Chapter 836

After fighting for a thousand li and winning the Battle of Liaodong, by the time the spoils were counted and the harvest was tallied, the Great Liaohe had completely thawed.

In this battle, five cities were obtained: Wulu, Fangxian, Pingguo, Xiangping, and Liucheng. Most of the wealthy and powerful in Liaodong, such as Gongsun Du, were executed. Wuhuan Chanyus such as Qiu Qiu Li Ju, Su Puyan, and Wu Yan, as well as the Wuhuan commanders and the Han army commandants of various parts of Liaodong who participated, and officers above the rank of fifty-man captain, were all executed. In this battle, the middle and high-level leadership of the hostile forces in Liaodong suffered huge trauma.

From then on, the Wuhuan people and Han people in the Liaodong land would be a plate of loose sand for a long time and would be difficult to form a climate. It would be impossible to organize such a scale of troop strength in this lifetime.

According to post-war statistics, this battle added twenty thousand Han people and forty thousand Wuhuan people, totaling sixty thousand people. In addition, more than four thousand warhorses were captured, and grain, grass, supplies, and treasures were countless.

Although the Wuhuan and Han coalition army that came to attack this time was very poor, those Chanyus, officials, and wealthy households were quite rich. Although Wang Yan blocked the Liaoxi Corridor and cut off trade inside and outside the pass, they were still collecting things, and because of Wang Yan, they lowered prices even more. They were all waiting to kill Wang Yan, reopen the trade route, and make more money.

They not only collected things from Liaodong but also went north to collect products from the Wuhuan outside the territory, Goguryeo, Fuyu, etc. Outside the territory, there were the Greater Khingan Mountains and Changbai Mountains, which surrounded the largest and most fertile Songnen Plain in the Northeast Plain. Although the barbarians outside the territory were not good at farming, they did not have so many people, so they could live by relying on the mountains. Mountain goods, animal skins, animal bones, and medicinal herbs were all in piles.

They needed salt, iron tools, a certain amount of grain, cloth, etc. Those who had the ability to exchange with them were the wealthy households in Liaodong. Even the Wuhuan Chanyus like Qiu Qiu Li Ju were counting on the trade of the clan wealthy households.

Now these things were all in Grand General Wang's hands. Except for what he kept for his own use, he basically dealt with them to those wealthy households, exchanging for grain, cloth, salt, and other materials.

He had already started building salt fields. This most basic living material must be guaranteed. The area of Pingguo (Yingkou) and Wen County (Gaizhou) was precisely a good location for salt fields. Starting this year, there would be no need to let the wealthy households harvest the leeks of salt and iron.

With the expansion of territory and the addition of population, the corresponding military deployment naturally had to keep up.

The Wu Wei, with the strongest combat effectiveness, moved to Xiangping. When Grand General Wang was fighting for a thousand li, enemies from the east indeed came to raid Pingguo, but were beaten by the three thousand Wu Wei troops left behind. After supplementing the lost soldiers, they stood at the forefront to prevent Xuantu from harassing.

Wulu City was garrisoned by the Wu Wei. Previously, during the Battle of Liaodong, the Wu Wei defended the Tuhe base camp, fighting steadily and not letting the enemy come out of the mountain road. Its garrison in Wulu, together with Xiangping, formed a horn-shaped support to protect the Liaohe Plain.

The Broad Wu Wei was stationed in Fuxin. Previously, the Broad Wu Wei attacked Fuxin, and after Grand General Wang broke Qiu Qiu Li Ju, he rushed over and settled it in one battle. Its unit supplemented soldiers and garrisoned Fuxin. On one hand, it could borrow the terrain to prevent thieves from killing into the Wulu Valley and driving straight into Changli to take Tuhe. It could also rely on the terrain to be a forward position. It could also support Wulu and Xiangping. If there were incoming enemies, they could attack together, or they could drive straight in to steal the home.

In the battle of Wulu City, the Heroic Wu Wei, which suffered heavy losses, was turned from militia into a formal army, garrisoning Pingguo. The task was still to prevent incoming enemies from the east. In addition, producing salt was also their job.

The Brave Cavalry Battalion led by Liao Hua was supplemented with two thousand five hundred people from various guards, reaching a scale of five thousand troops. Except for the cavalry of various guards, the remaining warhorses were basically given to Liao Hua. They garrisoned Taian, which was Taian in Anshan two thousand years later, and was also named by the Grand General.

