My father ordered me to kill the emperor, but His Majesty bestowed a princess upon me instead.

The Qingzhou general book exchange stall was located in front of the revised list.

Eight hundred and forty-seven old names.

847 new numbers.

All old records were cancelled.

The new registration only has three characters.

The Righteous People's Army.

That sounds good.

Righteous people.

Voluntarily staying in their hometown.

Protect the territory and ensure the safety of the people.

Whether placed on a notice or written in a memorial, it is much more respectable than "a dead person in the account book".

The problem is that the Ministry of War does not have this army.

The garrison commander of Jiangbei was unaware of this either.

Even Governor Liang Su was seeing this for the first time.

An army that did not exist had already been formed with 847 soldiers.

Among them are forty-nine people who are already truly dead.

I went through Liang Su's review book again.

This point must be made clear.

Previously, the most prominent number in the camp was 806 depository banks.

Liang Su and the clerks used this number to check the camp's general ledger for a long time, but they did not check the number of people every day.

It was only after a thorough investigation that we discovered:

Of the 847 files, 49 people have died.

The account still has a bank account, but it can no longer be counted as a living person.

The remaining 798 people are still alive.

This morning, after 41 men were transferred away by the Bureau of Experience, only 757 men remained in the camp.

The accounts were not miscalculated.

The person was miscalculated.

This is more troublesome than a mistaken accounting.

Correcting incorrect figures in accounts.

You have to dig up the grave of the wrong person.

Bai Zhi listed the forty-nine deceased individuals separately.

Then compare it with the new register of the Righteous People's Army.

"Everything is here."

Liang Su's face darkened.

"Dead people join the army?"

"Not just joining the army."

Bai Zhi turned to the last page of the new book.

"I've already received my pay."

The Righteous People's Army was temporarily organized into four battalions.

Two hundred people per battalion.

The remaining forty-seven men were grain guards, clerks, and medical workers.

The total number of people is 847.

Military rations are provided on a monthly basis.

Military uniforms, shoes, short knives, and waist badges have all been issued.

The forty-nine dead were given the same number of living people.

Ah Liu came over to take a look.

"What size shoes do dead people wear?"

Bai Zhi said, "There is no distinction between seniority and juniority in the tent."

"What if you can't wear it?"

"The dead won't come to replace them."

That's the benefit.

The dead do not eat.

Not wearing shoes.

Do not carry a knife.

However, they were allowed to receive military rations and uniforms as usual.

It's less troublesome than dealing with a living person.

Xu Mingzhang knelt below the list platform.

He didn't sleep all night.

His expression remained calm.

I asked, "Whose idea was the militia?"

"Lanling".

"By how was it delivered?"

"Old clothes trunk from the Qingzhou Registrar's Office".

Which line?

"The seam of the garment."

"Only the fabric thread?"

"And the grain supply line."

"Where's the waterline?"

He shook his head.

"Military pay is not paid through water lines."

Why?

"It hasn't turned silver yet."

Bai Zhi looked at the military pay slip.

The grain was supplied by Luo's Grain Company.

The clothes were hastily made by the old military clothing workshop in Qingzhou.

The knife and waist badge were provided by the Qingzhou Garrison's abandoned armory.

Everything is recorded in physical form.

No silver was found.

Naturally, the Yongfeng waterline cannot be found.

But where the actual item ended up still needs to be determined by a vehicle.

The vehicle belonged to Luo's Grain Company.

They circled back to the grain line.

I asked, "Who gave this army the name 'People's Army'?"

"Aunt Lan".

Which one?

"have no idea."

"You know nothing, yet you dared to enlist over eight hundred people in the military?"

Xu Mingzhang raised his head.

"The dead have no other registration."

Someone cursed in front of the ranking platform.

Xu Mingzhang continued, "Lord Shen can write the life stories of the seventy-two men of Yong'an."

"You can also open and modify a live register in Qingfeng."

"But can you get the land back for everyone?"

"Is it permissible to allow a remarried wife to return?"

"Is it permissible for a child who has already been adopted to recognize a deceased person as their father?"

"How can we get local clans to admit that they seized land from families whose members were exterminated back then?"

"cannot."

He answered faster than I did.

Because what he said is true.

Having more than 800 people given new names does not mean they can immediately return to their previous lives.

Some fields have changed hands three times.

Some houses were demolished.

Some marriages have changed.

The idea that someone who was written to be dead seven years ago suddenly returns home and asks their family to return everything from the past seven years to them is not necessarily a reunion.

It could be another mess.

Xu Mingzhang said, "The Righteous People's Army at least gave them food."

"Give them clothes."

"Let's also give them a new identity so they can survive."

"Who says they want to?"

"Someone is willing."

Suddenly, someone in the crowd said, "I do."

The speaker was a man in his thirties.

There is a salt burn on the left cheek.

His name is Han Shi.

Originally a salt merchant in Nanxian County, Qingzhou.

He was reported to have died from the epidemic five years ago.

The family's salt fields were taken over by their uncle.

The wife remarried, taking the child with her.

He worked as an unregistered laborer at the saltworks for four years.

Later, he was taken in by Liang Su and put into the relief work camp.

Han Shi stood in front of the ranking platform.

"Lord Shen."

"What would I do if I went back?"

"Child snatching?"

"Stealing a woman who has already remarried?"

"Or should we sue my uncle and send the entire Han family to jail?"

"I do not want."

Give me a knife.

"There is food."

"There is payment."

"I'm willing to join the army."

People in the camp nodded in agreement.

Not all.

But there is more than one.

