Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

Chapter 197 The Sun Family's Proposal: Entering Nankou (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

As the sun sets, wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys.

Shanghuting, Chunpingli.

A rare, rich aroma of meat wafted from within the dilapidated courtyard walls.

Hearing the cheerful laughter coming from the neighboring courtyard, and then looking at the thin porridge in their own pot, the neighbors couldn't help but feel envious.

However, amidst the laughter and joy, there was also a trace of the pain of parting unknown to outsiders.

With wine and meat served, everyone sat on the ground and enjoyed their meal.

"Grandfather, great-grandfather, there were five or six hundred people who went to apply for the position today, and by the time it was my turn, all the positions were already filled!"

During the meal, a lively young man gestured animatedly, waving his arms and speaking vividly to the others.

"If I hadn't known the second son of the Zhao family who was recruiting soldiers, I definitely wouldn't have been able to join!"

"Tsk tsk! Zhao Ji's armor is truly something I envy!"

"Zhao Ji? He's Zhao Xian's elder brother, isn't he?" Upon hearing this, the withered old man opposite him pondered for a few moments before remembering who this Zhao Ji was.

"Exactly!" The young man hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice, "Grandfather, please don't address the Marquis by his given name in the future!"

"You brat! How dare you lecture your grandfather!" The withered old man raised an eyebrow and immediately cursed with a laugh.

"Sigh~"

With a long sigh, Sun Gan looked at the young man opposite him, a hint of heartache in his eyes.

Seeing his father's expression, the middle-aged man standing nearby immediately chimed in with a laugh, "Sanlang rented land from the Zhao family in the western countryside, and this year it's another good harvest!"

"I heard that the Zhao family also assigned a wife to Sanlang, but the only downside is that the wife brought a thief with her."

"That's not bad either; when they grow up, they'll be a member of our Sun family!"

"Now that Si Lang has joined the Zhao family's recruited army, his settlement allowance alone is three hundred talismans, and his monthly salary will be two hundred talismans from now on!"

"Our good days have finally arrived!"

After saying that, the middle-aged man picked up the wine pot in front of him and filled his father's wooden bowl.

"You!" Sun Gan sighed, picked up the wooden bowl, and sipped the murky wine, only to find his mouth full of bitterness.

"You saw those jars of ashes being poured in the other day, didn't you? A perfectly healthy man was reduced to a tiny jar the size of a palm!"

"Father!" another dark-skinned, thin man suddenly raised his voice, then muttered, "Fourth Brother is setting off with the army tomorrow, why are you saying such discouraging things here!"

"That's right! Bah, bah, bah!" Upon hearing this, Sun Gan immediately slapped himself in the mouth, spitting repeatedly, but then instructed the impetuous man, "Fourth Brother, when the fighting starts, don't rush to the front; hide in the back!"

"Understood, Grandfather!" The lively man replied with a smile, though he was inwardly unconvinced. He knew he would be rewarding the man with money when the time came.

The group continued eating and drinking, while the young man at the very end looked at the elders, but hesitated to speak.

"Ah Fu, is there something you want to say?"

Seeing his son hesitate, the middle-aged man immediately smiled and asked.

"Grandfather, Father, Mother, I also intend to apply!" Sun Fu immediately took a deep breath and said solemnly.

Upon hearing this, everyone at the table froze.

Immediately, a flash of anger appeared on Sun Qian's face, and he shouted, "You brat! Battle is not child's play!"

"Si Lang has already volunteered, so why should you, a yellow-haired child, volunteer?"

"Grandfather!" Upon hearing this, Sun Fu's face flushed red. "I'm going to become a doctor, not a warrior!"

"A doctor?" Sun Gan scoffed. "What medical skills do you know, you brat!"

"Besides, whether our humble country skills will even meet their standards is another matter!"

"But Zhao Xian invited me to go before!" Seeing his grandfather belittle his family's medical skills, Sun Fu's face turned red, and he got up and said urgently.

"Wang Yan from the Great King's camp, several elders also know him." Taking a deep breath, Sun Fu looked around at everyone and continued, "He enlisted more than two months ago and was only a third-rate martial artist. After two months of training in the military camp, he is now a second-rate martial artist and has become a squad leader!"

"He returned home a few days ago after a day's leave and has become Zhao Xian's retainer. In Xixiang, Zhao Xian allocated him fifty mu of land and one household as an auxiliary!"

