Chapter 1097: Unable to Enter the City
It turned out that the Governor of Huguang at this time was Lu Xiangheng! His role was quite complex: he served as both the Governor of Huguang and the Supreme Commander of Five Provinces, responsible for suppressing bandits.
Typically, the Governor of Huguang remained stationed in Wuchang, rarely moving. However, Lu Xiangheng was constantly on the move, leading his troops across the land.
Not long ago, Lu Xiangheng had led his army to the capital to defend the emperor.
Had he not gone to the capital, the roving bandits would never have reached Wuchang. More likely, they would still be trapped and besieged by his forces in the Dabie Mountains.
With Lu Xiangheng's departure, the Central Plains were left vulnerable. Wuchang City had virtually no defenders; apart from a handful of useless garrison soldiers, there were only a few hundred of the Prince of Chu's personal guards, supported by a large number of local militias and ordinary citizens.
These forces might barely manage to defend a large city like Wuchang. However, attempting open-field skirmishes against the roving bandits in the countryside was utterly out of the question; they wouldn't even dare to guard a county town.
The Prince of Chu, Zhu Huakui, grumbled with displeasure, "That Huguang Governor is utterly useless. Bandits are at Wuchang's gates, and he's nowhere to be found!"
The Prefect of Wuchang countered, "Lord Lu is no coward, but he can hardly be in two places at once."
Zhu Huakui bristled. How dare this minor official contradict him?
The Prefect of Wuchang promptly sealed his lips, well aware he risked being beaten to death.
Just then, a scout rushed back, loudly reporting, "A massive fleet of boats, accompanied by a throng of refugees, is sailing down the Han River!"
If he had only heard of the fleet's arrival, Zhu Huakui might have been curious about its origin. But hearing that it was accompanied by a multitude of refugees, he merely assumed they were fleeing merchants or fishermen, and didn't bother to inquire further. "Refugees heading to Wuchang?"
"Yes! The bandit army is rampaging outside the city. Residents from all the surrounding villages and towns are bringing their children and families, all heading toward Wuchang."
The Prefect of Wuchang urged, "Open the gates, let the refugees in!"
"Absolutely not!" Zhu Huakui immediately retorted. "There are surely bandit spies among these refugees. If they infiltrate the city, they could open the gates in the dead of night and let the bandit army in! That's precisely how Wang Jiayin breached Hequ County years ago."
The Prefect of Wuchang pleaded, "What if a few spies are indeed mixed among them? We can simply monitor the refugees closely and arrange patrols at night to prevent any mischief. But how can we bear to leave tens of thousands of our people to the roving bandits' blades, all for the sake of a few potential spies?"
Zhu Huakui sneered, "Hmph! Womanly sentimentality! What do the lives and deaths of those refugees matter to this prince? Why should I take such a massive risk to save those worthless wretches?"
The Prefect of Wuchang fell silent.
The local militias and village guards on the city walls likewise said nothing.
An eerie silence instantly descended upon the entire city wall.
The Prefect was about to speak again, but Zhu Huakui cut him off, "Guards! Seize this Prefect!"
The Prince of Chu's guards immediately stepped forward. Two officers grabbed the Prefect of Wuchang, dragging him to the edge and shoving him off the city wall. One even delivered a kick to the Prefect's backside, sending him tumbling several times. Attendants rushed to help the Prefect up, dusting off his clothes...
But everyone present seethed with unspoken fury.
This Prince of Chu, Zhu Huakui, was unlike other princes.
Other princes were typically mere dandies—useless, perhaps, but ultimately not too harmful, their mischief usually minor. Zhu Huakui, however, was a dangerous menace, one who would readily kill. He had even dared to kill a Huguang Governor and faced no repercussions.
After this display, Wuchang City was entirely under Zhu Huakui's sway.
The Prince of Chu's guards tightly shut the city gates, their eyes coldly fixed on the world outside—
The logistics team, led by Zhuge Wangchan, Zhu Cunji, and Zhu Yujian, finally arrived outside Wuchang City, accompanying a vast multitude of refugees.
