Chapter 36: The People Inside, Listen Up, You're Already Surrounded~~~

The shoes everyone wore were of all kinds.

Many wore sandals woven from hemp grass and vines, feeling somewhat like straw sandals.

More still wore socks directly.

But the material of these socks looked somehow familiar.

"Oh~"

Lin Dao remembered—this was the cloth he had restocked for the female workers to cut and sew.

Judging by the patches of mending, they were pieced together from scraps.

Socks in this era also had straps; you just tied them tight when wearing them.

After that, Lin Dao saw something familiar.

"Is this... wooden clogs?"

Yes, the wooden clogs that brat claimed were from his own culture.

But actually, when the ancestors of the little Japanese were still living in trees, people in the Central Plains had already started wearing wooden clogs.

"They always say Koreans love to steal, but the little Japanese steal even more!"

The Beggar Relief Army certainly owed thanks to Lin Dao.

Before Lin Dao came, most people were actually barefoot.

It was because Lin Dao brought a large amount of cloth that most of the Beggar Relief Army got the chance to wear shoes and socks.

Though made of colorful scraps, at least it was better than bare soles.

He had stayed in the Main Camp before and really hadn't paid much attention to what shoes the Beggar Relief Army wore.

Now that the army was on the move, pairs of feet became important.

"Marching, marching."

Thanks to living in an age of information explosion.

Lin Dao immediately thought of weaving straw sandals and wrapping leg wraps.

"No need for straw sandals, just place an order to buy shoes."

"Shoes from the World Factory—there are as many as you want."

"Wrapping leg wraps is fine; that's genuinely useful."

In the evening, Sun Dalang took over guard duty at the entrance.

Back in the Modern World, Lin Dao first handled some work matters.

He returned to the Dormitory to wash up, lay on the bed, went online, and searched for information about marching shoes.

A rich variety, countless styles.

The good ones were truly good—excellent quality and good-looking designs.

Of course, the prices were also good; a few hundred yuan a pair was common.

Lin Dao ordered a few pairs of high-quality military boots for himself, then filtered by price, ignoring anything over fifty yuan.

Soon, a pair of shoes that stirred memories appeared on the screen.

Black rubber soles, military green canvas uppers.

The famous Liberation Shoes.

"Cheap price, guaranteed quality."

"It's you."

Lin Dao contacted the factory directly and placed an order in the Company's name.

The next morning, Lin Dao ate and then set off for Yonghe Spacetime.

Coming out to greet the guard on duty Sun Dalang, he said, "Jin Lian has eaten; have her bring a piece of hemp cloth."

"You go eat and rest too."

Back in the Tent, Lin Dao tore cloth strips and, following the method he'd learned online, wrapped leg wraps for himself.

Not long after, hurried footsteps came from behind.

Jin Lian, holding hemp cloth in her arms, ran into the Tent gasping for breath.

"I said not to rush." Lin Dao turned around. "Eating is important."

Jin Lian instinctively shook her head. "The Lord Husband's orders are more important."

She really spoke well.

Lin Dao beckoned. "Come over."

"Cut the cloth strips~"

"About this wide, this long~"

"One end flat, the other end split into two cords~"

"The fork must be tied firmly~"

"Start wrapping the leg flat from the ankle position~"

"Too tight and you can't walk, too loose and it doesn't work~"

Wrapping leg wraps wasn't difficult; Jin Lian tried twice herself and quickly learned.

"Since you've learned, go teach more people." Lin Dao smiled encouragingly. "Try to get everyone using them."

Jin Lian left the Tent smugly, looked up, and saw Sun Rong standing outside, glaring at her with a cold face.

"Hmph~~~"

Seeing her angry look, Jin Lian smugly lifted her chin, twisted her waist holding the hemp cloth, and left with head high and chest out.

Watching Jin Lian's departing figure, Sun Rong gritted her teeth in secret.

Calming his mood, he clutched the ledger in his hand and walked into the tent.

Competition between women might not carry a strong smell of gunpowder, but competition was everywhere.

Wearing leg wraps quickly spread to all departments.

Although at first they were not used to the swelling in their calves, after a few days of getting used to it, they would feel comfortable.

Marching speed also improved.

If there was any drawback to wearing leg wraps, the biggest drawback was fear of fire.

Especially incendiary bombs that could not be put out once they stuck, posing a great threat.

Fortunately, in Yonghe Spacetime, only Lin Dao knew how to make incendiary bombs.

The purchased Liberation Shoes were gradually arriving, but Lin Dao did not distribute them directly.

He was now gradually changing his concepts.

Apart from daily necessities and military equipment, most other supplies would be distributed in the form of rewards.

To improve enthusiasm and military morale.

Tens of thousands of beggar soldiers kept advancing.

They almost encountered a Small Wu Fort every day.

The process was more or less the same; as long as the armored soldiers were pulled out to bask in the sun, the people in the fort would immediately come out to surrender.

Since there had been a precedent before, Lin Dao's side also handled it according to the Shi Clan's way.

The benefit of doing things according to the rules was stability.

Arbitrary handling would make people feel uneasy.

The vanguard of the beggar army took seven days to arrive outside Xiangguo City.

The subsequent troops of all departments arrived one after another in the following few days.

Xiangguo City, also known as Jianping City.

Since Shi Lei, for decades, a large number of civilian laborers were mobilized every year to come here to build city walls and palaces, and to extensively repair the city walls.

The city was tall, and defense facilities were complete.

If there was any drawback, it was that the defending troops were insufficient.

