one around you. Let Mr. Xiao help you. He has a lot of ideas. If something is difficult to handle, let's find a way together."

Hearing this, Mrs. Ma nodded, "That's the only way."

Chapter 12 Shower

Mrs. Ma returned to the small courtyard and briefly explained the matter.

After Zhang Ximeng knew the success, he finally showed a hint of joy. He smiled and took out a detailed plan, "I was preparing when Ma'am went to the commander's mansion, and it's almost ready now."

As Zhang Ximeng spoke, he took out a few pieces of paper, which were full of his plans, and Xing hurriedly introduced them to Mrs. Ma. After talking for a while, someone suddenly broke in.Mrs. Ma rushed out to greet her, and it was Guo Zixing's wife, her godmother, who came.

"My son, this old man is also confused and confused, and he wants a woman to show her face!" The godmother took Ma Shi's hand, cried like a tearful person, and blamed: "You just say You need to strengthen the city defense, but you didn’t say you have to do it yourself! What if you are exhausted? Or, or let them send someone to do it, and you can just stay with the godmother.”

Mrs. Ma knew that her godmother loved her, but she also knew the priorities, so she said, "What my godmother knows, this is not a peaceful and prosperous world, it's all for survival. My daughter usually cleans and does everything, how can she be so delicate... ...Furthermore, this time, we must be united and defend the city together in order to keep Haozhou. Naturally, my daughter must set an example for the commander-in-chief!"

The godmother sighed repeatedly, dumbfounded, and wanted her daughter to set an example. It's not that there is no one in the handsome mansion, it's just that it doesn't live up to expectations.

"Good girl! Compared with you, your brother is nothing but trash!"

What Ganniang was talking about was Guo Tianxu, the young marshal, who was under pressure from the army. Apart from being able to hide at home, Guo Tianxu could do nothing, and many of Guo Zixing's subordinates also looked down on him.

The mother didn't know what happened to her son, so she could only comfort Ma Shi with guilt for a while, and then she was reluctant to leave.

After the godmother left, Mrs. Ma changed into neat clothes, and Zhang Ximeng also wore bunts, and followed them. Behind them was Mu Ying, who was carrying a wooden knife.

"Mother, brother, I will protect you!"

The little guy really has his chest out, like a guard.Zhang Ximeng couldn't help rubbing his little head, feeling warm in his heart.

"Ma'am, I think we have a [-]% chance of winning this time!"

Mrs. Ma thought for a while, and said with a smile: "Okay, but [-]% is not enough, we have to do the remaining [-]%!" After finishing speaking, she walked out of the yard with big feet.

Zhang Ximeng followed Ma Shi, and seeing how she was doing things, she was somewhat similar to Lao Zhu. She did everything by herself, was courageous and capable, and was not afraid of hard work or discussion. No wonder Ma Shi could control Lao Zhu. It's a man, it's still uncertain who will sit in this world!

Since the soldiers have to patrol and defend the city, they must be vigilant at all times.More than half of Ma Shi's hands are women.Many of them had just put down their needlework. When they heard about the war, they were startled and pale. Standing here, their legs were trembling.

"Sisters, I won't say much, it's just two things... First, don't let the Yuan Tartars come in. They are all reincarnated animals. After they come in, everyone knows how to ruin and kill people. Second, Living in the city is not easy, and it is very difficult to have enough food. If you follow me, you can have a full meal at noon every day, and you can take back half a catty of grain at night. If you earn enough to eat, your husband will look up to you when you go home One glance. The young and the old will not go hungry. To be a wife or a mother, it is enough to do my best."

After Mrs. Ma finished speaking, the women present could not help but nod their heads, thinking it made sense.

But they couldn't figure it out, what could a woman do?

Mrs. Ma gave Zhang Ximeng a wink, and Zhang Ximeng stood up immediately, "To defend Haozhou City, we must make the best use of our resources and people. Now we must divide people into several teams... Among them, those who are over 20 years old and under 40 years old Those who are in good health, all go to the city to participate in the demolition and cleaning of houses, and move bricks, tiles, earth and rocks. Those over 40 years old are responsible for washing and cooking for soldiers. These two groups of people each receive half a catty of grain per day. Another batch of courage is needed. Those who are careful and able to deal with wounds should prepare medicinal materials, gauze, and rush to make a batch of stretchers. The fight will carry the wounded. Another batch should familiarize themselves with the situation in the city and assist in patrolling. They also need to go to each house, Understand the situation, solve problems for the people, and report any abnormalities in time..."

Zhang Ximeng said that all people are divided into four categories. The most basic ones are carrying and cooking. Those who have hands and feet can do it if they are healthy.

The remaining two categories belong to technical personnel. When dealing with wounds, not only must they be bold and careful, but they will also inevitably rub against the wounded soldiers, which is easy to cause friction.As for patrolling, to understand the situation and find abnormalities, you need to be smart enough, and you need a certain amount of prestige.The salary is twice as high as that of the previous two batches. Each person can receive a catty of grain every day, and they can help solve the difficulties in the family.

It's not rich, but considering the current situation, the women are still very enthusiastic.And thanks to the decline of the Yuan Dynasty's cultural rule, it was quite lenient towards women, and it was common to go out to work.

