Normally, armies are followed by convoys carrying supplies, firstly to provide food for the troops, and secondly to transport supplies to the battlefield.
The Taoist priest was also very curious. This didn't make sense. Was the imperial court so poor that it didn't even have any food supplies? Then why was it recruiting new soldiers? They couldn't just send them to their deaths on the front lines, could they?
The Taoist priest felt increasingly uneasy. He knew he had to investigate thoroughly to avoid any trouble.
"Xiao Chuan, you go check out the nearby villages first, I'll follow and see what's going on."
Upon hearing this, Lu Chuan immediately objected, "No, Daoist Master, I'd rather go with you."
"No need. You don't know how to use light-body skills, so I might as well go by myself. It's actually more convenient for me to move around on my own."
Lu Chuan looked at the Taoist priest with a resentful expression, thinking to himself: Well, I'm being rejected.
However, Lu Chuan was not annoyed, as he could still distinguish between what was important and what was not.
He immediately agreed, "Then I'll wait for you at the entrance after I've found out."
Unexpectedly, the Taoist priest refused again, saying, "After you have found out the situation, if you have enough time, go to the county town again. If it's late, go back first. I might not be back for a while. It's very unusual that we haven't seen any grain transport. We must find out the reason."
After saying that, she snatched the bundle from Lu Chuan's hand. Before Lu Chuan could react, she took out the silver that Xu Han had given him before he left from Lu Chuan's pocket. You can't go out without money.
"I'll take these first. You'll be fine if you go hungry for a day."
After finishing his sentence, the Taoist priest left without looking back, leaving Lu Chuan completely bewildered. What could he do? He couldn't beat him in a fight, nor could he win an argument, and besides, the Taoist priest was his own master! He could only let the Taoist priest take all the things and money away.
After a moment of stunned silence, seeing that the Taoist priest had already walked away, Lu Chuan also stepped into the village next to him.
As soon as I entered the village, I found that the village, which should have been quiet, was bustling with activity.
From time to time, the sound of crying could be heard in the distance, which made Lu Chuan even more puzzled.
What's going on? Why is everyone crying so sadly? What happened? Is there a funeral being held in this village?
Upon closer inspection, they discovered that there were also many soldiers in the village, but these soldiers were different from those they had seen earlier; these were likely yamen runners from the county town.
Lu Chuan listened from a distance for a while before realizing that his arrival today was a lucky coincidence, as the village was recruiting soldiers.
After listening for a while, I roughly understood the specifics of the conscription. It turned out that this conscription required each household to send one person, and it was mandatory to serve in the army; money could not be used to offset the conscription fee.
However, no further details could be found. Seeing that some villagers were carrying things nearby, Lu Chuan quickly went over to lend a hand.
While trying to extract information from the villager, Lu Chuan finally got the information he wanted during their conversation.
It turns out that this conscription was different from previous years. The time was very tight, and the conscription began immediately after the government issued the notice, leaving the people no chance to react.
The conscription was carried out by the village chief of each village, who recorded the names of each family that would enlist. In order to improve the efficiency of conscription, the government also arranged two officials in each village.
With officials stationed there, the conscription process was faster, and the people dared not cause trouble.
For some unknown reason, the conscription subsidies from previous years were also absent this year. The government's explanation was that "due to the tense situation at the front, there is no extra money for subsidies at the moment. Compensation will be provided once the situation stabilizes."
The people were furious when the announcement was issued. Wasn't this sending their own people to their deaths for nothing? Not only were they not being paid, but they were also being conscripted.
Although the government said there would be compensation in the future, the people knew in their hearts that it was just talk and there was no way there would actually be compensation.
And even if there is some compensation in the end, it will be a long time from now, so what we can't get now can be ignored. Even if there is some, it won't be much.
The people aren't stupid; as soon as the announcement was released, some people immediately objected.
I heard that this incident caused quite a stir in the county, but later, the person who stood up for what was right had his whole family thrown into jail, and only then did the people calm down.
As the saying goes, the common people cannot fight against the officials; ordinary people are generally very afraid of these officials and soldiers.
After their resistance proved futile, the other civilians obediently followed the conscription process.
Even if they were unwilling, they had no choice but to sacrifice one of the men in their family for the safety of their loved ones.
He comforted himself, thinking that if he made a contribution on the battlefield, things would be different. He would not only have money, but also become an official.
Then, if they manage to get a general or some other official position, their whole family will be transformed.
Moreover, even if you don't achieve merit, it's good to survive. The army also pays soldiers, although it's more dangerous than regular work.
This is a good outcome; it's better than the whole family being imprisoned after a rebellion.
Everyone watched with this mindset, unwilling and resentful, as the soldiers took away the men from their homes.
During their conversation, Lu Chuan also learned that these new recruits needed to be taken to the county town to meet up. After all the recruits from various towns had arrived, they would be taken over by the officers and soldiers of the prefectural city and sent to the border together.
Some villagers couldn't bear to part with the men in their families, so they followed them all the way to the county town.
Because of the conscription, no one in the family has been in the mood to tend to the fields. These past few days, the whole family has been busy with this matter.
This is why when Lu Chuan and the Taoist priest first arrived, there was no one in the field.
Lu Chuan stayed in the village for a long time until the soldiers took away the new recruits. Seeing a group of people following behind, he immediately followed them.
Because everyone was immersed in the pain of losing their loved ones, although many people saw this unfamiliar face, no one paid much attention to Lu Chuan. They only glanced at him and immediately looked away, not asking any questions, and only caring about their own family.
Lu Chuan was happy to do so, openly mingling in the crowd to gather information.
Lu Chuan followed the soldiers to an open space outside the county town, and along the way he saw other soldiers leading new recruits.
When they arrived at the destination, a large crowd had already gathered in the open space, including new recruits and family members who had come to see them off.
Fearing a riot, family members who came to see him off could only watch from a distance. Soldiers guarded the area, all armed with weapons, including gleaming broadswords that were already drawn, preventing anyone from getting close.
Lu Chuan observed the surroundings from a distance, and seeing that there was nothing unusual, he turned around and entered the county town.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
