My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

All three of them hesitated at that moment.

Xiao Heng's gaze passed over Lu Da, who looked hesitant, and over Zhou Laosi, who was lost in thought with his eyes down, before finally landing on Chen Jiao's face.

This was the person he understood the most deeply through simulations and investigations with Han Yong.

The weakest force, with many of its men being former saltworkers with families to support, were more like forced laborers than outlaws.

In Xiao Heng's view, the case involving him was not an intractable deadlock.

In times of chaos and when people are in need, those with principles, concerns, and who are backed into a corner are often more reliable than pure thugs.

"Chen Jiao".

Xiao Heng suddenly called out names.

"What are your concerns? Feel free to speak frankly."

Chen Jiao's body trembled slightly, and he suddenly looked up to meet Xiao Heng's gaze.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but then he choked back his words.

Concerns? Too many! The murders on his record, the burden of his elderly, weak, women and children, and... the fear of retribution from the Wang family.

At this moment, Han Yong could no longer stand it and suddenly spoke in a deep voice.

"Chen Jiao, do you have any men under your command who can draw a bow with a stone draw weight and hit their target every time within thirty paces? Do you have any men who can don armor, wield a halberd, and charge forward through a hail of arrows?"

Chen Jiao was taken aback, then nodded subconsciously.

"Yes...yes, back in the county..."

"Those are the troops we can use!"

Han Yong interrupted him, his words as sharp as a knife.

"What the supervisor wants are soldiers who can fight and obey orders, not your background."

These words were like a ray of light, illuminating the gloom in Chen Jiao's heart.

He looked at Han Yong, the military commander who came from the Beggar Army, and just like a few days ago, there was no contempt in his eyes.

Xiao Heng responded at the opportune moment, his tone becoming even clearer.

"Your past deeds might be a matter of concern under normal circumstances, but now that the barbarian cavalry is pressing in, in this extraordinary time, the most important thing is whether you can resist the enemy and defend the land, and whether you can obey orders. If you are willing to lead your troops to obey my military orders, all your past misdeeds, unless they are absolutely heinous, may be considered on a case-by-case basis, offset by wartime military merits or other mediation. This is not an empty promise!"

Chen Jiao's breathing suddenly became rapid; he understood.

"Military merits during wartime can be offset" and "mediation can be made at the discretion of the authorities"—this was practically opening a door that someone like him, burdened with guilt, had never dared to imagine before!

Zhou Laosi suddenly raised his eyelids and looked at Xiao Heng, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He hadn't expected this young supervisor to dare make such a flexible promise.

How much courage does this require, and how many obstacles do you need to overcome?

Lu Da scratched his bald head, seemingly understanding but not quite, but he took the words "fighting and making meritorious contributions" to heart, and his eyes brightened.

Chen Jiao suddenly clasped his hands in a fist and knelt down on the ground.

"Commander! Commander Han! I, Chen... am willing to lead my brothers and await your command! I only beg... I only beg the Commander to give my old brothers, my children who followed me, a way to survive!"

The atmosphere inside the tent changed abruptly with that kneel.

Lu Da stared wide-eyed at Chen Jiao, then at Xiao Heng, grunted in his throat, and finally clasped his hands in a fist salute. Although he did not kneel, his posture was already humbled.

"I...I! I'll take it as long as the rations and pay are enough!"

The pressure instantly shifted entirely to Zhou Laosi, who had not yet made a statement.

Zhou Laosi slowly stood up, bowed deeply to Xiao Heng, his tone still steady, but with a hint of caution.

"Supervisor, it is not that I, Zhou, intend to shirk responsibility, but the matter of the salt fields is deeply entrenched and involves a wide range of people. If we rashly switch sides, we may face immediate annihilation. Supervisor... are you truly confident that you can handle this?"

His question was extremely blunt, almost questioning Xiao Heng: Can you withstand the pressure from the Wang family?

Xiao Heng did not answer directly. Instead, he walked to the side of the tent wall, took down the "Northern Army" flag that was hanging there, turned around, and slammed the flag heavily on the ground!

"The Northern Army flag is here!"

"What I'm doing is under the orders of Governor Xie, for the purpose of resisting the barbarians and maintaining peace in the region! Any trouble will be borne by the Northern Army! Chief Zhou, do you still want to take a gamble and see if following this banner can secure a respectable future?"

The military flags fluttered in the firelight.

Zhou Laosi looked at the flag, then at Xiao Heng with his burning gaze, Chen Jiao kneeling on one knee with eyes full of expectation and determination, and Lu Da beside him, who seemed rough but had also made his choice.

He remained silent for a long time, then finally took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and bowed solemnly to the military flag and to Xiao Heng.

