The Daily Life of a Down-on-Hard-Life Medicine Girl Supporting Her Family

Chapter 222

"You just need to figure out the fastest way to get this information to the people in the city. I will take care of the rest."

All the deputy generals and strategists understood one thing: the general really did have a way to get the grain.

That's amazing!

You must understand, this is Sichuan, thousands of kilometers away from the city.

The fact that even a general has backup here shows how powerful he is!
The goal was to distribute the leaflets to the people as quickly as possible. Everyone looked at each other, and finally, Mr. Nan came up with the idea: print and distribute leaflets.

A few simple words were printed on sheets of paper, and then arrows were shot into the city in the dark of night.

If one person finds it, it might be shown to ten people; if ten people see it, it can be passed on to hundreds, or even thousands or tens of thousands of people.

"We are all of the same origin, why are you so eager to harm each other? As fellow citizens of the Great Xia, His Majesty is very worried about your safety and has specially ordered General Xia to lead troops to Shu to protect you. As long as the city gates are open, each household will be supplied with five catties of affordable grain per day based on their household registration..."

Overnight, these flyers were everywhere in the city.

"What's going on? What are you guys doing?"

The man who called himself General Ma flew into a rage, while his lieutenants and advisors dared not utter a sound.

The city has been besieged for seven days, and not only the civilians but also the soldiers have no food.

The people who were previously tied up and sent to the city gate are now too weak from hunger to even walk to the city gate.

If you faint from hunger, just collapse on the spot; this tactic won't work anymore.

Most importantly, a lot of soldiers were conscripted and many able-bodied men were captured after seeing these leaflets, which means that their morale was bound to be unstable after seeing them.

"Keep a close watch on me. If there is any disturbance, kill without mercy."

"You're all too naive. Xia Guangcheng comes from the capital. Who would be his ally and send him food?"

“We received intelligence that their own food supplies will not last more than a few days. If we hold on, they will be defeated without a fight.”

Watching General Ma speak so eloquently, the deputy generals below all felt uncertain.

Their provisions won't last more than a few days, so what about the provisions in their own city? They'd struggle to last even three days.

Persistence? Who can persist even within the confines of a besieged city?

It's probably our own group that's truly defeated without a fight.

For the first time, I doubted whether my initial choice was a mistake.

Following the King of Shu in his rebellion, the merit of becoming a heir to the throne was not so easy.

In just over a year, they quickly occupied major prefectures and counties in Shu, but remained trapped in Shu and unable to leave.

The emperor was far away and the Shu king was already the king of Shu. He couldn't rebel outside of Shu, so his rebellion was a lonely affair.

They didn't know what the King of Shu was thinking, but seeing General Ma's angry outburst, they all felt uneasy.

The winner takes all and the loser is condemned; even if you fly into a rage, you can't change the outcome.

They just casually handed out some flyers, and you broke through their defenses like this. It seems like taking over the city is easy too.

Once morale collapses, no one can stop the other's attack.

"Go and confiscate them all. Don't let anyone keep a single one. Anyone caught doing so will be executed without mercy."

What the hell is this?

Everyone lowered their heads and remained silent.

Overnight, flyers were rained down on the city from all directions, and with the strong winds that blew last night, they were everywhere.

Many of them were picked up by the people.

They probably had no idea what was written on it; they just wanted to pick it up and start a fire or something.

If they don't recognize the words on the sign, they'll definitely ask someone to read them to them.

It was already noon, and these flyers had been in the city for a long time; their contents were already memorized.

How do you take away what's stored in someone else's heart?
Instead of doing these futile efforts, we should think carefully about how to prepare for the battle.

What General Ma didn't know was just how powerful this leaflet was.

The soldiers guarding the gate couldn't sit still any longer.

"Brother Stone, I'm hungry."

"Stop talking, I'm starving too."

"What should I do? My parents can't get out of bed."

……

It's not just one person's home that's like this; if things continue like this, everyone will only face certain death.

Did you see that flyer?

"I saw it; it said it was a capital offense. I used it as toilet paper."

"Me too, but do you really think it's possible to buy food at a fair price?"

"do not know."

"I heard that General Xia is a very considerate general who never abandons his soldiers, even those who are disabled."

"Yes, the compensation for those who died in battle is very high, twenty taels of silver more than that for other generals and soldiers."

"He was a good general."

