The road guards here in Suzhou City are said to be 60,000, but in fact, 20,000 were transferred to recover Hangzhou last year, but now there are only 40,000 people. In addition, those who have a shortage of wages have actually exceeded 30,000 soldiers.

Since the news of the Chuzhou Army's "East Expedition", Suzhou City has been in panic.

"All letters for help have been sent?"

The Suzhou magistrate asked questions three times a day.

"I've sent it, but even if the Hangzhou Prefecture sends troops here, it's too late to go to this time. I'll still take it as a pretentious plan." The confidant aide whispered.

The Suzhou magistrate was stunned.

Plans for making a fuss?

What are your plans?

It is difficult to protect yourself, and what you want is nothing more than protecting your family.

He could not bear the responsibility of losing his land; he dared not to surrender directly to the enemy.

All I hope is to protect my family.

The staff sighed: "Sir, Changzhou is falling. It's Suzhou. It's time to send Taigongren and others away. If they don't leave, it's too late!"

The Suzhou magistrate wiped his face, stood up and bowed to the staff, saying, "I can't believe others, I can only entrust my loyal friend!"

This staff member is called "loyal friend".

The staff member avoided it and said seriously: "Don't worry, sir, I will never let you down."

At noon that day, two blue carriages were parked at the back door of the Suzhou Prefectural Office. Two female family members dressed as women took their two children on the carriage and left the city.

Many people stared at the prefect's office. Whenever there was any movement here, the officials and gentry in the city immediately received news.

What's the use of tens of thousands of defenders on the side?

The Huainan Road defenders who were tyrants in Yangzhou were still unable to defeat the Chuzhou army. What should we resist the Chuzhou army if we lack military equipment?

Even the prefect sent away his family, which shows that there is no chance of winning against the upcoming war.

By the afternoon, many gentry families also followed their families out of the city to take refuge.

But there are not many places to go now, and most people have also gone to Hangzhou Prefecture.

In the evening, even the wealthy merchants and wealthy families began to leave the city together.

In Changzhou, Suzhou and Songjiang, in order to protect themselves, the government has repeatedly slandered the White-Shirt Army.

These three places are rich, and there are still some Maitreya believers in Changzhou, and very few believers in Suzhou and Songjiang.

In the eyes of many people, the so-called white-shirted army is a bandit, a water bandit, and others, who plunder the people's wealth under the guise of Buddha.

Baishan in Taizhou had a city massacre, Baishan in Qichun had divided the land of large households, and Baishan in Taizhou even made money by raiding the family.

They are all white-shirted soldiers, so how could the people tell the difference between these many forces? They just think they are from the same group.

Mixed all kinds of rumors, this White-Shirt Army is a demon-like existence.

Few people wanted to resist, and even the officers and soldiers could not resist, let alone the common people?

But when the people also wanted to escape together, they could not leave the city, and the Chuzhou army was at the city.

Suzhou City is already in chaos.

The prefect of Suzhou, Tongzhi and other officials were still thinking about dying for the city, and the commander-in-chief outside the city also organized people to fight against the enemy.

However, one side had more than 30,000 troops and insufficient military equipment. The other side had a large army of 100,000 and artillery. They fought twice, and the tens of thousands of defenders became turtles.

Deng Jian is not in a hurry this time.

Suzhou City has many people, and the city has limited food and grass, so it cannot be supported for a short time.

Besides, the Chuzhou Army had long had a disciple in these cities. When they decided to "expedition in the East", they had a task to send them to assist the "expedition in the East" to attack the city. Even if they could not seize the gate, they would burn food and grass.

When the Suzhou city gate was closed, the defenders occupied the city to defend against the enemy, and the people in the city began to move.

There are tens of thousands of people in each city gate, and it is impossible to seize the gate. Even if you burn food and grass, it is not easy.

The military rations are all guarded by heavy troops.

However, if you can't move military rations, it does not mean you can't move civilian rations.

On the night when the Chuzhou army surrounded Suzhou, three major grain shops and two official warehouses in Suzhou City caught fire.

When the people got the news, they began to grab the grain from other grain shops with rice bags.

Officials, gentry, merchants were shocked.

The five major granaries start at the same time. How much manpower does this take?

How many people did Chuzhou Army have in Suzhou City?

