Chapter 31: The Martial Tripod

"Why didn't you tell me sooner..." Zhongli Wanxue murmured.

Only now did she realize that Liang Xiao had been sparing her feelings earlier and had chosen not to expose her.

"I wanted to tell you as soon as I finished my chores, but I couldn't find you anywhere," Lady Qin explained, then asked with a sudden realization, "This 'good deed' you mentioned—could it be that you went to donate money to him?"

Zhongli Wanxue’s face flushed bright red as she recounted the process. Lady Qin was stunned at first, then burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"What should I do? Will he think I’m just a silly girl trying to be clever?" Zhongli Wanxue was on the verge of tears.

"How could he? You donated to him privately to speak well of your father and our family; he will only remember your kindness!" Lady Qin comforted her hurriedly.

Only then did Zhongli Wanxue feel a little better. "It’s so embarrassing. I won’t dare to see him for the next few days..."

Lady Qin couldn't stop laughing. This girl was so much like herself when she was young. She could only pray that her daughter’s beloved would not end up like her old father, Zhongli Xiu—defeated by the political world, losing his spirit forever and never regaining the vigor of his youth.

The Wu family estate was ablaze with lights. The head of the house, Wu Wenting, had summoned the clan members to discuss the future of the Wu family.

"Liang Xiao governs Pei County with cruelty and a thirst for blood. We cannot afford to provoke him for now, but to align ourselves with him would mean severing ties with the noble families. That is absolutely out of the question!" Wu Wenting said with a dark expression.

Wu Wenting’s eldest son, Wu Ping, sneered, "Father, rest assured. Since he dared to kill Magistrate Yuan, he is destined to be like a grasshopper at the end of autumn—he won't be jumping for much longer!"

"That may be, but we must be prepared. We should pack up our assets early to avoid being squeezed by Liang Xiao at every turn. Withdrawing from Pei County early is also a statement to the other great families that we firmly refuse to associate with such a person," Wu Wenting sighed, his gaze turning cold. "I only hope the Zhongli family does not fail to see the truth. Donating a thousand taels of silver, I can understand. But if they align themselves with him, they are surely heading toward an abyss of no return!"

Wu Ping was anxious. "Father, about my proposal to marry Zhongli Wanxue..."

"You are already the most outstanding talent in Pei County, but if the girl doesn't fancy you and would rather stay at home and pay extra taxes to the state for a few years, what can your father do?" Wu Wenting said helplessly.

Wu Ping felt stifled. According to the laws of the Wu Dynasty, if a woman remained unmarried by the age of fourteen, she had to pay a poll tax just like an adult man.

The next morning, at the county government office, Liang De reported to Liang Xiao in high spirits.

"The young men of Pei County are all moved by your grace, Master. They are eager to enlist! Yesterday, we registered a total of five thousand five hundred and twenty people!"

The secretaries, including Secretary Wang, were dumbfounded. Since recruitment began yesterday at noon, five thousand people had already signed up—what an astonishing figure! In the past, they were lucky to get a few dozen or a hundred applicants at most, after which the county office would have to send people out to mobilize families to see who met the draft requirements.

After all, military service was previously a personal expense, and subsidies were only provided during wartime. And even during wartime, there was the risk of dying on the battlefield, so the subsidies were not always guaranteed.

Undoubtedly, Liang Xiao’s subsidy policy, combined with his tax reduction policy, was incredibly attractive. Moreover, on the second day of his tenure, Liang Xiao had already fulfilled the promises made the day before, abolishing the series of harsh taxes and levies established by Yuan Bailong. This had built an image of benevolence and integrity in the hearts of the people, naturally winning their favor.

The officials of Pei County present began to ponder how they could perform better under Liang Xiao. Cao Chen, in particular, kept Liang Xiao’s words in mind, striving to give his all at every moment.

Zhuo Zifang smiled and said, "In this way, out of the 140,000 people in Pei County, we might see a total of 15,000 applicants. The government will have plenty of room to select the best."

"I shall personally select the first batch of soldiers."

Liang Xiao was also overjoyed. He announced publicly that Zhuo Zifang would temporarily oversee the county government affairs while he led a group to the military camp.

