While the two were talking, they heard a commotion outside. Li Yansi's loyal servant butler came in in a panic and shouted: "Zuru, the Ming army has entered the city!"
Li Yansi and Baozhong looked at each other, unable to sit still, and stood up. Li Yansi grabbed the old housekeeper and asked, "Don't be ridiculous!"
"We have indeed entered the city. I saw it with my own eyes. Would you like to go to the street and take a look, Zuru?"
After going out, the streets and alleys were already in a mess. Many party members hid in their homes in panic, and some strong people shouted that they would fight with the Ming army. However, the weapons at home were already long gone.
They were completely confiscated, and they had no weapons in their hands, so they could only shout and shout.
The Ming army entered the city along the main street. When Li Yansi, Baozhong and others rushed to the main street, they happened to see the last group of Ming troops entering the White Horse Courtyard.
After asking the Dangxiang people who arrived first to watch, they learned that there were about two or three hundred Ming troops who had just entered the city. As for why they entered the city, they didn't know. This was the first time the Ming troops entered the city since they withdrew from Qiongxi Town in June of the previous year.
, the party members were all panicked.
"Could it be that Akito is going to attack us?"
"I heard that our land outside the city is being taken away..."
"How dare he! That is the ancestral land of our party members!"
"Humph, don't forget, we were defeated."
"Then why didn't you accept it three years ago?"
"Abbot Zeng is gone. Could it be that Abbot Zhao doesn't like our party members?"
"Sigh... Where can I find a good person like Abbot Zeng..."
Amidst the divergent opinions, Li Yansi and others looked very gloomy.
Not long after, Shu Ming Qiangxiong of the Pochao clan and Shuming Zehui of the Mi Qin clan also arrived and speculated and discussed with Li Yansi.
Seeing such a scene, Baozhong knew that his plan to borrow food today would probably not be realized, and all the Dingkou of the Ren family would probably be hungry.
When he was at a loss, he saw a Taoist priest coming out of the Baima Courtyard. He was Lin Kutou who was responsible for distributing relief food to the party members.
As soon as Li Yansi waved his hand, several party members swarmed forward and invited Lin Ku's head over with some good talk.
Li Yansi was about to ask, but Lin Kutou said first: "I was going out to look for you, but you guys are all here. To make a long story short, the relief food will not be distributed tomorrow."
As soon as this statement came out, everyone was shocked.
"Tou Lin Ku, how can this be allowed?"
"Director Lin, the food relief has stopped. Should we go drink from the northwest wind?"
"Master Lin, you must not do this! Doesn't this mean that our party members will die?"
"Exactly why, please let Mr. Lin Ku explain clearly."
Lin Kutou frowned and said: "What are you all arguing about? I'll put it bluntly, you have seen the snow, the road is difficult, and I don't know when the next batch of food will be transported. Now that Hongyuan's food is tight, we can only give priority to ensuring that outside the city
A group of people from the mainland will be migrating to the mainland at the end of the month. This is a fatal task of the governor's office in western Sichuan. If you don't do it well, you will have to deal with it. Therefore, you all have forgiven me and will talk to the tribesmen later.
Everyone, just wait. When food becomes abundant, food will be distributed to you."
"Why is there no food?"
"What do you think, brother? More than 20,000 acres of land have been left uncultivated for three years. Where is the food? Do you really think that food is conjured out of thin air? To be able to feed you until now is already the most benevolent and righteous thing I have done in Baimayuan."
Li Yan thought: "This...this...many families have no food. How long will it take? Lin Kutou, if there is no food, there will be nearly ten thousand people, and I will not be able to hold them back."
Faced with the threat, Lin Kutou sneered: "Can't suppress it? Are you kidding me? Besides, Abbot Zhao has already expected it. Otherwise, what do you think the army entering the city is doing today?"
Li Yansi winked, Qiangxiong, Zehun and others gathered around, talking and asking Lin Ku to show him the way.
Lin Kutou was helplessly surrounded, and all he could say was: "For the sake of how many years we have been dealing with each other, I will tell you two ways. It's up to you whether you want to or not. One, like the Han people, go to work outside the city.
, build transitional housing and earn food by working; secondly, sell your land to Baimayuan, or even lower the rent so that the Han people can plant it."
"This...what else?"
"Anything else? Then you go and talk to Abbot Zhao. I'm sorry that I can't do anything. Everyone, take your leave."
Baozhong, who was standing by, had no intention of listening anymore, and strode away from the place, returned home, and asked Xi Zhong to invite a few people from the Ren family who were true to their word to discuss it together.
"Uncle, Jingcheng, every household is out of food, right?"
The old uncle said: "Lü Ze, you also know the situation of each family. If you have anything to say, you might as well say it directly."
Baozhong said: "Everyone knows that the Ming army entered the city today. I just listened to the words of Taoist Lin from Baimayuan. Tomorrow's relief food has been stopped and I can't get it..."
Jing Cheng looked excited: "I just heard about it, Lu Ze, can you tell me what to do? Everyone listens to you, are you going to rob the three tribesmen? Or should we go to Chang Pingcang?"
Baozhong glared and rebuked: "Confused! I just said, didn't you see the Ming army entering the city? They moved Chang Pingcang? Do you have a knife in your hand? Even if you have a knife in your hand, how can you run away after robbing Chang Pingcang?
?You are dragging the old and the young around at home, can you run away? We didn’t run that day, but we can run away today? The Ming army is tens of thousands, and they are nearby. They can defeat you in the blink of an eye!"
Jingcheng said aggrievedly: "What should we do? We can't starve to death, right? We rent out the land, but the ancestors won't let it, and they won't even work in the fields. What's the matter? If I don't know how to farm, can't I learn?"
Baozhong said: "The ancestors had great plans..."
Jing Cheng became irritable and said, "Lü Ze, what do you think we should do? This won't work, and that won't work either!"
The old uncle shouted: "Jingcheng, do you still have any rules? Listen to Lu Ze!"
Baozhong said: "The newly appointed Abbot Zhao is probably a little different from the previous one named Zeng. He dares to stop sending relief and even dares to send troops into the city! So we can't look at these officials of the Ming Dynasty with the same old eyes.
It's different from being an official. I thought about it, Zuru's plan is probably too bad. If we go ahead with it so forcefully, we might be the first to die. I went to Zuru to borrow food today and didn't get it, which explains the problem.
For the current plan, we have to fill our stomachs first. If our stomachs are not full, what big plan can we talk about? I want to go to work outside the city first. I just heard Taoist Lin say that this is the road pointed out by Abbot Zhao. I want to go there first.
Let’s cast stone to ask for directions and see what Abbot Zhao’s attitude is towards our party members.”
Jing Cheng said: "What's your attitude? No need to ask, they've already mobilized troops into the city!"
Baozhong said: "If Abbot Zhao really wanted to attack our party members, would he move his troops so openly? It's not like you have never fought before, Jingcheng. Do you prefer to make a big splash before going into battle, or do you prefer to quietly ambush?"