Liang Su looked at them.

"The Ministry of War has no militia."

Han Shi said, "Then please ask Lord Liang to report this."

Liang Su remained silent.

I asked Han Shi, "Whose soldier would you like to be?"

He froze.

"From the imperial court."

"Where do military orders come from?"

"Governor's Office".

"This new military register ends with the note 'Qingxia General Warehouse Takes Over'."

"Does the governor know?"

Han Shi fell silent.

"The word 'fierce' is embroidered on the inside of the military uniform."

Have you seen it?

His expression slowly changed.

"no."

"The provisions and pay have been sent to Qingxia."

"Did you eat one?"

"no."

"The weapons have been approved."

"Did you get one?"

Still not.

I pointed to the new register of the Righteous People's Army.

"This isn't about sending you to the army."

"They will first use your names to receive military rations, uniforms, and weapons."

"Then we'll decide when to let you put them on."

"Wearing the imperial army uniforms, you are the righteous people's army."

"If you're wearing Southwest Army uniforms, you're former subordinates of Shen Lie."

"If neither side needs any survivors, you will become corpses after the war."

Han Shi's face turned pale.

It's not that he didn't want to be a soldier.

But no one told him who this army was dying for.

I looked at the more than 800 personnel files.

"Do one thing first today."

"Your names are back."

"We'll decide whether to stay or leave later."

"Those who wish to return to their hometowns can do so after their household registration is restored."

"Those who do not wish to return for the time being may remain in the relief camp."

"Those who wish to join the army will receive an official designation, military order, and pay from the imperial court."

"It's not a piece of paper that nobody recognizes."

"It's not like the clothes were sewn for you in advance in some warehouse in Qingxia."

Han Shi asked, "What if the imperial court refuses to accept it?"

"Then it's not appropriate."

"What else can we do?"

Bai Zhi raised the silver account book in the camp.

"Take your own money first."

Han Shi was stunned.

847 camp files.

Everyone has a savings account.

There were three or two people.

Someone gave twenty taels.

The one who had worked in the salt fields and river works for six years had a balance of seventy-eight taels in his account.

The actual stockpile is less than 30%.

The remaining silver was taken away by the authorities under the pretext of food, lodging, medicine, wall repair, and resettlement.

The three largest transactions were transferred to Luo's Grain Store.

Xu Mingzhang still maintained, "The relief labor camp does indeed have annual expenses."

Bai Zhi threw the three ledgers in front of him.

"More than 800 people consume 3,600 shi of grain a year."

"You reported 8,200 shi (a unit of dry measure)."

"The camp wall was only repaired twice in three years."

"You submit a report every quarter."

"The money for the medicine is more interesting."

She turned to the last page.

"There was only one medical engineer in the camp last year."

"However, three thousand doses of tranquilizers were purchased from the account."

"More than three sets per person."

Ah Liu asked, "Have you eaten?"

Everyone in the camp shook their heads.

Liang Su's expression grew increasingly grim.

He saved these people's lives.

But they couldn't save their money.

Because he only looks at the general ledger.

The balance is now balanced.

They assumed the camp could hold out.

Xu Mingzhang and Luo's Grain Store squeezed a small portion out of every seemingly reasonable expenditure.

Thirty percent a year.

Three years later, the wall is still there.

But the silver flowed away.

"Deposited silver must be returned."

I said.

Xu Mingzhang said, "The military treasury doesn't have that much silver."

"The Luo family has it."

"The Luo family's property has been sealed."

"Perfect."

Bai Zhi has already calculated the amount due for the first batch.

Seven hundred and ninety-eight living people.

First, issue six months' worth of deposits.

The bodies of the forty-nine deceased have been sealed in silver and are awaiting verification by their families.

The shortfall will be offset by the assets of Luo's Qingzhou Grain Store, the property of the Bureau of Records involved in the case, and the land and houses under Xu Mingzhang's name.

Liang Su looked at me.

"You have no right to directly dispose of the property belonging to the officials under the governor's office."

"We can seal it off first."

"What if we don't have enough silver?"

"I'll borrow it from Lord Liang."

He was stunned.

"My officer?"

"You're keeping him here for three years."

"I've been keeping track of the accounts for three years."

"Neglect should not leave the people waiting."

Liang Su remained silent for a long time.

"I will contribute three thousand taels of my private property."

Xu Mingzhang finally looked up.

They're not looking at me.

It is to see Liang Su.

He probably didn't expect the governor to actually use his own money to make up for it.

I didn't expect that either.

Liang Su's control over the accounts was infuriating.

He acknowledged the debt faster than many officials in Beijing.

Angelica dahurica has begun registering for silver exchange.

Next to the list of registered depositors, another list of deposited silver was erected.

A person's name.

Deserved.

Sent.

Debt.

Instead of just writing the number.

Han Shi stood in front of his own name.

I watched it for a long time.

"If I take the silver, can I still join the army?"

"able."

I said, "But first we need to find out who it's for."

He nodded.

Finally, the Yimin Army had its first person who genuinely wanted to be a soldier.

It wasn't because of a fake military register.

It's because he can choose for himself.

When Bai Zhi reached the military pay list, she suddenly stopped.

"Shen An".

"What?"

"The Yimin Army's first month's pay has already been collected on their behalf."

"Who?"

She transferred the master order to her.

The column for the person who can collect the document on behalf of another is clearly written.

Censor.

Shen An.

The date is seven days ago.

I was still in Beijing at that time.

Wang Song has not yet handed over the seal of office.

But someone in Qingzhou has already collected the military pay for 847 people on my behalf.