Chapter 836: Talent

"This... I fear it will lose the hearts of the scholars!"

Dulongzi was startled again, muttering to himself.

This is a very realistic problem.

In fact, if one does not use the surrendered officials and clerks, who is there to manage, who is there to collect taxes?

If one cannot rapidly integrate the resources of Jiangzhou Prefecture, how can one take advantage of the favorable timing to strike in all directions and expand territory?

Once one cannot develop rapidly, given the awkward position of Jiangzhou Prefecture, the moment the Imperial Court reacts, it will immediately be besieged from all sides, a miserable sight to behold.

"Besides... where will the military grain and military pay come from?"

Dulongzi asked again.

"There is some stock in the treasury, and if we kill a few fat pigs... oh, no, that's not right, I mean wealthy households, won't we have everything we need?"

"Go and bring Cao Man here."

The next day.

"Five camps and one command, two thousand five hundred men, the Commander-in-Chief is of the Seventh Rank!"

One could see that on the massive drill ground, it was a sea of black, with soldiers everywhere!

These soldiers were divided into two groups, both quite easy to recognize.

A total of six elite units came out, all of them saluting.

Many among them were originally top students in the prefectural school, and now that they had been driven out, how could they possibly have a good expression on their faces?

'The best part is that when I, a rebel, first started this uprising, the scholars were too disdainful to join, which instead ensured our purity.'

Aaron laughed heartily.

"Yes!" The Prison Warden was in his forties, his face full of slickness: "What does the Dao Lord wish to ask? This small one will tell everything he knows without reservation."

Aaron took out a pear and a Fire Jujube, letting the Jailer feed them to Cao Man.

He arrived at the city's military camp as if fleeing, and could not help but be startled again.

He immediately felt many worries about the future of this tiny regime.

"Taixue?" Dulongzi asked, puzzled.

It was immediately met with a chorus of agreement.

An absurd thought vaguely emerged in his mind, but it was immediately suppressed by Dulongzi.

"I appoint you as Camp Commanders, leading five teams of regular soldiers and five teams of auxiliary soldiers; each of you shall choose one county to attack!"

Fan Jin shook his head in secret; although the Liang Army yearned for civilization, the hearts of the scholars were hard to turn. As he continued to watch, the more he saw, the more he felt something was wrong.

This cold, icy feeling made even Dulongzi shudder.

Aaron had originally wanted to create ranks like centurion, chiliarch, and myriad-commander... simple and easy, but later he thought that was the style of the Hu people, so he had to give up on it.

Prefectural Office.

"Greetings, Dao Lord!"

After all, in the perception of the common people, when officials and soldiers kill, they are enforcing the law of the King!

To dare to resist the law of the King is to rebel, and one is bound to come to a bad end!

"Then, for the past few months, I don't know how, but he got involved in a lawsuit and was sent to the great prison. The Wang Family spent money, insisting he die in the cell. Our Legal Officer, greedy for bribes, prepared to squeeze him a bit more, which is why he has lived until now."

Dulongzi answered subconsciously: "It is just that manpower is in short supply..."

"No need!"

"This strategic goal is not bad!" Aaron looked at Dulongzi with slight surprise.

At this time, he shouted again: "Zhan Da, Hei Er, Zhang Tie, Huang Songtao, Bao Zhun, Miao Qi..."

Those big, burly guards, upon seeing that they were government soldiers, immediately felt their legs go weak and dared not resist the army.

"Since ancient times, when rebelling, people love to release prisoners after breaking into the county office to create chaos... actually, they all deserve to die!"

Wang Family.

As soon as he entered the prison, he smelled a foul odor, which made Dulongzi frown.

"You are a Presented Scholar of the Great Song, but my Great Liang does not recognize it!"

"I will go call a physician right now."

"And... many of the faces look vaguely familiar."

In ancient times, it was the norm for rebels to be illiterate, or they might not have even seen a map of the whole country.

Prefectural City.

"As long as we endure these three days, there will be no major issues!"

