Transmigrated into a minor official in a county government, with children at home waiting for rice t

Gu Yansheng's hand stopped on the rim of the teacup, and his brows furrowed for a moment.

He was a pragmatic man. He had worked as a clerk for ten years and a record clerk for ten years, handling countless documents and files and witnessing all sorts of tricks in officialdom, but he had never encountered such a deadly situation.

The fact that hundreds or even thousands of bandits are hiding within the county is a completely different matter from discrepancies in the accounts of money and grain.

He picked up the bowl, then put it down again, tapping his knuckles on the table to force himself to calm down. "Now that we know where the bandits are hiding, there's no need to hesitate. Immediately notify the patrol inspector and the military commander!"

"The prefectural government also needs to send a document. The duty of everyone in our Juancheng County government is to guard the city and prevent bandits from infiltrating."

He leaned towards Li Hang and said, "Your Excellency, I suggest that the north and south gates of the city be temporarily closed, leaving only the east and west gates open for passage."

"Twice the guards at the city gates, and thoroughly check everyone entering or leaving the city. Those carrying large luggage, those with mule or horse carts, unfamiliar faces, or those in groups should all be stopped. It's better to disrupt the livelihoods of merchants and ordinary people than to let a single thief slip in."

Yan Shizhong sat to the left of Feng Jian, his hands on his knees, his fingers gripping the fabric of his clothes, creating several deep creases.

After Gu Yansheng finished speaking, his Adam's apple bobbed twice, his lips moved, and his voice was squeezed out from between his teeth, with an uncontrollable tremor.

"Magistrate Gu is right, the city gates must be sealed. No, sealing them all would be even better! If all four gates are sealed, not a single person will be allowed in, and the bandits will be unable to enter the city..."

His voice suddenly rose a beat as he spoke, as if he had found a lifeline: "Your Excellency, I will immediately go to the workshop to prepare the materials. Rolling logs, lime, kerosene, and barbed wire, bring them all out and pile them on the city wall."

"Block the city gate openings with sandbags and logs, leaving only a small gap for people to pass through. They can't get in..."

His lips trembled, the corners of his mouth turned down, and tears were welling up in his eyes.

Zhang Sanlang shook his head as he watched, but he understood him very well.

Yan Shizhong came from a family of artisans, with three generations working in the workshop. The most common fights he had ever witnessed were two groups of ruffians vying for territory in the streets. He had never even imagined that seven or eight hundred bandits would attack a city.

Zhou Quan sat opposite Zhang Sanlang, his hands supporting his knees, his back ramrod straight. His face was also a little pale, but the corners of his mouth were pursed into a line, and his two mustaches remained motionless, clearly unwilling to show weakness in front of others.

"Since we knew the news in advance, there's nothing to be afraid of." His voice was a half-tone higher than usual when he spoke, carrying the unique toughness of a scholar.

"When Zichan governed Zheng, he did not destroy the village schools, and the people were at peace. Now, there are nearly four thousand people in our city of Juan, with at least a thousand able-bodied men, which is equal to, or even exceeds, the number of bandits. The bandits are not good at attacking cities; they can wait in comfort for the enemy to tire themselves out. What is there to fear?"

He paused, then tapped his finger on the table: "The most urgent task is to post notices to reassure the people and gather able-bodied men. Every household should send out able-bodied men to defend the city, dividing the city into sections to defend against the enemy."

"The south side of the city belongs to the south side, and the north side belongs to the north side; each guards their own section. With archers inside the city and patrol soldiers outside providing support, hold out for several days until the state government's imperial guards arrive to reinforce, and the bandits will retreat on their own."

He spoke with magnanimity, but when his fingers touched the table, they were somewhat stiff, causing him to wince in pain. Unlike Yan Shizhong, he didn't panic and reveal his true abilities, but this confidence came from books, not from his own heart.