"In that case... I, Zhou, am willing to serve under Commander Cao Weiji and obey his orders."

"..."

The firelight inside the tent burned until dawn.

The discussions between the three men and Xiao Heng, Xu Xianzhi, and Han Yong gradually progressed from the initial showdown and statements to specific details.

The current number of personnel, equipment, preferred tactics, familiarity with the terrain, and even the approximate number and resettlement needs of each family member in each unit.

A secluded island by the sea, with its regular tides—where can one ambush, where is the best place to change one's luck...?

These seemingly trivial yet crucial pieces of information were gradually pieced together.

Xu Xianzhi remained seated slightly behind Xiao Heng, writing rapidly with his pen.

He would ask questions to clarify ambiguities and supplement information to categorize scattered pieces of information.

Sometimes they would calculate and whisper the approximate number of a certain grain ration or ship.

The clarity of their thinking and the orderliness of their reasoning made Chen, Jiao, and the other two, who originally didn't care much about such paperwork, take notice.

As daylight seeped through the gaps in the tent, the basic framework was complete.

Xiao Heng rubbed his temples, his face showing the fatigue of staying up all night, but his eyes were still clear.

He looked at Xu Xianzhi and pushed the stack of books covered in writing in front of him towards him.

"Zongwen, you are in charge of coordinating all the specific matters, including the follow-up communication with the three leaders, the initial compilation of the rosters for each department, and... the elderly and weak that you mentioned urgently need to be resettled."

Xu Xianzhi nodded in agreement.

"You have all witnessed Xu Zhuji's talent tonight. We can discuss the follow-up matters with him in detail. His words are just as I have said."

Chen, Jiao, and the other two quickly agreed. After that night, they no longer dared to underestimate this seemingly weak young chief clerk.

Xu Xianzhi turned to the three of them.

"After the three leaders return, please immediately follow the plan discussed tonight, restrain your troops, and take stock of personnel and supplies. Pay special attention to the number of family members. As for the five-day agreement and the placement of family members... Although Shangyu is not wealthy, it is located in eastern Zhejiang. You should be safe from the war for now. I can arrange a reliable fleet to send your families south in batches. All the passes along the way will be handled by the relevant documents."

"Shangyu?"

Zhou Laosi's eyes flickered.

"Could it be Shangyu County in Kuaiji Commandery?"

"That's right. My father is currently the magistrate of Shangyu County."

Xu Xianzhi said frankly.

Chen Jiao and Lu Da may not fully understand, but Zhou Laosi knew very well that to be able to settle one's family under the jurisdiction of a county magistrate, and even across prefectures, required not only personal connections but also real official influence.

The fact that Xu Xianzhi could raise this issue so casually suggests that his family's influence in Jiangdong is probably much deeper than he has revealed.

This dispelled most of the last lingering doubts in his mind.

"Master Xu will forever remember this great kindness!"

Chen Jiao was even more excited and was about to bow again, but Xu Xianzhi stopped him.

"It's our duty. It's already dawn. The three leaders have worked hard all night; please return early to make arrangements. At the latest, I will send someone with a token to contact you all to finalize the ship schedule and route for your families' southward migration. Remember, you must not speak of today's events!"

The three had no further objections and bid farewell to Xiao Heng, Han Yong, and Xu Xianzhi.

When I stepped out of the tent, the morning light was just beginning to break, and wisps of smoke were rising from the camp's cooking fires. The bugle call for drills had not yet sounded.

Chen Jiao glanced back at the central command tent, his heart filled with mixed emotions, but his steps were much firmer than when he came.

Lu Da yawned and muttered that he should hurry back to catch up on his sleep.

Zhou Laosi silently tucked the brief outline given to him by Xu Xianzhi into his pocket, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Inside the tent, Xiao Heng watched the three figures disappear into the morning mist and said to Han Yong.

"Commander Han, you should still send someone to keep a close watch, especially on any unusual movements from the other two families!"

"promise!"

Han Yong clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned around, and left the tent to make arrangements.

Only Xiao Heng and Xu Xianzhi remained.

"Just go for it!"

Xiao Heng looked at Xu Xianzhi.

"If you need my intervention or to use the Northern Prefecture's name, please report it immediately."

Xu Xianzhi nodded.

"Rest assured, Superintendent, this matter will be handled properly; it marks the beginning of our foothold in the East China Sea!"

Xiao Heng walked to the edge of the tent, lifted a corner, and looked out at the gradually awakening camp and the Tanxian city wall shrouded in the morning mist in the distance.

The first step was taken, albeit with difficulty.

But the real test may have just begun.