Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 108 Offering Advice (Please continue reading)

"There can be no slackening in the supervision of the steelmaking furnace; every step must be completed according to the requirements on the blueprints."

Inside the county government office, Han Ji pulled Xu Mao aside and gave him instructions word by word.

There was no other way; the lord had gone to Yanmen, and Guyu was sent to visit the Wang family. He was the only one in the entire Lüchi County who could handle things.

Therefore, he had no choice but to entrust the supervision of the steelmaking furnace and the water forging workshop to Xu Mao, whom he trusted very much.

Xu Mao led a team to build the two waterwheels and the embankment in Taoyuan; he had experience in this area.

Moreover, he recently received literacy training and has learned a lot of writing skills, which is more than enough for managing a matter.

Han Ji even planned to appoint Xu Maozheng as an official in Luqi after the steel furnace and water forging workshop were completed without any problems, as a way to introduce Taoyuan people into the Luqi management.

"I've noted it down, Magistrate Han. I promise I'll get things done for you."

Xu Mao patted his chest.

Han Ji nodded and handed him the blueprints on the table: "Go."

"promise!"

"Report!" A clerk entered the main hall.

"Reporting to the County Magistrate, someone is requesting an audience outside the county government office, saying they come from Yingchuan!"

"Please!"

Han Ji stood up excitedly from his seat and patted Xu Mao on the shoulder: "You've worked so hard to supervise the construction, I won't treat you unfairly."

He then straightened his clothes and sat down properly.

Xi Zhong arrived at the main hall under the guidance of the yamen official.

Han Ji looked up. Light shone through the entrance to the main hall, casting shadows over the face of the person entering, making it difficult for him to see clearly.

"Are you Han Ji, Han Gongzhi?"

Xi Zhong took a few steps forward with a half-smile and bowed respectfully.

A hint of disappointment flashed in Han Ji's eyes, but he concealed it well, his face remaining calm and composed.

"I am Han Gongzhi, and you are?"

Xi Zhong bowed respectfully: "I am Xi Zhong, Xi Zhicai from Yingchuan. I have come to serve Magistrate Zhang on the recommendation of Gongda."

As he spoke, he took out a silk letter and a letter of recommendation that he kept close to his body and handed them over.

Han Ji took it and looked at it, his eyes occasionally glancing at Xi Zhong. After a moment, he nodded.

"Gongda said you have extraordinary talent, but your behavior is somewhat unrestrained and eccentric. I wonder what position you would like to hold in this regard?"

Han Ji believed Xun Gongda's recommendation to about 70%. His old friend explained in his letter why he could not come to help and recommended Xi Zhong to him.

Han Ji expressed his understanding, saying that if he had had the opportunity to take up an official post in Luoyang before meeting Zhang Xian, he certainly would have gone.

After all, it's under the emperor's nose, so whether you want to do something practical or make a name for yourself, it's much better than this other prefecture.

Upon hearing this, Xi Zhong smiled and said, "I wonder what kind of impasse Lu Xi is facing now? I am most skilled at breaking impasses."

"Break"

Han Ji hesitated for a moment, then suddenly called out, "Zhao Shi!"

"County Magistrate!"

Zhao Shi, formerly known as Shitou in Xiaoshan Village and now the head constable of Luqi County, entered the main hall and bowed respectfully.

Has Hansheng gone out yet?

Zhao Shi shook his head: "The county magistrate is still at the drill ground."

"Okay, I understand."

Han Ji nodded and then turned to look at Xi Zhong.

"Can you ride a horse?"

Xi Zhong nodded: "A gentleman is proficient in all six arts."

"Alright, head to the training ground, take this waist token, and go straight to the commander Huang Zhong, Huang Hansheng."

"Has he been conscripted?"

Xi Zhong smiled faintly and asked a question.

Han Ji nodded and then shook his head: "Here, it's because Gongda recommended you for a position, but I can't guarantee it with our lord. It depends on your talent and learning!"

"Haha, I understand. So, what should I do?"

"You'll know once you get to the training ground."

"only."

