xymnovel Chapter 21 One man in the army, the whole family isn't hungry
Chapter 21 One man in the army, the whole family isn't hungry
Wang Lun ordered the making of a large flag.
The two flags read "Acting on Behalf of Heaven" and "Recruiting Soldiers and Buying Horses."
Two horizontal banners read: "Join Liangshan Marsh, and protect our land with our lives."
"If one person joins the army, the whole family won't go hungry."
He set up three recruitment points outside Liangshan Marsh.
He sat in the center of the room.
At the recruitment point, there were deck chairs. Wang Lun lay on one of the chairs, drinking tea, while Zheng Ke'er held an umbrella for him.
The Song Dynasty was completely free of pollution; the ultraviolet radiation was extremely strong.
Sitting at the table was Gongsun Sheng, who was holding a thick stack of papers, preparing to register the soldiers who came to join Liangshan.
But I sat there all morning and didn't see a single person.
Gongsun Sheng turned to look at Wang Lun and said, "Chief, I think recruiting soldiers is useless. After all, it's a bandit's den. Who would come here willingly?"
Wang Lun thought for a moment and had an idea. He then beckoned Zhao Si over.
"You lead men to infiltrate Jeju Island and order the brothers there to spread the word about Liangshan's recruitment of soldiers. The key point is that our military pay is more than that of the imperial court. If one person joins the army, his whole family can move to Liangshan. We can distribute land, provide seeds, and our taxes are lower than those of the imperial court."
Zhao Si quickly agreed.
"Also, tell them to focus their propaganda efforts on the migrants coming from the north, and to go to impoverished areas, and try their best to keep it from the government."
He was also afraid that if the government found out how arrogant he was, they would send a large army to suppress him.
Liangshan is not yet ready to withstand a large-scale siege.
"Our slogan should also be spread: 'If one person joins the army, the whole family will not go hungry.'"
Why join the army? It's all about getting enough to eat.
Zhao Si led his men on horseback to Jizhou.
Wang Lun regretted his decision; he had miscalculated. The first thing he should have done when recruiting soldiers was to promote the program.
If propaganda work is not done well, how can soldiers be recruited?
"Uh... Chieftain."
It was Zheng Ke'er who spoke; she stammered, not daring to say what she wanted to say.
Wang Lun looked at her and smiled, "Speak your mind, don't be afraid."
"You're saying... the land distribution is true?"
Wang Lun nodded and said, "Of course it's true. You've been on Liangshan for half a month now. Haven't you seen the large area of land around the rear camp?"
Zheng Ke'er was overjoyed: "Since it's true, I can recruit soldiers and civilians for the chieftain."
"Oh?" Wang Lun became interested.
"In the village I used to live in, there were dozens of households. All of our land was taken by wealthy people from the city. We were all farming for them, and at the end of the year, we didn't have much left. Everyone was starving. If... what the chief said is true, they will definitely be willing to come."
Wang Lun suddenly realized, "Yes, what's wrong with me lately? My brain isn't working properly."
The most serious problem during the Tang and Song dynasties was the powerful clans. These clans gradually grew in power, and some even became so powerful that local officials dared not offend them.
Another major problem arising from the issue of powerful families was land annexation.
The farmers' land was taken over by powerful families, so the grain they grew belonged to the powerful families, and the farmers could barely make ends meet.
This is one of the reasons why peasant uprisings were so severe during the Tang and Song dynasties.
The great man's strategy was to encircle the cities from the countryside.
I actually forgot, damn it.
He quickly replied, "Alright, I'll send someone to take you back. Go back and spread the word."
"In particular, we should publicize the fact that Liangshan was willing to distribute land to everyone."
Zheng Ke'er nodded: "Yes, I've got it."
Wang Lun rallied his spirits and immediately began to consider how to achieve the goal of encircling the cities from the countryside.
The land reclaimed on Liangshan Mountain is not yet large enough to support more than 2,000 households. Fishing in Liangshan Marsh can also support some of the population.
