A lowly soldier becomes king, I slaughter my way through the late Tang Dynasty!

"My son, you absolutely must be chosen!"

"Kid, if you don't become General Li's soldier, don't come back to see your father!"

"My husband, go in peace. I will take care of things at home. You just need to go and follow General Li to protect our home."

Similar conversations took place in various corners of Boling County.

Besides the excellent benefits of joining the military.

These young men from Boling also had reasons why they had to join the army.

Li Rui allocated land to them.

They are now all respectable local families with farmland and property.

Life is full of hope, and good days are just around the corner.

But Li Rui also said that...

The Khitans will come sooner or later.

If we want to protect the hard-won farmland and the families who have finally achieved a good life, then we must protect them.

You have to put on your armor and pick up your sword yourself!

Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be killed!

Only by arming ourselves can we protect everything we want to protect!

This principle is simple and easy to understand.

As long as it's explained clearly to the people, it's more effective than ten thousand conscription slogans.

The day of conscription.

The huge training ground was completely packed with people!

Inside the field were young men queuing up, waiting to be selected as soldiers.

Outside the stadium, families craned their necks, worried about the young adults.

Zhao Pu clapped his hands excitedly as he watched this scene.

With such popular support, how could our lord possibly fail?

Zhao Kuangyin also sighed with emotion.

"I heard my father say that many soldiers in the regional military governorships were forcibly conscripted and forced into military service."

It was even rumored that some military commanders, short of soldiers, would send men to kill the families of conscripted men and rape their wives.

After we've done all that, we'll tell the strong men, "If you want revenge, come with us to kill others and rape their wives."

Most people would choose to follow, so the number of people harmed increased, and the military governor's army grew larger and larger.

Upon hearing this...

Zhao Pu shuddered and exclaimed in horror.

"Such despicable methods are still used?"

Zhao Kuangyin shook his head.

"My father said that he had seen it with his own eyes. In fact, there was something even more cruel, which was forcing ordinary people to eat human flesh."

Once consumed, even ordinary people will break down, their behavior will become mad, brutal, and bloodthirsty, naturally turning them into bandits and soldiers.

Zhao Pu gagged and quickly raised his hand.

"Alright, alright, stop talking."

He touched his chest and it took him a while to calm down.

Looking at the happy faces of the people of Boling in front of me.

Zhao Pu couldn't help but admire Li Rui even more.

It gives the people hope and the army faith.

This is what a true champion's army should look like!

but.

While admiring him, Zhao Pu also whispered words of advice.

"My lord, so many people have come, but we've only recruited four thousand. Isn't that a bit too few?"

Li Rui waved his hand.

"That's enough. It's about quality, not quantity. Four thousand well-trained elite soldiers are far stronger than forty thousand weak bandits."

Moreover.

Boling County has a population of just over 40,000.

Excluding the elderly, children, and women, there were fewer than 10,000 able-bodied men.

Four thousand is already the limit.

If we produce more, it will lead to a reduction in grain production due to labor shortages.

Li Rui patted Zhao Kuangyin and asked.

"Were the Restoration Army scattered?"

"Disperse. As per the general's orders, each veteran of the Restoration Army will lead ten new recruits."

Li Rui nodded.

Mentoring new employees is always the fastest and most effective way to improve team cohesion.

After the four hundred veteran soldiers of the Restoration Army were scattered, each soldier led ten new recruits.

They were able to integrate perfectly with the four thousand new recruits.

While they were talking.

The conscription is in full swing.

There is a physical examination and a political background check.

As long as you are in good health and have no criminal record as registered with the government, you can pass.

The conditions are still quite lenient.

In the end, a total of five thousand people passed!

Li Rui only needs four thousand.

But that doesn't mean the extra thousand people have no chance at all.

After all, everyone has flaws.

If there are new recruits who are not proactive in training, talk back to their superiors, or lack a sense of team responsibility.

They will be expelled from the military!

Then, from these extra thousand people, select the best to add to the pool.

In this way, an elimination mechanism is established.

They forced the new recruits to train hard and dared not slack off.

……

The conscription lasted for five days.

Li Rui, dressed in heavy Mingguang armor, also stood on the training ground for five days.

He is the soul of this army and must be present.

The common people and young adults feel energized whenever they see him!

Four thousand new recruits have been selected, plus four hundred veterans, for a total of four thousand four hundred.

Li Rui settled them north of Boling County.

It is adjacent to Yizhou and also close to Weizhou within the territory of the Khitan.

The military camp had already been built, and various supplies were being continuously transported over.

evening.

Li Rui embraced Wang Shuyu and spent the last night tenderly with his wife.

He will also head to the northern military camp tomorrow.

He ate, lived, trained, and lived with four thousand new recruits!

The duration is three months.

He will return when the autumn harvest arrives.

This also means that Li Rui and his wives and concubines will not see each other for three months.

Liu Fuji will also depart tomorrow, heading to Cangzhou in the east.

There, Zhang Yaozu was already planning the saltworks project.

Although he is a local, he lacks business acumen and the decisiveness to make decisions.

Liu Fuji was able to take on the role of the backbone of the organization.

Liu Duobao also followed. He was a skilled businessman, and the salt trade route needed him.

The next morning, before dawn.

Li Rui didn't intend to wake his family and was about to leave.

Wang Shuyu suddenly hugged him from behind without saying a word.

After a long silence, Wang Shuyu finally spoke softly.

"My husband, I plan to bring your father and mother over."

Li Rui paused.

In this world, he has parents and a younger sister.

However, my memories have long been blurred, and I am no longer the same person I used to be.

Therefore, Li Rui only sent people to deliver a lot of wealth so that they could live a wealthy life.

As for taking it over... I'm not quite sure how to face it.

After a moment's hesitation, Li Rui nodded.

"Alright, you can decide."

……

Inside the northern military camp.

Four thousand new recruits, dressed only in cloth, stood at attention under the blazing sun!

This was Li Rui's first training session since arriving at the military camp.

Zhao Kuangyin scratched his head in disbelief.

"General, what is the purpose of doing this?"

Li Rui kicked him.

"You should go too."

Zhao Kuangyin was taken aback.

But military orders are absolute, so he had no choice but to take off his armor and stand at attention with his comrades.

Li Rui walked back and forth in the crowd.

When someone's movements are not standard, or they move around too much.

Just whip it with a horsewhip!

"Stand still! If you can't even stand still, how are you going to fight on the battlefield?"

Zhao Kuangyin originally thought it wouldn't be difficult at all.

But after standing for half an hour, he was sweating profusely and constantly gritting his teeth.

My soles feel like they're being pricked with needles, both sore and swollen!

Fortunately, he has practiced martial arts for many years and has been able to persevere.

I stood there for a full two hours!

Almost everyone was swaying and staggering, reaching their limit.

Li Rui then clapped his hands and said.

"Okay, relax!"

Upon hearing this...

Everyone felt as if they had drunk sweet rain!

They instantly collapsed and lay scattered all over the ground!

The scene was one of utter devastation.

Li Rui waved his hand, and the kitchen staff huffed and puffed as they brought in a sumptuous meal.

Large chunks of stewed pork until tender, along with vegetables, eggs, and fragrant millet.

It made everyone's mouth water!

Just when their eyes were about to fall into the broth.

Li Rui gave a wicked smile.

"Everyone, run ten laps around the camp. The last one hundred runners are not allowed to eat meat, only eggs!"