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“But it also says here that if we volunteer, not only can we settle our families here, but we’ll also receive subsidies.”
Their purpose in blending into the crowd was to encourage these refugees to join the army voluntarily, so they were very persuasive.
Seeing that some of the people approaching were beginning to waver, the man continued.
“Volunteering is different from being forcibly conscripted into the military. Who knows, after a while, we might even be able to come back.”
“And don’t you think about it, as the days go by, it’s getting colder. These flimsy wooden shacks outside the city won’t provide much shelter. When autumn and winter come, we’ll either starve or freeze to death.”
The crowd looked at the nearby wooden shacks – four wooden poles supporting a low shelter with no wind protection.
But they still held onto a glimmer of hope.
For these days, they no longer had to live in constant fear of running and hiding. The Grand General of the capital arranged for them to stay here, and there was porridge served every day.
The Grand General was kind-hearted, and when winter came, would he really ignore them?
With these thoughts in mind, someone finally voiced their concerns.
The person who had been trying to persuade the refugees, upon hearing such a self-assured question, felt like spitting in that person’s face.
How shameless!
Asking for something while acting so self-righteous!
Hold back!
They had a mission to fulfill!
Taking a deep breath, the man continued, “You’re thinking too optimistically. Our household registrations are not here, and if the authorities inside decide one day not to bother with us, even if they drive us away or kill us, we’ll have no choice.”
“The notice clearly states that there are limits to the number of volunteers, and those who sign up early will settle in sooner.”
“What if we hesitate for too long, and the General changes his mind and doesn’t provide the promised subsidies…”
The man stopped there, leaving the anxious listeners hanging.
Some impatient individuals couldn’t wait any longer and found the man’s reasoning quite convincing. They urged him to go over what was written in the notice again.
“Young man, could you please read what the notice says again?”
It’s important to note that those who hadn’t fled with their families and ended up here had been forcibly conscripted by the local lord and became part of the military households, which meant their descendants would be military households too. That’s why they had escaped to this place.
“Brother, the notice states that if any household has a voluntary recruit, they can settle here. Each person will receive seven taels of silver as a settlement fee and one acre of wasteland. If someone wants to exchange the silver for food or something else, it’s also possible.”
Seven taels of silver!
And only one person per household was needed to qualify. This not only meant settling down but also having a continuous source of silver.
Not only did they get money, but they also received land. Even though it was uncultivated land, they could clear it and make it productive, which was better than having nothing.
Those who were quick-witted immediately turned and rushed back to their own groups.
With his goal accomplished, the man added one final push, saying urgently, “I need to sign up quickly. What if I’m late and they don’t give me the silver?”
Saying this, he hurried towards one side of the city gate.
Others were also tempted, but they watched cautiously.
The place where they used to distribute porridge was now stocked with bags of grain, eggs, pork, and chicken.
To prevent some refugees from stealing, soldiers stood guard on both sides.
Shen Yuan sat behind a table next to the grain bags, watching the bustling crowd not far away with a faint smile on his lips.
It seemed the effect was significant!
As one person was actually led away to register for their new household, more and more people followed suit.
At the same time, a piece of news began to slowly spread among these refugees.
The grain and various foodstuffs exchanged by the volunteers who joined the military were all generously provided by a shop called Auspicious Grain Store.
As more and more people voluntarily joined the military, the crowd outside the city gate diminished.
The food and supplies in front of Shen Yuan were indeed taken by the refugees.
To ensure a smooth process for resettlement and to prevent any unexpected incidents, General Xiangnan sent people to accompany these individuals to their new homes.
During the course of these events, a stunning piece of news quickly spread from the capital city.
Breaking news: The Emperor has passed away!
The refugees still hesitating outside the city walls sensed that something was amiss and quickly selected at least one person from each household to register for the military.