Xi Zhong stepped forward, picked up the waist token, and then placed the package in the main hall of the county government office before turning onto the drill ground.

The Lüchi Training Ground is located outside Lüchi County, and its walls are connected to the Lüchi city walls, resembling a barbican.

The area is neither too big nor too small, but it is enough to accommodate more than a thousand soldiers.

Because it was located in a border county, in case of emergency, this area could be expanded into the city to accommodate three or four thousand people.

Holding the waist token, they went straight to the gate of the drill ground.

The soldiers stopped them and showed their badges, then led them to the command platform in the center of the drill ground.

1,200 county soldiers received training while armed.

Xi Zhong was overjoyed to see that the soldiers of Luqi County were full of energy and spirit. Compared with the lax and bandit-like soldiers of other counties, he found that the soldiers of Luqi County were already elite. No, this was elite!

Prioritizing both military strength and the well-being of the people is the foundation of a great undertaking!

He handed over his badge, and a soldier below the platform took it and nodded: "Wait, morning exercises will end in a quarter of an hour."

Xi Zhong was not annoyed; instead, he watched the soldiers' drill with great interest.

"Do you all have to train like this every day?"

He asked the soldiers around him.

Zhao Hu glanced at him, then at the waist token in his hand, and nodded: "Morning exercises, evening exercises, night exercises, three exercises a day, martial arts practice in the morning and evening, and literature study in the evening."

"Do you still need to study literature?"

The play was deeply moving.

Zhao Hu raised his chin slightly, seemingly quite pleased with Xi Zhong's shock.

"Our lord said, 'Without the will of a general, how can we talk about elite troops?' Therefore, we must all study literature."

"Good, good, very good!"

The more Xi Zhong learned about Zhang Xian, the clearer his image of Zhang Xian became.

Cultivate a reputation, train a strong army, stockpile provisions, and build high walls!
A true loyal and virtuous man of the Han Dynasty!

Xi Zhong was not afraid of how low a monarch's starting point was, but he was afraid that the monarch had no ambition!

Now that Zhang Xian is like this, he is very pleased!
He should be a ruler!
"What brings you here today?"

Zhao Hu placed one hand on the hilt of his sword behind his waist, while waving a command flag with the other.

Xi Zhong nodded: "I have come here to serve Lord Zhang, having been recommended by him."

"Then you must be highly regarded by the county magistrate, otherwise he wouldn't have given you his waist token."

"My name is Zhao Hu, from Zhen Ding, Changshan. If you think highly of me, you can call me Hu Zi."

"Greetings, Brother Hu. My surname is Zhong, my given name is Zhicai. Brother Hu, you may just call me Zhicai!"

The two men talked below the platform.

On the stage, General Manager Huang glanced around and had already decided on several inhuman training programs for Zhao Hu, which would require him to sleep for several days and nights after completing them.

Let you talk nonsense during your performance.

A quarter of an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

On the command platform, Huang Zhong struck the golden gong, and the sound of the gong echoed back and forth!

"Taoyuan swordsmen, spearmen, and archers, stay here. The rest of you, disperse!"

"promise!"

The military formations on the drill ground were scattered and disorganized.

Huang Zhong shouted to the audience, "Hey you, come up here!"

Xi Zhong smiled, knowing that this was a call to him, and went up on stage to pay his respects.

"Xi Zhongxi and Xi Zhicai of Yingchuan greet County Magistrate Huang!"

Huang Zhong nodded, took the water bottle handed to him by Zhang Liao, and took a sip.

"What's the matter with you?"

Xi Zhong cupped his hands and smiled, "It must be that County Magistrate Huang has something to do, so County Magistrate Han sent me to help him."

"oh,"

"Do you know what someone is going to do?"

Xi Zhong shook his head: "I don't know, but I can help."

"Hahaha, good!"

Huang Zhong laughed loudly, then instructed the crowd below, "Pack your gear and get ready to depart!"

"promise!"
-
More than four hundred riders quietly left Lüchi and headed straight for Jinyang. On the way, Huang Zhong told Xi Zhong what he needed to do.

Xi Zhong then realized that the monarch he had never even met was so in tune with his thoughts.