"Ten percent of the land tax!"

At this point, Sun Fu held up three fingers and gestured them back and forth in front of everyone!

"Ah Fu, but I heard that it was fifty acres of wasteland!"

The burly man looked up at his younger cousin, scratched his head, and asked in confusion.

"Fourth brother, so what if it's wasteland? It's not like he's the one cultivating it. If he works hard for three to five years, it will become a fertile field that can be passed down through generations!"

Sun Fu immediately retorted.

"My third brother was a servant under Zhao Xian, and he only had twenty mu of land. But in the past two years, he not only has stored up grain, but he also gives the family a hundred jin of grain every year!"

"This year you've had a wife; if my third brother has a child next year, I doubt we'll have any more relief!"

At this point, Sun Fu knew he had spoken out of turn, but he did not stop talking and continued, "Wang Yan from the Great King's Village, Liu Gui and Liu Ju from Wenmao Village, Zhang Rang from Changgong Village, and Guo Erlang from our village are all about the same age as me and have known Zhao Xian since childhood."

"These men have now become Zhao Xian's followers!"

"If we're talking about Wang Yan, with his first-class decapitation skill and second-rate martial arts, he's certainly qualified to be Zhao Xian's follower."

"But what right do the remaining few have to become Zhao Xian's followers if they hadn't known him since childhood?"

"Grandfather, this is a golden opportunity, and it won't come again!"

After saying this, Sun Fu knelt down on the ground, his forehead pressed tightly against the soil.

Seeing this, the others also looked at Sun Gan, who was in the main seat.

"No wonder you've been diligently cultivating yourself and studying medicine day and night this past year; it turns out you'd already made up your mind to follow Zhao Xian!"

After a long silence, Sun Gan looked at his obedient grandson kneeling on the ground in front of him and said with a wry smile.

"Please grant my request, Grandfather!"

Sun Fu shouted again in a stern voice.

"Alright, alright, since you're so inclined, then go with Si Lang!" With a sigh, Sun Gan waved his hand and said helplessly.

"Don't go to the front lines; being a military medic is enough!"

"Grandson will heed his grandfather's instructions!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Fu was naturally delighted and said...

"Si Lang, you're a bit older, so you'll have to take good care of A Fu in the camp from now on!"

"Understood, Grandfather!"

The lively man quickly responded.

As night deepened, the banquet ended, and everyone returned home.

The next morning, as dawn broke.

Sun Fu and his elder brother Sun Gui bid farewell to their elders and left Chunpingli, heading towards Xiangting.

Meanwhile, many burly men carrying their bags bid farewell to their families and walked along the official road.

Those who knew each other naturally gathered in groups of three or five to chat.

Among them were the two Sun brothers. Some Daoist villagers who knew the two brothers were quite curious and asked why Sun Fu had also gone to apply for the job.

I did not see Sun Fu at Xiangting yesterday.

"My brother is a doctor, so naturally he was personally invited by the military commander!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Gui replied with a smile.

"A doctor? With your family's medical skills, you're probably more like a veterinarian!" As soon as these words were spoken, a familiar Daoist resident joked.

"Alright! When I ever need my brother's help, I'll definitely give you a good beating!"

Sun Gui also put on a stern face and started to intimidate the man.

Upon hearing this, the man naturally begged for mercy repeatedly, which made the others burst into laughter.

However, they also showed more respect for Sun Fu, after all, a doctor is quite capable!

When we arrived at the village pavilion, it was still the same open space on the west side.

The recruits lined up under the command of their respective squad leaders and sergeants, and naturally, they received a good scolding along the way.

At this time, Sun Fu was also brought before Zhao Xian by Zhao Ji.

Sun Gui himself was just a newly recruited soldier, how could he be qualified to pay respects to Zhao Xian? Fortunately, he was acquainted with Zhao Ji, so he naturally had to ask Zhao Ji to handle this matter.

"Sun Fu pays his respects to the Military Commander!"

Upon seeing Zhao Xian, without needing to say anything, Sun Fu naturally bowed deeply.

"Sun Fu?" Zhao Xian pondered for a moment, looking at the young man in front of him, a memory also surfaced in his mind.

"Ah Fu, get up quickly! What brings you here? Is something wrong?"

Upon recognizing the person in front of him, Zhao Xian naturally raised his hand in a gesture of support and asked with a smile.

