Chapter 25: Zhang Jiawen’s Trap

The old camp was managed by military officers, but even though Lin Shize had arrived bearing the orders of the Assistant Regional Commander, the man was nowhere to be seen. Lin had no interest in seeking him out.

Watching Wang Li talk to a group of soldiers in the tent, Lin observed them eyeing him with wary caution. When Wang Li produced the silver, their eyes lit up. Lin Shize knew he would likely survive tomorrow's ordeal.

He had sensed something amiss the moment he received Zhang Jiawen’s orders. Being tasked with selecting soldiers from the old camp was clearly a trap, especially with a quota of one thousand men. He suspected Zhang intended to use his failure to assemble the unit as an excuse to discipline him. His own veiled criticism in the command tent had undoubtedly infuriated Zhang. The plan was likely to crush his spirit before “entrusting” him with a major mission—the classic "carrot and stick" approach favored by corrupt officials.

But Lin Shize was no fool; he was a man who didn't suffer fools lightly. He wouldn't fall for such a transparent scheme. If he could gather enough men tonight, he could handle whatever came tomorrow.

Lin instructed Liu Wu to borrow two large sacks of copper coins from Sun Zheng, then set up a few battered tables. The strange behavior drew onlookers from the other soldiers in the camp, but Lin ignored their prying gazes as Wang Li brought his recruits forward.

"Everyone, line up!" Lin shouted. "Write down your place of origin, age, length of service, number of battles fought, and any enemy heads taken. Those who stay to serve under me will receive a reward."

At the mention of bounty money, the men swarmed forward in a chaotic mess, all talking at once about their supposed bravery in battle. One idiot even stripped off his shirt to flex his muscles, making Lin’s eye twitch.

Liu Wu was prepared for this; he knew exactly what kind of people these old camp soldiers were. He brought his horse whip down on them with a crack, ignoring their wails. "Did you not hear the Captain?!" Liu barked. "Line up and stand straight!"

Lin waited for them to organize before beginning the registration and handing out the coins. These hardened rogues needed to be taught discipline first. Each man received only fifty copper coins, yet they were already showering Lin with gratitude. They were, in essence, beggars.

Wang Li had promised them pay and full rations, which was why they had come running. Pitiful people always have their hateful aspects, and hateful people always carry tragic burdens. Many of these men had been cast into the old camp for violating military law or other reasons. In times of war, they were destined to be cannon fodder; if they survived, they simply withered away in the camp, with no hope of advancement.

Once everyone was assembled, Lin stood on a table and addressed them: "Look at me. I am the sucker who doesn't embezzle your pay and actually gives you rewards."

As soon as he finished, sycophantic praise rose from the crowd. Lin grabbed a handful of coins from a bag and threw them into the throng—those who were quick-witted enough to flatter him deserved a bonus. "As long as you follow me and obey my commands, I guarantee everyone will have food to eat and silver in their pockets."

A veteran at the front knelt with a thud. "Captain," he pleaded, "I’ve seen combat and I’m willing to die for this. Please, find a way for my family to survive. We haven't had grain or pay for half a year; my kin are near death."

Hearing this, others knelt as well, begging Lin for mercy. They didn't ask for feasts or fine clothes; they only wanted enough to keep their families from starving, promising that they would die on the battlefield without complaint. Their eyes shone with a flicker of hope as they looked at him.

The sudden turn of events caught Lin off guard. Thousands of mouths to feed—the daily consumption of grain alone was no small matter. He couldn't sustain so many people yet. Fearing Lin might let his kindness get the better of him, Liu Wu pointed at the soldiers and cursed, "You ungrateful whelps! The Captain is kind enough to give you a meal, and you want him to feed your entire families too?"

The soldiers lowered their heads in silence. The Captain was already generous for paying them at all; they couldn't ask for more.

Lin raised a hand to silence Liu Wu. "We need to plan this carefully," he told the men. "Thousands of people is a heavy burden." He turned to his lieutenants. "Liu Wu, Wang Li, discuss this with the brothers later, and we will decide how to proceed. Right now, we don't even have a place to stay, and bringing families here would only cause them more suffering."

He looked back at the troops. "I am going to be in trouble tomorrow morning, and if I fall, no one will care about these matters. We are all in the same boat now. If you want to survive this, you must make me look good tomorrow morning. Get your gear ready, wash your clothes, and show the Assistant Regional Commander what you are made of. If he’s pleased, he might reward us with grain, and then your families can finally have a full meal."

With that, Lin retreated to his tent to plot for the coming day.

Shortly after he left, Liu Wu and Wang Li were surrounded by soldiers asking who this new commander really was. Liu Wu recounted Lin’s heroic feats while urging everyone to clean their gear. Deep into the night, the camp was a hive of activity. Some boiled water to wash their uniforms, while others took up rusted swords from corners to polish them. Inspired by Liu’s stories, the men were filled with vigor; in these chaotic times, one had to follow a capable leader to have any hope of a good life.

The night faded, the darkness retreating like ink thinning in water. The eastern horizon began to brighten, a pale gray like water spreading on rice paper, or the translucent clarity of an egg white just peeled from its shell.

Lin had Liu Wu prepare breakfast. Once they had eaten, the men gathered in the open space to drill. To Liu Wu, the routine was familiar, as he had only recently undergone it himself. The other soldiers in the camp watched them like fools; drilling in this weather was pure madness. They figured this was just another new officer with a bit of misplaced zeal, and that within a few days, he would realize that the men of the old camp were only fit for rotting away, not for the battlefield.

The jeers of the onlookers did not affect Lin in the least. He continued to lead the training, indifferent to their mockery. Liu Wu was equally unbothered; to him, the others in the old camp were nothing but curs. A lion does not care for the barking of dogs.

One thousand soldiers moved in unison, their long swords flashing in time with Lin's commands. An hour later, the entire old camp fell into an eerie silence. Lin, Liu Wu, and the thousand soldiers stood in formation, perfectly still.

Zhang Jiawen stood directly before them, a smile on his face. Behind him sat a basket of fresh, bloody heads, still steaming in the morning air—they had been severed only a short time before.