Planting Beans in July
This year, the labor pressure was not as great, because there was a good harvest in June, and there were many refugees, so casual laborers willing to work cheaply were easy to hire to help with the work.
Families that were better off were willing to spend this money, because with ample manpower, more land could be worked, and more grain could be harvested in the future.
Everyone could calculate this account.
Some even used two bags of grain to hire a beautiful maiden refugee daughter.
But others laughed at him for being silly: "Just wait until winter, you'll see, I can trade back one with half a bag of grain."
The former person thought about it and felt it made sense, so he regretted it, but was reluctant to return the beautiful maiden, and after hesitating again and again, still took her home.
The hottest summer heat had passed.
At this time, some could still exchange food by selling goods, labor, or even their wives and daughters. Those even worse off could, as Ye Suijin said, forage for wild foods on the ground.
People would not starve to death yet.
But the refugees were not carefree in their hearts. They knew the weather would soon cool down.
After the coolness, the cold would follow closely.
What would they do then?
Could they continue to move forward? It was said that the south of the Yangtze, with its four seasons like spring, triple rice harvests per year, and more grain than they could eat.
But many who had walked here already did not want to continue walking.
It was too far.
For northerners who had never left their hometowns, the south sounded beautiful, but was too far away.
Also, the south had long been divided, beyond even the reach of the emperor. Was it really safe?
Many people hesitated in Dengzhou, precisely because after passing through many dangerous and destitute places, they felt a long-lost sense of security in Dengzhou.
If only they could stay here.
But they had no property or roof over their heads here. The grass shacks built in summer could certainly not keep out the harsh cold of winter.
Should they continue on, or remain here?
Many refugees spent their days wandering and wavering, lost in indecision, unable to make a decision.
Until early July, when Nanyang, Neixiang, and Ruzhou suddenly put up notices recruiting laborers.
This news exploded when it came out. The shantytowns under the county walls immediately boiled over.
"Recruiting what people?"
"Recruiting troops!"
"Is there going to be a war?"
"No! My dear husband, don't go! A good man doesn't become a soldier!"
"It's still better than starving to death! I heard you get fed until full!"
"Then...let's go take a look?"
"I heard they also want those who can farm fields!"
"Me! I can farm, I can grow anything!"
"They also want craftsmen! And literate people!"
"What craftsmen do they want? I'm a carpenter, does anyone need me?"
"I'm a mason with mud and tiles!"
"Let's go take a look!"
The refugees struggling to survive in this foreign land swarmed to the county town. On the city wall, there really were recruitment notices.
At the Neixiang county town gates, Liu Jiunine forcefully beat a gong.
Bang--
The gathered crowd clutched their ears, shocked by the sound.
"Listen up! Soldiers get fed, eat until full--"
"New recruits get a bag of settlement provisions when they enter camp, fifty coins per month after that. After passing probation, one hundred coins per month, supplied food until full, and family members get four dou of grain stipend per month--"
"Sign up at the tables over there--"
Just the phrase "fed until full" was already enough to move many people's hearts.
Because many had not eaten their fill in a long time. Hearing the words "eat full", their feet unconsciously walked in that direction.
Upon further hearing "one hundred coins, four dou grain", those footsteps quickened, afraid of losing a spot to others.
In peaceful years, fifty coins was nothing. But now no one thought it was too little. This money and grain could save lives.
"Line up! Line up!" Some people wearing green shirts and belted swords maintained order.
Row upon row of green shirts, neat and uniform. The people in green shirts were all ruddy faced and strong bodied. One look and you knew they were well-fed people.
By now, everyone in Dengzhou recognized these green shirts. They were people of Ye Fort!
"Why are Ye Fort people doing the registration? Whose troops are being recruited?"
"I heard that Ye Fort is recruiting troops."
"Oh? But isn't that the county magistrate sitting there?"
"I heard that Lord Ye of Ye Fort now controls Dengzhou!"
"What, a woman?"
"These days, whoever's fist is hardest is in charge. Whoever's fist is hardest is emperor."
"Shh...don't speak nonsense!"
Although imperial authority no longer commanded the same awe among the common people as before, it was still like a great mountain that could only be looked up to.
He Zhou sat under the pavilion, listening to the discussions around him.
That Lord Ye Suijin of Ye Fort was taking control of Dengzhou was no longer a secret. This news was intentionally spread by Ye Fort itself.
He Zhou also understood, whether the new dynasty recognized this title or not, Ye Suijin was determined to grasp Dengzhou in her hands.
If the new dynasty did not recognize her, they likely would not recognize them, these former dynasty officials either. That they could still securely serve as officials here now was not because of that new emperor of Jin dynasty in the north, but because Ye Fort holding Dengzhou.
They were now bound together with Ye Suijin.
"So who exactly is recruiting troops? Whose troops will those recruited belong to?"
"Let me quietly tell you, in name it's the Dengzhou army, but in actuality...it's the Ye family forces."
"If it's Ye Fort, I'm willing to go."
"I'm also willing. Look, those in green shirts and black pants, you can tell they eat their fill."
"Being fed is enough! Let's go, join the Ye Fort troops!"