Wuchang City itself wasn't particularly large, spanning only a few *li* across. It stood prominently on the riverbank where the Han River met the Yangtze, offering a commanding view of both waterways.
It was indeed a strategic location, easy to defend but difficult to conquer.
The Gao Family Village fleet didn't need to enter the city; it could simply sail past. Normally, the imperial "River Patrol" navy would be stationed here, managing river traffic. But now, the entire River Patrol had retreated into Wuchang, too afraid to venture out.
The Gao Family Village fleet had an unobstructed passage.
The three leaders had originally intended to see the refugees safely into the city before calmly continuing their transport of supplies.
To their dismay, however, the large throng of refugees was blocked at Wuchang's city gates. From atop the walls, the Prince of Chu's guards roared menacingly down at them, "Leave at once! Wuchang City will not open its gates. Get as far away as you can!"
The common folk cried out, sobbing, "Sirs, we have nowhere else to go! The roving bandits are everywhere outside. No matter where we hide, they come to kill us. We can't even stay in the mountains!"
The guards retorted, "Enough nonsense! Leave immediately, or we will loose arrows!"
On the city walls, the guards drew their bows...
Some even deliberately swiveled the large cannons on the ramparts to point at the civilians below.
Though the cannons held no gunpowder or shot, meant only as a deterrent, the gesture was undeniably malicious.
The common folk broke into wails, their cries shaking the very heavens, yet the city guards remained unmoved.
A few bolder individuals, seeing the guards merely holding their bows and gambling they wouldn't fire, bravely took a few steps forward.
And indeed, the guards didn't shoot. Encouraged, the people grew a little bolder, advancing a few more steps.
The Prince of Chu suddenly erupted in fury, "Why aren't you firing arrows?!"
The guards faltered, "But... those are our people."
The Prince of Chu snatched a bow, but when he tried to draw it, his 65-year-old body, ravaged by drink and debauchery, lacked the strength. He then grabbed a crossbow from a nearby guard and, aiming at the foremost civilian, let fly a bolt.
"Thwack!"
A civilian crumpled, struck by the bolt. The others were terrified, shrieking and wailing as they dragged the wounded person back, retreating.
Witnessing this scene, the Gao Family Village logistics team's eyes reddened with incandescent rage.
Zhu Cunji exclaimed, "Damn it! This Prince of Chu is a monster!"
Zhu Yujian was equally stunned. "There are princes like this in the world? This... doesn't he consider the people of his own domain to be his subjects?"
Just as they spoke, the Heavenly Lord, who had remained seated on the ship, unmoving for days, suddenly snapped his eyes open. "This man deserves to die!"
Everyone immediately knelt, "Greetings, Heavenly Lord."
Li Daoxuan commanded, "Send someone to call back the wailing civilians. Have them gather somewhere far from the city. The logistics team will remain here for the night to ensure their safety. Tonight, I shall personally intervene to deal with the Prince of Chu and open the city gates for the common folk."
The others were startled. "The Heavenly Lord will personally intervene?"
The first image that sprang to their minds was of a colossal hand descending from the sky, crushing the Prince of Chu to death.
However, this area hadn't yet entered Li Daoxuan's field of view, so he couldn't extend his hand.
Li Daoxuan stated, "My true form is currently journeying across the four seas, and I'm too indolent to return. I shall simply use an avatar to deal with him."
The "avatar," of course, referred to the mass-produced Heavenly Lord models.
Everyone from Gao Family Village knew just how formidable the Heavenly Lord's avatars could be.
Since he was going to intervene, there was nothing more to worry about.
They sent a boat to the riverbank, loudly calling out to the refugees, "Everyone, come back! We'll find a safe place to spend the night together. Don't worry, we will protect all of you."
Having no other recourse, the common folk had no choice but to follow the Gao Family Village militia away from Wuchang City. They retreated to a distant stretch of riverbank upstream, gathering together to huddle for warmth under the open sky.
The Gao Family Village logistics team stood guard around the refugees, fully armed and ready, providing them with both supplies and protection.
Comments