The key lies in robbing the rich to help the poor.
With a larger population and more soldiers, the expenditure on money and food increases significantly.
Alas, even the landlords' surplus grain is running low.
After thinking for a while, a dozen or so people finally arrived, supporting the old and carrying the young, trembling and unsteady. They were refugees from the north.
The henchmen frowned upon seeing this, but since Wang Lun remained silent, they dared not say anything.
Wang Lun was overjoyed when the people finally arrived. He stepped forward and helped up an old man at the front, asking, "Old man, where are you from? Where are you going? Do you want to join the Liangshan bandits?"
The old man was taken aback: "Can an old man like me become a bandit?"
Wang Lun immediately nodded: "Of course, bandits aren't just about fighting and killing. They also farm. Do you know how to farm?"
The old man was even more bewildered: "Bandits... want to farm too?"
"Of course, how much can bandits steal just by robbing? We bandits are all farmers. We farm the land and rob wealthy merchants at the same time. That's how we grow bigger and stronger and create new glories."
The old man understood and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, please take me in. I am willing to become a bandit."
He was about to kneel down as he spoke.
Wang Lun quickly helped him up and asked, "How old are you?"
The old man hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, I am seventy-two years old (by Chinese reckoning), and the people behind me are all family. I come from the north. The Jin and Liao kingdoms are at war, and countless people have died. We have no choice but to flee south."
Wang Lun glanced behind him and saw a dozen or so people, including children and old women, but no young adults. Suspicious, he asked, "Where are your children?"
The old man covered his face and wept: "I have three sons, and they... have all been dragged to the battlefield."
Wang Lun suddenly realized that he had been conscripted into the army.
He then instructed his henchmen: "Come, register the old folks, send them up the mountain, hand them over to Song Wan, and distribute land to the old folks according to their numbers."
The old man was both surprised and delighted, and immediately knelt down and kowtowed. A dozen or so people behind him also knelt down.
Wang Lun helped him up again, and said with a smile, "Gongsun, have you ever heard the saying, 'An elder in the family is a treasure'?"
Gongsun Sheng shook his head and said, "I have never heard of it."
"So you've heard about it now." Wang Lun patted the dust off the old man's knees and laughed, "Old man, what's your name? From now on, you'll be the village chief and govern a village."
"Village chief?" the old man asked, somewhat puzzled.
"The village chief is the same as the village head," Wang Lun had no choice but to explain.
The old man was overjoyed and was about to kowtow again, but Wang Lun stopped him.
Feudal society was awful; people were forced to kneel at the drop of a hat.
"My name is Wang Cheng. From now on, I entrust my old life to Your Majesty."
Wang Lun laughed heartily: "No need, you old bones, what would I do here? Your name is Wang Cheng, and mine is Wang Lun. We were family five hundred years ago. According to age, I should call you uncle."
Wang Cheng was about to kneel again: "Oh dear, I wouldn't dare."
A group of about ten men boarded the boat and sailed into Liangshan Marsh.
Gongsun Sheng shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, we've waited all morning, only to attract old people and children who not only fail to bring us income but also take up our grain."
Wang Lun watched Wang Cheng and the others depart into the distance, sighed, and said, "Gongsun, if I don't take them in, where will they go?"
"Well... I don't know."
"They'll end up in the underworld." Wang Lun's face was grave. "He's seventy-two, and the children and women behind him have been starving for days. Can they possibly continue on their way? If I don't help them, I'm pushing them toward their deaths."
Gongsun Sheng's mind was in turmoil. Should he become a bandit or do good deeds?
Wang Lun sighed, "On the road, there are frozen corpses, while behind the red gates, wine and meat rot. This world is ultimately unfair."
Just then, a group of people galloped in from afar, their momentum imposing and their killing intent palpable.
Gongsun Sheng hurriedly shouted, "Protect the chieftain!"