The line in front of the recruitment registration tables was the longest.
Green shirts manned the registration, green shirts handled the physical examinations. The disabled and sickly were rejected.
Those selected could immediately receive a bag of settlement provisions and fifty coins, the first month's salary.
Fifty coins was nothing in peaceful years. But now no one thought it was too little. This money and grain could save lives.
Outside the city gates, large mule carts left every few hours, filled to the brim with people.
Those first on the carts were mostly shabbily dressed, sallow and thin. Parents, wives, and children tearfully chased after the carts.
The green shirts were helpless: "It's just at Ye Fort, not far. Those who don't pass probation can return. There is leave to visit family after becoming full soldiers."
The families only then somewhat stemmed their tears, and asked: "Sir, can we go visit them?"
The green shirt said: "They won't let you in if they don't come out. Don't make trouble. It really isn't far. Go to the other registration tables over there, they have land and housing placements. If it suits you, allocated farm land means you can settle in Dengzhou.
"Families with members enlisted get priority."
In that moment, the crowds forgot their weeping, and hurried to inquire about the details.
It turned out they were not only recruiting troops, but also farmers. All who could farm were allocated fields.
Where were these fields? Not far, just the recently annexed Fangcheng into Dengzhou territory.
Thanks to Du Jinzong's crimes, Fangcheng was left half empty by him. All along the way were abandoned villages and wasted fields.
Ye Suijin's motto in Fangcheng was "Leave no living person who bears arms." She completely unleashed massacre, and even the town of Fangcheng was empty.
Of course many were dragged into it.
But Ye Suijin knew well what "being dragged in" meant.
Once a person's evil pus all flowed out, it became vengeful ghosts that could never be restored. So she would not allow chaos in Dengzhou, nor leave behind any chaotic bandits in Fangcheng. She squeezed all the evil pus out, precisely in order to tightly grasp and govern Dengzhou.
What Mr. Yang did in Fangcheng was take inventory of the households, fields, and buildings. Many empty houses had floors and walls splattered in large patches of dark red, furniture overturned, boxes emptied, bowls smashed.
Mr. Yang was going crazy from being so busy.
Because they were racing against the farming season - they could still plant a crop of beans if they hurried.
The conditions for resettlement were having mutual guarantees within groups.
Most refugees were from the same village or clan, or were neighbors from the same streets. Those who knew each other could vouch for each other. If anything happened, everyone would be implicated.
Housing was allocated by number of heads, fields by mou per person. No taxes for the first year.
Many hesitated greatly, looking at each other in their families, struggling to decide.
In the end, the elderly or the wife would say in tears, "Let's just stay, we can't go on."
Moreover, people's hearts still held their hometown. Dengzhou was closer to home than the south, and who knew, maybe they could return someday.
And so the carts carrying troops departed, and more large mule carts carried entire families towards Fangcheng to settle.
As for craftsmen, Ye Suijin wanted every kind.
They were directly hauled to Ye Fort along with the carts carrying the strong youths.
Neixiang county magistrate He Zhou stood under the pavilion gazing at the carts filled with people gradually disappearing into the distance.
This was how many days now, how many people had been taken away.
The people in green clothes from Yejiabao naturally had detailed data, but He Zhou didn't care about this data. He just let out a long sigh.
The county magistrate stood by his side, "Sir? Why do you sigh?"
The county magistrate didn't know why He Zhou was sighing.
The shacks at the foot of the city wall were half empty, and there were suddenly far fewer beggars and day laborers looking for work in the streets. The pressure on him as county magistrate lightened all at once.
The overall public security in the county town improved a lot.
How could the county governor sigh instead?
"I'm not sighing, just feeling emotional," He Zhou said. "A woman..."
The county magistrate pointed in the direction of Yejiabao, "Does the sir mean her?"
Now even Ye Suijin's nickname didn't dare be mentioned directly.
He Zhou said, "I saw her when she was very young. I didn't see her many times over the years, but I did watch her grow up. I really didn't expect..."
As far as he knew, Ye Suijin had never left Dengzhou.
Also, the year her father passed away, she was only seventeen years old, and showed no abilities that were shockingly brilliant other than her famed martial prowess.
But now, it was obvious that she had ideas about "governing".
She didn't just recruit troops simply. She also knew the importance of population, knew agriculture was fundamental, knew how to deal with the imperial court above, and how to pull the tiger's skin as a big banner below.
This time she only collected three years worth of grain taxes for the three counties she had taken. Taxes from more than three years ago were forgiven.
This left a way out for him and Sun Xiangxue. You can't handle affairs in a way that kills people off, this was the lesson of officialdom.
Not to mention others, even the Fourth Lord of the Ye family, who He Zhou had interacted with many times, didn't have this systematic way of thinking.
If it were Fourth Lord Ye, He Zhou could imagine that at most, he would take advantage of the cheap population to buy more slaves, laborers, and expand his personal retinue, to have more thugs.
That was it.
While for Ye Suijin, He Zhou could only guess that perhaps inside Yejiabao, she had a good teacher.
With the teachings of this teacher, she was transformed from a country manor lord.
Of course He Zhou didn't know the name of this teacher was—
Her past life.
