novelhk Chapter 193 Operations Against the Rebels
Chapter 193 Operations Against the Rebels
Three days later, the wooden houses were basically repaired, and tens of thousands of refugees were settled. The medicinal herbs that Shen Li wanted arrived today. After brewing dozens of doses and drinking them, the fever of several people subsided.
Old Zou kept taking pulses, then brewed more medicine for the people suffering from the epidemic, summarizing his experience and deducing the nature of the disease.
During this period, the number of new daily infections decreased, and the refugees' complexions improved as they ate better.
Shen Li was too hot to sleep, so she stood outside the wooden house to get some fresh air. Henan Road was not as cool as Kyoto; it was already at the temperature of Kyoto in the middle of summer.
She dislikes heat and prefers cold. In previous years, this temperature would have been enough to go to a summer resort. Even in the summer resort, the rooms were always icy. The last time she suffered from the sweltering heat was when she was sleeping in a dormitory in prison.
I thought I wouldn't have to suffer like that after being reborn, but I never expected it to be even worse.
Forsythia and peony were also at a loss, after all, there was really no ice to be found in this place, and the wooden house was stuffy and hot, which was also difficult for their master.
"If only we could stay at the government office, Miss, when do you think we can go into the city?" Peony asked.
"It doesn't seem like the person inside is very intelligent." Shen Li shook her head slightly: "Then it's hard to say."
If someone were intelligent, they would immediately understand that the rebellion was doomed and would have already surrendered by now.
But the fact that they haven't surrendered yet suggests that the one inside isn't very bright.
Then we'll have to use some more methods, but fortunately they're all things that come easily to us.
The next day, Da Kui led a dozen or so brothers out of the city again. This time, they brought livestock, since they would have to pull the cart themselves if they didn't have livestock.
"Lord Shen, you said last time that we could ask you for supplies if we were short of them. Now the city is short of rice, flour and medicine. Could you give us some?" Da Kui asked meekly, his initial arrogance completely gone.
"The herbs have just arrived and haven't been prepared yet. Wait a moment, you'll be allowed to take them away first thing tomorrow morning." Shen Li said calmly, "Stay away and rest well. If you dare to cause any trouble or make any moves, you know what will happen to you."
Da Kui was in a dilemma but also a little scared. He had specifically asked the chief to come in the morning, and by the time the medicine and food were packed, it was almost dusk. He took advantage of the poor light to quietly transport the things into the city.
But he always felt that although Shen Li remained calm, she had seen through this little trick. If they sent it back in a big way early tomorrow morning, wouldn't all the people in the city see it?
But when Shen Li spoke, he didn't dare to breathe loudly and could only agree repeatedly before going to wait in the distance.
"Ma Zheng, I have a task for you." Shen Li called out to Ma Zheng from where the bandits couldn't see him.
"What are your orders, sir?"
"First thing tomorrow morning..." Shen Li's voice grew softer and softer.
Ma Zheng's eyes lit up as he listened, and after hearing the order, he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your subordinate obeys and will certainly not disappoint you, sir."
The next morning, Da Kui was very excited to see more than a hundred carts of grain and prepared medicine. This time it would be enough for at least ten days, and he would not have to deal with Shen Li for ten days.
He had never been this afraid of anyone in his life, but he felt panicked when he saw Shen Li. This woman seemed to have no emotions, and he might not even know how he died if he died at her hands.
He wasn't sure if having these supplies would be enough to win; he had a feeling that the leader was no match for this girl.
Li Dayong's archers and cannons on the city wall were ready. He was worried that Shen Li would take the opportunity to attack the city, but he also hoped that she would do so.
Once they enter the cannon's firing range, he will make sure they die without a burial place, and then all the food and medicine will be his.
Then he saw Da Kui and the others leading livestock to haul grain to the city gate, while the camp opposite them was also busy.
The refugees helped with tasks such as cooking with firewood, brewing medicine, and feeding horses. Everyone in the camp had a smile on their face, and the scene was harmonious and friendly. It didn't look like a refugee camp, but rather like a well-established village.
The soldiers even removed their armor, and their horses were tied up to the side. They showed no intention of attacking, nor did they even bother to send any food supplies forward.
The grain was all brought back by Da Kui and his men. The temperature was already very high on this midsummer morning. He saw Da Kui and his men covered in sweat, but the people in the camp remained unmoved.
Li Dayong felt utterly disheartened.
"Boss, I think we shouldn't wait any longer. They're trying to wear us down. Why don't we sneak into their camp tonight when they're off guard?" one of the bandits suggested.
"Caught off guard?" Li Dayong slapped the bandit on the head:
"You don't know anything. The ones on guard duty day and night are the Divine Machine Battalion. They may not look like many people, only a hundred or so, but how many men do you have that can take them out in one shot?"
"Do you see those two big sheds on the left and right? Soldiers are going in and out. Right next to them are the stables. As soon as the muskets fire, they can immediately mount up and go into battle, do you believe it?"
Li Dayong was a scoundrel who had served in the army and fought in battles. He understood the layout of the camp at a glance. The seemingly loose refugee camp was actually full of hidden secrets, and the Shenji Battalion was the key.
"That girl is a fighter?" one of the bandits was quite surprised to hear this.
Li Dayong didn't want to talk to him. The more he analyzed, the angrier he became. He had never felt so frustrated before.
“But staying here isn’t going to work either. Why don’t we abandon the city and run away? We have a lot of men now, so we can escape to other prefectures and beg for food.”
Li Dayong frowned even more, looking at him as if he were an idiot: "Didn't you see that the number of horses is wrong? I'm sure she has ambushes outside the east and west city gates. If we run, it will alert the main force to take action. Do you think our broken horses can outrun three thousand troops?"
"As for the south of the city, it's still flooded. Are we supposed to cross the river?"
If he hadn't told them, the men below wouldn't have known. After he finished speaking, the bandits all gasped in shock. It sounded like leaving the city meant certain death.
But if we don't leave the city... it doesn't seem like there's any way to survive...
If they continue to provide disaster relief like this, who among the soldiers and civilians who have been incorporated into the city will still rebel with them?
"Frustrated." Li Dayong slammed his fist on the city wall, turned around and walked down the wall, saying, "Stop setting up defenses. Half of the archers and artillerymen have to leave and come over to move the rice."
A hundred carts was truly a sight to behold. It was impossible to hide the fact that the city gates were opened so early in the morning. Even if it could be kept secret from ordinary people, most of those standing on the city walls were ordinary citizens.
Li Dayong decided to stop hiding it and openly came to the city gate to receive the supplies. However, his face darkened when he saw so many urgently needed items, which frightened the people around him so much that they dared not breathe.
The city gates opened and closed again, supplies were transported back, and the undisciplined temporary soldiers on the city gates gathered in small groups, discussing the future situation.
At this moment, more than a hundred people stood in the shanty on the right, their armor gleaming, holding bows in their hands and carrying more than a dozen arrows in quivers on their backs.