Zhao Xian naturally showed more patience towards his childhood friends than others.

"Sun Fu has come to apply for the position of army medic!"

Upon hearing Zhao Xian's question, Sun Fu did not stand up, but instead replied solemnly.

"An army medic~"

Zhao Xian nodded slightly, recalling what he had said to Sun Fu last year.

"Ah Fu, being a military medic is no child's play. Your medical skills..."

Seeing that it was a serious matter, Zhao Xian's expression became more serious.

"It has been a year since I last met Junhou. In this year, Sun Fu has been diligently practicing medicine, studying medical skills day and night, and also practicing medicine in the countryside with his grandfather."

"While I wouldn't presume to claim exceptional medical skills, I do have considerable expertise in identifying herbs, preparing medicinal decoctions, bandaging wounds, and bone-setting massage!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Fu immediately explained in detail.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ji, Zhao Zheng, Zhao Cheng, and others standing nearby were quite surprised.

I didn't expect this young man to know so much!

Seeing that Zhao Xian was still pondering, Zhao Ji hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and said with a smile, "General, Afu is someone we've watched grow up. He's of good character. Why don't we let him join the army and give him a try?"

"In that case, Afu, you will become a military medic and serve under this General Liu!"

"Thank you, General!"

Sun Fu bowed again, then stood up. Liu Sheng, whom Zhao Xian had pointed to, also stepped forward upon seeing this.

"Sun Fu, my name is Liu Sheng, I am the military commander of the camp, and I am temporarily in charge of all logistical matters in the camp!"

"Sun Fu pays his respects to Liu Junzheng!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Fu turned around and bowed deeply to Liu Sheng.

"Ah Fu, I never expected you to join the army too!"

At this moment, Liu Ping also came over. He was from Wenmaoli and naturally knew Sun Fu.

Sun Fu was quite surprised to see Liu Ping.

"Aping is also a military officer, responsible for the camp's military discipline, orders, and enforcement of punishments!" Zhao Xian explained immediately upon seeing Sun Fu's surprised expression. "In the future, be sure not to violate the camp's military regulations!"

"Sun Fu pays his respects to the Military Commissioner!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Fu immediately bowed to Liu Ping again.

"Get up! We've known each other since childhood, there's no need to be so formal!"

Upon seeing this, Liu Ping immediately stepped forward and helped Sun Fu up.

"Lord, here's Doctor Sun's monthly salary~"

At this moment, Liu Sheng also looked at Zhao Xian and asked.

He was in charge of all logistics in the camp, including the roster of soldiers and the distribution of their monthly salaries, so it was natural to inquire about them.

"Based on the new recruit's monthly salary, once Afu's medical skills are recognized by the soldiers, he will be promoted to a squad leader's monthly salary!"

Zhao Xian pondered for a few moments, then smiled and said.

"Thank you, General!"

Sun Fu bowed to Zhao Xian again, then stood behind Liu Sheng.

With new and old soldiers mixed together, the ranks naturally became crooked and disorganized.

The squad leaders, having lost their temper, drew their swords from their waists and began to whip the victims.

In an instant, screams and wails echoed across the open space.

It took most of an hour for the team to finally take shape.

Zhao Xian then announced the departure.

The cavalrymen behind them led their warhorses, walking in the lead.

During a march, cavalrymen naturally wouldn't want to ride their horses to conserve their strength.

Of course, if one person has two horses, that's perfectly fine.

But Zhao Xian's current cavalry force barely managed to gather the necessary mounts.

The daily food and rations for the warhorses of this cavalry unit alone are comparable to those of the other five cavalry units.

As a result, the treatment of cavalrymen also increased.

Compared to infantry of the same rank, cavalry are calculated according to a higher standard.

A regular cavalry soldier is equivalent to a squad leader in the infantry, while a cavalry squad leader is equivalent to a platoon leader in the infantry.

Zhao Zheng and the others had no objection to this.

The five cavalry squad leaders were Yang Zhi, Chen Chong, Wang Cong, and two members of the Zhao clan. Most of the ten squad leaders were also members of the Zhao clan.

Huang Zhong was appointed as the captain of the cavalry unit, and Zhao Bing as the deputy captain, which ensured Zhao Xian's control over this cavalry force.

After returning from Ronghuai County, Wang Cong resigned from his post with Chen Yuancheng and prepared to join Zhao Xian's forces.

Chen Yuancheng readily agreed.

