Chapter 143 Recruiting Female Soldiers

Feng'er listened intently, then couldn't help but sigh, "City Lord, I didn't understand why you insisted on distributing food to the people in the city before, but now I understand. These 10,000 people's food isn't much, but it can buy a good reputation and make our subsequent affairs go more smoothly. What's more, the food for these 10,000 people isn't actually ours; it was provided by the Chen family, so we're just taking credit for it."

Xu Zhenying said quietly, "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it, so reputation can be cultivated. But we ourselves must never be burdened by reputation and become people stuck in a box."

Feng'er lowered her head, pondering these words, but she heard Xu Zhenying continue to ask, "When will Zhaodi's funeral be held?"

Feng Er was stunned, her heart skipping a beat. "I asked Li Xiucai, but he was hesitant and refused to say. But from what I heard from him, he didn't plan to hold a funeral. Aunt Hu, however, quietly told me everything, saying that Li Xiucai disliked Zhaodi's death in a brothel, thinking it was unclean, and was afraid that it would bring disgrace to the Li family's ancestors. Besides..."

Feng'er hesitated to speak, feeling sad. She was a little angry, but also a little sad. "Zhao Di never married. According to our ancestral rules, unmarried women who die early cannot be buried in the ancestral tomb. They can only become lonely ghosts. Li Xiucai ordered Cao Qin'er to burn some paper to put an end to the matter."

When Xu Zhenying heard this, her heart was touched for a long time, as if something suddenly strangled her neck and made her unable to breathe.

Xu Zhenying's voice was a little raspy. She seemed to be asking herself, and also seemed to be asking Feng'er, "Why is it so difficult for a woman to just be a human being?"

Feng'er saw Xu Zhenying's dazed look, and her heart ached. "City Lord, why don't we hold a funeral for Zhaodi so that she can enter reincarnation sooner and find a good family in her next life?"

Xu Zhenying did not answer.

Feng Er continued, "We can find some of Zhao Di's old things and invite some highly accomplished monks to perform a ritual—"

Xu Zhenying shook his head and smiled bitterly, "The dress Zhaodi was wearing when she left was her only possession."

When Xu Zhenying said this, Feng'er immediately remembered that they were still on the run at that time and had nothing on them except an old piece of clothing.

That old dress was given to me by Xu Zhenying.

Feng'er felt a pain in her heart.

Xu Zhenying murmured: "She left this world without leaving any trace. Feng'er, are you afraid?"

Feng'er looked at Xu Zhenying in confusion. She felt that Xu Zhenying had suddenly become very far away from her. She wanted to grab Xu Zhenying with all her might, but she didn't dare. She just looked up and asked, "Girl, what are you afraid of?"

Xu Zhenying pondered for a moment, her brow furrowed, her lips pursed, her eyes a bit hazy. "I'm afraid... I'm afraid this world is going to eat me up. I'm afraid I won't have any power to resist. I'm even more afraid that I'll be like Zhaodi, dead and gone, and no one in this world will remember I was ever here."

Feng'er was confused and couldn't understand the sadness in Xu Zhenying's eyes, but for some reason she suddenly wanted to cry.

"Feng'er, Zhaodi is dead. Once she's dead, she's dead. She will no longer exist in this world. There's no reincarnation, no rebirth, no afterlife. Death is the annihilation of matter. No matter how grand our funeral is, no matter how much we offer her incense, she can't see, hear, or touch it. This funeral is for the living to see, and it's also for our own peace of mind. But..."

Xu Zhenying bit her lip, her eyes red and sparkling. "But... that's useless. There are thousands and thousands of Li Zhaodi in this world. You are Li Zhaodi, and I am also Li Zhaodi. If we don't change the way things are, we can't change our destiny."

Feng'er's tears flowed down. She didn't understand what Xu Zhenying said, but she felt that Xu Zhenying, who was not afraid of the bandits, was so sad and grief-stricken at this moment. How painful her heart must be.

Feng'er seemed to feel Xu Zhenying's heartbroken, but she couldn't say anything.

"If... Feng'er... I mean if, I were to do something that might lead to public condemnation, might be fraught with danger, might even result in the loss of my head, would you still follow me?"

