“Alright, I understand. In any case, my family plans to go into the mountains with you. I will inform the other villagers. Those who want to go into the mountains can pack their bags and come with us. Those who don’t want to go into the mountains can stay here. It’s all up to fate!” Chen Sheng made a decision quickly, which surprised Qin San Niang.
This made things much easier for her, and she left the rest to Chen Sheng to coordinate. She wasn't particularly concerned about how many villagers would go with her. But the old forest was treacherous, and they were all native locals who naturally knew more than she did; at the very least, their geographical advantages were unmatched. Besides, as the saying goes, a lone tree cannot make a forest; relying solely on her own family was certainly not as safe as sticking together for warmth.
Qin San Niang asked herself, she was not the kind of transmigrator with great combat power. Even though she had intensified her training, her accuracy with guns was still worrying. The only weapon she was relatively comfortable with was the crossbow, but relying on a small crossbow to better protect her family did not seem to be foolproof.
After saying goodbye, Qin San Niang went to the county.
Mu Chun and the others were somewhat surprised by her arrival, after all, today was only the first day of business after the Lunar New Year. As for why they had both summoned him and Cao Wenshan, they both felt it must be something important, judging from the boss's very serious expression.
After Qin San Niang explained the situation to the two men, they both expressed their desire to stay. This puzzled her greatly. In her opinion, even if she closed the shop for two or three months, as long as her goods were good and the secret recipe was still in her hands, she wouldn't have to worry about sales. Why should she risk staying here?
Cao Wenshan stepped forward and said, “Boss, we are the owners of this shop, so naturally we must live and die with it. How can we retreat at the first sign of danger? Besides, in times of war and turmoil, isn’t it all the same everywhere? There are still garrison troops here. Even if the city gates are breached one day, so what? Does that mean we no longer need the people? No longer need shops to sell our goods?”
Clearly, Mu Chun thought the same thing.
Besides, He County is still under the jurisdiction of Jiangzhou, and Jiangzhou's defenses are quite strong. Furthermore, where could they go with their families? Were they really going to hide in the deep mountains and forests? It wasn't that they were afraid of anything, but their wives, children, and large extended family were all involved; abandoning any of them would be inappropriate and would only cause trouble for their employer.
The two also stated that the shop's employees were all native to Hexian County; their roots were here, their families were here, forming a vast network of relationships, so leaving wouldn't be so easy. However, if the thieves really attacked the city, they could find a place to hide. Having benefited from the "blessing" of these past few years of war, who didn't have a cellar or hidden compartment for concealment?
Seeing that they had a plan, Qin San Niang didn't say anything more, only that if there was any danger, they must close the shop and evacuate as soon as possible. They could also take refuge in the back mountain outside Shiligou, where there were kilns on the shady side of the mountain that could be used as temporary shelter. She also left them two firecrackers, which they could light if they encountered danger, and she would come to meet them as soon as she could hear them.
The reason she didn't stay in He County was actually after careful consideration. If the Prince of Zhennan really cared about the iron mine, he would definitely send someone to take over the Si Mansion, and she would definitely become his main focus. If this was combined with the fact that the bandits were defeated by her family that day, it would be hard for people not to suspect her! So for safety's sake, running away was the best option.
Upon hearing this, Guo Er and the others were even more reluctant to leave the charitable organization. The organization was now their home, and besides, regardless of the era or who held that position, who would want to cause trouble for the organization? In times of peace, it might even be noted by an upright clerk, truly inciting public resentment!
After Qin San Niang persuaded everyone, they all agreed to stay and persevere. She didn't say anything more, only instructing them to be careful and to let them make decisions if anything happened while she was away, provided that their personal safety was guaranteed.
Guo Er and the others were moved once again. Such a good employer was hard to find even with a lantern.
At this moment, Chief Clerk Qi had already received a secret report and informed Magistrate Jia of the matter. Upon hearing this, Magistrate Jia Gaojie nearly collapsed! Damn it, these bastards actually chose this time to rebel? Weren't they trying to ruin his chances of promotion?
This is intolerable!
"Chief Clerk Qi, Minister of Agriculture, what do you suggest we do?"
Qi Yuchen's lips curled into a snarl, revealing gleaming white teeth, and he said viciously, "Sir, is there any need to say anything more? Of course, we're going to fight! Do you expect us to let them raze our county to the ground and twist our heads off to use as footballs? Let's get them!"
Normally, if Jia Gaojie heard such rude words, she would definitely give a long lecture, but at this moment she found them extremely pleasing to the ear.
Qi, the clerk, understood the meaning in his superior's eyes: they were preparing for a major undertaking! It was rare to see the magistrate so assertive; it was truly a case of the sun rising in the west! But... this was for the best!
“My lord, what Qi Sinong said is true. If we do not resist, the rebels may be able to advance unimpeded and storm the government office. Therefore, we must take the initiative to attack first.”
"Oh? You tell me, how exactly do you mean by taking the initiative?"
The group huddled together until midnight, finally settling on several battle plans. The most crucial, of course, was to set up an ambush outside the city to maximize their advantage. Secondly, they needed to defend the city. Fortunately, the official who built the city walls was a very honest and upright man; the bricks were made of glutinous rice mixed with mud, comparable to modern cement, and even cannons might not be able to penetrate them. In addition, Chief Clerk Qi suggested brewing a "golden liquid" (a type of liquid used in traditional Chinese medicine), which could be effectively used with catapults to deter the enemy. And most importantly, they needed to eliminate any traitors within the city!
"A traitor? There's a traitor in this city?" Magistrate Jia's eyes narrowed. Having spent years in officialdom, he was no longer the simple, poor scholar he once was. Whether a spy or an internal traitor, anyone not on their side had to be eliminated as quickly as possible.
This isn't hard to understand. Imagine if they were fighting the enemy at the front, and the enemy secretly opened the city gates—wouldn't you be wronged?
Qi Yuchen paused for a moment, then made up his mind and said that he would leave the matter to him. Magistrate Jia felt very gratified to have a subordinate to share his burdens, and gave him an approving smile.
Chen Yushan probably never imagined that he was now being watched by several pairs of eyes. Besides Qi Yuchen, there was also Qin Sanniang. Regardless, when Qin Sanniang arrived at the Chen residence, Chen Yushan had already hanged himself from the roof beam! One couldn't help but sigh; even the heavens of He County were about to descend into chaos!
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