The sky in Shou'an City has just turned bright, and the loud sounds of training have already sounded throughout the city. The sounds of fighting with different pitches penetrated the still lingering morning fog and gathered in the air.
Military morning exercises in Shou'an City are not just the responsibilities of the garrison, internal guard station, and government patrol officers.
Ordinary people, regardless of gender, young or old, and even some who are not healthy, responded to the government's call to train their physical fitness, improve their combat power, and master self-protection skills as much as possible.
Fuzhou and county government officials were not idle either. They specially found a place to provide free combat training to the people under their jurisdiction.
Of course, considering that weapons could not be distributed on a large scale, the government office sought out instructors responsible for training the government officials and developed a training method that used farm tools instead of weapons in combat.
Unexpectedly, this method was given to the people of Shou'an City, and the training effect was excellent. In the fields, men, women, and children can often be seen wielding rakes, hoes, sickles, sticks, knives and axes, competing with the scarecrows tied up one by one, as if they were facing them. The target is not a target standing still, but a group of real enemies.
"Sister Yuan, look at how enthusiastic everyone is in training!" Anyu and Shengyuan stood on a hillside not far from the official road and looked at the groups of sweaty people. They couldn't help but feel a little relieved.
Sheng Yuan also did not expect that the people of Shou'an City would be so obedient in martial arts training. As soon as the government office's proposal was released, no one in the city objected. Not only did they actively respond to the training provided by various government offices, but they also persisted in their own efforts train.
Sheng Yuan was a little surprised to see the whole city practicing martial arts.
She had never been so clearly aware of the differences among the people on the border.
"It's just that the training time is too short. If you really meet the A Rong traitors, I'm afraid you will panic."
Sheng Yuan smiled: "I didn't ask everyone to go to the battlefield. Instead of staying at home and scaring yourself, why not turn fear into motivation for training... What's more, sometimes, the instincts trained are more reliable, right? ?”
An Yu looked at the heated training ahead and agreed with Sheng Yuan's view: "That's right. Even if you can't practice skills, it's good to practice courage. At least in times of crisis, it's still possible for everyone to develop courage instead of shrinking back."
"If everyone's guns are aimed at Ajong, chaos will not be easy within Shou'an City." Sheng Yuan's original purpose of letting the people in the city practice martial arts training was not to improve the people's combat effectiveness, but to promote stability through unity.
"Since the eight surnamed families were sent to the countryside for refuge, the originally impetuous atmosphere in Fucheng and several upper-class prefectures and counties has become much calmer." Anyu couldn't help but laugh when she thought of the families that Sheng Yuan had asked to voluntarily take refuge in the countryside. "It's a good idea to break them up and place them in various villages, and use their assets to hire many villagers to keep tabs on them."
Although he did not know that Sheng Yuan had also placed internal guards among the villagers and gentry, this did not affect his praise of Sheng Yuan's actions.
"It's just that if Fucheng is defended, what will these noble gentry do?" Anyu looked at the energetic faces in the distance through the monocular, feeling a little unbearable, "I'm afraid they will hate these villagers. .”
The eight surnames and thirteen families in Shou'an City are intertwined. It may be an exaggeration to say that one prospered and the other suffered losses, but it is true that the interests are intertwined.
This is just the city of Shou'an, not counting their relationship with other powerful cities.
Even though they were just gentry from the border areas, they looked far away from the center of Kyoto, but in fact, their tentacles had already reached some powerful people in Kyoto.
Otherwise, how could he and Sister Yuan be impeached by officials again and again.
"They hate us and may not dare to take revenge, but they may not have any worries about the villagers." Anyu looked sideways at Shengyuan.
"They have been entrenched in Shou'an City for too long." Sheng Yuan looked back and winked at him, "Although the impeachment sounds are a bit noisy, the opposite is inevitable. The powerful people from the border have the ability to drive the powerful people in the capital to appeal for them. That is the cabinet minister. We don’t take this seriously, and the Emperor can’t tolerate it either.”
"Could we move them back to the inland?" Anyu didn't have much fondness for those families. He just felt that if he brought them to the inland of the Central Plains, he would just find partners for the pack of jackals in the inland.
"Brother Yu, you are obviously looking forward, but why do you always look back?" Shengyuan patted his shoulder and pointed in the direction of the grassland, "If we defeat Ajong in one fell swoop, the border between us and Nurhan If an agreement is reached, then the vast grasslands will always have to be relocated where people used to live.
Most of the old powerful men in the eight border cities were families who had immigrated earlier. Wouldn't it be better if their rich experience could be used to help the court stabilize the border? Sheng Yuan drew a topographic map on Anyu's arm with her finger, "Toyi Ancient Country and Nurhan and the grassland are across the river. If we build an outer city on the riverside and let these big families move here, it can be regarded as a stable border. . "
"I'm afraid that over time, they will serve the enemy..." Anyu didn't have much trust in the character of those wealthy families.
"As long as the radish can be hung well, why are you afraid that the mule won't work?" Sheng Yuan continued to write and draw on his arm with a smirk, "The outer city near the border is set up as a place for mutual trade. The border area of the Three Kingdoms is connected in all directions. Beyond the ancient kingdom of Tuoyi and Nurhan, we can reach the Far East and Europe. If we pass through their straits, we can reach even further places.
As long as the business is well managed, why worry about underdeveloped commerce in outer cities?
When the outer city's economy develops and foreign businessmen gather, these large households entrenched in the outer city may not be willing to completely surrender to Tuoyigu and Nurhan.
What's more, behind the outer city is a garrison that rotates from time to time, and there are censors and internal guards who supervise the garrison. Several parties restrain each other, and it is not easy for the big families to plan. "
Hearing what Sheng Yuan said, Anyu breathed a sigh of relief: "If it can be arranged, that would be great!"
While he was talking, he saw a pair of postmen passing by the path. He suddenly remembered that Sheng Yuan's uncle Sheng Xiangya had sent someone to look for her a few days ago, and he couldn't help but ask: "Does your uncle have an explanation?"
Sheng Yuan shrugged: "He said that the border defense matters are all under control. He asked me to calm down the people in the city and there is no need to panic. If there is a flowing Ajong army coming to attack the city, as long as we withstand the first two waves of attacks, Reinforcements are coming to help."
"Reinforcements? Doesn't it mean the replacement troops guarding Ping City?" An Yu scratched his head, "Most of the garrison troops we replaced to guard An City were transferred from there... Although there are many people left, they have effective combat effectiveness. It's only a small amount, and you can divide it into eight cities on the border, so how can you take care of it?"
"Although there are nine armies under my grandfather's command, the battlefield for this battle is the entire grassland. I'm afraid it is spread out and there is no time to take care of the border cities."
Sheng Yuan turned his gaze and looked in the direction of Luodu Mountain: "If the reinforcements are strong, they can be divided into two. One side will wait for you to enter the urn, and the other side will climb over the mountain and attack proactively."
"What if the troops are limited?" After Anyu said this, he started to shiver.
But before he could stop shivering, Sheng Yuan's faint sigh could be heard in his ears: "If the strength of the reinforcements is limited, unless the commander is dedicated to serving the country, they will probably have to stay outside the mountains and wait for work."
