CHAPTER 338: CHAPTER 31: RENDEZVOUS

Qingshui County.

Zhang Bowu was driving a donkey cart, loaded with all his belongings, creaking as it left his courtyard. Looking at the roadside, he saw the neighbor and his son still carrying manure buckets, fertilizing their own vegetable garden.

Zhang Bowu exclaimed in surprise: "The gold dogs are about to arrive, why aren’t you leaving quickly?"

The young neighbor’s expression darkened, and he forced a smile: "Perhaps the gold dogs will only loot in the countryside. The county’s city walls are high and thick, those gold dogs won’t be able to breach them quickly."

The aging neighbor forced a laugh: "That’s right, those fleeing nobles, carrying cartloads of jewels and gold, I’ve heard although the gold dogs are as fierce and brutal as beasts, they are also extremely cunning. They will definitely pursue the lords heading south."

Seeing the forced smiles on everyone’s faces, Zhang Bowu sighed deeply: "Why delude yourselves?"

Their smiles gradually faded.

"People are undervalued when away from home."

The old man sighed wistfully: "Besides, with these old legs of mine, where could I possibly run? It would only end in dying far away from home. Zhongqing is a filial son and doesn’t want to leave me, but I..."

"Sigh."

Liu Bowu sighed deeply, looking at the cart carrying his wife, also feeling bleak about the future.

"Bowu, you’re a scholar. The new officials have already relocated to Yangzhou to establish another court. You should head there soon. With officials there, the Great Song cannot end just like this, can it?"

Liu Bowu remained silent for a moment, then deeply bowed: "Take care."

After saying this, he raised the whip and drove the donkey cart away.

Watching Liu Bowu’s departing figure, the father and son said nothing more and continued fertilizing their garden. Regardless of whether it’s gold dogs or Liao dogs, whatever dogs come, people always need to eat to survive.

...

At the gate of Qingshui County, it was already crowded with people wanting to enter and leave the city.

Many wealthy or village residents from the countryside, believing that the county’s walls are high and thick and the Jurchens might not invade, rushed into the city with their belongings.

This blocked those wanting to abandon the city and head south with the officials.

Liu Bowu could only sigh regretfully about this.

"The walls of Qingshui County are only about two zhang high, there’s no moat, no powerful bows or crossbows. Even the capital city, with a hundred thousand troops and the help of divine soldiers, was breached by those gold dogs. How can this place resist the Jurchens?"

"The gold dogs are here!"

Suddenly there was a commotion on the city walls, and someone shouted loudly.

This shout was like a thunderclap on flat ground, instantly throwing the entire Qingshui County into chaos. Whether they wanted to run out or squeeze in, there was only one thought left.

And that was to push into the city!

"All of you, stand still!"

The County Captain saw this and led soldiers forward, cutting down several at random, seeing blood, which slightly calmed these people. Under the soldiers’ supervision, they all entered the city, and the gates were closed.

There were only about a hundred people at the gate, and if it weren’t for the same number trying to leave the city, they would have entered long ago.

The County Captain led people to close the gates and immediately went up to the city wall.

From a distance, smoke and dust rolled.

It was impossible to see the exact number of black-robed armored soldiers approaching the county city in neat formations.

"It... it’s really the Jurchens coming!"

The County Captain had never seen the Jurchens before, originally thinking his trained archers were elite, even if they couldn’t beat the Jurchens, at least relying on the city walls they could hold on for a while.

But now, looking at the soldiers he recruited and trained himself, the archers could barely stand. The militia soldiers were already trembling with fear and wished they could escape first.

The County Magistrate came hurriedly to the wall, surrounded by the chief clerk and other officials.

The County Captain was somewhat relieved, truly afraid his County Magistrate would leave the county office and take their wives and concubines to the south before the Jurchens arrived.

The County Magistrate immediately inquired urgently: "County Captain, you understand military matters, look at the quality of the Jurchen troops, are they the main force?"

