Chapter 553: You Take a Trip to Jiangzhou
Xing Honglang arrived at Pingyang Prefecture, her forces swelled by another two thousand troops.
Gao Family Village's troop strength in Pingyang Prefecture immediately surged to a formidable forty-four hundred.
However, Xing Honglang's contingent possessed only two hundred Chassepot Rifles, even fewer than Cheng Xu's. Together, their combined rifle count barely reached seven hundred. The remainder of their forces consisted of rifle-musket infantry, grenadiers, and a small fraction of troops still reliant on melee weapons.
Gazing at the relentless downpour, Xing Honglang couldn't help but show a flicker of resignation. "I never imagined it would rain so heavily here in Shanxi," she admitted. "We were marching along, and suddenly, a deluge. It forced me to navigate cautiously, avoiding rebel forces the whole way. I was genuinely concerned about clashing with them in such a torrential storm."
Bai Mao produced a wide-brimmed bamboo hat, settling it onto his head. Then, he drew out a small bamboo casing and clicked it securely over his rifle. He grinned. "Boss Xing," he said, "what do you think of this contraption? Pretty handy, right?"
Xing Honglang's eyes widened in delight. "Oh? That really does a good job of keeping the rain off!" she exclaimed.
Bai Mao chuckled. "The Heavenly Lord taught us the trick," he said.
Xing Honglang nodded. "In that case, I'll have a batch of these made immediately."
She promptly sent word to Dou Wenda, instructing him to mobilize artisans to produce a supply of similar bamboo hats and rifle covers for her forces.
He had begun his excavation at the confluence of the Yellow River and the Fen River, working his way upstream. The initial days of digging had been relatively straightforward, but after several days, he suddenly found that he could no longer simply plunge his shovel carelessly into the riverbed.
Ahead, on the north bank of the Fen River, a prosperous city had emerged into view.
Jiangzhou.
This was the city known in later times as Jishan County.
Its population was considerable, with at least ten to twenty thousand inhabitants dwelling within its walls, nestled right against the Fen River. If Li Daoxuan were to extend a shovel and begin dredging in full view of so many people utterly ignorant of his existence, he would almost certainly terrify them to death once more.
Furthermore, this stretch of the Fen River was dotted with numerous small fishing boats, their occupants skillfully navigating narrow skiffs to catch fish and make a living in the comparatively constricted waterway.
Without notifying these fishermen to evacuate, Li Daoxuan couldn't simply proceed with his work haphazardly.
Furthermore, once the river channel was dredged, the water would become incredibly murky for days, severely impacting the aquatic ecosystem. Even if the fishermen weren't terrified or killed by the sudden excavation, they would find no fish to catch afterward, plunging them into significant difficulties.
He needed to ensure their proper resettlement before he could proceed.
Li Daoxuan reluctantly put his tiny shovel aside, his perspective swiftly retracting to the Dragon Gate Ferry. With a sudden jolt, he co-sensed into the Titanic Heavenly Lord's form.
At Dragon Gate Ferry, a frantic effort to complete the fortress was underway.
A contingent of Blue Hats, supervising a large number of Yellow Hats, had been constructing cement walls. However, several days of incessant rain had brought construction to an immediate halt. Now, both the Blue Hats and Yellow Hats waited patiently for the weather to clear so they could resume their efforts.
Shi Jian, thoroughly bored, was idly strolling around the ferry crossing.
The moment the Titanic Heavenly Lord stirred, Shi Jian instantly detected it and hurried over to pay his respects.
The Titanic Heavenly Lord commanded, "Shi Jian, have your deputy remain here to guard the post. You are to take a small, lightly equipped contingent and immediately proceed to Jiangzhou."
Shi Jian let out a small "Oh?" a flicker of curiosity in his eyes, unsure of his purpose in Jiangzhou. Yet, a command from the Heavenly Lord required no questioning, and he immediately set about preparing.
<He simply abandoned the silicone body, instead co-sensing directly into the cotton thread embroidery stitched onto Shi Jian's chest, transforming into a Cotton Thread Heavenly Lord.
