Chapter 184: Chapter 135: Things Remain the Same, But People Change – Part 3
Translator: 549690339
Zhou Qing was somewhat dizzy by this scene.
It was true that he was his master’s personal disciple, but what was the deal with the Military General?
Could it be that during these years he was away, his master had been promoted so quickly that he had become a court general?
Zhou Qing was full of confusion.
However, after years of training that he had gone through, he didn’t let it faze him.
Showing no change in his expression, he nodded slightly, letting everyone get up before pulling Meng Huan aside to find a quiet place and ask about his doubts.
After a long conversation, he learned that so much had happened to his master during the years he had been away.
His master had achieved merit in quelling the bandits and was promoted to a commander in Fu City.
Later, just a few months ago, his master had led the army to victory in two battles, breaking the tens of thousands of Miao rebel forces in the midst of the lost territory and devastated towns of Dongting Prefecture.
After that, he divided his troops to eliminate the remaining rebels and completely subdued the rebellion in Shaoyang Prefecture, making it a rare and peaceful place in a time of chaos.
“Now the general is busy recruiting soldiers, reorganizing the military, and is overwhelmed with work, always saying he lacks capable assistants.
Once Brother Zhou returns, the general will be overjoyed.
After you return, given your relationship with the general, a military officer position is inevitable.” Meng Huan said with a flattering look of admiration in his eyes towards Zhou Qing.
According to Da Yue’s military system, a unit consisted of fifty people. Depending on whether they were local or regular forces, they were led by a platoon leader or Catch officer, both ninth-ranking officials.
Two units constituted a corps, led by an Inspector or a corporal, both regular nine-ranking officials. Five corps constituted a battalion, governed by a County Captain or Camp Leader, both regular eighth-ranking officials.
At the battalion level, it was the most basic standard unit in Da Yue’s military. Depending on the needs of different regions, military groups consisting of two to five battalions were commanded by a military officer, a sixth-ranking official.
Which means, when Zhou Qing returns, he can directly become a sixth-ranking military officer.
For Meng Huan, who has been slowly climbing up the ranks to become a ninth-ranking Catch officer, this future was simply limitless.
So at this moment, he was using all his energy to please the general’s personal disciple, hoping to secure a bright future for himself.
“Whether or not to continue being an official depends on my master’s intentions. It’s too early to say anything about it now.”
Zhou Qing understood Meng Huan’s intentions but was not concerned about being an official. Hearing the flattery, he just smiled lightly.
However, upon learning that his master had been promoted to general and took charge of all military matters in the jurisdiction, Zhou Qing was very happy.
As long as his master was getting better and better, as a disciple, there was nothing more gratifying.
‘Now that Master has been promoted to General, my return with the Chi Yang
Divine Skill as a celebration gift is the perfect timing.’
With this thought, Zhou Qing couldn’t wait to get moving.
He politely declined Meng Huan’s invitation to the feast, procured a fast horse from the pier, and rushed towards Fu City.
Shaoyang Prefecture City, outside the military camp.
Although there was a military camp inside the city, according to the regulations, Shaoyang Prefecture could only have a thousand garrison troops. So naturally, the scale of the city’s military camp was built according to this standard.
However, ever since the chaotic times began and Lu Yuan started recruiting soldiers on a large scale, the city’s camp became too small to accommodate so many people.
So, after some deliberation, he found a large vacant area outside the city and commanded civilian workers to build a new military camp.
Originally, the new camp would only accommodate five thousand people. But after Lu Yuan was promoted to general and took charge of the entire jurisdiction’s military affairs, he started recruiting again.
After spending nearly a month eliminating the Miao People’s Mountain Village within the prefecture, Lu Yuan had seized 370,000 silver tales. With the additional support of 100,000 silver tales from the prefecture government and financial assistance from Fu City, he amassed a total of 500,000 silver tales to fund the army.
As he had money, Lu Yuan naturally began recruiting soldiers again, whether for security or their anticipated plans.
He first selected the best soldiers from the local area in Shaoyang Prefecture. Soon, the remaining mountain people hunters and the bravest locals were recruited.
Even so, he only gained over three thousand people.
With the existing army, the total number reached just over seven thousand soldiers.
Shaoyang Prefecture was a small prefecture after all, with only over 200,000 people, many of whom were Miao People.
The qualified recruits had been dwindling after Lu Yuan’s two previous recruitment drives.
Out of options, he took his troops to visit several nearby prefectures and counties.
He combined military drills with quelling local rebellions and helped their neighboring prefectures restore order.
As a military general, Lu Yuan did fulfill some responsibilities given by the court.
Of course.
During the military training and rebellion quelling, he naturally did not stop recruiting local soldiers.
After visiting eight or nine counties, fighting three small-scale rebellion battles, and saving five besieged county towns, as well as spending over 100,000 silver tales along the way, he finally managed to recruit a large number of qualified soldiers.
When they left, they had seven thousand soldiers, and by the time they returned, the army had grown to fifteen thousand.
However, despite reaching the required number, many were still new soldiers. Although these new soldiers were of decent quality, because Lu Yuan only recruited those with martial strength or mountain people hunters, they must be trained first to become qualified combat soldiers.
As a result, upon returning to Shaoyang Prefecture City, Lu Yuan settled himself into the military camp to avoid any possible assassination attempts from Inborn Grandmasters and to train his soldiers, never taking even half a step away from the camp.
On this day.
He was reading the Taoist Classics in his commander’s tent when a personal guard hurriedly entered the tent with a joyful face, announcing, “General, Mr.
Zhou has returned..
