#141: The Conscription

“Every man who takes a wife or concubine makes such promises. Yet every year, even every day, there are women abandoned by their husbands. A main wife might still have some recourse—she can appeal to the elders of the clan for justice in the ancestral hall. But a concubine… doesn’t even have the right to step foot inside the ancestral hall!”

“You and Caiping still have decades ahead of you. Can you guarantee your feelings will never change? That even if countless people whisper ill of Caiping in your ear, you’ll still believe in her and cherish her as you do now?”

Faced with Yunyi’s words, Li Xuanba was left speechless. After a long pause, he finally said, “I can’t promise what will happen so far into the future, but I swear that I’ll do everything in my power to treat Caiping well because she’s the first woman I’ve ever truly liked!”

To Li Xuanba’s declaration, Yunyi responded with a soft sigh. “Third Young Master, if you truly care for Caiping, let her go. With her background, if she were to marry into a prestigious family like the Lis… she would surely suffer greatly. You like Caiping because of her smile, her innocent and carefree nature. But if she stays by your side, sooner or later, all of that will be worn away. Is that what you want to see?”

Li Xuanba struggled to find words to counter Yunyi’s argument, but to his dismay, he found none. Helplessly, he could only watch as they walked away.

Along the way, Yunyi consoled Jiang Caiping a few more times. Seeing that the latter seemed fine, she turned back toward Shuangqiao Village. As soon as she entered the village, something felt off. In the past, whenever villagers recognized her, they would greet her warmly. But today, no one along the road acknowledged her presence. Occasionally, when she greeted acquaintances, they merely nodded in response, their faces heavy with worry.

The villagers’ demeanor worried Yunyi about Wu Laosan. She quickened her pace toward home. Fortunately, Wu Laosan was the same as always—his face lighting up with joy upon seeing her return. While skinning a wild rabbit, he said, “Are you tired from the journey? If so, sit down. I’ll finish this soon.” Then, recalling something, he added, “By the way, I caught two pheasants yesterday. When you leave, remember to take them to Second Young Master.”

“I know,” Yunyi replied as she fetched clean water for Wu Laosan. She then asked about the strange atmosphere in the village today. Wu Laosan sighed deeply. “It’s said that the Emperor is preparing to campaign against Goguryeo again and has ordered the conscription of soldiers and laborers. In every county, any able-bodied man within the required age range must be conscripted. Once they go, there’s no guarantee they’ll return alive. Naturally, everyone is extremely worried.”

Yunyi frowned. “Didn’t we just fight Goguryeo last year? Why are we doing it again this year?”

Wu Laosan shook his head. “Exactly! Year after year, wars and conscriptions. How are we supposed to live? I heard that Sister Fang next door has been crying day and night; her eyes are almost blinded from grief. If it weren’t for the fact that our household consists of just you and me, exempt from the conscription, I’d be too worried to eat or sleep.” He continued, “Ever since this emperor ascended the throne, life has become increasingly difficult for us common folk. In the past, at least they’d draft one out of ten or five households. Now, every household must provide someone. Soon, all the counties and towns will be left with only the elderly, women, and children. What are we to do? Back in the old days, people used to celebrate the birth of a son. Now, everyone fears it. Why? Because they worry their sons will be forcibly conscripted once they grow up.”

Listening to Wu Laosan criticize Emperor Yang, Yunyi felt an indescribable sadness. She weakly defended him, saying, “The Emperor doesn’t intend to make life hard for the people. It’s just that Goguryeo keeps threatening our borders. To ensure the stability of the empire, he has no choice but to launch repeated campaigns. Once Goguryeo submits to our Great Sui, there will be no need for further invasions.”

“No further invasions?” Wu Laosan snorted, oblivious to Yunyi’s inner turmoil. “That’s wishful thinking. Even if we stop fighting Goguryeo, there’ll always be something else—some other enemy or project. Whether it’s digging another great canal or building another grand palace, this emperor will never let us live in peace. Otherwise, why would there be so many…” He lowered his voice. “Rebellions.”

“In truth… the Emperor isn’t as bad as you say. Many things he doesn’t even know about—it’s the corrupt officials beneath him who deceive him and harm the nation.” Despite her words, Yunyi’s tone lacked conviction, clearly doubting her own arguments. Sure enough, Wu Laosan remarked, “If it were minor matters, I’d believe he didn’t know. But this is war! How could the Emperor not know? And what about those massive construction projects—the canals, the palaces, the increased taxes? Does he really know nothing? Take our family, for example. Most of the harvest from our fields goes to taxes. What’s left isn’t enough to eat. If I didn’t hunt game in the mountains and you didn’t work at the Taishou’s mansion, we wouldn’t even have enough to survive.”

“Believe me, the Emperor must have his reasons for doing these things.” Yunyi’s defense drew a puzzled look from Wu Laosan. “Girl, what’s gotten into you today? Why are you defending that emperor?”

Yunyi forced a laugh. “I’m not defending him. I’m just voicing my thoughts. After all, the capital is so far away. There’s much we don’t understand.”

Wu Laosan didn’t press further, merely sighing. “In any case, I’ve come to realize this: as long as this emperor reigns, we’ll never have a single day of peace.”

After a brief silence, Yunyi asked, “Isn’t the Taishou known for his benevolence? Hasn’t he said anything about this matter?”

Wu Laosan gave a bitter smile. “What can the Taishou say? He’s only a subject. When the Emperor gives an order, how can he disobey? However, I’ve heard that the Taishou has pleaded on behalf of the people. Originally, all men of eligible age were to be conscripted, but now each household need only send one. Even so, this is still devastating for those families.”

After a moment of silence, Yunyi asked, “Is there no other way?”

“What other way is there? Unless you’re wealthy enough to pay your way out of the conscription quota. I heard that the Du family…” Wu Laosan glanced at Yunyi. Seeing no reaction, he continued, “The Du family did just that. But even so, their once-prosperous household is now nearly depleted. And even paying won’t help if your name is already recorded by the officials responsible for the conscription. Once it’s written down, no amount of silver can erase it—you must go.”

Knock knock knock! A knocking sound came from outside. Opening the door, they found Sister Fang from next door. Without waiting for Wu Laosan to speak, she rushed in with red, swollen eyes, grabbing Yunyi’s hand and pleading through tears, “Meixue, you work at the Taishou’s mansion. Please, can you beg for mercy on our behalf? Don’t let them conscript my son! He’s my only child. If anything happens to him, how will I survive?”