After being exiled, I led my whole family to rebel.

Feng'er listened to every word, and then couldn't help but sigh, "City Lord, I didn't understand why you insisted on distributing food to the people in the city before, but now it seems that I understand. The food for these 1 people is not It's a lot, but it can buy a good reputation and make our subsequent work go more smoothly. What's more, the food for these 1 people is not actually our own, it is provided by the Chen family, and we have borrowed the credit."

Xu Zhenying said quietly: "Water can carry or overturn a boat, so reputation can also be managed. But we ourselves must not be burdened by reputation and become people stuffed in a box."

Feng'er lowered her head, thinking about these words, but heard Xu Zhenying continue to ask: "When will Zhaodi's funeral be held?"

Feng'er was stunned, and her heart skipped a beat, "I asked Li Xiucai, but he hesitated and refused to tell me. But I heard what he meant, and he didn't plan to hold a funeral. Aunt Hu quietly drank with me. , saying that Li Xiucai disliked Zhao Di and died in a brothel. He was not clean and was afraid of humiliating the ancestors of the Li family. Furthermore..."

Feng'er hesitated to speak, feeling sentimental in her heart. She was a little angry and a little sad, "Zhao Di was never married. According to the ancestral rules, unmarried girls who die early cannot enter the ancestral graves. They can only be regarded as a A lonely ghost. Li Xiucai ordered Cao Qin'er to burn some paper and settle the matter."

When Xu Zhenying heard this, her heart was touched for a long time, as if something suddenly pinched her neck hard, making her unable to breathe.

Xu Zhenying's voice was a little rusty. She seemed to be talking to herself, and she seemed to be asking Feng'er, "Why is it so difficult for a woman to just be a human being?"

Seeing Xu Zhenying's dazed expression, Feng'er felt a sharp pain in her heart, "City Lord, why don't we organize a funeral for Zhaodi so that she can enter reincarnation earlier and find a good family in her next life."

Xu Zhenying did not answer.

Feng'er continued: "We can find some old things from Zhaodi and invite some profound monks to do a ritual -"

Xu Zhenying shook his head and smiled bitterly, "The clothes Zhao Di was wearing when she left were the only things she had."

When Xu Zhenying said this, Feng'er immediately remembered that they were still fleeing and had nothing on them except an old piece of clothing.

The old clothes were given by Xu Zhenying.

Feng'er felt a pain in her heart.

Xu Zhenying murmured: "She left without leaving any trace in this world. Feng'er, are you afraid?"

Feng'er looked at Xu Zhenying in confusion, feeling that Xu Zhenying suddenly became far away from her at this moment. She wanted to catch Xu Zhenying with all her strength, but she didn't dare. She just raised her head and asked: "Girl, are you What are you afraid of?"

Xu Zhenying thought for a moment, her brows were furrowed, her lips were pursed, and her eyes were a little blurry, "I'm afraid...I'm afraid that this world is going to eat me. I'm afraid that I don't have any power to resist. I'm even more afraid that like Zhao Di, I'll die if I die. , no one in this world remembers that I was here.”

Feng'er was confused. She couldn't understand the sadness in Xu Zhenying's eyes, but she suddenly wanted to cry for some reason.

"Feng'er, Zhaodi is dead. Death means death. She will no longer exist in this world. There is no reincarnation, no reincarnation, no next life. Death is the destruction of matter. No matter how big our funeral is, we can still offer incense to her. , she can’t see, hear, or touch. This funeral is all done for the living to see, and it’s also to give herself peace of mind. But..."

Xu Zhenying bit her lip, her eyes were red and sparkling, "But... that's of no use. There are still tens of thousands of Li Zhaodi in this world. You are Li Zhaodi, and I am also Li Zhaodi. If we don't change this world, there will be no change." Ways to change our destiny.”

Feng'er shed tears. She couldn't understand Xu Zhenying's words, but she felt that Xu Zhenying, who was not afraid of the bandits, was so sad and mournful at this moment, how painful her heart must be.

Feng'er seemed to feel Xu Zhenying's heart twisting, but she was speechless.

"If... Feng'er... I mean if, I want to do something, which may be criticized by thousands of people, may be dangerous, and may be headless, will you still follow me?"

Feng'er rarely saw Xu Zhenying look so confused, but her eyes were so solemn.

