Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

Chapter 206 Training Laborers, Setting Off for Xiao County (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

The news that Rongtai County was going to transport grain to Xiao County spread throughout the entire county in just one day.

The news of Zhao Xian's appointment as the grain transport officer spread quickly.

Upon learning of this news, the sons of prominent families in the county all scoffed at the appointment.

He bluntly stated that Zhao Xian was merely a centurion, and how could he possibly be entrusted with such a heavy responsibility!

Such a heavy task can only be undertaken by those who have established a solid foundation and carried out major repairs!

The gossip even reached the county government office. In order to enhance Zhao Xian's prestige and reassure the people, Liu Yuan, the clerk, inadvertently revealed a secret.

The county magistrate ordered his warriors to serve as Zhao Xian's bodyguards and obey his commands!

Once this news spread, the gossip within the county naturally dissipated.

A Xiantian martial artist is comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator!

Whether the entire Rongtai County has even a handful of them is still uncertain!

The gossip had no effect on Zhao Xian, who was far away in Nankou Township.

Moreover, at this moment, he simply had no time to get involved in such trivial matters.

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"Aping, Asheng, can you calculate how many laborers are needed for this expedition? And how many bushels of millet need to be collected?"

Inside the military tent, Zhao Xian looked at Liu Ping and Liu Sheng, who were busy below, and asked in a deep voice.

The two ignored Zhao Xian's question and continued to calculate.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Xian, Xu Dejing, Zhao Cheng, Zhao Ji, and other military officers all fell silent and waited quietly.

"call!"

After a while, the two reached an agreement, and then breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from their foreheads.

"My lord, this escort mission, from Nankou Township to Xiao County, the seat of Xiao Prefecture, is over four hundred li!" Liu Ping bowed to Zhao Xian and said solemnly, "At a rate of twenty li per day, it will take twenty-two days just to reach Xiao County, and over forty days round trip!"

"The journey is long and arduous, and the laborers push wheelbarrows every day, making it a very difficult journey. They eat at least two catties of millet a day, and the round trip costs one shi (a unit of dry measure)!"

"A wheelbarrow can carry just two shi (a unit of dry measure) of millet; two hundred large carts can transport four thousand shi of millet!"

5"

"After three calculations by the two of us, we need to collect 20,000 shi of millet and 1,500 shi of crescent-shaped rice this time!"

"By the time the grain was delivered to Xiao County, after deducting the rations used on the return trip, there were exactly 10,000 shi of millet and 1,000 shi of crescent-shaped rice left!"

After Liu Ping finished speaking, the tent fell silent.

"Of the 20,000 shi of millet delivered to Xiao County, only 10,000 shi remained?!"

After a while, Xu Dejing came to his senses and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"Lord Xu, this is only because nothing unexpected happened on the road. If we follow our advice, we should levy 25,000 shi of millet this time, just in case!"

Liu Sheng looked at Xu Dejing, a bitter smile on his face.

"Actually, there are many shady dealings involved in transporting grain to the army," Zhao Cheng suddenly looked around at everyone, a light smile on his face. "Even the military commander Lian Ming hasn't yet profited from it!"

"If those cunning and treacherous officials were to escort the grain, we would have to collect at least 40,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) this time!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the tent nodded slightly, clearly agreeing with Zhao Cheng's reasoning.

They were all seasoned officials with many years of experience, so they naturally knew those people's methods!

"How many laborers are needed?"

"Five thousand people!"

This time, no one was surprised that so many people were needed!

"Huang Zhong!"

"Here!" A blond youth immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands, and shouted.

Upon seeing this, the others stood at attention on either side, cupping their hands in unison and saying, "Please give the order, Commander!"

"Immediately dispatch cavalry to notify the border patrols of the four districts, and the chief officials of the eight townships in the south and west, and the two townships of Shangbei and Pinghe in the north, to come to Nankou Township for a meeting!"

"Zhao Hong and Zhao Duan, you two must immediately go to the main market in the county town and purchase sixty bolts of linen in each of the five colors: blue, red, yellow, white, and black!"

"I will obey your command, General!"

The three of them responded in unison with a resounding "yes".

"Zhao Hong, after you arrive in the county town, first go and pay your respects to Liu Yuan, the clerk. Ask him to invite that innate martial artist to return to the camp with you two!"

"Here you go!"

"Dejing, you must have met some wealthy young men skilled in horsemanship during your previous inspection of the county!" Zhao Xian's gaze fell on Xu Dejing, and he said solemnly, "I order you to immediately recruit another troop of cavalry!"

"The rest of you, continue training the soldiers!"

"We will obey the Commander's orders!"

