Infrastructure masters in the red building

After the crisis in Taoyuan Village was lifted, Wuyuan County immediately fell into a crisis.

The bandits retreated from Taoyuanzhai dejectedly, and retreated to the vicinity of Wuyuan County.

They first fled to several evacuated villages near the county seat and plundered them wantonly. Then they built a fire and buried pots under the Wuyuan county seat to make rice, and roasted the pigs and sheep snatched from the nearby Zhuangzi into whole pigs and whole sheep. , Drinking and laughing all night, angered the brave men guarding the city of Wuyuan County to death.

At that time, a martial arts instructor who had always been good at martial arts, led seventy or eighty township braves, opened the city gate, and killed him from the south gate of Wuyuan County.

People went out from the south gate and returned from the east gate. There were seven to eighty people when they went, and only a dozen or so came back.The coach himself was hit by seven or eight arrows, and he was lucky to be able to come back alive; what's more terrible, the east gate was almost knocked open by the bandits who followed.Thanks to the brave men guarding the gate with quick eyes and quick hands, they desperately buckled the city gate, so that the east gate could not be breached.

Although they are undisciplined and undisciplined bandits, they are all aggressive and brutal guys.

After defeating Xiangyong who left the city, the bandits gathered outside the east and south gates shouted "Aw" and "Aw". Obviously, their morale was completely frustrated in Taoyuan Village. Here in Wuyuan County , and finally got a significant improvement.

"The higher-ups said, besiege the city patiently, and wait until the day the city is broken, and allow us to rob for three days!"

"Ow—"

The bandits surrounding the city gates continued to cheer loudly, as if they had seen the gold and silver treasures, fine wine and beauties placed there by every household in Wuyuan County for people to rob.

The people in Wuyuan County, after seeing the fighting power of the bandits with their own eyes, felt a bit cold-earlier they only heard that Taoyuan Village could easily defeat the bandits, but when they came to their side, they were all shocked. Not so.

But no matter what, people in Wuyuan County no longer dare to leave the city.They also know that there are few people in Taoyuan Village, and it is impossible to leave Taoyuan Village to come to the rescue.Now Wuyuan County couldn't shrink back, but the Bandits didn't leave, they just kept guarding the city.The stalemate between the two sides suddenly became a deadlock.

The bandits didn't leave, and the people who stayed in Wuyuan County really panicked.

The older generation remembered the fear of the rebellion of Qidong Thirteen Villages 30 years ago: "The Seven Cave Thirteen Villages were besieged for half a year before they retreated. When they retreated, the city had been out of food for several days. It was a miserable situation... "

Another person said: "Back then, the Seven Caves and Thirteen Villages were a real rebellion, but this time it was just bandits. Why is there such a big battle?"

"Who knows?" Everyone was extremely helpless.The bandits always robbed and ran away, but this time the thousands of people surrounding Wuyuan County had the idea of ​​setting up camp in Wuyuan and besieged the gates of Wuyuan County to death. After that, I went to the nearby village to dig out the big family's stockade again, and came back to continue the siege.

But the situation in Wuyuan County is far from what it was 30 years ago.Due to population growth and Jia Fang moving the government offices into Wuyuan, Wuyuan is now one of the largest counties in Yong'an Prefecture, and many people gathered in the county seat.Coupled with the people who hid in Wuyuan County from various nearby villages, Wuyuan County is now crowded with 7 people.All the food stored in the entire county can only last for more than ten days.

A group of people regretted it: "I knew that I should hide in Taoyuan Village."

Taoyuan Village is a big granary for grain production, and if there is anything lacking there, there will be no shortage of food, and even death will not be a starving ghost.It's a pity that money is hard to buy. I knew it earlier. Earlier, everyone was afraid that Taoyuan Village would be the first to fall, and they thought that Wuyuan County would be better with the protection of the city wall.

Now Wuyuan County is full of chaos, and the county officials are going door-to-door begging, asking the local residents in the county to take out the grain and supply it to the people who have taken refuge in the city. The county government is willing to give some compensation.

The grain on the black market has already been sold like crazy. Even if many villagers who went to the city alone spent all the gold and silver around them, they could only buy one or two meals of grain.

