I Am the Shihao Official

"This grain is not easy to transport..." Chen Fang frowned as she looked at the jars filled to the brim with rice.

Despite the difficulty of transport, she felt it couldn't be brought into the Garrison. After all, the Garrison lacked proper housing, consisting mostly of makeshift sheds and tents. Carrying too much money or grain would make them targets for others, inviting unwanted attention and potential petty thieves.

If this grain were brought over, officers might seize it under the pretext of "jointly defending the city, military supplies take priority."

This was something Lin Xuan had earned through blood and sweat; to have it confiscated without compensation would be a massive loss, and in such a situation, almost no one would record his contribution.

By then, there would be nowhere to seek justice.

After a moment of thought, Lin Xuan replied, "Let's take enough for a month, and seal the rest to hide in the cellar. If the rebel army's discipline is as good as the rumors say, they shouldn't be going door-to-door, ransacking every house for grain.

Leaving it here might actually be safer than bringing it into the Garrison."

After all... thieves come like a comb, soldiers come like a rake, and officials come like a razor.

Chen Fang and Lin An both agreed with Lin Xuan's assessment.

The group hurriedly hid the remaining grain, packed their daily necessities, and rushed toward the Garrison.

News that two nearby county seats had been breached had spread throughout Liang City, leaving the entire county in a state of panic and strictly limiting the movement of people.

Furthermore, rumors circulated that the rebels were burning and looting along their path, scorching farmland and killing many civilians.

Under the influence of this panic, the price of grain skyrocketed; in just one day, the price of rice and wheat jumped from forty wen to sixty wen!

The government imposed no restrictions, as the more the grain merchants sold, the more profit the officials could skim.

Due to the flight of military households and frequent conscription, the Garrison was severely understaffed, with only a meager three hundred combat-ready soldiers.

The armor in the armory was in disrepair, much of it rusted, with the cords holding the plates together rotted away, and no one to maintain them.

Fortunately, Lin Xuan had the backing of the Qin Family, who sent him a set of Iron Lamellar Armor that looked brand new. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be the same set he had worn when hunting the bear!

Now, wearing this Iron Lamellar Armor, he felt light as a swallow, as if he weren't wearing anything at all, though his joint movement was slightly restricted.

With only three hundred men, how could they compare to rebels who had won two consecutive victories? The enemy outnumbered them several times over; taking this Garrison would be simple.

Therefore, after Lin Xuan arrived at the Thousand-Household Office, his first task as a newly appointed Flag Commander was to "conscript" local able-bodied men.

While "conscription" sounded polite, it was effectively a press-gang operation.

Every Flag Commander was required to seize twenty able-bodied men from military households for the Garrison, or face military law: demotion and a flogging.

Because of this war, Lin Xuan felt a bitter irony; he never expected to become the very thing he hated most in his past life's textbooks: a "Shihao Official" dragging people away.

He had once thought them villains, never realizing they were struggling too, facing punishment if they failed to meet their quotas.

Perhaps the Shihao Official himself had just escaped death on the battlefield, or perhaps his own family was being dragged away by other officials.

Clad in his Flag Commander's tunic, wearing his badge and armor, Lin Xuan appeared fully armed in the military household settlement.

He brought no one with him this time, as the other Squad Leaders had their own quotas to fill.

He went to Zhang Xuan's house first.

Knock, knock, knock.

Zhang Xuan, unaware of the trouble in the county, was still lying on a straw mat weaving sandals.

Hearing the knock, he stood up to open the door.

"Brother Xuan, come in and sit." He greeted him warmly.

"No need. Pack your things and come with me. The rebels are coming; follow me to the Garrison to defend it."

Zhang Xuan blushed and scratched his head. "This... I'm destitute and have nothing to bring. I can go with Brother Xuan right away."

"Then come with me to conscript others and back me up."

The two began calling out in the area.

"All men between twenty and fifty, come with me to the Garrison to defend against the rebels!"

However, no one listened. No one wanted to die, and no one wanted to die for the government.

After all, the saying "thieves come like a comb" was deeply ingrained; no matter how terrifying the bandits were, could they be worse than the government?

Lin Xuan shook his head. If he wanted to keep his position as Flag Commander, he would have to forcibly seize men to defend the city.

He hesitated, even on the way to the settlements of the remaining military households.

"Old man, open up. I know you have a twenty-year-old son. We're just taking him to the Garrison to defend the city, not sending him to the front lines to fight the Qiangqu People."

Yet, there was no response from inside. They must have heard his youthful voice and thought they could fool him.

A wave of irritation washed over Lin Xuan. With a look of impatience, he kicked the door open, sending the door panel flying ten feet away.

But then he froze, filled with regret. Wasn't his current behavior exactly what he had hated most?

He calmed his emotions and reasoned with the old man:

"I apologize, sir. I only need your son to come with me to meet the quota. This isn't about looting your wealth or harassing your family.

I guarantee that no other officials will come to your home to conscript anyone else."

Seeing Lin Xuan use such brute force only to speak to him so politely, the old man trembled, his lips quivering, unable to utter a word.

After a long while, he slowly knelt before Lin Xuan. "Sir soldier, I beg you, please spare my son. He is the only sprout in our family."

Lin Xuan hurried to help the old man up, only to find him unwilling to rise. Despite the old man's skeletal hands, his knees remained rooted to the ground as if they had grown there.

The child looked at Lin Xuan in fear, and panic flickered in the young man's wife's eyes.

The young man's eyes turned red as he lashed out at Lin Xuan, "You soldiers usually pocket the pay, and now you want us to go die?"

Lin Xuan shook his head in denial. "Who said you were going to die? I am clad in fine armor, armed with sharp blades and powerful crossbows; I will certainly be on the front lines fighting the bandits."

"I am also the only male left in my military household. All the men in my family died on the battlefield fighting Qiangqu! And yet, I must still go to the front to resist the marauders! Do you think I am not afraid of death?"

"You have no choice. Your first option is to come with me. I cannot make guarantees, but you might survive."

"If you are conscripted by other Flag Commanders, they will inevitably harass your families, extort your wealth, and then force your sons to serve as vanguard fodder on the battlefield."

"You should understand the stakes involved!"

When that time truly came, Lin Xuan would not easily let them go to their deaths. He could not bring himself to do it. After all, he was the commander of these conscripts; when the time came, he would either lead the charge or fight side-by-side with them.

The family looked at one another, their expressions shifting.

"I will go, provided you keep your word."