Chapter 65: Hardship and Hunger

  Shi Jin carefully examined the map, looked at it for a while, and suddenly straightened up. He faced Shi Yan and said: "Brother, your lightness skill is unparalleled in the world. Tonight, change into night-traveling clothes, and sneak back to Shao Hua Mountain under the cover of darkness. Tell Zhu Wu about the situation here, and also bring back the situation there. We can make plans for the next step."

  Shi Qian nodded, clasped his hands together in a greeting to the two brothers, and smiled: "Don't worry, two brothers! I'll pack up and leave right away. Is there anything you'd like me to pass on to Zhu Wu?"

  Shi Jin thought for a moment, slightly shook his head, and then looked up at the beam of the city gate with a distant expression. He thought for a while, still shaking his head. Then he turned to Shi Yan and said, "Hmm... just tell Zhu Wu to teach him to guard Mount Shao Hua wholeheartedly, and the safety of the Shi family's old and young will be entrusted to him." Shi Jin turned to Chen Da and asked, "Do you have anything to say?"

  Chen Da shook his head and said, "There's nothing else, just teach them to take better care of themselves."

  "Look at the two brothers talking, don't make it sound so life-and-death, okay? We haven't even had a good fight with that official's family yet, and you're already bringing out this tragic tone." Shi Qian said with a smile.

  Chen Da knew what Shi Qian meant. If even they were pessimistic, the brothers below would become disheartened and the battle would be lost before it was even fought. Actually, he wasn't that pessimistic in his heart, so he also forced out a smile and searched every nook and cranny to make excuses for himself. In his heart, there was something he wanted to say to express his current feelings, which he had once heard Zhu Wu Gege mention, but now no matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn't think of it: "I haven't given up, this is called... until death... then rebirth!"

  "That's called 'casting it into a life or death situation and then bringing it back to life.'" Shi Jing listened and understood what Chen Da wanted to express, so he corrected him.

  Chen Da's face lit up with a silly grin as he repeatedly nodded and said: "Right, right, that's it, that's it!"

  At this, he also smiled, seeing that everyone was facing great difficulties but could still talk and laugh, and his heart felt inexplicably relaxed. It seemed as if he didn't go out to find an opportunity to escape from the layers of encirclement by the government soldiers, but rather it was a pleasant solo outing, and in his heart, there seemed to be no danger at all.

  Shi Qian then clasped his fists and turned back to the subject with a smile, saying: "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave first!" After that, he turned around and left.

  Before Shi Qian's feet had left the city gate, Shi Jin suddenly had an idea and hastily called out to him: "Tell Zhu Wu to quickly clear a wide empty space of over one zhang in front of the mountain gate by cutting down the shrubs, to prevent the imperial envoy from using fire attacks."

  Shi Qian nodded and smiled: "I've got it, brother, don't worry!"

  Shi Jin saw Shi Yan's unusual smile and was afraid he would make a mistake, so he instructed him: "Be careful on the way, don't mess around in front of the government army, be mindful of everything!"

  At that time, Shi Xiu reluctantly agreed to Shi Jin's request, and as soon as he turned around, he began to do his own task.

  At the same time, Shi Jin and Chen Da sat back at the table. Chen Da looked at the map, pointed to Lianshan Pass outside the west gate, and said to Shi Jin: "Brother, after this afternoon's breakout, the officials have used up all their tricks, and the big camp at the foot of the western mountain has also been burned down. Will they change the northern camp back to a large camp overnight, mobilize all the soldiers and horses to come and block Lianshan Pass, in order to completely cut off our way back to the mountain stronghold?"

  "My brother's idea is just what I was thinking. Although we are short of food and water, we have the advantage of terrain. With this city as our base, it won't be easy for him to attack us, he'll have to pay a heavy price. What I'm worried about... is that Meng won't come to attack, but will use a strategy to wear us down without fighting. He'll let us get stuck here and starve to death." By this point Shi Jing felt the importance of time, they had to seize every opportunity to fight again tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest. Otherwise, the longer we go hungry, the more unfavorable it will be for us.

  But Shi Jin did not say this, and for the time being, the government troops would not attack the city again. The most troublesome thing was not the external war, but the internal contradictions within the city, lack of food and water, severe illness and plague, which were urgent matters to be dealt with at present.

  Shi Jin sighed and said, "I'm not worried about the government troops coming to attack. What I'm afraid of is that our brothers will be so hungry that they'll go and rob the civilians' food. At that time, the whole city will be in an uproar, and the civilians will rise up against us."

  "This is absolutely out of the question." Chen Da immediately vetoed upon hearing it.

  This made Shi Jin puzzled, when people are hungry to the point of losing their lives, how can they still maintain such high organizational discipline. Listening to the old folks say that even during the famine, there were people who ate human flesh. So Shi Jin looked at Chen Da and shook his head saying: "It's like this now, but when the time comes, we won't be able to restrain ourselves."

  Chen Da listened and knew that Shi Jin had misunderstood his words, sighed and said: "Even the common people have no food, even if you order to rob, it can't be robbed!"

  "What! Where is the grain for the common people?" Shi Jin heard this and felt as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning.

  "I heard that the grain of the common people was collected by that dog county magistrate before we captured Huayin County, stored in the granary and distributed as needed every day. Now all the grain in this county is gone."

  Shi Jin finally understood why there was a magnificent scene of flames shooting into the sky that night. It turned out that all the grain and hay in the entire city had been burned down. Moreover, Shi Jin once again saw the cruel and sinister methods of the county magistrate. No wonder on that night, the righteous army formed by the common people could fight so desperately. The county magistrate was using a noble and justifiable excuse to control the lives and deaths of the common people, using this to control them during battles, and when besieged, he could ensure his own officials had food and clothing without worry. When the war subsided, he would secretly embezzle a batch of grain and hay to make a fortune, and by opening the granary to relieve the disaster, he could still gain a good reputation. The county magistrate's method of taking advantage of the situation was truly unparalleled, being cunning and ruthless in every way! Fortunately, he died miserably at Shi Jin's hands; otherwise, if such a person were left alive, the common people would still be calculated and manipulated by him, and there would be no good days to come.

  But this corrupt official died with a clear conscience, leaving behind this mess, which was enough to worry Shi Jin for a whole night.

  Shi Jin is now facing not just the food problem of several thousand brothers, but the life and death of tens of thousands of people in the whole city. He made up his mind, feeling a bit restless, and secretly sighed to Chen Da: "You go and tidy up the soldiers and horses, gather all the brothers who are good at riding and shooting, and take them to Wu San's place to see if the city wall is almost repaired, then call him back to guard the west gate. I'll go into the city to take a look, after midnight we'll come back and make a decision."

  Chen Dachao stepped forward, clasped his fists and said firmly: "Everything is left to me, brother. It's better for you to go down to the city with one or two brothers. If there's anything, it's good to have someone to run errands. Otherwise, with your injury, Old Lei will worry again."

  Shi Jin nodded and said, "Then take one with you, nothing will happen." Chen Da called his personal attendant, named Golden Footboard. After instructing him for a few sentences, he went out of the city gate to attend to his own matters.