Geng Tianrong asked his advisor to recruit more soldiers, but the advisor frowned and complained, "Sir, it's not that I don't want to recruit more soldiers, it's just that we don't have the money. The Qi family has money, and they've been recruiting soldiers all along."
Anyone who went to serve as a soldier for the Qi family received an initial settlement allowance of twenty taels of silver, plus three taels of silver per month; quite a few people went.
Geng Tianrong felt even more distressed.
As a county magistrate, at this time, money was more effective than words.
The forced conscription resulted in the people sending all their adult males to the Qi family.
The Qi family may seem like just a prominent family in a small county, but they have a deep-rooted wealth accumulated over several generations.
Furthermore, at this time, the Qi family was united with all the other prominent families to resist the bandits. Even if he were the county magistrate, he could not go against the Qi family at this time.
At this point, he wouldn't be able to recruit soldiers unless he spent a lot of money to do so.
Get more money?
Where did he get so much money? Even if he embezzled and accepted bribes, that amount wouldn't be enough to support many soldiers!
Because of his forced conscription in the past two days, even families with some food left sent their adult males to Qijia.
The Qi family and other prominent families have gathered a total of more than three thousand soldiers.
Geng Tianrong had no intention of emboldening the powerful families; once they gained military power, they would be close to rebelling against him, the county magistrate.
"Master, go and discuss this with Old Master Qi. They don't have the right to command troops. These soldiers need to be registered at the county government. As for the Qi family's recruitment of soldiers, the county government will return the money once things settle down. We can write an IOU now."
The advisor is such a clever man; the magistrate is afraid that powerful families will become too influential with their troops.
However, even the advisor was afraid.
He rose to power by relying on the county magistrate, and now he's maneuvering around the Qi family so that he can have more protection should things escalate.
"Okay, I'll go and make the arrangements right away."
Old Qi was at home discussing the next steps with the clan elders.
Because of the magistrate's forced conscription, the several thousand soldiers they recruited in the past two days are now able to contend with the bandits.
Then we'll see who's stronger, the bandits or the troops of Bian'ai County. We'll sit back and watch them fight, then reap the benefits.
Just then, the advisor arrived again.
Old Qi snorted, "He can't be coming back for nothing. Let him in!"
The clan elders then took their leave. Now that Elder Qi's prestige was growing, they could only serve as his assistants.
When the clerk saw Old Master Qi, he smiled broadly and said, "Old Master Qi, I've bothered you again. I hope you won't mind."
"Never mind, the advisor must have something on his mind."
"Old Qi is the wise one. My family asked me to come and discuss this with him."
"Please sit down, sir. Someone, bring tea." Since the magistrate sent him, it must be something important.
The advisor didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly. He had been visiting the Qi family quite often these days.
"Master, please speak plainly about what's on your mind!"
"Good, Mr. Qi is very generous." The clerk paused slightly, and the maid who served the tea was truly beautiful.
When Old Master Qi saw the way the clerk was staring at the maid, he couldn't help but feel contempt.
He had already heard about the clerk forcibly taking women and causing several deaths, but since it was none of his business, he naturally wouldn't get involved.
But that's all the clerk can do. For aristocratic families like theirs, there's no need for robbing; they can usually settle things with money.
Unless you're out of your mind, you wouldn't dare to steal it.
The advisor, who was considered to have a screw loose, snapped out of his daze at Old Qi's cough.
He coughed twice to cover his embarrassment: "My master said that all recruited soldiers need to be registered at the county government. As for the money you spent, the county government can't come up with it for the time being, so we'll give you an IOU first."
"I'll pay you back once things have settled down, okay?"
Old Qi was so angry that his beard stood on end. "They're already trying to destroy the bridge before we've even crossed it!"
However, the magistrate's suggestion was reasonable. The recruited soldiers would definitely need to be registered at the county government office. Even their own guards and servants would need to be registered.
Let them register. Whether the county government will give them the money later or not, the Qi family can't just go and ask for it directly.
"Okay, let's register then!"
The advisor understood that the magistrate's purpose was not in the registration itself, but in controlling the team.
"Once the registration is complete, the county government will send several military officers to manage it. After all, training and managing soldiers is different from training and managing guards, don't you think?"
"Alright." Old Qi knew that even if he didn't agree, Geng Tianrong would still send someone.
The clerk was surprised that things had gone so smoothly and said happily, "Old Qi is indeed wise. Then I will thank you on behalf of my master."
After seeing the advisor off, Old Qi finally managed to straighten his upturned beard.
"What a Geng Tianrong! He may not be good at anything else, but he's certainly adept at scheming."
How could he possibly hand over the soldiers he had painstakingly recruited so easily?
These soldiers were his talisman; if things went wrong, he could rely on them to escape.
Once the military officers arrive, we'll see how these people behave. If they can be bribed or appeased with money or other means, then keep them.
If you can't bribe or appease them no matter what, you can also let them die unexpectedly. After all, in war, people always die.
The advisor replied to Geng Tianrong, who then summoned eight military officers: "You few, go and reorganize the soldiers recruited by the Qi family. You will be in command of these men."
"yes."
The eight military officers were very pleased.
This is a great opportunity for them to make a name for themselves. What's the use of always being a low-ranking military officer? This is definitely a chance.
Geng Tianrong was still not entirely at ease, so he summoned his trusted county constable and instructed him: "Find a few more subordinates with good martial arts skills to serve as deputies under these military officers."
The county magistrate bowed and accepted the order.
They were naturally willing to lead a force of several thousand people, and they were also reassured when they learned that there were several thousand people in the force.
With so many soldiers, they could easily hold off the bandits.
Geng Tianrong returned to the back office of the county government, where his wife greeted him: "Husband, I have packed everything you asked me to pack."
Geng Tianrong nodded slightly.
No matter how high the odds of winning are, you should prepare in advance.
The troops from Bian'ai County have unclear intentions; if things go wrong, they will definitely run away.
Pack your valuables, food, and valuables in advance; it will be easier to run away then.
"Madam, I have also selected the guards. I have prepared more than a hundred guards, which will ensure our safety no matter what."
Mrs. Geng was also relieved.
"My husband can make the arrangements. If anything changes, we can go directly to my parents' home."
Geng Tianrong smiled and stopped Madam Geng: "Thanks to your help, you are truly a virtuous wife."
Just as the couple were enjoying a tender moment, they heard a commotion outside: "Sir, you can't abandon us!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
