Chapter 57: Long County Emanates a Dense Aura of Auspiciousness

Just as Yun-geer had accurately predicted, the initial plan was to recruit only about three hundred men, including reserves. However, the final tally, including those enlisted from various towns and villages, reached over eight hundred—nearly triple the expected number. If most of the displaced refugees currently building the new village hadn't been physically undernourished and failed the physical examination, the number might easily have surpassed a thousand.

Yet, Yun-geer had no intention of keeping all of them. Instead, he planned to put them through a month of physical training; those who met the standard would be officially retained, those who fell just short would become reserves, and the rest would be sent home.

On their very first day, the eight hundred-plus men stood in disarray on the training ground. Especially when compared next to the local militia led by Feng Sheng, these fresh arrivals looked more like a band of street ruffians.

That day, Yun-geer arrived as usual.

He stood upon the steps, quietly accompanied by Jiang Guang, who stayed close by for protection.

At first, most of the newly recruited soldiers whispered among themselves. Several grew even more restless after waiting for a while, seeing that Yun-geer merely watched from a distance without intervening, while the local militia stood rigidly in formation like statues.

Their murmuring grew louder. Throughout this, they occasionally cast furtive glances at the militia and Yun-geer, but still, no one paid them any mind.

Emboldened, some began to sit, lie down, or even wander aimlessly about.

Time ticked by—one hour, two hours... Eventually, they noticed that the foreheads of the militia members were beginning to sweat. Having done hard labor themselves, they knew how agonizing it was to sweat like that without wiping it away, yet those soldiers remained completely motionless.

Gradually, the scattered men began to gather together.

No one spoke anymore. Once absolute silence fell over them, the only sounds left in the training ground were the steady rhythm of each other's breathing and the howling of the early winter wind.

At some point, the eight hundred-plus men started looking for places to stand. They began trying to mimic the militia and form a square formation, but there were too many of them, and many lacked education—they couldn't even count properly, making it impossible to align themselves neatly.

Throughout this long stretch, Yun-geer only left briefly to attend to a matter. When he returned and observed them for a while longer, he saw the eight hundred men standing in chaotic disorder. In their eyes were confusion and bewilderment; they were simply following what others did.

Yet there were also resolute ones among them—men who had stood straight from the beginning and had never sat down. The smarter ones carefully observed the militia, or even moved to stand right beside them to copy their formation.

Only then did Yun-geer step down from the stairs and say with a smile, "Sit."

Only then did the militia relax, sitting down neatly on the ground with their legs crossed.

"Did you see that? Some of these men will be your comrades-in-arms for the next month, and some will be your brothers-in-arms for a lifetime. But regardless of who stays and who leaves in the future, at this very moment, they are all comrades to whom you can entrust your lives!"

Yun-geer smiled again. "We have hung many banners around this training ground. I suppose many of you have no idea what is written on them. Come, read them aloud for them."

When this training ground was first laid out, none of the militia could read those characters either; Yun-geer had taught them one by one.

Now, at least the words inscribed on the banners fluttering across the field were familiar to them.

"Gathered together today! Remember it always in your hearts!"

"Look to the present, hearts linking in all directions, the bonds of brotherhood run deep!"

"..."

"Soldiers are the shield of the people, without soldiers the people are not secure!"

"Write glory with hot blood, practice loyalty with our lives!"

The militia shouted at the top of their lungs, every word solemn yet brimming with towering spirit, instantly setting the blood of the eight hundred fresh recruits boiling.

Were these Lord Li's soldiers?

These men were ignorant of the world, yet some had heard tales of how imposing and mighty the grand generals' armies were elsewhere. None of those stories, however, could compare to the shock of this moment.

Furthermore... the words shouted by the militia... actually regarded them as brothers who could entrust their backs to one another. How unworthy they felt to receive such trust!

When the militia finished reading, Yun-geer spoke up: "In our army, forming cliques and ganging up is strictly forbidden. If anyone uses their hometown region to deliberately bully others, not only will you be sent home, but you will also go to prison! Your families will be penalized as well, so they can see what kind of disgraceful character the descendants they raised actually have."

Small though Yun-geer appeared, he had spent enough time mingling in the world, especially handling troop training firsthand, that the militia sometimes even forgot he was still a child.

Although these eight hundred men found it slightly strange at first to see Yun-geer looking so young, the militia's respectful attitude toward him influenced them. Hearing Yun-geer speak with the maturity of a full-grown adult, they quickly put their doubts to rest and raised no further objections.

Having said this, Yun-geer waved his hand, and Zhang Yu promptly walked forward carrying a small, rectangular box.

Yun-geer stood a little shorter than the seated militia and recruits, but he didn't mind at all. Instead, he said naturally, "You happened to catch a lively event just now, so I want you to witness it. I hope you, too, can earn such glory in the future."

"Deng Qiang's squad, step forward!"

"Sir!"

The ten men of Deng Qiang's squad rose abruptly. Deng Qiang was the shortest among them, yet he stepped forward and announced, "All ten men of the squad present. Awaiting your instructions."

Looking at Deng Qiang, who had undergone a near-complete transformation, Yun-geer couldn't help wondering when Uncle Li would return and whether he would be utterly stunned to see him.

"Deng Qiang, the last time you led your squad charging into the vanguard on the battlefield, you slew Yang Luo, the chieftain of the White Horse Di tribe. This is not only your squad's first major merit, but also the first victory won by our entire force upon entering the battlefield. Therefore, you deserve to be commended."