"My grandfather once served under General Xia. He said that General Xia was strict in disciplining his troops, brave in battle, and deeply loved by the soldiers. The current General Xia is the grandson of the oldest general and grew up in the military camp..."

They quickly pieced together a piece of information by exchanging words: General Xia Guangcheng was a trustworthy person.

and so……

You look at me, I look at you.

"Brothers, instead of waiting to die, let's fight."

"what do you mean……"

No need for further explanation, everyone understands what I mean.

"But, what if..."

"Stone, I consider you a brother, can I trust you?"

“Brother Zhu, you’ve always been my brother.”

"Okay, here's the deal: I'll do it. If we succeed and survive, that's great; if I fail, you can look after the family for me, okay?"

“Brother Zhu, we are brothers. When fighting tigers, brothers fight side by side, and fathers and sons fight side by side. If we have to do it, we will do it together; if we have to die, we will die together.”

"Brother, there's no need. This matter doesn't need to drag so many people into it. I alone am enough."

“Brother Zhu, we brothers have never distinguished between high and low. Since it’s about survival, and we might even make a difference, let’s do it together. We’ll share the good times and the bad.”

"Yes, let's do it together."

The brothers clenched their fists, determined to give it their all.

"Then let's discuss what to do. Staying alive is the best option."

"It's better than this..."

Three cobblers are better than one Zhuge Liang. They got together, each contributing their ideas, and finally came up with a plan.

"Little Fish, do you know a few words? Write a note and slip it outside the city gate."

"What if the other person didn't see it?"

"Don't worry, since they've cast the bait, they're definitely waiting for the fish to bite. They'll see it."

"Okay, I'll write."

Little Fish wrote down the time and the plan for this place, and slipped it through the crack in the city gate when he was on duty inspecting it.

"how?"

Outside the city gate, Xia Guangcheng asked.

"General, our men found this outside the city gate."

The note was small, with a date and a name on it.

"Remember these men well; they'll be richly rewarded later," Xia Guangcheng said. "Pass down the order: be prepared at all times."

The guards were exhausted and hungry in the middle of the night, and were drowsy.

"It's gone, it's gone."

Suddenly a scream rang out, and someone saw a raging fire burning in their campsite. They were immediately awakened and everyone rushed to put out the fire.

"Stone, Pillar, it's our turn."

"Okay, let's go." Unlike their usual approach to putting out a fire, they headed towards the city gate.

With everyone working together, the city gates, which had been closed for seven days, were opened.

Under the moonlight, seeing thick smoke billowing from the city, Xia Guangcheng gave the order: Enter the city!

Some of the lieutenants didn't understand the reason and were still wondering how they could get in when the city gates were closed.
As a result, when they arrived at the city gate, it had already been opened.

"General Xia... General Xia..."

This was a betrayal, and Stone Pillar and the others were still very uneasy.

"Deputy General Hu, take these young men to rest and bring them some good food."

real or fake?

"You have made great contributions. Rest assured, the general has already ordered that you be richly rewarded and your families will be well taken care of."

"The people in that city..."

"The general has ordered that no one should disturb the people upon entering the city, and no one should engage in any improper behavior. Soldiers who surrender should not be killed; only the stubborn ones should be executed. Grain will be distributed first thing tomorrow morning, and each household can buy five catties of grain at a fair price based on their household registration book..."

So, did they really find a way to survive for all the people in the city?

Does this grain really exist?
"You must be hungry, come with me to get something to eat."

I was starving, I was dizzy and seeing stars, and my ears were ringing.

Upon seeing this food, they could hardly believe their eyes.

Not only is there rice, but there's also meat!

"This was specially prepared for you by the general. Please eat as much as you like. There will be a generous reward later."

"Really? Is this going to be my last meal before I'm executed?"

"What are you thinking? The general isn't a bloodthirsty monster. If he kills all those who have rendered meritorious service, who will surrender in the future?"

This is true.

Then...

"Eat up! Even if we die, we must eat our fill before we go. We can't die of starvation!"

The brothers then ate to their hearts' content.

General Xia captured Changzhou without lifting a finger.

"Reporting to the general, the grain transport army has arrived at the city gate."

"Pass down the order: all residents of the city shall go to the city gate with their household registration book to buy grain at a fair price. Each household shall purchase five catties of grain per day. No resale or price increase is allowed. Anyone who violates this order shall have their grain purchase qualification revoked immediately."

"Yes."

Everyone was very excited.