The defending troops inside the city were only a few thousand.

In terms of communication ability and mobility of this era.

County soldiers nearby, upon receiving the news, gathered from the land busy with spring plowing, then set out to reach Jianping City, taking at least half a month.

"Grand Commander, there are still tens of thousands of civilian laborers inside the city."

"Grand Commander, Gongjiang Ying says that building siege engines will take more than ten days."

"Grand Commander, Jianping City is less than two hundred li from Ye City, and Qianghu reinforcements may arrive at any moment; we must send troops to attack the city immediately."

At the military council, everyone argued incessantly, and various pieces of news came one after another.

Lin Dao listened quietly, analyzing useful information from it.

He clearly knew that he had no relevant experience.

Issuing orders recklessly was naturally unacceptable.

At this time, they needed to listen to the opinions of professionals.

When the sound of everyone's argument gradually subsided, Lin Dao looked at Qin Lang.

"You speak."

Qin Lang saluted, reporting with a stern expression.

"Waiting for Gongjiang Ying to build siege engines takes too long; that definitely won't work."

"Jianping City is so close to Ye City; before the siege engines are built, the reinforcements from there will already have arrived."

"By then, being attacked from front and back, there may be unforeseen events."

"The defending troops are few; we should divide troops to make a feint attack on three sides, dispersing the defending troops."

"Concentrate the elite armored soldiers, choose one side to launch a fierce attack and break the city; that is the best strategy."

Lin Dao nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone: "Who else has other suggestions?"

In the silence, Xie Yi stepped forward on his own: "Grand Commander."

"I think that there are still tens of thousands of civilian laborers inside the city; if we can persuade these people to turn and join us, the battle to break the city will surely achieve twice the result with half the effort."

"Feasible." Lin Dao nodded in agreement: "As for how to specifically handle it, leave it to the Duke of the Commandery."

With a decision made, tens of thousands of beggar soldiers quickly took action.

In the vast Jianping City, beggar soldiers appeared on all four sides.

Although there were many people on the long city wall, most were emaciated civilian laborers with dull eyes.

They had originally been building palace complexes inside the city.

They could not eat their fill, the work was exhausting, and they also suffered whipping and punishment, even dying from abuse.

Now they were pulled up to the city tower to fight, already hearts like dead ashes, like walking corpses.

Outside the city, large pots were set up one after another.

The aroma of rice, steamed buns, pickled vegetables, pork, and beef with potatoes drifted up to the city tower with the wind, making the civilian laborers' throats move and their eyes gradually light up.

"Shout together." Xie Yi greeted a group of people with loud voices around him: "Remember the words I taught you, don't shout wrong, and shout in unison."

Everyone who had eaten and drunk their fill responded in turn.

They stepped forward, outside the range of bows and crossbows, and raised iron trumpets to shout.

"People inside, listen, you are already surrounded~~~"

"Grand Commander attacks the Qianghu; Han family sons who take one head of a Qianghu—"

"Merit recorded and enrolled in the army registers, reward: one shi of grain, ten jin of meat!"

"You have suffered oppression by the Qianghu, families destroyed and loved ones dead, wives separated and children scattered, living day to day with no guarantee of tomorrow."

"When the assault begins, just strike — the more Qianghu you kill, the greater the rewards~~~"

"The chance for revenge is right before your eyes!"

*Bang! *

Seeing the civilian laborers stirring restlessly, the garrison could not bear such pressure and directly fired bed crossbows to disperse the loudmouths outside the city inciting the troops.

Many Qianghu garrison soldiers waved their weapons and cut down civilian laborers to cow the army's morale.

Blood and slaughter steadied the formation for a short time, yet the hatred in the civilian laborers' eyes only deepened further.

Outside the city, the Qihuo Army ate their fill of rice, steamed buns, and meat.

They on the city walls defended the city, yet were still given only thin porridge thin enough to reflect a face.

Such an enormous disparity in treatment was naturally unacceptable.

What loyalty to state and family vengeance — none of it compared to the enormous disparity in food and treatment.

*Buzzzz~~~*

The drone flew into the sky, surveilling the battlefield from above.

Qihuo Army attacked the city from all four sides.

The garrison, unable to discern the Qihuo Army's main attack direction, could only shift troops wherever the situation was most urgent.

Their every movement was exposed under the drone's surveillance cameras.

"Here."

Lin Dao signaled to Qin Lang beside him, looking at the control screen in his hand: "A large detachment of armored garrison troops here has moved east."

Qin Lang observed carefully, then raised his head to look toward distant Jianping City.

A moment later he nodded firmly: "Lord Lang, Yongfeng Gate's defense is empty — the moment to breach the city has arrived."

"Good."

Lin Dao did not hesitate either: "Then begin!"

"One Qianghu head taken, reward: ten shi of grain, five bolts of cloth, twenty jin of pork, one barrel of oil!"

"First to scale the wall, additional rewards!"

"Order received!"

Setting the drone to hover, Lin Dao turned his head to look at Liu Hu beside him.

He saw his fists clenched tight, trembling slightly.

Curious, he asked: "You want to go too?"

This was certainly not fear — Liu Hu was a fierce man who had killed seven Qianghu single-handedly.

It could only be excitement trembling through him.

Liu Hu spoke somewhat against his true feelings: "This slave must guard Lord Lang."

Lin Dao looked back, glancing at the bodyguards whose faces all showed delight.

"Those who want to go, go — just leave half the men."

"Kill more Qianghu, earn military merit, and I can arrange for you to lead troops."

(End of Chapter)