Gu Yansheng glanced at him but didn't reply. He turned back to Li Hang and said, "Your Excellency, what Clerk Zhou said makes sense. But before we defend the city, we need to bring the people from the docks in."

"The people in the villages and hamlets on the outskirts of the city should take their food and supplies and build walls around their villages to defend themselves, so as to avoid being taken hostage by the bandits. The village heads and elders should all be mobilized to evacuate the women and children into the county town first."

He added, "The granaries must also be guarded. The summer taxes have just been deposited, and with the money and grain confiscated from the Chen and Kong families, most of it is piled up in the county granary. If these supplies fall into the hands of bandits, the consequences will be unimaginable."

The second hall was in complete chaos.

Gu Yansheng was talking about sealing off the city, Zhou Quan was talking about defending the city, and Yan Shizhong had already stood up and sat down again, muttering the number of rolling logs and lime.

Zhang Sanlang sat in the last chair, his eyelids drooping, his hands resting on his knees. Those present were either higher-ranking officials or more senior than him; it wasn't his turn to speak.

Feng Jian glanced around at everyone, a smile involuntarily creeping onto his lips. But it vanished in the blink of an eye, like a ripple on the surface of water caused by a breeze.

He lowered his head, picked up the teacup, and used the rim of the bowl to completely hide the slight smile. When he looked up again, his panicked expression was only slightly better than Yan Shizhong's.

Li Hang's gaze slid across Feng Jian's face and landed on Zhang Sanlang's face.

Zhang Sanlang slightly raised his eyelids, something flashed in his eyes, then he looked away again, reverting to his usual junior, timid demeanor.

Li Hang withdrew his gaze, remaining calm and composed.

Zhao Xie sat to Li Hang's left, his gaze fixed on Feng Jian, his brows furrowed in a deep frown.

He had been watching from the moment Feng Jian entered the room.

He had been thinking about it from the moment Feng Jian uttered his first words.

But he couldn't understand it.

What exactly is Feng Jian's purpose?

What good would it do him to put this information on the table?

Were all the previous reports wrong?

Zhao Xie ran his fingertips along the rim of the bowl twice, glanced at Li Hang, and saw that his expression was normal. He then glanced at Zhang Sanlang, saw that he was composed, and then looked away.

Can't figure it out?

Then I won't think about it anymore!

He put down his teacup, sat up straight, and looked relaxed.

Sun Jizu's changes were the most noticeable.

His back was as straight as a spear, and when he heard "seven or eight hundred bandits," his shoulders tensed up, his eyes twitched, and he looked at Feng Jian as if he were looking at a monster.

When he heard him reveal the three hiding places of the bandits, Sun Jizu frowned, then slowly relaxed, and the corners of his mouth even turned up slightly, with a hint of self-mockery that was hard to define.

Then that bit of self-deprecation dissipated, and his dignity returned.

He turned his head to look at Zhang Sanlang, then at Zhao Xie, his gaze lingering on Li Hang's face before finally settling on his empty right sleeve.

His expression seemed to say: You scholars all know what's going on, but I'm just a martial artist worrying about nothing. He gave up trying to figure it out, stared blankly, leaned back in his chair, and almost fell asleep.

The chaos in the second hall had been going on for a while.

Gu Yansheng was still talking about the city gate, while Zhou Quan was arguing with Yan Shizhong about whether to post notices first or conscript young men first. Yan Shizhong was so anxious that he kept wiping his forehead.

Li Hang suddenly raised his hand and slapped it twice on the table.

The sound wasn't loud, but the second hall fell silent instantly.

Gu Yansheng fell silent, Zhou Quan shut his mouth, and Yan Shizhong's hand remained on his forehead.

However, everyone's eyes were on Li Hang.

Li Hang's gaze swept across everyone's faces, finally landing on Feng Jian: "Clerk Feng, your message was timely. If it weren't for your reminder, Juancheng would be in grave danger. Everyone in the county government should remember your contribution."