Chapter 223 - 161: Unexpected Situation
Conscription had begun.
It wasn’t just the city’s laborers. Over the past few days, even Martial Artists with official standing from the various great families had been conscripted, one after another, to help defend the city.
The Thief Soldiers were powerful. It was clear that the city’s defenders and the Government Office’s Martial Artists alone could not hold them off.
According to the intelligence Liu Zheng had received, among the Rebel Army currently besieging Xiahe County Town, there were over ten Qi Sensing Martial Masters alone.
To say nothing of the Bone Forging and Marrow Transformation Martial Artists, whose numbers were even greater.
With such strength, if the enemy truly attacked without regard for casualties, Xiahe County would be utterly indefensible.
And as the County Magistrate of Xiahe County, Liu Zheng didn’t dare to abandon the city and flee.
Now, he could only bite the bullet and muster every available force within the city for its defense.
Therefore, despite holding a strong grudge against Fang Yue and wishing for a chance to kill him, upon seeing him now, Liu Zheng felt a genuine sense of joy.
As for Fang Yue, he felt utterly helpless and had no choice but to play along.
After all, he too feared the fall of Xiahe County Town.
If that happened and rogue soldiers stormed the city, even he couldn’t guarantee his family’s safety.
And so, for the time being, two men who despised each other, who even wished the other dead, were able to cooperate.
Because Fang Yue held an official post—though not in Xiahe County—Liu Zheng entrusted him with a heavy responsibility: to serve as the second-in-command at the West City Gate and assist in the defense.
The commanding officer of the West Gate’s defense was, naturally, one of Liu Zheng’s trusted subordinates: a pot-bellied Marrow Transformer Martial Artist.
After exchanging formalities with Fang Yue, the West Gate’s commanding officer, Lord Lin Sizheng, cheerfully invited him into a room in the gate tower.
Upon entering the room, he was met with the sight of a table laden with fine wine and meat, and even two young women in sheer silks serving the food and drink.
Fang Yue took one look and understood everything.
’I can’t believe it. Things have reached this point, yet this Military General in charge of the defense is being so negligent, openly drinking and carousing here.’
’He’s acting with complete disregard for the law, utterly ignoring imperial decrees.’
"Heh heh, Lord Fang, now that you’re here, make yourself at home. Don’t be a stranger. Cai Xia, what are you waiting for? Take care of Lord Fang," Lin Shoubei ordered with a laugh.
"Yes, Lord Lin!" Cai Xia immediately came forward, all smiles, and poured wine for Fang Yue.
"Lord Fang, please!"
Fang Yue accepted the cup without putting on any airs, raised it, and took a small sip.
When in Rome. Since this was his host’s banquet, Fang Yue saw no need for excessive pleasantries.
’After all, I’m just a temporary second-in-command who was dragged into this. I’m on bad terms with Liu Zheng and I’m not an official of Xiahe County. This sort of thing isn’t my business.’
Seeing the change in Fang Yue’s expression, Lin Shoubei laughed heartily. "Lord Fang must be thinking it’s improper for me to be hosting a banquet and drinking here."
"Not at all. Lord Lin is overthinking things," Fang Yue replied with a faint smile.
’Improper? It’s completely and utterly improper.’
’Wine and women lead to ruin, especially in a situation like this! The bandits are at our gates and could attack at any moment.’
’If the enemy attacks while he’s drunk and the commanding officer is absent, won’t the defending soldiers fall into chaos? If that happens, how can we possibly hold the city?’
"Ah, Lord Fang, you don’t understand. Don’t be fooled by the large number of bandits down there. Those muddy-legged peasants can’t possibly scale the walls. As long as we guard against their Martial Artists, we have nothing to worry about."
Lin Shoubei smiled at Fang Yue, then continued, "My current appearance is a deliberate act. I intend to lure the snake from its hole. If I can draw out their attacking Martial Artists and capture them all in one fell swoop, the West Gate will be secure."
"I see. Lord Lin, you are brilliant!" Fang Yue said with a small smile.
He then gave the man a long, hard look. He couldn’t tell if this Lin Shoubei, who looked more like a merchant than a Military Officer, was genuinely confident in his plan to feign weakness and lure the rebel Martial Artists into a trap, or if he was just all talk.
Before long, the banquet concluded amidst their idle chatter.
After the feast, Fang Yue went to the top of the city wall and looked down at the bandits not far from the city.
They could no longer be called mere bandits; they were a Rebel Army. At their front was a dark mass of people in ragged clothes, dragging their families along. They looked like refugees from various villages, now herded here to serve as cannon fodder for the Rebel Army’s siege.
This situation made it impossible to use many of the powerful crossbows on the city walls.
Farther back, within the Rebel Army, there was a contingent of about a thousand rebel soldiers clad in leather armor and wielding Standard Weapons.
These soldiers had clearly undergone formal training. They radiated a murderous aura and looked even more elite than the county’s own City Guard Army.
"This Rebel Army is even using flag signals to communicate with their forces at the other city gates. They’re no ordinary soldiers!"
Standing on the city wall, Fang Yue couldn’t help but sigh as he watched the troops between two city gates shift formation at the direction of the Command Flag Soldiers.
It was obvious that these were elite rebel soldiers who had seen battle, or at the very least had undergone proper training. They could not have been converted from refugees in such a short time.
Before Fang Yue could finish his thought, the Rebel Army’s formation change was complete. They then began a slow advance toward the West Gate of Xiahe County Town.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the West Gate faced the Rebel Army’s first probing attack.
Siege ladders were pushed forward one by one by the conscripted peasants, who swarmed toward the walls like ants.
However, under the defenders’ strenuous efforts, the conscripted peasants suffered too many casualties and inevitably broke and scattered.