They garrisoned Taian, relying on the mobility of the cavalry to support the first three places, and also to prevent the Liaohe Plain from being open, allowing the enemy to drive straight into the hinterland of Fangxian. On weekdays, what they did was training, raising horses, and farming.

The above were all formal establishment units, totaling more than thirty thousand. Besides that, there were three militia units. The Heroic Wu Wei, which was previously mobilized to defend Changli, took the opportunity to garrison Changli. The Tuhe base camp reorganized a new Wu Wei, and the southern front Suizhong reorganized a Wu Wei.

As for Liucheng, Grand General Wang's hometown in the real world, he did not send anyone to occupy it. Because the geography of his hometown was not very good, surrounded by mountains on all four sides, with nine droughts in ten years, and the harvest was relatively not very good. There were broader places in the north, so there was no need to hoard troops in the mountain valley.

To say that enemies would come to attack from the direction of Liucheng again, this was not a problem either. After all, his Mobile Corps Commander scouts were professional combat soldiers who were completely detached from production. Using the method of old leading new, they cultivated such soldiers. They spread very widely, learned the map measurement and production methods taught by Wang Yan, slept in the open, drew maps, and checked the enemy situation. As long as they knew the incoming enemy, they could win. The later they came, the easier it would be to win. If they came later, it would not be them coming to attack, but Wang Yan sending troops over...

Since the Battle of Liaodong was won and he was completely established in Liaodong, the Han army would certainly not come to attack. Moreover, his military deployment was more inclined to defend the north rather than the south. You must know that as long as the Suizhong Wu Wei was destroyed, the next would be the Tuhe base camp. And the troop mobilization from other places to Suizhong would take at least three days, and the furthest might take ten days.

This could be considered Wang Yan's stance, letting everyone rest assured.

But it was impossible for there to be no troops in Suizhong. Not for marching south, but for guarding the trade route. Now that Grand General Wang held the Liaoxi Corridor, how could he let merchants from north and south come and go from his territory.

As everyone knows, trade drives regional economic development. Now that he held the throat of the Northeast, he must use his territory as a commercial transit point, conduct large-scale trade here, collect large commercial taxes, develop the economy, and feed back the people's livelihood. In five or six years, it would surely become rich.

In fact, his burden was currently very heavy. The formal soldiers and militia totaled more than fifty thousand. Counting the military logistics, when not fighting, it was more than sixty thousand people. When fighting, it was over one hundred thousand.

His total population was currently less than four hundred thousand. This number basically meant that all those who could carry things went to the battlefield. How heavy the burden was, one could imagine.

So now, although there was a distinction between combat soldiers and militia, in fact, none of them were professional soldiers. To put it simply, combat soldiers ate better than militia and had heavier training tasks, while militia ate better than ordinary farmers and had more tasks.

If it weren't for harvesting leeks with glass, and having repeated rich harvests from fighting, it would basically be impossible to hold on.

Now that Liaodong was settled and the Liaohe Plain was completely under control, the Great Liaohe water had thawed, and naturally, the vigorous spring plowing plan had to begin.

Although the river water had thawed and it was close to the spring equinox, the land in the Northeast during the Little Ice Age was not so easy to thaw. The proper spring plowing time in the Northeast was the third lunar month, and the Western calendar was the fourth month. Now it was only the second month, a difference of more than a month. The land had not yet thawed, but it was impossible to wait until it thawed to take action.

The Liaohe Plain had not been fully developed, and there was still a lot of wasteland. The fields farmed last year also had to be plowed. Brick kilns still burned bricks, glass kilns could not stop work, trees had to be cut, houses had to be built, spring floods had to be prevented, water conservancy had to be repaired, spring fishing could not be abandoned, and large-scale raising of chickens, ducks, geese, cows, and sheep also had to be planned. All these things were on the Grand General alone.

Following the Grand General's order, the people who had hidden in the warm fire kang for a whole winter and consumed a large piece of forest walked out of their homes, blowing the biting spring wind.

Most of the women who could give birth had bulging bellies. On the leveled streets, the long-lost laughter of children rang out. This winter, the Grand General created a record that was impossible before the Xinhai Revolution: not a single person died of cold or hunger. Even fewer died of illness; after all, those who could walk all the way here had good bodies and were relatively able to endure. Plus, Wang Yan went out in person, bringing the doctors under his command to see patients, so there was no big problem.

