Chapter 186: Recruiting the Imperial Guards
Xia Miaoyuan widened her eyes with curiosity, and with her two chubby hands, she pulled the second prince's face and asked, "What are you going to do, second brother?"
"Second brother, you are going to help with the recruitment!" The second prince laughed.
"Recruiting?" The queen was a little confused. "
Yes, mother. Because last year, father formed the Chiyu Army, and most of the Chiyu Army was selected from the Imperial Guards. Therefore, the number of the Imperial Guards has decreased." "
Besides, father also intends to expand the Imperial Guards, so he is recruiting soldiers across the country."
The queen nodded.
[The military strength of Daxia is average, and its strength is not as good as other countries. Expanding the Imperial Guards is a wise decision. It seems that my emperor father is on the right track! ]
The queen and her son and daughter talked and laughed, walked into the palace, and had breakfast together.
"So what did your father assign you to do this time of conscription?" The queen served a bowl of porridge to the second prince. "
My father asked Commander Zhou to be the conscription envoy, and asked me to be the deputy envoy to assist him in his work." The second prince's eyes lit up.
This was the first time he had such a big job since he entered the imperial army.
"That's great! Being in charge of conscription is very training." The corners of the queen's mouth curled up wildly. She was overjoyed to know that her son was about to participate in such an important mission.
As a prince, it is not enough to have talent and ability, but also to have real political achievements.
Only in this way can one improve his own reputation, and the emperor can naturally arrange a powerful official position for him in the future.
Otherwise, even if the emperor gave the official position, it would cause dissatisfaction among the civil and military officials, and even the civil officials would collectively denounce him.
"Then you must keep your eyes open and carefully examine the new recruits. Don't let go of any suspicious people." The queen put some stir-fried seasonal vegetables on the second prince's plate.
"Yes, mother, I've remembered it all."
[Mother is really thoughtful! ] Xia Miaoyuan couldn't help but praise her in his heart.
[In ancient times, the informationization was not as perfect as modern society. At that time, if you carefully forged your household registration and came to participate in the conscription, it would be easy to get away with it. ]
[So the review of new recruits depends more on experience, vision, and intuition. ]
[Can a rough man like my second brother do it? ]
Thinking of this, Xia Miaoyuan looked up and down at the second prince and began to worry.
[It's useless to just worry in the palace. It's better for me to go with him and help him to check.] When
the queen heard her daughter's words, her eyes lit up. Let Miao'er go with Chengnian?
What a good idea!
In fact, she was also secretly worried about the second prince's ability, but she was embarrassed to say it out loud.
"I want to go too! Go with second brother!" Xia Miaoyuan suddenly shouted in a baby voice.
"What? Miao'er wants to go too?" The queen deliberately pretended to be surprised.
Xia Miaoyuan nodded like crazy: "Yes, yes, yes! Miao'er wants to go with her brother, it's lively!"
The queen looked at the second prince, motioning him to express his opinion first.
"Miao'er wants to go too!" The second prince pretended to consider, "Okay then! Brother promises you!"
"However, we still have to ask mother, and mother must agree."
Xia Miaoyuan stared at the queen with a pair of eager eyes, begging: "Queen mother..."
The queen smiled and nodded: "Since your second brother is willing, then go. But you must listen to your second brother and don't be naughty."
"Got it, I will definitely not be naughty!" Xia Miaoyuan's voice was very loud!
...
That afternoon, at the intersection of the official road in the suburbs of Beijing.
A dozen young men dressed as ordinary people, sitting in three shabby flatbed carriages, drove slowly on the official road.
Because the imperial army was recruiting soldiers, the court had already set up checkpoints on several major official roads in the suburbs of Beijing to check passers-by to prevent spies from taking the opportunity to sneak in.
The soldier at the checkpoint stopped them and said in a cold voice, "Give me your pass." The
man walking in front was a dark-faced man, about thirty years old. Strangely, he was wearing a brown scarf, which covered the lower half of his face. He took out a booklet from his pocket and handed it over respectfully.
"I am here with my fellow villagers to enlist as new soldiers. Sir, please take a look, this is the pass for the fifteen of us."
The soldier opened the pass and took a look. It really said that fifteen good people went to Beijing to enlist as new soldiers. It was also stamped with the seal of the Jiaxiang Town Envoy's Office.
"Go ahead!" The soldier at the checkpoint threw the pass into the black-faced man's arms and waved his hand impatiently.
"You are all so skinny, and you are here to apply for new soldiers!?" Another soldier guarding the checkpoint glanced at the dozen young men and said with disdain.
The soldier who was in charge of checking the pass echoed: "These days, anyone wants to join the Imperial Army!"
After that, the soldiers guarding the checkpoint all laughed.
...
Early the next morning, the second prince sent his confidants, Jin Hu and Yin Bao, to pick up Xia Miaoyuan in a carriage.
The queen prepared a lot of food, clothes, and toys for her daughter, and asked Li Ma and Sang Qi to follow her, and then let Xia Miaoyuan go out.
Xia Miaoyuan was in a very good mood when she thought about going to the Imperial Army camp to play and seeing people from all over the country who came to apply. She sang songs that others couldn't understand along the way.
By the time Xia Miaoyuan and his party arrived at the Imperial Army camp, conscription had already begun.
Five tents had been set up on the open space at the entrance of the camp.
Tables and chairs were placed under the tents, and a clerk was sitting at the table, responsible for registering the applicants' information.
Behind the five tents were five long lines of young men with different looks, lining up seriously, waiting to be interviewed.
The second prince asked Sang Qi to hold Xia Miaoyuan and follow him to the interview tent at the back.
He, Commander Zhou, and another deputy envoy were in charge of the interview.
Applicants can only enter the next round of interviews after the first round of registration information.
Xia Miaoyuan struggled out of Sang Qi's arms, stood next to the second prince, and observed the people who came for the interview with great interest.
"Sir, my name is Li Ergou, I'm 20 years old." A young man who looked quite smart said respectfully while standing in front of the interview table.
Then he handed his information sheet to the second prince.
"Turn around so I can see." The second prince said indifferently.
The young man immediately turned his back to the second prince.
"Squat down so I can see." The young man squatted down neatly again.
"Well, not bad." The second prince said, and looked at the household registration on the information sheet again.
"Are you from Yibei?" The second prince asked casually.
"Yes, sir!"
"But you speak Mandarin very well!" The second prince looked at Li Ergou.
"When I was a child, I often went out with my father to do small business, so I know some Mandarin." Li Ergou explained.
"Okay, you are accepted. Go in and get your things." The second prince waved his hand.
[Second brother is doing quite well! He looks quite skilled.] Xia Miaoyuan complained while watching the excitement.
The second prince raised his eyebrows, feeling somewhat proud.
Haha, he was praised by his sister!
In a blink of an eye, the second prince had interviewed more than a dozen people with varying qualities.
At this moment, a voice was heard from the interview booth next door.
"Everyone! Who is everyone? Come here quickly!"