Feng'er rarely saw Xu Zhenying so confused, but her eyes were so serious.

What is that thing?

Why did the girl look hesitant?

Feng'er didn't even think about what Xu Zhenying was talking about. What would happen if she knew? Would she still leave the girl?

That's impossible. She's not even afraid of death for Xu Zhenying, so why would she be afraid of anything else?

She didn't have time to think about it and said firmly, "Girl, I do! Even if I have to go through fire and water, as long as I can follow you, I'm not afraid of anything!"

"Thank you." Xu Zhenying smiled faintly, her eyes gradually clearing up, as if she wasn't the one who hesitated just now. She wiped her tears with her sleeve, her face regaining its usual calmness, and said to Feng'er, "Dry your tears, and don't mention what happened today to anyone."

When the two men walked into the county government office, someone was already waiting for them.

At Xu Zhenying's request, the county office had been transformed into a school, with several long tables and benches, with only Xu Zhenying's row facing the people below. This renovation could accommodate at least fifty or sixty people.

There are also many people coming today.

All the female members of the Xu family have arrived.

The rest were outsiders with the surname Xu, including Ming Xiaoshuang, Jiang Yongkang, Qian Zhenniang, and Fang Xun.

The seating arrangements of the group were also quite significant. Feng Er and Xu Yinxi, as Xu Zhenying's personal secretaries, naturally sat on his left and right. The others were Ming Xiaoshuang, Jiang Yongkang, Fang Xun, and others.

Although there was no seating arrangement, everyone tacitly agreed to sit in order of the importance of Xu Zhenying's personnel.

In an instant, the county government hall was packed with about twenty people.

When Xu Zhenying holds a meeting, he always sticks to the point and doesn't play tricks.

As soon as Xu Zhenying sat down, he asked Huang Cui'e, "Aunt, has there been any news about my cousin since he's been gone for so long?"

Huang Cui'e sighed: "Speaking of this matter makes me worried. It's been four or five days, and there is no news at all."

Xu Zhenying said, "Don't worry, Auntie. My cousin has chosen skilled people and brought plenty of food, so they shouldn't encounter any problems. Perhaps the heavy snow in the mountains made travel difficult and they've been delayed. Let's wait a little longer."

Miao also said: "We can wait, but we don't know how mother is doing."

This incident was like a dark cloud hanging over the heads of the Xu and Fang families.

After all, the whereabouts of all the old and young in both families are still unknown.

Mo Jinchun then said, "City Lord, how about I send someone to investigate again?"

Jiang Yongkang immediately shook his head and denied it, "No, we don't know what the situation is like outside yet. Sending out waves of people won't help."

Although Xu Zhenying was worried about Huang and Xu Meixiao, he also knew that Jiang Yongkang was right. In their current situation, they could only wait and put their hopes in God.

Everyone was silent.

Fortunately, Ming Xiaoshuang changed the subject in time and asked, "City Lord, didn't you call us together to have a meeting?"

Xu Zhenying came back to his senses. "Oh, by the way, I've handed over the city defense security work to you and Jiang Yongkang. A few days ago, I asked Yongkang to train an elite force of 500 to 600 people. How's the progress so far?"

Everyone was also puzzled. Although strengthening security forces was essential, why did they need to add so many people?

What's more, Xu Zhenying was talking about elite troops, not the small-scale fights of the past.

Everyone who heard this naturally had their own thoughts.

Jiang Yongkang reported, "According to the City Lord's requirements, there aren't many problems with the male soldiers, but their enthusiasm isn't very high. The main problem lies with the female soldiers. There are almost no people. In the past three or four days, only two people have signed up. One lost their family in the flood, and the other lost their husband and children while fleeing. Both were just trying to make a living. Now, because of the rumors, both of them are somewhat hesitant to join."

"This is inevitable. I said from the beginning that if we want to recruit female soldiers, these problems are unavoidable. I gathered everyone here to pool our wisdom and listen to everyone's opinions."

Seeing that everyone was about to speak, Xu Zhenying said bluntly, "As for whether or not female soldiers should be recruited, let's not discuss it today. I can tell you clearly that female soldiers must be recruited. There's no need to persuade me any further."

This sentence stopped several people who were about to speak.

