Li Sheng's announcement was still echoing in the courtyard when Lin Siniang steadily picked up the wooden box containing the broomcorn millet seedlings.
She did not ask a single question. She merely tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and turned to look at Xu Zhan.
Without a word, Xu Zhan grabbed his long sword with one hand and strode forward to lead the way.
The Office of Agricultural Colonies, a department under the Zhenbei City Commander's Mansion, was located on a quiet side street in the west of the city.
As soon as the two arrived before the mottled vermilion doors of the government office, they saw a row of people already standing on the steps.
Leading them was the head of the office, Clerk Wang.
The man was in his forties, wearing a washed-out blue official uniform with neat patches on the cuffs. He had a round, amiable face that seemed built for welcoming wealth.
Seeing Xu Zhan and Lin Siniang approach, Clerk Wang immediately led a group of minor officials down the steps. From three paces away, he offered a deep bow, his waist bent so low it nearly touched his knees.
"I am Wang Youcai, head of the Office of Agricultural Colonies. Greetings, Hundred-Man Commander Xu, and greetings to... Commissioner Lin."
Clerk Wang's greeting was flawless. His face was piled with a smile of utmost reverence and trepidation, and even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes exuded respect.
He completely avoided the word widow. After standing up, his gaze circled over Lin Siniang's left ribs, which were bound with splints.
He then let out a long sigh and spoke with a face full of pity.
"The Imperial Envoy is truly merciful to make an exception and promote a delicate woman like Madam Lin!"
"It is just that the Hetao region is plagued by harsh winds and bitter cold. Even rough men like us would lose a layer of skin if we went there."
"Madam Lin is still bearing injuries. If you go, I truly sweat with worry for you."
These words sounded compassionate, but in reality, every syllable was a veiled mockery implying that a woman had no place in such a domain.
Lin Siniang's face remained calm.
She knew that the soft blades wielded in government offices could kill without drawing blood, far more effectively than the wooden clubs of street thugs.
Xu Zhan gave a cold snort and said in a deep voice:
"Cut the nonsense. The Imperial Envoy's written order is here. Where are the men and supplies? We have to hit the road once the handover is complete."
"Yes, yes, yes. Hundred-Man Commander Xu is swift and decisive; how would I dare delay?"
Clerk Wang nodded repeatedly. He turned and took a thick yellow register from a subordinate behind him, offering it to Xu Zhan with both hands.
"These are the five hundred land reclaimers allocated to Commissioner Lin. The complete roster is here. Please look it over, Commander."
Xu Zhan took the register with one hand, flicking the cover open with his thumb. His gaze swept over just two lines on the first page before his face suddenly darkened.
He slammed the register shut, his eyes piercing Clerk Wang like daggers as he shouted harshly:
"Wang Youcai! You dare play tricks on the Imperial Envoy? What kind of people are written in this roster!"
"Old veterans with broken legs retired from Camp Bing, blind cooks from Camp Ding, and women and children from the south city refugee camp!"
"Out of these five hundred people, there is not a single able-bodied man who can lift a blade. You want them to go reclaim land in Hetao?"
Hearing this, Clerk Wang's knees gave way. With a thud, he knelt on the bluestone slabs, the smile on his face instantly transforming into a panicked, bitter grimace.
"Commander Xu, please understand! Even if I had the courage of the heavens, I would never dare disobey the Imperial Envoy's order!"
Kneeling on the ground, Clerk Wang began to cry and complain, his voice mingling with his tears.
"But the military laws of Great Qian clearly state that all able-bodied men in the army must remain to defend the city against the Helian cavalry."
"Right now, the Helian nomads are roaming just thirty miles outside the city, and Commander Tie has signed a military pledge!"
"If I pull able-bodied men to farm the land and leave the city defenses empty, it is a crime punishable by beheading! How can a lowly clerk like me bear such a responsibility!"
This tearful plea was entirely logical and reasonable.
By bringing up the Great Qian military laws and Tie Lanshan's military pledge, he completely blocked Xu Zhan, leaving him unable to utter a single curse.
Xu Zhan knew in his heart that this was absolutely the dirty work of He Minghu and Ma Jin'an behind the scenes.
