Chapter 702 Where the Dream Begins
Chapter 702 Where the Dream Begins (Part )
It was getting dark and wisps of smoke were rising from the country courtyards.
Halfway through the meeting, everyone took a break.
Chang Can sniffed it, looking intoxicated, and sighed, "When I was young, I helped a rich family in the village to make fire and cook. I didn't like the smell of firewood at that time. When the war broke out, the whole village was gone, and I gradually began to miss this smell."
After saying this, his expression was quite sad.
"Supervisor Chang is moved." Several familiar people laughed.
"Get lost!" Chang Can cursed with a smile, and the trace of reminiscence and sadness just now seemed to have disappeared without a trace.
In the military, being weak is looked down upon. Even if you are very scared, you have to pretend not to be scared. If you show your sentimentality, these rough guys will not understand and will look down on you.
"Xu Meng, do you know how to drink tea? How do you take out tea leaves to drink?" someone else laughed loudly.
Xu Meng, the commander of the army from Yingqiao, Xiangcheng, blushed and said, "Why do you care about me? You can't kill anyone."
Chang Can was delighted when he saw this and said, "Xu Meng, you have been the commander of the troops for several years, why are you still the same as before?"
"Has Governor Chang changed?" Xu Meng asked.
"There are always some changes." Chang Can said bluntly: "You risk your life for wealth and honor, right? Now that wealth and honor are in front of you, but you don't know how to enjoy them, what's the point?"
"That's right." Xu Meng smiled and said, "This wealth was given by Lord Liang, but it's not good to refuse his kindness."
"In fact, compared to us, the people below need wealth and honor more. What Mr. Liang just said really provides everyone with a way out."
"Who said that? I also want to earn merits. The deputy general is still too young."
"The commanders of the troops are too young."
"Haha."
While Chang Can and Xu Meng were chatting, others started to make a fuss.
All those present were minor officials between the seventh and ninth ranks, and they were all born into talented warriors. Many of them were even first-rate thieves and bandits before joining the army, so they really had no taboos when it came to what they said.
Shao Xun walked over from a distance, followed by a team of personal soldiers, and brought dinner to everyone.
All meals are made from local ingredients.
The staple food is wild rice harvested from the banks of the Ru River, which is made into several large buckets of wild rice.
The dishes are seasonal vegetables, a few slices of jerky and a little fish soup.
Shao Xun sat at the head of the group and said with a smile, "Everyone is in high spirits and seems quite satisfied with the matter of the honorary officials."
Everyone laughed, and Chang Can stepped forward and said, "Only you can do something that benefits the military. In this world, if any military is not loyal to you, then he has lost his conscience and will be struck by lightning."
Shao Xun extended his hand to let him sit down, and said: "You men have faced the blades with your flesh and blood, so what's wrong with getting some wealth? In times of turmoil, whoever has contributed should get benefits. Warriors risked their lives, exerted their strength and shed blood, so they deserve benefits. Of course, scholars have also contributed their strength, money, food and people, but the benefits originally belonged to them, so it is normal to give some away."
"Everything in the world is just a matter of rules." Shao Xun picked up the rice bowl and said, "The scholars give up the benefits, and you wait for the benefits. Everything depends on merit. This is the rule. If you want to get benefits without merit, it is against the rules. No matter you are a scholar or a warrior, you are not allowed to do so."
"Starting next year, the Luonan Fourteen Defense Forces will be the first troops to try out the honorary officer system. This system has just been introduced and may have some shortcomings, and it will be revised in the future. Let me say this in advance, when you go back, you should explain it clearly to the men. Before the reform, the good parts are considered cheap to you, and the bad parts are also borne by you. After the reform, the merits will be recalculated, and the previous ones will not be changed."
"After the system is perfected, I will choose the right time to promote it. But how, when and to what extent it should be promoted will depend on the situation. As for matters of the world, even I have to discuss them with others and cannot do as I please. You can't do as you please either. If you break the rules, not only will the scholars lose, but you will lose too."