"Today, I shall establish the Liang Military System—five men to a squad, ten men to a platoon, five platoons to a company, and the Team Leader shall be of the From Ninth Rank!"

As long as those rebels were not crazy, they would not make things difficult for his own family.

Therefore, he said: "Favorable timing is not as good as geographical advantage, and geographical advantage is not as good as human harmony... rather than thinking about Jinshi City, it is better to first hold the Sacrificial Ceremony and set up the Taixue well!"

'The most critical thing is that for the big task I want to accomplish, the greatest taboo is to show one's hand at the very beginning; one should first lull them into a false sense of security...'

The more experience one has, the richer one's wisdom and emotions become.

Aaron laughed: "There are indeed unjust cases in prison, but there are even more scumbags; if we really let them go, wouldn't that be a disaster?"

Those standing like pines, silent and speechless, must be the soldiers originally trained by Xulingzi!

The other group, looking dejected, were undoubtedly the local Fengxiang Army!

"Those who kill everyone without asking questions are the Refugee Army, so we must find an excuse to kill them openly and legally... for example, those who have blood debts or have secretly communicated with the pseudo-Song!"

But muttering to himself that a person without integrity cannot stand, he still came.

Dulongzi counted roughly and felt something was wrong.

Aaron waved his hand and watched Cao Man's back leave with a smile: "Next..."

Aaron, however, did not mind and laughed: "Dulongzi... have you prepared the auspicious date and the ceremony for the Prince of Liang to offer sacrifices to Heaven and proclaim himself king?"

"It's just a prison!"

"You... what are you doing? I am a Cultivated Talent... my elder brother is a Presented Scholar and even served in the Hanlin Academy!"

He grabbed someone and asked: "Where is Daoist Xulingzi?"

"Cao Man, I won't beat around the bush. We are rebels; saving you means we want to invite you to join us... If you agree, I will immediately assign you a squad to wipe out the Wang Family. Of course... their family property must still be confiscated."

The Head of the Family of the Wang Family's voice trembled, and then a flash of blade light appeared, and his head fell to the ground.

"This is the Refugee Army's way of fighting; it has no foundation and is difficult to condense King Qi!" Dulongzi shook his head repeatedly.

The influence of the Confucian school is indeed greater than that of the Buddhist and Taoist schools.

"Who's to say it isn't?" the Prison Warden sighed.

Anyway, even if one died in battle, it would just be considered paying tuition.

"Ten squads make one camp, five hundred men, the Camp Commander is an eighth-rank official!"

"Recruitment requirements: Priority given to those who can read one hundred characters; Child Scholars may apply, but those with the status of fake-pine Cultivated Talent or higher are not accepted! Otherwise, household registration is not considered; even those of prostitute or beggar status may apply!"

"Five camps make one army, with one General and three Deputy Generals... The General holds the rank of General of Guerrilla, a fifth-rank official!"

Taixue.

The Six Jia Divine Soldiers suddenly roared in unison, causing the surrendered soldiers' legs to tremble and their bodies and minds to be terrified.

Although this world does not have the "three visits to the thatched cottage," it has similar sayings.

"It is prepared. Three days from now, the weather will be fine, and we can offer sacrifices to Heaven."

The men's prison was no better; those destined to die only had half a breath left.

The Prison Warden thought for a moment and replied: "Cao Man, this person once passed as a Child Scholar, but later the 'Wang Family,' a wealthy household in the prefecture, took a fancy to his ancestral grave—a physiognomist had seen it and said the ancestral grave could emit blue smoke, signifying that his descendants would be wealthy and noble. Then, for no reason, he got into an argument with someone, had his legs broken, and couldn't take the exam for Cultivated Talent... Over time, his family fell into ruin. The 'Wang Family' forcibly bought his ancestral grave, dug up his ancestors and threw them into a mass grave, and changed it into their own feng shui..."

After all, if these mud-legged people want to rule the world, how can they do without scholars like them to assist?

These people can be used; the key is to manage those petty officials and then add Taoist acolytes... After getting familiar with it for a year or two, those Taoist acolytes should be able to grow up.

