Chapter 1096: Chaos in Wuchang
Refugees, dragging their children and carrying their elderly, were making their way along the Han River towards Wuchang.
In the wake of the marauders, small villages and towns became uninhabitable; even county seats were perilous. The common folk had no choice but to migrate towards large cities like Wuchang.
When these refugees saw a large flotilla of cargo ships on the river, in normal times, they would surely have been filled with curiosity, gathering by the riverbank to watch the spectacle. But now, dispossessed and fleeing for their lives, they had no time to spare for cargo ships on the river. They all kept their heads down, walking in grim silence.
As they walked, they suddenly noticed some smaller boats detaching from the large fleet on the river and heading towards the bank. Then, someone on one of the boats shouted, “My friends, if you flee to Wuchang like this, will there be food for you?”
Most had no heart to reply, but a few bolder individuals responded, “The fields were trampled flat by the marauders, our houses burned. We have nothing left, so we can only go to Wuchang to beg for food.”
“Ah, so there’s truly nothing left,” the person on the boat sighed. Then, their tone shifted. “Friends, come and collect relief grain! We don’t have much right now, so we’ll give each of you ten catties to get by for a few days. We’ll bring more grain next time.”
At these words, the refugees by the riverbank froze as if enchanted, utterly still.
Slowly, stiffly, their heads turned.
Then they saw a person on the boat hoist a large sack of grain, shouting, “Form lines by the riverbank, form lines... one line in front of each boat.”
They had no drill training whatsoever, and chaos reigned for a moment, but eventually, they formed over a dozen lines, each facing one of the smaller boats pulling up to the bank.
The quartermasters on the boats sighed, and began distributing the grain.
Amusingly enough, Zhu Cunji, of all people, also jumped onto a small boat and personally ran to the riverbank to hand out grain. The fellow was surprisingly enthusiastic, and with each sack of grain he gave out, he'd ask the recipient, “How about it? What do you think of me?”
And the common folk would invariably reply, “Our benefactor! You are the finest person in all the world.”
Zhu Cunji was overjoyed, and, patting their shoulder, said, “Hahaha, I like you.”
Zhu Yujian couldn’t help but break into a sweat, and asked Zhuge Wangchan, “Is the Prince of Qin’s heir always like this?”
Zhuge Wangchan whispered, “He’s always seeking attention.”
Zhu Yujian: “I think... I believe I understand why he’s like this.”
Zhuge Wangchan: “?”
Zhu Yujian said wistfully, “When I raised an army to aid the emperor, wasn’t I also seeking a sense of purpose? While wishing to save the Great Ming, I also want to be recognized by others. I want to hear others say that imperial relatives are not merely pigs confined to a sty. Ah, that Zhu Yujian is truly a wise and valiant prince...”
Zhuge Wangchan was speechless for a moment.
Just then, the refugees lined up by the river suddenly fell into disarray. The disturbance began at the very back of the lines, with people shouting, “Oh no, Zhang Xianzhong’s men are coming!”
“It’s Zhang Xianzhong’s bandits!”
“Run!”
The lines instantly disintegrated, and people scattered in all directions.
A refugee, who had just received grain from Zhu Cunji, was also terrified. They turned heel and fled. Zhu Cunji hadn’t even finished asking his usual, “What do you think of me?” before the refugee vanished in a flash.
“Damn it!” Zhu Cunji roared in fury. “Who? Who’s interfering with my act of... cough... benevolence?”
Zhu Yujian: “The bandit army has arrived.”
His words made Zhu Cunji jump.
Soon, a small troop of horse bandits appeared in the distance.
Zhu Yujian frowned. “Cavalry, and they’re fast. The common folk are scrambling along the riverbank; these bandit horsemen will catch them and cut them down.”
If he could think of this, the Gao Family Village quartermaster team naturally could too. The soldiers collectively roared at the refugees, “Don’t scatter! Head towards the riverbank! The closer you are to the water, the better we can protect you!”
Having just distributed grain, they had already established a certain authority in the hearts of the common folk. At this shout, many refugees indeed stopped scrambling and pressed themselves towards the water’s edge.
This action spurred on more people, and the refugees frantically squeezed towards the water.
Soon, they were packed tightly together along the bank.
Meanwhile, most of the Gao Family Village boats, which had initially remained in the middle of the river, now began to move towards the bank. The quartermasters on board swiftly reached under the grain baskets, pulling out their firearms.
The bandit cavalry thundered towards the refugees.
The quartermasters roared in unison, “Get down! Get down!”
The refugees by the riverbank didn't understand why, but they instinctively obeyed, crouching low to the ground with their heads covered.
Then, they heard the incessant roar of firearms, *bang, bang, bang*.
The charging horse bandits were thrown from their steeds, horses rearing and riders tumbling.
The group of horse bandits was not large, and seeing the dire situation, they immediately retreated, disappearing into the distance in an instant.
Only then did the refugees slowly rise from the ground, looking left and right in amazement, before exclaiming with joy, “Our benefactors are formidable!”
“Wow, benefactors, where are you soldiers from?”
“Are you Shaanxi soldiers?”
“You’re not government troops, are you? How are you so powerful?”
A clamor of voices rose from the crowd.
The quartermasters had them re-form their lines to collect more grain, and as they distributed it, they said, “We are the Gao Family Village Militia. Once you’ve received your grain, hurry to Wuchang and stay within the city walls. We will transport more grain to Wuchang by cargo ship later to help you. Remember, do not wander aimlessly.”
The refugees obediently agreed.
Before long, the ten catties of grain per person had all been distributed.
As the cargo fleet prepared to continue downstream, the refugees realized that by following them, they could resist the marauders. So, they ran along the riverbank, keeping pace with the fleet.
They were not far from Wuchang now, so Zhuge Wangchan deliberately slowed the ships’ pace, allowing the common folk to keep up on foot.
And so it was... a large fleet in the middle of the river, a vast throng of refugees on the bank, both advancing abreast by water and land, heading towards Wuchang.
At this time, Wuchang was facing a formidable enemy.
A large number of government troops, under the command of the Wuchang Prefect, were manning the city walls.
Prince of Chu, Zhu Huakui, also led his Princely Guards to ascend the city walls alongside them.
Not long ago, scouts reported that Zhang Xianzhong (the Eight Great Kings) was leading his forces to attack.
Among the many savage and vicious marauders, Zhang Xianzhong was considered the most brutal. Wherever he passed, corpses littered the land, and his actions knew no bounds. Who wouldn't be terrified upon hearing he was approaching?
The common folk, who usually detested government troops, now eagerly came forward to help. They assisted the troops in transporting defense supplies, bustling with activity.
The Prince of Chu, Zhu Huakui, was already 65 years old, an elderly man. His cloudy eyes wide, he questioned the Wuchang Prefect beside him, “Where is the Huguang Provincial Governor? Why hasn’t he brought his troops to our aid yet?”
The Wuchang Prefect thought to himself: ‘You had a Huguang Provincial Governor beaten to death once, and the whole realm knows about it. Which succeeding Provincial Governor wouldn’t avoid you? Help you? They’d be hoping the bandits kill you.’
However, he couldn’t possibly say that aloud, otherwise, he would be the next one beaten to death. So, the Wuchang Prefect merely said, “The Provincial Governor led his troops to aid the emperor, and has not yet returned.”
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