Reborn and returned, sisters swapped

Chapter 106 4 Rumors

Upon hearing this, the people began to whisper among themselves.

An elderly villager couldn't help but ask, "Lord Lü, we common folk don't know anything about military affairs, but the enemy is powerful. What if they attack the city? How will we defend ourselves?"

Lu Qian's gaze was firm as he stated frankly, "Although the enemy is strong, General, you already have a plan."

Hershah's walls are high and sturdy, its garrison is elite, and its food reserves are sufficient to sustain it for several months.

"Everyone, just work together, obey the general's orders, and don't panic. The enemy is not as invincible as you imagine!"

Another young merchant, looking anxious, asked, "But rumors are spreading, and many people in the city are already planning to flee. How can we prevent this?"

Lu Qian responded in a deep voice: "The general has ordered strict precautions, and anyone who disturbs the peace of the people or spreads rumors will be severely punished!"

The most important thing right now is to stabilize the situation; you shouldn't listen to these nonsense claims.

The enemy's attempt to sow discord among the people of our city is nothing but wishful thinking!

The people in the market nodded in agreement. Seeing this, Lü Qian felt somewhat reassured and continued:

"Now, I, the general, have other plans."

After the army defeats the enemy, we will recall our people to the city and restore stability as soon as possible.

"All of you must obey the general's orders without fear, do not believe rumors, and certainly do not panic."

With Lü Qian's clarification and reassurance, the people in the market gradually calmed down and expressed their willingness to continue to follow the general's arrangements, no longer easily swayed.

In the night in Hersha City, the wind gently swept through the streets and alleys, carrying fine sand. The people in the city gradually settled down amidst the tense atmosphere of relocation, and the surroundings were exceptionally quiet.

However, beneath this calm surface, Lü Qian vaguely sensed an uneasy undercurrent.

Since the relocation began, he has been keeping a close eye on what's happening in the city, but recently he has noticed something unusual.

That night, after inspecting the resettlement site, Lü Qian planned to return to the general's mansion to discuss the next steps.

As he rode his horse through a secluded alley, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of a thin figure quickly disappearing into a dark alley beside him.

The person moved nimbly, as if intentionally avoiding his gaze.

Lu Qian's heart skipped a beat. He stopped his horse and quietly instructed his attendants, "You go back first, I'll be there shortly."

After saying that, he quietly dismounted and hid in the shadows, silently observing the man's movements.

His eyes were sharp as he watched as the man cautiously approached a house, knocked on the door, paused for a moment, and then slipped inside.

Lu Qian silently memorized the location of that household, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.

This man appears to be an ordinary citizen, but he acts suspiciously and clearly has ulterior motives.

He summoned a trusted aide who was lying in ambush and whispered, "Keep a close eye on this man and see what he does next."

The following day, Lü Qian summoned several trusted aides to the general's residence and secretly gave the following orders:

“Recently, some people in the city have been behaving strangely. You should immediately investigate the residents at each resettlement site. If you find anyone suspicious, you must make a record of them.”

Those who frequently loiter near military camps, regardless of their reasons, must be closely monitored and not let their guard down.

Several close attendants obeyed and left. Lü Qian then unfolded a scroll of records in his hand, which contained a list that he had personally compiled over the past few days.

The list contained the names of more than ten people, including migrants, merchants, and even a few laborers.

Lu Qian investigated the backgrounds of these people one by one and found that several of them were originally refugees from outside the city. They had almost no relatives in the city, but showed unusual interest in the city's defenses.

He slowly closed the list, his brows furrowing slightly, thinking to himself, "The enemy has not yet launched a major attack on the city, which is obviously due to some concerns."

If someone is spying on military intelligence within the city, the key to the city's defenses is likely their target.

Soon after, his close associates began to send back intelligence.

Sure enough, several of them were spotted near the military camp in the north of the city on multiple occasions. Some pretended to fetch water, some wandered around the area, and some even approached the sentry post unintentionally, seemingly observing the soldiers' patrol routes.

Upon learning this, Lü Qian immediately dispatched more people to secretly keep an eye on them, ensuring that their every move was under his control.

As night fell again, Lü Qian quietly arrived at the outer perimeter of the military camp, where a large force personally assigned by General Zhao was stationed.

These days, he deliberately made the movement of supplies in the military camp extremely busy, both for the purpose of setting up defenses and to lure out the enemy.

He ordered several carts of grain and fodder to be transported to the camp, and instructed the soldiers to casually discuss the matter in the streets and alleys to test those who might be watching.

Soon after, Lü Qian secretly noticed several people loitering near the grain convoy, pretending to pass by by chance, and occasionally stopping to listen to the soldiers' idle chatter.

He was prepared and immediately sent several trusted aides to secretly follow them, thus quickly ascertaining their whereabouts.

That night, a suspicious man was secretly intercepted and brought before Lü Qian.

He was dressed in rags and looked like an ordinary laborer, but Lü Qian recognized him as one of the men on the list who had been loitering near the military camp a few days ago.

Lu Qian remained calm, sized him up, and asked in a deep voice, "What's your name? Why do you keep appearing near the military camp?"

The man was taken aback at first, then quickly lowered his head and said, "My name is Acheng. I do odd jobs in the city. I was just passing by and had no other intentions."

Lu Qian gave a cold laugh, his tone indifferent: "Is that so? But I heard that you have appeared outside the military camp three times recently, and each time you seemed to be observing something."

If it was truly unintentional, why did it happen so frequently?

Acheng's face turned pale, and his eyes darted around as if he were looking for an excuse.

Lü Qian gave him no chance, waving his hand to signal his attendant to hand over a secret letter.

These are items found in his residence. Although they only contain a few words, they are details about the arrangements for transporting supplies to the military camp.

Lu Qian's eyes instantly turned sharp: "Where did this come from? If you confess, I might consider a lighter sentence. If you continue to pretend to be deaf and dumb, don't blame me for being impolite."

Acheng was so frightened that his legs went weak and he knelt on the ground, begging for mercy repeatedly: "My lord, spare my life! I was only bribed to secretly gather military intelligence. They... they threatened to take my life if I didn't tell!"

Lu Qian's gaze remained calm. He didn't immediately press for answers, but slowly said, "If you want to live, you have to tell the truth. Who sent you to gather military intelligence, and what is your connection to it?"

Seeing that he could not deny it, Acheng said tremblingly, "I only know that the man's surname is Sun, and he claims to be a merchant from outside the city."

He said he could help me find a way to survive, that I could frequently scout the city and send news out... Beyond that, I truly know nothing!

After hearing this confession, Lü Qian understood the situation.

As expected, the enemy sent spies into the city, intending to disrupt morale and gather intelligence on the city's defenses.

However, based solely on what Acheng said, it is difficult to identify the mastermind behind it all.