Due to the previous rebellion of King Qicheng, although there were not many soldiers killed or injured, the soldiers in the entire legion could not completely believe it. The dynasty began to clean up the entire iron curse soldiers. Some of them remained in the army, and some were mixed into the guard. Some of the Heavenly Army were withdrawn from military service, assigned to their hometowns, and restored to civilian status.
As a result, the number of iron curse soldiers was greatly reduced, and each army also reduced some of its troops. So the prince decided to recruit troops to make up for the shortage in numbers in each army. Since the battle against King Qicheng's rebellion had just ended, many people Everyone believed that there would be no war in the short term. In addition, the benefits of being a soldier were very generous, enough to support a family. Many able-bodied people participated in the conscription.
The imperial dynasty's recruitment conditions were relatively strict. Not only did each soldier's origin and home address have to be investigated, but there were also physical requirements, and no one who was a little weak would be admitted.
Many people without a fixed income are flocking here, hoping to try their luck and at least be able to solve their food and clothing problems without having to wander around.
Beiwu Tai is located on the outskirts of Wushuang City. There is a large open space. It is usually used to train the Royal Guards or the Heavenly Guards. During recruitment, it is used to assess those who sign up, and the losers sort out those who pass the assessment.
The assessment of the military is very different from that of civilian officials. Although each position has specific requirements, both ordinary soldiers and commanders of the army need to have basic martial arts skills. People with better martial arts skills are more likely to be favored in the military. respect.
If a young master comes to apply, as long as there is no problem with his identity, he can be directly elected as the commander-in-chief of the troops, or even the general of one party. After that, he needs to have enough skills to tame the soldiers of all parties and achieve unity.
Although the military is not as scheming as the officials in North Korea and China, it still has a community of interests and will not easily accept some outside personnel. Therefore, there will be an arena for every recruitment in Beiwu Tai. Those who win in the arena will be invited by all forces to participate in the competition. This will increase your own strength.
The arena is divided into several small areas, and every time there are many people competing on it. There are different groups, and there are also people who compete together to determine the winner or loser in one duel. It is very chaotic and noisy.
Most people in the military are extremely heroic. The more chaotic they are, the more excited they are, and they often overlook some important things.
Just a few days after the conscription was held, a big event happened.
Cai San and Qu Zhi, the generals of the Wei Tianjun, had a conflict because of their disagreement over conscription. The two fought and ended up dying together on the spot.
When the news came out, there was a lot of discussion inside and outside the government. Yu Cheng and Liang Chen had just resigned from their posts some time ago, and these two generals also died. Is it really a coincidence?
From the outside, it seems reasonable that they were both generals in the DPRK, but they were dissatisfied with each other, had conflicts, and had long-standing grudges. In the end, they killed each other.
People who are familiar with them would not think so. Since they joined the army, the two have supported each other and saved each other's lives. They definitely share life and death. They will definitely not fight over the conscription. There must be a reason.
The two of them have been busy with military affairs for many years, and they don't have many friends. Few people know them well. There are some things that their wives and children don't know too well, let alone outsiders.
But Long Yu happens to be someone who knows them well. In Long Yu's heart, Qi Ping'a, Qu Zhi, and Cai San are all partners who fight side by side with him, accompanying him all the way through life and death. Both their character and achievements are rare in the dynasty. The talents he had obtained were now all dead inexplicably. Long Yu's heart was very painful.
The decisions in the past few days were even more difficult, time was passing faster and faster, and danger was approaching. Long Yu had never been so procrastinated in his life, not knowing what to do.
When Long Yu was in trouble, the sixth prince was extremely happy. He had never been so happy since he was born. The great thing was accomplished.
"Haha, God help me, who could do it so quickly! I was still worried about these two people, but it's fine now. You can take advantage of the moment to take control of the entire Weitian Army, even if someone else is assigned to be the leader. General, you have the final say from now on!"
"Don't worry, without the two stumbling blocks Cai San and Qu Zhi, the entire Weitian Army is already in the bag, and our prestige in the army cannot be eliminated in a day or two!"
Dar smiled and said that the situation was now in their favor. The two million Guardsmen were definitely a trump card that could influence the outcome.
"But the question is who did it, the prince or..."
Dar was still a little worried.
The Sixth Prince had not yet recovered from his joy and said: "Don't worry about who did it. This matter is only beneficial to us and does no harm. Even if it is the prince, I can kill him at any time now!"
The Sixth Prince clenched his fists fiercely and slapped the table.
"Your Highness, not yet..." Yinhe and Dar hurriedly advised.
"I know, I am a little impatient now, I will restrain myself!" The sixth prince realized that he had lost his composure and hurriedly changed his words.
The recruitment was still going on, and the people in charge were changed from Cai San and Qu Zhi to Dal and Yinlou. The whole atmosphere also changed. Before, admission was based on ability and physical fitness, but now it has become whoever pays more can get it. Quotas, and even some commander-in-chief positions, are openly priced. Whoever pays more will get this position.
Originally, the people who recruited soldiers were poor people. Many of them had trouble even eating. How could they have the money to buy a military position? After only a few days, there were very few people who came to recruit soldiers. Some rich people bought the commander-in-chief's. Position, I have no interest in ordinary military positions.
