"Fifty thousand!" Zhuo Zifang and Li Xiuyun's expressions changed.
Liang Tieche nodded, "Moreover, those troops are actually their elite regular forces, not actual bandits. Including the auxiliaries, the number might be more than sixty thousand!"
For a normal city defense, ten thousand elite soldiers could hold off fifty thousand without difficulty.
But Luzhou was a large city, and its defenses could be easily spread thin. If the rebel soldiers attacked from all directions and possessed sufficient siege equipment, the defensive pressure would be considerable!
"They are in a hurry to take my head. Perhaps it has something to do with the Gongyang clan," Li Xiuyun said with a calm smile, showing no fear.
Zhuo Zifang sighed, "If it is indeed the mastermind of the Rebirth Sect, then the rebel soldiers will undoubtedly exaggerate their troop numbers. Claiming two to three hundred thousand would be normal. Furthermore, if they find a slogan to stir up popular sentiment, such as 'equalizing wealth and poverty,' then there might be people within the city acting as inside informants!"
Only then did Li Xiuyun's expression turn serious, "This is indeed a problem! Even if we know the enemy is bluffing, if someone within the city incites unrest, the common people, even if they don't defect, will inevitably fall into panic!"
Liang Xiao said calmly, "Exaggerating troop numbers is a double-edged sword. It can temporarily boost their morale, but it may not be entirely detrimental to us. After all, we are defending the city and have no intention of surrendering. With the enemy's strength, making the city's populace understand the enemy's brutality and our army's ability to defend the city, coupled with stabilizing their morale with myself and Commander Zhuo, and hiring people for propaganda, can foster unity among the military and civilians. If necessary, we can mobilize the young and strong men of the city to help transport stones and arrows."
"I will immediately send people to request reinforcements from Duke Dingguo and Tianqin Mountain!" Li Xiuyun nodded.
Tianqin Mountain was a vast mountain range, but due to the presence of gold mines and its strategic location, it was heavily guarded. The headquarters of Duke Dingguo's manor was located there, housing many capable individuals.
"Reinforcements may not arrive in time. We need to be prepared. Fortify the defenses and clear the surrounding area to prevent the enemy from plundering resources. Simultaneously, send people to patrol the city and apprehend any spies. Luzhou must not fall, otherwise, other regions will find it even harder to resist the rebel forces," Liang Xiao reminded.
Li Xiuyun solemnly nodded and immediately drafted two letters, sending them to Tianqin Mountain and Jinling respectively.
Liang Xiao also secretly penned a letter and handed it to Chen Shaoling with specific instructions, "Make sure to deliver it to him personally."
After reading the contents of the letter, Chen Shaoling understood and quickly departed.
Liang Tieche gazed at Liang Xiao quietly, a look of satisfaction on his face.
Only after Liang Xiao finished writing the letter did Liang Tieche stand up. His weather-beaten face was filled with resolve, "Young General, if there is a major battle, this old soldier can still wield a sword!"
Liang Xiao and the other two were taken aback. This veteran general was already over sixty years old…
Zhuo Zifang sighed, "Tieche..."
"This old soldier can truly wield a sword!" Liang Tieche insisted.
Liang Xiao comforted him, "Old sir, you should return to the capital to see your wife and grandchildren and enjoy the joys of family. There is no need to risk yourself at Prince Nan's manor. Give us young people a chance to prove ourselves. I am extremely vengeful and will not let any of my enemies escape."
Having lost a Buddhist bead, Prince Nan and that monk would surely become vigilant. Sending Liang Tieche to infiltrate Prince Nan's manor again would likely be a one-way trip!
Liang Tieche was stunned, his eyes welled up with emotion. He nodded solemnly, "Young General is no longer the same as before. This old soldier believes in you! Before I return to the capital, I will truthfully share all the intelligence I possess!"
Liang Xiao was deeply grateful and personally arranged a separate courtyard for Liang Tieche, allowing him to recuperate with peace of mind.
After Liang Xiao and the other two left, Zhuo Zifang and Li Xiuyun exchanged glances.
"Commander Zhuo seems to have something to say?" Li Xiuyun asked.
Zhuo Zifang nodded and sighed, "When I was young, I was quite strong. Even after seventy, I was not much weaker than young people. I just tried to grip the armrest of this chair and couldn't move it. Liang Xiao could snap it with one hand..."
