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Chapter 359: This Rabbit Cannot Be Described as a Rabble

Seeing the large crowd by the dock, Bai Yuan chuckled. "Lord Feng, look, we suddenly have over three thousand people here. That's quite a force."

Feng Jun responded, "We have over three thousand rabble, and Wang Jiayin commands fifty thousand!"

"Who are you calling rabble?" Padi Tu, who had been trailing behind Bai Yuan, was displeased. He was originally assigned to guard Gao Yiye, but Gao Yiye had entrusted him to Bai Yuan. He had followed them all the way to Qichuan Ferry, keeping a low profile and not causing any trouble. But now, hearing Feng Jun call them rabble, how could he tolerate that?"

Padi Tu stepped forward, huffing, "Lord Feng, although you are an important figure, you shouldn't underestimate our Gao Family Village Militia. I, the premier expert of the Gao Family Village Militia, known in the martial world as Padi Tu, possess exceptional martial prowess! My sword's gleam chills forty prefectures! To describe me with the words "rabble" would be incredibly disrespectful, wouldn't it?"

His confident demeanor, arrogant tone, and chest-out, defiant posture made Feng Jun let out a surprised "Oh?" He scrutinized Padi Tu from head to toe, feeling that this person seemed, well, perhaps, possibly, quite formidable?

Feng Jun cupped his hands in a respectful salute. "My apologies, I misspoke just now. May I ask, Hero Rabbit, what are your thoughts on the current situation?"

Hearing this question, Bai Yuan thought to himself, "Oh no, Padi Tu is about to reveal his true colors."

Padi Tu, seeing a county magistrate "condescend to ask him for advice," immediately swelled with self-satisfaction. He tilted his head back, nostrils flared towards the sky, and declared, "Lord Feng, you've miscalculated the enemy's numbers. Wang Jiayin doesn't have fifty thousand men at all."

Feng Jun countered, "This number comes from an official military dispatch from the imperial court. How could it be wrong?"

Padi Tu explained, "If they were fighting on land, that fellow Wang might indeed bring fifty thousand men. But if he's coming down the Yellow River to attack our dock, he won't be able to field fifty thousand. How many men he can bring depends entirely on how many boats he has."

Feng Jun paused, slightly taken aback by these words, then burst into delighted laughter. "Hero Rabbit speaks wisely! Hahaha, Wang Jiayin can't bring fifty thousand men. He couldn't possibly have that many boats. Navigation on the Yellow River is already difficult, and fishing boats and merchant vessels have always been scarce. Even if he pillages along the way, he won't be able to amass enough boats to transport fifty thousand men. At most, he'll only be able to send an advance force to scout us out."

Padi Tu puffed out his chest, triumphant. "Precisely! Their numbers won't exceed ten thousand. We have over three thousand men, defending from our wooden stockade on the riverbank. For an amphibious assault, the enemy would need at least five times our numbers, which means at least fifteen thousand men to successfully launch an attack. How could we possibly lose?"

Feng Jun thought to himself, "This fellow who calls himself Padi Tu actually has some good ideas. His analysis is well-reasoned and not just empty talk."

"Hahaha!" Feng Jun roared with laughter. "In that case, this official no longer feels anxious."

No sooner had he spoken than he heard the clamor erupt from the more than a thousand laborers building the cement road and fortress. Someone shouted, "Is there going to be a battle?"

"So many militia have arrived, does that mean war is certainly coming?"

"Are the rebels coming?

"Oh!

"Then I must leave.

"I must go too; I don't want to fight."

After a clamorous commotion, over a thousand laborers suddenly fled in a disorderly rush towards the northwest, disappearing completely in the blink of an eye.

Only the more than a thousand men of the Heyang County Militia remained, along with the hundred led by Wang Er, and the hundred led by Bai Yuan, totaling barely two thousand.

Feng Jun wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. "We only have two thousand left, Hero Rabbit. Just now, you said the enemy would need five times our numbers to attack successfully, didn't you? Then... wouldn't ten thousand men be exactly five times that?"

Sweat poured down Padi Tu's forehead.

Bai Yuan burst out laughing. "That rabbit, he's showing his timidity again."

"Enough dawdling, set up the cannons!"

Bai Yuan waved his hand. "Position our two large cannons, barrels pointed at the Yellow River."

The militia immediately sprang into action.

Just then, the clatter of hooves echoed from the distance again. Three hundred cavalrymen galloped furiously from the northwest. At their head was a female general, large and sturdy, like a she-gorilla on horseback. It was Zao Ying. While still some distance away, she shouted, "Master Bai, is the dock safe? I've come to reinforce you on the Heavenly Lord's command. Instructor He's infantry will arrive a few hours later."

Bai Yuan turned his head and rejoiced. "Commander Zao, you've arrived just in time! Wang Jiayin's fleet hasn't reached us yet."

Feng Jun saw that their side had suddenly gained so many cavalrymen, and couldn't help but inwardly marvel, "Gao Family Village is this formidable? They can even dispatch cavalry?"

Zao Ying called out loudly, "My men aren't suited for defending the dock. I'll ride north along the west bank of the Yellow River and scout ahead."

Bai Yuan replied, "Good! I'll leave the reconnaissance to Commander Zao."

Zao Ying cupped her hands in salute from horseback, reined in her warhorse, and galloped north along the Yellow River. Behind her, three hundred riders followed like a whirlwind, swiftly disappearing into the distance.

Feng Jun couldn't help but ask, "Your Gao Family Village actually has cavalry? And who was that female hero?"

Bai Yuan smiled faintly. "That is Commander Zao, from our Gao Family Village. She is specially in charge of training cavalry. You see, her horsemanship is quite impressive."

Feng Jun pressed on, "Chengcheng County isn't a horse-breeding region, is it? Where did you acquire so many warhorses?"

Bai Yuan chuckled, "We bought them!"

Feng Jun responded, "Hundreds of warhorses, that must have cost a fortune."

Bai Yuan produced a folding fan and snapped it open with a flourish, revealing the characters "Junzi" (gentleman) inscribed upon it. He used the fan to obscure half his face, speaking with an air of immense sophistication, "The Li family possesses considerable assets."

Feng Jun: "......"

"'Considerable' assets? That's wealth enough to rival a nation!"

For some reason, he felt his confidence growing. Feng Jun thought to himself, "Leaning on such a mighty tree, perhaps we truly can withstand Wang Jiayin. Good, I won't falter now. If soldiers come, generals will block them; if water comes, earth will dam it. What is there to fear?"

Feng Jun hastily directed the militia to build scaffolding behind the wooden stockade walls, creating small platforms for archers. Otherwise, the thin row of wooden walls would serve no purpose other than obscuring their view.

Several militia instructors bustled about, assigning tasks and organizing everything.

Bai Yuan, meanwhile, approached Wang Er of Baishui. "Your men are probably not well-suited for battle here. Having just defected from Wang Jiayin, if they immediately engage him in battle here, it might be seen as a breach of martial code."

Wang Er shook his head. "I have already upheld my loyalty to him. However, his wife's younger brother, Zhang Liwei, and his kinsman, Wang Guozhong, tried to kill me. From that moment on, it was he who lacked honor, not I. There's no reason my men can't fight. Chengcheng County is also our Wangjia Village's homeland. To fight for the protection of one's home — no matter where, that is perfectly justifiable and honorable."