Reborn and returned, sisters swapped

Chapter 154: Do your part to protect yourself and your family?

"Gentlemen!" Zhao Lingfeng's voice was deep yet powerful as he surveyed the lieutenants before him. "The enemy is imminent; this is a life-or-death battle for our Hesha City."

If we do not defend our homeland to the death today, it will be completely destroyed.

We had no choice but to fight to the death!

The soldiers' faces were solemn, the air was filled with a heavy atmosphere, and a silent sense of tragedy welled up in everyone's heart.

Zhao Lingfeng turned to He Qingshan and gently placed his hand on his shoulder.

He said in a deep voice, "Uncle Qingshan, the terrain of the western city wall is treacherous, but if the enemy launches a surprise attack from there, we will be attacked from both sides."

You must personally guard this place; you must defend it to the death!

Although He Qingshan was old, his passion had not diminished. He nodded silently, a tragic determination flashing in his eyes.

"Rest assured, my lord, I will defend the western wall to the death. Even if it costs me my life, I will never let the enemy set foot in the city!"

Zhao Lingfeng walked up to Xu Shengzhan and said solemnly, "The south gate is easy to attack but difficult to defend. If the enemy breaks through the city from here, the defense line of the east gate will be cut off."

General Xu, this important task can only be entrusted to you.

Upon hearing this, Xu Shengzhan's face hardened, and he clenched his fists slightly, replying with boundless pride: "As long as the South Gate stands, Shengzhan stands; if the South Gate falls, Shengzhan dies!"

Knowing that the battle would consume a great deal of supplies, Zhao Lingfeng turned to the logistics officer Wu Qi and said, "Although the city's reserves are insufficient, we must strive for every bit of supplies in this battle to ensure that the soldiers have no worries about logistics."

Wu Qi, I'll leave this matter to you.

Wu Qi looked bitter, knowing that the task would be difficult.

But he nodded steadily, "Rest assured, sir, Wu Qi will live up to your expectations."

He knew that although his duty was not on the front lines, any negligence in supplies could lead to a rout at the front.

Zhao Lingfeng slowly walked up to the civil official Lü Qian, his expression solemn, his tone calm yet firm, "Lü Qian, once the war begins, the city will surely descend into chaos."

The safety and order of the people still depend on you to arrange things.”

Lü Qian knew that although he was not a military general, he bore the same important responsibility.

He took a deep breath, clasped his hands in a fist and said, “Rest assured, sir, I will arrange for the people to move to a safe area within the city and organize able-bodied men to help carry the wounded and provide supplies.”

Zhao Lingfeng walked to Gu Jinyan's side, his tone calm and gentle, "Jinyan, the east side of the city wall is of utmost importance. Once it falls, the enemy will directly attack the command post."

Are you willing to guard the east wall?

Her eyes shone with determination, and she replied without hesitation, "Rest assured, my lord, I will live and die with Dongqiang!"

She understood the importance of the east wall and the strength of the enemy, but she felt no fear, only a determination to protect it to the death.

Zhao Lingfeng solemnly arranged for Xu Zhen to be positioned at the main gate, which was one of the most likely directions of attack for the enemy.

"Xu Zhen, the front gate is extremely dangerous. The enemy could launch a fierce attack at any time. Can you hold it?"

He felt an immense burden on his shoulders, knowing that the main gate was the enemy's primary target.

A strong sense of responsibility welled up within him, and he firmly declared, "Xu Zhen swears to defend the main gate to the death!"

After Zhao Lingfeng finished making his arrangements, he looked solemnly at the soldiers in front of him.

Each person's position determines the life or death of Hersha City, and each person will be responsible for the fate of this city to the very end.

The cold wind of dawn carried a chilling air, and the distant sound of war drums could be faintly heard.

A tense atmosphere permeated both inside and outside the city of Hersha.

The civil official Lü Qian stood on the high platform, looking at the figures of the people in the city, his heart heavy and anxious.

The enemy forces attacking the city were overwhelming, and everyone in Hesha City was facing a life-or-death test.

As a civil official in the city, he bore the heavy responsibility of protecting the people and knew that at this time, all forces had to be mobilized in order to give Hesha City a chance to survive.

Lu Qian waved his sleeve, summoning the scholars to gather around.

With a resolute expression, he ordered: "Today's battle concerns the lives of everyone. All able-bodied men who can carry weapons must go into battle with the army!"

The others, along with children and women, retreated to shelters.

"Hersa City is our home, and we will protect it with our lives!"

The scholars all looked solemn, understanding the urgency of the task. They nodded in agreement and turned to get busy.

Lü Qian then summoned several officials and assigned them tasks, organizing able-bodied young people to join the city's defense.

Although Hersha City is defended by an army, the enemy forces are formidable, and without mobilizing the entire city's strength, it will be difficult to hold out.

These civilians had never been to the battlefield, but during wartime, everyone was a "warrior" of Hesha City.

He walked to the edge of the market and shouted loudly: "Fellow villagers, as long as the city gate stands, our home stands; as long as our home stands, our loved ones remain!"

Today, the enemy is attacking the city. If you do not wish for your families to be disgraced, please join me in battle!

His words were powerful and resolute, igniting the fighting spirit in the hearts of the people.

A response came from the crowd, and many young and strong men stepped forward, some shouting, "Don't worry, sir!"

As long as we are here, the enemy will not be able to set foot in the city!

Some people in the crowd, though their faces were full of fear, still clenched their fists and stepped forward.

Looking at their determined eyes, Lü Qian felt deeply gratified.

Although these civilians had no battlefield experience, their determination to protect their homes was no less than that of any soldier.

