Recruiting Soldiers

House of Zhao

Zachary Yan and Edward Yu, the two brothers, huddled together and closed the door to talk.

Once Zachary Yan saw that it was just the two of them, he hurriedly asked, "Edward, how is the recruitment for the Zhao Clan Guards going?"

Edward Yu pulled out a roster and said, "Big brother, we've offered generous silver, so we've recruited quite a few. Just yesterday, we got over a hundred men! Here's the list—all strong, able-bodied young men."

Zachary Yan glanced at the list, which had more than five hundred names. He nodded with satisfaction and said, "Edward, at this pace, if we keep going for a few more years, we'll finally be able to catch our breath. Without the Zhao Clan Guards backing us, we're just meat on the chopping block—Alexander Hayes can carve us up however he likes, and we'd have to endure it. That's why we must start secretly training the Zhao Clan Guards."

"That's right, big brother. Alexander Hayes issued a ban forbidding us from recruiting more guards because he's afraid we'll have enough men to rebel. The more he's afraid of something, the more we should do it—exactly!" Edward Yu said.

Zachary Yan nodded, "Edward, keep recruiting today. Remember to stay low-key, and change the registration spot every day so we don't get caught."

"Don't worry, big brother. A wise rabbit has three burrows—I get it!" Edward Yu patted his chest, full of confidence as he left.

Based on past experience, recruiting another hundred people today shouldn't be a problem!

Today's registration spot was set in a rundown temple on the outskirts of Charleston. Edward Yu snuck over, expecting to see plenty of applicants. But to his surprise, in the huge, dilapidated temple, there wasn't a single person signing up—just one sleepy servant leaning against the wall, looking like he'd been dozing for ages.

Edward Yu had just boasted to his big brother that he could handle this job, but after only a few days, no one was signing up. Wouldn't that make him look incompetent?

Edward Yu stomped over and kicked the servant awake, cursing, "You useless thing! Are you here to work, or to nap?!"

The servant woke up, his face drooping as he said, "Second Master, it's not that I'm slacking off—there really hasn't been a single applicant! Not one person since morning!"

"What!? Not a single person?" Edward Yu was startled. This can't be right—things were fine just days ago. What went wrong all of a sudden?

Edward Yu waited in the rundown temple for a while, but sure enough, not a soul came to sign up. Frustrated and anxious, he couldn't sit still and decided to wander into Charleston.

As soon as he entered the city, Edward Yu overheard the townsfolk along the street all talking about the Qin Royal Army recruiting new soldiers.

What? The Qin Royal Army is recruiting?

Edward Yu perked up his ears—did he hear that right?

A helpful old man nearby pointed the way, "Look, it's written right there on the recruitment notice. Go check it out yourself."

Edward Yu squeezed through the crowd with all his might to read the recruitment notice. When he finally saw the contents, his eyes nearly popped out of his head!

The Qin Royal Army is recruiting soldiers! Anyone who passes the screening will be granted land to farm, absolutely rent-free!

News that the King and Queen of Qin would soon distribute land to all three military divisions spread like wildfire throughout Charleston.

The moment the news broke, the townsfolk were green with envy! Serving under King Alexander Hayes meant not only prestige and protection, but also grain and land—what could be better?

For a while, everyone in Charleston was asking: How do you sign up to serve under King Alexander Hayes?

Well, here comes the official recruitment notice.

Why sneak around and join the House of Zhao's private militia when you could join the Qin Royal Army, earn fame, fortune, and land? Only a fool would risk getting cut down by the Black Armor Qin Troops!