Yun-geer had prepared for this long ago, deliberately delaying it to find the right moment to inspire them further. Now, with the new recruits arriving, it was the perfect opportunity.

Even though the militia had been well-drilled before, their eyes now brightened considerably. The men of Deng Qiang's squad flushed with excitement, their necks stretching forward unconsciously.

After Deng Qiang killed Yang Luo, they had anticipated a reward.

Yet when Yun-geer never brought it up afterward, they thought the matter had been dropped, never expecting he had been waiting for today!

Even Deng Qiang, who was merely a teenager in reality, struggled to contain his excitement.

Before long, the wooden box in Zhang Yu's hands was opened, revealing a rolled-up banner inside.

"Unfurl it." Yun-geer signaled for Zhang Yu to take the banner out. When it was unrolled, three bold characters were revealed: "Vanguard Squad."

"Deng Qiang, this banner is the glory of your squad. I hope your squad will never辜负 (let down) my expectations in the future. I hope you will all become military commanders, capable of leading your troops to smash through the fiercest enemy lines, emerging victorious in every battle, and proving yourselves heroes of a hundred fights!"

Deng Qiang's eyes widened. It wasn't out of shock, but because his eye sockets had turned red, and tears threatened to fall.

Since childhood, he had never been able to cry, only howling dryly. His father and mother always said he had a heart of stone, yet today, for some reason, he simply couldn't control himself.

At that moment, he finally began to understand why those households designated as military families were so deeply moved. Even ordinary folk, who surely carried the usual habits of sharp tongues, petty bickering, and taking small advantages, had somehow mended their family traditions and character overnight.

It was because they could not bear to taint this honor.

Deng Qiang's hands shook as he accepted the banner, and the men of his squad behind him had equally red rims around their eyes. Receiving this meant far more to them and brought them infinitely greater joy than mere money would have.

As for the other militia members, they were consumed with envy.

Ah, why had they been a step too slow that day? Why hadn't they been the ones to catch the big fish?

Right now, Deng Qiang's squad was the only one with a banner. Truly... the more they looked, the more envious they grew, wishing a battle would break out immediately so they could fight for a banner of their own. As for the new recruits, needless to say, they were utterly green with envy and jealousy.

Following the flag presentation, it was nearly mealtime, and Yun-geer told them to go eat.

Soon, the new recruits lined up to receive a large bowl of steamed rice with soybeans, accompanied by two oil-seared flatbreads that smelled intensely savory.

"All of this is for me?"

A militia soldier bit heavily into his oil-flatbread and laughed, "Eat up. Each person only gets two flatbreads, but the soybean rice is all you can eat until you're full. If you're still hungry, help yourself to more, but no wasting food—waste is severely punished. Also, you must wash your own bowls and chopsticks after eating. Wash them thoroughly; if any are found dirty, the whole lot of us will be punished."

"What's washing a bowl? I thought Lord Li giving out money already made him a saint, but I never imagined he'd give us this much to eat either. When I used to work for others, breaking my back until dark, they'd only give a bowl of watery gruel and a few copper coins."

"Just wait a couple of days, brother. We get meat here too! Lord Li said our training is grueling, so every three days we get a taste of meat. Let me tell you, when that thick pork broth is poured over the millet rice, with a huge chunk of pork placed right in your bowl, that flavor..."

The new recruits suddenly understood why these militia soldiers stood so straight. Eating like this, if they didn't obey orders, they wouldn't even be human!

"Work hard, and once you stay on, we'll serve Lord Li together. We are truly blessed to have met Lord Li and Yun-geer; don't let down such good fortune."

"..."

Soon, similar conversations echoed across various parts of the training ground, and the gazes of the new recruits grew even firmer. Each of them had made up their minds: they were determined to stay.

"Let's go, Uncle Jiang." Yun-geer felt quite satisfied with both his own performance and that of the new recruits today. The motivation had been properly delivered; now, everything depended on their performance over the next month.

During the month that followed, Uncle Li did not return as promised. Instead, Zheng Zuosheng's letters grew thicker one after another. Not only because the disturbance caused by the Mountain Ghost King had yet to settle, but more importantly, because Zheng Zuosheng was deeply depressed.

With the Liang Dynasty in its current state, he felt a crushing sense of exhaustion and powerlessness. Furthermore, ever since he assumed office in Chengji County last year and stepped down to local administration, he realized how difficult it was to accomplish anything.

The common people below were impoverished, and the county treasury was empty. Whatever he tried to do, his aspirations exceeded his capabilities. Moreover, as spring had arrived and fields were being tilled across all regions, they had the misfortune of encountering Li Weiyue's rebellion, making it impossible for anyone to farm in peace.

On top of that, the imperial court demanded troops and money simultaneously. Consequently, aside from the upcoming summer grain tax, poll tax, and head tax, along with payment taxes in kind like cloth and silk, additional military levies and weapon taxes were imposed. Put simply, the money to pay soldiers' wages for the war and purchase weapons had to be squeezed out of the impoverished small farmers, or the court would have nothing.

Zheng Zuosheng had always aspired to be a good official. Yet with the tax quotas mandated from above, refusing to squeeze the destitute meant he could no longer supply blood to the imperiled imperial court, while forcing them went against his own moral conscience. He truly had a splitting headache.