Zhou Kai didn't respond, seeming to be thinking about something.
Seeing this, Puyang County Sheriff laughed dryly again.
Being stared at, he was inevitably a little uncomfortable, so he subconsciously avoided his eyes, looked sideways at the city, and then exclaimed:
"General, look! The Qin army has actually retreated!"
"Oh?" Zhou Kai came back to his senses and hurriedly stepped forward, put his hands on the city wall, and leaned forward to look down.
After throwing the bamboo slips, the Qin army outside the city was indeed retreating. It came and retreated even faster. In just a moment, the peace outside the pass was restored, as if nothing had happened.
Seeing this scene, Zhou Kai couldn't help but take a deep breath, then looked at Puyang County Sheriff and said: "Master Zhang, King Qin has sinister intentions."
"Yes, if this happens, the morale of the military will be in chaos." Puyang County Sheriff also agreed.
At this time, some soldiers on the city defense gathered together in twos and threes, pointing at the bamboo slips in their hands.
Many people didn't know the words at all and couldn't help but curiously asked others:
"Huh? What is written on this..."
"I don't know either. Ask over there..."
"I don't know much about literacy. It seems to be a letter from the King of Qin persuading him to surrender, saying that our army's food and grass supplies have been cut off and we will be trapped here..."
The soldiers' discussion reached Zhou Kai's ears. Not to mention how harsh it was, he immediately became angry and said, "Stop discussing it!"
As he spoke, he pointed to a group of soldiers and said, "Put these bamboo slips away for me!"
"promise!"
A large number of soldiers immediately took action, gathering the bamboo slips here and burning them.
But the place where this happened was not just the south gate. Bamboo slips were also thrown in at the west gate, north gate and east gate. Many more fell into the city and were picked up by the people.
Zhou Kai couldn't suppress this matter at all. Coupled with the deliberate instigation of the Qin army in the city, Puyang became more and more panicked.
That evening, the meeting hall.
The generals of the Jin army gathered together. Zhou Kai first looked around, and then said straight to the point: "Today the Qin army came to the city and threw bamboo slips into the city. Everyone knows this, and you must have read the contents of the bamboo slips."
"Yes, General, this matter has spread throughout Puyang, and there have been riots in many places in the army. Our officers and soldiers are panicked, fearing that... they may not have the will to fight anymore." A general returned.
"It is the general's responsibility to have unstable military morale. Tell the soldiers not to believe these rumors! This is King Qin's treacherous plan to disrupt the morale of our military!" Zhou Kaidao.
"But...but general, our army is indeed in a desperate situation. There is no follow-up food and grass supplies at all, and it is besieged by a large army. How can we stabilize the morale of the army..."
"Shut up!" After hearing this, Zhou Kai immediately stared and said sternly: "As a general, you must be willing to fight to the death! If you can't control your subordinates, that's your problem! If you dare to talk nonsense again, you will engage in military law! "
As soon as he said this, he was startled, and he quickly lowered his body: "Yes, yes... I will understand."
"Humph!" Zhou Kai snorted coldly, then looked around again and said:
"Don't forget, you are all generals of our Jin army! Don't be fooled by King Qin's evil words!"
Hearing this, all the generals couldn't help but look at each other, and then said in unison: "Don't worry, General! We would rather die than surrender!"
"good!"
But having said that, in a desperate situation, if these generals don't have any ideas, it is definitely impossible. If you can get food, that's it. But the key problem is that Zhou Kai can't solve this problem, and the military morale It’s not chaotic, that’s weird!
After the discussion, all the Jin generals left the hall one after another. Outside, some people gathered together, shaking their heads and sighing slightly.
"General Zhou's words are nice, but the soldiers have no food. Let alone fighting, there will be a mutiny sooner or later. How can we suppress this matter..."
"Yes, as King Qin said, even if the Qin army does not attack, we will not have food and grass to support us..."
"Oh, let's take it one step at a time..."
the next day.
An ordinary residence in the city.
Three Jin soldiers broke through the door, all wearing armor and sabers hanging on their waists.
Hearing the noise, a young woman hurriedly came out to check. When she saw it was a soldier, she immediately felt nervous and asked cautiously:
"Three military masters, what are you..."
The leading soldier first looked around, and then said lukewarmly: "Looking at your family, there should be a lot of food. Recently, the army has been short of food, and the Qin army is about to attack the city again. You know what I mean. Bar?"
"This, this, the former county government collected the food, and the civilian girls have handed it over. Now there is really not much food left at home." The woman said hurriedly.
"Fart! How dare you hide this from the military master!" The soldier's tone suddenly changed, and he glared: "Today at noon, I saw smoke rising from your house, and you said there was no food! I fought with the Qin army in bloody battlefields to protect Puyang! How can we be hungry now! Let’s have a fight like this!”
As he spoke, he was not polite. He pushed the woman away with a palm and walked towards the house.
The woman couldn't withstand the palm, and was pushed to one side. Before she could get up, three soldiers had already broken into the house. Some went to the kitchen, and some went to the inner hall, and began to plunder. .
"Master, Master..." The woman hurriedly entered, but she didn't dare to stop him, and couldn't help but say something anxiously.
Not long after, a soldier actually dug out some hidden rations. It was a small bag of coarse rice, only the size of a bowl. But when you are in a tight situation, you can still survive by spreading some millet every day and making it into gruel. Some days.
Seeing that the last bit of food in the house had been found, the woman suddenly became anxious and couldn't help but hold the soldier's arm: "Master Jun, Master..."
"Didn't you say there is no food at home?" the soldier shouted.
"Sir, my father is ill in bed. How can he survive without this last bit of food? Please..." The woman held on to the soldier's arm and cried as she begged.
"Get away!" The soldier was furious and kicked him to the ground.
Under the military boots, how could a weak woman withstand it? She screamed in pain, but she still hugged the soldier's calf desperately: "Please, Master..."
"Damn it!" The soldier became angry and kicked her again. The woman was kicked to the side and curled up there, with blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.
Her eyes were full of pain and endless pleading, and she was still trying to reach out to the soldiers.
"Let's go!" I'm almost starving to death! The soldier ignored him and immediately raised his head and left with the other two people.
This scene only happened in a small corner of Puyang. There are many, many places where this happens in the city today...
As the saying goes, a defeated army is worse than a bandit, and a deserted army is a bandit.
Although the current Jin army has not yet reached this level, it is almost there.
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