Like a conspiracy, the massive Beiwutai recruitment ended with the death of Cai Sanhe and Qu Zhi. No one signed up before the numbers of the various armies could be filled.
Although many things are not stated clearly, some people have already felt that changes have taken place in the Qi Dynasty, some changes that have never happened before.
The Prince's imperial court is still going on, and the memorials from various places are being dealt with truthfully. Those who deserve to be killed are killed, and those who deserve to be arrested are arrested.
However, going to court seems to have become a routine matter. No one has opinions or reports on various injustices. For fear of saying the wrong thing and being severely punished, apart from the necessary memorials, many governors do not even say anything. , just waiting to retire from the court in order to protect his official position.
The prince was very satisfied with such a court, as if he was the king of the world. The people in the audience were obedient to him and controlled the power of life and death. A strange feeling continued to grow and grow deep in his heart, and dark seeds took root and sprouted inside. .
Daer and Yinlou obtained full command power as they wished and began to reorganize the Weitian Army frantically. All the generals under Qu Zhi and Cai San were demoted without reason, from general commander to deputy commander, and then to commander-in-chief and deputy commander. The commander-in-chief was demoted three times and four times in a row. Many people could not bear the humiliation and resigned from the army and returned to their hometowns.
Although the positions in the military are not as powerful as those of civil servants in North Korea and China, the Qi Dynasty, which started with martial arts, still treats its officers and soldiers very generously. The benefits will increase by one level every time it is upgraded, completely changing the living conditions of a person or even a family. , many soldiers have a meritorious mentality.
After Daer and Yinlou came to power, they began to reduce some of the benefits, and the food and silver rewards were greatly reduced. They made money crazily. On the one hand, they gave it to the Sixth Prince to bribe the courtiers, and on the other hand, they put it into their own pockets to enrich themselves.
The two men were domineering in the army, and their long-term prestige made the soldiers dare not vent their resentment. Some left directly, and some were forced to stay for a bite of food, and resentments arose for a while.
A barefoot vendor dressed in tatters passed by the shabby house where Chu Wen lived before and found that it had been burned to ashes. Boundless tears welled up, but he couldn't show it at all and covered himself with a dusty bamboo hat. With his face, he shouted smoothly: "Salt, wine and cake, three cents! Salt, wine and cake, three cents!"
Hoarse and choking voices, one sentence after another, continued, filling this empty land.
This barefoot peddler was Chu Wen's adopted son Chu Yan. After all, he couldn't bear the lonely life of his adopted father. He ignored his warning and came to visit. What he saw was ruins.
Afraid that there were still people watching this place, Chu Yan dressed up as the most popular barefoot vendor in Nancheng Prefecture. Due to the mountainous terrain, there were generally few customers for fixed sales. They patrolled the mountains and fields looking for hungry travelers, which was also the least likely place to be taken. suspicious.
Barefoot, barefoot, because those who do these small businesses can only make ends meet and do not have money to buy new clothes and shoes, and the mountain roads are mostly rugged and difficult to navigate. Basically every hawker does not wear shoes to reduce expenses. Over time, in Nancheng Mansion, these Small traders are called barefoot traders.
Chu Yan walked barefoot on the ground for many days before he dared to come here. He was also afraid of being noticed by others. Many barefoot vendors have thick calluses on the soles of their feet due to walking barefoot for many years, and they can't be hurt by potholes.
Chu Yan carefully passed by the wreckage, suppressing the grief in his heart, and walked slowly over.
The body of my adoptive father was right in front of me, but I couldn't bury it. I was really ashamed to be the son of man.
He clenched his back molars tightly and shouted hoarsely: "Salt, wine and cake!"
"Brother Yu, how long do we have until we get to Wenfeng City! It's been seven days. Are you sure about the legendary Haixun ship?"
"Don't worry, that's my playmate for many years. When Wenfeng City was flooded, the sea speed boat we invented together can't be capsized by any storm. This boat will sail along the river and will soon leave the hinterland of Kyushu. , but it’s hard to stay in any of the thirteen countries outside here!" Yu Cheng said worriedly.
"Let's think about it now. Thanks to us, we allowed our family members to go to other places in advance in the name of visiting relatives. Otherwise, it would be really difficult to leave with so many people!"
"Hey, I just hope this journey goes smoothly. Have you heard about a strange thing recently?" Yu Cheng asked.
Liang Chen said without thinking: "Are you talking about the bandit incident in Zhejiang Prefecture?"
"That's right! More than one hundred and twenty people were all killed. It's so tragic!"
"Why did you mention this? This unscrupulous robber will have his retribution sooner or later!"
"I'm also afraid of meeting robbers!" Yu Cheng said meaningfully.
Liang Chen suddenly turned around, looked at Yu Cheng in horror and said, "You mean...those people?"
"Master Chu's family members!?"
Yu Cheng nodded silently and looked at the road in front of the carriage.
"But...but Chu Wen's hometown is in Nancheng Prefecture, why did he go to Zhejiang Prefecture?"
"Haha, brother Liang, don't panic. The matter is over and we don't need to worry. Is Wenfeng City our hometown?"
It's not that Liang Chen doesn't know why, but he just can't believe that he has embarked on this road of escape. He seems to have extravagant hopes in his heart, hoping that the reality is not so cruel.
