Wubei Zhi (Vol. 47)

Those assigned to signaling posts are permitted to leave the city to a distance of two or three li Approximately 0.6 to 0.9 miles. to maintain a concealed lookout. Each day at noon, a relief shift shall arrive to take over, at which point the previous watch is permitted to return home.

Should it be reported that bandits are in the vicinity, five additional men shall be dispatched to every road and every direction. Each man shall be responsible for a single watch original: "一更" (yi geng); a two-hour period, though here it implies a specific shift or post.. Each scout must be equipped with one three-eyed gun original: "三眼銃" (san yan chong); a handheld firearm with three barrels that could be fired in quick succession, used here as an audible alarm., six fire-signals original: "起火" (qi huo); signal rockets or flares., one lantern, one yellow flag, one set of rain gear.

If the bandits are sighted arriving during the daylight hours, the scouts shall immediately fire three shots from their hand-guns and launch three fire-signals. They are to wave and unfurl their yellow flags while racing back toward the Command Center original: "中軍" (zhong jun); the central military headquarters located at a high point within the city to oversee defenses.. From their high vantage point, the officers will observe these signals and issue the corresponding orders to dispatch reinforcements.

The able-bodied men within the city must likewise follow the signals of the Command Center to maintain a high state of defensive readiness. If the bandits arrive at night and are first detected by the road scouts, the scouts must immediately fire three shots from their hand-guns and launch three fire-signals while rushing to the base of the city walls to report the danger.

The Command Center, observing from its high position, will issue orders for movement based on the signals received. The men in the staging areas shall then mount the walls to prepare for battle. If any personnel are sent out to the ambush posts...