Shi Jian, accompanied by ten men, galloped rapidly towards Jiangzhou, braving the rain along the Fen River's north bank.
Midway, the Cotton Thread Heavenly Lord finally explained his plans for dredging the river and the necessity of alerting Jiangzhou's populace. Shi Jian felt a slight awkwardness. "Heavenly Lord," he began, "we haven't prepared the ground in Jiangzhou. The common folk there are entirely unaware of your presence, and it will be challenging to gain their trust in such short order. If you suddenly plunge a colossal shovel into the river, it will surely terrify them."
"Indeed!" Li Daoxuan acknowledged, having anticipated this very point. "Upon reaching Jiangzhou, you must adapt to the circumstances. You were a scout, resourceful and quick-witted; I trust you will devise a solution."
Heartened by the Heavenly Lord's praise, Shi Jian's spirits soared. "Your humble servant will not fail your expectations, Heavenly Lord!" he vowed.
After a furious gallop through the rain, covering dozens of li, Jiangzhou soon came into view ahead.
At that time, with marauders rampaging across the region, Jiangzhou found itself within a vast territory plagued by bandits. Consequently, its city gates were tightly sealed. Under the rain shelters atop the city walls, several archers stood vigilantly, scanning the area outside. The moment they spotted Shi Jian's party, they drew their great bows, aiming from a distance, and bellowed, "Who goes there?!"
Shi Jian laughed heartily. "I am Shi Jian, Squad Commander under Shaanxi Commander-in-Chief Wang Cheng'en," he declared. "By imperial decree, I've been stationed at Dragon Gate Ferry. Given your proximity to the ferry, surely you've heard of me."
The archer, momentarily stunned, quickly relayed the information to the prefect. Soon, the Prefect of Jiangzhou himself appeared on the city wall. Qin Changqing, with his shifty, rat-like eyes, hardly looked like an upright official. He immediately adopted a sarcastic tone. "I am Qin Changqing, the Prefect of Jiangzhou," he announced. "I wonder what wind has blown Commander Shi all the way to our city?"
Shi Jian, naturally, wasn't foolish enough to bluntly declare the Heavenly Lord's intent to dredge the river. His mind working swiftly, he offered a light chuckle. "Several days ago, marauders assaulted Dragon Gate Ferry, which I was defending," he explained. "I repelled their attack, but I fear they might now turn their attention to Jiangzhou. I came specifically to assess the situation and to speak with Prefect Qin. If there's any way your humble general can be of assistance, please don't hesitate to say so."
Qin Changqing shook his head, his initial impulse to dismiss Shi Jian's concerns – to declare Jiangzhou perfectly safe and bandit-free – quickly fading. He reconsidered: just because bandits hadn't come before didn't mean they never would, and if they did, his reliance on a mere local militia for defense was a recipe for disaster. This 'military roughneck' was now actively seeking to build a connection; he might as well humor him. A strong relationship could mean valuable aid when bandits inevitably appeared.
With this calculation, Qin Changqing's demeanor instantly shifted. "This official has, of course, heard of General Shi's impressive feat in repelling the enemy at Dragon Gate Ferry," he said, his tone now oleaginous. "Commander Shi is truly a young general of immense promise, with a future that knows no bounds."
As he spoke, he turned his head and barked at his subordinates, "Open the gates at once! Invite Commander Shi in for a discussion."
Moments later, the gates of Jiangzhou swung open, and Shi Jian, with his ten subordinates, rode into the city.
Qin Changqing's attendants led Shi Jian's horse away for care, while the prefect himself descended from the city wall. With an air of exaggerated familiarity, he ushered Shi Jian further into Jiangzhou. "Commander Shi, your timing couldn't be more fortuitous," he began, "This official has heard that the bandits to the north are causing widespread havoc. They've besieged Puxian for days and even breached Daning County, throwing the entire district into utter disarray. Ah, this official feels truly immense pressure."
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