As the sun sets in the west and the moon rises in the east, two days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the military tent, officials of the rank of Bai Shi and Chi Ze were gathered together, chatting happily.

"The military commander has arrived!"

Zhu Ji lifted the tent flap and shouted.

Upon hearing this, all the officials inside the tent straightened their expressions and stood solemnly to one side.

Two imposing figures walked past the officials, one after the other.

"We pay our respects to the Military Commander!"

Whether they were lowly officials with red turbans or high-ranking officials with official seals, they all bowed deeply.

"Please rise, everyone!"

Zhao Xian looked around at everyone and said solemnly.

The officials immediately stood up, their gazes sweeping across the room, but their eyes lingered on the seal at Zhao Xian's waist.

"The county magistrate has granted me temporary leave as a grain transport official and permitted me to wear this seal of authority worth two hundred bushels of grain!"

"Unfortunately, these two hundred shi of official seals are as heavy as Mount Tai; they've been weighing me down these past few days, making it hard to breathe!"

Seeing that the officials' eyes were fixed on the seal at his waist, Zhao Xian smiled and joked.

"Looking at all the officials in the county, only the military commander is worthy of bearing this two hundred stone seals!"

The officials naturally understood Zhao Xian's implied meaning, and they all chuckled and offered their flattery.

"This is Gao Jun, the innate martial artist who will protect us on this journey!"

"We pay our respects to Your Majesty!"

Upon hearing this, all the officials bowed deeply to Gao Jun.

"Please rise, gentlemen. I am here on Zhao Jun's orders!" Gao Jun smiled and raised his hand to help them up.

The officials immediately stood up, their faces showing a solemn expression.

With a master of innate martial arts present, no one will be allowed to act recklessly!

"This time, we need to conscript five thousand laborers, five hundred from each of your ten villages!"

"We will obey the Commander's orders!"

Upon hearing this, the village officials of the ten villages all agreed in unison.

"These five hundred men were drawn from five different villages, with one hundred men drawn from each village. The village head served as the platoon leader, and Qiu Dao and a capable local official served as team leaders, each commanding fifty men!"

"Each pavilion chief shall select brave men from their own pavilion to serve as leaders of their respective squads and units!"

"Each group should consist of five hundred men, and the commander of each group can be any of you village officials or village stewards!"

"Each person brings a wheelbarrow; gather in Nankou Township within six days!"

"In addition, five medical personnel must be conscripted from each village to accompany the army!"

"Do you all understand?"

"Everything is already clear!"

The ten village officials all shouted in unison.

"Each of the two sections forms a unit, and the southern, western, and northern patrols each lead their subordinate officials to form a unit of commanders!"

"We will obey the Commander's orders!"

Xu Dekun and the other two bowed and accepted the order.

"Feng Gan, the Eastern Outpost!"

"The underlings are here!"

"I hereby order each of the three patrol units to leave one of their subordinates to guide you. You will personally lead your subordinates to inspect the entire county territory!"

"Before our return, we must patrol day and night, ensuring nothing goes wrong!"

"I will obey your command, General!"

Feng Gan, the eastern border guard, immediately responded solemnly.

"This is a matter of great importance; I urge you all to exert your utmost efforts!"

Looking around at the officials, Zhao Xian bowed deeply!

"I will certainly not fail the trust placed in me by the county magistrate and the military commander!"

Everyone bowed in return.

The sun sets in the west, casting a silver hook in the sky.

The village houses are scattered, with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys, creating a picturesque and leisurely rural scene.

The farmhouse courtyard was kept quite clean and tidy, with several chickens huddled together in the chicken coop in the corner.

After taking off his shoes, the dark-skinned, thin man squatted on the ground, picked up the shoes, and gently slammed them to the ground.

"Slap! Slap!"

The mud stuck to the shoes naturally fell off.

Although they are not cloth shoes, but straw sandals woven by the family, they are still worth a few coins, so they must be cherished.

"Honey, have you finished making the cloth shoes I made a few days ago?"

"It's ready, would you like to try it?" the woman asked with a smile, peeking halfway out of the main room.

"No need to try it on. Pack a bundle for me, along with three pairs of straw sandals. We're going on a long journey!"

"A long trip? Where to?"

Upon hearing her husband's words, the woman quickly stepped forward and asked.

"Xiao County!" The dark-skinned, thin man sighed, put on his straw sandals, and got up to walk towards the wheelbarrow in the corner. "The village head just came and wants me to perform this year's corvée labor!"

"Transport provisions and supplies to Xiao County!"

"Xiao County, isn't there a war going on?" the woman exclaimed, then said urgently, "There are so many people in our village, why do you have to go and do forced labor!"

