In the 3867th year of the Xia calendar, the summer

season arrived. For ordinary people, it was a very important moment, because the arrival of summer was a big deal for them to have enough food.

However, the ordinary people in Fengzhou were smiling this year, because they already knew that the government would only collect the main tax this year, and all other miscellaneous taxes would be exempted. Even those who did not have land at home were equally happy, because the government had told them that the landlords who rented their land could only collect 30% of the rent. If they collected more, they could report it, and the government would punish those landlords.

However, at the time of the great harvest, the enemy appeared. The King of Daizhou launched a war without declaration. When the troops arrived in Fengzhou, they announced that the Zhenguo Army attacked Taizhou in the name of the King of Dai, and they were rebels.

It was not just Daizhou that took action. After nearly a year of secret connection, Li Xiang had sent troops from eight states. The troops from Dai, Jiao, Qiao, and Shi attacked Fengzhou, and the troops from Tai, Fen, Ping, and Yun attacked Taizhou. Although the other states of Southern Chen did not send troops, they also expressed their support, either promising that the eight states would not take advantage of the situation, or providing some support such as money and food.

The reason why they were so united was because they saw the threat and unruliness of Lin Jiang. Needless to say, Lin Jiang's military power was a dimensionality reduction strike for Southern Chen. The so-called strong city was as fragile as tofu in front of Lin Jiang, and Lin Jiang was too unruly. Killing the King of Chu and destroying the nobles, even if it was an open offer of amnesty, a fool could see it.

Now sweeping across Taizhou again, a fool would know that Lin Jiang had great ambitions and wanted to change the dynasty.

So they tacitly agreed to Li Xiang's request, each of them sent out elite troops, and without declaring war, they directly entered Fengzhou and Taizhou.

········

In Fengzhou City, the military advisor who stayed behind received the news that Dazefu in Fengzhou was broken, and his face suddenly changed. He quickly convened the top leaders to discuss.

Half an hour later, dozens of teams rushed out of Fengzhou City and went to various places to report the news. They also ordered people to gather the people outside Fengzhou City, especially those peasant soldiers who had been trained for a year, and they were urgently recruited into the city.

"Military advisor, something bad is going to happen. Jiaozhou has sent troops, coming from the north..."

"Military advisor, Qiaozhou has sent troops, about 50,000 people, coming from the northeast, and have crossed Yunjiang..."

"Military advisor, Shizhou has sent troops, coming from the south..."

In the next few days, news came to Fengzhou City one after another. After hearing it, the military advisor turned pale. If it was a group of people from Daizhou, they would not be afraid. Although Fengzhou had 80,000 people transferred by Lin Jiang, there were still more than 100,000 troops. However, the troops of the four states might be as many as 200,000 or 300,000.

"Military Advisor, make a decision quickly"

"Military Advisor..."

"Don't make a fuss. Is there any news from the general?"

"Not yet"

"Stop it first, mobilize the people in the city, and then send troops to the counties, prefectures, and counties. Let them resist the enemy on their own. They don't have to come to Fengzhou City. Let them gather all the peasants and tell them that the general is on the way back and will arrive soon. Once the general arrives, all the enemies will be wiped out."

The military advisor gritted his teeth and said. Originally, he had sent troops from various counties and prefectures to help, but now, he couldn't do that. He had to delay the enemy's front as much as possible, let the enemy attack one county and one prefecture, and wait for Lin Jiang to come back.

A series of bad news could not be concealed. Soon, the whole Fengzhou City, and even the entire Fengzhou, had known the news that the enemy was coming.

In Fengzhou Martial Academy, when thousands of students heard that the enemy was coming, they were immediately indignant. Most of the students rushed to the door of the academy's arsenal, wanting to open the arsenal to take weapons and go to the top of the city to help.

After Yuan Shan learned about it, he rushed over and stopped them, saying, "My fellow students, listen to me, you are now students of the Martial Academy, your task is to study and practice martial arts so that you can better serve the court in the future, not to go to the city to fight now."

"Vice President Yuan, what you said is wrong."

"My fellow students, what's wrong with what I said?"

"Vice President Yuan, the court has done us nothing but exploit us and treat us like pigs and dogs. We should be loyal to the Zhenguo Army and Mr. Wolong."

"Well, even if I said something wrong, you are still young after all. You should focus on studying now."

"Vice President, it's good that we are young, but we are not stupid. If the Zhenguo Army is defeated, how can we continue to study here with peace of mind? Besides, we are not powerless. I also participated in the war last year. I have fought five battles."

"I have fought more than you. I have fought six times. I also went to the countryside to be a farmer soldier instructor for half a month."

"My father went to Taizhou and told me to protect my mother and sister before he left. Now the enemy is coming to kill me. Can they let my mother and sister go? If not, why not fight them?"

