Chapter Fifty-Five: The Model Village for Resistance Against Invaders

“Village Militia?”

Qin Zhen was a little surprised. Looking at Xu Xiang, who seemed so frail, he pondered for a moment.

“The conditions in the militia are rather harsh—not really suitable for you…”

“Don’t you always say women hold up half the sky? If a man can fight the enemy, so can I!” Xu Xiang’s eyes shone with unwavering resolve.

Qin Zhen fell silent for a moment before finally nodding.

“Report to Chen Shu tomorrow.”

“I’ll go right now.” As if afraid Qin Zhen would change his mind, Xu Xiang tossed out these words and left without looking back.

Just then, Li Han’s voice sounded from outside: “Zhen, Brother Liu is back!”

Liu Quan?

As he stepped outside, he saw Liu Quan in the distance, chatting with the old village chief at the entrance.

When he spotted Qin Zhen approaching, Liu Quan immediately ran over and punched him hard in the chest.

“Zhenzi, impressive! Took out over a hundred pirates without a word! I was planning to come back and help, but I didn’t expect you to be so incredible!”

Qin Zhen, clutching his chest, laughed. “What brought you back?”

“I wanted to see our great hero of the coastal county!” Liu Quan draped an arm over Qin Zhen’s shoulder, looking at him admiringly. “You have no idea—the whole county is talking about it! Go anywhere and ask, everyone’s giving our little fishing village a thumbs-up. I heard the magistrate himself is coming to commend you, our great hero!”

Before he finished speaking, a carriage appeared on the winding road in the distance, accompanied by many soldiers and a crowd of curious townsfolk.

County Magistrate Zhang Miao stepped down from the carriage, calling out immediately.

“Where are the heroes who fought off the pirates?”

Chief Constable Chen gave Qin Zhen a look, and the two quickly stepped forward.

“Your humble servant greets the magistrate!”

“Old Chen!” Zhang Miao grabbed the constable’s hand, his face beaming with delight. “You really gave me quite a surprise!”

Constable Chen replied solemnly, “To serve the magistrate and the court, your humble servant would give his life!”

Whatever he might have thought in his heart, his words were perfect for the occasion, greatly pleasing Zhang Miao.

“Magistrate, this is Qin Zhen, whom I mentioned to you,” the secretary Huang Jue intoned.

Zhang Miao had already noticed Qin Zhen. Despite being only sixteen, there was a certain depth in the boy’s gaze, as if he had seen much of the world. Especially those dark eyes, seemingly deferential at a glance, yet hiding a subtle coldness and calm.

It was the kind of restraint born from having seen bloodshed.

This one, he thought, is no ordinary youth.

“So, you’re the famous bear-slayer of our county!” Zhang Miao smiled kindly. The more he thought about how this young man had not only bested a bear but dared to stand against pirates, the more curious he grew.

“The people of your fishing village deserve great credit for driving off the pirates!”

“Your benevolence gave the people courage to resist. If anyone deserves credit, it is you, Magistrate,” Qin Zhen replied.

Zhang Miao was increasingly delighted by Qin Zhen’s tact.

“Tell me, what reward do you seek?”

“I have no wish for myself, only that you show compassion for those who fell in battle,” Qin Zhen answered with calm dignity.

At that moment, Zhang Miao noticed the white paper fluttering through the fishing village, signs of mourning for the dead.

“Magistrate, the village suffered heavy losses in this battle. How about exempting them from taxes and corvée for three months, so the people may recover?” Huang Jue suggested at just the right moment.

Three months—barely worth mentioning.

Qin Zhen knew the secretary was intentionally laying the groundwork for a more generous offer.

Sure enough, Zhang Miao’s eyes widened. “Three months? Hardly enough! From today, the fishing village shall be tax-free for three years! No corvée labor will be levied in that time!”

Three years’ tax was no small sum, especially in the depopulated coastal county—it was real money. And no corvée meant no conscription.

For the fishing village, it was an unmitigated boon.

“On behalf of all the elders and villagers, I thank you, Magistrate!”

The old village chief, waiting nearby, beamed at this news, his wrinkled face breaking into a wide grin. He could have danced for joy.

The taxes of the Great Shang were harsh and a heavy burden on the common folk. The head tax that Liu Juan once mentioned was just one example.

Now, with taxes lifted, the villagers could breathe easier. Even the abandoned land could be cultivated again.

“Your humble servant begs one more favor,” Qin Zhen said, bowing low. “Under Chief Constable Chen’s command, the villagers fought bravely, and though we won by luck, many died unarmed, cut down by pirate blades… I beg the magistrate to allow us a few of the captured Japanese swords for self-defense.”

The pirates could return at any time; Qin Zhen couldn’t rely on repeating the miracle with the repeating crossbow. He needed real weapons to arm the villagers.

“This…” Zhang Miao hesitated.

First, the Great Shang strictly regulated iron weapons; ordinary households were forbidden from keeping them. Second, the captured swords were government property, likely to be confiscated and tallied later.

If some were given to Qin Zhen, it would be hard to explain if officials from above came to check.

“Magistrate, I have a suggestion,” Huang Jue spoke up again. “The pirates may return at any time, and the county has too few soldiers to resist. Why not recruit local volunteers to form a militia?”

While it was true that commoners were banned from owning iron weapons, if the militia was officially sanctioned by the county, it would be perfectly reasonable for them to carry arms.

Qin Zhen was mildly surprised; he’d intended to use this very justification, not expecting Huang Jue to think along the same lines.

“It’s an excellent idea!” Zhang Miao’s eyes lit up.

He, too, feared the pirates’ return. Who could say when those accursed islanders would descend again?

Recruiting a militia would bolster defenses against the pirates, and since militiamen were not regular soldiers, it wouldn’t count as private conscription on Zhang Miao’s part.

However…

Organizing a militia required training and money, and that was a problem for Zhang Miao.

“Magistrate, there’s no need to worry about money. I can take responsibility for that,” Qin Zhen said considerately, as if reading Zhang Miao’s mind. “You’ve seen for yourself—our village lives by the sea, selling fish. The people are self-sufficient.”

Zhang Miao brightened, suddenly remembering his own share in the village’s fish trade.

In that case, all the militia needed was a proper name.

“In that case, I grant you permission to form the militia.”

Zhang Miao had no fear of the militia growing too powerful; unlike bandits, militiamen were ordinary folk with homes and families, people who needed to eat. Moreover, the fish trade in the village was dominated by Zhang Miao—Qin Zhen only got a tiny share. How many men could he possibly support?

On the contrary, letting Qin Zhen form the militia would both keep the pirates at bay and relieve the government of the burden of fighting bandits—the militia could handle that. As the fish business expanded, Zhang Miao would only profit more.

A win on all fronts—why not?

At this moment, Zhang Miao did not know that what Qin Zhen truly wanted was the official sanction itself.

“May I boldly ask, Magistrate, that you write an inscription and present a plaque proclaiming us a ‘Model Village in Resistance to the Pirates’? Such a gesture would honor your virtue and inspire the people of the county to join the fight!”

Zhang Miao was a scholar, and scholars prized their reputation.

Qin Zhen’s words struck directly at the magistrate’s heart.

When the imperial inspectors came in the future, wouldn’t they see his name lauded everywhere as a paragon of virtue?