From the time the sun rose in the east, to noon, and now to the center of the sky, not a single person has come forward to enlist in the army.
Yes, not a single person signed up to apply.
The recruitment site could accommodate 3,000 people, but not a single person signed up for the entire morning. The huge venue became a joke.
Well, it cannot be said that there was no one. There was a passerby who asked if the military pay was real, but he was an old man with unsteady legs and feet, and obviously did not meet the requirements to sign up for the army.
"Ahem, sir, Yiwu has many mountains and the roads are difficult to travel. The countryside is far from the county town. Some of the country people who have registered may still be on the way." A clerk coughed and said to Zhu Ping'an in a lack of confidence, trying to comfort Zhu Ping'an.
"Not all villages are far from the county seat. It seems something went wrong. I need to consult Magistrate Zhao."
Zhu Ping'an shook his head slightly. Although he was somewhat frustrated, he did not lose any enthusiasm.
Zhu Ping'an took Dadao and three others to the county government office and arranged the others to be divided into three groups for rotation. One group would watch the recruitment site, while the other two groups would rest, to avoid everyone wasting time and effort.
"Master Zhu, is the recruitment going smoothly? Are you short of manpower? We have solved all the difficult cases this morning, and the cases this afternoon are simple. I can still allocate some manpower to the recruitment site to help you..."
When County Magistrate Zhao saw Zhu Ping'an, he thought there were too many people at the scene and there was a shortage of manpower, so he took the initiative to speak up.
Understaffed?!
Upon hearing this, Zhu Pingan couldn't help but smile bitterly and shook his head, "To be honest with Magistrate Zhao, up to now, no one has come to enlist in the army. If we have nothing to do, we can set up a few mahjong tables on the spot and play a few rounds of mahjong."
"Ah?! No one came to enlist?!" County Magistrate Zhao opened his mouth in shock, then frowned and said to himself, "How could this happen..."
Then he was stunned for a moment, and looked at Zhu Pingan in confusion, "Mahjong?! Master Zhu, what is mahjong? Do you rub it?"
"Sir Zhao, let's not talk about mahjong for now. You just said, 'How could this situation really happen?' Could it be that Sir Zhao had already anticipated this?!" Zhu Ping'an waved his hand, keenly grasped the words of County Magistrate Zhao, and asked.
"Well, how should I put it? I think there should be no problem in recruiting soldiers. Once the mining notice is issued, mining disputes must be banned, which clears the way for recruiting soldiers. There should be no problem in recruiting soldiers, but everything is possible. No one will apply is my worst guess, but I didn't expect it to really happen." County Magistrate Zhao thought for a moment and explained with a wry smile.
"Since Lord Zhao can make such a prediction, I think he should have some guesses about the reasons." Zhu Pingan asked.
"Well, from what I know about Yiwu, there are probably two reasons. First, the common people don't trust the government. The Yiwu mines are fiercely contested, armed conflicts are frequent, and many people are killed and injured. I guess the common people are worried that the recruitment is fake, and they are using the recruitment as a cover to lure them into the real thing. Second, the local gentry and clans don't want the people below to enlist. On the one hand, the world is not peaceful now. Not to mention the mining conflicts, the Japanese invasion is getting more and more serious. They think that having one more person to protect their hometown will make it safer. Moreover, some people have a big prejudice against the government, and can even say that they hate it, so they may prevent people from the same clan from enlisting. I think the first reason is secondary, and the main reason is the second one."
County Magistrate Zhao thought seriously for a moment and spoke to Zhu Ping'an in a more confident tone.
"Well, the local gentry and clans prevented the people from enlisting in the army..." Zhu Ping'an repeated, frowning slightly, "If we persuade the clans and gentry one by one and do ideological work, it will take too much time."
"Sir, there is no need to convince each clan and gentry one by one. It is enough to convince a few important ones. Even if you convince Chen Dacheng, and as long as Chen Dacheng agrees to let the clansmen enlist in the army, the problem will be solved." County Magistrate Zhao shook his head slightly and proposed the key to breaking the deadlock to Zhu Ping'an.
Chen Dacheng?!
Upon hearing this, Zhu Ping'an narrowed his eyes slightly. This name sounded familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere. Oh, yes, the owner of the tea stall mentioned Chen Dacheng when he came here. The fight he witnessed today was between Chen Dacheng from Yiwu Beilei, who led his clansmen to protect the mine, and the Yongkang people who occupied the mine from other places.
"Sir Zhao, who is Chen Dacheng and how could he have such an influence?" Zhu Ping'an asked curiously.
"My Lord, this Chen Dacheng is the patriarch of the Chen clan in Yiwu. The Chen family is the most prominent family in Yiwu. Chen Dacheng studied when he was young, but failed to pass the examination for three consecutive times. In a fit of anger, he gave up literature and turned to martial arts. Unexpectedly, he became famous in martial arts. He is well-known in Yiwu for his bravery and bravery. Few people can compete with him. He is also generous and fair. He has a good reputation in Yiwu and is a representative figure of Yiwu gentry and clans. If Chen Dacheng is convinced, then the rest of the gentry and clans will not be a problem."
When it comes to Chen Dacheng, County Magistrate Zhao opens his mouth and tells the story of Chen Dacheng without even thinking.
"No wonder Chen Dacheng has such great prestige and influence in Yiwu." Zhu Ping'an nodded when he heard this. No wonder Chen Dacheng was able to organize thousands of people to participate in the armed fight with the Yongkang people.
"Since Chen Dacheng has such a great influence, it seems that he must be the one who prevented the clan from enlisting in the army."
Zhu Pingan further came to the conclusion.
"Ahem, I guess so." County Magistrate Zhao coughed and nodded.
"Sir Zhao, based on your understanding of Chen Dacheng, Chen Dacheng prevented his clan members from enlisting in the army. But it was for the safety of his hometown. One more person protecting his hometown means more safety?" Zhu Ping'an asked County Magistrate Zhao.
"There are reasons for this, but Chen Dacheng has a prejudice against the government and often speaks out against corruption." Magistrate Zhao said with a slightly embarrassed look on his face, and immediately emphasized, "Sir, I guarantee with my life and property that I will never be corrupt."
"Well, I believe in County Magistrate Zhao." Zhu Ping'an nodded and said calmly, "Although County Magistrate Zhao was appointed as Yiwu County Magistrate only last year, his reputation among the people is more than a hundred times better than that of the previous Yiwu County Magistrate..."
"Thank you for your trust, sir." County Magistrate Zhao was deeply moved and felt relieved.
"It seems that the reason lies here. Chen Dacheng hates the corruption of the government, does not trust the government, and does not trust the government's recruitment of soldiers. The dilapidated Yiwu Garrison also vividly reflects his thoughts. In addition, his hometown also needs the protection of the villagers, so he prevents the clan villagers from enlisting in the army." Zhu Ping'an found the problem.
"That's right." County Magistrate Zhao nodded.
"Okay, I guess I have to go visit Chen Dacheng." Zhu Ping'an made up his mind and stood up and said. (To be continued)