"Fight"

"Open the armory"

"Open the armory"

Everyone started to make a noise, Yuan Shan was furious, but he didn't dare to stop them. He watched the armory being opened, and a group of people went to get weapons and ran to the top of the city.

"Deputy Dean, we are going to the battlefield too."

Not only the students, but even the teachers of the martial arts academy brought their weapons, came to say goodbye to Yuan Shan, and then ran to the top of the city.

Yuan Shan walked out of the martial arts academy in a daze and came to the street, but he also saw young and strong people from every family gathering on the city wall.

"Brother, what are you doing?"

Yuan Shan grabbed a man and asked him, don't you know that there will be a war?

"Go kill the enemy, what else can you do?"

"Isn't killing the enemy a soldier's job? Aren't you soldiers?"

"Mr. Wolong said that good days are earned by oneself, not given by others. Mr. Wolong is here. My family has finally had a good year. Who dares to ruin our good days? We will fight with others. I won't talk to you anymore. I'm leaving first."

The man shook his head, holding a kitchen knife, and quickly joined the team. Yuan Shan looked at all this in a daze, and he was very shocked.

"Is this what Mr. Wolong said, that the power of the people is like the ocean?"

········

Qishan Prefecture,

a military camp rose from the ground outside the prefecture, and outside the military camp, there were teams of people and horses. They were peasant soldiers from various counties and towns in Qishan Prefecture.

Fengzhou's peasant soldier system was actually not very complete. Most of it was only laid in the county town and the towns close to the county town, and it could not radiate to remote places.

"Who are these people?"

Tian Heng walked outside the barracks and found that they were noisy. The noisy people were a group of farmers. Most of them carried farm tools, such as hoes, sickles, etc., or some kitchen knives. Few people carried real swords.

"Reporting to the general, these are farmers from nearby villages and towns. They are clamoring to enter the barracks to help in the battle. We didn't let them, and they scolded us."

"What did they scold you for?"

"It is said that the general who guards the country said that when friends come, there are fine wine, and when enemies come, there are swords and guns. Now that the enemies have broken in, why don't they let them go to the battlefield to kill the enemies?"

"The people's hearts can be used."

"General, you must not let them into the barracks. We are combat soldiers who train every day, and farmers who train three days a month. We know how to arrange battle formations. These farmers don't understand battle formations. If they enter the barracks, they will mess up our formation."

"Got it, let's go and take a look."

Tian Heng nodded. He is Tian Xiong's cousin and now a general guarding Qishan Prefecture. The enemy army of Shizhou is less than three days away from here, and he must protect the prefecture.

When Tian Heng came out, the farmers immediately surrounded him and talked a lot. Tian Heng shouted angrily, and then everyone quieted down.

"Fellow villagers, the government is mobilizing farmers to fight. You are not farmers, why are you here?"

"General, I heard that the government will only collect regular taxes this year, not miscellaneous taxes, right?"

"Of course, didn't the government say so a long time ago? Do the officials dare to collect more?"

"No, the officials who went to the countryside still said so, but do you know how much miscellaneous taxes the government collected in the past?"

"This..."

"Eighty percent, I've calculated it. If I grow 100 kilograms of grain, 80 percent will be taken away by the government. I also have to perform corvee labor for at least one month every year. I work so hard, without rest all year round, but I have never had a full day. Even during the Chinese New Year, I could only eat white rice porridge.

But the General Zhenguo came, and he made sure we had enough to eat. During the Chinese New Year last year, I ate three bowls of rice. It was the first time in my thirty-six years of life that I ate so much rice.

This year I'm thinking of planting more fields and saving more grain, so I can sell it and find a marriage for my son. But now there are rumors that the bad guys are coming again, and they're going to collect 80 percent of my taxes. General, do you think I should agree?"

"General, people are all made of flesh and blood. The Zhenguo Army treats us well, as we all know. My brother is a peasant soldier, and he's here too. We're brothers in arms, and I'm no worse than my brother. Let me in."

"General..."

The farmers told their reasons one by one, and soon the chaos broke out again. Many of them were honest farmers who didn't know how to explain. They just told themselves instinctively that they had to help in this battle.

Tian Heng was very moved when he heard these people's heartfelt words. He thought of the days when he was a righteous army. So many people followed his brother to do things that would cost their lives. Wasn't it because the court forced them too hard? Now those people from the court are here again. The righteous army fought hard back then, so why can't these people do the same?

"Fellow villagers, listen to me. If you can't be a combat soldier in the barracks, you can be an auxiliary soldier or a cook."

Thinking of this, Tian Heng immediately shouted. With the people's hearts at this point, he didn't believe that he could lose again.