Zhao Xian was quite pleased with Wang Cong's allegiance and had already allocated him fifty mu of land and two households of laborers in Xixiang.

As for Yang Zhi and Chen Chong, they were both subordinates of Zhao Xian and could not be considered his followers.

During the march, the mix of new and old soldiers made the journey very slow.

The distance from Wohu Township to Xixiang is several dozen miles.

The group only traveled ten miles on the first day before setting up camp.

They walked twenty li on the second day and more than twenty li on the third day before finally arriving in Xixiang.

In the days that followed, the earth-shattering sounds of drills rang out again.

During this brief respite, Zhao Xian also took the opportunity to inspect his subordinates.

The bandits escorted from Ronghuai County, apart from those sold, were all settled here by Zhao Xian.

Having bought so much wasteland in one go, Zhao Xian naturally intended to register these bandits and their families as commoners.

Zhao Cheng, Zhao Ji, and other former followers, some of whom had rendered meritorious service, were not rewarded with land by Zhao Xian this time.

The so-called "meritorious land" refers to the land granted to meritorious officials.

These fields are exempt from taxes and can be passed down to one's descendants.

Zhao Xian's previous granting of land to Zhao Cheng and his followers foreshadowed the beginnings of the practice of granting fiefdoms.

It's just that it's been officially confirmed now.

After this battle, Zhao Cheng and Zhao Ji were the most meritorious, and each of them was awarded ten mu of land as a reward.

The remaining officers and soldiers were awarded the highest amount of land for merit, which was five mu, for those who died in battle.

Zhang Gong, Xu Hua, and Zhao Zong each had four mu, Xu Fu had three mu, and those below them had two mu and one mu.

Song Ming also raised objections, arguing that the amount of land granted as merit was far too small.

But Zhao Xian brought up one thing: what if these fields were carefully cultivated into spiritual fields?

In short, the granting of Koda should be done with caution.

Of course, these fields are still registered under Zhao Xian's name, because without Zhao Xian's protection, these fields would also be coveted by others!

Moreover, Zhao Xian was not a rioter from Xiao County; he was an outer disciple of the Yunlan Sect and a military officer in Rongtai County!

As for why he was an outer disciple of the Yunlan Sect, it was naturally because high-ranking officials like Zhao Xian had to join the Yunlan Sect and obtain an outer disciple identity token.

Of course, they just don't receive a monthly salary!

However, the sect contribution point exchange system within the Yunlan Sect is still open to officials like Zhao Xian.

For officials like Zhao Xian, who have held the rank of Hundred Stone Official for a full year, they can receive 20 contribution points each year, which can be exchanged for 20 low-grade spirit stones!

Of course, sect contribution points can also be used to exchange for other rare treasures.

Therefore, these contribution points are truly invaluable.

There have also been cultivators from outside the sect who have been willing to pay high prices for contribution points, roughly one contribution point for five low-grade spirit stones!

As for where to exchange it, it is naturally at the county government office, where there is a Celestial Jade Disc that can connect Rong County and the prefecture.

Then they learned what rare and precious items the sect possessed!

Zhao Xian had never seen this jade disc before, after all, although he had been a military officer for two years, he had not made any contribution points.

The twenty contribution points will not be credited until the end of this year.

After that, twenty contribution points will be credited to your account at the end of each year.

According to Chen Sheng, he served as the county bandit clerk for more than 20 years and never spent a single contribution point.

With the accumulated 400+ contribution points, and upon reaching the Qi Refining Perfection stage, I handed over ten mid-grade spirit stones, bringing the total to 700 contribution points, which I then used to exchange for three high-grade Yellow-rank spirit items.

With the help of those three high-grade yellow-rank spiritual items, he successfully forged an eighth-rank Dao foundation.

It's a pity that these three high-grade Yellow-rank spiritual items are not of the same origin; otherwise, their Dao Foundation rank could have been raised another grade!

Zhao Xian has now reached the eighth level of Qi Refining, and he is confident that he will reach the Qi Refining Perfection level within ten years. It is time for him to prepare for Foundation Establishment.

Xu Dekun and Chen Yuancheng have both reached the ninth level of Qi Refining, and are now working hard to hone their magical power, waiting for the Qi Refining stage to be completed.

The Qi Refining Ninth Level has 256 strands of magical power, but to achieve complete perfection, it would take at least three to five years of refinement.

