The weak scholar in the end of ancient times

Chapter 103 Something is wrong

The generals of the three armed forces who left the council hall were disappointed that their mission had not been accomplished, but they still held some hope.

In their view, Wen Gu was indeed quite capable, and his meddling this time was truly surprising.

For the sake of the telescope and microscope, they wouldn't harbor resentment; on the contrary, they might even feel some admiration. Eating at the same table, they might be looking at each other's work—it's like elders looking at younger generations. But fighting for food from the same bowl—that's a contest on the same level!

You will earn respect if you have real skills.

As they returned home, they thought to themselves, "Even if Wen Gu has a big appetite, he wouldn't swallow all the money in Lao Zhao's account, would he?"

That kid surnamed Wen is only in charge of two wards now. Even if he really has connections with the wards, how much business could he possibly have? How much money and grain could he possibly need?
However, considering the reactions of the Zhao father and son, perhaps they have some new special skills or magical artifacts.

Thinking this way, they felt even more hopeful.

If that's the case, even if this review drains Lao Zhao's account balance, it doesn't matter.

It's really okay.

They can continue to wait for the next wave.

The wealth accumulated during the autumn and winter seasons has been depleted, but with spring just around the corner, Old Zhao's account is poised for another surge.

When spring arrives, the ice and snow melt, the river water rises, and boats can sail. The caravans of wealthy families from the south will travel north along the rivers before the weather gets warm.

When wealthy families came to Xinzhou to seek refuge with the Zhao clan, they certainly had to show their sincerity by exchanging large amounts of grain and supplies for Xinzhou coins.

After deducting the cost of maintaining the army and necessary storage, there must have been a large amount of grain and goods that were not needed for the time being flowing into Lao Zhao's private warehouse.

Even if the first batch was blocked by Wen Gu, they will still have a chance in the next batch... right?

Surely that kid Wen Gu wouldn't be so greedy as to want more than he has... right?

The garrison commander and the scholars all thought so.

As for Lao Zhao?

Sigh, why keep so much money in the account?

Food and supplies are meant to be used!

Now, the fields in Xinzhou are being cultivated one after another, but the yield is definitely not keeping up. What can be used is the savings of each large household.

In this day and age, we must seize the time to preserve ourselves and strengthen ourselves!

Old Zhao takes the lion's share, and they get the rest!
The departing military leaders are already planning how to distribute the next batch of supplies.

Inside the meeting hall.

Wen Gu held the manuscript and fluently recounted it to the Zhao father and son, page by page.

Nowadays, all major powers are primarily focused on defense, and everyone knows that they need to preserve their strength.

Monsters and humans are in a hunting relationship.

Xinzhou is neither particularly large nor small. Nearly two years after the outbreak of the plague and chaos, the surviving population of the prefecture is concentrated in a few key towns. Today, over 90% of the villages and towns have been abandoned.

As for the areas where survivors gathered, scouts were set up only in places with favorable terrain or where it was necessary to observe enemy movements. If any unusual activity was detected, signal fires would be used to send a message.

This also led to the training of many scouts.

These outposts were either simple earthen forts or wooden watchtowers.

If you encounter a monster horde attack, the outpost will be basically destroyed and will need to be rebuilt.

To put it pessimistically, monster hordes will be encountered every year when it gets hot. As time goes on, and the survivors from the south migrate north, those monsters that feed on living people will also come north in search of prey, and perhaps the hordes will become even more frequent.

Will it really be in time to rebuild by then?
The scouts were the eyes and ears that the Zhao family had placed throughout Xinzhou. Without them, the Zhao family would lose most of its control over the movements in Xinzhou!

A stronger, more stable fortification is absolutely necessary in the current situation!

Such a scout post needs to meet several conditions—

It must have a certain defensive capability and be able to provide temporary shelter and supplies for passing groups;
It can assist in information gathering, intelligence transmission, and material transportation;

It can survive the onslaught of a monster horde!
The page to the next section flipped with a clatter, revealing the concept sketch—

"Therefore, considering many factors, I envisioned such a defensive post station..."

The concept sketch was drawn by referencing the round earthen buildings and made corresponding modifications based on the current specific needs and the new technologies and materials that the workshop could provide.

Those possessed monsters are different from human armies; after their mutation, they lack human consciousness and the ability to think.