What is that thing?
Why does the girl have a look of hesitation on her face?
Feng'er didn't even think about what Xu Zhenying was talking about. What would happen if she knew it? Could she still leave the girl?

That's impossible. She's not even afraid of death for Xu Zhenying. What else is she afraid of?
She didn't have time to think too much and said firmly: "Girl, I am willing! Even if I go up a mountain of swords and go down a frying pan, as long as I can follow you, I'm not afraid of anything!"

"Thank you." Xu Zhenying smiled faintly, her eyes gradually clearing up, as if she was not the one who hesitated just now. She wiped her tears with her sleeves, her face returned to its usual calmness, and said to Feng'er again, "Wipe away your tears." , Don’t mention today’s matter to anyone.”

When the two walked into the county government office, someone was already waiting for them.

According to Xu Zhenying's request, the county government office has been turned into a school.There are several benches and several benches, but only Xu Zhenying's row faces the people underneath. After this modification, it can seat at least five or sixty people.

There are also many people coming today.

All the female relatives of the Xu family have arrived.

The rest are Ming Xiaoshuang, Jiang Yongkang, Qian Zhenniang, Fang Xun and other outsiders named Xu.

The positions where everyone sits are also meaningful. As Xu Zhenying's personal secretaries, Feng'er and Xu Yinxi naturally sit on Xu Zhenying's right and left hands.The rest are Ming Xiaoshuang, Jiang Yongkang, Fang Xun, etc.

Although there are no seating arrangements, everyone tacitly agrees to sit in order according to the importance of Xu Zhenying's employment.

Suddenly, the lobby of the county government office was packed with about 20 people.

Xu Zhenying always talks about things when he is in meetings and does not make false moves.

As soon as Xu Zhenying sat down, he asked Huang Cui'e: "Auntie, has there been any news about my cousin who has been gone for so long?"

Huang Cui'e sighed: "I feel worried when I talk about this matter. It has been four or five days and there is no news at all."

Xu Zhenying said: "Auntie, don't worry. My cousin has chosen people who are very skilled, and he has brought enough food, so there shouldn't be any problems. Maybe it's the heavy snow in the mountains that makes travel difficult. Let's wait a little longer."

Miao also said: "We can wait, but we don't know how my mother is doing."

This incident is like a dark cloud hanging over the heads of the Xu family and the Fang family.

After all, the whereabouts of all the elders and children of the two families are still unknown.

Mo Jinchun said: "City Lord, why don't you send someone to investigate again?"

Jiang Yongkang immediately shook his head in denial, "No, we still don't know what the situation is outside, and it won't help if we send out waves of people."

Although Xu Zhenying was worried about Huang and Xu Meixiao, she also knew that Jiang Yongkang was right.In their current situation, they can only wait and hope in God.

Everyone fell silent.

Fortunately, Ming Xiaoshuang opened the topic in time and asked: "City Lord, didn't you call us together and say you wanted to have a meeting?"

Xu Zhenying came back to his senses and said, "Oh, by the way, I have left the city defense and security work to you and Jiang Yongkang. A few days ago, I asked Yongkang to train an elite force of 600 people. How is the progress so far?"

Everyone is also puzzled. Although strengthening security forces is essential, why do so many people need to be added.

What's more, Xu Zhenying is talking about elite troops, not the usual small fights.

Everyone listened and naturally had their own thoughts.

Jiang Yongkang reported, "According to the requirements of the city lord, the male soldiers are not a big problem, but their enthusiasm is not very high. The main problem is the female soldiers. There are almost no people. In the past three or four days, there were only two people When I came to sign up, one lost his family in the flood, and the other lost his husband and children when he fled. Both of them wanted a mouthful of food. Now both of them are somewhat discouraged because of rumors."

"This is inevitable. I said from the beginning that if we want to recruit female soldiers, these problems are unavoidable. I called everyone together because I wanted to work together and listen to everyone's opinions."

Seeing that everyone was about to speak, Xu Zhenying said simply: "As for whether female soldiers should be recruited, we will not discuss it today. I can tell you clearly that female soldiers must be recruited. There is no need to say any more words to persuade me. "

This sentence blocked several people who were about to speak.Including Miao, Lian and others.

