Chapter 1028: Nanhuifangcheng
Padi Tu: "What the hell!"
Zheng Gouzi: "Oh my goodness!"
The students on the training ground watched, dumbfounded, filled with overwhelming admiration.
Sun Chuanting turned to Padi Tu: "Foot in mouth, much? Still think they're greenhorns?"
Any ordinary person facing such a scene would have been mortified, wanting to sink into the ground.
But Padi Tu was no ordinary person. Instead of anger, dejection, or embarrassment, he was overjoyed: "Wow, so they're *that* good? Hahahaha, excellent! Truly excellent! Brother Ma, join my Red Team! Next exercise, you're with my Red Team, hahahaha! This time, Bai Mao's cat's head is definitely forfeit!"
Padi Tu's reaction, in turn, took Ma Shouying by surprise: "Hmm? Not only is this fellow not embarrassed, nor jealous, but he's actually thrilled by our abilities?"
What a magnanimous spirit this man possessed!
Ma Shouying had previously dismissed him as a clown, but now, he suddenly felt this was a man worth befriending.
Lu Xiangheng: "Yes?"
Messenger: "Lao Huihui's forces, after disappearing west into the forests of Pingding Mountain, vanished into the towering peaks and ridges. They haven't reappeared since; we can't find them anywhere."
Lu Xiangheng frowned: "West of Pingding Mountain lies Yunyang, where I was formerly garrisoned. What do the garrisons there report?"
Messenger: "None of the garrisons have reported seeing the bandit army."
Lu Xiangheng found this quite inexplicable.
When he had assisted with Yunyang's administration previously, he had gained a decent understanding of its officials. After a period of careful consideration, he declared: "Among the Yunyang garrisons, the most reliable and capable is Shangnan County's defender, Luo Xi. The bandit army could never have passed through Shangnan County, which means they couldn't have entered Shaanxi via Wuguan Pass."
"Considering this, the bandit army must have slipped away elsewhere. The probability of them entering Sichuan is quite high."
Lu Xiangheng's spirits lifted: "Order the Sichuan White Pole Soldiers to relocate to Kuizhou and guard against the bandit army entering Sichuan."
The messenger swiftly departed.
Lu Xiangheng frowned, pondering again: "Since Lao Huihui has vanished, there's no need for us to remain encircling Pingding Mountain. Issue orders to all armies: we will now besiege Dabie Mountain... Chuǎng Wang and the Dashing General are still hiding there."
Thus, Lu Xiangheng divided his forces into several routes, encircling the mountain passes of Dabie Mountain, tightly trapping the bandit army within.
Meanwhile, the "three thousand five hundred taels of gold" dispatched by the Chongzhen Emperor, Zhu Youjian, finally reached Nanyang, the disaster-stricken region.
The Prefect of Nanyang weighed the three taels and five cents of silver designated for disaster relief in his hand. He shook his head, then casually tucked it into his pocket before announcing to the populace: "The Emperor has exempted Nanyang Prefecture from this year's taxes! How merciful His Majesty is to our people! Should we not all express our boundless gratitude?"
The people, their faces ashen, forced happy smiles. Then, they set up their cooking pots, exchanged daughters with their neighbors, and thus, without a shred of emotion, could place another family's child into the pot...
Just as a little girl was about to be put into the pot, shouts suddenly echoed from outside: "Grain distribution! The Great Benefactor Bai from Xiaolangdi has sent people to distribute grain! Everyone, come out and get your share!"
At these words, the tightly held, despairing expressions on the people's faces instantly crumbled into tears.
They frantically rushed to their neighbors' homes to reclaim their daughters—
Metropolis Shanghai, Nanhuifangcheng.
What was once a dilapidated, abandoned-looking defense outpost had now been reborn. Rebuilt as a sparkling new square fortress, it bore the retrieved plaque from its most glorious past, officially restoring its name: Nanhuifangcheng.
Below the fortress, a sprawling, bustling market had sprung up. Crowds of people traded goods, creating a scene more vibrant than any traditional marketplace.
This, of course, was all thanks to Gao Family Village!
Gao Family Village's transport ships ceaselessly plied the waters, often arriving in vast, fully laden fleets. They brought not only abundant grain but also high-quality goods from Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, and other regions.
Most of the goods on the ships were destined for the islands, but it was common for some to be traded along the route. Naturally, the location of Nanhui Mouth became a massive marketplace.
Merchants from Jiangnan were incredibly shrewd, swarming in like sharks scenting blood. They not only bought the goods transported by Gao Family Village but also loaded their own wares onto the ships, such as Jiangnan's renowned silks and porcelains...
Nanhuifangcheng grew more vibrant with each passing day.
Cui Weihua, the Military Preparations Commissioner for Suzhou and Songjiang, also arrived, drawn by the commotion. Given such a lively hub, military preparations were, of course, essential to guard against pirates. He simply took up residence within Nanhuifangcheng, maintaining peace and order in the area.
That afternoon, Gao Family Village's transport ships were due to arrive again in half an hour.
Large groups of people were already seated by the sea, gazing out like "Waiting-for-Husband Stones," awaiting Gao Family Village's ships to take them aboard.
Cui Weihua, accompanied by a few subordinates, strolled along the beach.
He immediately spotted two commoners, dressed in rags, their faces tinged with hunger. They appeared to have traveled a great distance to reach this place.
Cui Weihua couldn't help but ask the pair: "You two seem to have come from far away?"
Seeing a high official address them, the two men startled, quickly rose, and bowed. "Reporting to the esteemed lord, we are from Suzhou. We walked all the way from Suzhou, it took us several days, and we're practically exhausted."
Cui Weihua: "And you received the news from so far away?"
The two men exchanged awkward smiles: "Our family is poor, we're always looking for ways to eke out a living. We heard from distant relatives that there's a lord here hiring workers to labor on an island, so we came to try our luck."
Cui Weihua was genuinely curious. Although "the Emperor's decree forbade prying," he couldn't resist trying to discreetly inquire: "What exactly is being built on that island?"
The two men shook their heads: "Our relative didn't say either. If we asked, he'd just shake his head, saying that the 'master' gives him five cents of silver each month as a 'secrecy fee.' If he were to reveal anything, he'd let the master down, lose his job, and then he wouldn't be able to live. So, not a single word can be spoken about anything seen on the island; only that there's work to be done."
Cui Weihua: "Remarkable!"
This was truly awkward. The Emperor's secrecy efforts were remarkably effective.
Just at that moment...
A sentry in Nanhuifangcheng suddenly bellowed: "Pirates! Pirates! It's Liu Xiang's flag! Liu Xiang is here!"
With that cry, everyone on the beach panicked.
The people sitting by the sea frantically scrambled inland, while the market merchants hastily packed up their stalls. The entire Nanhui market dissolved into utter chaos.
As the Military Preparations Commissioner for Suzhou and Songjiang, Cui Weihua naturally had a duty to deal with pirates. He leapt up on the spot, shouting: "Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!"
The alarm bamboo drums on Nanhuifangcheng pounded with a resounding "kong-kong-kong," signaling danger.
Cui Weihua also hurried towards his ship.
Curiously...
The coastline here was actually unsuitable for large ships to dock. The beach was shallow, and big vessels easily ran aground; ordinary seagoing ships couldn't even approach the shore. Only Gao Family Village's "river-sea vessels" could get close.
Therefore, Cui Weihua's "Cangshan ship" was anchored far out at sea. He would first have to take a smaller boat to reach it.
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