With the rise of my family, I can summon the Daoist Soldiers' Nest.

On this day, the officials in charge of each town took boats and traveled upstream along the Wu River, heading straight to the new county town.

They planned to rest here for the night and then head to Uburg the next day.

Originally, one could travel directly from Wushui to Yandang Lake, and then from the lake to Wubao. However, for the sake of Wubao's security, Lin Ye had already ordered the waterway from Wushui to Yandang Lake to be blocked, and outsiders were strictly prohibited from passing through.

Unless there is an urgent matter, one must go through the county town before reaching Wubao, in order to control entry and exit and prevent spies.

That night, the county town was brightly lit, and the town officials, clan heads, and members of the Lin family's collateral branches gathered together.

Aside from speculating about the reasons for the gathering, the participants exchanged pleasantries, boasted about the development achievements of their respective towns, and discussed cooperation matters.

Everyone's face beamed with satisfaction with the status quo; the industry was thriving and trade was smooth, far exceeding their previous lives.

The next morning, the stewards arrived at the Uborg Hall early.

Upon seeing that key members of the Lin family, such as Li Shi, Lin Qiang, and Lin Yi, had all arrived, everyone felt a chill and became more reserved in their speech, instantly creating a serious atmosphere in the hall.

As usual, Lin Ye got up early to practice martial arts, and now he had changed into his everyday clothes and entered the hall.

The crowd greeted him respectfully, and he didn't beat around the bush, getting straight to the point: "Two days ago, Prefect Cao came to the territory and issued a conscription order..." He then explained in detail the reasons for the autumn attack on the Northern Xiongnu, the suppression of the rebellion in Gongchang Prefecture, the training of troops, and the protection of the grain supply route.

Finally, he glanced at everyone and said, "I am prepared to personally lead the team in this recruitment."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent. Although everyone wanted to dissuade him, the lord's safety was a matter of concern for the entire territory.

Seeing that Madam Li sat silently, no one dared to speak rashly.

"So the reason I've gathered you all here today is to build an army for our territory," Lin Ye continued.

"The skeletons are filled by warriors selected from the guard, but ordinary soldiers still need to be recruited."

Previously, the territory couldn't afford it, but now the situation has improved, so it's a good opportunity to establish an army through conscription.

Upon hearing this, everyone looked surprised, but they also felt it made sense.

Neighboring territories all have private armies, and if Xiang County wants to establish itself, it cannot rely on the guards for long.

Zhang Yuan stood up and respectfully asked, "How many people does Your Excellency intend to recruit? We need to go back and make preparations."

Lin Ye said calmly, "Two hundred martial artists were selected as the backbone of the guard team, including fifteen third-rate martial artists and the rest unranked martial artists."

Then select three hundred non-martial artists from the guard team. Although they haven't entered the martial arts path, they have been in battle many times over the past year and can be considered to have practical combat experience.

"The initial force consisted of 5,000 men, with the remaining 4,500 men being recruited from county towns and villages."

Later, we will add another 3,000 troops, bringing the total strength to 8,000, which will be sufficient for defending the territory.

He observed the expressions of the crowd and said, "There are about 100,000 people in the county seat and its suburbs, and nearly 10,000 people in each town and village. We will first recruit 150 people from each town and 1,500 people from the county seat. The age limit is 18 to 45."

Previously, under Lin Ye's instructions, the territory had undergone a population relocation for better development.

The people who were originally crowded in the county town because they were worried about monsters were dispersed to various towns. Now the population of each town is roughly balanced, and there are only more than 100,000 people left in the county town and the surrounding area.

Don't be intimidated by the large number of people; this territory is no smaller than two counties in my previous life.

In my past life, a county often boasted "Welcome to our million-strong population," and such slogans were everywhere.

Upon hearing this, Lin Tie, the steward of Shitie Town, raised an eyebrow and asked with his hands clasped, "Young Master, how many people will Xiang County send for this expedition?"

