Wubei Zhi (Vol. 47)

Regarding the buying and selling of grain original: "糴糶" (di tiao); specific terms for the purchase and sale of grain, often used in the context of price stabilization or emergency stockpiling. by those waiting for higher prices: this responsibility falls upon the neighborhood heads original: "里保" (li bao); local administrative officials responsible for a group of households.. As soon as an alarm is heard, they must strictly urge the transport of grain into the city. Citizens shall be permitted to open their stockpiles for sale, but these sales are permitted only within the city; not a single grain of rice is allowed to be taken out of the city.

For those whose warehouse stores are too vast to be moved entirely, the officials shall strictly supervise the tax captains original: "糧長" (liang zhang); wealthy landowners appointed to oversee tax grain collection and transport. to purchase the grain and store it in the official granaries. If anyone is unwilling to transport their grain in time and abandons it in the countryside, thereby providing food resources to the bandits, that rice shall be confiscated by the government to be used for feeding the soldiers and laborers defending the city. Furthermore, an investigation must be made into any wealthy households that use oxen, wine, or money to open the gates and invite the invaders; such people are all considered families in collusion with the enemy. In accordance with the law, they shall be punished with the utmost severity, and their heads shall be publicly displayed on poles original: "梟示" (xiao shi); a common capital punishment intended to serve as a public warning..

Ambushes and Scouts

Determine how many strategic passes exist on the four sides outside the city. At each location, assign three men. Each man shall be responsible for two watches the night was divided into five "watches" or geng.. Every day at noon, they shall receive six signal rockets original: "起火" (qi huo); literally "rising fires," these were early gunpowder flares or rockets used for signaling. and four hand cannons original: "手銃" (shou chong); early portable firearms.. Each man, according to...