If their mission is not to set fire, but to kill people, then everyone will be spared

The next day, the people in the city began to snatch the remaining food in the market.

But in this world, even if there is food in small grain, I dare not put it out. I still have to keep it together with my relatives and friends.

Even if the two companies occasionally release grain, the prices change three times a day and sell very high, and they still provide a lot of people's demand.

"There is no food? God, will you let people live!"

"It's okay to make a thousand dollars from rice. Which one is going to starve to death?"

"Damn the white-shirted thief, burned the granary!"

"There is still food, and the military rations are still there!"

“…”

After all, they still have fear, and everyone muttered.

But on the second day of being besieged and the third day, there was no more grain of rice in the world, and the people in the city would be out of stock.

More and more people are heading towards the city gate.

It is not to help the defenders defend against the enemy, but to military rations.

The second day was dozens of people, the third day was hundreds of people, and by the fourth day, thousands of people gathered.

"Food, grain, if you don't release food, you will starve to death!" The old lady with a cane cried.

"Give food, let it go!" Qing Qiang, who was thinking of "The law does not punish the people" in his heart, shouted boldly.

The defenders looked at the endless Chuzhou army outside the city and were in a state of great concern, and had no good expression on the unarmed people.

"Unfortunate! I've eaten bear gall!"

The goalkeeper directly ordered the expulsion: "Driving away! If you don't leave, you will be beaten. They are all dogs that need to be cleaned up!"

Facing the fierce Chuzhou Army, the Suzhou Army was a sheep; facing the people, the Suzhou Army turned into a wolf.

The panic that was besieged by the city seemed to have a channel to vent.

"Old guy, rely on his old age, get out!"

With the shouts of scolding, the old woman was pushed down.

"Looking for death, go home and look for your mother to ask for food!"

This time, the young and strong man who was stumbled by the scabbard was shouting "Get out of food".

The people began to fear retreat, but with the tyranny of the officers and soldiers, some people finally couldn't help but turn their backs.

"If you starve to death without food, you still have something to be afraid of?"

Someone shouted, which made many people come over to the Qingming Festival.

Yes, I’m hungry if I don’t have food, so why are you afraid of officers and soldiers?

"Snatch guys, don't give food, let's grab it!" someone shouted again.

Such a big noise at the city gate alarmed many people, and more and more people gathered at the city gate.

Injuries began to appear on the ground, and the people who began to resist took weapons from their hands, and the confrontation began to become evenly matched.

When the Suzhou Prefect, Suzhou Tongzhi, Suzhou Commander and other officials received the news, they rushed over and the battle at the city gate had already suffered more than a hundred casualties.

Whether it is the defenders or the people, they all set off fire.

The number of people who fought in the end was more than a few thousand, blocking the city gate.

"What's this called?"

The Suzhou magistrate stomped his feet and felt bitter in his mouth.

The defending commander also came and looked at the corpses of the soldiers, and his face was also cold: "It's all the rioters, kill, kill, kill!"

The Suzhou magistrate's expression changed drastically and he hurriedly said, "Master Gao, can't!"

However, the defenders suddenly realized that they had not heard of it. They directly asked someone to send orders to dispatch soldiers from the other two city gates to come to wipe out the rioters.

"Sir Gao, this..."

The Suzhou magistrate wants to persuade him again.

The defending general pointed to a body covered in armor on the ground and gritted his teeth and said, "This is a third-rank general appointed by the imperial court!"

Killing an official is equivalent to rebellion, let alone killing a third-rank official.

Even the prefect of Suzhou is only a fourth-rank official.

The Suzhou prefect was sweating profusely and could not speak.

...

Outside the city, the Chuzhou Army Camp.

Deng Jian had already received the news and knew that there was chaos inside the East Gate.

But there is no news yet.

"As the granary is destroyed, the people in the city can't last for a few days, wait!" Deng Jian made a conclusion.

Although he is warlike, he is not just reckless.

If you can wait for your hard work, you will win, and there is no need to cause trouble.

The Eastern Expedition was in a hurry before, but now it is not in a hurry.

Because Jinling sent news, the imperial counter-rebels and Taizhou Baishan met in Huainan Prefecture, and the battle situation is now stalemate.
Chapter completed!