Chapter 239

Chapter 239

Xiao Zhen's method of selecting officials quickly spread to the palace.

The sun was shining brightly today. The Xinping Emperor, tired from reading memorials, called upon the Crown Prince and Fan Zhao to accompany him on a leisurely stroll through the imperial garden.

Referring to the matter of Dongying, the Xingping Emperor asked the Crown Prince, "What is your opinion?"

Han Bao thought for a moment and said, "The 150,000 soldiers in Dongying are all new recruits. Most of them are cowards. They may not have volunteered to join the army, nor are they willing to obey military discipline. Now that they know they will have a chance to earn an official position and get more pay within three months, they will probably boost their morale and improve the effectiveness of their training."

Emperor Xingping nodded and asked, "Is there anything else?"

Is this dissatisfaction with one's own answer?

Han Bao unconsciously looked at Fan Zhao, who was following behind the father and son. When it came to military training, Fan Zhao definitely knew more than him.

Fan Zhao pointed at the Emperor, then at himself, and mouthed the word: "Jizhou."

Fan Zhao regarded Han Bao as his own brother and was aware that the Emperor often expressed dissatisfaction with this younger brother. Therefore, Fan Zhao genuinely wanted to help Han Bao win more favor from the Emperor. When the Emperor was pleased, Han Bao would also be delighted, leading to harmonious father-son relations.

Han Bao's thoughts raced, Jizhou, the Jizhou Army, both the Emperor and Fan Zhao were generals of the Jizhou Army.

The Jizhou Army was also a regular army. The senior officers of the regular army were selected and appointed by the imperial court, and the soldiers were promoted based on their military merits.

After understanding Fan Zhao's meaning, Han Bao said calmly: "Although Xiao Zhen's method can improve the effectiveness of military training in a short period of time, the officers selected may not be competent, especially generals such as Qianhu and Wei Commander. They should be selected from the Baihu and Qianhu who have made military achievements in other battalions. Only then can they cooperate properly with the main general on the battlefield in the future and increase the chances of victory."

Select outstanding captains from other camps to serve as guard commanders in Dongying, and then select captains for Dongying from among the hundred households.

Fan Zhao followed up, "Yes, Xiao Zhen was born a peasant. He used this method to train the militia, and now he uses the same method to train the regular army. It's okay if it's only in Dongying. When they go out to fight in the future, the commanders he selected have no experience. Maybe they will be timid and escape in the middle of the battle. Wouldn't that bring trouble to the entire army?"

For example, when Feng Ji and Lu Gong were training the first batch of 300,000 troops in the East Camp and the West Camp, they promoted the old soldiers based on their military merits, and all the new recruits started as small soldiers.

A scholar who can pass the imperial examination may not necessarily be a good official, and a soldier with superb martial arts skills may not necessarily be a good general. It all depends on one's real ability in actual combat.

Emperor Xingping: "You two have a point, but the right wing army led by Old Xiao was almost all local militia trained by them. The generals sent by Uncle Dou to guard Taiyuan, Zhicheng, Jincheng, and Longxing were all famous generals and regular troops. Why did they eventually lose to Old Xiao, a peasant?"

Winning a single battle may be due to luck, but winning several battles in a row definitely cannot be attributed solely to luck.

Fan Zhao choked, and Han Bao said, "I humbly request the Emperor to offer guidance."

Emperor Xingping patted his chest and said, "Generals and soldiers, we are all human beings. We are made of flesh and blood. In dangerous places like battlefields, we are prone to impulsiveness. If you trust me with your life, I will risk my life to repay your trust. Although Mr. Xiao is a peasant, he values ​​friendship and loyalty. The soldiers will feel his friendship and will fight for him."

"Xiao Zhen gave the opportunity of promotion to the 150,000 new soldiers. This is a gesture of affection. In the future, he will dare to use these new generals to lead the troops to fight. The trust in them is a gesture of righteousness."

"And don't forget that many famous generals were born into the peasant family. With an army of 150,000, you can probably come across some good talents by chance. Moreover, Xiao Zhen conducts civil and military examinations once a month, which forces those good talents to emerge. Those who hold temporary positions will definitely find ways to suppress those who still want to compete, and those who are temporarily behind will think about rushing forward next time. This is already a battle of wisdom and courage, and those who are finally selected must be talents."

Han Bao remained silent.