Soon, porridge sheds were set up at the entrance of the county government and the Confucian Temple and began to give away porridge, trying to help ordinary people who were penniless and desperate.But soon the order in these places also approached zero.The villagers lay down everywhere, and there was a smell of defecation everywhere. When the county lord Yuan Hua appeared, there were crying everywhere.

"Master Yuan, save us!"

Yuan Hua sighed in his heart: After all, he didn't have the ability to gather the hearts of the people naturally like Jia Fang did, and he couldn't even figure out a way to maintain order in the city like Jia Fang did.

The gap between people... is too big, right?

"My lord!" Nan Yongqian, who had been staying in the Confucian Temple, suddenly strode over and advised coldly, "Master Yuan, please go back to the county office immediately."

Yuan Hua was frightened by his ever-frosty face, obediently followed Nan Yongqian back to the county government office, and asked nervously, "What happened?"

Nan Yongqian showed no expression, and stated bluntly: "Someone in the city is bewitching people, saying that the bandits just want to avenge Tonghuan Sanliu's elder brother, and when Tonghuan Sansi died, Lord Yuan was the mastermind of trapping him." , So, as long as the county lord is captured and sent out of the city, the entire Wuyuan county can be preserved."

When Yuan Hua heard this, his nose was almost crooked: "I just took office three years ago, and I didn't work in Yong'an Prefecture before. Why did you ensnare Tonghuan Sansi and Sisi? Where did you start?"

Nan Yongqian still had a stern face: "I know it's nonsense, but there are still people who believe it. This is the power of rumors."

Yuan Hua frowned: "But if I want this official to hide in the county government office, isn't this playing into the hands of the villain?"

"Isn't this just for tricks?"

At this moment, Nan Yongqian suddenly grinned.His old face, which had been plain for thousands of years, suddenly showed a sly smile. The contrast between the front and the back was so great that Yuan Hua almost laughed along with him.

"Please, my lord, cooperate with one or two this time, so that I can capture a few more key witnesses, so that the internal officers in the city can be convicted in one fell swoop."

Yuan Hua thought for a while, nodded, and responded generously: "Okay! In order to quickly eliminate the internal response, so what if I just act like a turtle?"

"It's so good. It's just that my lord still has to look forward to the early arrival of reinforcements from Yong'an Prefecture. After all, arresting the internal forces in the city can only solve the problems in the city. When will the bandits outside retreat... we can only wait."

As Nan Yongqian said, he cupped his hands towards Yuan Hua, and was about to leave, but before he left, he suddenly turned around and said, "At the beginning, when I saw my lord, I thought he was just an ordinary official with nothing to do. Officials have to take some responsibility. My lord, don't underestimate yourself, your lord will... be a good official in the future."

Nanyong's previous words made Yuan Hua's eyes feel hot, and he hung his head for a long while before raising his head, and he said with dissatisfaction, "Just an ordinary official?"

Ordinary officer? ……snort!

Not to mention that Yuan Hua was entangled in his county government.Outside the county government, some people were really hesitating whether to hand over the county lord.

"It's true... will the bandits retreat if the county lord is handed over to the bandits outside?"

"Isn't that right? After all, Tonghuan Sanliu wanted to avenge his brother's revenge for the banditry this time. You see, Mr. Yuan has been staying in the county yamen for the past few days, not daring to go out even a single step. Didn't he agree to his words?"

"Then...then we can't rush into the county government office and drag Mr. Yuan out!"

"That's not necessarily the case. After all, we have a lot of people. If so many people rush into the county government office, there are so many government servants in the county. He can't stop him."

There is some truth in this statement, and some people were tempted immediately, and wanted to try it.

Others immediately stopped him: "Don't believe such nonsense! Now that Mr. Yuan is here, and the county still has a backbone, the people in the city can live a somewhat peaceful life. If we sell Mr. Yuan ourselves, then, then Wouldn't it be better to start killing in your own den first, and then wait for outsiders to come in?"

"Yes, look at those bandits outside the city. They rob here and there all day long. The villages outside the city have been devastated. I heard that they promised to rob three people after the city was destroyed. My God, do you think those bandits can hold back after handing over Master Yuan out?—Be sober, they are bandits!"

There was some truth in these words, and the people who had been shaken turned their faces and shrank back.The one who was the first to speak out, seeing no one was hooked, had no choice but to echo a few words, took a chance and turned around and slipped away.