He announced loudly, "Fellow villagers, we are currently short of weapons, but we cannot sit idly by and wait to die."

If you are carrying farm tools, please bring them as weapons for self-defense.

Hoes, sickles, clubs—anything usable can be used to protect the house and yard!

Lü Qian quickly gathered several craftsmen and found some scraps of iron in the city's supply depot, deciding to make simple weapons for the able-bodied men.

He summoned the old craftsman Zhang San, an experienced blacksmith who was well-versed in weapon modification.

“Uncle Zhang, these farm tools are simple, but with a little polishing, they can be useful in close combat,” Lü Qian explained patiently.

Zhang San stroked the old hoes and nodded: "Don't worry, sir, they are just farm tools."

But we can sharpen these hoes and nail iron nails into the wooden sticks, so we can both stab and smash.

If you wrap some hemp rope around the long handle, it will prevent your hand from slipping.

After saying that, Zhang San and several craftsmen began to get busy.

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They sharpened the hoes to sharp edges and tied strips of cloth to the sickles for easy gripping.

Adding iron nails to the head of a straw pitchfork creates a simple spear;

The wooden sticks were nailed with metal plates to provide protection in close combat.

The farmers' tools were transformed into fighting tools in an instant. Although they were not sophisticated, they provided some assistance to the farmers in the chaos of battle.

Lü Qian walked towards the crowd and assigned the registration work to several scholars, who were responsible for verifying the basic information of the young and middle-aged men.

These young men, though full of enthusiasm, varied in physical strength and family circumstances, requiring careful management to ensure that the city's inhabitants retained their productivity after the war.

A scribe carefully checked the registration form and asked a young man in a low voice, "How is your family situation?"

Are there any other people in the house?

The young man wiped the sweat from his brow and replied, "I only have my elderly mother at home; my other brothers are already on the front lines."

Although he looked a little green, his eyes were firm.

The scholar made a mark in the register and looked up at Lü Qian: "Sir, this family has no one to take care of them."

If he participates in the war, it may affect his future life.

Lu Qian nodded and pondered for a moment: "Then we will arrange for him to be on the front line of material transportation. Although he will not be on the front line, he can still do his part for the city."

Lü Qian was well aware of the difficulties faced by these people, so he separated single young men from those with families to care for them.

The latter were mostly stationed in the rear to prevent Hersha City from losing its productivity after the war.

Subsequently, Lü Qian divided these young men into groups according to their regions and assigned an experienced veteran to each group to teach them basic combat stances.

Despite its short duration, this meticulous arrangement greatly boosted the people's confidence.

They knew they were not alone, but had partners and family members protecting the same land.

The craftsmen handed out batches of simple weapons to the people.

Lü Qian led a retired veteran to instruct the civilians on how to handle weapons.

He walked over to a young man holding a wooden stick and demonstrated: "Grip the ends of the stick firmly with both hands. Avoid using brute force. Find the right opportunity and strike the enemy's lower body. Just be able to force him back."

The veterans set up several sandbags in the open space to simulate the enemy's attack direction.

A veteran shouted instructions: "Listen up, everyone! When you encounter the enemy, throw the attack upwards. Don't panic, stay calm!"

"Our farm tools may be clumsy, but as long as they're accurate, the enemy won't dare to approach easily!"

Everyone followed suit and practiced, their movements slightly clumsy but serious.

A farmer, gripping his sickle, couldn't help but ask, "Sir, do you really think we can hold out?"

Lu Qian looked at him, his eyes blazing: "As long as we are united, this land will not be easily lost!"

Hersha is our common home. If we don't stand up today, who will protect it for us?

His voice was firm yet warm, and the people smiled with encouragement, their expressions becoming even more resolute.

After confirming the basic information of each able-bodied young man, Lü Qian checked their family situations one by one to prevent people who were supporting their families alone from being sent to the front lines.

This is not only support for the front lines, but also a guarantee for future life in the city.

An elderly scholar couldn't help but whisper, "My lord, can these arrangements we've made truly save Hesha City?"

Lu Qian calmly replied, "Our responsibility is not only wartime command, but also post-war reconstruction."

Every young adult is a pillar of the city, and their contributions deserve respect.

We must ensure that, after the victory, the city of Hersha can regain its former vitality.

He assigned some of the older able-bodied men to the rear to transport supplies and protect women and children, while allowing younger men with brothers to take on more frontline defense duties.

In this way, everyone is assigned the most suitable responsibility, which ensures both the contribution of the people and the continuation of the family.

After completing the group assignments and arrangements, Lü Qian once again stood before the people.

He said loudly, "Gentlemen, today we are not only fighting for ourselves, but also for our families and our homes."

Though the enemy is strong, as long as we remain steadfast, Hesha City will not fall!

The people's eyes were firm, and their hearts were filled with the belief in protecting the people.

Holding sharpened sickles and hoes, everyone shouted, "We will protect Hesha City, fearless of death!"

Lu Qian gazed at them, his heart filled with mixed emotions, moved by the courage of these people.

They were also worried about the upcoming battle.

It is this deeply ingrained belief that has allowed Hersha City to stand firm through wind and rain.

After settling the able-bodied men and women in the area, Lü Qian went to the other side where the women and children were gathered.

Before them stood terrified children, anxious mothers, and some elderly people.

These people are living in fear, and if things are not handled properly as soon as possible, it could not only affect morale but also cause chaos.

He walked up to the women and children, a gentle smile on his face, and said softly, “Don’t panic, everyone. Hesha City is protected by all the soldiers and villagers. We will not let the enemy cross this city wall.”