On horseback, he asked Huang Zhong, "Does the lord intend to overwhelm the Wang family?"

“That’s right. My lord said that the Wang clan is currently using all its strength to support the former governor Wang Rou to enter the core of the court, so this is the period when the Wang clan’s strength is at its weakest.”

"Shall we head towards Jinyang now?"

Huang Zhong nodded: "Three hundred li, we will arrive at midnight tonight!"

"Wait!" Xi Zhong suddenly shouted.

"What do you mean?" Huang Zhong asked, puzzled, but he still ordered everyone to stop.

"Does the county magistrate want to cause Wang even more headaches?"

Xi Zhong looked at Huang Zhong, who was casting a questioning glance at him, and asked.

"You have a plan?"

"Yes! Is the county magistrate familiar with the details of Taiyuan?"

"Zhiya!"

For the past month or so, Huang Zhong has been gathering intelligence on Taiyuan County. In addition, he had already arrived in Lüqi before Zhang Xian came, so he already had a very good understanding of the situation in Taiyuan County.

Where are bandits rampant? Where are highway robberies so frequent?

Huang Zhong looked up and around, pointing to one side: "Bandits are rampant in the Xin County area. There have been several robberies a few days ago."

"Alright! Then we'll head to Xinxian!"

"Wait, explain yourself clearly, or I certainly won't follow your plan!"

Huang Zhong did not immediately choose to believe Xi Zhong's plan, and he only allowed Xi Zhong to join the team because of Han Ji's waist token.

Xi Zhong smiled helplessly and could only explain one by one: "A direct attack on Jinyang would certainly give the Wang family a headache, but it would not be of much benefit to our lord."

"On the contrary, we will go to Xinxian and burn and kill all the way to Jinyang under the pretext of banditry. Only in this way can we make the whole Taiyuan Prefecture panic."

"The powerful and influential have always prioritized their own interests. If a major bandit appears in Taiyuan, what do you think the county magistrate will do?"

"Please, Prefect, eliminate the traitors!"

"Indeed!" Xi Zhong subconsciously wanted to wave his fan, but found that he didn't have one at all.

"What is the strength of the soldiers in Taiyuan?"

"There are plenty of chickens and dogs among them who draw salaries without working! Besides, even if they are elite soldiers, so what? I'll treat them like chickens and ducks!"

Huang Zhong said confidently.

Xi Zhong laughed even more heartily.

"With the county magistrate's words, then this plan will succeed!"

"The bandits of Taiyuan have broken through the county's troops, causing unrest among the local gentry. What do you think they will do next?"

"Suppress the bandits! Fully support the suppression of the bandits!"

"But the county troops have all been defeated, so who will they ask to suppress the bandits?"

“The strongest soldiers in Bingzhou are either from Yanmen or Xihe. These two places have been fighting against the Hu and Qiang peoples for many years, and their soldiers are brave and fierce.”

"But if the Yanmen troops want to enter Taiyuan, they must either take the Yangchangcang Pass or the Luqi Road, which are useless for troops."

"Then only Xihe remains."

"Does the county magistrate know about Xihe Commandery?"

Xi Zhong asked, since he had come in a hurry and was not very familiar with the situation in Bingzhou.

Huang Zhong laughed: "Xihe County is safe, so they can't come to Taiyuan to suppress bandits."

"The Qiang and Hu people in Xihe Commandery are even more numerous than those in Yanmen Commandery. The number of Han people in the entire commandery is very small. Most of the people living there are naturalized Hu people. If we send them to Taiyuan, it's uncertain who will be soldiers and who will be bandits!"

"Hahaha, the earth is on our side!" Xi Zhong laughed loudly.

"Therefore, there is only one person who can defeat the bandits of Taiyuan!"

"Magistrate of Luqi County, Lord Zhang!"

"What about Shangdang?" Huang Zhong discovered the blind spot.

Taiyuan Commandery is bordered by three commanderies: Yanmen to the north, Shangdang to the south, and Xihe to the left.

Now that Yanmen and Xihe counties are safe, why not talk about Shangdang County?