This person left this place and turned to the alleys of Wuyuan County, planning to try it out with the common people who had taken refuge elsewhere.He still remembered the instructions from his superiors: Don't show your whereabouts, and if you can't do one thing, return the other one quickly.The other thing is to make everyone angry with a few words, and then persuade them to rush into the county government.

Before he could take a step, someone suddenly covered his mouth to prevent him from making a sound, then a ball of rags blocked his mouth, a cloth bag was thrown over his head, and then there was a sap, the man immediately I don't know anything anymore——

Even though there are quite a few sensible people in the city, the Wuyuan county government was attacked once or twice by fools.Although Yuan Hua and Li Shiye, the "vital officials", were all fine, the scene was still thrilling.Master Yuan was quite frightened.

Therefore, Zhao Siqiang, the old team leader of the Wuyuan county government, came to the county government and said that although they, the Zhao family who were abandoned by the county, were no longer qualified to be county officials, they still wanted to contribute to the county.Although the men of the Zhao family are illiterate and cannot pass the "diploma" test, they are all brave. They can guard the county government office and protect the safety of the county magistrate;

When Yuan County Magistrate heard Zhao Siqiang say that his people were going to guard the county government office, sweat came down from his forehead.When Zhao Siqiang actually proposed to arrange for the Zhao family to go up the city wall, County Magistrate Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, and quickly followed the agreement with Nanyongqian in advance, saying that there was a shortage of people at the South Gate, and decided to let the Zhao family's Xiangyong Go up the city wall near the south gate and patrol at night to prevent bandits from using tools such as flying claws to climb up the wall and climb up along the city wall.

"Siqiang, this is the critical moment," Yuan Hua said, patting Zhao Siqiang affectionately on the shoulder before leaving, "As long as your Zhao family can make contributions this time, the position of the county official will never be held in the future." It's hopeless. I promise you, just wait for this banditry to pass, and the matter of the 'diploma' exam can be discussed again..."

Yuan Hua smiled guilty, looking like he was desperate and making wishes everywhere.

Zhao Siqiang smiled on the surface, thinking: By then, who would care about the position of a county magistrate?

But now he has achieved his goal, since County Magistrate Yuan has allowed the men of his Zhao family to go to the city, the destruction of Wuyuan County is just around the corner.

In the next day or two, the bandits retreated, as if they retreated to plunder elsewhere.The city defenses in Wuyuan County were relaxed, and the messenger to Yong'an Prefecture for help rushed out of the city again.There were also sporadic people who lived in nearby villages who ventured back to have a look, and they all returned to the city crying.

The nearby villages have been tortured by bandits to such an extent that they were lucky, and the villagers who did not hide in Wuyuan City had already died, and they did not even have the chance to say goodbye to their relatives and friends.

The common people hid the food and belongings in their homes in advance, and everything that could be moved had already been moved, and those that could not be moved were burned on the spot.The villagers who originally wanted to rescue some food came back empty-handed.

Yuan Hua, the county official who was still hiding in the county yamen, couldn't help but sigh with emotion: Before, he only knew that the defenders of the city would fortify the walls and clear the fields to resist bandits, but this time it was the bandits who besieged the city to help him fortify the walls and clear the fields.The loss of Wuyuan County this time is really too great.

After two days, the Bandits returned to Wuyuan City and closed the siege again.

In the evening of this day, Zhao Siqing, a branch of the Zhao family, came to replace Xiang Yong, the leader of the guard at the south gate.

"Brother of the Zhao family," Xiang Yong, who was on duty on the city wall during the day, came down and handed over to Zhao Siqing, "This time the bandits are going back and forth, you have to be careful. Look at their looks...as if they are sure Our city seems to be taken down."

Zhao Siqing nodded and said with a smile: "Understood, my little brother will never dare to take it lightly."

Xiangyong, who was on duty during the day, was a little pessimistic. Thinking of the scattered stove fires on the ground outside the city, he sighed and said, "If the reinforcements don't come, when will the siege of the city come to an end!"

Zhao Siqing comforted the other party a few words, and then he went up to the city wall at the south gate.Seeing the other yamen guards and Xiangyong guarding the city together, Zhao Siqing handed over the copper pot and cup that he carried with him

"Good wine, please warm up your body." Zhao Siqing said with a smile.