Who would believe it? The general divided his troops into two teams, one to transport grain and the other to attack the city.

I originally thought these were tough nuts to crack.

As a result, everything was completed in just two hours.

The people of Changzhou were so shocked in the middle of the night that they could buy grain and survive.

Early in the morning, long queues filled the city gate.

The soldiers didn't yell or scold them, but patiently made them line up.

"Don't push, there's plenty of grain. If you push, no one will be able to buy any. Come one at a time."

Those at the back of the line were naturally very anxious, genuinely afraid that there wouldn't be any food left when it was their turn.

Previously, when the rebels entered the city, the grain stores were forced to open for business, and people lined up to buy grain, but when it was their turn, they couldn't buy any.

"If the crowd continues, we'll lose our eligibility to buy grain."

This was more effective than anything else; no one dared to squeeze in anymore.

"I bought it! I really bought grain at a low price. It's only ten coins a pound, just like before."

Is it millet or rice?

"There's no rice for sale."

Millet that costs ten coins a pound—I could laugh in my dreams!

How many kilograms did you buy?

"Five jin per family, no more than that, but we can buy more tomorrow."

"Is this enough to eat?"

“We have a large family, so it’s not enough, but we certainly won’t starve to death.”

"That's wonderful, General Xia is wonderful."

"Yes, it would have been better if he had come sooner."

On the city wall, General Xia looked at the people below the city gate, then turned to General Ma and his men, who were bound hand and foot.

"Do you see clearly now? What do the people need? What can you give them?"

"General Ma, I respect you as a true man. You made countless contributions to the frontier in the past. Now that you have come to this state, I feel sorry for you."

"The victor is king, the loser is a bandit. Enough with the nonsense. Do whatever you want with me."

It would be a lie to say I don't regret it!
General Ma was also a renowned battlefield general who rose step by step from a common soldier to the position of general.

His childhood dream was to protect his country, fight the enemy, and make meritorious contributions.

Who could have imagined that fate would play such a cruel trick, and that the Ma family would be demoted to Sichuan due to some incident?

The King of Shu not only did not look down on him, but also gave him an important position.

They gave him command of an army of 30,000 and treated him like a brother.

"The King of Shu has treated me with the greatest kindness, and I, Ma, am willing to die for him without hesitation."

"General Ma, you're being foolish."

Even at this point, he's still serving the King of Shu.

"Why does the King of Shu value you so highly? He has plenty of capable people around him. Is it really because your abilities are extraordinary?"

"Believe it or not, after this defeat, he will pin all the blame on you. You'll be a scapegoat."

When Xia Guangcheng revealed the truth, General Ma was completely dumbfounded.

Yes, the King of Shu had many confidants, so why did he only give important positions to himself, a person who had joined him halfway through his life?
He had always been the one issuing orders, and the King of Shu said he trusted him, never issuing a single word of written instruction.

Given the King of Shu's suspicious nature, his complete trust in me was already abnormal.

Xia Guangcheng's words made him suddenly realize: he had been used as a pawn.

The Ma family ultimately failed because of their own actions.

A metallic taste of blood shot into his throat, which he swallowed back forcefully.

"There's still one thing I don't understand."

"General Ma, please speak."

"Where did you get so much grain?" General Ma replied, "As far as I know, the Shu region, especially Changzhou, suffered a poor harvest three years ago due to natural disasters. Grain production has been low in recent years, and most people have no surplus grain to sell."

As soon as he arrived, he mobilized so much grain.

"And how can you guarantee that these grains will continue to be supplied?"

General Ma firmly believed that if he had that much grain, he would not be the one to lose.

Not reconciled!

"General Ma, you should know this fact: those who act justly will find many supporters, while those who act unjustly will find few." Xia Guangcheng said calmly, "What I am doing is advocating for the people, so naturally there will be people willing to lend me a hand."

"you……"

So angry!
But there is nothing that can be done.

The tide has turned, and death is inevitable.

What's the point of him still living?

"General Ma..."

Noticing that General Ma was not in good condition, Xia Guangcheng stepped forward and pinched his chin, but it was too late. A spurt of blood gushed out of his mouth, staining Xia Guangcheng's shirt red.

"General Ma, why are you doing this?"

Xia Guangcheng felt no joy. He knew all too well that General Ma had been deceived by the King of Shu, but he was also powerless to do so. Although they were generals, the power was still in the hands of the royal family, and he could neither change nor resist it.