Li Jing shouted, and the villagers under the big locust tree suddenly quieted down. Hundreds of eyes kept staring at Li Jing's figure, watching with bated breath as he put his hand into the clay pot, and then clenched his fist and stretched it back.

"Open it up, have you drawn it?" The surrounding villagers were even more anxious than Li Jing, and urged loudly beside them.

Li Jing stretched out his clenched fist in front of everyone and slowly opened it.

"Ahh It's white, I didn't get it! There was a burst of exclamations, some of which were happy for Li Jing and celebrated that he had been exempted from the errand of drawing Ding to enlist in the army. But some people sighed a little disappointed, after all, although only ten of the 158 pebbles in the clay pot were dyed with ink, if Li Jing drew one dyed ink, they would have one more chance to avoid drawing ink-dyed stones to enlist in the army.

The morning breeze blew, Li Jing looked at the gray pebble in his hand, but he was secretly disappointed in his heart. No one else wanted to be a soldier, he wanted to go, but he couldn't get it.

Everyone talked about it, but for a while, no one went up to touch the stones and draw lots.

The officer with the sword, who had been half-closing his eyes under the tree, suddenly raised his eyes and looked Li Jing up and down with interest.

This time, it was the unity soldiers who were recruited rather than the official officers who were recruited, and the unity soldiers were not separated from production for a long time in the local army, also known as regimental training, soil towns, and soil regiments. It began to be set up in the Tang Dynasty, and it was widely set up in the time of Wu Zetian. The united soldiers were led by the regimental training envoys, and at this time in the late Tang Dynasty, most of the regimental training envoys were concurrently served by the state assassins.

Returning to agriculture in spring and summer, and chasing in autumn and winter, this is the unity of soldiers.

Unity soldiers are recruited into the army by the local government and are not registered in the regular army; they are given personal rations and pickles during their service; they are assisted in the defense of the territory or cooperate with the war; they are not separated from production for a long time, and they are repatriated to their hometowns immediately after the end of their military missions.

Although the imperial court made many detailed regulations on the recruitment and repatriation of unity soldiers, by this time, most of the central imperial court decrees were basically out of shape. Originally, when the local defense was tight, the local government would levy and distribute them according to a certain percentage, and they also had to provide rations and pickles. Moreover, these united soldiers are only responsible for the defense of the local territory, and are not separated from production for a long time. They gather in autumn and winter every year, and return home to agriculture in spring and summer. But now, everything has changed. Nominally, the solidarity army was summoned, but in reality it was similar to that of a mercenary. Often, once recruited, they can't return for several years, and even in addition to assisting in defense, they also have to go to the battlefield to fight.

In some places, the united soldiers are not as good as the officials below the feudal towns, and the united soldiers have no food and salary when they fight, and are only responsible for basic food and pickles. Weapons and armor are all provided by themselves, and the service time is indefinite. They are similar to the government soldiers in the early Tang Dynasty, but they do not have the corresponding treatment of the government soldiers. This kind of solidarity gradually evolved into a kind of military service, and the people were terrified of this kind of military service.

Recruited to work as an official in various feudal towns, as well as food and salary, it can be regarded as a way to eat. But being a solidarity soldier is free, which is completely similar to hard labor.

The officer had been in the army for many years, and he had also been to several villages this time to recruit solidarity soldiers, and those people were all terrified once they were drawn, and some even knelt down in tears and begged for forgiveness. And those who didn't win the lottery couldn't help but be overjoyed.

Only the young man in front of him was very calm. No one was willing to come forward before, and he took the initiative to be the first to draw lots, without half a bit of nervousness and worry. When he was lucky not to win, he didn't show the slightest bit of excitement. This young man is too calm, and he has the temperament of Tarzan collapsing in front of him without changing his face. Seeing that he is young and strong, he has a good temperament, and I heard that he is still a township tribute who has obtained the qualification for the imperial examination. It would be great if such a person could be included in his command, but unfortunately, he didn't draw it.

"Next!" Seeing that no one stepped forward, the old village chief Wang shouted with difficulty.

