Chapter 64

Chen Qing smiled faintly and said, "The principle is very simple, what will the other side use to attack the city?"

This sentence reminded He Jian, who suddenly realized, "Commander, you are right. When they retreated, they didn't take the dozen or so siege ladders with them. It's only been a few days, and they can't possibly have made new ones. It would take at least a month to make a batch of siege ladders. I was overthinking it."

Chen Qing shook his head, "Governor He wasn't overthinking it. I believe they will definitely come in the next two days."

He Jian was stunned for a moment and said, "Commander, I'm a bit confused now."

Chen Qing smiled and said, "There are many ways to attack a city. It doesn't necessarily have to involve carrying ladders and charging. Ambush is also a form of attack."

"Commander, are you saying they will attack us at night?"

Chen Qing nodded and asked Zheng Ping with a smile, "If you were to ambush Chunan County, what would you do?"

Zheng Ping was still a bit resentful about He Jian underestimating him earlier. He said angrily, "If it were me, I would first send people to infiltrate the city and hide, then attack from both inside and outside at night, kill and plunder, and chop those officials into meat paste to make buns!"

Zhao Xiaoyi burst out laughing, "Pfft!" and quickly turned his head away.

Seeing that He Jian looked a bit uncomfortable, Chen Qing smiled and explained, "My brother speaks a bit crudely, Governor He, don't take it to heart."

He Jian could only force a bitter smile, "I was the one who spoke incorrectly earlier. However, General Zheng is right. They might attack from both inside and outside. Should I close the city gates and not allow outsiders to enter?"

Chen Qing thought for a moment and smiled, "Why don't we set up a pot, boil some water, and stew some turtles in clear water!"

......

The north gate of Chunan County was closed, while the south gate was open. In the afternoon, a group of hunters drove carts to deliver a batch of game, including deer, antelopes, wild boars, bamboo partridges, and wild ducks. The Wang Yang Meat Shop suddenly became bustling.

Soon after, a group of mountain people came to deliver medicinal herbs. These two groups totaled over thirty people. When they entered the city, they were closely watched by Zhao Xiaoyi and his subordinates.

Zhao Xiaoyi hurried to the military camp to report to Chen Qing. At that time, the camp was very quiet, and the soldiers were resting for the first time, not continuing their training. There might be a fierce battle in the next two days, and Chen Qing wanted to preserve their strength.

In the room, Chen Qing listened to Zhao Xiaoyi's report and asked, "Only the Wang Yang Meat Shop and the Xinghe Hall Apothecary?"

"That's right, they only went to these two places, and these two places are very close, right across the street from each other. They went in and never came out!"

"Are there soldiers watching them?"

"My subordinates are watching both shops."

Zheng Ping, standing nearby, said, "I know a bit about these shops that collect game and herbs. They usually leave the same day after settling accounts. If they stay overnight, they either go to brothels or taverns, or find a cheap inn to sleep. They would never stay in a meat shop or apothecary. There must be something suspicious."

Chen Qing thought for a moment and said to Zhao Xiaoyi, "Go and inform Governor He to arrange capable constables to help us capture the people. We'll decide the exact time of action after discussion!"

"Understood!" Zhao Xiaoyi hurried away.

Chen Qing then said to Hu Yan, "Call up the soldiers, have them eat well, and we'll act after dark!"

......

As night fell, the drum signaling the closing of the city gates sounded, and the south gate slowly closed.

The streets gradually became less crowded, and the meat shop and apothecary closed early, with their doors tightly shut.

Zheng Ping and Hu Yan each led three hundred men to surround the two shops. At this moment, a carriage arrived, followed by several constables. The carriage stopped in front of the apothecary.

A constable knocked on the apothecary's door, "Open up! Open up!"

"What's the matter?"

"The county magistrate is not feeling well, please ask Mr. Jiang to come quickly!"

"The apothecary is not seeing patients today!" the person inside refused.

"Damn it! The county magistrate is sick, and you still put on airs?"

The person inside had no choice but to report to the owner. Soon, the owner, Mr. Jiang, came out, followed by a young boy carrying a medicine box.

"Since the county magistrate is not feeling well, let's go quickly!"

Mr. Jiang, looking reluctant, got into the carriage, which then headed towards the county office.