Upon hearing this, the County Captain carefully examined those "Jurchens".

Upon closer inspection, the "knowledgeable about military affairs" County Captain’s expression changed drastically.

Each enemy was well-armed and armored, most wearing black coveralls, embroidered with a golden double-headed eagle.

The Jurchen cavalry appeared extremely intimidating, fully armored, wearing strange helmets that only showed a slit, looking quite terrifying.

In a low voice, he replied, "To the County Platform Lord, this Jurchen army looks well-organized, even their marching formations are neat. It must be an elite army among the Jurchens, perhaps led by Jin Wushu himself, the central army?"

The County Magistrate and other officials all turned pale: "What shall we do?"

The County Captain wanted to offer words of comfort, but considering the unknown number of enemy reinforcements and the militia’s lack of combat ability, if the enemy attacked, the city would fall, leading to disaster.

He thought of his newborn son, who might fall into a catastrophe. Holding the broadsword in his hand, his heart felt desolate.

Is the Great Song about to fall!

Amongst rising panic, a scholar suddenly shouted: "We must rely on the walls and fight to the death!"

"Fight... to the death?"

They looked toward the scholar, recognizing him as a slightly famous local talent, Liu Family’s eldest. Their hearts trembled: "Liu Bowu, do you have a good strategy to repel the enemy?"

Liu Bowu shook his head: "No, I’m not knowledgeable in military affairs."

The County Magistrate’s expression darkened, thinking, we are truly grasping at straws, how could this mere scholar gather thousands of troops out of thin air?

"County Platform Lord, although I am not knowledgeable in military affairs, I know the Jurchens are greedy and arrogant, like wolves preying on the weak. We must hit them hard to make them retreat."

The County Captain said, "But the militia here usually repairs walls, digs earth, doing manual labor rather than holding weapons. Without training, without armor, how can they fight?"

Liu Bowu said solemnly: "The entire city, regardless of gender or age, must fight to the death. The Jurchens are brutal, leaving devastation wherever they go. County Platform Lord, would you let your family suffer humiliation and death at their hands? County Captain, would you allow your child to be speared, tossed into a canal to drown?"

He listed these grievances, his eyes filled with bloodshot lines.

At this exact moment, as they tried to muster some fighting spirit against the Jurchens.

A rider galloped out from the troops below, a few bulging bloodstained bags on his saddle, calling loudly from below the city: "Summon someone who is in charge here to meet me."

The rider wore a golden mask, the cloak on him was the only one without the double-headed eagle, with a rough depiction resembling a dragon’s head, albeit much fiercer.

"Do not worry, we are not Jurchens but a diplomatic mission from the Land of the West, sent by the Great Qin to visit your Great Song’s Emperor, yet we inadvertently collided with a Jurchen troop."

Losa swung his arm wide, tossing the sack up onto the city wall.

The County Captain, showing some martial arts skills, reached out and caught it: "What is this?"

"Nothing but the heads of Jurchens."

The County Captain opened the sack and saw it contained a bloody head, hair and beard bristling, face full of rage, eyes wide open. Judging by its hairstyle, it indeed resembled the legendary Jurchens.

"If you do not believe me, see my appearance, I am definitely not a Jurchen."

Losa removed his helmet to reveal a face with blond hair and blue eyes, distinct from the locals.

The County Captain looked at Losa and his followers in surprise: "You all are actually foreigners?"

Jeanne rode out swiftly, removed her helmet, revealing her golden hair: "Hey, hey, hey, don’t be ridiculous, my lord isn’t one of the barbarians!"

Losa rolled his eyes, never expecting Jeanne to give him the surname "Ha", thinking it was better to stick with his former identity.

"The County Captain had never heard of this place, looking at his side, reportedly famous for his knowledge and memory, Liu Bowu.

Liu Bowu nodded seriously: "The Land of the West, the Great Qin, from the tales, it is a powerful place from other lands." He looked at Jeanne’s golden hair, convinced of her words.