This time, in order to go out of the house for farming ahead of time, not to catch a cold, or even if they caught it, not to have a viral flu, Wang Yan had already prepared medicine in advance. Whether they were sick or not, they all drank it; anyway, it wouldn't hurt them.

The people walked out of their homes, followed the Grand General's instructions, and with hopeful smiles, received oxen, seed grain, and farm tools, and started a great construction once again.

In this winter, through the concerted efforts of blacksmiths, craftsmen, and the people who hid in the house for the winter, fifty thousand sets of Wang plows were built, as well as parts for hundreds of large waterwheels.

There were not many oxen, only two thousand or so. This was snatched from Youzhou last year. They were served like ancestors for a winter, and so far, more than one hundred small calves had been born. This was because the production cycle of cattle was relatively long, nearly a year. These one hundred-plus small calves were still pregnant when they were brought over.

When they were born, the Grand General went over in person to act as a veterinary teacher, teaching several farmers who claimed to be proficient in cattle matters and specifically raised cattle for landlords. He hadn't eaten a bite of beef all winter.

The scarcity of oxen had accompanied them for two thousand years. This situation must be solved. Enclosing pastures and large-scale feeding was a must-do move; otherwise, how to enrich the recipe, how to eat meat.

Two thousand-plus oxen were certainly not enough for the farming of nearly one hundred thousand square kilometers of land. At this time, the role of the army was displayed. If there were not enough livestock, people would go up to pull the plow. If one person was not enough, then two, if two were not enough, then three, treating it as physical training.

Compared to the people, the army farming was the main force. After they reclaimed large pieces of military-tilled land, they still had to farm for the people. The front was for the public, and the back was for their own families.

Regarding the military service age of the army, it was not fully implemented now. Because this was not just a simple matter of joining the army, it was a systematic project. It included material level, medical foundation, educational foundation, etc., a series of factors determined, not just a simple sentence.

Now the population fertility was raised to eighteen, which was necessary. The extra three or four years of time, compared to giving birth to ten, only three or four could survive to ten years old, which was a very important point. The service age, although not raised to twenty now, was also tightening. Each guard would slowly eliminate old soldiers over thirty-two who were not officers.

Basic education was a long process. For example, now, he had printed books, and he had also brought Cai Yong here, but where were there so many teachers to teach?

As for the impact of papermaking and printing on powerful clans, it could basically be ignored. Because the root was in education, in the national official selection system. Without people to teach, even if books were distributed everywhere, how many people could read and understand them? This was destined to be a process of ten or twenty years before there could be some achievements in education.

And the foundation of education was material conditions. Only by satisfying basic living needs could one have time to learn and progress, and then cultivate some kind of lofty goal.

Similarly, material conditions also determined the medical foundation. Seeing a doctor cost money, cultivating medical practitioners cost money, medicinal materials cost money, research cost money, and so on. Medical practitioners determined the survival of infants, the rescue of patients, and guaranteed the lives of the people, which was another foundation for military service.

And the military service system determined the decisive factor for protecting the means of production. Only by guaranteeing one's own production income and guaranteeing the lives of the people could one continuously improve the material foundation, and then promote the construction of education and medical systems.

The lifespan of the people in the Han Dynasty was generally around thirty or forty years. They died of hunger, cold, disease, and war. But all the above things were developing for the better, so the lifespan naturally increased.

At least under his Grand General Wang's rule, it could be very certainly said that the people only died of serious illness, died of accidents at work, and could not die of cold or hunger, and even less could they be killed by enemies invading the hinterland...

The vigorous production and construction began, and Wang Yan was also busy.

He spent his days wandering around with a personal guard of more than ten people, riding a horse. Today he looked at the brick kilns and glass kilns, tomorrow he looked at the plowing progress of the land, the day after tomorrow he discussed weapons and armor with the blacksmiths, looked at the iron mines and iron smelting situation, studied with the carpenters what else needed to be done, saw patients, paid attention to the breeding situation of various animals, and had to see several patients every day.

