Imperial Conscription
The northern frontier is a harsh and cold land, inhabited by fierce nomadic tribes. Compared to the Great Wei in the Central Plains, their geographical location is at a disadvantage. Every winter, they face shortages of supplies, so they cross the border to plunder the people of Great Wei.
In recent years, barbarian tribes have been ambitious and have been constantly invading and harassing the people of Liangzhou, causing them immense suffering. Every year, local officials submit memorials to the emperor requesting that he send troops to protect them. Emperor Chengde did not ignore their requests, but the country's military strength was insufficient. The thousands or tens of thousands of reinforcements sent each year could only play a supporting role and could not deter the foreign tribes.
Neither side had the determination to fight, and the war reached a stalemate.
Emperor Chengde's voice deepened slightly: "I have received an urgent report from the border that the barbarians in the north claim to have a coalition of 200,000 men, eyeing Liangzhou with hostility. What are your opinions, my esteemed ministers?"
Liangzhou is the border between the Great Wei and the northern frontier. Once Liangzhou is captured, the enemy's iron cavalry can take advantage of the situation to move south and sweep into the Central Plains.
The court officials were also somewhat uneasy. The emperor's mind was unpredictable. Did His Majesty intend to fight or not?
If Liangzhou falls, and our beautiful land is wantonly trampled by the enemy, who will bear the responsibility? Who will quell His Majesty's anger?
Minister of War Meng Songliang stepped forward: "Your Majesty, Liangzhou is a vital area of our dynasty. The threat from the barbarians cannot be ignored. They now claim to have a coalition of 200,000 troops. If the defenses of Liangzhou are breached, their next step will surely be to invade the Central Plains. I believe we should make preparations as soon as possible."
"Your Majesty, the barbarian states may have secretly formed an alliance to attack Liangzhou. Their previous raids were probably tests of our military strength. I believe we should send troops from Yizhou to reinforce Liangzhou."
"Distant water cannot quench immediate thirst. If Your Majesty transfers the troops from Yizhou, what will become of Yizhou?"
The Minister of Revenue said, “Your Majesty, the national treasury is not yet full. I believe it is not advisable to wage war against those barbarians. Your Majesty only needs to send 20,000 elite cavalrymen to provide support, and the rest of the soldiers can stay in Liangzhou to protect the safety of the people.”
Luo Zhenhai: "Hmph! Sending troops to provide support? You make it sound so easy. How can my 20,000 cavalrymen possibly withstand the invasion of 200,000 foreign enemies?"
In the era of cold weapons, warfare was all about having strong men and horses. With such a huge disparity in the strength of the two sides, how could they possibly win a battle?
The ministers each had their own stance, and they argued endlessly in the court.
Finally, the Minister of War stepped forward: "Your Majesty, the Liangzhou issue is urgent. We need to appoint capable generals to guard the border and protect its peace. I believe we should immediately conscript troops to reinforce it..." After analyzing the pros and cons, Meng Songliang said: "Your Majesty, for this suppression of the barbarians, our dynasty's military strength should not be less than 200,000. We need to mobilize the entire nation to conscript troops."
If there aren't enough soldiers, then recruit them.
The ministers offered their advice, and after repeated discussions between the emperor and his officials, the Ministry of War finally submitted a conscription plan. This conscription was nationwide, totaling 270,000 men. The plan included 40,000 cavalry, 100,000 infantry, 20,000 archers, 10,000 artillerymen, and 20,000 shield bearers…
The Chengde Emperor personally wrote a series of decrees, which were then issued by the Ministry of War to all prefectures and counties, instructing the prefects of each prefecture and county to disseminate the information.
*
Inside Luo Zhenhai's military tent, besides Xie Zhuo and Captain Tian, there was also Captain Ding.
"Now that everyone is here, I will make a long story short. The imperial decree for conscription has been issued, and our cavalry must make the necessary preparations."
As the Grand General of the Cavalry, His Majesty has entrusted Luo Zhenhai with the task of conscripting soldiers, together with the Minister of War.