They did not dare openly disobey Xu Qinghuan's orders, so they used this underhanded method of feigning compliance while secretly opposing him. By shoving a bunch of old, weak, sick, and disabled people onto them, they hoped to kill the farming plan in the cradle.
Xu Zhan was so angry his chest heaved violently. Pushing with his thumb, his long sword slid half an inch from its sheath, emitting a crisp, metallic ring.
Just as Xu Zhan was about to explode, a thin, withered hand reached over and gently pressed down on the back of the blade.
Lin Siniang stepped forward and pulled the roster from Xu Zhan's grip. She looked down at Clerk Wang kneeling on the ground:
"Clerk Wang is right. The able-bodied men must be kept to defend the city."
"I will take these five hundred people."
Xu Zhan turned to look at her, lowering his voice in anger. "Are you crazy? Those old and frail people cannot even swing a hoe. How will they dig ditches and drain the salt?"
Lin Siniang did not look at Xu Zhan. She simply tucked the roster into her robe and said indifferently:
"Farming relies on patience, not brute force. Old soldiers understand life and death, and they know better how to cherish their lives."
"As long as we give them a way to survive, they can dig a living right out of the soil."
Kneeling on the ground, a cold glint of triumph flashed through Clerk Wang's lowered eyes, though his mouth offered continuous praise:
"Commissioner Lin is truly noble! I will take you two to the storehouse to inspect the farming tools right away."
...
However, when the backyard storehouse of the Office of Agricultural Colonies was opened, the smell of iron rust rushed straight to their heads.
The two broken wooden doors were pushed open, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Clerk Wang pointed to the mountain-like pile of iron tools in the corner, cupped his hands, and sighed with a face full of helplessness:
"Commissioner Lin, I am truly sorry!"
"All the good iron in the city has been requisitioned by the armory to forge swords and spears. Only these old farming tools are left in the storehouse. You will just have to make do with them."
Xu Zhan stepped forward and casually pulled a hoe from the pile. Taking just one look, he laughed out of sheer fury.
The blade of the hoe was curled up like fried dough twists, and the wooden handle had long rotted and snapped in half.
He kicked a shovel on the ground. The shovel head was as thin as paper, shedding iron flakes at the slightest touch.
"These are the farming tools you are giving us?"
Xu Zhan turned to stare at Clerk Wang, his eyes radiating murderous intent.
"You want us to use this scrap metal to dig the hard soil of Hetao? Wang Youcai, do you really think the Imperial Envoy's blade is not sharp enough?"
Clerk Wang shrank his neck in fear. He was just about to kneel and cry again when Lin Siniang walked up to the pile of scrap iron.
She crouched down, reached out to pick up a broken shovel head, and tapped it twice with her knuckles.
Instead of being angry, Lin Siniang smiled. She stood up, clapped the rust off her hands, and looked at Clerk Wang, saying:
"Clerk Wang is very thoughtful indeed!"
"This scrap iron is brittle, so it will save us the effort of smashing it."
"Commander Xu, please have someone transport all this scrap iron to Manager Huang at the West City Workshop."
"Have her melt it down and forge it all into one-foot-wide salt-draining spades! The wide blades made from this brittle iron are the best for digging alkaline soil."
With that, the fake smile on Clerk Wang's face froze. He had never expected this.
How could this widow, who supposedly had not seen much of the world, solve this dead-end situation with just a few words?
...
Once the handover was complete, Lin Siniang pressed her bright red handprint onto the documents.
She picked up the wooden box, turned, and stepped over the high threshold of the Office of Agricultural Colonies. The oncoming wind and sand whipped against her face.
It stung sharply.
Clerk Wang stood inside the door, watching their retreating backs. A sinister, cold sneer curled the corners of his mouth as he whispered in a voice only he could hear:
"Go on, take a bunch of useless trash to Hetao, and let us see how soon you die in that saline-alkali wasteland."
Lin Siniang stopped in her tracks, glancing back at the black plaque with golden characters that hung above the Bureau of State Farms.
"Lord Wang, the toughest bones in this world belong to those who have been driven to a dead end," Lin Siniang said softly.
"I will make sure they live to eat the grain they grow themselves."