Huang Cui'e said: "City Lord, I agree with recruiting female soldiers. I heard that several vassal kings have rebelled outside. Let's train some female soldiers, firstly, they can protect themselves, and secondly, they can also protect some women and children. I think it's good."

Mrs. Zhao was also thinking about it, but she also nodded: "It's these rumors that kill people. What kind of girl from a good family can be beaten on the battlefield like the old men, and she also has to eat and live with the male soldiers. Under the same roof, How can girls get married if they have a bad reputation?"

"More than that." Fang Ningmo even mentioned the practical problem, "The city lord wants to recruit a group of young girls to train. They are too young to be effective, and they must be at least fourteen or five years old. But these fourteen five years They are either unmarried women who will reach the age of marriage in one or two years. They naturally want to get married, and we cannot stop them. If they have bereaved their husbands, there will be many widows in front of us. When the time comes, we will It’s even more unclear.”

Seeing everyone talking, Qian Zhenniang immediately added: "Miss Fang is right. If we marry someone, I'm afraid her husband's family won't agree."

Xu Zhenying sighed, "I know these problems well, and the problem now is how to solve these problems. To put it into perspective, recruiting female soldiers is nothing more than the following issues, one is the age issue, the other is the reputation issue, and the third is the physical strength issue." Let’s solve it one by one.”

Xu Zhenying is now determined to cultivate the ability of his subordinates to think independently and try to let them speak as much as possible.

Miao hesitated several times and wanted to ask Xu Zhenying whether it was necessary to recruit a hundred female soldiers. However, seeing Xu Zhenying's determined look and knowing Xu Zhenying's temper, she had no choice but to hold her tongue.

At this time, Jiang Yongkang said: "I have observed that the recruits these days are all male soldiers. Even if there are girls who want to come and inquire, they will naturally not dare to come forward when they see that our recruitment place is full of men. I suggest female soldiers It is up to the girls to recruit, and the city lord can send a few women who can control the situation to recruit female soldiers, such as the wife of the eldest wife of the Xu family, the second wife of the Xu family, etc. "

When Huang Cui'e heard that she was called, she immediately felt happy, "Well, this is a good idea. The girls will naturally not be so scared when they see women in the team."

Xu Yinxi also said: "You can also set an example. The city lord said that people have a herd mentality. When the time comes, we girls will all put on military uniforms and stand there, which will be a living sign! When these people see a girl joining the army, they will naturally It won’t exclude anyone.”

Xu Zhenying nodded frequently and looked at Xu Yinxi with admiration.

Xu Yinxi felt hot.

Not to be outdone, Fang Ningmo immediately said: "We can also state that male and female soldiers train and stay separately, and there is no possibility of mixed housing between men and women."

Xu Zhenying clapped her hands and smiled: "Everyone has said very well. I also want to make two suggestions."

Everyone immediately listened.

Even Sun Qingchen, who was behind him, was unknowingly mesmerized. When he heard this, he felt itchy and couldn't help but pricked up his ears.

"Actually, in the final analysis, if you want others to do things, you must give certain benefits. As the saying goes, under heavy rewards, there must be brave men. Regarding the problem that male soldiers are not enthusiastic about signing up, I suggest that we implement a priority land allocation system and tell everyone , Those who protect the security of the city have the right to choose the fields we have planned in advance. Regardless of the location, each person has five acres of land. After working for one year, the five acres of land can be owned by him personally. "

As soon as Xu Zhenying said these words, the whole room was shocked.

Before anyone could react, Xu Zhenying continued to drop a bombshell, "As for the female soldiers, no matter what we say or do, we can't cover other people's mouths, and we can't solve their so-called reputation problem from the root. So I suggest Using coercive measures, female soldiers were directly recruited, telling the people of Lan County that the safety of Lan County was not my business, Xu Zhenying's, and every household had to contribute, especially those without sons at home, or those with young sons, who must send a woman to join the army. "

One stone stirred up a thousand waves, and Xu Zhenying's statement almost immediately aroused everyone's opposition.

"City Lord, how can we forcefully recruit troops? What is the difference between this and the previous corvee?!"

"The city lord is inappropriate. If this continues, I am afraid it will arouse public anger. We have finally managed to get the people of Lan County to accept us these days. How can we do the opposite?"

