"The nomadic barbarians are attacking from the northern gate!"
Zheng Quchi suddenly let out a sharp, hoarse shout, which stunned everyone.
They stopped fighting and stared at her in astonishment.
At first, Bai Gongguan didn't believe it, but when he looked towards the mountain road to the north, he saw a troop of brightly colored cavalry coming from all over the mountains, which was exactly the characteristic of the nomadic barbarian army uniforms.
Just then, a barbarian general raised his head and looked in this direction.
When those eerie green eyes, seemingly intent on devouring someone, met Bai Gongguan's gaze, even though they were several kilometers apart, even though he might not have been able to clearly see the expression on the other's face...
But at that moment, the other party's fierce aura, like a beast pouncing on its prey, terrified him so much that his limbs went weak and he almost fell to the ground.
"Yes, it's true!"
Zheng Quchi stepped forward and pushed him, bringing him back to his senses. He shouted, "What are you standing there for? Quickly contact the other foreman and have all the craftsmen near Guixu Ridge hide. I'll go to the watchtower to set off smoke signals to notify the nearby garrison and camp."
At this moment, the others also saw a group of barbarian cavalry rushing towards them on the mountain road, and they were so frightened that their souls left their bodies and their minds went blank.
Why... did the nomadic barbarians break through the border defenses so quickly again?
What about the border troops stationed in the southeast, northwest and southwest?
Why did no one come to warn them, or stop these barbarian cavalry?!
"What are you all standing there for? Run! Remember the key points I taught you about handling crisis situations?" Her stern shout brought them back to their attention.
The crowd was startled, then some of them snapped out of their daze and hurriedly replied, "Warning! Evacuate and hide in the caves, await further instructions."
"Good! Since you remember everything, let's carry it out immediately! Don't be afraid, we've rehearsed everything beforehand, just do it the way we did before, and nothing will happen."
Her powerful voice, when it reached everyone's ears, was like a force flowing into their hearts, dispelling the fear and dread that had enveloped them.
"go!"
This command startled everyone present, who hurriedly exclaimed, "Good, good!"
Once the crowd dispersed, everyone hurried to follow the procedures she had arranged.
Qi Gong and his men ran to the top of the city wall, and together they pulled the huge warning bronze bell.
Three loud knocks followed by two soft knocks signify a level three alert, also serving as a warning to all craftsmen that an enemy attack is imminent, and all craftsmen working nearby must evacuate as quickly as possible.
Zheng Quchi harbored resentment ever since he experienced the massacre by nomadic barbarians.
She imagined that if there had been emergency evacuation measures at the time, perhaps not so many people would have died.
Therefore, after she took charge of the construction, she made a special application to the county to hang a warning bronze bell on the high-rise building.
Its purpose was twofold: first, to summon craftsmen, and second, to promptly notify nearby craftsmen of urgent matters.
When she heard the long, resounding chime of the bell reverberating through the bell tower, she turned around and saw birds startled and fluttering away in the quiet woods. In the distance, she could also faintly hear various chaotic noises and buzzing sounds.
It seems they are all doing as she instructed.
After the people were evacuated, they would find their own way to reach the hiding place she had set up in advance.
It was a relatively secluded natural cave dwelling in the mountains and forests, which she estimated could accommodate more than a thousand people at the same time.
Rather than running away in a panic while being chased, it's better to find a hiding place first, gather together and hide. She also taught them how to hide the footprints they left behind so that they wouldn't be tracked down by the enemy.
She is now very grateful for the preparations she made "just in case," otherwise, today would probably have been another bloody tragedy.
But shelter alone is not enough; they also need outside help to rescue and drive them away. Otherwise, if the other side conducts a thorough search, she doesn't know how long that cave can hide them.
She ran desperately, trying to reach the beacon tower as quickly as possible to burn smoke and call for help.
The beacon towers and watchtowers were built in strategic locations on the city wall, and also on relatively flat areas of the mountains. This route seemed so far to her now, so far that she could hardly see the end of it.
She had no choice but to do this alone. Everyone else was terrified at the mere mention of the nomadic barbarian invasion, and she couldn't entrust anyone with the task. Only she remained relatively calm, so she decided to do it herself.
But in reality, she seems to have overestimated herself.
She really didn't have the composure to cope. She was like a frightened bird the whole way, always worried that one or more burly roaming men would suddenly appear from some bush or some side road. She even heard the clattering of horses' hooves getting closer and closer from the North Mountain Pass, echoing and grinding across the earth...
She didn't know how long it would take for the nomadic barbarians to reach the quarry and shantytown. She was sure she couldn't outrun four-legged pursuers. If the nomadic barbarians discovered her trail halfway there, she would be in grave danger.
Therefore, before reaching the beacon tower, she had to ensure her own safety first, so that she could wait for Yuwen Sheng and the others.
Yuwen Sheng...
Normally, just thinking about this person would make her feel cold all over, but now, when she thinks of his name, she feels a sense of security under his protection.
He may not seem like a good person, but he will surely come to save the people in his territory.
She silently vowed, "I must hold on until he comes..."
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