Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 127 - 122 Isn’t the Lord Governor a Civil Official?

Chapter 127: Chapter 122 Isn’t the Lord Governor a Civil Official?

At that time, Li Hongyun was surrounded by people on every side, even those within and outside the city walls craned their necks to look towards the direction of the city tower.

Li Hongyun, as Wang Zongchang, stood at the highest point, looking down from a commanding height.

To retreat, or to defend?

Everyone was watching and waiting.

General Liu Ji was tied up, his expression complex.

It was like he harbored ill intentions, fear, and disdain all at once.

He had not anticipated that Supervisor Wang would dare to confront him directly and seize command. Even less did he believe that Supervisor Wang could hold the city.

The reason was simple; this city was simply indefensible!

The enemy was about to arrive. With the military’s morale unstable within the city and Supervisor Wang not being a hero who could rally a hundred responses like General Deng, one couldn’t just conjure up an army out of thin air, could they?

Everyone was waiting for orders.

Li Hongyun took a deep breath and loudly commanded, "Go open the armory, take out all the arms, armor, and firearms from inside, and distribute them to all the citizens!

"Whether they be old or weak, sick or frail, women or children, as long as they can wear armor, let them all wear it to stand on the city wall to bolster our presence!

"And further, bring all the usable spears from the lord’s treasury to me!"

A Deputy General hesitated, "Lord Governor, opening the treasury requires General Deng’s personal orders..."

Li Hongyun glanced at him, "Do you think your head resembles General Deng’s personal order?

"Quit your prattle and get moving! I’ll bear the consequences if anything goes wrong!"

Ever since Li Hongyun held the knife to General Liu Ji’s neck, he had completely let himself go.

The city was doomed to fall, and the instance would just reset anyway, so there was no point in caring too much.

The Deputy General didn’t dare say anything more, hastening to the treasury with others to distribute arms and armor.

Li Hongyun then called out, "Gather all the commoners and soldiers in the city, close the gates, and strictly order that no one is to flee, especially not in the direction of the approaching enemy!

"Any soldier who flees will be executed without mercy!"

Two more Deputy Generals took the command and left. They, along with their soldiers, quickly rounded up the deserting troops and citizens trying to escape.

General Liu Ji coldly said, "I must admire the Lord Governor’s resolve. But at this point, several groups of people and soldiers have already fled the city, and I fear they won’t come back; we don’t have enough hands."

Li Hongyun ignored him and continued to give orders.

"Prepare a set of armor for me and bring the war drums to the top of the city wall!"

As soon as these words came out, everyone was stunned.

Huh?

Why do you need armor, what are you up to?

Even though they were puzzled, the armor was soon brought to him, and soldiers carried the war drums to the top of the wall.

At the same time, the military equipment from the treasury was brought out, and many commoners donned the attire of the Sheng Army, amassing atop the city walls.

Bundles of spears were stacked beside Li Hongyun.

The reason Nanhe City was so important to General Deng was not only that it acted as a rear base for the Sheng Army but also because it harbored a number of modern weapons.

However, having weapons without soldiers to wield them did little good.

Li Hongyun had already donned his armor.

It wasn’t the exquisite brigandine worn by high-ranking generals like Deng, but merely that of a deputy general; after all, armor was too valuable these days, and the majority of armor in the treasury was designed for regular soldiers.

But this was already sufficient for Li Hongyun.

He stepped onto the city wall, drumstick in hand, and struck the war drums forcefully.

"Boom!"

"Boom! Boom!"

The dense sound of the drums could be heard clearly from a great distance.

As Li Hongyun beat the drums, he shouted, "Defend the city! The people and soldiers of Great Sheng vow to live or die with this city!"

With the aid of his natural talent and skills, his actions greatly boosted morale, subtly influencing and spreading among those around him.

Below the city, some citizens had already fled through the gates but hearing the drumbeats above, they couldn’t help but look up.

"Who is that?

"It looks like Mr. Wang!

"Why is Mr. Wang still on the city wall? Didn’t they say all the Deputy Generals were planning to flee too?

"There are a lot of people on the city wall; it doesn’t look like they are going to abandon the city.

"Is Mr. Wang confident in defending it, or has he prepared to die for his country?

"What do we do?

"What do we do? Of course, we go back! If Mr. Wang isn’t leaving, then the city must be safer than outside!"

For these fleeing citizens, the decision wasn’t difficult to make.

If everyone had given up on Nanhe City, then surely, inside the city was more dangerous. Once the enemy breached the city, they would loot, kill, and burn, leaving those inside like lambs to the slaughter, while fleeing the city might offer a glimmer of hope for survival.

But what if they could hold Nanhe City?

Then, inside the city would be safer!

Although they might still have to fight the enemy, they could rely on the city defenses, and if the enemy failed to breach them, perhaps they could hold out for the Sheng Army reinforcements.

Moreover, fleeing outside the city walls was even more dangerous; it was all too possible to encounter the enemy forces attacking the city and inadvertently become cannon fodder.

Not to mention, many citizens were originally from the city and already inclined to stay.

Seeing Supervisor Wang beating the drum on the city tower to demonstrate his determination, many of the commoners who had already fled through the city gates changed their minds and returned to the city.