Although Wuyuan County is located in the south, winter is gradually entering, and it is still quite cold to blow the wind on the top of the city at night.

"It's said above that you don't defend the city when you drink alcohol, and you don't drink alcohol when you defend the city." The rest declined together.

"My little brother is going to town for the first time today, you guys have to give me some face! Besides, there is only such a small copper pot in total, but I just ask you to give me a little bit of embarrassment. It can be considered as a newcomer to me. I am Zhao Siqing , thank you in advance.”

Others saw that the small copper cup in Zhao Siqing's hand was really only the size of a copper coin, and it was estimated that there was only a small sip of wine in it. It was absolutely impossible to get people drunk, so they all complied and drank a small cup with Zhao Siqing.

Not long after, Zhao Siqing was the only one standing on the wall near the southern city gate.

He looked around and saw that there was no one around, so he let down a bundle of rope ladders wrapped around his waist in advance from the top of the wall.

In the darkness, Zhao Siqing could vaguely see several figures approaching him at the base of the city wall.Then someone let out a soft "hiss".

Knowing that the other party was confirming the code, Zhao Siqing immediately learned a few cuckoo calls according to the pre-arranged plan, and then retreated into the city wall.

I saw the rope ladder shaking, and someone climbed up the rope ladder.

Zhao Siqing was excited and nervous at the same time. He was excited because he remembered the scene described by the patriarch Zhao Siqiang, but he was nervous because he knew that if today's major event fails, Wuyuan County will really fall into a deadlock. All parties will be riding a tiger. also finished.

At this moment, he suddenly felt a light breath on the back of his neck.

Zhao Siqing's heart turned cold, and suddenly he couldn't even turn around—but the person behind him didn't allow him to turn around, a hand suddenly stretched out from behind, and tightly covered Zhao Siqing's mouth, preventing him from making a sound .

Immediately, someone tied his hands, stuffed a cloth ball in his mouth, and then put a cloth bag under the hood—this set of procedures was very smooth, which proved that the operator had followed this standard procedure for several times. Come back, Zhao Siqing is not the first one.

Just like that, Zhao Siqing was tied up and thrown in a corner of Wuyuan City.He was covered by the cloth bag and couldn't see, so apart from being full of apprehension, he didn't feel particularly frightened.

But if he could see at this moment, he would see someone guarding the rope ladder to "greet" the bandits climbing up the rope ladder.

Every bandit climbed to the top of the wall, someone would warmly stretch out his hands to show his welcome.After the bandit was lifted up to the top of the wall, someone from the other side snatched it up and wiped the throat of the bandit who came up without a sound, and one of them was punished immediately.

Come up with another one, and pay for another one.

Later, the wall was covered with a thick smell of blood.However, the bandits under the rope ladder still didn't know anything. They only knew that after climbing the top of the wall, they rushed down the steps of the city wall, came to the city gate, and opened the south gate.All kinds of hardships they endured on this trip down the mountain will be rewarded with the entire Wuyuan County.

When the bandits climbed up the city wall, there were corpses lying around in front of them.They were completely ignorant, and only thought that the brave men who had been guarding the city wall were killed by their "internal response".

Perhaps one or two people noticed that the color of the fallen corpse was similar to their own, but before they could react, they also received that cold knife on the neck.

Outside the south gate, the bandits who had prepared in advance had already been waiting impatiently.Obviously seeing the brothers climbing up the city wall and climbing into the city one by one, but there was no movement in the city——

It was an anxious wait.Some people even thought, these brothers who have advanced into the city, maybe they were fascinated by the colorful world in Wuyuan City, and they forgot that there is a large group of people waiting outside the city gate, and they have already... grabbed it first, right?

At this moment, a fire suddenly appeared in the south gate.

"Look, the south gate is on fire!" Someone shouted inside and outside the city at the same time.

And the bandits who had been waiting outside the city for nearly a night were so excited at this moment that they couldn't bear it any longer, and they yelled "Aw" and "Aw".

Strange to say, amidst the cries of the bandits, the south gate of Wuyuan County really slowly opened, and Huahua World finally revealed its true face to them.