From time to time, he had to run to other places to inspect, see if the civil officials were working hard, if anyone was crazy about money again, had to pay attention to the farming situation of the army, pay attention to the physical and psychological health of the soldiers, find the military commander of each guard to study the rest system, study marriage matters for those who were not married, and pay attention to the salt fields, which was also big money.

Frequently, he had to count his family assets to see how long he could support. He also had to study how to collect commercial taxes, and even more so, find people to spread the concept of peace in the north, wanting people to know that they were now open for business, and they could come and see, whether they were rich or poor, they could bring things to sell.

It was not easy to operate inside the pass, because business was monopolized by powerful clans, and the distance was further, so Wang Yan could not do business directly with individuals, but in the north, it was no problem. They came to trade themselves, and no one could stop them.

In this process, they would envy the life of the people under the Grand General's rule, be infiltrated bit by bit, and be taken down bit by bit by the Grand General using advanced materials and advanced culture.

As the key to economic trade, currency was necessary. By the autumn harvest this year, Wang Yan would use currency to purchase the surplus grain of the people under his rule, and by next year, the economic activities under his rule could be initially active, which was the beginning of wealth and strength.

In Tuhe City, inside the library that had been expanded quite a bit, Wang Yan was no longer sitting in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. It was very simple, because it was hot, so he moved the office desk and the like horizontally inside.

Not only that, the mats and low tables of the past were all gone, replaced by a set of solid wood tables and chairs made of elm wood, finally changing the kneeling posture.

At this very moment, the Grand General, wearing a plain white Shu brocade single garment, was smiling and looking at Zhen Sheng, who was standing there shivering and flipping through books.

After a while, Zhen Sheng carefully placed the book on Grand General Wang's office desk: "Grand General, this book is truly a creation of heaven!"

This was a bit exaggerated, but Zhen Sheng's intention to flatter was in place. Wang Yan waved his hand indifferently, sitting lazily on the chair covered with tiger skin: "Meng Guang's words are exaggerated. This is the wonderful thought of Marquis Cai, a creation for the suffering of my people. What does it have to do with heaven? What do you think of this book?"

"It is truly excellent. The book surface is smooth, the printed characters are square, the ink marks are clear, and there is even a scent of books. With this book, culture and education will surely flourish." Zhen Sheng changed the subject and said, "Previously, the General ordered me to invite Cai Yong to come here. I went to the Wu lands to pay a visit to Cai Yong and told him all about the Grand General's ambition, but he was unmoved. I followed the General's instructions and invited him again and again. Now, with the General's creative divine art, there is no need to threaten Cai Yong. Just by this book and three invitations, he will surely come galloping to join."

This was a good employee. He didn't talk about the matter of making money from selling books, but first connected this book with the matter entrusted by the big shot. Although Wang Yan did not have much contact with other powerful clan representatives, he could directly make a judgment that none of those people combined were as good as Zhen Sheng.

One of the simplest reasons was that the Zhen clan was in a state of decline and survival. They were willing to discard the face of a powerful clan; otherwise, they wouldn't have done the thing of offering the daughter of the head of the clan, who was thirteen years younger, to Grand General Wang. And the other powerful clans were all behemoths. If they could discard their faces, they would naturally have more gains and greater progress.

This was a condition that other powerful clan representatives did not possess. Although Wang Yan had been enfeoffed as the Marquis of Liao, the Heavenly Martial Grand General, and held the position of Administrator of Liaodong, actually controlling most of Liaoxi Commandery, and four and a half commanderies including Liaodong, Xuantu, Liaodong Protectorate, and Lelang. With forty thousand people and the ability to raise one hundred thousand troops, he was a warlord dominating the Liaodong land, but he did not enter the eyes of the Central Plains families.

Yes, the Han court had already come to Liaodong to announce the decree, give the seal, and Wang rebels had become Wang Administrators. Although he had not yet married and had children, the respectful title could be called 'Gong,' and could also be called 'Shijun,' or 'Wang Liaodong'...

If Zhen Sheng were the head of the Zhen clan, perhaps the Zhen clan would be better than it was now, but it was a pity that he was a side branch and could not be the head or make the decisions.

Wang Yan continued to ask: "Has Cai Yong's daughter been investigated clearly?"

"He has five daughters. The eldest died young, the second and third are both married, the fourth is named Yan, ten years old, promised to the Wei clan of Hedong, and the fifth is named Li, eight years old. Cai Yong's wife died early, and now the Yang clan sends a daughter to serve by his side. He does not ask about world affairs in the Wu lands, focuses on learning, teaches those who come to seek learning, and is very fond of books, with a vast collection."

