"We've set traps at every crossroads that might be frequented by bandits. Those traps are so good they can even catch wild boars. Once those bastards fall in, they're sure to never get out!"
In the village, every household has prepared sticks. If those bastards dare to come, we'll fight them to the death. Every family has been harassed by bandits before, and this time we certainly won't let them off the hook! Chen Sheng was filled with righteous indignation every time he said this!
Although he wasn't usually considered brave, everyone has a bit of guts when they're young! If Da Wa's mother, a woman, wasn't afraid, how could he be? Would he still be a man?
"Old village head, did you come up with all these ideas?" Chief Clerk Qi asked. If all the villages in He County could do this, no matter how powerful the mountain bandits were, they couldn't resist the will of the people!
"To answer your question, sir, I was only encouraged by Da Wa's mother. I thought we men can't be cowards like women, can we? This time we won't run away, we'll just defend our home, and if the bandits come, we'll fight them back! Besides, can we escape to the ends of the earth? Even if we escape to the ends of the earth, aren't there Tatars and Hu people? They're even more vicious than bandits! They eat human flesh!" Chen Sheng said, squinting his eyes.
These are all things that the clan leader has experienced, and they are certainly not alarmist! The way he spoke at this moment was like that of a wise man who has seen the vicissitudes of life, which shocked the few people in official hats present!
Yes, the words may be rough, but the principle is sound; that's exactly the point!
Jia Gaojie looked at him intently and said, "Old man, your words have touched my heart! If all the people in the county were like you, I would have no fear of bandits or even rebels!"
And that eldest daughter's mother, oh, that third daughter of the Qin family, she's good too! I've already reported your agricultural achievements to the prefectural government, and I will certainly seek a favor for you!"
Upon hearing of a favor, Chen Sheng immediately knelt down and kowtowed, calling him "Your Honor." A favor was nothing but a reward, and a reward was nothing but silver! Even if he didn't get any, wasn't Da Wa's mother from Shili Gou? It was like gilding his own face! How prestigious it would be to tell his old friends! Absolutely fantastic!
When Chen Sheng left the county government office in a daze, he couldn't remember anything the county magistrate had said to him, and of course, he didn't remember what he had said either!
But the magistrate said he would have the officials in charge of notifying each village so that the village heads could prepare, which saved him the trouble. Otherwise, having to notify each of his old friends in the neighboring villages would be too much of a waste of breath!
Inspired by the Shiligou model, Magistrate Jia prepared to launch a patrol team. Although the county government did not have many personnel, this had been the case in all dynasties, with many unofficial staff.
Most of these men were promoted from the market towns, and many served as neighborhood guards. They were responsible for patrolling after curfew. The duties of a neighborhood guard were neither particularly important nor insignificant. If they caught a thief wandering the streets and were beaten up as a spy, it was only a matter of a word from the neighborhood guard!
Therefore, many people still racked their brains and squeezed their way into applying for the position of neighborhood guard in the government office. Neighborhood guards were considered half government officials, and their status could be raised when they got married!
Because of the high demand, many of the neighborhood constables' extended families had connections in the county, and they inevitably had to give gifts to the constables or even the officials in the county government.
As everyone wished, Magistrate Jia expanded the number of non-official staff, which included the neighborhood constables!
I heard that the government has announced the recruitment of neighborhood guards. Although it hasn't been specified what they'll be doing, even if it's just bandit suppression, some hot-blooded young men in the neighborhood are willing to take the risk. Why? Because the Great Sheng Dynasty has a rule that neighborhood guards who perform meritorious service can be rewarded according to regulations!
Fortune favors the bold, and it's not impossible to rise to a position in the government!
Qi Yuchen took a more direct approach, leading Cai Bo straight to the bandits' lair!
However, upon inspection, they discovered that the bandits were even stronger than the eldest son of the Lu family had described. Relying on their superior skills and daring, the two of them ventured closer to investigate.
Those bandits were probably the same group that robbed the village before. Cai Bo recognized that their accents sounded like they came from the north, and there were hoofprints on the village that had been massacred. In addition, the bandits' violent aura meant they must have killed people!
Judging from their appearance, they seem to be planning to set up camp here, and they won't be leaving anytime soon. If that's the case, a battle is inevitable in He County!
Qi Yuchen, on the other hand, was in high spirits. Once he left the capital, everyone had probably forgotten his title as the Little Tyrant of the Capital, right? Coupled with the horrific scene of the massacre of that village, it was simply outrageous! He had long wanted to tear those bandits apart by five horses!
Magistrate Jia didn't have his sense of righteousness, but he couldn't do nothing. Although he was a scholar, the old man was right. In a world in turmoil, where is the pure land?
He still had to keep his official position; otherwise, how could he protect his wife, children, and elderly parents in this chaotic world? Even for the sake of his own two children, he had to win the battle!
As a result, the patrol teams in He County began their work in full swing.
These militia units were all formed voluntarily. They weren't afraid of bandits. In places like He County, only the remote mountain valleys had suffered from banditry. The county seat wasn't something ordinary bandits could covet. After all, bandits weren't rebels; where would they get their generals and weapons? For a few hundred men to take down the county seat was nothing short of a pipe dream!
Qi Zhubu was in full charge of the patrol team's affairs. Just like in Shiligou, he also marked out areas in advance and set up traps. There were sorcerers in the yamen who knew about traps and mechanisms, so tinkering with these was no problem at all! Moreover, during the patrol, the team members were also equipped with spears and broadswords, which were considered proper weapons. Who wouldn't be a little wary of them?
Qin San Niang had considered this as well. She had a few daggers in her spatial storage for self-defense, but as for firearms and ammunition, those were her last resort and she didn't plan to use them. Fortunately, although Shili Gou was small, there was a blacksmith shop. When Wang Guixiang heard that the patrol team needed weapons, she volunteered to do the work, saying that she would go home and discuss with Shi Tou to get a few sickles and machetes for everyone to use for self-defense.
Actually, Qin San Niang felt that a long knife was more suitable, since machetes and the like were only suitable for close combat! A long knife was sharper and longer, and if the bandits fell into the trap, she could subdue them without even getting close.
Wang Guixiang said that the long knife was a weapon, and ordinary farmers could not make it on their own. However, it was not impossible; they could make a pudao (a type of broadsword). The handle of this pudao was a wooden stick more than a meter long, with a large knife attached to the end. Although it was a bit rough, the handle and the end could be disassembled. It was the most commonly used defensive weapon among the people.
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