Chapter 647: The Hardship of Conscription

Chengzhou, Tonggu County.

Named for the convergence of the Qingni and Xiabian rivers, which flow into the Feilong Gorge. Though situated on the southwestern frontier, these Longnan prefectures and counties had long been comparatively stable compared to the rampant warfare ravaging the Central Plains and Hebei.

No matter how violently the Central Plains shifted, its impact on the southwest was ultimately limited. To the west, the Tibetans had long since fragmented, and the scattered barbarian tribes could hardly stir up major waves. Over the past thirty years, for the prefectures of Longnan, significant unrest had occurred only around the time the Later Tang destroyed the Former Shu and when the Later Shu attacked Guanzhong.

Of course, ever since the Han and Shu states turned hostile and engaged in successive campaigns, the lives of the people within the prefecture had grown difficult. Due to the geography and terrain, whether it was the Shu state or the Great Han, when using troops there, they inevitably had to provision locally and conscript local labor.

Chengzhou had four distinct seasons with mild, pleasant temperatures, so early winter in Chengzhou was not particularly cold. The Qingni River, flowing ceaselessly day and night through the mountains and hills of the territory, passing by Tonggu city, was no different from previous years. The greatest change was the Han royal banner atop the city walls and the Han army encamped at the foot of Fenghuang Mountain.

Somewhat fortunate was that after the Battle of Liangquan, the Shu army had lost too quickly and withdrawn too hastily, while the officials of Cheng and Jie had surrendered just as swiftly. Thus, the two prefectures of Cheng and Jie did not suffer the severe devastation of war that Fengzhou had endured.

After the surrender, the Han army merely adjusted its defensive deployments, sent troops to take over the cities, government offices, and storehouses, and, bound by military discipline, did not greatly disturb the populace. Even so, the people within Chengzhou could not help but feel anxious, and the scholars and commoners within Tonggu city were even more unsettled—after all, one could see the Han army camp at the foot of Fenghuang Mountain just by climbing the city walls.

However, although the hostilities between Han and Shu had not yet ceased, order in the prefectures and counties had been somewhat restored through the efforts of the officials in charge and the might of the garrison troops, even if hearts remained unsettled.

Several post horses, driven by their riders' whips, galloped forward at speed, and in the rhythmic clatter of hooves, one could almost sense the flying frost and dust. As they neared the city, they split into two groups—one veering southwest toward the ferry crossing, the other following the post road straight for Tonggu.

At the city gate, the squad leader on guard spotted the approaching riders and felt his listless spirits lift somewhat. Though he noted their attire, he still performed his duty and stepped forward to question them: "Where from?"

The post rider carried a sealed pouch on his back, drenched in sweat and looking exhausted. In response to the question, he answered directly: "Urgent dispatch from Guzhen, bound for the prefectural office—open the gate quickly!"

After confirming the postal dispatch, they were allowed through. The two post riders, guided along, spurred their horses down Tonggu's bumpy, uneven streets toward the prefectural office. Guzhen was not far from Tonggu—about seventy li on foot—and the riders had galloped the entire way.

Inside the prefectural office, the man in charge was Zhao Pin, formerly the Administrative Assistant of the Xiongwu Army. Upon receiving the urgent report and settling the post riders, he immediately ordered his subordinates to be summoned.

Zhao Pin was a man in his early thirties, fair-skinned and plump. In his early years, he had contributed wealth to support border expenses and thereby entered officialdom. He later served as an aide in Chengzhou, and at the beginning of the Han dynasty, he surrendered to Shu along with He Chongjian, after which he was appointed Administrative Assistant.

Among the four prefectures of Qinfeng, officials like Zhao Pin were actually quite numerous. After Shu took the four prefectures, they did not purge the officials at any level, retaining a large number of them.

Thus, after the Han army's great victory in the campaign against Shu, they switched allegiance back to Han without any psychological burden. Especially for officials like Zhao Pin—even setting aside the relative strength between the Han and Shu states—given their native origins in the Central Plains, they felt closer to the Great Han. After all, the people of the realm valued their homeland and were loath to relocate, all harboring the longing for leaves to fall and return to their roots.

After the Shu army's defeat at Fengzhou, Zhao Pin led his men to shut the city gates and refuse entry, thwarting Li Tinggui's plan to divide his forces and fall back to defend Cheng and Jie, forcing him to ultimately lead his remnant troops in retreat to Xingzhou.

For the Han army's sweeping conquest of Feng and Jie, taking the cities in full, Zhao Pin and the group of officials under him had rendered great merit. Therefore, they were all temporarily retained in their positions, each recording their duties, maintaining order on behalf of the Great Han.

Several subordinates filed into the hall one after another and saw Zhao Pin with his head bowed, holding an official document in both hands, his brow furrowed in worry, his face wearing a bitter expression.

