Because Shandong Governor Yu Dacheng has led his troops to station in Laizhou, although the number of troops is not large, he is Shandong Governor after all, and the largest official in Shandong. With this big Buddha in the city, he can still play a significant role. The panic and incontinent mood in the city was calmed down, and the sound of firecrackers continued to sound on the street shops.

Generally, it is between the fifth day of the first lunar month and the twentyth day of the first lunar month. Each shop will choose to open an auspicious day to welcome the God of Wealth. Every family will set up a God of Wealth. An altar is placed under the shrine, and an altar is set up, and another large altar is set up to welcome the God of Wealth to offer rich pork, chicken, and fish.

After the worship, firecrackers will be set off to drive away evil spirits and congratulate them on the good start. From the 12th and 3rd of the first lunar month, all families have begun to prepare radishes, carrots, cabbage roots or bean noodles, and carve many small wax lamps to prepare for "sending lanterns" to the ancestral grave on the evening of the 15th or 16th of the first lunar month.

At night, you have to light oil lamps in each room, corner of the courtyard, on both sides of the door, stables, pigpens, and pot bottom holes, and burn incense and paper to send the ancestors who were returning home for the New Year back to the insult with the "Road of Light".

However, the good times were not constant, and another terrifying news came: Li Jiucheng and Geng Zhongming's rebels captured Huangxian City on the 13th of the first lunar month. Huangxian magistrate Wu Shiyang, county magistrate Zhang Guofu, general Zhang Qigong, and garrison Xiong Fenwei were all killed in battle.

The general Zhang Qigong is from Zhending County. He is burly and brave and good at fighting. He has participated in the quelling of the White Lotus Rebellion and the invasion of Huang Taiji in the second year of Chongzhen. He led his army to fight with Zhang Keda to Northern Zhili, participated in the operation to recover Luanzhou, and was promoted to the position of general.

When Kong Youde led the rebels to travel east through Laizhou, Zhang Qigong volunteered to lead his troops to pursue them at night, attacked the rebel camps and caught the rebels off guard.

At that time, Zhu Wannian considered that there was She Wuhua in the city, and if the rebels came to attack the city, it would probably lead to turmoil. She Wuhua might have responded to his brother Kong Youde in the chaos and let him enter the city, but in the end he did not approve his request.

What is even more commendable is that Zhang Qigong's term as general in Laizhou has expired and he can take the opportunity to escape. However, at the moment when the enemy is approaching, he can still do his best to do his best. He asked to go out to defend Huangcheng and fight the bandits to death...

But before leaving Huang County, Yu Dacheng still advocated revenge and did not intend to fight with the rebels. He only allocated five hundred soldiers to defend Huang County, and he continued to revenge.

Unexpectedly, Kong Youde said that he was not keeping his word, and Li Jiucheng was the person in charge. Yu Dacheng sent someone to negotiate with Li Jiucheng, expressing his intention to recruit him. As a result, Li Jiucheng said on the surface that he agreed to accept the recruitment, but in fact he was still attacking Huang County.

The bandits attacked Huangcheng from the eleventh day of the first lunar month. Zhang Qigong led his troops to fight alone, and during this period, he kept asking the Governor Yu Dacheng for rescue. However, Yu Dacheng still advocated recruitment and refused reinforcements, and ignored Zhang Qigong's request...

On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, Li Jiucheng's troops attacked from the southern city gate, and the soldiers and civilians in Huangcheng were defeated like a mountain. Zhang Qigong was not afraid of danger, and led his troops to kill the bandits, and killed more than a dozen bandits who climbed up to the top of the city... Until they were exhausted, they were captured by the bandits. They were tortured and dismembered and killed.

The country squire Zhao Shizhe wrote a poem:

The jackals come from the west with a sick and fullness.

Please attack the Lord, how might it be magnificent?

Stand up and raise the root of the problem,

The hero will be sad until his death.

When news of the fall of Huangcheng came, Zhu Wannian organized military and civilians to demolish the Dashi Pavilion and the Haishen Pavilion outside Xiguan and part of the Guandi Temple outside Nanguan to prevent the bandits from obtaining a large amount of wood and earth and stone from these places to build a slope road directly to the city wall.

On the one hand, we organize the division of labor between the officials and the gentry and the area to cooperate and protect it together.

According to Zhu Wannian's plan, he personally led his troops to guard the south city gate. The Tongzhi Kou Hua guarded the east gate. The Tongzhi Ren Dong guarded the north gate. The Ye County Magistrate Hong Enzhao guarded the west gate.

Zhang Xin, who had not yet gone to Zhejiang to take office, guarded the northeast corner; former deputy censor Jia Yuxiang, former censor Zhao Yinchang, guarded the southwest corner; former censor Mao Jiuhua, prefect Xu Tingsong guarded the southeast corner; former Huguang Censor Bi Gongchen, and former Guanglu Temple Shaoqing Jiang Qizhe guarded the northwest corner.

After learning that the rebels had taken over the solid Huang County in just two or three days, the entire city of Laizhou became panic. Whether it was gentry, civilians, domestic workers, beggars, all kinds of people took cars and carried loads, ran to the south gate in groups, hoping to take the opportunity to escape, many gentry who returned to their hometown to visit relatives or were idle in the city were among them.

On both sides of the city tower, there were densely filled with mules, horses and ox carts, some were put on poor people's clothes, some were dressed as ragged people, some were dressed as scattered people, some were dressed as women, some were led to donkeys to drive ox, and some were carried with baskets and loads. Screaming, shouting, and crying were intertwined into a noisy wave...

Zhu Wannian knew that if they were allowed to escape from the city, this wave of escape would soon sweep away. In the end, the soldiers would eventually take the path of escape because of fear of fighting with the rebels. At that time, Laizhou City would no longer have to defend.

Therefore, this wave of escape must be stopped. However, Yu Dacheng locked himself in Qingluo Temple, ate vegetarian food and chanted Buddha's name, sent people to discuss the rebels' revenge, and ignored the defensive work of Laizhou City. Officials of Laizhou Prefecture privately mocked Yu Da for becoming the "White Lotus Governor's Court".

These things could not be counted on Yu Dacheng, so they naturally fell on the head of the Laizhou magistrate Zhu Wannian. So under the leadership of Zhu Wannian, officials of Laizhou Prefecture formulated a "ban on escape order" and rushed to the south gate to read it out in person.

In order to facilitate the public's reading and understanding, the notice is written in vernacular and posted throughout the city:

Unite as one, the first to defend against thieves; now stay and watch, patrol the thieves.

When a household is released, everyone is working together; when the same sound is in line, they will gather together immediately.

Even if you encounter a thief, why is it difficult to capture and intercept? It not only protects your wealth, but also protects your hometown.

Be prepared for good things and expect great things together; be good laws here, follow them and do not neglect them!

The notice informs the people of the whole city not to panic and be in a state of chaos, and to be at ease in production and business as usual; if there are any private rumors that disturb people's hearts, they will be punished strictly once they are verified!

At the end, Zhu Wannian also wrote a stern writing: To share this city, that is, to share this city’s safety. No matter whether it is powerful or noble, if you dare to go first, you will never be born with it! The swords and horses all received Zhu Wannian’s instructions: No one is allowed to leave the city! The four gates are heavily guarded and are on high alert.

On this day, Zhu Wannian climbed the city wall to inspect for a week. When he returned to the office compound, it was already in the morning.
Chapter completed!