Chapter 1315: A Solution

"What’s the meaning of this, Lord Emperor? Has he never seen silver in his life? After collecting double taxes and the Kangrong tax, now he wants to collect some exemption money too? What does he take us for? We’re not minting silver, where are we supposed to get the silver for him?!"

"Liu, you’re right. The Lord Emperor is really driven mad by poverty, squeezing silver from us poor folks. How shameless of him, doesn’t he fear thunder striking him down!"

Someone immediately echoed, "Yeah, the Lord Emperor is so heartless. We’ve already given him so much silver, yet he’s still not satisfied? Now he even wants our lives?!"

"Zhang Youcai, what the hell are you saying? Are you looking for death?!" Dasheng came with the government officials from the Military Office, pointing at those gathered and speaking ill of the Emperor, "You short-lived ghosts have had enough of life, haven’t you? You’re daring to gossip about anything, if you dare to say one more word, I’ll take you all to the county government and have your heads chopped off!"

Most people were scared by these words, but some young and spirited ones said, "Elder Sheng, it’s not that we don’t respect the Emperor, it’s just that life is unbearable now..."

Before Zhang Youcai could finish speaking, his old dad, who was selling farm produce at a roadside stall, rushed over, grabbed his ear, and scolded while hitting him, "Zhang Youcai, you damned fool, you don’t even listen to Elder Sheng? You think you can talk about the Lord Emperor? If you really want to die, I’ll hack you down right now, to save the family from being ruined by you!"

Zhang Youcai dodged while shouting, "Old man, I know you dote on the eldest most. Since it’s not the eldest going to the military, you’re not worried, right? Let me tell you, I’m not doing it anymore! If you want me to sacrifice myself for the family, I’ll burn the house down first, to show you how serious I am!"

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Zhang Youcai’s dad picked up a pole and hit Zhang Youcai, "You little brat, you’ve grown some guts, haven’t you? You want to show me how serious you are? Fine, I’ll let you see how serious I am!"

Zhang Youcai was beaten badly, and if not for Dasheng stepping in time to stop it, Zhang Youcai could have been crippled.

Dasheng held onto the Zhang family’s pole and said, "Old Zhang, stop hitting him, it’s your own son. If you cripple him, you’ll have to spend silver on his recovery, and if he dies, you’ll be short a person to send to the army—either your eldest or Old San will have to go."

"Elder Sheng makes sense, then I’ll spare him a life." Old Zhang panted and said, looking at the cracked pole with heartache, "You damn kid, causing the loss of a pole, once we get home, you’ll go chop bamboo to make a new one, or else I’ll beat you again!"

Zhang Youcai almost cried to death, yelling, "Waaah, Old Zhang, are you my dad or not? You want to beat me to death, huh? I’ll tell you this, I’m not finished with you!"

He said this and kicked in Old Zhang’s direction but didn’t dare to actually strike, then turned and ran away.

Old Zhang shouted at him, "You brat, keep your mouth shut. If you dare bring trouble to the family, I’m not finished with you!"

"Pah, it’s me who’s not finished with you!" Zhang Youcai shouted back at Old Zhang, and afraid he’d be caught and beaten, hurriedly ran away.

Old Zhang glared fiercely at Lin Xiaoliu and cursed, "It’s all because of you, you plague, spewing nonsense and leading my Youcai astray!"

Old Zhang often brought his son to town to sell farm produce; the townspeople almost all knew him and were aware of his temper. Lin Xiaoliu was afraid of being beaten by Old Zhang and quickly hid behind Dasheng, saying, "Uncle Zhang, you can’t blame me for this. It’s the Lord Emperor wanting to conscript soldiers, and your Youcai, being the second in line and not favored, naturally felt he’d certainly go to the army upon hearing such news, and so he got angry... Blame yourself for being unfair in favoritism."

Having said that, he slipped away quickly.

"You brat, don’t let me catch you!" Old Zhang was furious. When had he ever said he would let the second son go to the army? The second son wasn’t even married yet, without an heir, how could he send him to death?

But since the Lord Emperor wanted to conscript, no one dared to disobey. Old Zhang asked Dasheng, "Elder Sheng, if someone doesn’t want to join the army, we really have to pay five taels of silver? Can it be a little less? Like two or three taels? Or at least give a bit now and wait until after the new year when there’s more income at home, then make up the silver."

Upon hearing this, others quickly nodded, "Yes, yes, Dasheng, it’s not that we don’t want to give the five taels of silver, it’s just that the family doesn’t have spare money. We still owe silver to Dou Ou Bank, now another five taels, where would we find so much money?"

Besides...

"We’re farmers, not military families, why should we go to war?"

Dasheng replied, "This is the Emperor’s order. We all have to obey, or we’ll lose our heads."

Someone braved himself to ask, "Elder Sheng, why does the Lord Emperor insist on fighting Da Rong? We’ve already lost, with hundreds of thousands dead, fighting again will just lead to more losses, won’t it?!"

...

In Da Feng Village, He Tianwa’s wife asked the same question, adding, "If we don’t fight, at least we can keep the men for farming. If we fight now, wouldn’t all the men in Great Chu be killed?"

Village Chief He pointed at He Tianwa’s wife and said, "You women know nothing, do you think the Rong bandits will just let you decide whether to fight or not? Now it’s not our Great Chu wanting to fight Da Rong, it’s Da Rong who wants to fight us. If you don’t understand, don’t speak! Besides, your three sons, the oldest is not even twelve yet; it’s not their turn to go to the battlefield, why are you making a fuss?"

He then pointed at He Tianwa, "Tianwa, control your wife. Are you a man or not? Every time you let your wife lead the charge, can’t you ever speak up yourself?!"

He Tianwa, wearing an old cotton-padded jacket, shrank his hands and feet and apologized to the village chief with a smile, "Yes, yes, yes, Chief, don’t be angry. I’ll beat this woman up when I get home, teach her the rules."

With that, he gave his wife a protective glance. That look was as protective as it could be, rendering Village Chief He speechless with anger.

He Tianwa’s wife was known as a shrew among the younger generation in the village, but ever since Mrs. Niu made a scene and got disciplined, He Tianwa’s wife had become much more restrained. Yet, this time, relating to her son’s life and death, she couldn’t sit still, saying, "My eldest son is not yet twelve, but if the Lord Emperor keeps fumbling with the wars, what if we still can’t repel the Rong people by the time he is fifteen? Then my eldest son will have to go into the army!"

Village Chief He cursed, "If you can’t bear to part with your eldest, then let your man go into the army. The Lord Emperor said, men aged fifteen to fifty are fit for service, otherwise, pay five taels of silver as exemption money."

He Tianwa’s wife was stumped, giving silver? That would be her life!

As for her man, she couldn’t bear to part with him either. Back and forth she thought, realizing she gave birth to many sons, she resolved to offer up a son instead.

Seeing He Tianwa’s family quiet down, Village Chief He addressed everyone, "The reason I gathered you all today is to tell you a method, an old hereditary way to avoid military service. You mustn’t speak of it outside; it must be handled secretly."