In just a moment, Chen Qing obtained Mr. Jiang's confession. There were sixteen warriors hiding in the east wing, and they would start to coordinate at the second watch of the night.

Chen Qing's eyes twinkled, and he smiled at Zhao Xiaoyi, "Tell Mr. Jiang to give each warrior a bowl of a weakening tonic, and I will let his family go free."

......

The same plan was carried out at the meat shop. The governor was hosting a banquet the next day and needed some good game. The owner, Mr. Wang, sent two assistants to deliver some fresh deer meat.

The intelligence from the meat shop was also obtained. There were twenty-four people, plus four assistants.

Half an hour later, the sixteen people in the apothecary were dealt with first. They drank the invigorating soup prepared by Mr. Jiang and all fell unconscious, captured without any resistance.

Next was the capture of the twenty-four people in the meat shop. To prevent them from escaping, the government had prepared several large nets around the meat shop, ensuring no one would slip through.

Zheng Ping, holding a shield and a sword, entered the front door, followed by over a hundred soldiers with shields, spears, and crossbows.

They soon reached the back yard, where a house on the left was locked. Zheng Ping waved his hand, and dozens of soldiers with shields formed a circle. Behind them stood a hundred crossbowmen.

Aiming their crossbows at the windows and door, dozens of soldiers shot through the back window into the room. The dense crossbow bolts caused a chorus of screams.

The bandits inside the room, like a hive of bees, rushed out from the front door and windows, only to be met with a barrage of crossbow bolts. Several bandits fell, hit by arrows. Then, a second round of crossbow bolts was shot into the room, causing more screams.

Zheng Ping kicked open the door and charged in. The last three bandits tried to resist but were cut down by Zheng Ping's sword. The room was filled with dead and wounded bandits. Zheng Ping left two alive and ordered the soldiers to kill the rest of the wounded.

At the same time, the owner, Mr. Wang, and his four assistants were also captured and tied up.

Chen Qing and Governor He Jian arrived together. Zheng Ping reported, "Commander, all the insiders have been captured, not one escaped!"

"Have they been interrogated?"

"They were interrogated separately. At the second watch, the south gate will be opened, and two torches will be lit as a signal!"

He Jian asked with interest, "What do you plan to do next, Commander?"

Chen Qing smiled and said, "Of course, we will stew the turtles in clear water. Have the mud bags prepared by the governor been made?"

"They are ready. Do you need them now?"

"Please have them delivered to the city gate!"

A thousand militiamen quickly delivered five thousand mud bags. Chen Qing used them to build three walls inside the city gate. Chunan County had no outer wall, so they had to create an artificial outer wall with mud bags. Even if the enemy broke into the city, they would be trapped by the mud bags.

The pot was set up, and the water was boiling. They just needed to wait for the turtles to come in from outside.

......

The time gradually approached the second watch. Zhang Kui led four thousand men to a mile outside the south gate. A thin layer of clouds covered the sky, and the moon moved through the clouds, casting a half-lit, half-dark glow on the ground.

Zhang Kui stared excitedly at the south gate. He had personally witnessed the weakness of the two thousand soldiers and was still seething from the humiliation they had inflicted on him. He was determined to brutally slaughter these soldiers and vent his anger.

His men were even more eager. They thought of women and wealth, and the night was the perfect time for their plans. Their hearts were like cats scratching, making them restless.

"General, look!"

A soldier pointed at the city wall and shouted, "The torches are lit!"

Zhang Kui saw clearly that two torches were waving, the drawbridge was lowered, and the city gate was open.

"Charge in!"

Zhang Kui gave the order, and thousands of bandits shouted and charged towards the city gate, their excitement causing them to howl. Despite the uneven ground, these minor obstacles could not stop their restless hearts.

On the city wall, a thousand militiamen and a thousand soldiers held bows and crouched behind the parapets.

At the sandbag wall below, Chen Qing personally led a thousand men with crossbows, ready for action.

After several days of intense training, the soldiers had improved. Their physical strength had increased, boosting their confidence and morale. They were no longer the weak, cowardly men who thought of fleeing at the first sign of battle.

They were also filled with excitement, eager to set a trap for the bandits. The soldiers' morale was high.

As the bandits approached, the soldiers on the city wall and below the sandbag wall were ready to unleash their fury.