"Going to the party?"

"Like Taiyuan County, they live in peace. County Commandant, how much stronger do you think their soldiers are than those of Taiyuan?"

"understood!"

Huang Zhong suddenly realized that all the scoundrels in Taiyuan and Shangdang were just drawing salaries without working!
"There is another force, the powerful clans and their retainers. What should we do if these powerful clans unite?"

"Just run! If they team up, we'll run; if they stop, we'll go out again!"

"Excellent! You even understand military strategy!"

"I know a little bit," Xi Zhong said modestly, suddenly feeling a bit like drinking.

It's a pity Fengxiao isn't here, otherwise I would have heard some flattering words.

He cupped his hands in greeting: "What does the county magistrate think of this plan?"

Huang Zhong stroked his beard and nodded: "It's feasible!"

"The troops, turn back to Xinxian!"

"promise!"

The four hundred riders changed direction.

Xin County and Luqi are not too far apart; four hundred riders can reach them in an hour at full speed.

Huang Zhong and his party stopped by the river valley.

"Unit, change into your gear! Remember, wear the breastplate inside your clothing!"

"promise!"

Since this was a raid, Huang Zhong naturally couldn't equip all his soldiers with Taoyuan armor. So he had a group of them dressed as Hu people, and some of their armor was dismantled, leaving only one and a half breastplates that could be worn under their clothes.

Although the protective capabilities have been greatly reduced, at least the person's identity will not be exposed, and vital organs have been protected.

After a short while, the more than four hundred riders had all changed their clothes. Upon closer inspection, they were no longer the soldiers of Taoyuan, but a group of barbarian cavalry.

Even Xi Zhong, a frail young man, became a bit more fierce after using some fur to stick to his face!
"it is good!"

Huang Zhong was very satisfied with the group of Taoyuan soldiers who looked like barbarian cavalry. He himself was also very satisfied, and he replaced his favorite short weapon, the ring-pommel sword, with a long spear.

"My lads! Let's go hunting!"

"oh oh--!"

The atmosphere instantly became chaotic and lively, and Xi Zhong, among others, also imitated everyone else's shouts.

"go!"

Four hundred riders charged out of the valley in an instant, and even the saddles on their horses were decorated to look more like those of the Hu people.

Xin County.

Outside the county.

Suddenly, a great earthquake was heard.

"what's the situation?"

The caravan guards looked up in the direction from which the commotion was coming.

But then hundreds of riders arrived like the wind, startling them so much that they immediately shouted!
"Hu cavalry! Hu cavalry!"

In an instant, the caravan of only a few dozen people scattered and fled, leaving behind only wagons, horses, and goods.

Huang Zhong and the others stepped forward and surrounded the goods.

Several riders approached, inspected the goods, and returned to report: "About several hundred bushels of grain."

"Leave the cart frame, take the horses, and drop the grain and fodder into the homes of farmers along the way!"

"promise!"

Xi Zhong spoke quickly, and the riders glanced at Huang Zhong. After receiving his approval, they all bowed in unison.

Soon, the four hundred riders disappeared like the wind, leaving behind only some broken cart frames.

The sound of horses' hooves echoed throughout Xin County. Wherever they went, the poor people could only tremble and hide in their homes like quails until the noise stopped, and only then did they dare to go out and take a look.

Upon closer inspection, they discovered one or two extra burlap sacks in their own courtyard.

Upon closer inspection, I was surprised to find that it contained millet and foxtail millet!
The timid looked around and, seeing that no one was around, quickly dragged him home, his face flushed with excitement.

The people of Xin County reaped a bountiful harvest that day, while the merchants and powerful suffered greatly.

When their own caravans returned one after another, they learned that bandits had robbed travelers again in Xin County.

Panic gripped the people, and they all sought help from the county government.

The Xin County government was also in a state of chaos, with news of caravans being robbed coming in like rain, causing the Xin County magistrate to worry so much that his hair was almost turning white.

He questioned his staff: "Didn't the thieves leave? Are they coming back because they think 30% isn't enough?!"

(End of this chapter)