"What if we encounter soldiers or bandits again?"

"The village chief must dislike our family!" The woman took a few steps closer, caught up with the thin, dark-skinned man, and whispered, "Why don't you take a chicken to the village chief after nightfall?"

At this point, a hint of reluctance appeared on the woman's face.

These chickens at home are at the age where they can lay eggs, and the chickens we collect each month can supplement our household income quite a bit!

"A hundred men are needed for each pavilion, but we'll need twenty for our village!" The dark-skinned, thin man pushed his wheelbarrow to the center of the courtyard, inspecting the men from head to toe. Without looking up, he said, "We have a large family, and I'm the eldest brother. If I don't go, are you planning to send Erlang or Sanlang to Xiao County?"

"This time, it's Officer Zhao Xian leading the team. Have you heard of Zhao Xian? He's a renowned and skilled warrior!"

"With him leading the team, nothing will go wrong!"

"What military officer? What Zhao Xian! I'm just a country woman, how would I know these things!" At this point, the woman's eyes reddened, and she began to sob. "My second and third uncles are still young; the whole family is counting on you!"

"Wow!"

Suddenly, a child's cry came from the neighboring yard, followed by several shouts of arguing.

"You woman, what are you babbling about!" a rough voice rang out, mixed with the cries of a child. "It's not like we're going to war; we're just laborers!"

"I'm not going, so you, a mere woman, are supposed to go instead?!"

The child's loud cries shattered the tranquility of the countryside, and a cacophony of cries, arguments, and barking dogs echoed from the inner room.

In the blink of an eye, the idyllic and natural rural scenery was shattered!

"Sir, the 22,000 shi of millet and 1,500 shi of crescent-shaped rice are all here!"

Ren Zhuo, the head of the village in Nankou Township, led the way, pointed to the cloth bag in front of him, and said in a deep voice.

"What about the rest?"

Zhao Xian glanced at it briefly, then asked indifferently.

Liu Ping and Liu Sheng, who were behind them, then stepped past the two men and went with several village officials to verify the information.

"They're all piled up in the country houses!"

Ren Zhuo replied respectfully.

"Don't let it go too far!"

"This humble official understands!"

He responded, and Ren Zhuo's gaze involuntarily fell on the seal at Zhao Xian's waist.

The yellow ribbon for a 200-stone official's hat is much better looking than the blue-black ribbon for a 100-stone official's hat!

In my lifetime, I don't know if I will ever be worthy of the yellow ribbon!

"Have all the militia members from Nankou Township arrived yet?"

"Everyone has arrived. As instructed by the military commander, compose a piece of music, with Zheng Quan, the village assistant, serving as the composer!"

"Have you received the blue cloth yet?"

"We have received the cloth, but we do not yet know its purpose. Please give us your instructions, sir!"

Zhao Xian nodded slightly, walked into the grain pile, casually picked up a handful of millet, and gently sniffed it; the rich aroma of millet filled his nose.

"Use two feet as a standard, cut it into a square shape, and use it as a headscarf to wrap around your head!"

"The five colors—blue, red, yellow, white, and black—are chosen by the five tribes of soldiers, each selecting one color to distinguish their tribes!"

"General, your strategy is truly masterful!" Ren Zhuo immediately offered a compliment.

"Alas!" Zhao Xian sighed softly, turned to look at Ren Zhuo, and said solemnly, "The county magistrate has entrusted me with such an important matter; I will certainly devote myself wholeheartedly and do my utmost!"

"Sir, another strong villager has arrived!"

At this moment, Zhao Cheng strode over from a distance to report.

"Walk!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian naturally went to the camp where the militia were being settled.

The six days passed in the blink of an eye.

Five thousand militiamen had already arrived. There were no military tents; they simply cut down a section of forest, burned it clean, and used it as their camp.

Fortunately, it's not too cold now, and we can manage to rest around the campfire at night.

Many of the militia members thought that they would be starving and cold after arriving here, but they never expected that the rice porridge they ate every day was millet mixed with spirit rice.

Many of the militia members were quite envious, wishing they could pick out the spirit rice from the millet grain by grain!

Unfortunately, these rations were not distributed to everyone; instead, the soldiers poured them directly into earthenware pots for boiling every day!

No conscripted militia or minor officials are allowed to handle this matter!

After all, what Zhao Xian needed was for the local strongmen to have the strength to push the wheelbarrow to Xiao County, not to die of exhaustion on the way just to save a mouthful of spirit rice!

Zhao Xian could naturally distinguish which was more important!

