Chapter 1606: Assault on the City, Outbreak
Chapter 1606: Chapter 1606: Assault on the City, Outbreak
"The porridge is ready, everyone hurry and eat!" Lin Da Gui called out to the third branch of the family and personally helped Mrs. Lin out: "Mother, God has bestowed blessings, bringing meat to our family, today regardless of boys or girls, we are all eating meat, do you agree?"
In the Lin family, when they ate meat in the past, the girls could only watch; only during New Year or festivals could the girls have two pieces to eat.
But now the city was under siege, and this might be their last meal with meat. The whole family had to eat some meat, so they wouldn’t be blamed by the girls after death in hell.
Mrs. Lin also felt that the family had wronged the girls a bit in the past and nodded: "Okay, we’ll all eat meat today. Da, you can distribute the meat to everyone."
"Alright." Lin Da Gui responded, first giving a sparrow to Mrs. Lin: "Mother, you are the oldest in the house; you eat a whole one."
After Mrs. Lin ate, Lin Da Gui then used scissors to cut the sparrow meat, dividing seven sparrows into fourteen portions, so everyone in the third branch had half a sparrow each.
The whole family ate happily and cherished the food... after all, this might be the last meal.
After eating, Lin Er Gui took Da’s sons out to check the situation.
There were quite a few people on the street, all men, like Lin Er Gui, going to the government office to ask about the situation.
"Yesterday, the Rong people attacked the city with fire stone, damaging the eastern tower, but didn’t breach the city gate. Who knows what dirty trick they’ll use against us today?" Shopkeeper Lu from the tavern worriedly speculated, scared out of his wits: "I heard General Zhou arrived late in the city, and most of his troops were killed by the Rong people, the remaining soldiers fled, probably hiding in the mountains."
"What, is it true what Elder Lu said? General Zhou’s troops didn’t enter the city?" Lin Er Gui asked, grabbing onto Shopkeeper Lu. "Impossible, General Zhou was sent by General Xu, he’s very capable; how could his troops be dispersed so quickly by the Rong people?"
"Ha, the truly capable soldiers died long ago, no match for the Rong people." Shopkeeper Lu’s words were veiled, implying the incident where the Emperor executed Duke Wei and his family.
"What can we do? We won’t be massacred by the Rong people, will we?" Lin Er Gui feared, trembling as he asked.
"How would I know?" Shopkeeper Lu withdrew his hand and squeezed towards the government gate, trying to ask his connections inside the government about the latest battle situation, wondering if anyone had sent for help, and when reinforcements would arrive.
Dong dong dong!
The government official sounded the copper gong and shouted: "Step back, step back, Qi Vice Magistrate is here!"
The crowd encircling the government gate was excited and hurriedly asked: "Lord Vice Magistrate, will the Rong people break Xing’an Prefecture? When will someone come to save us?!"
Some were so frightened they cried and knelt down begging: "Lord Vice Magistrate, please ensure the Capital sends reinforcements to save us!"
Qi Vice Magistrate knew everyone was afraid and so stood on a chair shouting: "Don’t worry, before the Rong people besieged the city, the government office had already sent someone to request help from Yongcheng Prefecture, Daliang Prefecture, and Long’an Prefecture. The reinforcements from these three prefectures, the Central Plains Commandery, and the Capital will soon come to rescue us. Just hold on for a few more days. Once General Xu’s reinforcements arrive, we’ll be saved!"
This was thanks to Lei Family’s Trading Team; if relying on General Liang, the people of Xing’an Prefecture would have been wiped out with the soldiers from neighboring prefectures unaware of the situation.
Thinking of this, Qi Vice Magistrate couldn’t help but curse inwardly: Damn Liang Baifeng, if you didn’t believe Old Madam Gao’s news you should at least have informed me, letting me escape first!
Trapped here now, to save his own life, he could only fight desperately.
"What? General Xu has already brought the army to save us! God bless!" Everyone was incredibly excited; it was good that the reinforcements had arrived. They didn’t want to end up like the people of Longshan Prefecture, slaughtered by the Rong people.
But some doubted the truth of this statement, saying: "Lord Vice Magistrate, you wouldn’t be lying to us, would you? General Xu has to guard Long’an Prefecture; how would he come to save us? The troops from Yongcheng Prefecture and Daliang Prefecture aren’t many either; even if they come, can they defeat the Rong people?"
Qi Vice Magistrate sneered, pointing at the person: "Come here, this person spoke heresy during wartime, arrest him and give him thirty lashes!"
"Ah? Lord Vice Magistrate, I’m wronged, I was just asking a question, how did it become heresy?!" The person protested, yelling louder.
Qi Vice Magistrate heard this and was eager for it, changing the order: "Unrepentant, execute him directly by beating!"
The person heard this and turned pale, realizing Qi Vice Magistrate’s killer intent today, hurriedly tried to escape.
But government officials already rushed forward, grabbing the person, binding his hands and feet, and gagging him, and the beating began!
The officials struck with all their might, hitting more than fifty times, beating the person’s back into a pulp, brutally killing him in front of the government gate.
"Good heavens!" Shopkeeper Lu and his associates exclaimed, almost collapsing in fright, but Lin Er Gui dragged him back until they reached the opposite side of the street.
"God, Field Thief is dead, Qi Vice Magistrate really killed him~" Lin Er Gui also terrified spoke trembling once reaching the opposite street.
Shopkeeper Lu, having regained composure, replied: "It’s likely on purpose... In wartime, the last thing needed is chaos within the city; to prevent trouble, they killed one as a warning."
Shopkeeper Lu, being a shopkeeper, guessed right.
General Liang and Magistrate Hao sent word to Qi Vice Magistrate, instructing him to stabilize the civilians in the city, and if necessary, use execution to deter!
Upon receiving the message, Qi Vice Magistrate planned to kill a troublemaker to deter the civilians, and conveniently Field Thief sought death, so he fulfilled the wish.
Field Thief lived up to his name, being a rogue from West City, begging as a child in the prefecture, growing up to become a thug, generally doing any evil deed for money, killing him wouldn’t cause anyone to seek justice.
Taking advantage of the situation, Qi Vice Magistrate said: "Great Chu Criminal Law, those inciting chaos during wartime are to be executed with no mercy! Field Thief sought his own death, blame no one else, you all must remember, do not create trouble for the government office, or you’ll meet the same fate as Field Thief, understood?!"
Field Thief was beaten to death, his dying screams piercing everyone’s eardrums, everyone was scared and quickly responded: "Yes, we understand."
Qi Vice Magistrate felt it wasn’t enough, saying: "Bring the Rong spies and behead them publicly!"
Ms. Xu’s daughter, son, and son-in-law were all brought out and knelt on the ground.
The executioner raised the knife and cut them down one by one; the lengthy process of beheading terrified the onlookers even more.
Shopkeeper Lu vomited, not waiting for the beheadings to finish, he said to Lin Er Gui: "Quick, help me home, I’ll give you two taels of silver~"
Shopkeeper Lu was a miser, when Lin Er Gui worked for him, he wouldn’t give an extra copper coin; now he offered two taels of silver, Lin Er Gui eagerly helped him home.
Shopkeeper Lu was generous in giving Lin Er Gui the two taels of silver, and once Lin Er Gui and his nephew joyfully left, Shopkeeper Lu mocked: "Fool."
Now in wartime, food was the most precious, silver was just dead money!
However, Shopkeeper Lu didn’t remain happy for long, falling ill the next night.