In the famine, others ate Guanyin soil, but he had space to build a farm.

Chapter 134: Inside the County

Under the towering walls of Xishan County, General Liu, accompanied by County Magistrate Li Wei and County Magistrate Chen Dong, stepped slowly into the county, each step as steady as a mountain. The sun shone on his armor, the golden light flowed, reflecting the cold light, showing unparalleled majesty and power.

Inside the county town, the hundreds of soldiers left behind by Zhang Shan were now in a state of panic. They had witnessed the tragic battle outside the city with their own eyes. The government troops were surging in like a tide, unstoppable. This fear was like a magnified shadow, lingering in everyone's mind, making them feel suffocated.

Suddenly, a burst of urgent shouts broke the tranquility of the city: "Everyone run! The soldiers are coming!" The sound was like a thunderous explosion, stirring up waves in the already panicked hearts of the defenders.

"Brother Zhang was defeated by the government army!" Another desperate cry echoed in the crowd, spreading rapidly like a plague. The defenders who had originally held out a glimmer of hope also completely collapsed at this moment. The determination in their eyes had disappeared, leaving only endless panic and despair.

Zhang Shan's defeated soldiers fled in all directions like frightened birds. However, they soon found themselves in trouble. The surrounding streets were already filled with soldiers, holding bows and arrows, ready to fight, covering the county tightly. The eyes of these soldiers were full of murderous intent, as if they wanted to annihilate these fleeing defeated soldiers in one fell swoop.

"Stop right there! If you dare to take another step forward, I will shoot you to death!" The soldiers around shouted in a cold and resolute voice. Under this pressure, the fleeing defenders had to stop, and stood there with pale faces and trembling bodies.

At this moment, the soldiers knew that these fleeing defenders were their military merits and the steps for their promotion. They would not miss this opportunity and kept a close eye on the defenders, ready to capture them all.

However, in this chaos, some defenders took advantage of the chaotic situation and sneaked into the houses along with the residents who helped defend the city. They tried to escape in this way. However, their fate was not completely in their own hands, and how their fate would evolve in the future remained unknown.

In the streets and alleys of Xishan County, General Liu's figure stood like a pin, surrounded by County Magistrate Li Wei and County Magistrate Chen Dong. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle, sweeping over the fleeing defenders, and his heart was filled with a wave of emotion. These warriors who once swore to defend their homeland were now fleeing like dogs that had lost their homes, which was really heartbreaking.

"Magistrate Li, County Assistant Secretary Chen, the two of you must quickly organize the people in the city and calm their hearts. Do not allow any more disturbances in the city." General Liu ordered in a deep voice.

"Yes, General Liu!" Li Wei and Chen Dong responded in unison and immediately turned around to carry out General Liu's orders.

At this moment, in a remote alley in the city, several defenders were panting and hiding in a dark corner. Their faces were covered with dust and sweat, and their eyes were flashing with fear and anxiety.

"Brother Zhang, did he...did he really lose?" a young defender asked in a trembling voice.

"Alas, we are really defeated this time." Another defender sighed, with endless despair in his eyes, "The government troops are numerous and well-equipped, how can we be their opponent?"

"Then what should we do now? Are we really going to wait to die here?" There was a hint of tears in the young defender's voice.

At this time, an old man slowly walked over. He was wearing coarse clothes, had a kind face, but his eyes sparkled with wisdom.

"My fellow warriors, there is no need to despair." The old man smiled and said, "Although Xishan County is under siege, there is still a glimmer of hope."

"Old man, what do you think?" The defenders looked at the old man, their eyes full of expectation.

"I know a secret room. If you trust me, just follow me." The old man said mysteriously.

The defenders looked at each other and nodded in agreement. They knew that this was a matter of life and death and they had to seize every possible opportunity.

So, under the guidance of the old man, the defenders quietly walked through the alley and came to a hidden basement. It was dark and damp, but it gave people an inexplicable sense of security. The old man lit a torch to illuminate the road ahead.

"Follow me and watch your step," the old man instructed.

The defenders followed the old man closely and moved forward cautiously. They knew that this secret room might be their only hope.

However, just as they were about to enter the secret room, a burst of hurried footsteps came from a distance. The defenders' hearts tightened and they all clenched their weapons.

"Oh no! The government troops are chasing us!" exclaimed a defender.

"Hurry, speed up!" the old man urged.

The defenders did not dare to delay for even a moment and quickened their pace. They knew that they had to do their best to escape now...

"You go down first, I'll deal with these people!" Laozi said with a sigh.

"Old man! Thank you so much!" The other defenders looked at the old man with gratitude, then jumped into the darkness.

"We are all suffering from this fate! Go down! Don't make any noise!"

The old man took a deep breath, covered the exit of the secret room, and slowly turned around.

At this time, the sound of knocking on the door was heard outside the yard.

The old man's heart tightened, but he quickly adjusted his breathing to make himself look calm. He slowly walked to the door and gently pushed the bolt open. The door slowly opened with his movement. Several soldiers of the government army stood at the door with weapons in hand and murderous faces. When they saw the old man, they immediately surrounded him vigilantly.

"Old man, are there any rebels hiding in the city?" the leading soldier of the palace army asked sternly.

The old man pretended to be panicked and replied in a trembling voice: "Sir, I am just a commoner. How can I know who is a rebel or not? This city is in chaos. I just want to go home and hide away in peace."

The leading soldier of the imperial army looked the old man up and down, and seeing that he was indeed dressed like a commoner, and that he spoke sincerely and with a humble attitude, he relaxed his vigilance. But he was still worried, and ordered, "Do you have any Tibetans in your home? We need to go in and search."

The old man's heart tightened when he heard that he was going to search, but he quickly calmed down and said helplessly, "Sir, if you don't believe me, go ahead and search. But my house is simple and I'm afraid there's nothing to see."

Seeing the old man's cooperation, the soldiers of the government army were no longer suspicious and rushed into the old man's house to search. The old man took the opportunity to step aside and secretly prayed that the soldiers of the government army would not find the secret room under the table.