Chapter 196.2
Just the thought of these possibilities made Xiaobaos heart tremble. He had lived two lifetimes, but this was the first time he felt so anxious. However, he also thought about Jin Wangs plan to lure the enemy out. If his father said so, it meant he had a plan in mind. If thats the case, Grandfather Emperor shouldnt be in danger, right?
At that moment, Fucheng walked in quickly.
Your Highness, His Highness led people to rescue the elderly and the weak women and children. Theres currently no place for them to stay, so he brought them back and asked you to instruct the servants to prepare a few courtyards for their accommodation.
Which families did they come from? Can we trust them? Is there anything I should be aware of when making arrangements?
Fucheng answered her questions one by one. Since His Highness had personally intervened to help, there must be a reason for it. Otherwise, he wouldnt have let Yaoniang make arrangements.
I understand. I will instruct the servants to handle it.
As time passed, more and more people moved into Jin Wang Manor.
Among them were those who sought refuge from nearby families, as well as those whom Jin Wang had rescued. The guest houses were filled with people, and Yaoniang could only try to find more space to accommodate them.
Yaoniang even personally went out to hear these peoples accounts to learn about the situation outside.
It turned out that both the inner and outer cities were in chaos. The rebel forces, stimulated by resistance, had changed their previous attitude and resorted to killing at the slightest provocation.
The streets were filled with people, all driven to a state of frenzy. Some of these people were rebels, while others were those who tried to suppress the rebels. There were also bandits taking advantage of the chaos, causing innocent families to be implicated. Almost every household suffered heavy casualties once their doors were breached. In addition to capturing and taking away the men of the household, the bandits also intruded, causing harm to innocent women and children while plundering their belongings.
Is this all the people you have? Jin Wang raised an eyebrow.
Sun Mang, who had approached on horseback, bitterly smiled and replied, The situation was urgent, and there was no time to gather more troops. Besides, in this kind of situation, its unknown who can be trusted and who cant. The methods of the central palaces faction are fierce. Ive already had two captains under my command turn against me.
Whos inside the carriage? Jin Wangs gaze fell upon the heavily guarded carriage.
My wife and children. I couldnt leave them in the residence while I fight outside, so I wanted to temporarily entrust them to your esteemed residence. I believe that with Jin Wangs abilities, their safety will be guaranteed.
Youve given me one excuse after another. What else can benwang say?
Sun Mang smiled faintly, not because he was concerned about trivial matters, but because he couldnt afford to be negligent or delayed.
I will contact my subordinates right away. However, the true strength of the central palaces faction hasnt been revealed yet. You need to be mentally prepared. The true strength referred to here naturally meant the military forces controlled by Duke Weiguos Fifth Military Camp.
The three garrisons of the capital were the main military forces guarding the important areas of the capital. They were divided into three subdivisions known as the Three Thousand Garrison, Five Army Garrison, and Shenji Garrison. The Three Thousand Garrison consisted of infantry soldiers, who were not well-suited for street battles. The Shenji Garrison, on the other hand, was directly under the current ruler and could not be mobilized by anyone without the emperors edict or the imperial seal. The Five Army Garrison consisted mainly of infantry and was further divided into the Central Army, Left and Right Wings, and Left and Right Outposts.
The Five Army Garrison was the collective term used for these troops and it had the largest number of soldiers among the three garrisons of the capital. They often rotate their forces with the troops stationed in Shandong, Henan, and Daning Garrison to come and train in the capital. At the same time, they also send troops for external expeditions. Therefore, the number of troops stationed in the capital was generally not high, but there were still around twenty thousand soldiers stationed outside the city.
Currently, the troops of the Five Army Garrison have not yet entered the city. Once they do, the troops in Jin Wangs hands would be no match for them at all.
So its best if Brother Sun can win over some of the subordinates. If the Commandery Guard in the capital can provide another ten thousand troops, we would have a chance to fight back.