Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 15 Hesitation (Please continue reading)

This is all of Zhang Xian's achievements this week.

Priority was given to improving the most useful skills.

Command, combat, horsemanship, medicine, cooking, animal taming, and agriculture.

He prioritized improving these six skills.

The most difficult skill to master was command. If he hadn't gathered a group of young men from the village and used folk tales and food as bait, he might not have been able to upgrade this skill.

At first, he had everyone sit and listen to him tell stories, but he stipulated that they were not allowed to move around and that they had to raise their hands to ask for permission if they needed to do something.

After letting them get to know each other for two days, he made the group of young men stand and listen to him tell stories, in neat rows, and again stipulated that they were not allowed to move around and to raise their hands if they needed to.

Initially, not everyone listened to him. Some wanted to hear stories and eat, but didn't want to listen. When Zhang Xian encountered such people, he didn't drive them away. Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and went up to reason with them.

After a long, sweaty lecture, such a person will listen attentively to his story, even if they are bruised and battered.

Fortunately, I upgraded my combat and strength skills first, otherwise I might not have been able to explain the principles to these village lads who were at least seventeen and at least fourteen.

It's strange that all these young men, who are just helping their families make a living in the fields, all know how to fight and use martial arts.

Fortunately, this did not affect my command experience gain. By incorporating military training formations and drills into the storytelling, I managed to level up my command skill by one level.

As always, he had to choose one of two skills and picked the one that was currently the most suitable for him to level up.

As for combat, horsemanship, and cooking skills, there's no need to elaborate. I continued to learn from Tong Yuan every day, and whenever I had time, I would ride around the village on horseback, which naturally leveled up these two skills.

However, I didn't expect the sub-skill of riding skills to be so overpowered. Although the effect of [Spirit Bone Whistle] is basically a built-in effect in every game, it seems quite fantastical in the real world.

Blowing the whistle will automatically make your mount appear at a suitable location within a 200-meter radius. This alone is enough to outshine all the other mounts in the world that are touted as having miraculous powers.

The cooking skill was also a pleasant surprise. After unlocking the skill, I didn't expect that in addition to the skill that could improve the taste, the cooking skill could also make recovery items.

Without a doubt, it's the food diplomacy plan from the beginning that led to the [Medicine Chef] skill, which can be used to create recovery items.

Although I don't know how to make those different kinds of food that can restore different effects yet, I'm not in a hurry. The output from my homestead and fields will be ready soon, and I'll figure it out by trying them one by one.

The only thing we haven't figured out yet is how to upgrade [Charm] and what its effects are.

Closing the panel, I walked along the dirt road in the countryside, passing earthen houses with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys, and the sounds of insects chirping and dogs barking as they awoke from winter, creating a unique pastoral scene.

"As planned, the important Homestead Farming skill has appeared, and its effects are consistent with the expected Homestead Farming, accelerating livestock and poultry production. This will significantly reduce the pressure on meat production."

"The establishment of Zhuangzi is necessary. Firstly, it allows us to cultivate our own armed forces, and secondly, it provides shelter for displaced people. Based on what Master Tong said, the current year is early spring of 182 AD, meaning the Yellow Turban Rebellion is only this year or next."

"Yellow Turbans."

Zhang Xian subconsciously pursed his lips. After witnessing the plight of the refugees of this era, he realized that he actually placed himself in a similar position to the Yellow Turbans.

However, the Yellow Turban Rebellion was inevitable. Without adequate logistics and sufficient technical personnel, Zhang Jiao's defeat was inevitable on the land of the Han Dynasty, which had been ruled for three or four hundred years.

Perhaps if he had more time, the situation might have been different.
'Tang Zhou,' Zhang Xian murmured the name to himself.

Whether this was the factor that led to the early start of the Yellow Turban Rebellion is unverifiable. However, based on the information I gathered after rescuing Zhou Cui and her daughter, it is clear that the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Julu had attracted the attention of some people. Even a farmer could see it, so there's no reason why others wouldn't.

'Informing Zhang Jiao about Tang Zhou still needs consideration; we cannot act rashly!'

Zhang Xian calmed himself down. In fact, after coming to this world, his impression of Zhang Jiao was better than that of most other famous figures from the Three Kingdoms period.

Whether he acted out of self-interest or public opinion, his deeds at least demonstrate that he was forging a way out for some people.

The strugglers in feudal dynasties are always viewed through a different lens, especially when they are the ones who have lost.

Sometimes, Zhang Xian really wanted to visit Zhang Jiao. Changshan and Julu were really not far apart; they could even be described as neighbors.

But he held back.

With his current abilities, even if he were to meet her, it would be pointless.

No major event can be accomplished overnight; countless small things are interconnected.

Solving the case of Tang Zhou does not guarantee that there are no Lu Zhou or Niu Zhou.

It had only been two years, and the Yellow Turban Rebellion was already inevitable. The outcome wouldn't have changed much if anyone had been absent during that time.

My thoughts have already drifted away.

Zhang Xian shook his head, bringing himself back to his senses.

Put everything else aside for now; taking care of these few things in front of you is the most important thing!
"Master, you're back!"

Unbeknownst to him, he had already arrived at the gate of Zhao Yun's courtyard, and the last rays of the red sun on the horizon had set.

Wearing new clothes and with her hair in two buns, Li Zhen happily waved to Zhang Xian in the courtyard.

The winnowing basket at her feet contained crushed bran and wheat grains.

The ten-year-old girl was doing her best to help with the housework, even though the winnowing basket looked almost bigger than her.

Zhang Xian walked over and rubbed his now smoother, bun-shaped head.

"I've said it many times, this is the Zhao family home, I am not the head of the family."

“But my mother and I are already your servants!” Li Zhen shook his head, trying to shake off the large hand on his head: “If we don’t call you benefactor brother, patriarch, then what should we call you?”

Here we go again.

I have corrected their titles many times, trying to explain that they are not servants, but rather have an employment relationship.

But every time, my attempts to express myself felt like talking to a stone, utterly meaningless.

"Forget it, I'm too lazy to say anything more. Just do what makes you happy."

He gave Li Zhen a sharp rap on the head and then stepped into the Zhao family's house.

"Brother Xian."

"Benefactor."

Inside the house, Zhao's mother, Zhao Feng, and Zhao Yun were all present.

When they saw Zhang Xian come in, they all greeted him.

“Bohu, you’re the same way. I’ve told you several times to just call me Zixu. And Auntie, you keep calling me ‘benefactor, benefactor.’ I haven’t dared to come in several times.”

He smiled helplessly at Zhao's mother and Zhao Feng, then looked at Zhao Yun and asked, "Why did you come down the mountain today?"

Zhao Yun shook his head: "Master said you might need more manpower tomorrow, so he sent me down the mountain. Alan has also gone back to his home."

"I'll be short-staffed tomorrow?"

Zhang Xian looked towards the small hill outside the village with some suspicion.

(End of this chapter)