In the famine, others ate Guanyin soil, but he had space to build a farm.

Chapter 123 The Effect of Half a Catty of Food

In this chaotic world of war and smoke, the rarity of food seems to have surpassed all the treasures in the world. Who would have thought that this meager ration of only half a pound a day could gather such a great power in people's hearts and become their firm belief in resisting foreign enemies and defending their homeland.

In this county town that has been eroded by time but still stands tall, the residents who have experienced wars seem to be drawn by an invisible force and gather towards the city wall from all directions. The afterglow of the setting sun shines on the mottled bricks and stones of the city wall, reflecting their tired but determined faces. That is the hope that grows out of despair and the tenacity forged by suffering.

Zhang Shui stood in the bustling crowd, his eyes sweeping over the team of more than a thousand people, their eyes flashing with desire for the future and anticipation for victory. A warm current surged in his heart, as if he saw the hope of this county regaining peace. He turned to Zhang Shan beside him, and said with some excitement: "Brother, look, these people are willing to fight for our homeland. This time we really have hope of defending this city wall!"

Zhang Shan nodded slightly, his eyes deep. He knew very well that this was not only a battle to defend his homeland, but also a battle for the support of the people. The tyranny of the imperial court had made the people lose their trust, and they were more willing to fight for a leader who could bring them hope. He nodded and said to Zhang Shui: "You are right, the participation of these people proves that the imperial court has lost the support of the people. You should organize them immediately and divide these people into several groups to guard different parts of the city wall."

Zhang Shui heard this and immediately took action. He shuttled through the crowd, shouting loudly, dividing people into small teams, and arranging the tasks of defending the city in an orderly manner. His voice was sonorous and powerful, as if it could dispel the fear and anxiety in people's hearts.

At this time, Zhang Shan's eyes fell on a figure in the distance. It was Chen Dong, who was standing alone in the corner of the city wall, with a deep and complicated look in his eyes. Zhang Shan's heart moved, and he walked up to pat Chen Dong on the shoulder and said, "Chen Dong, you have made a great contribution this time."

Chen Dong was slightly stunned when he heard Zhang Shan's words. He thought he would be regarded as a traitor after surrendering, but he didn't expect Zhang Shan to trust him so much. A complex emotion surged in his heart, both grateful and guilty. He nodded, turned and walked towards the city wall, silently vowing in his heart to atone for his actions.

"Master Zhang!" Chen Dong suddenly stopped and turned to Zhang Shan and said, "These residents have been hungry for a long time! If we ask them to directly participate in the battle, I'm afraid they will not be able to do it. In my opinion, it is better to cook some porridge for them to drink first, so that they can recover some strength."

Zhang Shan nodded when he heard this. He had indeed not considered this. Although these residents were willing to fight for their homes, their bodies were already exhausted. If they directly participated in the battle, I am afraid the effect would not be good. He immediately ordered someone to cook more porridge for the residents to drink.

As night fell, the lights on the city wall gradually lit up. The more than 3,000 people looked more determined and powerful under the lights. They knew that as long as they were united and worked together, nothing could stop them from defending their homeland.

At this time, General Liu finally arrived outside Xisha County with 5,000 troops. He did not rush to attack the city, but set up camp on a hill outside the city. He stood on a high place and looked down at the county. He saw torches like dragons and figures on the city wall. It was obvious that the defenders were ready for battle.

General Liu frowned, feeling somewhat worried. He knew that in a siege, the attackers usually had the advantage in numbers, but the county town in front of him seemed to have unusual strength. He turned to Li Wei beside him and said, "Although the walls of Xishan County are not high, the defenders are numerous and their morale is high. The troops we brought were not much of an advantage in numbers, so if we force an attack, we will probably suffer heavy losses."

Upon hearing this, Li Wei quickly advised: "General Liu, please rest assured! Although there are many people guarding the city, many of them are residents who were forcibly captured. They don't have much fighting power. As soon as we start the attack, they will definitely flee in all directions."

General Liu was silent for a moment, and finally nodded. He knew that what Li Wei said made sense, but he still felt uneasy. He looked at the county town that looked particularly firm in the night, and prayed silently in his heart that the Chen family could fulfill their promise and open the city gate to let them in directly. Otherwise, he really had no confidence in taking over the city.

"Mr. Li! Can you tell me how these rebels broke into the city? Logically, the rebels didn't have any big siege equipment. Even if the city's defenses were poor, it shouldn't be easy to break through the city!" Captain Liu's words were actually a warning to Li Wei. That proved that Li Wei was very incompetent. Such a city was so easily broken by a group of rebels!

Li Wei's face changed slightly, and he clenched his palms into fists. He knew that General Liu did it on purpose. In this situation, he could not show his weakness. Li Wei cursed himself in his heart for being too careless, but he forced a smile on his face, and said with a cupped hand: "General Liu, you misunderstood! These rebels are all miners! Their best skill is digging tunnels underground! At that time, we were all on guard against their direct attack on the city, and we never thought that they would dig a tunnel from underground! That's how it was. Their people suddenly rushed out of the city and caught us off guard!"

"Digging tunnels! I didn't expect these rebels to come up with such a method! You know, digging tunnels is a very common method used in siege warfare! Is it possible that they dug other tunnels? When we were attacking the city, they came out of the tunnels to attack us! After all, they are miners digging tunnels, which is easy for them!" Although the general did not have much experience in leading troops in battle, he could still associate this point.

"It's hard to say! After all, this is what they are best at, so they might dig a few more tunnels!" Li Wei shook his head helplessly. Because he didn't know how many tunnels there were underground.

"You two should send some people to check the surrounding area carefully to see if there are any signs of digging! Once the entrance to the tunnel is found, report immediately!" General Liu turned around and gave orders to the two men behind him.

"Yes! I obey your command!"

The two adjutants immediately turned around and left, leaving a group of people waiting for news.

General Liu looked at the city wall, his eyes flashing with a hint of coldness. He thought to himself, "I must make a great contribution this time. I must truly become a general who controls the entire Southwest Prefecture's army. The world is about to be in chaos. With the army, no one, whether the governor or anyone else, will be able to control me!"