So it’s Lord Zhu, disrespectful.”Chen Dacheng carefully looked at Zhu Pingan’s waist tag to make sure it was correct, returned the waist tag to Zhu Pingan with both hands, and then laughed with a self-deprecating expression, “Lord Zhu is a fourth-ranking official of the imperial court, and what other problems that Lord Zhu cannot solve that he has to look for the help of such a countryside hayseed like me.”
Zhu Pingan arched his hand and said with a bitter smile, “This matter really needs the help of Patriarch Chen, I came to your county to recruit soldiers, and the recruitment notices are plastered all over Yiwu ……”
“Not plastered all over, we Beilei village, the village end of the alley, and even the west end of the village thatched toilet door have not been spared ……”
“Old Li’s pigsty wasn’t spared either ……”
Hearing Zhu Pingan’s words, the townspeople in the courtyard couldn’t help but laugh and said in a chorus.
“Although the notices are plastered all over the place, no one has enlisted in the army. Patriarch Chen has a reputation in your region, so I have come to visit today in the hope that Patriarch Chen will mobilise and encourage the townspeople to enlist in the army to fight the Japanese and serve the imperial court.”
Zhu Pingan smiled bitterly and confessed that the recruitment of soldiers was ineffective, and sincerely asked Chen Dacheng for help, hoping that he would help him.
“Oh, this is a bit of a strong statement from Lord Zhu, I’ve already read Lord Zhu’s notice on army recruitment, the rise and fall of the country, the responsibility of the people ……It is very literate and inspiring, even such a wonderful inspirational mobilisation by Lord Zhu has no effect, I am a countryside grasshopper with a stupid tongue, what role can I play, so Lord Zhu has gone to the wrong temple and worshiped the wrong bodhisattva, it’s better to ask for another high mind.”
Chen Dacheng laughed and shook his head, rejecting Zhu Pingan, he originally did not support the villagers to enlist, how would he help Zhu Pingan.
Yesterday, the county office people came to the village to post recruitment notices and mine management notices all over the village, he read the recruitment notices, he called the clan to announce, “Chen’s family children and Peilei townspeople, no one is not allowed to go to the county town to enlist in the army!”
It’s not that I, Chen Dacheng, don’t know what to do, but I don’t trust the government and the army, which is weak, and I’ve long lost hope in them.
What is the appearance of the guards of the Ming army, Chen Dacheng is very clear, go to join the army, how can there be any way out ah. How many guards and soldiers face the Japanese invaders, armour discarded and run faster than rabbits, scourge up the people than the Japanese invaders hate!
Expecting the officers and soldiers to fight against the Japanese invaders to protect the country is not as reliable as organising your own villagers to protect your hometown.
Therefore, when he saw the recruitment notice, he announced to his clan and villagers that no one would be allowed to go to the county town to enlist in the army.
“Patriarch Chen, nowadays the Japanese invaders are ravaging Jiangnan, rampaging, killing and setting fires, and doing nothing to stop them, if we don’t conquer them, in the long run, sooner or later, the Japanese invaders will come to Yiwu as well. The rise and fall of the world, everyone has the responsibility, we as a man of the Ming Dynasty, how can we sit idly by and watch the Japanese wreak havoc on the land of China, to protect the family and defend the country, the responsibility is unshirkable. Without a country, there is no home, the only way to protect the country is to exterminate the Japanese as soon as possible, a good man should serve the country, hold a three-foot sword, and establish a world of merit.”Zhu Pingan looked at Chen Dacheng with burning eyes and spoke with emotion.
“What Lord Zhu said is very …… true.”Chen Dacheng echoed with a lack of interest and did not follow.
Zhu Pingan saw Chen Dacheng was not moved, not discouraged, continued to persuade from the bottom of his heart, “Chen patriarch, before Yiwu armed fights are frequent, the result of the armed fights can only be the bloodshed in vain, the deaths and injuries of the meaningless and value, how can it be and should be recruited to participate in the army, fight against the Japanese invaders, to protect the family and the country, and to do some sacred, glorious, sensational cause, to glorify the family and the ancestors, and to be known in the history of value and significance.value and significance.”