Of the five militia units, three were led by three patrolmen, including Xu Dekun, while the remaining two were led by Zhao Zheng and Zhao Ze.

Although Zhao Zheng and Zhao Ze were not high-ranking officials, they had experience leading hundreds of people.

Zhao Xian has no one else to rely on, so naturally he has to use his own close relatives!

Inside the camp, hundreds of officials stood solemnly.

Looking around at the officials, Zhao Xian found them all to be shrewd and capable, and he was quite satisfied.

"The success or failure of this mission to transport grain to Xiao County depends not on us, but on you, the platoon leaders and squad leaders!"

"If you restrain the local militia and make them obey your commands, this grain transport will surely be a success!"

"Of the one hundred squad leaders, I will select one hundred men from my own ranks to serve as deputy squad leaders!"

Upon hearing this, all the officials in front of him turned to look at the armored soldiers lined up on the other side.

"They are both your guards and your deputies who suppress and govern the militia!"

"You and my soldiers must work together to govern this unit!"

"We will obey the Commander's orders!"

The officials and soldiers in front of them shouted in unison.

"Disperse and return to your units! We will depart in three days!"

Upon hearing this, all the officials turned and left.

"De Kun, Zhu Jun, Liu Jun, and the other four of you must also familiarize yourselves with your subordinate military commanders, platoon leaders, and squad leaders within these three days!"

Zhao Xiansu's gaze swept over Xu Dekun, Zhao Zheng, and the other five commanders, and he spoke.

Upon hearing this, the five men bowed and accepted the order, then each led their respective groups away.

"Lord Gao, Dejing and Huang Zhong currently command two cavalry units, each with approximately a hundred riders. How about appointing you as their commander?" Zhao Xian said with considerable respect, looking at the burly warrior before him. "The grain transport convoy stretches for several miles, with cavalry deployed along the outer perimeter for patrols."

Being vigilant is absolutely crucial!

"Since Lord Zhao has given the order, how dare Gao Jun disobey!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Jun readily agreed.

These past few days, he has been staying in the camp, following Zhao Xian around, and what he has seen and heard has truly surprised him.

I thought this country scholar would be in a flurry of activity when he first took charge of thousands of people, but I never expected him to be so organized and efficient!

Even the young talents he had seen in the county and state armies were inferior to him!

A general who only knows how to be brave and fierce is at best a fighting general. Only by being well-versed in military books and having a deep understanding of military strategies can one be called a good general!

The young man in front of me is quite capable of managing this group of untrained militiamen in an orderly manner!

Clearly, he has the potential to become a great general!

Therefore, Gao Jun naturally did not act arrogantly in front of Zhao Xian, after all, when he was in the state army, he was only a garrison commander with a salary of two hundred bushels of grain.

It's not even as high as Zhao Xian's current rank!

Furthermore, the garrison commander in charge of a hundred cavalrymen is, in terms of rank, comparable to the Marquis of Qu.

The following day, the large cart arrived, and Yuan Wei, the Registrar of Household Affairs, personally led the team to accompany Zhao Xian to Xiao County.

Two days later, everything was ready.

"Set off!"

Without further ado, Zhao Xian mounted his horse and shouted loudly.

"Da da da!"

The sound of horses' hooves rang out, and Gao Jun led his cavalrymen to set off first.

Following them were two garrisons of county soldiers under Xu Dejing's command, then a large number of horse-drawn carriages and wheelbarrows pushed by local militia, guarded by soldiers on both sides, and finally, a garrison of soldiers led by Zhao Cheng brought up the rear.

The procession stretched for more than ten miles, and its immense scale could not be concealed.

The news spread quickly throughout the county and reached the ears of those who were interested.

Regarding this grain transport, some hoped it would succeed, while others hoped it would fail, and of course, many more simply remained indifferent, as it was none of their business.

Yuan Wei arrived, but he also brought with him a secret order from the county magistrate.

"Lord Zhao, the county magistrate has stipulated that in case of unforeseen circumstances, the millet can be discarded, but the crescent-shaped rice must not be discarded. The most important thing is to safeguard this hundred bushels of jade pearl rice!"

Yuan Wei spurred his horse closer to Zhao Xian, gently touched his chest, and spoke in a telepathic voice.

Zhao Xian's gaze also fell on Yuan Wei's chest. If nothing unexpected happened, the hundred shi of jade pearl rice was stored in special military ration bags!

Keep it safe by Yuan Wei!

On the first day, the army marched fifteen li (approximately 25 kilometers), set off at dawn, and set up camp at dusk, a journey that took about four hours.

When setting up camp, large carts formed a circle around the perimeter, with soldiers, civilians, and livestock inside.