"I'm coming!" Wang Xiaoshi, who was from the Wang blacksmith's family, ran forward with excitement on his face and put his hand into the clay pot.

"I won the lottery, and it was dyed with ink. I'm going to be a soldier, and I've been selected. Wang Xiaoshi spread out his palm, and a pitch-black pebble lay in the palm of his hand. He shouted excitedly, as if he had plans to join the army like Li Jing.

Li Jing had a lot of thoughts in his heart and returned to his family. The whole family gathered around, looking excitedly at the gray pebble in Li Jing's hand. They don't want Li Jing to draw ink-dyed pebbles, there is only one man left in the family, Li Jing, and then he is taken to be a soldier, what can this family do.

Whether they wanted to or didn't want to, one after another the villagers stepped forward and felt a stone.

Some people are happy and some are worried, and the family who didn't touch the dyed ink stone smiled happily, and when they got it, their faces were gloomy and they sighed again and again. Li Jing noticed that not only did the small stone draw the ink-dyed pebbles, but Wang Liang also drew one, and the old village chief also drew a ink-dyed stone.

Wang Liang held the black stone and his face was extremely ugly, and he had the idea of swallowing the pebble in one bite. Seeing his expression, Li Jing suddenly felt a lot more relaxed.

The scribe had already registered the ten households that had been drawn with the ink-dyed stones, and said loudly: "The lottery has ended, one hundred and fifty-eight households in Wangli Village, fifteen households will draw one ding, a total of ten dings." Now, the ten households drawn immediately pack up their things, and the ten drawn in the afternoon must leave for Penglai, the Dengzhou Governor's Office. When the ugly story comes to the front, when noon comes, whoever draws a member who dares not to do it will be hanged for the crime of desertion, and the whole family will be exiled for 3,000 miles. ”

When a few families heard this, they immediately began to cry, and there was a noise under the community tree.

"Silence, what are you crying about? It is your luck and your creation to be a soldier, and if you really want to kill the enemy on the battlefield and make meritorious contributions, it is indispensable to get rich and promoted to an official at that time. In addition, one horse is required for every two dings, and no horse, donkey or mule is fine. In addition, you must bring your own weapons and armor. If you don't have it, you can get it from the barracks after going to Penglai, but you need to pay 20,000 yuan per person for a full set of equipment. ”

As soon as these words came out, the people who were drawn to Ding below were even more gloomy. All the families in this village are peasant households, how can they have weapons and armor ready for Lu. If you can't get a weapon or armor, you have to pay twenty dollars, isn't it fatal.

Several families had begun to cry to the clerk and the old village chief.

"Listen to me finish, listen to me finish." The goatee scribe tried his best to appease the people, and said anxiously: "The above has already taken this issue into account, and there is an order from above, and there is no need to bear anything else." All the horses, donkeys, weapons and armor and other equipment are equally borne by the other families in the village who have not been drawn. ”

After saying this sentence, the other people who were still a little happy that they were lucky were also stunned for a moment.

Those who are drawn will be paid, and those who are not drawn will be paid.

Wang Li Village draws ten people, needs five horses and donkeys, and if all the armor is converted into money, it will cost 200,000 yuan. The 200,000 yuan had to be borne equally by the remaining 148 households, and each family had to bear 1,351 yuan.

1,350 yuan is not all, but five horses and donkeys must be added, and even if all donkeys are used, one donkey will at least cost a lot of money. In the early years, when fighting rice for 20 wen, a horse got 10,000 and a cow got 5,000. At present, there are 200 yuan of rice, although there are reasons for the shortage of grain, but the price of rice has skyrocketed, and it has also led to the soaring price of other prices. Originally, the price of a donkey was more than 1,000 to 2,000, but now it has skyrocketed almost three times, and a donkey is at least 6,000 yuan. The five donkeys add up to 30,000 yuan, and if they are distributed to each family, they will add another 200 yuan.

More than 1,500 dollars, most of them can still take it out, but the Li family really can't take it out at all.

Just after a moment of joy, everyone in the Li family fell into a cloud of gloom.

PS: Finally changed to a signing state, are you willing to reward one or two yuan to stand in a team!