"That's all I have to say. Let's eat." Shao Xun patted the table and said, "Anyway, this is a good thing. If you want to be rich in the future, just chop the enemies into pieces on the battlefield."
"Yes, sir." The officers responded loudly, looking quite excited, but also putting away some of their arrogance.
Lord Liang gave them benefits, but he also warned them not to be insatiable.
Scholars also have the ability to resist. It is not easy for them to make concessions. Don't think too much about it.
******
The officers of the government troops left after finishing their meal.
They obeyed the order carefully, and after returning to their respective defenses, they would summon the soldiers and tell them everything about the honored officials.
There is autumn harvest in August, and after the autumn harvest, there is autumn sowing. But if nothing unexpected happens, before autumn sowing, the soldiers of Luonan Prefecture will be called up and go to Guangchengze with Lord Liang for training.
After sending away the palace soldiers, Shao Xun called together the students who had just finished dinner.
Everyone received a gift, not much, just a piece of silk and one string of new Yongjia coins.
"Bai Tong, how many years have you studied martial arts in Liang County?" Shao Xun asked as he pulled a student to sit down.
"I enrolled in the second year of Yongxing (305), and became a teacher in the fourth year of Yongjia (310). It has been eight years now." Bai Tong stood up and answered.
"Sit down, sit down." Shao Xun said kindly, "I'm sorry to have forced you to study martial arts in Liang County for eight years."
Bai Tong stood up again and said, "I am from Taiyuan, and I have been stranded here. My parents and relatives have all died. If it weren't for Master Shao, I would have become someone else's food. How could I be here today?"
"How was today?" Shao Xun asked.
"There is a house in the first district by the Ru River, 70 mu of land, a wife, a concubine, and several children." Bai Tong said: "As a teacher, the food and salary reward is the same as that of an eighth-rank official, and there are three hectares of official land. The affluence is unimaginable to outsiders. I am grateful to you. Although I cannot fight for Master Shao, I can teach more students with good character and both civil and military skills, and praise Master Shao's great cause."
"Master Shao is very happy that you think so. But Master Shao cannot treat you unfairly." Shao Xun pulled the student to sit down again and asked, "How old is your son?"
"Five years old."
"Are you willing to send her to Liang Palace to accompany my son?" Shao Xun asked. Bai Tong was a little excited, but after calming down a little, he said, "I am willing."
"My students should be so straightforward." Shao Xun laughed.
He was the one who taught martial arts in Liang County at the beginning, but later, as he had less and less time, he asked scholars who had no food or clothing to act as teachers and give cultural classes. He also invited military officers to act as temporary guest teachers and teach martial arts and military strategies.
After enduring the first five years, Shao Xun ordered that those with outstanding literary talent - relatively speaking - be selected from each batch of graduates to join the teaching team, so that martial arts could form a self-circulating cycle.
The vast majority of other military students who graduated joined the army.
Over the past decade, the Silver Spear Army has expanded almost every year, and the demand for officers is very great.
For example, a new building was built with 600 officers and soldiers, including sergeants recruited from various places, and a total of about 30 officers of varying ranks, as well as clerks and the like were filled by military students.
There are now thirty Silver Spear Armies (originally thirty-one), and theoretically more than nine hundred student soldiers and officers are needed.
Although not all officers in the ten buildings of the Black Army are students, more than 60% of them are students.
There are also a small number of mule troops.
Liang County Martial Arts School has trained a total of 1673 students so far. If we exclude those who have entered the local government in large numbers in the past two years, there are only more than students.
In fact, there were many people who died in battle, were wounded, or died of illness, as well as some personnel who entered local areas, so there were even fewer student officers who could be used.
Therefore, there are a large number of veterans who have been promoted in the Silver Spear Army, and not all of them are student officers.
The army needs people, local governments need people, and there are not enough talents, far from enough.