In addition to Xuntian, Zhao Xian also assigned women from among the bandits to his former followers.

With over a hundred bandits and four or five hundred family members, it was impossible for them to be paired up.

Zhao Xian naturally had to consider the well-being of his followers.

In addition, Zhao Cheng and others also asked for some.

Scattered and scattered, Zhao Xian also settled all these family members.

As for the slightly older thief, Zhao Xian also settled him in the ranch.

If you raise it for a few years, once it grows up, it can also be used as a laborer.

The pastures and estates in Xixiang were managed by Zhao Li and Zhao Zhi. Seeing that his two uncles were all alone, Zhao Xian also arranged for them to have several servants and maids.

The two of them naturally accepted it with pleasure.

Mu Chun wanted to follow Zhao Xian, but Zhao Xian bluntly said that both Wohu Township and Xixiang needed a loyal attendant to patrol them.

However, seeing that he was traveling alone, Zhao Xian arranged for him to have several young servants.

Upon Zhao Xian's return, prominent families and wealthy households in Xixiang frequently invited him to banquets.

Zhao Xian naturally accepted all offers.

After all, once he left, Saigo's established business would need the protection of these local strongmen.

After spending five days in Xixiang, Zhao Xian reorganized his troops and prepared to head to Nankou Township.

After five days of training, the team finally looked somewhat professional.

They continued to travel twenty-five li a day before setting up camp.

After traveling for four days, the group finally entered the area south of Nankou Township.

As for the location of the encampment, it was still the same camp that had been attacked before.

However, compared to the previous night raid by bandits, the soldiers who have set up camp here this time are much more elite.

However, Zhao Xian could not afford to be careless!

After setting up camp, Zhao Xian ordered his soldiers to cut down all the trees and vegetation within a hundred feet of the camp, clearing a clean view.

Over the next few days, this area gradually expanded to about 120 zhang.

Under Zhao Xian's arrangement, the cavalry soldiers have begun patrolling the border area between Nankou Township and Ronghuai County.

Zhao Ji's troop of soldiers was the most elite. Under Zhao Xian's orders, they set up checkpoints on the official road between the two places to check pedestrians and caravans.

This action naturally attracted the attention of Nankou Township.

The sun rises above the treetops, and the cold wind howls.

On the training ground, over a hundred soldiers brandished their spears, shouting angrily.

Sweat rolled down his dark face, splashing onto his robe and leaving a damp stain.

Steam rose from above their heads.

A group of men arrived at the camp gate, dismounted, exchanged a few words with the guards, and waited quietly outside the gate.

Before long, the chevaux-de-frise were pulled away, and a group of people led their mounts into the camp.

Inside the command tent, Zhao Xian saw the newcomer and a smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Jiang Zhuo, a lowly clerk, pays his respects to the military commander!"

Before Zhao Xian could get up to greet him, the leading official immediately bowed.

"Jiang Jun, please rise immediately!"

Upon seeing this, Zhao Xian immediately raised his hand to help.

After exchanging greetings, everyone took their seats.

After a brief chat, Jiang Zhuo also mentioned the purpose of his visit.

"Does Lord Jiang mean for me to cancel that checkpoint?" Zhao Xian looked at Jiang Zhuo, a hint of difficulty on his face. "The county magistrate wants me to strictly investigate travelers heading north; I'm afraid I cannot agree!"

"My lord, Jiang Zhuo did not mean that!" Upon seeing this, Jiang Zhuo, the head of Nankou Township, immediately waved his hands repeatedly and said with a wry smile, "How dare we disobey the county magistrate's order!"

"We simply hope that the soldiers under the command of the military commander can be a little more lenient and not conduct such rigorous checks!"

"What does Jiang Jun mean by this?" Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian feigned ignorance.

"If the checks are too lenient, what's the point of setting up checkpoints?"

At this moment, Zhao Zheng, who was opposite Jiang Zhuo, also looked at Zhao Cheng and the others below him and said with a smile.

"This~"

Jiang Zhuo hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

Upon seeing this, a middle-aged scholar below immediately understood.

He stroked his beard and smiled, then looked up at Zhao Xian and said with a smile, "The military commander has several hundred soldiers under his command. I've heard that the county only allocates 30,000 coins and 200 bushels of millet per month. Is that true?"

"That's true, and I'm currently facing a dilemma because of it!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian gave a wry smile, a hint of weariness appearing on his face.

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