In fact, in most cases, poor families, regardless of gender, have to work in the fields and work hard to support their families.If the feet are bound and you can only walk around the house, it is equivalent to losing a labor force. How can ordinary people afford it?

So it goes without saying who is the one who can laugh at Ma's big feet.Considering what Lao Zhu did, one of the couple has a big chin and the other a big foot, which is really a good match.

All in all, the other half of Haozhou City's power was mobilized... All within [-] feet of the city wall were demolished according to Zhang Ximeng's order.

The bricks were gathered together to build the wall, and the thick and thin pillars of the washbasin were dismantled, carried by a dozen women together, and sent to the city, where they became rolling logs.

After walking a few times, the big guy let go, and imitated the men chanting, with a loud voice.

"Hey, these wives are going to heaven!"

The soldiers guarding the city couldn't help but exclaim.

The woman was not afraid at all, and shouted at them: "Cheer up, if you pee your pants and become a deserter, we will laugh at you!"

Being ridiculed by the women, each of these soldiers blushed.

"I will never retreat even if I die, whoever deserts is the grandson!"

Up and down the city, they actually challenged each other.

With the clearing of the building almost complete, the digging of the trenches began.

Close to the city wall, about two feet away, a trench two feet wide and two feet deep was dug. Around Haozhou, there was a passage every few tens of feet for soldiers to walk, or change defenses, or It is to transport supplies to the city, without any chaos.

According to the soldiers, this is used to prevent enemy soldiers outside the city from digging tunnels into the city.

But in fact, there is a more important role, that is, Zhu Chongba and Guo Zixing mentioned that this trench is also the supervisory team.

If the soldiers at the head of the city retreated, such a wide trench would not be able to pass, so they could only walk through narrow passages.

And on the other side of the passage is the Supervising Team!

Although Zhang Ximeng did not agree with this method of forcing people to fight with a knife, but at the moment, facing the messy Haozhou City, this is the only way.

One city, seven generals, intrigues with each other, if it weren't for the huge pressure from the Yuan court, how could they defend the city together with one heart and one mind?

Guo Zixing, Sun Deya, Peng Da, Zhao Junyong, four generals, each in charge of one side.Since Guo Zixing wanted to take a look at the overall situation, it was Zhu Chongba who stayed in the west and took on the task of defending the city!

And at this moment, a large flag appeared from the horizon, which soon turned into a black line, and then became a piece of...

"Yuan Tartars are here!"

The head of the city responded quickly, and the atmosphere of war suddenly became tense.

Zhu Chongba drew out his saber and ordered his subordinates to get into position and get ready for battle.

It's just that Lao Zhu also knows that Yuan soldiers outside the city may not attack immediately when they first arrive outside the city, they just need to be on guard.

He did guess right, but he didn't expect that after a short pause, dozens of cavalry came out. They surrounded an old general and arrived at a safe position two hundred steps away from Haozhou City. , It's about courtesy first and then soldiers.

"Old man Jia Lu, I'm ordered to hunt down thieves."

The sound is like a bell, full of momentum.Why did you ever pay attention to the Haozhou local thieves!

It turned out to be this water control wizard!

"Brothers at the top of the city, please tell Marshal Guo that the old man is leading 10 horses to come, and the city of Haozhou is broken, and it is right in front of us. Let him not make mistakes, and surrender to the court as soon as possible!"

Another persuasion to capitulate... It was not enough to send Lu Anmin, but Jia Lu went out in person.

After he finished speaking, he asked his soldiers to shout three times in succession, and the city was silent.

Jia Lu also stared at the top of the city. A few days ago, Lu Anmin went back in a state of embarrassment and almost lost half his life. How could it be possible that among this bunch of thieves, there is even a master?

Just when Jia Lu was suspicious, there were more than a dozen children at the head of the city, and the leader was Mu Ying wearing a tiger head cap.

No need to ask, it was Zhang Ximeng's order, old man Jia Lu sent his face, there was really no way not to do it!

The dozen or so children, led by Mu Ying, suddenly recited a poem in unison.

"When you die, you know that everything is empty, but you don't see the Kyushu in sorrow. Wang Shibei set the Central Plains Day, and the family sacrifices will never forget to tell Nai Weng!"

The child's voice was crisp and clear, and it was transmitted very far. After Jia Lu outside the city heard it clearly, his old face instantly elongated, and a wave of anger accumulated in his chest.

At this time, Zhu Zhongba Dama Jindao stood on the top of the wall and asked loudly: "Old man Jia Lu, do you know which poem this is?"

"It's just Lu Fangweng's show, are you going to mock the old man for serving the country?" Jia Lu asked angrily.

Zhu Zhongba laughed loudly, "You are loyal to Yuan Ting wholeheartedly. We have nothing to say. It's just that when Lu You was dying, he still wanted to restore the Central Plains. He can be regarded as an example of literati. I really don't know that Mr. Jia, when he was dying, , What do you say to your descendants? Is it possible that they are expected to be loyal and filial sons of the Yuan Dynasty from generation to generation?"

In an instant, Jia Lu's old face turned black...

Chapter 13 Heavy Eight Guards