The two men were assigned to recruit soldiers in different regions. The Minister of War was responsible for recruiting soldiers in Yuzhou, Xuzhou, and Liangzhou, while Luo Zhenhai was responsible for Qingzhou, Yizhou, and Youzhou.
The Valiant Cavalry was the elite force of the Great Wei. The imperial court conscripted a total of 270,000 soldiers, half of whom were to be incorporated into the Valiant Cavalry.
Luo Zhenhai: "The imperial court's conscription document will be printed today, and tomorrow it will be sent to various prefectures and counties by express courier. His Majesty has ordered our elite cavalry to conscript soldiers in Yizhou, Youzhou, and Qingzhou, with a minimum of 150,000 men. This must be completed within one month. Does anyone have any objections?"
Upon hearing the name Qingzhou, Xie Zhuo's mind immediately became active. He volunteered, "General, I believe we can divide our forces into three routes, which will allow us to gather more troops in the shortest amount of time."
The troops were divided into three routes, with each soldier responsible for a prefecture or county. The operation was carried out simultaneously in all three locations, which was both convenient and efficient.
It's already September, and the conscription must be completed by the end of October. We need to leave two months to train the new recruits so that they can head to Liangzhou to defend against the enemy before December.
Luo Zhenhai nodded and adopted Xie Zhuo's suggestion: "Commander Tian and Commander Ding, you two go to Yizhou and Youzhou, and Vice General Xie, you go to Qingzhou."
Luo Zhenhai himself stayed in Beijing to coordinate.
Tian Sheng had no objection to the arrangement, but Ding Siping was somewhat dissatisfied.
Ding Siping had toiled in the army for ten years, accumulating countless military merits before finally rising to the rank of colonel. Why was Xie Zhuo promoted to deputy general so easily? He believed he was no less capable than Xie Zhuo. Now, General Luo had assigned him to the relatively easier Qingzhou. Ding Siping was indignant; why was Xie Zhuo assigned to such an easy place?
Compared to Qingzhou, the roads to Yizhou and Youzhou are rugged, especially Youzhou, which is sparsely populated, making it difficult to recruit soldiers in a short period of time.
Luo Zhenhai looked at Ding Siping and said, "You and Tian Sheng are both veterans in the army. How can you argue with newcomers? I know that the journey to Yizhou and Youzhou is relatively difficult, but Vice General Xie is young and lacks experience. I was worried that he would make a mistake, so I sent him to Qingzhou. Are you saying that you are not capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of recruiting soldiers in Yizhou and Youzhou?"
"How could that be!" Ding Siping objected. How could he be inferior to Xie Zhuo, who was just a nobody!
"That settles it then," Luo Zhenhai declared immediately, "No need to say more, it's settled then!"
Luo Zhenhai took the initiative to send Xie Zhuo to Qingzhou. Firstly, he was genuinely worried that Xie Zhuo was too young to be as experienced as the veterans; secondly, he wanted to give some consideration to the grandson of the old Prince Xie Heshan.
Luo Zhenhai submitted the arrangements for the elite cavalry to the emperor. The plan was urgent, and they were to depart in three days.
*
The families of the ministers were the first to know about such a large-scale conscription.
Inside the Prince Duan's residence, Zuo Murui was in a state of turmoil after learning that Xie Zhuo was going to Qingzhou.
The imperial court's sudden call for conscription completely disrupted her plans.
She had originally planned to let Xie Zhuo stay in the capital and gradually get to know the women from aristocratic families. She would also try her best to create opportunities for him to spend time with noblewomen.
Now, Xie Zhuo suddenly received an order from the Emperor to leave the capital for Qingzhou, which made Zuo Murui furious.
Zuo Murui lowered her eyes. She knew without a doubt what Xie Zhuo would do after he went to Qingzhou. One reason was that the imperial court was conscripting soldiers, and the other was that he was going to Qingzhou to find that woman.
Having left the capital, far from the emperor's reach, she couldn't stop the two from seeing each other. If something happened, it would be too late. She couldn't let their relationship deepen any further!
