Outside the city of Fuling, more than ten thousand people were marching quickly in the night.
At the front of the team was a small group of more than a hundred people, wearing costumes of the Tujia, Miao and other ethnic groups, carrying longbows on their backs and various weapons hanging around their waists.
Except for a few people wearing homemade rattan armor and rattan helmets, most people had no armor. The rattan armor was made in the shape of a vest, without shoulder and leg armor, and the surface was brushed with tung oil. It was light and waterproof and could block swords.
They were divided into four teams and stood outside the four gates of Fuling City, ready to go.
In a courtyard in Fuling City, hundreds of people were sleeping soundly.
This place had long been requisitioned as a barracks, and was home to soldiers and temporarily recruited civilians.
"kill!"
Suddenly, there were deafening shouts and cries of killing outside the city.
The sleeping soldiers were awakened by the shouting and killing. Then a Ming army leader rushed into the courtyard with a weapon and shouted: "The bandits are attacking at night, the bandits are attacking at night! Get up quickly and fight on the city wall."
After shouting, he immediately kicked open the door of the next courtyard and repeated the shout.
The soldiers in the yard were putting on their clothes while whispering to each other: "Our people are finally here!"
"We?" A civilian looked at the others blankly, "Aren't our people inside the city?"
Phew!
The long knife stabbed directly into the civilian's back, the tip of the knife went through his chest, and the body fell to the ground.
The murderer patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief: "It was a close call. I was almost exposed. This guy is not one of ours."
The others did not blame him, but continued to discuss: "Should we do it? How should we do it?"
They were all spies planted by Li Dingguo in advance. When the city was attacked from outside, they took the opportunity to cause chaos, open the city gates, and let friendly troops enter the city.
Now the siege begins outside the city, and they must find a way to respond.
"Just like before, all of you will go to the East City Gate and open it while the chaos is going on."
"Okay!" After a brief discussion, these people quickly dispersed.
As the shouting and screaming got closer, the soldiers on the city wall could vaguely see human figures on the ground.
"The bandits are attacking. Brothers, get your weapons ready and fight them when they get closer!" the Ming army general on the city wall shouted.
Just when everyone's attention was focused on the city, an accident occurred at the east gate of Fuling City.
Snap!
"Ah!" The sound of a sharp weapon piercing the body and screams continued to ring out.
When the traitor planted by Li Dingguo saw the friendly forces attacking, he immediately launched a sneak attack on the unprepared Ming troops.
They held spears, swords, shields and other weapons in their hands, and attacked the Ming army around them.
The Ming army and other civilians were caught off guard and more than a hundred people were killed in an instant.
"Lower the drawbridge!" shouted the leading traitor.
After the suspension bridge was lowered, they immediately cut the ropes of the suspension bridge, then led their men down the city wall and rushed towards the city gate.
They rushed down the city wall and stopped in front of the city gate.
Because at this time the city gate was full of people.
These people were wearing armor, holding weapons in one hand and torches in the other, staring at them with cold eyes.
"You...who are you?" the traitor asked with a trembling voice.
"Qin Liangyu."
The traitor was stunned and looked at the person who spoke.
This man had a face as white as jade, eyes that were bright, and was wearing a helmet and armor and holding a spear. Although he looked very old, he gave people a feeling of being old but not weak.
Especially those eyes, so majestic that people dare not look directly at them.
"Governor Qin... Governor Qin," the leading traitor was obviously panicking. He swallowed and explained, "We are..."
"Shut up!" Qin Liangyu frowned and looked coldly: "They attached themselves to the bandits, invaded our city, and harmed our soldiers and civilians. Their crimes are unforgivable. Come, arrest all these people and execute them on the spot!"
Countless soldiers came quickly and surrounded the traitors.
Faced with enemies that were several times their number and looking at the cold spears, the traitors suddenly panicked.
The leader knew that he could no longer conceal his identity, so he simply knelt on the ground and begged for mercy, "It's unjust! We are all citizens of the Ming Dynasty. We have never done anything bad. We were forced by the bandits to sneak into the city and become traitors. We beg Governor Qin to spare our lives."
"Please spare our lives, Governor Qin!" Hundreds of traitors knelt down at the same time with pitiful looks in their eyes.
Qin Liangyu smiled coldly: "You just killed my people and then opened the city gates. Now you tell me that you have never done anything bad? Ridiculous!"
"Take action." Qin Liangyu was too lazy to listen to their excuses and simply waved her hand to issue the military order.
In a short while, hundreds of traitors were shot to death and their bodies fell to the ground.
Immediately afterwards, Qin Liangyu ordered people to open the city gate and walk out.
The people attacking the city from outside were not bandits, but soldiers from Xidong recruited from various places by Qin Liangyu's grandson Ma Wannian. They pretended to be bandits and attacked the city in the dark, with the purpose of finding the traitor in the city.
Now that the traitor has been eliminated, it's time to let them into the city.
Ma Wannian walked quickly to Qin Liangyu and knelt on one knee: "Grandma, I'm late. I caused you to lose Liangshan and Zhongzhou."
Qin Liangyu coughed lightly and said, "It's called a position in the army."
Without waiting for Ma Wannian to change his words, Qin Liangyu hurriedly asked, "How many soldiers have you recruited?"
"To my grandmother, we have recruited more than 11,000 people, including Tujia people (Tujia ethnic group), Miao people (Miao ethnic group), and Dong people (Dong ethnic group). I heard that Zhang Xianzhong also sent people to various tribes to recruit warriors to fight against the government troops. Fortunately, we recruited early. If we were recruited by Zhang Xianzhong, the consequences would be disastrous."
Qin Liangyu nodded, handed Ma Wannian a folded paper and said, "Go into the city and have a good rest for a night. After receiving ten days' rations tomorrow morning, go to these places immediately and divide the troops to guard them."
"Ah?" Ma Wannian was stunned. "Zhang Xianzhong is coming with 200,000 people. Why don't you let these people defend the city?"
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