A hundred paces away from the cart, dozens of bonfires stood in all directions, burning brightly and illuminating the night sky.

After nightfall, military officers and clerks of all ranks patrolled the camp. If anyone was found wandering around or making loud noises, they would be whipped or even beheaded on the spot!

That night, Liu Ping led a squad of soldiers to patrol the camp, and the leather whips in the hands of the soldiers were all soaked with blood.

Wherever he went, no man dared to look him in the eye!

For the next five days, they marched and set up camp every day, doing the same thing.

Traveling fifteen li a day is indeed quite slow.

Logically speaking, one needs to march twenty li (approximately 10 kilometers) per day to be considered qualified.

However, Zhao Xianmo's troops were militiamen, not soldiers, so twenty li could not be used as the standard.

The grain escort team from Ronghuai County was led by Chen Sheng, Zhou Yan, Han Du, and others, and set off five or six days earlier than Zhao Xian and his team.

When Zhao Xian and his group first entered Ronghuai County, they had already entered Xiao County.

Zhao Xian and his group traveled for eight days in Ronghuai County before finally entering Xiao County.

As night fell, the campfire roared, and the campsite was quiet.

Occasionally, there would be slight noises, which were from patrolling military officers, their armor plates clanging.

Today is the first night since entering Xiao County, and Zhao Xian and the other officials naturally dare not relax their vigilance in the slightest.

They were divided into shifts, each on duty for midnight.

Leaning against the carriage, Zhao Xian gazed at the dark, dense jungle in the distance.

A burly figure suddenly leaped onto the carriage and sat down next to Zhao Xian.

"Gao Jun, you don't need to keep watch tonight, why aren't you resting?"

"Could it be that reaching the Innate Realm brings such boundless energy?"

Zhao Xian glanced at the newcomer, then smiled and joked.

The two had known each other for more than half a month, and now they were naturally more casual with each other.

"Tonight is our first night in Xiao County. Let alone me, a Xiantian martial artist, most of the militia in the camp probably won't be able to sleep!"

But Gao Jun, just like Zhao Xian, leaned against the rice bag and chuckled leisurely.

"From here to Xiao County, it's about 300 li. If we travel 20 li a day, it will still take us 15 days!"

"In these fifteen days, the Huangtiandao cultivators will have plenty of opportunities to attack us!"

"Even with round-the-clock vigilance and tight security, we cannot stop their attack!"

Zhao Xian chuckled lightly and said calmly.

"Gao Jun, you should return to your camp to rest and recuperate!"

"It's alright. It's quite boring to be alone in a military tent!" Gao Jun waved his hand dismissively upon hearing this.

"Is Huang Zhong your brother-in-law?"

Suddenly, Gao Jun looked at Zhao Xian and asked with a smile.

"Yes, I'm engaged to my sister!" Zhao Xian nodded slightly, then turned to Gao Jun with a smile, "Why did you ask about this, Gao Jun?"

"You have a good eye, choosing a future innate martial artist as your brother-in-law!"

Gao Jun said with considerable envy.

"Is that all Gao Jun has to say about Huang Zhongneng becoming a Xiantian martial artist?"

"Of course!" Gao Jun nodded slightly, then looked at Zhao Xian with a surprised expression. "It seems you are also unaware of Huang Zhong's extraordinary abilities!"

"Is Gao Jun referring to his beard and hair?"

"Beard and hair are merely external manifestations of one's inner bloodline. This kid Huang Zhong should possess a faint divine or demonic bloodline, making him a superhuman!"

"Once an extraordinary person awakens their bloodline, reaching the Innate Realm is effortless!"

"I see!" Zhao Xian's face showed a look of sudden realization.

"You're so lucky, kid! You stumbled upon a martial arts master as your brother-in-law by sheer luck!"

"Haha!" Zhao Xian laughed heartily, and continued, "Gao Jun, to be honest, I've been quite lucky since I was a child, and I've encountered helpful people everywhere I've gone!"

"The county magistrate is the greatest benefactor I have ever encountered!"

"If it weren't for the county magistrate's promotion of me to the rank of military officer, how could I be qualified to marry a woman from the Chen family of Yunwu Mountain!"

At this point, Zhao Xian's face was filled with emotion.

"The Third Elder enjoys an excellent reputation within the clan and even the sect!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Jun immediately spoke up in a serious tone.

"Gao Jun, will the county magistrate step down next year?"

The news spread like wildfire throughout the county, and Zhao Xian's revelation of it at this time was not considered offensive.

"The Third Elder is returning to the sect to fight for his path!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Jun immediately spoke in a deep voice.

"Then who will succeed as magistrate?"

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