Are you crazy? Trying to trick him into military service? He's the number one dragon on the fro

"However, if I were to suggest replacing the old, weak, and disabled in the garrison, I might be able to get you a few more men."

After Luo Yang finished speaking, he started walking towards the county government office.

Seeing that Lu Xiao didn't move, he couldn't help but wonder:

"Didn't you plan to ask the county magistrate for help in recruiting soldiers, Xiaodi?"

"That's the idea, but Brother Luo, can't you travel with me?"

Why is that?

Lu Xiao smiled at his puzzled expression:

"Brother Luo, you now command three thousand troops, enough to easily raze the county town to the ground, while I control the throat through which the Hu people enter and leave Changyang County. If the two of us were to meet the county magistrate at the same time, what would he think?"

"Don't forget the former garrison captain, who often demanded more rations and pay from the county magistrate because his soldiers were not well-fed or clothed."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yang fell silent.

He knew that his promotion to captain was exceptional and that he owed it to Lu Xiao; otherwise, he would have been able to become a commander of a thousand men in the border defense camp at best.

The differences between the two are also enormous!

In Changyang County, he was the highest-ranking general of the garrison, and he could make all the decisions himself, but the border defense battalion still had superiors.

Therefore, Luo Yang always wanted to repay Lu Xiao in various ways.

These words made him realize that Qian Haishan might have misunderstood their intentions.

He gave a few bitter laughs:

"It was I who was inconsiderate, almost forgetting such an important matter."

"In that case, Brother Xiao, you go alone. I'll return to camp first."

"good!"

……

Qian Haishan was in the hall dealing with various crimes and offenses within the county.

With each file he reviewed, his brow furrowed more deeply. After a dozen or so, he could no longer bear to look at them and turned to his clerk beside him, asking:

"Has it reached this level within our Changyang County?"

"Your Excellency, Heaven is blind, and the people are helpless."

The advisor shook his head with a wry smile and explained.

This year, drought has occurred in several counties of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

He didn't know about other places, but in Changyang County, grain production had plummeted by 20%!

Don't underestimate this small percentage; for many ordinary people, it's the main reason for their families being torn apart and lives lost!

With the summer grain harvest approaching, many people are anxious and increasingly restless as they realize that their crops won't last until next spring's planting.

Therefore, crimes and offenses frequently occur within Changyang County.

Take their county town for example, theft cases have increased by more than 30% compared to usual, and several petty thieves are caught almost every day, not to mention serious criminals who should be executed according to the law!

As an official appointed by the imperial court, Qian Haishan understood the court's intention in imposing heavy taxes. It was necessary to ensure that the soldiers were well-fed and clothed in order to fight against the Hu people and the Rong and Di tribes.

But the common people didn't know.

The common people believed that the imperial court increasingly did not want them to live, so they had virtually no choice but to resist in their own way.

Thinking of this, Qian Haishan even considered revealing to the people the truth that the imperial court was surrounded by enemies on all sides and that the soldiers on the front lines were fighting bloody battles, but then he gave up after thinking about it.

If it were made public, who knows what kind of chaos it would cause.

"My lord, someone outside the hall requests an audience. He claims to be the centurion of the White Wolf outpost!"

At this moment, a constable cautiously stepped forward to report.

Qian Haishan was taken aback, his mind instinctively thinking that the Hu people might be invading again. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stood up and gave the order:

"Tell Commander Lu that I am truly unable to help here, and if you need troops, you will have to ask the garrison camp for assistance!"

"grown ups……"

Seeing that his magistrate was about to slip away to the backyard, the bailiff hesitated and said:

"Commander Lu said he could help you solve your current troubles, sir."

"Yeah?"

Qian Haishan was taken aback. After confirming several times that Lu Xiao had not come to ask him for money, his tension subsided considerably.

He dared not offend this powerful centurion who had direct access to the emperor, and after thinking for a moment, he sat back down:

"Then... let him in."

"yes!"

A moment later, Lu Xiao strode in, and upon reaching the foot of the hall, he clasped his hands in greeting:

"How have you been, Master Qian?"

"I have come here today to discuss with you, sir, a great thing that will be extremely beneficial to you, me, and the entire Changyang County."

"But this matter is confidential. If you don't mind, sir, could you please step aside so we can discuss this privately?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Haishan's heart tightened again, and the clerk and the constables' expressions changed drastically.

They thought Lu Xiao had come today to join forces with Luo Yang to force Lu Xiao to abdicate, or even...

However, seeing his harmless smile, Qian Haishan hesitated for a moment, then dismissed the others before speaking:

"What brings you here, Commander Lu?"

"May I ask, sir, how many serious criminals are currently imprisoned in the county jail?"

Lu Xiao stepped forward and, judging from the other person's expression, knew there was some misunderstanding. He then explained:

"I have no other intention than to ask Lord Qian to hand over these death row inmates so that I can give them some basic training and then send them to fight against the Hu people."

"You want to expand your army?"

Qian Haishan's heart, which had just settled down, was on edge again.

Historically, conscription has always involved selecting men from respectable families. The fact that even death row inmates have been chosen indicates that the nation is facing a life-or-death crisis, or perhaps...

The people want to rebel!

Lu Xiao didn't waste any words and directly took out the token, asking the other party to take a look:

"This is the token I received from the Prime Minister upon my arrival in the capital. The Prime Minister also granted me permission to act as I see fit, including expanding the army."

Qian Haishan hurriedly took the token and examined it carefully.

After passing the imperial examination, he stayed in the capital for a period of time while waiting for his job assignment. During this time, he paid respects to several important court officials, including the prime minister.

Although it wasn't very useful, I had personally seen the Zhou family's token.

Therefore, Qian Haishan was certain that the token was genuine, and he was completely relieved.

"Lord Lu is very fortunate to have caught the eye of the Prime Minister at such a young age."

"Is this expansion of the army in preparation for leading it into the capital to act under the orders of the Prime Minister?"

Lu Xiao shook his head and smiled, indicating that he was still a centurion at the White Wolf outpost, neither promoted nor demoted.

This left Qian Haishan feeling uncertain and uneasy.

Fortunately, the misunderstanding between the two parties was cleared up after the explanation.

Qian Haishan nodded and said:

"It seems that the Prime Minister intends to let you hone your skills at the grassroots level before transferring you directly to a position in the capital once you have achieved some success."

"Lord Lu, congratulations!"

Lu Xiao clasped his hands in a fist salute repeatedly:

"Thank you for your praise, Lord Qian. As for my request earlier..."

Qian Haishan gestured for him not to rush, and then asked his clerk to personally go to the county magistrate to get the roster.

Soon, a thick booklet was placed on the table between the two of them.

He glanced through the table of contents briefly, then placed the booklet upright in front of Lu Xiao:

"Currently, there are 103 death row inmates in the county jail, all sentenced to death for serious crimes such as rape and kidnapping. How many do you wish to receive, Lord Lu?"

He had assumed Lu Xiao only wanted a few, but the other party's words were astonishing:

"I want them all!"

"Moreover... this number is far from the number I'm hoping for!"