AWB Chapter 216 Urgent emergency
Chapter 216 Urgent emergency
Chapter 216 Urgent!
Wang Wenzhou looked at the letter in his hand, his feelings complicated. Damn it! He really regretted it! Why didn't he study history properly back then? How did Gao Yingxiang's army end up in Hezhou?
This letter was written by Li Hongye, the prefect of Hezhou. Firstly, it informed Wang Wenzhou that Gao Yingxiang's bandit army had reached Hezhou territory, urging Wang Wenzhou to prepare defenses. Secondly, it requested that Wang Wenzhou send some provisions.
Wang Wenzhou and Li Hongye are currently of equal rank, and Li Hongye has no authority to order Wang Wenzhou to provide support. As for provisions, Wang Wenzhou does indeed have a large amount of grain in his hands. It can be said that most of the grain in the counties and prefectures near Hanshan is controlled by Wang Wenzhou, because Hanshan has a very large population.
Wang Wenzhou deliberately bought local grain in Hanshan at twice the price. Although there were tax police to check taxes, there were always some desperate people who smuggled grain from nearby counties to Hanshan and sold it at the local Hanshan grain price.
Wang Wenzhou instructed, "Xiaoqiang, notify your grandfather Wang Zhixin, as well as all your sisters-in-law, Li Yinshui, Geng San... and tell them to come over for a meeting immediately."
"Yes!" Wang Qiang knew things had gotten serious, so he quickly ran out to send someone to inform them.
In no time, the leaders of Hanshan gathered at Zuihualou.
None of them knew why Wang Wenzhou had summoned them so urgently, but upon seeing that all of Wang's wives and concubines were present, they knew that whatever it was, it must be something very important.
"Hmph!" Liu Rushi sat to Wang Wenzhou's left and glared at Sheng Lan, who sat to Wang Wenzhou's right.
Sheng Lan ignored Liu Rushi's provocation.
"You two little bitches!" Zhang Shifang, heavily pregnant, sat behind Wang Wenzhou. She sat there because Wang Wenzhou thought she was ugly and didn't want to look at her face.
Wang Zhixin was the last to enter the room. When he saw so many people, he asked, "Young Master, what happened?"
"Grandpa, please sit down. Something really has happened!" Wang Wenzhou picked up the letter, intending to hand it to Sheng Lan, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Liu Rushi staring intently at the letter in his hand. Wang Wenzhou quickly said, "Xiao Qiang, come here and read the letter."
Wang Qiang read the letter in one breath.
"Ah..." Everyone present looked shocked.
For the past six months, the rebel army has been unstoppable, breaching cities wherever they go. First, the highest-ranking official in the area is doomed. Second, the wealthy merchants will undoubtedly be plundered. Everyone present here has a stake in the safety and well-being of Hanshan City.
Wang Wenzhou spoke up, "What are you all thinking? What if the rebel army attacks Hanshan?"
Geng San immediately stood up, knelt down, and said loudly, "My lord, all my wealth and status today are thanks to you. Just give the order, and I will immediately give away all my wealth, recruit local militia, and defend Hanshan to the death."
Upon seeing this, Li Jinshui and the others all knelt down, their words similar to Geng San's, all appearing to be completely obedient to Wang Wenzhou.
Wang Wenzhou chuckled and said irritably, "Get the hell up, all of you. Screw your holding out! You want to die? I don't!"
Liu Rushi frowned, secretly pinched Wang Wenzhou, and whispered a reprimand: "Wang Wenzhou, a scholar should die for his principles, and a warrior should die in battle. As the prefect of Hanshan, how can you be so shameless in the face of the invading enemy?"
“Ruru, you are both pregnant and about to become mothers, and I am about to become a father! If I die, our son will be without a father!” Wang Wenzhou said softly.
"Hmph!" Liu Rushi was about to speak when Wang Wenzhou quickly grabbed her, reached inside, squeezed her hard, and whispered, "Rushi, in front of so many of my underlings, can't you give me some face?"
"Sigh..." Liu Rushi sighed softly. Her husband was a coward who was afraid of death and utterly shameless!
Wang Wenzhou began by saying, "First, we must immediately start promoting the unsold apartments in the three residential areas, and try to sell them all before the news of the bandit army's arrival in Hezhou reaches Hanshan."
"Yes!" Li Jinshui and the others nodded repeatedly.
Wang Wenzhou continued, "Secondly, immediately transfer all assets, as well as the women and children in the household. Send all assets and women and children to Nanjing. Ugly freak!"
"Husband!" Zhang Shifang stood up and leaned closer.
"Ugh!" Wang Wenzhou gagged, then said irritably, "Sit back down. Who told you to come here?"
Zhang Shifang pouted and quickly sat up straight.
“Ugly freak, you took my sisters to Nanjing under the guise of visiting your family. Ugly freak, we were husband and wife, and I entrust my babies and unborn children to you!” Wang Wenzhou said as if he were making his final arrangements.
Liu Rushi suddenly said in a cold voice, "I'm not going!"
Sheng Lan also said softly, "I won't go to Wang Wenzhou. Wherever you go, I'll go."
Damn it! Wang Wenzhou was very upset. He didn't expect that the first to oppose him would not be Wang Zhixin, but his babies.
In front of so many underlings, Wang Wenzhou was afraid of losing face and was too embarrassed to kneel down and beg his babies to agree.
Wang Wenzhou said, "We'll talk about this tonight. After you get home, immediately move the women and children. And all of you, keep your mouths shut! Anyone who dares to leak this information, I'll kill their whole family!"
"Don't worry, Lord Wang!" the crowd quickly reassured them. How could they not be moved by Lord Wang's consideration for his subordinates?
Wang Wenzhou thought for a moment and said, "Hanshan now has a population of nearly one million. We cannot simply give up and let the enemy army easily break through the city. Starting tomorrow, all construction sites will be shut down."
"Xiaoqiang, bring the map over!" Wang Wenzhou ordered.
Wang Wenzhou pointed to the map and said, "Here, here, and here, all workers dig trenches, but tell everyone they're digging sewers. Don't let this get out of the way, I'm emphasizing this again!"
"Yes!" everyone answered quickly.
Wang Wenzhou planned to dig three to five trenches around Hanshan City and the three surrounding districts. When the enemy army came, they would use the trenches as cover to resist them for a period of time.
Because Hanshan City is too small, it can only accommodate a maximum of 300,000 people, leaving 700,000 to live outside the city. Fortunately, the three major residential areas have each reached their fourth phase of construction. The buildings in the three areas are connected end to end, vaguely forming a huge circular building complex, which can be used to fight against the bandit army.
"Finally! Immediately allocate a huge sum of money to recruit craftsmen and build equipment. In addition, under the guise of exercises, all troops in Hanshan, including labor camps, special forces, and yamen runners, will undergo military-style training," Wang Wenzhou ordered.
"Yes!" Wang Qiang, Zhu Yi, and the others quickly replied.
“Child! Wang Wenzhou, what about the children in the orphanage?” Sheng Lan suddenly asked.
Liu Rushi looked at Wang Wenzhou with equal nervousness.
Wang Wenzhou smiled bitterly. "Damn it, I can't even protect my own wife, who the hell cares about other people's kids!"
“Starting tomorrow, the orphanage will run 50 li every day! Tell them it’s to get them fit, so that if Hanshan falls, they’ll have the strength to escape,” Wang Wenzhou said after thinking for a moment.
"Young Master, I have something to say!" Wang Zhixin said at this moment.