Xu Ying summoned more than 4,000 young and strong men in just a few days, more than 1,000 of which were the families of gentry and merchants in the city. Compared with the green camp soldiers and yamen runners, he believed more in gentry and merchants.

It is one thing to call the young and strong, but it is another thing to be able to fight.

He personally sat on the city tower and stared at the young and strong people practicing. Few people could set off the cannons cast in the 21st year of Daoguang, but the old soldiers in the garrison camp could set off but could not set off accurately. More than a dozen small cannons were just a bunch of decorations, which made him anxious and endured until it was dark to close the city gate before returning to the state yamen.

"Dongweng, it's hard to find a gunner for a while, it's useless to be anxious." Master Yang comforted carefully.

"If you can't find it, you have to find it. If you really can't find it, let those old soldiers lead the young and strong to practice every day. Don't be reluctant to let go of gunpowder. If you fire a few more shots, you will naturally release it, and you will have the right direction."

"However, let Hu Zi practice with them tomorrow morning. Hu Zi is smart and will learn whatever he wants."

"Okay, you turn around and say to Huzi."

Master Yang responded and said carefully: "Dongweng, Hai'an inspector Fang Shimei is here. Seeing you busy on the city tower, I dare not go up to report."

"What did he do when he is back?" Xu Ying asked.

Master Yang collected 100 taels of silver from the alchemist, so he naturally had to help him say a few good words, and said in a look of indignation: "Didn't you ask him to go to Hai'an to organize a group training and persuade him to donate money and pay? He started the group training and summoned more than 40 young and strong men to practice every day, and persuaded local gentry to donate some money and grain, but he was robbed on the way to the city of Zhengzhou!"

Xu Ying was shocked: "Who is so bold when he was robbed?"

"Dongweng calmed down and it was not the bandits who robbed money and food, but Han Zhixing!"

"Han Zhixing!"

"Didn't that salt merchant named Xu run away? When Han Zhixing saw that the alchemy was transporting money and grain himself, he used this as an excuse to let the local heroes under his command rob the 5,000 taels of silver and 500 stones of rice that the alchemy had finally raised. He also said that if there was no money and grain, the local heroes might mutiny and could only make this bad decision."

"The person surnamed Xu ran away. Are there Zhang Guangcheng and Li Changjing?"

"Dongweng, he clearly made it on purpose," Master Yang looked back and then said, "Fang Shimei is outside. You can tell how brave Han Zhixing is at a glance."

"Let the alchemy come in."

"yes."

...

As soon as Fang Shimei walked into the signing room, she fell to the ground with a thud and cried with tears and snot.

"Master Xu, you have to make the decision for the subordinates! Han Zhixing is lawless. Not only did he fight against the young and strong people who transported money and grain, but he dared to fight even the subordinates. There are many others and there are also bird guns. The subordinates fought to the death but didn't stop them..."

"He not only robbed money and food, but also fought hard?"

"Look, if you don't beat your subordinates, you can do this?" Fang Shimei wiped away his tears, turned around and pointed outside and said, "The young and strong people who were finally summoned by his subordinates, one of them was beaten to the bruised face, and two of the young and strong arms were discounted by his subordinates."

It is absolutely necessary to persuade the donation of money and wages. Even if you force the alchemy scholar to go back and persuade the gentry, the gentry would not pay any more money and grain. Thinking of this, Xu Ying gritted his teeth and said, "You go back first, I will give you an explanation sooner or later!"

"The lower officials are incompetent, the lower officials are incompetent, the lower officials..."

"Okay, okay, you're still a court official. You're not afraid of making people laugh. Go back to Hai'an earlier and don't show your shame in the city!"

Fang Shimei felt relieved, but she did not leave like that. She retreated to the door and asked nervously: "Master Xu, do you know if you should say it or not?"

"Speak quickly if you have something to do."

"Master Xu, the official has inquired about Han Zhixing's background. He... There are people above him, and it's nothing wrong for the official to suffer a little grievance. If you offend him because of the official's affairs, it's not worth it."

"There is someone above him?" Xu Ying asked coldly.

"There are really people above him, and many people in the state yamen know about this."

"Who are there?"

"There are two people who know about Xiaguan, one is Yang Futai and the other is Qi Suzao Qi Fantai. If it weren't for Yang Futai and Qi Fantai's care, could he come to Taizhou to take office as soon as he arrived in the province?"

"Hahahaha, Yang Futai, Qi Fantai, he really found two good backers!"

"Master Xu, this is really not a word of hearsay. There is no lie in the lower official."

