Chapter 147 Joining the Army!
Centurion Cao Lianwang personally led his troops and took away all the registered military households in Hongliutun except for Zhang Liao.
They came and went in a hurry, without even a formal official document.
Zhang Liao looked at the families of the soldiers who were blocking his doorway, crying and cursing, and his brows furrowed with worry.
Cao Lianwang was definitely using his position for personal gain to make things difficult for him. Who recruits soldiers in the dead of winter? Besides, all the military households in Hongliutun over the age of fifteen have been taken away. Damn it, where is he supposed to find them?
When that scoundrel left with his men, he gave a death order: if they couldn't recruit soldiers, he and his family would be exiled to the Northwest. Everyone knows there's a war going on there right now. Cao Lianwang wants his whole family dead!
No, I have to find out what happened!
...
In the council chamber, everyone looked at Shen Lanxi with strange eyes.
Did she know something, which is why she used the funeral as an excuse to send off the soldiers who had been stationed there?
Generally, this kind of military conscription is definitely because there is a war going on somewhere, and they are being sent to the front lines to fight!
"I've called you here today to discuss the matter of recruiting soldiers!"
Liu Yan replied, "My lord, should I hurry to the county and buy some grain?"
The sudden recruitment caused widespread panic, as if something was slipping out of control. Only when you have money and supplies in hand can you remain calm!
Shen Lanxi: "Don't rush, you won't be able to buy it in the county now!"
Wei Dongzhu: "The local military camps must have already purchased the grain and fodder in advance!" Even if there is high-priced grain, it will be several days later!
Cheng Zheng wrote: "It may be related to the Empress Dowager!"
Sang Guo: "It might be related to the King of the Northwest!"
The other students all felt the same way: someone was rebelling!
Wei Dongzhu agreed: "It can't be the Northwest. The Northern Expeditionary Army is stationed there. Even if troops were to be transferred, it wouldn't be from Dongchuan!"
After a moment of contemplation, Liu Yanhui said, "I think we should take precautions in advance and prepare enough food for the winter."
Shen Lanxi: "What you all say makes sense, but none of you have hit the nail on the head!"
Everyone: "..."
"I want to join the army, what do you guys think?"
Several people expressed their shock!
"My lord, are you sure?" Liu Yan swallowed hard.
Shen Lanxi looked at him: "I'm sure!"
“But…you are a woman!” This was the thought in everyone’s mind as Liu Yan replied!
Shen Lanxi saw their shock and said indifferently, "In the past, we didn't recruit people under the age of fifteen or over the age of fifty!"
Everyone was taken aback.
When Cao Lianwang left, he left a recruitment order that clearly stated that soldiers would be recruited without regard to their social status. Exiled people who joined the army could have their entire families removed from the register of the military. Convicts who joined the army could be registered as military households. Every civilian who joined the army would receive a settlement allowance of twenty taels of silver. Regardless of their background or status, anyone who was willing to serve could enjoy the treatment of an ordinary soldier. Merit would be rewarded, and those who joined the army could be ennobled or appointed as prime ministers!
"Why is the imperial court in such a hurry to recruit soldiers?" Liu Yan murmured, her bad premonition growing stronger.
Shen Lanxi's hawk-like eyes swept across the crowd: "I wish to join the army. Are you all willing to follow me?"
The group hurriedly stood up and bowed, saying, "We are willing to follow!"
Shen Lanxi looked at Shen Yuanjing at the very back: "And you?"
Shen Yuanjing was so shocked that his mind couldn't process it. Seeing everyone's statements, he quickly stood up and said, "I'm also willing to join the army!"
Shen Lanxi: "Go home and discuss it with your family. We'll wait for you for only half an hour!"
Upon hearing about the time limit, Shen Yuanjing turned and ran towards home!
Shen Lanxi lightly tapped the table and continued to arrange the next steps!
“Master Hu’s family, Shi Da and his four friends, come with me to join the army.”
"Liu Yan will be in charge of the rear. After we've established a firm foothold, we'll bring you and Cheng Zheng and the others in!"
Wei Dongzhu said, "Xiao Fang and his nephew might also be willing to join the army with us."
Shen Lanxi: "Go and ask them, the list must be finalized within an hour!"
"yes!"
Besides them, Feng Wu and six bodyguards were also included in the list.
~
Shen Family
"No, I don't agree!" Shen Congwen was the first to stand up and stop his son when he heard that he wanted to join the army!
“Yuanjing, now that a general amnesty has been declared, we might be able to return to the capital after spring. Don’t cause any trouble, kid!” Shen Conglian also chimed in to dissuade him.
Shen Yuanjing shook his head: "Father, Uncle, don't even think about it. Even if there's a general amnesty, we still can't go back to the capital!"
Shen Yuanxu also stepped forward.
"Father, I think joining the army is a great opportunity for our Shen family!"
Liu didn't want to hear her son's nonsense. No one knows a son better than his mother. From what her son said, she knew that he must also want to join the army.
"Yuanxu, swords and spears have no eyes on the battlefield. This is not child's play. Don't talk nonsense!"
Shen Yuanjing and Shen Yuanxu shared the same idea, and Shen Yuanjing, having attended several meetings, knew even more!
"Grandparents, I have a question for you. The Wei family army's provisions were stolen, and our family was sentenced to exile. Was that too lenient or too severe?"
That's too lenient. The fact that the entire Wei family army was wiped out is enough to send hundreds of heads home for them!
"With the Empress Dowager gone, we, the Shen family, have lost one of our protectors. Although the Northern Expeditionary Army has already gone to fight, the number of civilians who have died or been wounded, as well as the military and financial losses incurred, is countless. There's no guarantee that someone won't bring up the theft of supplies again and use it as an opportunity to severely punish us!"
The Shen family fell silent!
Shen Yuanjing continued, "Back in the capital, there were quite a few people who didn't like the Shen family!"
Shen Congwen tried to interrupt several times, the words were on the tip of his tongue, but he was unable to say them.
Because what my son said was true!
“Grandmother, Father, Uncles and Aunts, I joined the army because I wanted to give our Shen family a chance to survive!”
Don't think that just because they've hidden in Dongchuan, no one will come after them. Under heaven, all land belongs to the king; all people within the realm are his subjects. Even if they're exiled to the ends of the earth, a single word from above can wipe out their entire family!
"My grandson, so intelligent and brave, so resourceful..." Old Madam Shen covered her face and wept bitterly!
"Isn't there any other way? Perhaps the higher-ups have already forgotten about us? Isn't His Majesty still protecting us?" Miao murmured dejectedly.
Shen Yuanjing was anxious; the time his elder sister had given him was running out!
"Grandparents and Father, please make a decision as soon as possible. If we miss the deadline, I'm afraid our family will be conscripted!"
The Shen family was terrified when they heard the words "conscription"!
"How could that be? We're just ordinary people!"
Shen Yuanjing ruthlessly shattered their illusions.
"They're conscripting commoners. While we still have the money to settle down, the family should make a decision soon!"
The Liu, Miao, and Tian families originally thought that if Shen Yuanjing wanted to go, he could go himself, since they wouldn't let their son go anyway.
Now, upon hearing Shen Yuanjing say that he would be conscripting men, everyone began to feel anxious and uneasy.
"I heard from my older sister that the imperial court is in a great hurry this time. They may arrest more than one able-bodied man from each family. It is very likely that all males who are fifteen years old or older will be arrested!"
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