PDLP Chapter 415 Jin Dynasty's Forced Conscription
Chapter 415 Jin Dynasty's Forced Conscription
The Jin soldier captain, who was leading the group, narrowed his eyes and gave a subtle signal to one of the Jin soldiers beside him.
"Shh-"
The Jin soldier immediately understood and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Who is this madman who dares to cause trouble here? Do you intend to rebel?"
Upon seeing this, the village chief quickly ran forward and obsequiously squeezed next to the Jin soldier captain, silently stuffing a heavy bag of copper coins into his hand.
The village chief lowered his voice and said softly with a fawning smile, "Hehehe... Sir, you are a magnanimous man, please don't take offense at us country bumpkins. We are just country bumpkins, we've never seen much of the world. Could you please do us a favor and make an exception? After all, there are only so many people in our little mountain village. If they all leave, our village really won't be able to survive."
Captain Jin weighed the money bag in his hand and said with satisfaction, "I didn't expect you to be so sensible. Here's what we'll do: the higher-ups are urging us urgently this time. If you don't want to go, that's fine too, but each person will have to pay at least five strings of cash. You know, if it's too little, we won't be able to explain it to our superiors."
Before the words had even finished, the middle-aged man shouted, "You might as well just kill us! We risk our lives in the mountains all year and barely earn a few copper coins. Where would we get the money to give you?"
The village chief's voice cut through the noise of the crowd, carrying an undeniable air of authority: "Dazhuang's family, why don't you drag your man back home right now! If you anger those soldiers, your Dazhuang's life will be in danger."
Upon hearing this, the woman's expression tightened. She quickly grabbed the middle-aged man beside her, and the two hurriedly squeezed out of the crowd and disappeared from sight. For a moment, only the village chief remained, facing the menacing Jin soldiers, continuing the difficult negotiations.
The village chief spoke eloquently and earnestly, attempting to quell the turmoil with minimal cost. The Jin soldier captain remained expressionless, yet his eyes revealed an unwavering resolve. After a fierce exchange, the village chief finally managed to persuade the captain to relent. The Jin soldier captain slowly nodded and uttered a chilling condition: "Three strings of cash per person, and not a penny less."
Hearing this, the village chief was unwilling, but he knew that he could not bargain any further. So, he silently nodded, agreeing to this unequal deal.
As night fell and the stars twinkled, the villagers gathered spontaneously under the eaves of the village chief's somewhat rustic house. The middle-aged man from earlier that day, his face etched with worry, broke the silence first: "Uncle Ge, you're putting us in a difficult position. Where are we going to get this astronomical sum of money? Even if we sold my wife, I doubt we could fill this hole."
Before the words were finished, a cold, resolute voice rang out from the corner: "In my opinion, instead of being so troubled, we should be more decisive. Those Jin soldiers are only a handful, not even ten in number. As long as we plan carefully and lay a tight net, we might have a fighting chance."
The village chief, with his yellowed pipe dangling from his lips, gently exhaled wisps of smoke, his voice steady and powerful: "Enough. It's futile to talk about it now. You young and strong men, pack your valuables tonight and hide in the deep mountains and forests to avoid trouble. Come back safely when this storm has passed."
The middle-aged man frowned, looking worried, and said, "But what will happen to you and the villagers if we leave? Those Jin soldiers are no pushovers. What if they try to harm you, village chief..."
Upon hearing this, the village chief slammed his pipe against the sole of his shoe a few times, sparks flying everywhere. His eyes held an unwavering resolve: "Stop arguing. As the village chief, I know what I'm doing. Do you think I'm afraid of those Jin soldiers? Do you think they'd really dare to take my life? The nights in the mountains are cold and the dew is heavy. You must be careful and take good care of yourselves."
The next day, the Jin soldiers set foot on this land again, their faces grim and their steps heavy. When they learned that the young men had vanished without a trace, the Jin captain leading the group's expression changed drastically, his displeasure evident.
"Hmph! I spared you yesterday because of that heavy bag of copper coins. I never expected you to be so ungrateful, trying to escape your fate. Don't think I'm helpless just because the people ran away. You lot, go and take all the women from those households away. Send them to the military camp later and let them serve the Jin Kingdom in another way, as military prostitutes."
The captain's words revealed an undeniable resolve, as if the fates of those people had been easily rewritten with a single word from him.
The village chief's face changed drastically upon seeing this. As the village chief, how could he allow the Jin soldiers to take away these able-bodied men and their families? Unfortunately, he was old and no match for the Jin soldiers. He was knocked unconscious by the hilt of a knife in no time.
Just as several Jin soldiers were forcibly dragging and pulling away a few women, a wolf-tooth arrow whistled and struck one of the Jin soldiers in the throat.
These Jin soldiers were all veterans of battle; they knew they had been ambushed.
"Enemy attack! Defense!"
"Whizzing!"
Two more arrows flew in, but this time the Jin soldiers were on guard, and only one of them was wounded.
Just then, the sound of hooves came, and a dozen soldiers dressed in animal skins galloped over. Their gleaming sabers quickly cut down the remaining Jin soldiers. Seeing that things were not going well, the remaining Jin captain turned and ran.
"Bah!"
With a gunshot, the Jin army captain was hit by a bullet, fell to the ground, twitched a few times, and then became still.
At this moment, the village chief slowly regained consciousness with the help of several people. He looked at the unfamiliar faces in front of him.
Before the village chief could speak, the middle-aged man who had ventured deep into the mountains the previous night preemptively said, "Uncle Ge, these brave men are reinforcements sent by the Han Kingdom. They heard that we were being bullied by the Jin soldiers, so they went to great lengths to come and lend a helping hand."
Li Zhong, the leader, smiled and said sincerely, "Uncle Village Chief, we are soldiers under the command of the Emperor of Han. Last night, we marched into the mountains but lost our way. Fortunately, Brother Dazhuang rescued us and we were able to escape. In fact, we should be the ones expressing our gratitude to you all."
Unlike the ordinary mountain dwellers whose worldview was limited to the mountains, the village chief had a glimpse into the changing world. When he witnessed the invading Jin soldiers fall dead, lifeless, he began to make a plan.
Therefore, he decisively ordered the villagers to collect the Jin soldiers' equipment, and the remains were simply abandoned in the deep mountains, letting nature dissolve the cruelty of the war.
When Li Zhong emerged from the mountain village again, the young men followed him out. Knowing that the Han army was about to capture Baicheng, the village chief, after much deliberation, decided to have these men join them, hoping they might have a better future. Otherwise, if the Jin army came again, they would likely still be conscripted.
With Da Zhuang and the others leading the way, Li Zhong and his men easily obtained intelligence on the defenses of Baicheng. In addition, they also learned of a secret passage leading into the interior of Baicheng, which they could secretly send a troop in when the main army attacked the city.