After the winter is over, Wei's Fort will start cleaning up Ling County, expand the living area, and rescue the surviving people.
Now issue the call for:
"Conscription of troops. One pinewood token and two dou of grain per month."
"We are recruiting blacksmiths and apprentices. Blacksmiths will be paid the same as their retainers, while apprentices will receive a pinewood sign but no food."
"Conscripting civilians to build a high wall, one poplar wood tablet per month, and then leaving with the troops after winter..."
"Those interested should go to Mingjing Hall to register."
Below is a densely packed introduction in small print, and there are requirements and restrictions under each conscription.
The soldiers must be men between the ages of eighteen and thirty, and the blacksmiths and apprentices must also have inherited the craft from their ancestors. Only in building the city wall can both men and women participate, without any requirements.
"Rui An, stop being in a daze and read to us quickly." Someone behind him urged.
Xie Ruian came back to his senses and read out the words one by one.
As soon as she finished speaking, there was an uproar all around.
There is no work in winter, and many people go hungry. They have no idea when to eat the next meal after the last one, and they are so hungry that they see stars.
Just now, someone notified them to go to the public kitchen to read the notice. Everyone thought there was work to do, so they all ran over.
Who would have thought it was a conscription order.
The imperial court's conscription order is generally compulsory, but the conscription order from the fort is more like a recruitment, which is based on voluntary choice.
Among them, the vassal state received the highest pay, but also the most dangerous, essentially selling oneself to the fortress, serving the Wei family. Blacksmiths and their apprentices required inherited skills, but building city walls offered no restrictions, yet it was the hardest and most tiring job.
At that moment, several people who were so hungry that they could not bear it any longer turned around and left, heading to Mingjing Hall to register.
Most of those who left were civilians who had escaped from Yongning County. They had been trapped in the city for more than a month and had experienced fear and despair. They could understand how difficult it was for the survivors outside.
Among those who left was Liu Acao.
Seeing his brother turn around and leave, Liu Acheng hurriedly followed him, "Brother, what do you want to sign up for?"
Liu Ah Cao said in a muffled voice: "Buqu, I also want to be a girl's buqu."
Liu Acheng was shocked when he heard this and said hesitantly: "But... my troops have to go out and kill monsters." Those monsters are too scary.
"I'm not afraid! If it weren't for the girl and her troops saving us, we would have died long ago." Liu Cao knew his brother was timid, so he didn't force him. "Brother, please report to build the city wall. It's not dangerous. The fortress will definitely send troops to protect us along the way."
The two brothers have big appetites, so the soldiers can receive an extra two dou of grain every month as wages to support their families. As the underground palace cannot be lit now, they can also exchange the two dou of grain for cards, or like those soldiers, store the grain in the camp and save it for their wives.
There was a constant sound of discussion all around.
After discussion, the villagers of Xiahe Village and Shitou Village also decided to report to the army.
They came to the fort early and had not suffered any hardship, but the fort that Cao Awang and others came with them to has now become the girl's capable subordinates. Not only can they have enough food and drink every day, but they also have food reserves every month.
Especially since their residences are very close to each other and they see each other almost every day, the contrast between the two is obvious. How can others not be envious?
The crowd at the door quickly decided whether to stay or go and gradually dispersed.
Xie Ruian was still staring at the notice in a daze, and didn't even hear Wang calling her.
"Rui An, what are you thinking about? Come and have dinner." Wang called out again quickly.
She came to her senses and ran over quickly.
Xie Ruian followed them and lined up for food. She thought for a moment and asked, "Aunt Wang, if I apply to be a blacksmith apprentice, would they accept me?"
Wang was very surprised. "Were your ancestors craftsmen?"
Xie Ruian shook her head and said, "No, but I have read military books and have some theoretical knowledge." She was young and could not do heavy work, and the unit had age and gender restrictions, so she could only do the work of an apprentice.
Wang Shi saw that she was young but could think of danger in times of peace. As a woman, she could not offer any advice, so she could only say, "Then go and try. You can read and write, so being an apprentice is really unfair to you."
In those days, only children of wealthy families could read and write. Wang Shi did not want to ask about the child's background. She thought that most likely the whole family had suffered a disaster and only 'he' survived.
Shortly after the people left, Mingjingtang issued a second notice.
If Wei Xiyin's conscription order was to recruit the people on a voluntary basis, then this second notice, personally stamped by the clan leader, was aimed at the Wei clan members and their servants, and was mandatory.
Clan members and household servants, males between the ages of eighteen and thirty, were forced to participate in the construction of the city wall.
The young men of the Wei family had previously been ordered by the clan leader to participate in the training of the troops, and they will continue to do so after winter. Afterwards, they will go out with the troops and go to the granary with the Yizhou army to transport grain.
Those who are the only households in the above families and work in the fortress can be exempted.
For example, the uncles who manage Mingjing Hall, Wei Ting who manages the blacksmith shop, and the clansmen who manage the public kitchen and the public warehouse.
Then, considering the gentlemen's precious livestock, Mingjingtang also allowed them to leave one person behind to look after the piglets.
The uncles and aunts wrote it very clearly in the notice, and the clan members did not have any resistance.
As survival becomes increasingly difficult, many tribesmen who used to live a life of luxury are now forced to eat simple meals every day without any meat. They have long anticipated that this day will come sooner or later.
Members of the Wei family don't have to go to Mingjing Hall to register. Wei Mingze has a registration book of every household and can just call out the names according to the registration book.
"My lady, we have recruited more than 180 soldiers, more than 150 members of the Wei family, and more than 450 people to build the city wall." Chang Ying got the registration book from Mingjing Hall and came to report immediately.
Wei Xiyin hummed lightly.
The number of people increased, but she couldn't be happy.
The blacksmith shop only has two furnaces, and it is impossible to forge equipment for so many people. Especially the armor takes too long, and the crossbow is still under research.
The lives of those who go out cannot be guaranteed, and sacrifice is inevitable.
She asked, "Have you found a craftsman for the blacksmith shop?"
Chang Ying looked down at the registration book. "There is no blacksmith, only five registered apprentices. The Seventh Master wants to let Mr. Ting take a look himself."
Skilled craftsmen are now very hard to find. The two blacksmiths, two bricklayers and three carpenters in the fort are paid the same as the soldiers, and their role in some logistical support is even greater than that of the soldiers.
Upon hearing this, Wei Xiyin said, "Accept all those apprentices. The blacksmith shop needs to expand further. We are short of people right now, so why be so picky?"
"yes."
The other four people who registered as apprentices all had ancestors who were craftsmen. Although they themselves had never tried it themselves, they were familiar with the process of forging tools.
Soon, the wall next to the blacksmith shop was knocked down, and the shop was expanded again. Two more furnaces were added, one for refining spearheads, one for refining arrows needed for crossbows, and the remaining two furnaces were responsible for making armor.
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