Chapter Forty-Three: Recruitment Matters

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while, and then Liu Zhian, somewhat curious, asked, “May I ask what brings Commander Chen to Qingyuan County today?”

At last, they had reached the heart of the matter!

Hearing this, Chen Qingzhi straightened, his spirits lifted, and he replied with a smile, “To be honest, there’s something I must trouble you with, County Magistrate Liu.”

“Please, Commander Chen, speak freely. If there’s any way I can be of help, I will do my utmost,” Liu Zhian replied congenially.

“You must already know that my troops have just returned from the battlefield in Nanjing, where we suffered heavy losses. We’re left with barely two hundred men. Thanks to the Generalissimo’s trust, my unit has now been expanded into an independent brigade. However, we find ourselves desperately short of manpower.”

“That is why I have come to Qingyuan, hoping to set up a few recruitment stations in the county. I would appreciate your help in spreading the word among the people, so we can replenish our ranks as quickly as possible.”

“That’s easily arranged. I’ll have my staff see to it at once,” Liu Zhian answered with obvious relief, agreeing readily.

When he first heard that Chen Qingzhi had a request, Liu Zhian feared it would be about collecting military funds—a prospect that had put him on edge for quite some time.

Qingyuan County was suffering from extreme poverty; the people were barely surviving as it was, and there was simply no way to extract more taxes from them.

This matter had left Liu Zhian anxious and uneasy, afraid of offending the commander.

Now that he learned it was only about recruitment, the burden in his heart was instantly lifted, and he agreed without hesitation.

With the main business settled, both men felt a weight lifted from their shoulders. Liu Zhian, in particular, was visibly more at ease, and Chen Qingzhi relaxed as well.

“Commander Chen, your visit to our humble county today has not been as well received as I would have wished. Though Qingyuan is poor, we can still offer simple fare and rough tea. Allow me, as the local host, to extend my hospitality—would you do me the honor?” Liu Zhian said with a smile.

“How could I refuse?” Chen Qingzhi replied readily, nodding his acceptance.

It was just a meal, after all, and Chen Qingzhi was happy to show Liu Zhian this courtesy.

Besides, for the foreseeable future, recruiting would require Liu Zhian’s support as county magistrate. Sharing a meal to strengthen their relationship was only wise.

Since ancient times, in China, it has been customary to discuss important matters over the dinner table.

After several rounds of wine and a full tasting of the dishes, the two men finalized the recruitment arrangements and developed a deeper rapport. Satisfied, they parted ways.

———

Liu Zhian took Chen Qingzhi’s request to heart. After the meal, he went straight back to the county office and issued the necessary orders.

News of Security Corps Commander Hei Kui’s execution had already spread throughout the county administration. Everyone knew that Hei Kui had been summarily dealt with by an outsider, a regular army brigade commander, and that this commander had a close relationship with the magistrate.

In the past, Liu Zhian’s subordinates might have paid lip service to his orders, but now, all thoughts of defiance were gone.

With Hei Kui’s death, Liu Zhian was now the most powerful figure in Qingyuan County. Anyone who dared oppose him at such a time would be like a foolish immortal seeking death, not even knowing how they met their end.

They had all heard that not two hours after Hei Kui’s demise, the entire Security Corps had been disarmed by a detachment of regular troops.

It was said that some of Hei Kui’s diehard followers had tried to resist, only to be bombarded by artillery, leaving not a single survivor.

More than a hundred men had fled, weeping and begging for mercy on their knees.

When county officials were later sent to clean up, many vomited at the sight of the carnage; the scene was unimaginably grisly.

Even thinking back on it now filled them with dread.

For those who had seen battle, such things were nothing new, but for the county officials—most of whom had never set foot on a battlefield—the blood and gore turned their faces pale, and one even wet himself in terror.

Therefore, everyone at the county office now obeyed Liu Zhian without question.

His orders were carried out as the highest priority, so by the very next morning, recruitment notices were posted throughout every corner of the county seat.

When the people woke up, they saw the notices near their homes, and police were beating gongs and drums in the streets to publicize the news. In no time, everyone in the county knew that Chen Qingzhi’s Independent Mixed Brigade was recruiting.

“So it's just recruitment! These soldiers are useless at fighting the Japanese, but they’re all too good at bullying common folk. Erlang, you mustn’t be foolish enough to join them!” a middle-aged woman scoffed, turning to the young man at her side.

“Don’t worry, Mother, I wouldn’t go near those troops,” the youth replied, nodding.

There was no affection for the army among them.

In these troubled times, with soldiers and bandits everywhere, whenever large forces passed through, they left nothing but devastation.

Many units, lacking discipline, would steal, extort, and oppress the people wherever they went.

Some irregular troops, desperate for funds, would enter a region, demand taxes by force, and press-gang able-bodied men, earning the people’s deep resentment.

Under such circumstances, how could the common folk feel anything but animosity toward the military?

The woman’s words were met with nods of approval from the neighbors nearby—clearly, her opinion was widely shared.

But just then, an elderly man leaning on a cane, his eyes bright with excitement, turned to the woman and asked, “Are you talking about the Independent Mixed Brigade? Is their commander named Chen Qingzhi?”

“I think that’s the unit—something like that, anyway. I don’t quite remember the commander’s name, but it might be this Chen you mention,” she replied, then asked, puzzled, “Why do you ask?”

The old man slapped his hand on his cane, visibly moved. “That’s no ordinary unit! They’re the pride of our Republic!”

“How are they any different? Aren’t all these soldiers the same?”

“You don’t know. Lately, there’s been a remarkable unit from our Republic. On the battlefield in Nanjing, they fought to the last man, wiped out an entire Japanese regiment, and even killed a high-ranking enemy officer! It’s been a huge morale boost for our country. The newspapers are all talking about it,” the old man said, adjusting his spectacles.

He spoke with excitement, tinged with regret. “If it really is that unit, then it’s wonderful! What a pity I have no son of my own—otherwise, I’d send him to join them and fight the Japanese with all his might!”