Fan Zhao: "…They are merely talents from the peaceful nest; they might lose their nerve on the battlefield. In my opinion, those who have been tempered by the trials of war are more reliable."

Xingping Emperor: "In times of peace, it is natural to follow your advice, but now the world is unsettled, and battles could break out at any moment. Perhaps the generals you have selected from the frontier have not yet arrived in the capital when a conflict erupts outside. Instead of wasting one or two months, it is better to trust those who are present."

"Crown Prince, what I want you to learn is to adapt to the times and to guide according to the situation. Whether it is in employing people or in devising strategies, one must not be bound by established conventions."

Furthermore, great talents often hide among the people. A ruler may be mediocre themselves, but they must be a good judge of talent. As long as they can gather all the virtuous talents under heaven to serve by their side, they will surely become a wise and sage monarch.

Han Bao: "I have learned your lesson."

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Dongying.

It was the time of selecting officers and tightening the belts for new recruits. The four brothers Xiao Zhen stayed in Dongying for several nights in a row. Xiao Zhen was busy with military affairs, while Xiao Yan, Xiao Ye and Xiao She had been cooped up at home for too long and finally had something to do. They probably smelled the sweat of the soldiers in the barracks and thought it was fragrant.

That evening, after dinner, Xiao Zhen went to the lecture hall alone.

He invited three scholars in total, who gave lessons for one hour each in the afternoon and evening. In the evening of the previous day, they would teach them a passage from "The Art of War", and at noon the next day, they would explain the interpretation of this passage.

Three scholars are at the same pace, with each scholar occupying a separate kitchen.

There were a lot of soldiers who went there at the beginning, but a large number of them were quickly eliminated. Some thought it was too difficult to recognize words, some thought the art of war was too difficult to understand, and some had learned it on their own and saw no need to learn it again.

The longer the class goes on, the fewer people attend, but those who persist have the drive to improve.

In the chilly winter, a thick cotton curtain hung at the entrance of the kitchen. Xiao Zhen stood outside, lifting a slit in the curtain.

A wave of sweat odor hit first.

Xiao Zhen was accustomed to it, quietly observing the soldiers sitting on benches listening to the scholar exam lectures.

The military camp would not give them paper, but the soldiers received military pay when they came. If they were interested, they could buy the cheapest paper and pen from the scholar, or even spend a few more cents to ask the scholar to have someone copy down the entire "Art of War" to make it easier for them to recognize and learn characters. If they really couldn't bear to spend money, they could use branches to scratch on the ground as long as they were smart enough to keep up.

Three scholars had different temperaments; those with a mild demeanor attracted more soldiers to listen to their lectures, while those with a quick temper who liked to call soldiers foolish had fewer in attendance.

There were only about a hundred people in the third kitchen.

Let Xiao Zhen say, this scholar exam is the most responsible one. Although he scolds harshly, he patiently answers whenever soldiers consult him, unlike the other two who hurriedly leave as soon as the time is up.

Xiao Zhen observed for a moment, and just as he was about to let the curtain fall, his gaze suddenly fixed.

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The following evening, Xiao Zhen returned to the mansion with a soldier from the camp.

The couple’s Xianhe Hall was in the third courtyard. Tong Sui was talking to Liu Chu, Yan Mingxiu, and Mianmian. It would be time for dinner soon.

Tong Shan, Zhang Chao and the eldest and second sons of the Sun family are still studying in the marquis' mansion, but Tong Shan is already sixteen years old and Zhang Chao is fourteen. Since last year, Tong Sui arranged for them to live in the guest rooms, and the four brothers have dinner by themselves.

"Madam, the Marquis has returned. Please go to the front courtyard to see him."

Tong Sui was somewhat surprised, having thought that Xiao Zhen would stay in Dongying until the officials took their annual leave.

She asked on behalf of Yan Mingxiu: "Is it just the Marquis himself? Or has the Fourth Master also returned?"

The little maid said, "Only the Marquis himself."

Tong Sui and Liu Chu both looked at Yan Mingxiu.

Yan Mingxiu blushed and said, "I wish he could live in the military camp."

Tong Sui chuckled, "You all carry on with the conversation, I'll go take a look."

The hall in the second courtyard is where the marquis's mansion entertains foreign guests. On the way, Tong Sui was still wondering why Xiao Zhen didn't go directly to Xianhe Hall. When he turned to the door, he saw that in addition to Xiao Zhen, there was also a young and strong male guest sitting on the seat on the left.