The defending troops within the city were also preparing their defenses.

Although they were largely composed of the old, weak, and disabled soldiers, relying on the city’s fortifications, they might still be able to fight.

A Deputy General quickly approached Li Hongyun’s side and said, "Lord Governor, the enemy raiders are upon us!"

Li Hongyun, seeing that the remaining troops and commoners outside the city had mostly been gathered, had temporarily set down his drumsticks.

And the gates of Nanhe City had already been firmly shut.

Li Hongyun looked into the distance, seeing the enemy forces emerging from the dense forest.

Their numbers grew more and more, creating a daunting spectacle.

If General Deng’s troops were here, Li Hongyun would certainly not panic, even feeling a bit excited, for they were not afraid of a head-on clash. But now, this significant disparity in strength truly left him with a heavy heart.

"Have all the commoners dressed in military uniforms also patrol and set defenses on the city wall, and put on the appearance of being thoroughly vigilant!"

At his command, these commoners dressed in military uniforms started moving quickly on the walls, each heading to different sections under the soldiers’ guidance. They either brandished sabers or held bows and arrows, standing in orderly ranks.

In fact, many among them were non-combatants like the elderly or women, but it didn’t matter; as long as they wore the Sheng Army’s military armor, from a distance, one could not tell.

Li Hongyun stood on the battlements, firm and steadfast as Mount Tai... well, he had neither a saber nor a horse, only a long spear in hand.

The enemy moved swiftly.

Yet, they did not immediately attack, stopping at a distance, showing signs of unrest.

The Eastern Barbarian General on horseback raised his hand to hold back the raiders who wanted to charge, his eyes reflecting uncertainty.

"Has the Sheng Army really prepared so many defenders in the city?

"The intelligence is wrong! Who said that Nanhe City was defenseless! It’s clearly a trap!

"I knew Sheng Army was full of tricks; how could they leave such an obvious flaw!"

A raider beside him said, "But Puning Port is in imminent danger. If we can’t take Nanhe City, the consequences are unimaginable!"

The Eastern Barbarian General snapped, "But we can’t rush in! Once we attack, retreating won’t be so easy!

"Go, send someone to scout the surroundings, find the best position to siege!"

His order prompted several groups of raiders to disperse and scout.

Time ticked away by the second.

Li Hongyun stood atop the battlements, fully prepared for battle.

The Deputy Generals beside him were all surprised; could this bluff, this feigned strength, actually work? Did they really manage to fool the raiders?

With all the commoners in Sheng Army armor standing on the battlements, it did, indeed, present an imposing front, creating the illusion that the defenders were numerous and spirited.

However, this did not last for long.

After observing for a while, the raiders still launched their attack!

Clearly, these raiders weren’t so foolish; most of them were battle-hardened veterans, not easily scared off.

If they were to retreat, how could they take down Nanhe City and come to the aid of Puning Port’s raiders?

So, after scouting, the raiders initiated their attack!

Li Hongyun shouted, "Prepare for battle!"

Others might have harbored some hope for luck, but he had no such delusions, for he knew well that this instance was not a challenge to be simply passed with a mere bluff.

They must fight for their lives!

But no matter what, by employing such a deceptive strategy, they had not only rallied the morale of the soldiers and citizens within the city but had also sown doubt in the raiders’ hearts, preventing them from attacking immediately, which was a significant gain.

Looking at the raiders readying to siege, the Sheng Army’s troops also busied themselves.

Those who could shoot used bows, those who could fire guns did so, and those who knew neither readied long spears on the battlements. Even ordinary citizens carried a continuous stream of rolling wood and falling rocks from within the city, ready to fend off any raiders daring to scale the walls using the most primitive methods!

A Deputy General came over to Li Hongyun and said, "Lord Governor, it’s hazardous here, you should retreat and command from the back!"

His advice made sense; in their view, Wang Zongchang didn’t need to stand on the frontlines.

The battle atop the city walls was bound to be fierce, the frontline confrontation with the raiders’ most ferocious warriors.

Those daring enough to lead the first wave were definitely the raiders’ elite and most powerful.

Wang Zongchang, being a civil officer who had previously rallied morale by beating the drum on the city walls, had already done his utmost.

Now with General Liu captured, Supervisor Wang was the highest military commander in the city; he should indeed be commanding from safety and not remain in such a perilous location.

What if there were an accident? Wouldn’t that leave them leaderless?

Nevertheless, Li Hongyun shook his head: "Don’t worry about me; just fight bravely!"

As he spoke, he picked up a long spear from beside him.

These had been moved out from the armory in advance and piled next to him.

Then, Li Hongyun took his stance and fiercely hurled the long spear at a raider climbing a ladder!

The raider, clad in armor and of a large build—clearly an elite soldier—had climbed halfway. Seeing clearly that many on the city walls were disguised elderly and women, he showed a contemptuous sneer.

Once he scaled the walls, these people would be no match!

However, before the raider could take in the view from atop the city, a long spear came flying through the air.

With a "thwack," the spear pierced straight through him, impaling him completely, and the ladder, as well as the other raiders on it, all fell down together!

On the city tower, the Deputy General stood, dumbfounded.

Wasn’t the Lord Governor a civil officer?

How was he so good at fighting??

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