Including Miao, Lian and others.

Huang Cui'e said, "City Lord, I agree with recruiting female soldiers. I heard that several vassal kings have rebelled. We should train some female soldiers. First, they can protect themselves, and second, they can protect some women and children. I think it's a good idea."

Zhao was also open-minded, but she also pointed out: "It's these rumors that kill people. What girl from a good family would be willing to fight on the battlefield like a grown man? Not only that, she also has to eat and live with the male soldiers under the same roof. How can a girl get married if a bad reputation gets out?"

"More than that." Fang Ningmo even mentioned a practical problem. "The city lord wants to recruit a group of young girls for training. Too young is useless. They have to be at least fourteen or fifteen years old. But these fourteen or fifteen years old are either unmarried women or will be marrying age in a year or two. They naturally want to get married, and we can't stop them. If we recruit widows, there will be a lot of gossip about widows, and then we will be in trouble."

Seeing everyone speaking, Qian Zhenniang immediately added, "Miss Fang is right. If we invite her to get married, I'm afraid her husband's family won't agree."

Xu Zhenying sighed, "I'm aware of these problems. The question now is how to solve them. Let me roughly sort them out. Recruiting female soldiers is nothing more than the following issues: first, age, second, reputation, and third, physical strength. Let's solve them one by one."

Xu Zhenying is now trying to cultivate his subordinates' ability to think independently and let them speak as much as possible.

Miao hesitated several times to ask Xu Zhenying whether it was necessary to recruit a hundred female soldiers, but seeing that Xu Zhenying was determined, she also knew Xu Zhenying's temper, so she had to keep it to herself.

At this time, Jiang Yongkang said, "I've noticed that the recruits these days are all male soldiers. Even if there are girls who want to come and ask, they will naturally not dare to come forward when they see that our recruitment area is full of men. I suggest that the girls recruit female soldiers. The city lord can send a few women who can control the situation to recruit female soldiers, such as the first and second wives of the Xu family."

When Huang Cui'e heard her name being called, she immediately felt happy, "Well, this is a good idea. The girls will not be so scared when they see a woman in the team."

Xu Yinxi also said, "We also need to lead by example. The city lord said that people tend to follow the crowd. When the time comes, all of us girls put on military uniforms and stand there, we will be a living signboard! These people will naturally not be opposed to seeing girls joining the army."

Xu Zhenying nodded frequently and looked at Xu Yinxi with appreciation.

Xu Yinxi felt a warm feeling in her heart.

Fang Ningmo was not to be outdone and immediately said, "We can also declare that male and female soldiers will train and live separately. There will be no mixing of men and women."

Xu Zhenying clapped his hands and laughed, "Everyone has said very good things. I also have two suggestions."

Everyone immediately pricked up their ears and listened.

Even Sun Qingchen who was standing behind him was unconsciously fascinated by what he heard. He felt so itchy that he couldn't help but prick up his ears.

"In the final analysis, if you want others to do something, you must offer them some benefits. As the saying goes, a generous reward always attracts courage. To address the issue of male soldiers' low enthusiasm for signing up, I suggest implementing a priority land allocation system. Let everyone know that those who protect the city's defenses have the right to choose the land we've planned in advance. Regardless of their location, each person will be given five acres of land. Only after a full year of work will these five acres become their personal property."

As soon as Xu Zhenying said this, everyone in the room was shocked.

Before anyone could react, Xu Zhenying dropped another bombshell. "As for the female soldiers, no matter what we say or do, we can't silence them, nor can we fundamentally address their reputational issues. Therefore, I suggest using coercive measures. We must directly conscript the female soldiers and tell the people of Lan County that their safety isn't solely my responsibility. Every household must contribute, especially those without sons or with young sons. They must send a daughter to join the army."

A single stone can cause a thousand ripples, and Xu Zhenying's statement almost immediately aroused opposition from everyone.

"City Lord, how can we forcibly recruit soldiers? How is this different from the old corvée labor?!"

"This is inappropriate, Lord. If we continue like this, we'll probably arouse public outrage. We've finally gotten the people of Lan County to accept us these past few days. How can we go against their will?"

"It's not fair to do this..."