"Very good, as long as you recognize me, come here... kill this whole family!" Cao Man's eyes were bloodshot as he pointed at the Head of the Family of the Wang Family.

"The Prefect is incompetent, and the Fengxiang Army has no gallbladder!"

The Head of the Family of the Wang Family thought to himself and ordered the steward: "Watch the Young Master and Young Miss; you must not go out these few days!"

Although Aaron knew that in the eyes of this world, he did not yet count as a person because he did not provide Qi Points!

This dispersal of troops was also a helpless move.

'Sorry, my teeth are too good; I like to eat hard food, not soft food!'

Aaron laughed out loud.

The Head of the Family of the Wang Family cursed angrily and called for the steward: "The city fell too quickly, we didn't have time to escape... The three days after the city falls will be the most chaotic. All those servants and guards must be heavily rewarded; give them meat for three meals, do not treat them poorly."

Aaron flicked his finger and gave the order.

When Cao Man heard "Wang Family," his eyes narrowed. He looked around, no longer hesitated, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed: "As long as I can destroy the Wang Family, Cao Man will sell this life to the Daoist in the future."

And since Aaron also wanted to see the ability of these elite units to operate independently, this was the only way.

"Even counting the surrendered soldiers, our main force is only two thousand. We suffered heavy losses when the city fell yesterday... how come there are three thousand here?"

"Very good, go!"

Dulongzi walked out of the main gate and looked at the street. He saw squads of Six Jia Divine Soldiers patrolling and maintaining order, and suddenly felt a bit surprised: "Eh? Even though the main army suffered heavy losses yesterday, how are there still so many people patrolling?"

Aaron said directly.

Dong dong dong!

Aaron sat upright on the high platform and had the personal guards beside him beat the drums to assemble the generals and count the troops.

"You are... Cao Man?"

It was actually the original prefectural school, which was then occupied, cleared, and used to house a group of Taoist acolytes...

"Wansheng! Wansheng!"

That Dulongzi could think of this move shows he is already quite talented.

Inside the Wang residence, shouts of killing suddenly soared into the sky, chilling the hearts of the surrounding residents...

Just then, the front gate was suddenly knocked open, and a line of expressionless soldiers walked in.

Prefectural Prison.

The Wang Family is a family of Presented Scholars; for generations, people have passed the exams to become Cultivated Talents and Presented Scholars. Even now, there are people serving as officials in the Imperial Court, and their reputation is upright.

A Six Jia Divine Soldier immediately stepped forward and drew his long blade.

Aaron lit the Lamp and said to Dulongzi: "Any injustice actually has flaws in these case files... And... Prison Warden, you are actually the one who knows best who is innocent, right? If you don't want to die, confess honestly."

"One-year crash course, immediately supplemented as government clerks. Note: Clerks of the Great Liang can be promoted to ranked officials by accumulating merit!"

Although this Daoist Xulingzi seems determined to spread the Taoism in the world, this approach still seems a bit too...

Seeing this scene, cold sweat seeped from the Prison Warden's forehead.

Although the prefectural city had fallen, the various counties had not.

A person wearing prison clothes came in, looked at the Wang Family courtyard, and suddenly smiled: "Do you still recognize me?"

The Head of the Family of the Wang Family felt a bad premonition in his heart.

After finishing all this, Aaron rode Xiaoyu out of the military camp and saw Dulongzi.

"No matter, as long as it looks the part, there is no need for so many Confucian scholars to control the power of the sacrificial rites."

He added a sentence in his heart: "Better to use them to refine Six Jia Divine Soldiers!"

Aaron waved his hand.

Several Jailers who had defected went over and immediately dragged a person over, who was already barely human in shape.

It was strange to say, Cao Man had originally been down to his last breath, but after eating the Fire Jujube, he suddenly gave a start, opened his eyes, and stood up on his own: "This... I..."

The Prison Warden tremblingly set out a plate of cold pig's head meat, a pot of wine, and a stack of broad beans: "The two... Daoist masters... please!"