The good news is that at the end of this year, the first batch of Xuchang martial arts students who enrolled in the eighth year of Yongjia (314) will graduate, and Liangxian Martial Arts School continues to provide students continuously, so there are a little more people available - this year Bianliang Martial Arts School also recruited 180 orphans aged ten to sixteen from the refugees to serve as the first batch of students.
The situation has improved step by step, and the foundation has been built up bit by bit, which is actually inseparable from the hard work of the teachers.
Especially these close disciples who have studied for five years and taught for eight years are extremely valuable.
His level has made great progress compared to eight years ago.
His loyalty is completely worthy of Shao Xun's trust. At least he will not teach any nonsense and lead students astray.
He was also full of gratitude to Shao Xun because his fate had changed.
This kind of person is very safe to use.
Bai Tong is just a microcosm, and there are many people like him.
In order to compensate them for the loss of not being able to serve as officials, in addition to improving their economic treatment, it is also necessary to compensate their next generation.
Moreover, the effect was really very good, and Bai Tong was filled with gratitude.
It is a blessing to study together with Master Shao’s children.
After giving benefits to Bai Tong, Shao Xun named eight or nine more people, basically students from the first to fifth classes. Most of them were good at literature, and a few of them had learned military strategies well. He rewarded each of them according to their daily performance.
"You wait..." Shao Xun pointed at the dozen students behind the teachers and said, "Are you all from Dongping?"
"Yes." The students answered in unison.
These were the students who enrolled at the beginning of the eighth year of Yongjia (314). There were a total of 165 people in that batch, all from Dongping State.
Because of the war, many orphans were born. In those years, a group of scholars and powerful people who had been on both sides of the war were cleared out, and many farmhands were confiscated. Many students came from farmhand families.
Therefore, not all of these orphans are orphans - in fact, as Henan becomes increasingly peaceful, it is not so easy to collect orphans, unlike before when you could grab a large number of them.
"I haven't expanded the army for two years. In the twelfth month of this year, I will recruit a small number of new soldiers and organize them into four battalions, which will be the right battalion of the Black Spear Army. At that time, I will select 100 people from you to serve as officers." Shao Xun said: "The Silver Spear and Black Spear Armies are my left and right arms. You must be brave and diligent and practice hard."
"If the soldiers are well trained, they will have the opportunity to go to the battlefield in the future and have the opportunity to make meritorious deeds and be rewarded. Liang County has been studying martial arts for more than ten years, and more than a thousand students have graduated. Now, all of them have families, careers, wives and children, and live a rich life with a high status. There are plenty of opportunities. Do your job well and wait patiently. Master Shao will not treat you unfairly."
"We will follow Master Shao's teachings." Among the more than ten people, the two people standing in the front took the lead and responded in unison.
"Give each of them a bow and a sword." Shao Xun clapped his hands, and his personal soldiers immediately brought the equipment and distributed it one by one.
"Thank you Master Shao for the reward." Everyone said again.
"Master Shao is your heaven, and the Silver Spear and Black Jade armies are your home. Without Master Shao, you are nothing. Don't forget your roots, remember that." Bai Tong suddenly stood up and said to everyone.
Shao Xun patted his shoulder and laughed.
The Silver Spear and Black Shadow armies are a very cohesive organization.
There are only two ways for outsiders to get in: one is to be recruited as a new soldier; two is to study martial arts in Liang County, Xuchang or even Bianliang.
So far, most of the new recruits are trackers, dock workers, miners and some farmers' children; most of the students are orphans, and a small number are children of ordinary farmers.
This is an upward channel for people at the bottom of society. Shao Xun knew it, the scholars knew it, and they themselves knew it too.
They are very exclusive, and they form a clique internally, recognizing only Master Shao.
This has both advantages and disadvantages, but in the process of conquering the world and consolidating power, such Silver Spear Army and Black Shadow Army are very useful, so to speak, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
Maybe the disadvantages will outweigh the advantages in the future, but it is not the time for reform yet, so there is no need to rush.
(End of this chapter)