"Very good. Cai Yong must come, the two daughters Yan and Li must come, and his vast collection of books must also come. One thousand soldiers might be difficult to handle this matter, so I will give you two thousand more soldiers to follow the team to the Wu lands. As for all grain and grass, you can subsidize them, and they will be deducted from the trade."

"Sheng will surely not fail the General's expectations." Zhen Sheng bowed away from his seat.

"Previously, I taught you to transport all the Zhen clan's book collection here. You must handle this matter quickly. It is not that I covet your family's learning, but that I want to print all the Zhen clan's book collection into this book. Compared to bamboo slips, this book lasts longer in the world. Compared to silk books, this book contains more, and holding it is easier to read."

Wang Yan smiled: "I will not hide it from Meng Guang, I will definitely print two copies of the Zhen clan's books, one for my own collection. I do have the intention of selling books, but I will definitely not sell your family's collection. Since I raised the army from Anci last year, I have gained a lot along the way. Previously, I broke the Gongsun clan of Xiangping and raided many more. This library is my collection, and what I sell is also this. This matter will be operated with your Zhen clan. What I seek is grain, grass, and the book collections of powerful clans."

"Once my collection is vast, I will establish a separate pavilion, which I will name 'Library Pavilion.' Cai Yong will come here and be the head of this pavilion, managing the books, following the old path of Laozi, perhaps he will also be able to attain the Dao."

"General, rest assured, the Zhen clan's collection can all be sold. Our Zhen clan sells books, and other powerful clans will surely sell them too. Exchanging family collections is truly a good thing. Our Zhen clan will surely be a model."

The matter is just such a matter. The Zhen clan prints books on paper. When selling books, they add some conditions. It's not just about spending money, but also about taking books to exchange. It's all decided by their Zhen clan. In this way, the Grand General builds a library in Liaodong, and they can also do the same, building a family library in their old home of Wuji, which is indeed a good thing.

Moreover, how many books they have in their family, Wang Yan doesn't know. Some precious books, just don't take them out, it's no big deal.

Wang Yan nodded affirmatively and turned to ask: "Since you have contacted the Ten Attendants, you can use money to communicate. The library of the Secretariat should be vast. You can transport the books to Liaodong in batches, and once they are printed, you can send the books back."

"This matter is easy. The General can sit peacefully in Liaodong, and there will be books arriving in two months."

Books are very precious, and knowledge is very precious, because they are rare. What is even more precious is teaching. The family learning of powerful clans teaches exactly these things. They are all the Six Arts of a Gentleman, but obviously, even if one is literate, one cannot understand just by reading books. Furthermore, the compulsory course of military strategy at this time requires the guidance of famous teachers.

Liu Bei's imperial family privilege was broken, the family had already fallen to farmers, and he himself made a living by weaving mats and selling sandals. How could he get to know Guan and Zhang and lead five hundred soldiers to march and fight as soon as he came out of the cottage?

Do not underestimate five hundred people, and even more so do not underestimate marching and fighting. That is not done by talking, but Liu Bei did it. Before meeting Zhuge Liang, although Liu Bei had been wandering, many battles and operations were all done by himself. All this was because he had a good teacher. Lu Zhi was a proper big shot, and this was his ability in the classics and military strategy, excluding his official status.

Gongsun Zan could take the land of Youzhou and become a warlord, naturally also because he studied under Lu Zhi, and later learned skills from others. If it weren't for this, he came from the Gongsun clan of Lingzhi, which didn't even rank in the current time, and he was a concubine-born son, almost impossible to reach that height.

There are indeed those with heaven-sent talent who can summarize and learn by themselves. In fact, the books and knowledge passed down are also like this. It is precisely because predecessors were enlightened, recorded their insights, and passed them on to descendants, continuously improving.

But being able to continuously summarize, learn, and progress is a rare ability. People all know this is good, but how many can truly do it? Otherwise, the wheels of history would roll forward, and there would be no need to repeat.

"I am naturally at ease. Since I met Meng Guang, you have not failed my expectations. Meng Guang is a great talent."