He had also discovered that although these elite units had all been enlightened by the Spirituality of the 'Tower', they still needed time to grow.

It was just that it absolutely had to be a true 'enlightened master', and one still had to visit the thatched cottage three times.

As for the surrendered soldiers, there were also three or four thousand, but they were not held in high regard by Dulongzi.

"In this prison of yours, are there any scholars imprisoned? None above the rank of Cultivated Talent."

'I can't just go around shouting that I want to kill all the landlords in the world and then dig up the roots of the Confucian school!'

'Hiding the cleansing of the landlord class and the Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist schools within the struggle for the world, each serving their own master, and slowly boiling the frog in warm water... that is indeed a method!'

"Hmm, from now on, I am the Imperial Academy Rectifier!"

Furthermore, there was not much property at home, so the target was not too large.

However, he did not say this at the time; he arrived at the cell and sat on a wooden stool.

Aaron spoke up.

For example, Zhan Da now showed absolutely no traces of being a puppet; he was just like a living person.

And at the prison entrance, there were even Six Jia Divine Soldiers standing guard.

This place had been tidied up a little and was barely habitable.

Cultivated Talents and Recommended Men cherished their fame and were often unwilling to follow rebels, but scholars who had committed crimes were often the first to be willing; many of these were the 'strategists' among historical rebels!

The Prison Warden gave a bitter smile: "If they were truly Cultivated Talents, they wouldn't have fallen to this point... but there are indeed a few who can read and write."

At this time, having arrived outside the Prefecture School, he saw a soldier come over and post a notice; the writing on it was sloppy and the strokes were weak, seemingly written by a young child:

"Liang Kingdom Taixue Enrollment Prospectus!"

In ancient times, going to prison was not a good place to be, especially for a women's prison; unless there was special care, one's purity would be gone after entering.

Aaron was pondering when he heard Dulongzi say: "This method of yours, fellow Daoist, can indeed gain some talent... but this old Daoist still says the same thing: if you don't recruit surrendered soldiers or accept defectors, how can you develop rapidly, take Jinshi, and awe the Southeast?"

Aaron stretched and looked around: "But you are right, although I am preparing to transfer Daoist children in!"

Dulongzi looked at Aaron and sighed inwardly: 'This is no longer just about meddling in military power... the entire army, from its establishment to its formation, has been handled by Xulingzi alone... such a powerful minister has never been seen since ancient times; which monarch in the future could tolerate this?'

"Could it be Daoism? No... Daoism conflicts with Military Qi; it is simply impossible."

"Hmm, bring the prisoner files."

Seeing his enemy dead, Cao Man was filled with joy and roared again: "Kill, kill, kill! Not a single one can be spared!"

"This lawsuit must have been orchestrated by the Wang Family." Dulongzi sneered: "Either don't do it, or do it thoroughly. Since you've already robbed their ancestral grave and forged a deadly feud, are you waiting for them to prosper? You must kill him to be at ease!"

"Talent market?"

This attitude made Dulongzi smile bitterly in his heart.

It was just that after an elite unit died in battle, even if they were resurrected, they would become ordinary Six Jia Divine Soldiers, and the previous investment would be considered wasted, which made Aaron feel a bit pained.

"Who among them has the deepest bitterness and hatred?"

A man wearing Cultivated Talent attire nearby whispered secretly: "We scholars must have integrity; how can we kneel to follow rebels?"

Alas... just for this small goal, he had to accept landlord scholars, and even tolerate or make concessions to them?

Aaron was unwilling!

Aaron asked, and Dulongzi understood immediately.

Someone read it out, looked at the previous Cultivated Talent, and laughed: "Cultivated Talent Ma... no, you are no longer a Cultivated Talent now, but they don't want you either."

After Fan Jin finished arranging the funeral for Chen Zitong, he had also originally considered fleeing.

"This..."

The soldier's expression was blank; he did not salute and said mechanically: "In the city... military camp!"

"An insult to refinement, an insult to refinement!"

Cultivated Talent Ma's face flushed red, his eyes rolled back, and he almost fainted.

(End of this chapter)