My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

Inside Qu County, the once somewhat empty main hall of the prefectural government office was now filled with people, creating a solemn atmosphere.

Upon receiving the urgent summons, Xu Xianzhi, Han Yong, the team leaders, Lu Da (who was still recovering from his injuries but could walk), and several capable leaders under Chen Jiao who were familiar with the local geography and the sea conditions all rushed over.

Everyone looked puzzled, wondering why they had suddenly summoned all the key members.

Xiao Heng didn't speak. He had just finished a deep simulation, and the results satisfied him. The main thing was that he knew how to deploy using the newly obtained nautical chart.

He then picked up his pen and began to write with great strokes, first outlining the coastline, then the scattered islands, Yuzhou Island, Xiaozhu Island, and several smaller reefs and islets whose exact locations even some of the veteran seafarers in the audience might not know.

Then there are lines, some solid and some dashed, connecting these islands to the coast, with simple wind direction and water depth symbols marked next to them.

Although the painting skills were somewhat unsatisfactory, the precision he displayed secretly alarmed Lu Da and his men, who were familiar with this sea area.

"Gentlemen!"

After finishing the last stroke, Xiao Heng straightened up and glanced at everyone.

"This is a nautical chart of the waters surrounding Qu County. Simply holding the county seat is too passive! Does anyone have a good strategy to repel the enemy?"

The atmosphere in the hall immediately became tense. Everyone knew yesterday that Murong Yan had returned, and the strategy discussed yesterday was to strengthen the city's defenses and defend the city to the death.

However, everyone knew that this plan was not optimistic, and some people advocated retreating to the island, but no one dared to speak on how to repel the enemy.

Now that Xiao Heng has taken out the nautical chart, it's clear he also intends to retreat to the sea, and the murmurs from below the hall have started again.

Xiao Heng did not stop the discussion, but without defeating Murong Yan, the subsequent plans could not be realized.

After a short while, the discussion subsided, and no one reached a consensus.

But Xiao Heng only heard the gist of it, and none of them suited his current wishes.

Xiao Heng remained unmoved, moving his finger among the islands on the map.

"Holding the county town seems safe, but it won't repel the enemy! Since you can't reach a consensus, instead of fighting for a city here, let's take all the people, troops, and supplies we can carry. What we can't take, let's hide or destroy it on the spot. Everyone, retreat to the island!"

Without giving anyone else a chance to speak, Xiao Heng began to make arrangements based on the scenario they had just simulated.

Although he was only less than 40% sure, it was still much better than staying in the city. He looked at Lu Da, whose face was still somewhat pale.

"Lu University!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Your unit is familiar with the terrain of Qu Mountain. I'll leave you another hundred archers, fully equipped with arrows. Your mission is to infiltrate Qu Mountain and specifically harass Murong Yan's army's supply lines, scouts, and isolated squads! I want him to be on tenterhooks every step he takes, and to make every cartload of supplies a difficult and arduous journey! Remember, this is harassment, not a decisive battle. Strike and retreat; survival is paramount!"

A fierce glint flashed in Lu Da's eyes, but he returned to his familiar spot. As long as there was food, everything was negotiable. He licked his slightly chapped lips and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Rest assured, my lord! I will make sure those Xianbei dogs can't move an inch in the mountains and suffer terribly!"

Xiao Heng nodded, then turned his gaze to the others.

"All remaining salt producers, salt workers, fishermen, and their families in the city will be evacuated to Yuzhou Island by ship! There are water fortresses and fresh water there, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Although the salt fields are small, they are sufficient!"

"Han Yong!"

Han Yong stepped forward.

"You will command all troops, including the newly formed units, and establish outposts and construct simple fortifications on the surrounding islands, with Xiaozhu Island as the core. Our main force will not be on land, but at sea! Utilize the advantage of ships to maneuver between these islands!"

He looked at Xu Xianzhi.

"Wen Yuan, you and Tan Gongcao will oversee the logistics and relocation, coordinate the ships, and complete the transfer of personnel and essential supplies!"

Xu Xianzhi took a deep breath. Although he felt that this move was extremely risky, he had to admit that, given the disparity in strength between the enemy and himself, avoiding the enemy's strength and retreating to the sea to fight them might be the only chance of survival.

"I envy your command and will do my utmost."

Xiao Heng finally looked at everyone in the hall.

"I know some people are reluctant to abandon the city, but losing people means losing both. If Murong Yan wants this empty city, then give it to him! This relocation is a matter of life and death. All teams, return immediately to prepare and proceed according to your assigned tasks!"