"It's not kind to do this..."

"City Lord, since it's so troublesome, just abolish the female soldiers. Charge into battle has been done by men since ancient times. Why force those delicate girls to do it? We will be scolded in the spine - "

A disdainful smile appeared on Jiang Yongkang's lips.

He only had one thought in his mind: except for Xu Zhenying, the Xu family were all mediocre people.

Don't even think about it, Xu Zhenying is a woman, she naturally needs a personal guard to protect her safety.

Secondly, Xu Zhenying is not recruiting female soldiers. She is setting a precedent. By recruiting female soldiers, she wants to make everyone in the world slowly accept that women can do some things.

Not only will she use female soldiers today, she will also let more women take to the stage in the future.

And today is just the beginning.

Jiang Yongkang seemed to see historical changes happening at this moment.

But Ming Xiaoshuang caught a glimpse of Jiang Yongkang's face from the corner of his eye. He actually didn't care whether he approved or not. He was different from everyone else. Privately, he was subordinate to Xu Zhenying, and whatever his master said, he did whatever he wanted. .

But Ming Xiaoshuang naturally disagreed a hundred times in his heart.

If you ask him to tell you why, he can't.

But just now he caught a glimpse of Jiang Yongkang's face. For some reason, his heart sank. He had an almost innate keenness and felt that there seemed to be a strange tacit understanding between Jiang Yongkang and Xu Zhenying.

Ming Xiaoshuang almost immediately sided with Xu Zhenying without hesitation.

"We have forced conscription, but where is the corvee? Have you ever seen the corvee who divided the fields and distributed the food?"

Ming Xiaoshuang was slightly teasing and livened up the atmosphere in the room a little.

Feng'er naturally stood by Xu Zhenying's side unconditionally, and immediately said: "Brother Ming is right, those households without sons could not get any land in the clan. Now if they give up a daughter, they can change their relationship." Five acres of land, ask them who wouldn’t want it?”

Although this is cruel to say, it is also true.

Five acres of land, in troubled times, I'm afraid it will cost dozens of taels of silver.

This sentence made everyone fall silent.

"As for families with sons, the sons are still young and only the girls support the family. How can they not want their sisters to go out and earn five acres of land for their sons?"

This was extremely rude, but everyone knew it well. After all, compared with sons and daughters, sons are naturally more precious.If my daughter joins the army, I can get five acres of land back for my family, which doesn't seem so hard to accept.

Feng'er continued to add: "To put it bluntly, we are not a brothel here, and we don't treat the people under us harshly. Soldiers have enough food and are not short of food and clothing. They can reduce the burden on their families and earn money." Five acres of land, you think, who without eyesight would stab us in the spine?!"

Miao shook her head, "Having said that...it's just that this method is too cruel..."

Xu Zhenying said: "It has to be so cruel to reveal the innocence of the girls. They were taken away by force. In this way, I would rather have my spine stabbed than these girls who joined the army. As everyone knows, the world is always more tolerant to victims. I am a mountain king anyway, isn’t it right to rob civilian girls? "

Everyone was amused, and there was harmony in the room.

"As for the disparity in strength between men and women that everyone is talking about, we are not going to have a head-on confrontation. When there is a conflict, the male soldiers will be responsible for fighting against the opponent's elite troops, while the female soldiers will be responsible for cleaning up the weak bandits and guarding food and grass. I might as well tell you. , this is just the first step.”

"Everyone should also know that there is a lot of chaos in Bianjing now, and the north is losing battles one after another. Our court is already in a state of turmoil. If you don't have the power to protect yourself in troubled times, you are like an ant and can only be crushed to death. I predict that within a year, the Great Zhou Dynasty will be in chaos. By then, not only these female soldiers, but also you, us, all of us in Lan County, except for those who are still in their infancy, will have to practice in the future. Not to mention how to become extraordinary. You must have good skills and at least the ability to defend yourself. You must not be so scared that you can only kill someone as soon as the enemy comes in."

Sun Qingchen was so angry that he snorted coldly from behind, thinking silently in his heart: You rebellious ministers and traitors, by recruiting so many people, are they trying to imitate Li Datou and rebel?
If he hadn't already known that Xu Zhenying was a girl, he might have thought that Xu Zhenying was going to make some big move.