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墨書 Inktalez
When Princess Jinyang arrived at the Yingzhou Pacification Office to take up her post, Zhang Jian was secretly plotting revenge. He subtly manipulated and suppressed her, causing the military office to become desolate and cold, cutting off their funding and rejecting Princess Jinyang's proposal to recruit Imperial Guards for military action against Goguryeo, which aimed to intimidate and rescue the envoy. Naturally, Princess Jinyang was furious.
Since entering Youzhou, Princess Jinyang had been continuously marginalized, highlighting the Eastern Palace's control over local military and political affairs by Li Zhi and Changsun Wuji. The more they oppressed her, the more it ignited her dignity and fighting spirit, compelling her to eliminate all the treacherous individuals around Li Zhi.
After some discussion, Zhang Jiunian proposed a feasible plan, instructing Xie Anting to invite all the local officials and gentry representatives into the military office.
Princess Jinyang sat at the head of the office, flanked by fierce generals such as Xue Rengui, who was as handsome as Ma Chao from Western Liang, Zhou Cang, who was as brave as Dian Wei from the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the coldly beautiful Caesar. Zhang Suling and Left Dark and Jewel were also present, along with Gou Renwu and other attendants who did not shy away.
The local county magistrates and many gentry had never seen so many talented young individuals gathered together; they were immediately awed. Looking at the new Colonel Murong Xiao of the Yingzhou Pacification Office—Loyal Martial General Princess Jinyang—who was tall and broad-shouldered with a handsome face, youthful vigor, and a stylish mustache that occasionally flashed a dignified light in his eyes, he truly appeared to be an outstanding young man.
Princess Jinyang did not waste time on pleasantries. After a brief exchange of greetings, she got straight to the point: "Esteemed officials and elders, I do not wish to conceal anything from you. The current Sovereign has decided to lead an expedition to Liaodong and will soon mobilize six armies. Local recruitment must also begin. I am fortunate to be appointed as the vanguard general and am here to recruit brave young men from this county; hence I wanted to inform all of you."
As soon as Princess Jinyang finished speaking, there was an immediate stir in the hall as people began whispering among themselves.
Although news of Tang's impending military action against Liaodong had circulated early on, how could the local counties have received accurate information? No wonder Princess Jinyang appeared so imposing; it turned out she was the vanguard general appointed by Sage!
These individuals had known for days that Princess Jinyang would be coming and had received covert instructions from their superiors to engage in some duplicitous dealings with this new Colonel Murong Xiao. The people of Territory were simple and had always respected their officers; however, those in higher positions were not easily provoked. Now they had no choice but to brace themselves and think about how to create some trouble for Princess Jinyang.
Liucheng County was fertile and produced abundantly; its residents had grown accustomed to a comfortable life. Now that war was approaching, which family would willingly send their sons to battle?
Thinking of this, everyone fell silent with troubled expressions, exchanging glances until they finally nominated Wan Yi, the county magistrate of Liucheng County, to respond.
Wan Yi stroked his beard thoughtfully before addressing Princess Jinyang: "General Xu, it is indeed our responsibility to recruit soldiers; however, it is now just after spring plowing—a busy farming season. We have previously petitioned the Prefectural Office for our county's youths to be exempted from service. We hope General Xu will understand..."
Princess Jinyang frowned slightly and feigned anger: "Defending our homeland is every Tang person's duty! How dare anyone covet life over honor or refuse service! If everyone were like this and counties petitioned for exemptions, who would defend our land?"
The Xu Zhen had long cultivated an air of authority, which she now deliberately projected. The local gentry could hardly bear it; upon seeing her anger, many hurriedly left their seats, unable to remain calm, yet they continued to argue.
"General, please calm down... Our county's population is already insufficient... If we exhaust all the able-bodied men, even if we win the battle, we would be left with empty homes. It's truly a difficult situation..." Wan Yi was well aware of the circumstances in Liucheng County. Not to mention the mere twelve hundred soldiers from one district, even three thousand troops could be gathered.
However, just two days prior, a significant figure had visited his residence and promised him that if he led the local gentry in resistance against this matter, he would be transferred to the Prefectural Office. This was an incredible opportunity!
Moreover, the visitor was none other than Han Fuqi, the Sima of Yingzhou Prefecture. Han Simar was the brother-in-law of a General; his words carried weight and he was not one to go back on his promises. If this matter succeeded, Wan Yi would be able to climb this tree and ascend to great heights without question!
It was precisely for this reason that he dared to deceive the newly appointed Deputy Commander of the Zhechong Bureau and the esteemed Loyal Martial General, Xu Zhen, while secretly allowing many local gentry to play along.
Unexpectedly, this Loyal Martial General turned out to be rather gullible; after hearing Wan Yi's defense, she easily believed him!
"Wan Mingfu loves his people as his own children; how could Xu Zhen not know? Traveling this way, I see Liucheng County flourishing. How could I bear to watch my homeland suffer from war? However, with military duties at hand, I have no choice... You need not argue further; my mind is made up. Those who disobey will face punishment according to the law! You may leave now!"
The Xu Zhen feigned a sigh and waved her hand to dismiss them.
Wan Yi and several local gentry leaders left the military yamen in frustration but soon gathered again to discuss countermeasures.
County Magistrate Zhao Yuankai, well-versed in officialdom's rules, merely smiled without speaking, enjoying the situation. Unable to tolerate this any longer, Wan Yi frowned and said, "Brother Zhao seems to have some thoughts. Why not share them so we can have some direction?"