Lin Ye spoke in a calm and clear tone, "According to the imperial court's conscription order, this expedition plans to send one thousand people."

Ten of them were third-rate martial artists, one hundred were unranked martial artists, and the rest were selected from ordinary soldiers.

We should prioritize quality over quantity. After all, when on campaign, supplies are difficult to obtain and the costs are enormous. A large force would only hinder marching and combat.

At this point, his expression became even more serious, and he said, word by word, "Each town must gather the selected personnel at the military camp under construction outside the county seat within ten days for initial integration and training, and then proceed to Gongchang Prefecture."

Everyone felt a chill and responded in unison.

Lin Ye paused briefly before continuing, "Due to the special circumstances of Gongchang Prefecture, most of it has long been abandoned and cannot provide us with food and supplies."

Therefore, we must prepare our own provisions for this expedition. Later, Uncle Lin Qiang will distribute the list of provisions needed for each town; please ensure that the required quantities are collected and that there are no shortages.

He emphasized, "Similarly, all provisions must be delivered to the main camp within ten days, without fail. Delaying military operations is tantamount to delaying the safety of the entire territory; don't blame me for being ruthless then."

Ten days later, a temporary military camp was erected on the open ground in front of the county town. The camp was filled with fluttering flags and bustling with activity.

Ten examination platforms were lined up in the center of the military camp, where the martial arts skills of the recruits were being tested in turn.

The assessment was concise yet rigorous, requiring candidates to pass all three tests: strength, archery, and horsemanship.

After all, this was the first time the territory had responded to the imperial court's summons and had to make its debut in front of other lords and the Northern Xiongnu. Although it did not seek to become famous in one battle, it could at least not lose its momentum or appear weak.

It should be noted that the nests in the territory nurture farming-type earthworms and soil ants, whose role in production and logistics is irreplaceable, but whose combat power is not outstanding.

If the army is selected haphazardly, then Xiang County will truly be seen as a "manor lord" who only knows how to farm, and will have no prestige left.

The assessment was in full swing. Many young people lifted stone weights high above their heads in the strength test, hit their targets perfectly in the archery range, and rode around cones with ease in the horsemanship test.

Ultimately, more than 900 people were selected from the applicants.

Surprisingly, there were more than forty second-rate martial artists among them.

They were not previously part of the guard unit; they were new recruits who were drafted this time.

Lin Ye nodded secretly, which showed that the territory had a martial spirit and great potential.

As for the military organization, Lin Ye did not copy the model from his previous life, but designed it according to the conventions of this world.

After all, the difference in individual combat strength between the two worlds is huge, so the organizational structure must be realistic.

He adopted a hierarchical system of five, ten, team, battalion, and school:

A squad consists of five men, with a squad leader.

Ten men were assigned to a squad leader, who was a low-ranking martial artist.

The team consisted of fifty people, with the captain being a third-rate martial artist.

One battalion, three hundred men;

A school with a thousand students.

Because the territory currently has a limited number of third-rate martial artists, only half of the thousand conscripted soldiers are third-rate martial artists, while the squad leaders are all second-rate martial artists.

The battalion commander also needed to be a third-rate martial artist, and Lin Ye selected three people: Lin Ping, Lin Jing, and Liu Yun.

Lin Ping and Liu Yun have been learning from him for a long time; it's time for them to hone their skills in real combat.

Lin Jing is Lin Qiang's son. He has always served in the guard team with his father and is familiar with the original guard team members. This time, he is going to war in place of his father, which is also a training opportunity.

Lin Qiang needs to stay in the territory to oversee the overall situation and cannot accompany them.

Finally, Lin Ye assumed the position of General of the Central Army, taking command of the troops in his territory.

This is common practice in all territories. If the territory expands to eight thousand soldiers in the future, the number of Lieutenant Generals will be sufficient to handle it. At that time, all that is needed is to report to the imperial court.