Zuo Murui grew angrier the more she thought about it. She summoned Xie Zhuo and said coldly and seriously, "Huaiyan, I'm not going to beat around the bush with you today. I won't allow you to go see that woman again, do you hear me?"
“Mother, please be careful with your words. Your son is on official business here to recruit soldiers for the imperial court.”
"Why were you chosen to be sent to Qingzhou out of all the many soldiers in the Valiant Cavalry?"
Xie Zhuo feigned ignorance, saying, "This was General Luo's assignment, and His Majesty has also agreed."
The conscription was a matter of great importance, and Xie Zhuo had already given the emperor his approval, so Zuo Murui couldn't interfere no matter how unwilling she was.
As children grow up, they are no longer under their mother's control. Since there is no way to prevent them from contacting each other, it is better to retreat in order to advance and find another way.
Zuo Murui's heart pounded, and it took her a long time to calm herself down. She stared at Xie Zhuo and said, "You've traveled all the way to Qingzhou to recruit soldiers. This mission must have been very arduous. Huaiyan is also at the age where he should be getting married and having children. I know that you will definitely meet Miss Fu on your trip to Qingzhou. Since she is the one you love, I won't say anything more. Why not bring her back with you on this mission? I will take the liberty of bringing her into your household."
Xie Zhuo was puzzled as to why his mother had suddenly changed her attitude, but in the end, she still wanted him to take Fu Zhi Qiao as a concubine. A hint of annoyance flashed in Xie Zhuo's eyes, and he objected, "Mother, I've already said..."
Zuo Murui knew that Xie Zhuoqingzhou was going to find that woman. A young man full of vigor and passion, when he met the one he loved, was bound to do something outrageous.
In all these years, when had she ever seen her son so attentive to a girl?
Zuo Murui had no choice but to resort to drastic measures.
“You are my son, and I know you best. If you were an ordinary man, I, as your mother, would certainly not object to you marrying the woman you love. But you are not. You are not only Xie Zhuo, but also the heir of the Duan Prince’s Mansion, the future Duan Prince!”
Xie Zhuo remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.
Zuo Murui straightened her posture, her expression serious: "Your mother's suggestion that you take Miss Fu as a concubine is not meant to belittle her. Your mother knows you like Miss Fu, but Miss Fu's background and family circumstances are really not suitable for her to be the mistress of the Prince's mansion. If you really like her, you can only bring her into the mansion after you get married..."
"Mother, I cannot marry a woman I do not like." It would indeed be difficult for Fu Zhi Qiao to become the principal wife, and Xie Zhuo had other plans in mind.
The moment Xie Zhuo left, the smile in Zuo Murui's eyes vanished completely.
Since she couldn't completely dispel his idea, she might as well keep him under her watchful eye. Zuo Murui refused to believe that she couldn't handle a mere merchant's daughter.
Xie Zhuo didn't take Zuo Murui's words to heart, because Fu Zhiqiao's reply arrived just as he was about to lead his troops to Qingzhou.
In her letter, Fu Zhiqiao explained why she was late in replying, saying that the hairpin Xie Zhuo had chosen was very beautiful and she liked it very much. She also mentioned that her new wine had been brewed, which she had made herself, and that she had specially saved a few jars for him...
In addition, Fu Zhiqiao also wrote about her daily life at the winery in the letter. She was already a little guilty for not replying to Xie Zhuo's letter for two months. Wouldn't it seem like she was being perfunctory if she didn't write more in her reply? Fu Zhiqiao wrote two long pages before having the letter sent out.
Xie Zhuo quickly finished reading the two pages of letter.
It turned out that she had been missing him all along, and that they had both been missing each other all along. Xie Zhuo's mood, which had been depressed for two months, suddenly brightened.
Seeing the change in Xie Zhuo's expression, Wang Qianxin sighed inwardly, relieved that Miss Fu's letter had arrived in time.
It's foreseeable that the young master will be in a good mood for the next few days, and on the way to Qingzhou, he won't have to see the young master's serious face anymore.
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