Zhao Yuankai snorted coldly before saying, "You all are too anxious and confused; you can't even see through such small tricks. This Xu Zhen clearly just wants to line her pockets. If she truly intended to recruit soldiers, she would have presented her seal already; why bother with such theatrics? A new official must make a show of authority."
Upon hearing this, many suddenly realized that the Xu Zhen was not actually recruiting soldiers but merely using it as an excuse for extortion!
Seeing that everyone accepted his reasoning, Wan Yi felt displeased and suggested, "Since Brother Zhao has a clear plan in mind, why not investigate what this new general truly desires?"
Zhao Yuankai did not take it to heart and laughed, saying, "How could I not obey your command!"
The others saw Zhao Yuankai stride back into the military office with a carefree demeanor, and they couldn't help but feel admiration. Wan Yi felt somewhat displeased but was helpless; he thought that it wouldn't be long before he would be promoted and would definitely need to put this county magistrate in his place.
Zhao Yuankai was perceptive and knew that he was of low status and rarely had the chance to meet the Xu Zhen. He slipped a large sum of money to the guard at the Yamen, who weighed it carefully before going inside to relay the message. Before long, he came out and led Zhao Yuankai to a side room behind the office.
Zhang Jiunian was brewing tea when he saw Zhao Yuankai arrive. He was not arrogant and treated him as an equal. After some pleasantries, they discussed their experiences; they were actually classmates from the same year’s imperial examination. As they talked about literature, their spirits lifted, and they became much closer.
Zhao Yuankai, skilled at reading people, subtly inquired about the Xu Zhen's preferences. Zhang Jiunian thought that the fish was finally taking the bait, so he pretended not to notice and revealed a bit of information. Zhao Yuankai felt secretly pleased and presented a jade pendant as he was leaving. Zhang Jiunian declined at first but eventually accepted it as a formality.
Wan Yi and the others waited outside. Seeing that there was still plenty of time, they went to a tavern in the county town for a drink while anxiously waiting for Zhao Yuankai's return.
When Zhao Yuankai returned successfully, everyone felt relieved. After some discussion, they pooled together a generous gift to be presented by Zhao Yuankai at the Yamen.
Meanwhile, Xu Zhen was at her residence catching up with Xie Anting and others. She also summoned Xue Rengui and his group of brothers to discuss plans for rescuing people across the river. Just then, Zhang Jiunian hurried over with several men carrying numerous gifts—silks, satin, pearls, and gemstones—showing that Liucheng County was indeed a prosperous place!
Xu Zhen never hesitated to treat her brothers generously, distributing many gifts so that everyone received something. The likes of Jewel Girl and Zuo An were overjoyed to receive such presents.
The next day, Xu Zhen called Wan Yi and others again for discussions. They felt anxious, unsure if their efforts would satisfy this new general. When Xu Zhen spoke up, everyone immediately relaxed and regarded Zhao Yuankai as a hero.
"After yesterday's meeting, I summoned some local villagers for consultation to understand the situation in the county. You all truly did not conceal anything. Although I am new here, I cannot drive many of our local youths into hardship. Therefore, after discussing with my aides, I have decided on this matter today."
"I have six hundred guards under my command, all seasoned soldiers who have seen many battles. For now, they will join the provincial army to meet our numbers. This will greatly reduce the recruitment quota in the county. You can go back and spread the word; I do not wish to force anyone but only ask for four hundred willing young men to enlist voluntarily. With this, we should have enough manpower to handle the situation."
Xu Zhen presented herself with a posture of concern for her country and its people; how could anyone dare not support her? They immediately praised Xu Zhenzhi's kindness and extolled Xu Zhen's benevolence towards her people, feeling ecstatic in their hearts.
Xu Zhen raised her hand to calm everyone down, and they immediately fell silent as Xu Zhen spoke.
"This recruitment of soldiers has been satisfactorily resolved. However, my six hundred Guard have entered the Imperial Guards ranks and should be settled locally. During leisure time, they should cultivate the land, and in winter, train for battle. This matter still requires Wan Mingfu to take charge. Moreover... the expenses for these one thousand men should reasonably be distributed among the counties. I wonder if anyone has any objections?"
Upon hearing this, Wan Yi furrowed his brow. He had been instructed by Han Fuqi to obstruct Xu Zhen's recruitment efforts. Now that only four hundred men were being sent out, it was a small achievement. However, he knew well that Xu Zhen had grievances with the Prefectural Office, so how could he support her in raising troops?
Nevertheless, a group of local gentry led by Zhao Yuankai readily agreed. With a total of one thousand two hundred soldiers available, only four hundred volunteers were needed for recruitment, leaving eight hundred slots open. This surplus could allow them to make significant contributions.
The county and state governments already had the responsibility to support the Zhechong Army. Even if Wan Yi wanted to create obstacles, he would be powerless to do so.
With this matter settled, Xu Zhen ordered Zhang Jiunian to draft an official document for public announcement. Soon, everyone in Liucheng County was praising Xu Zhenzhi for his high ideals and benevolence.
In this way, not only did Xu Zhen resolve the excess of Guard, but she also managed to maintain her food supplies while having others support her in raising Soldier. This could be considered a successful completion of the task.
The four hundred newly recruited Imperial Guards were all loyal warriors willing to sacrifice themselves for their country, making their combat capabilities unparalleled.
Now holding a thousand elite troops, Xu Zhen finally felt confident as she ordered Zhou Cang and others to train hard while also planning a strategy to cross the river and rescue Qin Guang!
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