Tong Sui had not yet discerned the features of the male guest when he suddenly leaped to his feet with excitement, took two steps towards her, and spoke nervously, "Ah... Madam, I am Zheng Teng, from Taohuagou, do you remember me?"

Tong Sui: “...”

Shock turned into ecstasy, Tong Sui stepped forward, scrutinizing the young man in front of her from head to toe several times: "You, how have you changed so much?"

In her memory, Zheng Teng was sixteen years old, tall and thin like a bamboo pole. He would blush every time he saw her and call her "Sister Aman".

At this very moment, Zheng Teng's face turned a deep shade of red again. Indeed, Tong Sui looked even more beautiful than when she was in Taohuagou, with an elegance that was so striking, he wouldn't have dared to recognize her if he saw her outside.

Being looked at by Tong Sui was a little embarrassed. Zheng Teng touched the back of his head and said, "I, I am already 20 years old. Ever since Old Xiao distributed land to the poor farmers in Wei County, our family's life has improved. We can have enough food every day, and I have grown stronger."

Tong Sui had thought that with her parents in the capital city, she would no longer miss that small village. Today, upon suddenly seeing villagers, everything in Taohuagou seemed to be brought before her, causing her to feel both joy and longing. She missed those people and the mountains, and had to turn away to discreetly wipe the corners of her eyes.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Zhen teased, "Our wise and valiant Lady Anguo, who would have thought she could be so sentimental at times."

Tong Sui glared at him, then continued to reminisce with Zheng Teng. Upon hearing that everything was well in Taohuagou, Tong Sui remembered to ask, "Why have you come to the capital city?"

Zheng Teng: "Last year, the county announced that the imperial court was recruiting soldiers, and many people from our county signed up, so I joined them."

Tong Sui: "Foolish, how dangerous is warfare? Uncle Zheng only has you as his son, you..."

Zheng Teng: "My father also supports me to come here. He said that staying in the mountains all my life is useless. It is better to go to the battlefield like Brother Agui and make achievements. You don't know that in other counties, the government tries every means to coax young men to join the army. The young men from the seven counties of Wei County came here on their own. The only worry is that they can't be assigned to the Second Master's army."

During the war of the previous dynasty, many young and strong men did die in the seven counties, but those who survived all earned military merits and sent a lot of reward silver back home, which made countless people envious.

Last year, the news of the imperial court's attack on Liang had already spread throughout the north. Everyone knew that more than 100,000 imperial soldiers had died, but the Southern Camp led by the Xiao family was almost intact.

Once under the Second Master's command, there's nothing to fear!

Tong Sui thought to herself, this child has not experienced the dangers of the battlefield, only thinking of pleasant things.

Since everyone has arrived, Tong Sui couldn't say any more disheartening words. She called out to Zheng Teng, "Come on, I'll take you to meet Xiaoshan. You'll sleep in his room tonight, and we'll eat together later."

Zheng Teng: "Excellent!"

The two individuals walked away with great joy.

Xiao Zhen sat at the main seat, holding a bowl of tea in hand.

Only after night had fully fallen did Tong Sui reluctantly return to Xianhe Manor from her brother's place, where Xiao Zhen had already changed into his nightclothes and was leaning against the bed.

Tong Sui's lips were curled up as he spoke.

Xiao Zhen: "I haven't been back for several days, don't you miss me at all?"

Tong Sui: "We've been together the whole year, there's nothing to think about."

Xiao Zhen: "I should have known better than to come back."

Tong Sui finished combing her hair, put down the comb, and walked towards him.

Xiao Zhen tossed the book onto the counter and unfolded the quilt in advance.

As soon as Tong Sui entered the bed, she was embraced around the waist and pressed beneath him.

Xiao Zhen: "You seem to really like the gift I gave you. How will you thank me?"

Tong Sui averted her gaze, and after a moment, she wrapped her arms around his neck and took the initiative to kiss him on the cheek.

Xiao Zhen: "That's more like it."

Tong Sui: "Why didn't you bring him home earlier?"

Xiao Zhen: "I just recognized him when I went to the lecture hall yesterday. This kid is promising and he didn't even think of using your connections to curry favor with me."

Tong Sui: "You're quite impressive too, after just helping his family catch a chicken thief once, you still remember him after four years."

Xiao Zhen looked at her eyes filled with joy and kissed her while saying, "If he was from Lihuagou, I would definitely not recognize him."