"promise!"

Although the people in the hall were still unsettled, seeing that Xiao Heng had made up his mind, they could only obey in unison.

Seeing them still discussing it as they left, Xiao Heng could only shake his head.

He had simulated that Murong Yan had 20,000 infantry and cavalry. Now that he had made his plans, he would wait and see how the other party would make his move.

The military order to abandon Qu County and retreat to the islands was transformed into a public notice by Xu Xianzhi and quickly posted.

It was thought that the people who had experienced Murong Yan's previous looting and had been taken in and resettled by Xiao Heng would understand and follow the government's actions.

However, the first to erupt in uproar after the notice was issued were not the soldiers who had just been incorporated into the army and were used to obeying orders, nor the displaced people who were filled with anxiety, but rather the local salt farmers and salt workers who had just found hope in the salt fields.

Discontent was heard everywhere, from the shacks where people lived in the salt fields to the mudflats where salt was dried on the beach.

"Why should we leave? We just fixed the salt stove!"

"Retreat to the island? That godforsaken place isn't as spacious or has any ready-made salt fields as here!"

"So what if Murong Yan is here? He didn't even manage to break into the city last time, did he? Doesn't Prefect Xiao have troops? Let him defend!"

"Exactly! We've just started to see some hope, and now we have to run away again? Run off to an island and starve?"

"..."

Several minor officials sent by Xu Xianzhi to explain the policies and organize the evacuation were even surrounded by emotionally charged salt farmers, and the scene was temporarily out of control.

An old salt worker with gray hair and a face blackened and shiny by the sea breeze and the fire squeezed to the front, followed by a group of salt workers with similar complexions.

Unlike the young man, the old cook didn't shout; he just stared pitifully at the clerk.

"Officer, please tell me your story. I've boiled salt my whole life. I've worked for the Wang family and for previous officials. When the Wang family was in power, salt fields were in high demand. You had to bribe them and pull strings to get a good spot. After paying the rent, the remaining salt would be skimmed off layer by layer by the managers and brokers. The little you got was barely enough to keep you from starving. Later, things got chaotic, and it was even worse."

As soon as he finished speaking, the people behind him started to make a fuss, but the old man stopped them. He turned around and pointed to the salt field behind him.

"Prefect Xiao has arrived and set new rules. There are plenty of salt fields, everyone gets a share, and only 70% of the salt is collected as rent. The rest we can keep to exchange for grain or money, and the government will buy it at a fair price! To be honest, these past few months, my family has finally been able to eat dry food. Everyone is working like crazy. Why? For this tangible and comfortable life! We can't even bear to sleep more!"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, and it looked like he was about to faint from lack of breath, but he still had to keep talking.

"Now, just as we're getting used to our lives, we're being asked to abandon our salt-making efforts and run off to that island where the waves crash so hard we can barely stand? Who knows what it'll be like there? Will the salt still be able to dry? Will we still be able to make a living? Can't we fight the governor's soldiers? Can't they protect us? We... we just want to make salt and live a peaceful life!"

"Yes! The old man at the stove is right!"

"We're not running away!"

"Let the governor send troops to defend the county seat! We are willing to contribute our strength to repair the city walls!"

The crowd's cheers grew louder and louder, and many people began to wipe away tears.

For them, the Wang family's exploitation and past turmoil were painful memories, while the changes brought by Xiao Heng were tangible benefits.

Giving up the hard-won stability they had achieved to face an unknown island life, their fear of the uncertainty of the future even surpassed their worries about the Xianbei cavalry attacking again. It wasn't that they weren't afraid of Murong Yan; besides, the Hu people had come before. They still went about their work as usual.

Xu Xianzhi soon received a report from the clerks in a disheveled state.

After listening, he sighed and said to his worried subordinates beside him.

"The people do not fear death, but they fear insecurity. The governor has given the people real benefits and won their hearts. However, if he suddenly orders them to abandon their homes and property, even if it is to save their lives, in their eyes it is to take away their newly gained security. This is human nature and not a sign of stubbornness."

He knew that simply issuing orders and saying "it's for your own good" wouldn't work; he had to come up with something more practical.

"Send more people to maintain order, and make sure there is no conflict with the people. I will personally go to the salt field to see the people who led the petition, especially the old salt cook. At the same time, report the situation here to the Prefect immediately."

Xu Xianzhi rubbed his temples, knowing that the relocation plan had encountered its first and crucial hurdle.

If this hurdle cannot be overcome, everything that follows is nonsense; without these salt farmers, even if they go to the island, they will still die.