Li Xiuyun's expression changed. He looked at his own chair, which was clearly very sturdy.
"I tried it just now too..." Li Xiuyun pouted.
The two looked at each other again, their expressions odd.
Neither of them were pure scholars; of course, they could think.
Liang Xiao possessed immense strength, and the Qin Saint of Tianqin Mountain had even sent the Sunset Bow of Duke Dingguo's manor to him, indicating trust in his archery skills.
General Tian had even manifested his spirit upon Liang Xiao, and Zhuo Zifang knew that Liang Xiao had suffered sword and knife wounds in the past...
It was too unbelievable!
After Li Xiuyun left, Zhuo Zifang murmured to himself, "Could General Tian be planning to manifest his spirit in Luzhou..."
The enemy was to launch a swift attack on Luzhou within half a month, and reinforcements from various regions would not arrive in time. Luzhou had to be defended.
This further solidified Li Xiuyun's idea of fortifying defenses and clearing the area, but to avoid alerting the enemy, this action was not immediately implemented. Instead, it was coordinated with scouts, awaiting the opportune moment.
Once enemy troops were sighted approaching, the grain-producing areas in the vicinity would be immediately cleared!
Liang Xiao and Zhuo Zifang respectively went to inspect the city walls and arrange defenses.
After making arrangements, Liang Xiao went to examine Luzhou's moat.
In the Great Gan Dynasty, one zhang was approximately 2.4 meters. This moat was five zhang away from the city walls, with a width and depth of three zhang, similar to the width and height of Luzhou's city walls.
The earth and stones used for building the city walls were mainly excavated from the moat. This saved materials and a significant amount of labor by sourcing locally.
The height of ancient city walls typically ranged between three to five zhang, with heights even below three zhang being the norm, rather than the imposing dozens of meters often depicted.
Liang Xiao stood on the city tower, looking at the stagnant moat. After pondering for a moment, he whispered to Li Xiuyun, "Send more people to dig some traps outside the city at night, and make marks on the corresponding positions on the city walls. The sooner the better. In the pits far from the city walls, place some inverted sharp knives and pointed stones."
Considering Liang Xiao's previous assistance in defending Yan Prefecture, Li Xiuyun followed his instructions.
After all, the numbers provided by Liang Tieche might not be the enemy's true strength, possibly even an exaggeration. They should try to trap as many as possible.
After all, the enemy might concentrate their forces in one direction and attempt to breach the city by enduring arrows and stones thrown from the walls to fill the moat.
The marks made would prevent their own soldiers from falling into the pits during post-battle cleanup, while the enemy would not be able to discover the corresponding trap marks on the city walls!
Fortunately, Li Xiuyun had requested Duke Dingguo, Gongsun Ye, to replace the garrison in Luzhou beforehand, with General Hengjiang Gongsun Dingjun in command, allowing for confident troop deployment.
Zhuo Xiong was also not idle. Under Zhuo Zifang's name, he convened the scholars of Luzhou Academy to oversee the examinations.
The examination papers were still the ones Liang Xiao brought from the capital, which the Luzhou bookshops had quickly printed a thousand copies of.
After reviewing Liang Xiao's examination questions, Zhuo Zifang exclaimed, "Marvelous!"
These questions covered aspects of ideology, ability, and moral character. Even with slight deviations in scores, one could discern a scholar's general knowledge and loyalty from their written responses.
Luzhou Academy had gathered many outstanding scholars from western Jiangnan. These individuals had heard about Liang Xiao's heroic deeds in the East Sea, and a total of nine hundred of them enthusiastically participated.
Even those who were not selected would receive a subsidy of three taels of silver, a rare reward for scholars, which also significantly increased their favor towards Liang Xiao.
Liang Xiao, of course, could not personally handle everything. After grading two hundred papers, he handed the remaining ones to Zhuo Zifang and others for review and approval, and then he personally re-examined the high-scoring answers they had marked.
In the end, Liang Xiao selected fifty individuals with the best scores and offered them employment.
Among them, three had just passed the "excellent score of eighty" mark, and Liang Xiao intended to cultivate and train them well.
Night fell.
In the residential area south of the city walls, Zuo Wushang and his group, who had disguised themselves, gazed at the city walls with solemn expressions.