Instigating Trouble
As the recruitment team advanced, they turned a corner, and a man emerged from another street's queue.
He was a middle-aged man, deliberately dressed in rags with a dirty face, looking just like any ordinary poor citizen.
This man, disguised as a commoner signing up for the army, was none other than Edward Yu.
Edward Yu's eyes darted with the slyness of a seasoned schemer, scanning every movement up ahead.
Several of his planted men had already slipped through the initial recruitment checks and were busy scribbling their names onto the register. With just one more round of screening, they'd be soldiers for real—if all went according to his scheme.
One of Edward Yu's most trusted stewards was nearly at the front, glancing back with obvious nerves and a furtive look—his eyes searching until they found Edward Yu watching from the crowd.
Edward Yu flashed a subtle, secretive hand signal to the steward, a gesture loaded with hidden meaning. The steward caught on instantly, nodding in frantic agreement.
"It's your turn. What's your name, and where do you live?" The recruiting officer began the routine registration as the steward stepped forward.
Instead of answering, the steward fired back, his voice rising with theatrical suspicion, "Officer, is it really true that joining up means we get food, silver, and land? Is it really real? Don't you dare try to hoodwink honest folk like us!"
The recruiting officer, well-trained for the job, knew to treat the people kindly and answer their questions with patience. He replied warmly, "Of course. This is a direct order from King Alexander himself, written in black and white. As long as you pass the recruitment exam and join the army, you'll receive monthly pay, meals, and—based on your rank and merit—land to farm rent-free."
The steward snorted loudly, "Officer, officials always say one thing and do another. What if I join the Qin Royal Army but end up with empty promises and no land at all?"
"That's impossible! As long as you pass the selection and enlist, your land is guaranteed." The officer replied with patient warmth, "Brother, just give me your name and address so I can register you. Then you'll go for a quick checkup—nothing to worry about."
But the steward shook his head, his tone theatrical and loud, "You want me to register before I've even got clear answers? How can I sign up so casually!? Are you saying that even new recruits in the Qin Royal Army get land? I don't believe it! It sounds way too good to be true. Old-timers who've served King Alexander for years, sure, maybe you get land. But what about us regular folks from Charleston? Why should joining up mean we get land? It all sounds too perfect—almost fake! How could there be such a generous king in this world, giving land to every new recruit? I don't buy it!"
The officer grew agitated upon hearing someone slander King Alexander Hayes and snapped, "Watch your mouth! Our king is a man of his word—how could you accuse him of such things?"
The soldiers, fiercely loyal to King Alexander Hayes, couldn't stand to see anyone questioning him. Each one looked visibly angry, their tempers flaring.
Seeing their outrage, the steward theatrically leapt back, jabbing a finger at the soldiers and shouting for all to hear, "Look! I only asked a few questions and they're already fuming, ready to silence me for good! Clearly, I've struck a nerve and exposed their scam, so now they're desperate to shut me up!"
The moment the steward stirred trouble, the Zhao family's planted agents sprang into action, loudly echoing his doubts: "I think this brother makes sense! Where in the world do such miraculous windfalls exist? You keep promising us land, but who among us in Charleston has actually seen the king grant land to the common folk?"