Chapter 355： guard

“I don’t want to eat raw.”

The tiger put the eggs back into the basket.

Jiang Wu felt very guilty, but he knew that his sister's secret could not be known to others, not even Brother Huzi.

He glanced at his sister, feeling very confused.

Ying Bao took out a few pieces of Poria cake from her bag and put them in the palm of Hu Zi's hand: "Then you can eat this."

The tiger was not polite and ate it all in one go.

They stayed in the reeds for a day like this. In the evening, while Yingbao could still see the surroundings clearly, she took her younger brother to the riverside and released a gourd boat.

This is a boat composed of four large gourds and bamboo rafts, which are then fixed with kudzu and gourd vine hemp ropes.

At first glance, it looks like a square box with four big gourds hanging on the side.

Jiang Wu opened his eyes wide and asked in disbelief: "Sister, are you a god? How can you conjure so many things?"

“I’ll tell you later.” Yingbao took out two more long bamboo poles and put them on the gourd boat, and then took his younger brother back to find Zhang Min,

"I found a boat made of gourds. Let's leave now." Ying Bao said to Zhang Min and Hu Zi without changing her expression.

Zhang Min was curious: "What kind of gourd boat?"

Jiang Wu: "You'll know when you go and see it." After saying that, he ran towards the river first.

When Zhang Min and Huzi saw the gourd boat in front of them, they were so shocked that they were speechless.

“Why does this gourd look like our variety?” Huzi climbed onto the boat and touched the gourd, which was a little weird.

Yingbao and his younger brother also got on the boat and stepped on the bamboo rafts.

After all the people stood on it, the bamboo sank slightly, and the river water reached the feet.

Fortunately, there were four big gourds supporting it on all sides, so the bamboo raft did not sink.

Zhang Min and Huzi each took a long bamboo pole to punt the boat, and slowly left the reed swamp and headed towards the middle of the river.

Ying Bao and Jiang Wu looked around vigilantly to prevent barbarians from shooting arrows on the shore.

It was getting dark, and several bonfires were lit near the river.

“Those are barbarians!” Jiang Wu pointed to the bonfires on the shore and said, “There are quite a few of them.”

Ying Bao nodded: "Let's be careful and don't get discovered by them."

Zhang Min and Hu Zi tried their best to be gentle, but some barbarians still discovered the gourd boat on the river.

They ran to the riverside howling, drew their bows and fired towards the gourd boats.

“Get down quickly!” Ying Bao asked them to sit behind the big gourd and quietly pushed the boat forward.

Several arrows whizzed and pierced the gourd, startling Ying Bao.

The arm strength of these people is really amazing, they can shoot from such a long distance.

The gourd boat finally got rid of the barbarians, and when it was about to enter the city waters, someone fired arrows at them again.

Yingbao looked carefully and saw that they were soldiers on the city wall. He quickly shouted: "We are relatives of Prefect Zhang!"

The defending soldiers heard the voice of a child and the sound of another boat, so they quickly stopped shooting.

“Bring the boat to the side, we want to inspect it!” the soldier ordered sternly.

Zhang Min and Huzi pushed the gourd boat over. As soon as it docked, several soldiers ran over. They held swords and halberds in their hands, and they pointed the blades at several people.

The four imps came ashore and saw that they had no weapons in their hands, so the soldiers relaxed a little.

When they learned that Zhang Min was the young master of Zhang's family, their tone became more polite. One of them also volunteered to send several people to the prefect's mansion.

Yingbao took her younger brother and Zhang Minhuzi as they walked on the street, clearly feeling the tension and depression of the people in the city.

From this guard’s mouth, I learned that the total number of guards in Jingzhou Prefecture was less than 500. Even if the prisoners in the prison were released, they would still not be enough to compete with the thousands of enemy generals outside.

However, several military camps dozens of miles away should be able to gather more than a thousand soldiers, and together with the soldiers from Linxian County, there can be two to three thousand people.

It is a pity that the power of dispatching soldiers in Daqian is not in the hands of the general.

Even if foreign armies invade the territory, no one can take a step beyond the emperor's authority without the emperor's decree.

After returning to the prefect's mansion, Zhang Min immediately ran to meet his parents, brothers and sisters.

When Mrs. Zhang saw her son rushing back, she couldn't help crying: "Are you stupid? What are you doing back now?"

Her husband is a prefect, so even if he has the opportunity to send his wife and children out of the city, he cannot do so, otherwise he will be despised by the world and criticized by the court.

Previously, Mrs. Zhang was glad that her youngest son was not here. Even if the whole family would not be able to survive in the future, Zhang Min was still here, but this little fool actually ran back.

“Mother, my son is coming back to help you fight against the enemy!” Zhang Min knelt down and kowtowed to his parents.

Zhang Taishou glanced at his son with his hands behind his back, sighed, and asked, "When did you know the news?"

"Ten days ago." Zhang Min answered truthfully: "There are rumors outside that the Jurchens have captured Taiyuan Prefecture and are heading to Tokyo."

Prefect Zhang was surprised: "Taiyuan Prefecture was really captured?" The news in his place was too limited, and it took a long time for some news to reach here.

“Yes, people from Tokyo and Yuzhou are fleeing south, and Jiankang is the first choice.”

Zhang Min said worriedly: "Dad, when we were able to come in from the outside, we saw a lot of those barbarians. There were hundreds of them gathered by the river alone. I'm afraid they will attack from Jiangkouzi."

Prefect Zhang frowned.

In the past, when bandits broke out, Jiangkouzi was the breakthrough point. Every time, a lot of people had to be sent to guard it, barely holding on.

But the people outside the city now are not ordinary bandits, they are the most ferocious foreign soldiers. If they really find a ship and attack, their own manpower will not be enough.

"Okay, I understand. You should rest early. I still have things to deal with." Zhang Taishou looked at Ying Bao and the others. Seeing that they were all children, he asked his wife to take good care of them.

Then he went to the study and discussed with several staff members how to retreat from the enemy.

Mrs. Zhang saw that her son not only came back by himself, but also brought three children with him, and she couldn't help complaining that her son was ignorant.

If anything happens to these children, their parents will be heartbroken.

Mrs. Zhang asked a few casual questions and asked the maid to take Ying Bao and the others to the guest room to rest.

He also ordered his servant girl to prepare some food and send it to him.

Yingbao and his younger brother Huzi each ate a bowl of green vegetable noodles before returning to their rooms.

Now that the city gates are closed, vegetables and grain from outside the city cannot be transported in. Tens of thousands of people in the city have to eat vegetables every day. If this continues, it is estimated that every household will soon run out of food.

Judging from today’s food, there may have been a famine in the prefecture.

How many days have it been?

Is this already the case in the city?

After Yingbao washed herself, she immediately fell into bed and fell asleep. When she woke up the next day, it was already bright.

Jiang Wu ran over, knocked on his sister's door, and shouted loudly: "Sister! Get up quickly! Those barbarians have begun to attack the city!"

Yingbao stood up, quickly put on his clothes and shoes, and hurriedly opened the door. "What did you say?"

Jiang Wu grabbed his sister's wrist and walked outside. As he walked, he said: "Brother Zhang Min went to guard the city wall, and brother Huzi also followed. Those barbarians got several fishing boats from nowhere, and they all swarmed to the city wall." Jiangkouzili."