The monster hordes surged like waves, targeting large gathering places of people, especially large towns, and would not linger at small inns.

"Like water in a shallow stream, it flows directly over exposed rocks without stopping to flood them."

"As long as the rock is high enough and stable enough, it will remain forever! Water will never touch the top of the rock!"

The Zhao family head's eyes shone brightly, unable to hide his excitement.

These were the first things that came to mind when he saw the manuscript.

The depletion of scouts is indeed a major pain point for the Zhao clan.

And as long as these "stones" can be firmly planted there, it's as if he has placed a pair of eyes there!
If there were more of these "stones" and they could be firmly planted throughout Xinzhou, it would strengthen his control over the city! Looking at the bright eyes of the Zhao family head and the excited expression on the young master's face, Wen Gu turned another page of the manuscript and continued.

Following the conceptual sketch are the key technical points, listing the manpower, materials, and time required for each item...

It's...quite a waste of food!

The Zhao father and son were filled with excitement and ambition when they saw the conceptual sketches in front of them! But when they saw the various manpower, resources, and time consumption behind them, they both fell silent.

After a long while, the head of the Zhao family took a deep breath.

What account has remaining funds?
Where is there any surplus grain?!
Not to mention what's currently stored in the warehouse, we'll have to invest all of this year's income!

Perhaps this is just the first step we've taken, nothing more!

The Zhao family head looked grave. After pondering for a moment, he asked Wen Gu, "What's your suggestion?"

Wen Gu said, "We can choose a place as a pilot site and build one to test it out."

The Zhao family head nodded in agreement.

To build a defensive post station like the one depicted in the painting, the improved rammed earth provided by Master Qingyi would be essential.

The fortifications built this year have already been tested and are indeed sturdy enough!

Unfortunately, production is limited, and the workshop is planning to hire more staff.

If such defensive outposts can succeed and withstand the onslaught of monster hordes, then we can try to build more, or even larger ones!

The Zhao family head took the manuscript from Wen Gu and turned a few pages.

The defensive post station depicted by Wen Gu has a basic version and an advanced version.

The advanced version is even larger, with concentric rings that can accommodate more people.

Then another question arises—

How much food and supplies would be needed to build all of this?
The head of the Zhao family calculated the expenses in his mind.

Wen Gu glanced at it.

Old Zhao seemed to have suddenly become haggard.

The following day, the Zhao family head summoned several important garrison commanders for private talks.

As a result, the generals of the three armies all knew that they really wouldn't get much from Lao Zhao's account this time, and they might not even get any extra grain next time, or even the time after that!
this……

This so-called defense post looks pretty impressive!

And that...

That review!

How cruel!
This isn't just about having your cake and eating it too; it's about taking the whole pot away!

That puppy bit really hard!

Okay!

No need to think about what tricks to use to cry and be miserable at the next meeting, there are no tricks to use!
They no longer need to monitor Lao Zhao's account; now they can only turn their attention to the defense post station.

They are stationed in several cities in Xinzhou. As the first pilot project for the defense post, they will definitely not be too far from the survivors' gathering place, that is, not too far from the city. The city closest to them will definitely get more benefits!

Therefore, the garrison commanders who had returned to Xinzhou City for the New Year seized the opportunity to take action.

The initiator of the Wen Gu incident disappeared, and he didn't have much to do afterward. It was a tug-of-war between the Zhao family, the three major armies, and the various survivor gathering places in Xinzhou.

He was just a minor neighborhood head, only in charge of small local affairs; nothing else concerned me.

In any case, as long as the defensive post can be established, the purpose of reviewing the past will be achieved. As for where to set it up and how to build it, that is a matter of strategic planning.

Xinzhou City is only so big. If there is any movement, wealthy families who are willing to pay attention can always find out some information and get the gist of it, even if they don't know the whole story.

The meeting held at the Zhao residence on the third day of the Lunar New Year became the focus of everyone's attention.

It's unclear what kind of meeting these powerful figures held behind closed doors, but rumors circulate that when they returned from the Zhao family mansion, their emotions seemed normal yet somewhat subtle.

Within two days, these individuals were summoned to the Zhao residence again.

Then the reaction becomes even more subtle.

It wasn't exactly indignation, nor was it pleasant.

Following that, the activities have become more frequent recently.

It seemed like something was brewing.

Not right.

Let's continue to observe!

(End of this chapter)