The military camp in Pei County was located in a town to the north called "Wu Town." Wu Town was the ancestral home of the Gaozu Emperor of the Wu Dynasty and one of the fiefdoms of the dynasty. Because Pei County had once been captured by Western Qin, the imperial court had moved all the treasures from Wu Town and demolished its major buildings before the fall of the county. Today, Wu Town remained the largest town in the entire county, yet its population had dwindled to just two thousand people across four hundred households. It had lost its former glory, making it perfect for use as a vital military camp and convenient for defending against potential border threats.

At this moment, the area inside and outside the military camp was a sea of people. The five thousand five hundred and twenty applicants, over a thousand Pei County garrison troops, most of the local residents of Wu Town, and some residents from other towns had all gathered here. The new magistrate had reduced taxes for the common people, and they liked him very much, unable to resist coming to see his demeanor for themselves.

Inside the camp, the most nervous group of people were not the applicants, but the existing Pei County garrison. Over five thousand people had signed up—an unprecedented recruitment turnout! Most of them were young and strong, with physiques sturdier than their own, and all were locals. The only advantage these veteran soldiers had was their experience... but unfortunately, many of them usually just slacked off and did not train diligently, so they had no significant advantage there either.

But as for staging a mutiny to force Liang Xiao to give up on recruitment, that was absolutely impossible. The blood of Yuan Bailong at the south gate hadn't even dried yet... For now, besides quickly getting their act together, the only thing they could do was pray that the magistrate wouldn't eliminate too many of them. It would be best if the army had more slots so that their chances of staying would be higher!

Liang Xiao stood at the center of a high platform outside the camp, reviewing the recruitment list. Zhongli Wanxue and her mother, Lady Qin, accompanied by a few servants, stood outside the camp to watch. Lady Qin truly had no way to deal with her daughter. The girl had said last night that she wouldn't dare to see Liang Xiao again recently, yet the moment she heard he was coming to the camp to select soldiers in person, she couldn't help but nag her mother into bringing her to peek.

Zhongli Wanxue was watching with great interest when a familiar voice called out from behind. "Lady Qin, Wanxue, are you here to see the government make a fool of itself too?"

Zhongli Wanxue frowned. She turned around to see that it was the eldest son of the Wu family, Wu Ping.

"Young Master Wu, although our families have some business dealings, I will emphasize again: my family and I are not close to you at all. Please do not act so familiar."

Faced with Zhongli Wanxue’s blunt rebuke, Wu Ping was at a loss. As the greatest beauty in Xuzhou, her fame had spread far and wide, and he had long since marked her as his future wife. Since the Wu family was a major merchant clan in Pei County on par with the Zhongli family, he had previously called her this way with a thick skin, and even if she kept him at a distance, she had at least maintained some social etiquette and wouldn't give him a cold shoulder in public. Why was she now so cold as frost?

"My apologies, it was my lack of manners..." Wu Ping smiled awkwardly. He looked up and saw the mother and daughter walking toward a quieter spot to watch the platform.

Four strong men were carrying the largest tripod in Wu Town—the Wu Tripod—cautiously up the stairs to the platform. Halfway up, the thick hemp rope suddenly snapped. Amidst the gasps of the crowd, the tripod, weighing several hundred pounds, rolled down the stairs.

"Forgive us, Magistrate!" the four men knelt in terror.

The crowd began to whisper. Wu Ping was overjoyed and laughed aloud, "Magistrate! The Wu Tripod cannot mount the stage; it is an ominous sign! It shows that your warmongering is not blessed by the Gaozu Emperor!"

The onlookers from the Wu family and other noble houses followed suit, and for a moment, the crowd was filled with panic. Zhongli Wanxue couldn't help but glare at Wu Ping, looking at the high platform with worry, wondering how to refute him.

Liang Xiao remained calm and composed. He walked down the platform and signaled for everyone to step back. Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, Liang Xiao grabbed the Wu Tripod with both hands and heaved it upward with a mighty effort, shifting it to one hand. The massive tripod was lifted by him with a single hand, and he walked straight back up the platform!!

In an instant, a roar like a tidal wave erupted from the entire crowd!