"May we ask what matter the Administrative Assistant has summoned us for?" After offering a salute, a subordinate inquired.

With a bitter smile, Zhao Pin gestured with the document in his hand: "A letter from Guzhen. Commander Xiang has broken Xingzhou and now threatens Xixian. He intends to take the city and has ordered the four prefectures of Feng, Cheng, Jie, and Xing to conscript ten thousand civilian laborers to report for duty before the city walls, with a deadline of ten days. Cheng and Jie prefectures must supply four thousand men!"

At these words, all were shocked. One aide rose, his tone somewhat impatient: "Since the Han-Shu campaigns began, three thousand civilian laborers have already been conscripted for service. After successive major battles, over half have been killed, wounded, or gone missing. Now the two prefectures have yet to find peace, and we're to conscript another four thousand—this will drain every able-bodied man from the prefectures! If this is carried out, the people will surely resent it!"

The two prefectures of Cheng and Jie were small in territory and sparse in population. Together, they had only a little over ten thousand households. After excluding the elderly, women, and children, and accounting for those already conscripted, there were few men left—this was the practical problem.

"The people are anxious and fearful. To exhaust their strength so completely, pressing them so hard, I fear the scholars and commoners will rise in revolt!" said another.

All the subordinates could not help but pour out their grievances and voice their concerns, a clamor filling the room.

Seeing this, Zhao Pin grew irritated. He slapped the hall table hard, and the noise subsided. Sweeping his gaze across the room, his jaw twitched a few times before he spoke: "I summoned you here not to discuss whether to conscript laborers, nor to listen to your complaints and difficulties."

Waving the document in his hand, he pressed it down on the table and said: "This is not a document—it is a military order. How can we question or second-guess a military order? We have only just returned to the Great Han. With orders from the front, how dare we disobey? These four thousand men—the two prefectures of Cheng and Jie must conscript them and send them to Xixian!"

Clearly, Zhao Pin was a man who saw things clearly, with a level head, knowing where the advantages and disadvantages lay.

"Four thousand able-bodied men can still be drawn out, but the deadline is too short. From Tonggu to Xixian is at least two hundred li, and Jiezhou is even farther. To complete conscription within ten days and then dispatch them to the city walls—that is excessively difficult!" Finally, after the situation was laid out plainly, someone spoke with a bit more composure.

"Then let us not sit here in idle talk!" Zhao Pin took a deep breath and said solemnly: "All of you, set aside your current tasks. Take your men and go to the towns and villages to draw conscripts. Within three days, the required number of eligible men must be assembled!"

As he spoke, Zhao Pin brought out the administrative maps of the Cheng and Jie prefectures, pointing at each town and village, assigning quotas and responsible personnel. He paused, then added: "The order has already been sent to Jiezhou. I will go there personally. Chengzhou is closer—I leave it to all of you. The men can be dispatched to Xixian in batches of a thousand!"

"Yes!"

As the surrendered official with the greatest authority, Zhao Pin also had to oversee Jiezhou. He was not particularly worried about Chengzhou—it was mainly Jiezhou that concerned him, as it was about a hundred and fifty li farther away.

"If we press too hard and provoke a popular uprising, what then?" a subordinate asked hesitantly.

At the question, Zhao Pin fell silent for a brief moment, then said coldly: "Both prefectures have imperial army garrisons! I will go to the camp and call upon the Commander to request his assistance!"

The meaning of these words was clear enough—under the current circumstances, the authority of the government alone was insufficient. Only with the backing of arms would the people obediently submit to conscription...

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Pin looked gravely at his assembled subordinates and said: "Gentlemen, we were originally ministers of the Central Plains, forced to submit to the Meng Shu. Now, fortunately, we have returned and been accepted by the court. We must distinguish ourselves to earn the court's trust. I will say nothing else—even if only for the sake of our own futures and our families, we must devote ourselves wholeheartedly to this task!"

"Yes!" With Zhao Pin's words, the others became more vigilant as well.

In truth, Zhao Pin was skilled in penal matters and could be considered a capable official. However, whether in temperament or moral character, he was hardly a kind and virtuous gentleman. He was a qualified bureaucrat and landowner who cared more about his own advancement and position than about the welfare of the people.

Soon, the entire prefectural office was mobilized. All officials, clerks, and prefectural soldiers were dispatched to conscript able-bodied men from the county seat and townships. Zhao Pin first went to the Longqi Army camp to visit Gao Huaide, then rode swiftly to Jiezhou to oversee matters there.

Because of a single military order from the Xixian front, the entire Cheng and Jie prefectures were thrown into tension—officials toiled in body, the people suffered in hardship. With the conscription order issued, grievances immediately spread throughout both prefectures.

Under the conditions of war, even though the Han army maintained strict discipline without burning, killing, or looting, the people could not escape suffering.