Dahan: A 100-year-old veteran, I will build the strongest family

Chapter 90 Cao Cao's admiration for him is rising rapidly

After implanting the red entry: heroic character and literary governance into Li Xi, the fourth-generation descendant of the Li family, Li Hong sent him to Jizhou to find Zhang Jiao.

At present, the Taiping Dao has not yet revolted, but has infiltrated the people of various places by making talismans and medicines to save people.

At this time, Li Xi approached Zhang Jue and joined his army. Zhang Jue certainly would not notice anything.

On the contrary, because of Li Xi's martial arts and command abilities which were different from those of ordinary people, he would be given great importance.

Of course, in order not to reveal his origins, Li Xi used the alias "Zhang Xi" when he infiltrated the Yellow Turbans this time.

After seeing Li Xi off, Li Hong breathed a sigh of relief. He then focused all his attention on selecting young and strong men, organizing the Beiwei Army, and recruiting outstanding unsuccessful candidates into the Li family's commercial escort team.

There are as many as one million young and strong people who came to Luoyang this time, all of them are experts from various states and counties.

It can be said that if the Li family had enough money and did not need to consider the impact, Li Hong would want to catch all these millions of young and strong people in one fell swoop.

These are all top-notch soldiers.

However, Liu Hong was watching.

The Li family obviously cannot do this so recklessly.

It was already shocking that after selecting the Beiwei Army, the five major families, Li, Zhen, Mi, Wei, and Lu, came forward to recruit more than 100,000 people to form a guard team.

If they really recruited 200,000 or 300,000 young and strong people, I'm afraid everyone would think too much, and Liu Hong would even doubt what the Li family was trying to do.

The selection for the first level is relatively simple, it is just a test of strength.

Lift a 400-jin stone roller.

There is a gap between the weight of the Han Dynasty and that of modern times.

Therefore, although lifting a 400-jin stone roller is equivalent to lifting more than 200 jin in later generations.

However, at this level, it is already very good for an ordinary young and strong man to lift an object weighing more than 200 kilograms in later generations.

The first round of selection took two days.

Among the one million young and strong men, as many as 70% to 80% passed the test. The quality of these young and strong men made Li Hong stroke his gray beard.

The second level of selection is about endurance, which can also be considered as perseverance.

You need to carry a load of 30 kilograms and run 20 miles. Those who pass the time can enter the third level.

Compared with the first stage, many young and strong people did not care about the second stage of selection, or had no real understanding of weighted long-distance running.

Sure enough, when many young and strong people started running with 30 kilograms of weight on their backs, they rushed to the front bravely, competing with each other, as if they were afraid of falling behind.

However, before they had run four miles, their thighs began to swell, sweat broke out all over, their breathing became heavy, and their legs and feet felt heavier and heavier.

Having no experience in long-distance running, and having to run twenty miles at the beginning, this was a daunting challenge for the big man.

When you succeed, it all depends on your endurance and perseverance!
Li Hong wants to build a powerful and brave army. The individual bravery of soldiers is meaningless. The military discipline that enforces orders and everyone possesses extraordinary endurance and perseverance are the foundation of a truly strong army!

Next to the moat of Luoyang City, on the official road around the city.

Groups of young and strong men ran forward with heavy steps, heavy breathing and pale faces.

Outside the guardrail, a large number of Luoyang residents were watching the excitement. Seeing that the young men were running so slowly, they were all talking about it.

"It's just a jog, and you run so slowly, not even as fast as me. Back then, I carried something weighing over a hundred pounds and ran down the street in a flash!" said an old man with a groan.

"Yeah, they are running too slowly, aren't they? Did they really pass the first level? They all look tall and strong, but they run so slowly. I can run faster than them if I go up there!" A thin young man from Luoyang said with a sour look on his face.

He also participated in the selection, but failed the first round. "You are running so slowly, young man. Run faster. There is still a long way to go."

The Luoyang citizens who were watching were quite dissatisfied with the fact that the young and strong candidates participating in the second round of selection ran so "slowly". They pointed and talked about it.

The young and strong man who was gritting his teeth to persevere, heard the urging from all around him, clenched his teeth, his face flushed, and ran as hard as he could.

Don't they want to run fast?

They are already running with all their might!

You are better than us, why don't you come up and try it, it's easy to talk without any pain in your waist!
As the young and strong candidates were indignant and persevering, the second round of selection continued.

"Meng De, what do you think? What is Li Hong doing? What's the point of running? Is this training for running away?"

Among the crowd of onlookers, Yuan Shu asked Cao Cao with gritted teeth.

Not only Yuan Shu and Cao Cao were there, but also Yuan Shao, Yang Biao, Zhang Miao and others were watching in the crowd.

Before, they were ambushed by Li Hong and were captured directly. They were not released until the families behind them compromised with Li Hong and exchanged interests. As for Li Hong, these people hated him to the core, but they were also quite awed and wary of him in their hearts.

It was really that Li Hong was ruthless, brave and resourceful, which made them uncomfortable.

Cao Cao looked at the young and strong men on the official road who were participating in the second level. After running half the distance, almost all of them were exhausted and were persisting with perseverance and endurance. He thought of what Li Hong said about the second level being the endurance level.

Cao Cao's eyes flickered, and he said in a deep voice: "General Li... General Li's level is not that simple. It should be to select young and strong people with endurance and perseverance. Now they have no strength after running halfway. You can imagine how strong their willpower and endurance will be if they can persist to the end within a limited time. General Li is worthy of being a soldier all his life!"

Cao Cao's voice was resounding, and seemed to contain some emotion and admiration.

Upon hearing what Cao Cao said, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Zhang Miao and others widened their eyes and immediately found it hard to accept.

"Meng De, what are you talking about? You're actually praising that old bastard Li Hong. Have you forgotten that he cut off the thighs of your two brothers, and that he ambushed us this time?"

Yuan Shao said to Cao Cao with some dissatisfaction.

Yuan Shu and Zhang Miao on the side echoed Yuan Shao's words.

"I agree with Meng De's words. General Li is very shrewd and calculating in this conscription, especially the second round. There is really deep meaning in every detail." Suddenly, another voice sounded.

Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Zhang Miao and others looked over and saw that it was Yang Biao who spoke. At this time, Yang Biao was looking at the young man who was running hard, with a serious expression on his face.

Yang Biao was almost a generation older than Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu and Cao Cao, and had already held an important position in the court.

After Yang Biao spoke, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu and Zhang Miao did not dare to say anything.

Cao Cao did not say anything. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the strong young men who were running with all their might.

At this moment, Cao Cao's heart was also extremely complicated.

Following the last time, he was jealous and teamed up with Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu to send Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan to seize the Li family, but was met with a fierce response from Li Hong.

This time, he and representatives of aristocratic families including Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Yang Biao, and Zhang Miao attacked Lijiawu Fort in an attempt to seize the methods of making snow salt and Han paper. However, they were defeated again and fell into an ambush by Li Hong.

Moreover, they let Li Hong seize the handle and take over the salt industry, salt merchants, horses and resources from their families.

The Li family controls the salt industry throughout the world, so their power will certainly expand greatly and they will be able to acquire enormous amounts of wealth.

This wealth will be turned into military expenditure to build a powerful Beiwei Army.

The details of the selection of the Beiwei Army also moved Cao Cao!
Cao Cao's admiration for Li Hong was growing rapidly, overshadowing the conflict between him and Li Hong.

After all, it was jealousy that made Cao Cao want to take revenge on the Li family.

(End of this chapter)