Chapter 1740 - 1726
Little Shunzi let out a long sigh of relief after leaving the Old Mansion; he had finally freed himself from there! If it weren’t for the task he had, living here and enjoying life would have been pretty nice, but unfortunately, this period of staying at the Beggar Gang was really stifling!
If he stayed any longer, he would really break down. Luckily, he was clever today and found an excuse to get out.
Little Shunzi looked up at the sky. The sky was very blue today, and the weather was exceptionally good, so much so that the sunlight made it hard to open his eyes.
He spread his arms wide, wanting to shout out loud and vent—what a relief! That feeling made him feel like the stone pressing on his chest was suddenly gone; it felt so good!
But just as he was enjoying the relief, a familiar figure suddenly flashed before his eyes.
"Little Shunzi!"
Ye Liang looked at him coolly, "Where are you going?"
Little Shunzi’s heart skipped a beat. He looked at Ye Liang nervously and said, "Lady Ye, hasn’t our business already ended?"
"Ended?" Ye Liang raised an eyebrow, "Who told you it’s over?"
Little Shunzi suddenly felt like he had fallen into an ice cellar, his whole body turned cold. He had just felt the afterglow of joy, and now they’re telling him it’s not over yet?
At this moment, Little Shunzi’s mood was one of collapse; he didn’t want to do such nerve-wracking things anymore!
To be honest, it’s the first time he’s done something crazy like this. Every time he went to report to Ye Liang, he was on edge, knowing that although his actions didn’t directly harm Chu Ge, surveillance itself was a very bad thing.
He looked at Ye Liang with resistance written all over his face and said, "Lady Ye, I beg you, please let me go. If you really make me join the army, it would take at least three years for me to come back, right?"
For Ye Liang, three years didn’t seem like much, but for him, it was a torturous time. A careless moment, and he might die on the battlefield, and by then, he didn’t want his bones to be nowhere to be found!
"Little Shunzi, three years in the army is also a good exercise for you, isn’t it?"
Ye Liang curved her lips slightly, "Besides, I’ve checked you out before I found you. Although you still have family at home, you are not close to them, and coupled with your idle lifestyle, you haven’t done anything heinous, but you have no skills, and people around look down on you."
Her last sentence hit Little Shunzi’s sore spot. He pressed his lips tightly and stood there without speaking.
Ye Liang was right. He was indeed not well regarded back at home. People his age either had skills or went out to make money. Only he, lacking in both, couldn’t earn a living, and people with skills were many back there, so many looked down on him for idly staying home and not bringing in money.
This is also one of the reasons why Little Shunzi helped Ye Liang to monitor Chu Ge for money; the money Ye Liang offered him was something he couldn’t earn in years.
But this kind of life made him really stifled; he wanted to refuse, his heart instinctively resisted it.
"Actually, if you don’t want to accept it, it’s fine."
Ye Liang said calmly, "You can go back home and continue to be bullied and scorned by those around you. Your family would still be looked down upon by others."
As she spoke, she walked beside Little Shunzi.
Today was the first day of conscription; many dignitaries would be there, and there would be performances and dances, so lively that everyone would gather, leaving almost no one else around.
Little Shunzi, thinking of calling for help, realized no one would come to save him. "But if I join the army, wouldn’t that mean..."
What if he doesn’t come back alive?
Ye Liang looked at Little Shunzi, who looked terribly afraid of death, and shook her head slightly, "You just join the army, don’t worry, I’ll have my father arrange it so that you won’t go to the battlefield."
Little Shunzi looked at Ye Liang suspiciously. Soldiers who don’t go to the battlefield?
Are there such soldiers?
"Cooks, those who make fires and cook, or those who escort supplies, these soldiers don’t have to go to the battlefield!"
Ye Liang looked at his somewhat drowsy face, looking a bit tempted, and continued speaking, "No matter what you do in the army, as long as you enlist, when you return after three years, you’ll be the hero of your village. There should have been others in your village who joined the army, right? You should clearly know what treatment they receive now."
Little Shunzi remained silent; Ye Liang was right. There were people from his village who joined the army before, and after they returned, not only did they receive excellent treatment, but they also got a lot of benefits every year, and the gaze of the influential people on them changed obviously.
To be honest, Little Shunzi’s heart wavered. He stayed silent for quite a while before looking up at Ye Liang and asked, "Can you really ensure my safety during those three years of service?"
Ye Liang’s eyes carried an inexplicable emotion. She didn’t know what to say, but if it were in modern times, someone like Little Shunzi wouldn’t be fit to be her partner, and she looked down upon people who were cowardly.
But now, things were different. She couldn’t measure people here by the old standards. Little Shunzi was a common person, his fear of death was understandable and only human, but even when it comes to joining the army, he shrank back, something indeed rare in ancient times.
In her heart, she really despised him a bit. Although she despised him, she still needed Little Shunzi’s help; she even started to despise herself a little.
"I will try my best to arrange things for you so that you don’t have to worry about your life."
With Ye Liang’s assurance, Little Shunzi reluctantly nodded, "Alright, I’ll go sign up."
The conscription scene at this moment was bustling.
When Little Shunzi and Ye Liang got there, Prince He Shuo had just finished speaking and was joking with Luo Qi and others.
From a distance, Ye Liang saw Ru Xue standing beside Prince He Shuo, she was dressed in resplendent luxurious attire, looking dignified, gorgeous, and extremely beautiful on the surface.
This was the first time Prince He Shuo appeared with the Princess Consort in public. Before, Ye Liang had heard rumors that Princess He Shuo was not treated well in the Prince Manor, but from the looks of it now, those rumors seemed fake.
"Lady Ye, the conscription registration is over there, I’ll head over first,"
Little Shunzi said to Ye Liang.
Ye Liang looked at the long queue on the other side, like a giant dragon, nodded slightly, and said, "Okay, go ahead."
"Lady Ye..." Little Shunzi looked at her with some concern, "Please don’t forget your promise to me."
Ye Liang slightly frowned, "Don’t worry, I will do it!"
Having received Ye Liang’s assurance once more, Little Shunzi finally joined the queue...