ATPnovel Chapter 58 Martial Law in Jinan
Chapter 58 Martial Law in Jinan
Late at night on the 15th of the fifth month of the second year of the Tianqi reign.
The night sky over Jinan was shrouded in lingering dark clouds, and the air was thick with a damp, musty smell. Although Lu Ji's local militia had taken over the city's defenses, the massive provincial capital still resembled a frightened beast, breathing uneasily in the darkness.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The urgent clanging of the gong echoed through the streets once more, accompanied by the watchman's hoarse shouts: "By order of the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner! Martial law declared throughout the city! After 7 PM, all lights are forbidden! Anyone who disobeys will be executed without mercy!"
On the streets, people who had tried to take advantage of the chaos to buy grain were roughly driven home by patrolling soldiers. Several grain shops that attempted to raise prices under the cover of night were sealed off, and the shopkeepers' cries echoed far into the quiet night before being cut off by a dull thud of a rifle butt striking flesh.
This is martial law.
It wasn't the grand and stirring prelude to a city defense as depicted in plays, but rather a naked, cold, industrialized form of violent control.
The South Gate Tower served as the temporary command post.
This place was originally the residence of the garrison commander, but it has now been requisitioned by Lu Yan. A huge "Jinan Prefecture City Defense Engineering Map" hangs on the wall, densely marked with red and blue lines and data—the firing parameters and defensive blind spots that Lu Yan had the craftsmen measure overnight.
Lu Yan stood in front of the blueprint, holding a charcoal pencil, his expression as cold and stern as if he were scrutinizing a construction blueprint with serious safety hazards.
"The situation is worse than expected."
He turned around and looked at the group of Jinan officials behind him who were silent as cicadas in fear.
Zhou Daodeng, the Vice Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, sat in the main seat, holding a teacup that trembled so much that he couldn't even close the lid properly. Beside him, the Prefect of Jinan was even more ashen-faced, his hair disheveled, completely devoid of his usual official demeanor.
"The city wall has been in disrepair for years. There are three cracks on the south section, each more than two inches wide, which would be considered a 'dangerous building' in engineering terms." Lu Yan drew three heavy circles on the map with charcoal. "The moat is severely silted up, with an average depth of less than three feet. If the enemy soldiers use moat-filling carts, they can fill it up in half an hour. As for the cannons on the city walls..."
Lu Yan sneered, picked up a rusty piece of iron from the table, and threw it on the ground with a crisp "clang".
"Those are breech-loading cannons cast during the Chongzhen... oh no, those are breech-loading cannons from the early Wanli period. The risk of them exploding is greater than the probability of killing the enemy. You think you can stop Xu Hongru's 100,000-strong army with these pieces of junk?"
Zhou Daodeng shuddered, forcing himself to speak, "Master Lu... Master Lu, this city defense repair is the Ministry of Works' responsibility, and the funds haven't been allocated yet... It's too late to talk about this now, do you... think of a way?"
"There is a way. But it has to be done according to my rules."
A glint of undeniable determination flashed in Lu Yan's eyes.
"First, initiate the 'wartime labor conscription'."
Lu Yan held up one finger. "All able-bodied men in the city, whether you're a merchant's assistant or a servant of a wealthy family, will be incorporated into the 'Construction Team.' I don't need them to fight on the front lines; I only need them to dig, move bricks, and transport water. I want to deepen the moat by three feet within three days and build a 'sheep and horse wall' at the base of the city wall."
"This... conscripting servants from wealthy households might cause..." The prefect hesitated.
"Incite public resentment?" Lu Yan interrupted him, his eyes sharp. "Then tell them they either have to provide manpower and resources, or they'll be burned alive by Xu Hongru after the city falls. Also, Lu will pay double wages, paid daily. At this time, money is more effective than a whip."
"Second, implement 'material control'."
Lu Yan pointed to several blacksmith shops with smoke rising from them in the city. "All the blacksmiths and carpenters in the city will be gathered at Lu's arsenal. All pig iron, timber, tung oil, and cotton cloth will be sealed up and distributed by me. Anyone who dares to hoard them will be treated as a traitor."
"third……"
Lu Yan paused, then turned his gaze to the dark wilderness outside the city.
"Refugees. This is the biggest hidden danger."
At this time, tens of thousands of refugees who had fled from surrounding counties had gathered outside Jinan. They crowded at the foot of the city walls, crying and begging to be allowed into the city. If they were ignored, they would be coerced by the rebel soldiers to attack the city; if they were let in, the White Lotus spies mixed in could blow Jinan apart from the inside.
"Brother Lu, those refugees... should we disperse them?" Zhou Daodeng asked tentatively, "Or... should we fire a few arrows to scare them?"
"That's pushing them into Xu Hongru's arms."
Lu Yan shook his head. "They are people, resources, and the 'cannon fodder' that the bandits want most."
"Long Tassel".
"Here!" Zhao Changying, who had been standing in the shadows, strode forward, the armor plates clashing together with a chilling sound.
"Take your cavalry out of the city. Set up a 'refugee reception area' at Luanshigang, five miles south of the city, which is our old camp."
Lu Yan's orders were like precise mechanical instructions:
"Establish three lines of defense. The first line is screening. All able-bodied young men and women who can work should be taken away and incorporated into the auxiliary troops. They will be given food, but they must work."
"The second layer is isolation. The elderly, women, and children are placed in a centralized location and given basic rations, but they are not allowed to wander off. They are told that only by staying within this circle can Lu's guns and cannons protect them."
"The third step is cleaning."
A cold glint flashed in Lu Yan's eyes. "Let our 'groundhogs' (intelligence agents) infiltrate. Anyone spreading rumors, secretly colluding, or carrying White Lotus Cult tokens, no need for interrogation, just... deal with them."
"Yes!" Zhao Changying accepted the order and left, his eyes gleaming with bloodthirsty excitement.
"Isn't this...isn't this too harsh?" The prefect wiped away his cold sweat.
"ruthless?"
Lu Yan turned around, looked at the room full of officials, and spoke in a detached tone as if he were discussing the weather.
"My lords, this is war. This is not a dinner party, nor is it an essay writing session. We are using iron and blood to repair this rotten world."
"Jinan right now is a giant powder keg. If we don't move these explosives, we'll all be blown to bits when Xu Hongru's fire comes over."
Lu Yan walked to the window and looked at the rows of Lu Ji soldiers patrolling along the city wall. The torches they held formed a long dragon, locking the ancient city in place.
"From this moment forward, Jinan City is no longer the capital of the Ming Dynasty; it is a 'half-finished project' taken over by Lu Ji. And until the project is completed..."
Lu Yan turned around and gave Zhou Daodeng a standard, yet chilling, professional smile:
"Everyone here, including you gentlemen, must obey my orders."
That night, Jinan Prefecture fully entered "Lu Yan Time".
Gone were the government's procrastination and the bureaucratic buck-passing. In their place was a highly efficient, ruthless, and even somewhat mechanically aesthetic wartime system.
Thirty miles outside the city, Xu Hongru's army, like a pack of wolves that have smelled blood, is baring its ferocious fangs in the darkness.