March 20th.
The conscription order stipulates that everyone must report to the County Captain's Office by early April.
The emperor's decree is hard to defy. After days of discussion, the villagers of Jinliu Village all selected those from their families who needed to serve in the military.
That day, Shen Wenxing, returning from the Martial Arts Hall in town, received the concrete news.
Zhang Bin had agreed to take him in as a personal guard and was also willing to take Zhao Jinhua under his command as a soldier.
He shared the news with Zhao Jinhua, and the two brothers immediately packed their bags, ready to report to the County Captain's Mansion.
At the farewell, families from both households personally escorted them to the village entrance.
Zhao Jinhua's wife, holding a child still in swaddling clothes, wept bitterly.
"Why cry, I'm not going off to die!"