Xu Ying snapped the case with a bang and said coldly: "Yang Wending was afraid of death, and he ran to Zhenjiang early regardless of Jiangning's safety. He thought it would be fine if he ran to Zhenjiang. Even if the bandits were not killed, the emperor would still punish him. As for Lord Qi, he was a loyal minister and a kid minister. Unfortunately, he met Lu Jianying, who was both greedy and afraid of death and incompetent, and he had already sacrificed his country in Jiangning City."

"Ah, Lord Qi died for his country!"

"Just know, don't talk nonsense to others. If it is reported to shake the hearts of the military and the people, don't blame me for showing mercy."

"The lower officials know that the lower officials will never talk nonsense."

After sending the alchemy away, Xu Ying was wondering how to deal with Han Xiufeng's thorny head. Hu Zi stumbled into the signing room. As soon as he came in, he said anxiously: "Master, it's not good. Mr. Hu was beaten by the Han surname!"

"What?"

"Dongweng, Dongweng, I am incompetent in my late birth, and I am responsible for the burden..."

As soon as Xu Ying stood up, several family members carried Hu Yaobai in. Looking at Hu Yaobai's bloody butt, Xu Ying was so angry that he trembled all over.

Master Yang was shocked and hurriedly said, "Hu Zi, why don't you go to find the doctor quickly."

"Oh, I'll go here."

Xu Ying recovered and was about to ask what was going on. Hu Yaobai endured the severe pain and raised a letter: "Dongweng, this is a letter from Han Xiufeng to you. He is not a late-school student. He is obviously disobeying orders. He doesn't even take Dongweng seriously..."

After hearing Hu Yaobai's crying, Xu Ying said with a gloomy face: "Mr. Hu, I'll let you suffer a grievance. Go back to your room to recuperate. I will visit you later."

"Dongweng, late-born..."

"Let's go back to the room first. I won't let you get beaten in vain!" Xu Ying gritted his teeth and sat down to take a look at Han Xiufeng's letter.

Master Yang helped to see Hu Yaobai away and came over to ask, "Dongweng, what did he say?"

"He said Yaobai was rude and was right to use Yaobai's butt to establish a power, so he could lead the village camp to help Yangzhou. He also admitted the matter of money and food. He said that there was no money and food, so he could not let the village soldiers use their lives. He could only make this decision." Xu Ying put down the letter and said with a gloomy face: "Why do you think that if the bandit army really besieged Taizhou, there would be more than a dozen small cannons? It would be better to give him the gunners together than to put them on the city wall, so that he could take the cannon to Jiangdu to intercept them."

"He dares the lion speak out!"

"But when you think about it carefully, those dozen cannons are useless even if they keep them."

Master Yang whispered: "Why don't you give it to me or not?"

"Give it! As long as he can block the bandits, even if he can only block ten days and half a month, let alone hit Yaobai's fifty boards, or ask for more than a dozen small cannons. Even if he wants to demolish the state yamen, I, Xu Ying, will not have any words!"

"But will he stop him? What if he is also a greedy person who is afraid of death, he will escape at the battle as soon as he sees the bandits?"

"It's time to come, I can only believe it." Xu Ying sighed and said helplessly: "Yaobai just said it very clearly that the more than 400 township heroes under his command can be used. In such a large Taizhou, no one can use us except him and his more than 400 township heroes. For him, the ninth-rank inspector who donated his background, my grand Qing army chief inspector, Xu Ying, had no choice but to do anything. It's ridiculous, sad, and lamentable!"

"You can only bet, bet on him is a loyal minister?" Master Yang asked subconsciously.

"I can only gamble." Xu Ying seemed to have suddenly become ten years older, and sighed to the sky: "The person who escaped from Jiangning said that before Qi Suzao died, "The official does not do his best, the soldiers do not need their lives. The rich are stingy with money, and the poor are stingy with strength. Even though the city is big, it cannot be guaranteed. As the saying goes, if you are determined to kill thieves, you can't help but return to heaven! Planning is up to people, and success is in heaven. What can be done, what should be done, and even what should not be done, I, Xu Ying, have done all the things that should not be done. Whether this city can be kept depends on the will of heaven."

"But Han Xiufeng first robbed money and food, and then beat Yaobai and Dongweng. If you do nothing and say nothing, where is your majesty, how can you defend this city?"

"Let the people below stop talking nonsense. How can the people in the city know if they don't spread it?" Xu Ying thought for a while and said coldly: "Isn't he the one from Qi Suzao? I'll write a letter to tell him that Qi Suzao has died in his country, and write Qi Suzao's last words. Tell him that the entire Yangzhou Prefecture and even the entire Liangjiang River are the only ones who can avenge Qi Suzao now!"
Chapter completed!