"The General praises me too much; Sheng does not deserve it." Zhen Sheng cupped his hands, unable to hide the smile on his face. He changed the subject and said, "Last year, the General taught me to send a merchant team to the Western Regions to seek cotton. The manager said it was exactly the same as the picture drawn by the General. I truly do not know if it is the thing the General is looking for."

Wang Yan raised an eyebrow: "Where are the seeds?"

"Although I carry a little bit, I ask the General to identify them. This trip yielded one shi of cotton seeds, all in the cargo warehouse outside the city. The General can take a look." As he spoke, Zhen Sheng took a brocade bag from his bosom, opened it, and handed it to Wang Yan.

Taking the brocade bag, he grabbed a handful of cotton from it, picked out the cotton seeds, nodded, and smiled: "That's right, it's cotton seeds. Meng Guang has made a great contribution."

"Serving the General is my duty; I dare not speak of contribution. Sheng truly does not know what this cotton seed is used for, so I ask the General to solve the puzzle."

"This is like silk and hemp, and can be spun into cotton cloth. This is its fruit. After a beating, it can be made fluffy and can be used as filling for clothes, which can prevent severe cold. My Liaodong is bitterly cold. With this cotton, the people of my Liaodong will not need to hide in the house in winter. This is truly the blessing of Liaodong."

"Congratulations to the General for obtaining this good seed. Given time, Liaodong will have no worries about the bitter cold. It is gratifying, gratifying..."

Wang Yan laughed heartily: "Meng Guang's words are precise. It is indeed necessary to give it time; it will be difficult to succeed without five years."

"General, I do not know how to plant this seed?"

"It needs a place where the sun shines for a long time, and the land needs sufficient water and soil strength."

"Could it be that the Liaodong land cannot be planted?"

"The Pingguo land is still okay, but its production is difficult to be high."

"Where can it be planted?"

"It is Gumo (Aksu) in the Western Regions. If you have contact with the Western Regions Protectorate, you can have them send barbarians to farm, and I will trade with salt and iron."

"Sheng will send someone to write a letter to contact them as soon as I return to Wuji. If it doesn't work, what should I do?"

"Then let it be."

Grand General Wang waved his hand. It's best if they agree; if they don't, it doesn't matter. Pingguo can plant some. Although the yield is low, it's better than nothing. As long as there are seeds and the location is known, there will be plenty of time in the future.

In fact, the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins are also cotton-producing areas, but grain is planted all over the ground and still not enough to eat. Cotton is an economic crop, while grain is a basic living material. He cannot harm people.

Zhen Sheng nodded and said nothing more. As for how a commoner like the Grand General knew about this unheard-of cotton, he would never ask even if he died, and he would never think too much about it, just treating the Grand General as a god-man gifted by heaven.

At this moment, a personal guard reported and ran in: "Grand General, a letter from the Suizhong Mobile Corps Commander scouts says that more than ten thousand Yellow Turbans are moving north."

"Oh?"

"Grand General, I know about this matter, and I was just about to report it to the General. Along the way I saw while coming north, they were all Huang Jin refugees. Not just ten thousand, but more than ten thousand, dragging their families, stretching for hundreds of li.

I sent family soldiers to investigate, and they were all defeated soldiers of the Yellow Turbans from Qing, Ji, and You. Hearing that the Grand General had broken the Wuhuan in the Liaodong land and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Liao, the Heavenly Martial Grand General, and the Administrator of Liaodong, they came to join. The states and counties along the way also knew the reason and did not stop them, allowing the Yellow Turbans to cross the border and roll up the people to move north. This is truly a strategy to tire us out."

Zhen Sheng cupped his hands and said what he knew.

"Meng Guang, do not worry. In the Liaodong land, there is fertile land with no one to farm it. I do not fear people coming to tire me out, but I fear there are not enough people coming." Wang Yan laughed heartily, "Pass my military order: the Heroic Wu Wei is to divide three thousand troops to guard Tuhe, the Wu Wei is to reorganize the army immediately, fully armed, and march rapidly to Suizhong. You are also to be fully armed, bring my equipment, and set off immediately."

"Yes!" The personal guard accepted the order and left.

Wang Yan laughed and said: "Meng Guang, do you want to go together?"

"Sheng is going south to handle matters for the General, so I will follow the General to see."

"Keep these five books well, pack your luggage, and set off in half an hour..."