Although there isn't much firewood in the granary, the grain stacks are very close to each other, so not much firewood is used at all. In addition, there is grease, and soon the grain stacks are filled with hay and dry firewood. Grease is sprinkled on top.
"Master, everything is ready." A bandit came to Cao Guang and said.
Cao Guang looked at several stacks of grain surrounded by firewood, waved his hand and said, "Light the fire."
Several bandits standing in a circle around the grain pile took out their fire sticks and lit the grease-stained hay.
The flames suddenly rose to a high place, and soon they became one. All the hay in the circle of the grain pile burned, and then the dry firewood below was ignited, and the flames suddenly burst out.
The six grain stacks were covered with straw mats, which caught fire, and each grain stack also started to burn.
The flames jumped several feet high, and a large area of the sky northeast of Zhuangzi burned red.
"The water is leaking, the water is leaking, hurry up and put out the fire!"
The families closest to the granary were the first to discover the fire in the granary and ran out of their homes one after another.
Some of the people held wooden basins and some carried buckets.
There is a well not far from the granary, and people have already begun to draw water from the well to put out the fire.
Cao Guang said to a corps commander: "Take your people and stop the people who are putting out the fire. Don't allow them to get close to the granary."
The granary had not been burning for long, and now that it was put out, most of the grain in the several stacks could be saved. After all the effort to get to Zhuangzi, he would not allow him to retreat without getting things done.
The team leader received the order and shouted to the people in his team: "Everyone pick up the rifles and bayonets to stop the people who want to put out the fire."
Each rifle is more than three feet long. With a bayonet attached, it is almost like an iron gun.
There are blood grooves on both sides of the bayonet blade, which is shiny all over, and shines with a cold light under the firelight.
The people who were preparing to put out the fire stopped rushing towards the granary when they saw a dozen strange iron guns and a dozen strong men wearing cotton armor behind them.
The common people living in Zhuangzi are all military households of the Tiancheng Guard. Although they have not known how to fight for a long time and only know how to farm, they can see the dozens of strange spears in front of them and the young and strong men wearing cotton armor. I know these people are capable people.
The corps commander sent by Cao Guang shouted to the people in front of him who wanted to put out the fire: "Everyone stand back. If anyone dares to take a step forward, I will poke a hole in his body with the bayonet in my hand."
The common people who came to put out the fire just wanted to put out the fire. Facing these fierce bandits, they no longer dared to move forward, and the timid ones even sneaked away.
"Everyone is on alert. If anyone tries to attack the granary, kill them on the spot." The corporal commander gave another order to his men.
More than a dozen bandits stood motionless with rifles in hand, the tips of their bayonets pointed at the civilians in front of them.
The fire in the granary burned bigger and bigger. Even in the coldest month of winter, people around the granary could feel the warmth brought by the fire.
Although many people were afraid, they did not leave.
Several families living near the granary did not leave. They were the most anxious to put out the fire. At this time of year, the weather was dry and the fire was strong, and it was easy for their own houses to be burned.
Some people saw that these bandits had no intention of harming them, so they simply stayed.
The fire became more and more intense, and the grain in the grain pile burned. The fire reached the sky, and the entire Zhuangzi was illuminated by the fire.
An older man said tremblingly: "Everyone, please let us go to put out the fire! If the fire continues like this, all the food will be destroyed."
"Yes! If you burn a few more grain stacks, all the grain will be burned."
"Please, good man, let us go and put out the fire!"
Someone took the lead, and other people begged to let them go over to put out the fire.
"Everyone stand back."
The captain among the bandits took a step forward with his bayonet in hand, forcing the common people who were pushing forward to retreat.
Seeing that they were unable to put out the fire, some people began to sneak away to deliver messages to Neizhuang.
The fire in the granary was burning more and more fiercely.
The two bandits who were guarding the only way from the inner village to the outer village ran back.
"Master, the people in the inner village discovered that the granary was on fire and began to rush towards the granary."
Cao Guang glanced at the several grain stacks that were on fire.
The fire has burned to this extent. Even if we come to put out the fire now, it is already too late. Most of the food will be burned.
Thinking of this, he said: "Tell the brothers to withdraw."
Beep! Beep! Beep!
With the sound of several copper whistles, Cao Guang and the people he brought began to retreat outside Zhuangzi along the original road.
The people who had been stopped before and wanted to put out the fire saw that the bandits who were blocking the way were all gone. They picked up the barrels and basins in their hands and started filling water to put out the fire in the granary.
The granary is some distance away from the village gate.
When they came, Cao Guang and others smeared Jinzhuang, so there were not many people there, and there were no pedestrians on the street. But when they left, there were many people on the street, all of them people who were preparing to put out the fire.
"The guards of Neizhuang are chasing us." A bandit said to Cao Guang.
There were many people on the street who were going to put out the fire, and they all rushed towards the food and grass. Cao Guang and others who were going against them couldn't escape fast at all, and they watched helplessly as the guards behind them caught up.
Not only that, these guards also brought many young men from Zhuangzi, numbering nearly a hundred, and surrounded Cao Guang and the others from all directions.
"Damn it, why don't these people put out the fire?" Cao Guang couldn't help but curse.
If they run like this, they will be overtaken by the guards chasing after them before they can escape from Zhuangzi.
There are only a few dozen of them in total. If they are really trapped in Zhuangzi, it will be difficult to escape.
"Master, you take the people and leave first, I will stay and block them." A corps commander shouted to Cao Guang.
"We can't stop. They all run out of Zhuangzi. As long as they escape from Zhuangzi, it doesn't matter how many people they have." Cao Guang shouted loudly.
At this time, it doesn't matter how many people are left to resist Zhuangzi's guards. There are too many people chasing after them, and the people left behind will never have a chance to escape from Zhuangzi.
There are only more than twenty people around him, and even if a small team of men is left behind, it will not be of much use to so many guards and young men chasing after him in Zhuangzi.
At this time, they were still more than a hundred steps away from the village gate, and the guard and Qingzhuang chasing them were only more than twenty steps away from them, and they could already see each other's faces.
"Master, let's fight, we can't escape." said a person next to Cao Guang.
Cao Guang turned back and glanced at the guards of Zhuangzi who were chasing after him. He hesitated in his heart, knowing very well that once they fought, it would be difficult for them to escape from Zhuangzi, and they would know their fate even if they didn't want to.
"Master, if you don't take action, it will be too late." The man next to him urged.
Cao Guang felt a little regretful.
If I hadn't been too greedy and wanted to burn more food, I wouldn't have missed the best opportunity to escape from Zhuangzi.
When he set the fire, he thought that when the fire spread, Zhuangzi would become chaotic, and he had every chance to lead people to take advantage of the chaos to find Zhuangzi.
But what he didn't expect was that the guards in Zhuangzi were all experienced soldiers. Not only were they not panicked by the fire, but they would bite them and not let go.
