Chapter 2

"There’s no point in thinking about these things now. What should we do?" Feng You shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the lookout hole, observing outside.

The courtyard was still bustling, but this side was separated by a stone mill, so after the initial search and inspection, no one came this way again, and they were not worried about being discovered.

"I wonder why the guards left the city? According to the rules, if the guards leave the city, there would be at most a hundred or so left in the brick city, right?" Feng You was also analyzing the situation.

"The bandits who entered the city number at least several thousand. Even if they are a disorganized mob, they could overwhelm the hundred or so guards by sheer numbers. Why have they stopped advancing? Are they afraid of losing too many men and horses, unwilling to suffer such losses?"

Having fought the Tartars in Datong for so many years, Feng You was familiar with military affairs and understood the situation of the garrisons in the inland areas.

Except for the coastal garrisons in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, which still had some combat capability due to the need to defend against the Japanese pirates, the other inland garrisons were mostly hollow, with only a few hundred soldiers under a commander who could actually be deployed.

"I don’t think it’s that simple," Feng Ziyi pondered for a moment. "If they are rebelling, why would they fear losing men? The White Lotus Sect is adept at deceiving people, inciting ignorant and foolish men and women to serve them. Although the brick city is tall and sturdy, if they attack from the southwest simultaneously, it would take no more than one or two hours to capture it. How many men would they lose?"

"Then, what do you think is strange about this, Brother Keng?" Feng You rubbed his chin, becoming increasingly curious and surprised by the changes in Brother Keng.

"Uncle You, have you noticed? There are a few issues here. First, these rebels and the ruffians and laborers who started the uprising inside the city are different. They are more disciplined and have their own rules. The positions like 'Palm Scripture,' 'Meeting Head,' and 'Transmission Head' clearly indicate a hierarchy and division of labor within their organization."

Feng Ziyi spoke more slowly, and at this moment, Jia Yucun and Xue Jun also quietly approached the stairs, listening to the conversation between Feng Ziyi and Feng You.

"Given this, they could easily capture the brick city. Moreover, they seem to know the exact time the guards left the city, and they might even have orchestrated it. If they really wanted to attack, how could they fail to capture a city defended by only a hundred or so guards?"

Feng Ziyi's speech became even slower.

During this time, he had learned some information about the Linqing garrison from Zuo Liangyu and had a general understanding of the situation around Linqing. He was beginning to recover his logical thinking from his previous life and started to consider problems from the perspective of people in this era.

"Brother Keng, what do you mean?" Feng You's hand rubbing his cheek also slowed down.

"It can only mean two possibilities: either there are disagreements within their ranks about whether to attack the brick city, or they are waiting for something," Feng Ziyi said carefully.

"Disagreements? Waiting for what?" Feng You was puzzled. "They have already raised the banner of rebellion. What disagreements could there be? Who are they waiting for?"

"Uncle You, we only have this much information, so we can only make inferences based on it. As for what the disagreements are and who they are waiting for, we don’t know," Feng Ziyi said in a low voice. "I saw them arguing in the inner courtyard earlier, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying."

"What do you think we should do now, Brother Keng?" Feng You was also getting anxious. "We can’t just stay here forever. Who knows when these damned people will leave?"

Feng Ziyi was also hesitant.

He felt that the actions of these White Lotus rebels were also strange.

Even if the laborers, potters, and ruffians inside the city were not part of their group, the people they brought from outside should be enough to capture the brick city.

For the laborers and potters from around Linqing, once they entered the city, they were of little use. From the actions of Zhao Cangsong earlier, it was clear that these White Lotus rebels were still holding back, but the reasons for their restraint and their plans were unclear.

No matter how wise and perceptive one is, the problem is that he had only recently arrived in this world, and even with the memories of this Feng Ziyi, a boy under twelve, it was too much to expect him to fully understand the intricacies of this era.

Feng You, though reliable and capable, had mostly followed his father in battles in Datong and had some knowledge of the court, but he knew little about the "public sentiment" in Shandong, perhaps even less than Zuo Liangyu.

The problem was that Zuo Liangyu, due to his age, could only have a superficial and emotional understanding, and he couldn’t explain deeper issues.

Lowering his head and frowning in deep thought, Feng Ziyi inadvertently saw the anxious and tense faces of Jia Yucun and Xue Jun, and his heart stirred.

In his memory of "Dream of the Red Chamber," Jia Yucun had already been dismissed from his post as a magistrate for corruption and had been teaching Lin Daiyu in the capital for some time.

This man was obsessed with officialdom. Even when he was teaching Lin Daiyu, he still kept up with the court situation, learning about Lin Ruhai’s background through casual conversations with Leng Zixing.

He worked hard to teach Lin Ruhai’s daughter, hoping to use Lin Ruhai to connect with the Jia and Wang families.

This man had experience in the bureaucracy and must have had some skills to be corrupt. He probably just had bad luck and ran into an incorruptible censor.

He had also taken the imperial exams in the capital and always kept up with the court situation while teaching in the Lin family in Yangzhou. He must have been planning to make a comeback and had some knowledge of the social and political conditions in various regions, perhaps even some understanding of the situation in Shandong.

As for Xue Jun, Feng Ziyi had asked about him and learned that he was the father of Xue Ke and Xue Baoqin.

According to "Dream of the Red Chamber," this man was supposed to be short-lived and would die of illness in a few years, not living much longer than the father of Xue Pan and Xue Baochai. But why did he seem to be in good health now?

According to the book, Xue Jun traveled extensively in business, and Xue Baoqin had accompanied him to many places, gaining considerable experience. He might also have some knowledge of the situation in Linqing.

"Mr. Jia, Mr. Xue, what do you two think we should do now?"

Feng Ziyi withdrew his gaze from the lookout hole and slowly turned to the two men.

At this point, Jia and Xue no longer treated him like a child. Feng Ziyi’s previous actions had earned their trust.

"We need to work together and pool our wisdom. The bandits outside are entrenched, and we don’t know their intentions. They neither attack the brick city nor move to other areas. Do you two have any insights?"