In addition to starting from the general righteousness, Zhu Pingan also persuaded Chen Dacheng and the others from the perspective of personal interests:
“Moreover, nowadays, the government has already tightly regulated minerals, recognising the existing status quo of minerals, and strictly forbidding armed fights, so we don’t have to worry about the villagers joining the army and affecting the interests of the clans; in addition, Yiwu locally has a lot of mountains and a small amount of land, the people’s output income is limited, coupled with such a long period of armed fights, the people’s lives are even more difficult, and how many of the people do not have enough food to feed themselves or clothes to cover their bodies, and my Zhejiang army monthly salary of 1.2 and a half pieces of silver, and the disciplinary assessmentExcellent if the pay is higher, and every kill a Japanese pirate, the reward silver thirty two, the soldiers to receive pay is also a very good way out …….”
In the face of Zhu Pingan’s heartfelt and powerful persuasion, Chen Dacheng opened his mouth, “Do you want to hear the truth, or lies?”
“I sincerely came to visit and seek help from Patriarch Chen today, so naturally I am listening to the truth.”Zhu Pingan returned without hesitation.
“Good, since Your Excellency wants to hear the truth, then I am offended.”Chen Dacheng clasped his hands and bowed to Zhu Pingan, then said with a face of righteous indignation, “A man is born into the world, so naturally he wants to make a difference and honour his ancestors during his lifetime! The Japanese invaders are here, and I also have the intention to kill them, but the corrupt and unjust official uniforms and the weak officials and soldiers who oppress the people are really disappointing …….Some days ago, a small group of Japanese invaders fled Yiwu, Yiwu guards and soldiers fled without a fight and watched the Japanese invaders burn, kill and loot a village after the Yangtze River, and after that, the guards and soldiers used the pretext of combating the Japanese and forcibly collected money and grain from several villages, which is much worse than that of the Japanese invaders. Such examples abound everywhere. Lord let us join the army, huh, we Yiwu sons and daughters to participate in such an army, war dead not to mention, did not die in the war in turn became the people’s scourge ……”
Zhu Pingan sniffed and was instantly enlightened.
It was really as Zhao Zhi Xian said, Chen Dacheng did not trust the government and its army, which was why he prevented the townspeople and clans from enlisting in the army.
“Patriarch Chen, do you know why I am recruiting soldiers?”Zhu Pingan asked.
“Why did Your Excellency come to recruit soldiers, how would a grasshopper know.”Chen Dacheng shook his head and replied in an uncertain manner.
“The army I command is called the ‘Zhejiang Army’, the full name is ‘Jiangsu and Zhejiang Regiment Army’, it is not the official army of the guards, it is different from the official army of the guards. The day before yesterday, the minister of the governor of the seven provinces of Jiangnan, Zhang Jing, Zhang Daoren, and my recruitment documents, with this document, I can be in any one of the official army to select 1,200 soldiers to join my Zhejiang army, but I did not select soldiers from the official army, but rather, I came a long way to your place to recruit soldiers, it is precisely because I am well aware of, the official army is weak and unbearable to fight, the military discipline is corrupted and difficult to fight, the timid and fearful do not dare to fight, it is difficult to take on the responsibility of extermination of the Japanese, so I have notTherefore, I did not select the official army, but came all the way to your place to recruit soldiers. The reason why I came all the way to your place to recruit soldiers is because I heard about your competition for mines. You Yiwu people are brave, united and tough, and you are a natural breed of soldiers, so as long as you have a little bit of training, you will be a strong army that will be famous all over the world! With a little training, you will become a strong army with strict military discipline, capable of fighting! I want to fight together with you, to eliminate the Japanese, to return peace to the world, and to make a worldly achievement! That is why I, Zhu Pingan, have travelled all the way to your place to recruit soldiers!”
Zhu Pingan rubbed his hand against his chest and said to Chen Dacheng and the others from the bottom of his heart and with great sincerity.