"City Lord, since it's so troublesome, why not just abolish female soldiers? Leading into battle has been a man's job since ancient times. Why force those delicate girls to do it? We'll be scolded by others if we do this—"

Jiang Yongkang showed a disdainful smile on his lips.

He had only one thought in his mind: except for Xu Zhenying, all the people in the Xu family were mediocre.

Don’t think about it, Xu Zhenying is just a woman, she naturally needs a personal guard to protect her safety.

Secondly, Xu Zhenying was not recruiting female soldiers, she was setting a precedent. She wanted to use the recruitment of female soldiers to make everyone in the world gradually accept that there are some things that women can do.

Not only will she use female soldiers today, she will also let more women take the stage in the future.

And today is just the beginning.

Jiang Yongkang seemed to see that historical change was happening at this moment.

However, Ming Xiaoshuang caught a glimpse of Jiang Yongkang's expression out of the corner of his eye. He actually didn't care whether he agreed or not. He was different from others. Privately, he obeyed Xu Zhenying as his master. Whatever his master said was what he did. Why should he think so much?

But Ming Xiaoshuang naturally disagreed in his heart.

If you ask him to explain the reason, he can't tell you.

But when he caught a glimpse of Jiang Yongkang's expression just now, he didn't know why his heart sank. He had an almost innate sensitivity and always felt that there seemed to be a strange tacit understanding between Jiang Yongkang and Xu Zhenying.

Ming Xiaoshuang almost immediately stood on Xu Zhenying's side without hesitation.

"We're forcibly conscripting soldiers, but that's not corvee labor. Have you ever seen corvee labor where land and food are distributed?"

Ming Xiaoshuang teased a little, livening up the atmosphere in the room a little.

Feng Er naturally stood by Xu Zhenying unconditionally and immediately said, "Brother Ming is right. Those families without sons originally couldn't get any land in the clan. Now, if they give up a daughter, they can get five acres of land in exchange. Ask them, who wouldn't be willing to do so?"

Although this sounds cruel, it is also true.

Five acres of land, in troubled times, would probably cost at least dozens of taels of silver.

This sentence made everyone silent.

"As for families with sons, since their sons are still young, they only have daughters to support the family. Why wouldn't they want their daughter to go out and earn five mu of land for their sons?"

This was extremely rude, but everyone knew it. After all, compared to daughters, sons were naturally more valuable. If a daughter could join the army and get five acres of land back for the family, it didn't seem so hard to accept.

Feng Er continued to add: "To put it bluntly, this isn't some brothel, and we don't mistreat our men. Soldiers are provided with enough food and clothing, and they can also reduce the burden on their families and earn five acres of land. Tell me, who would be so blind as to poke us in the back?!"

Miao shook her head, "That being said... this method is a bit too cruel..."

Xu Zhenying said, "It's this kind of cruelty that reveals the girls' innocence. They were abducted by force. In this case, I would rather be stabbed in the back than be stabbed in the backs of these girls who joined the army. As everyone knows, the world is always more tolerant of victims. After all, I am a mountain king, so isn't it my duty to rob women?"

Everyone was amused and the room was filled with joy.

"As for the disparity in strength between men and women that everyone's talking about, we're not going to engage in a head-on confrontation. If a conflict does arise, the male soldiers will be responsible for fighting the enemy's elite troops, while the female soldiers will be responsible for dealing with weak bandits and protecting food supplies. I might as well tell you that this is just the first step."

"Everyone should know that Bianjing is in chaos right now. We've suffered repeated defeats in the north. Our imperial court is already in turmoil. In troubled times, if we don't have the power to protect ourselves, we're like ants, vulnerable to being crushed. I predict that within a year, the Great Zhou Dynasty will be in chaos. By then, not only these female soldiers, but you, us, and everyone in Lan County, except those who are still in their infancy, will have to start training. Even if we don't develop extraordinary skills, we must at least have the ability to defend ourselves. We can't be so frightened that we can only throw ourselves down when the enemy attacks."

Sun Qingchen was so angry that he snorted coldly from behind, thinking to himself: Traitor, you are recruiting so many people, are you going to follow that Li Datou and rebel?

If he hadn't known that Xu Zhenying was a girl, he would have thought that Xu Zhenying was going to do something big.