Chapter 45: Recruiting Soldiers and Buying Horses

The spacious and bright house is completely different from ordinary dwellings in Daliang.

The walls are not built with bricks or adobe, yet they are lightweight and warm, far better at retaining heat than brick houses!

I don't know what material the floor is made of, but it is smoother than the green brick floors of the Imperial Palace.

There are even quilts and water basins placed inside the room...

Several generals were all fiercely envious!

This room is too comfortable.

They want to live in one too!

Boom! Boom!

On the open ground, one after another, more than a dozen identical giant boxes appeared.

Following Bai Wei's instructions, Xiao Moting ordered the soldiers to move the giant boxes, placing them neatly side by side in a row.

The soldiers moving the giant boxes were also stunned.

These giant boxes look massive, yet they are lighter than imagined; eight soldiers can easily lift one.

The soldiers are also very excited.

The houses built by the Goddess are simply miraculous!

The sun has set.

The cold wind howls, and sleet begins to fall from the sky, bone-chillingly cold.

The refugees are huddled together, hugging each other tightly for warmth, but they still cannot resist the bitter cold.

The snow turns to water as it falls, soaking them through, and they shiver in the rain.

Suddenly!

A squad of soldiers runs over.

"By order of the Prince of Zhenbei, you are to move to a different place!"

In an instant!

The refugees become panicked.

"Are they going to drive us away again?"

"... Please, we are cold and hungry, and there are sick people among us; we truly cannot endure any more tossing about."

"Even if we are to die, let us die here."

The refugees are dejected and weeping as they follow the soldiers away.

They are weak and sickly, of no use at all, and after waiting outside the city pass for a day, the city gates remained tightly shut.

The Second Prince will not take them in, and the Prince of Zhenbei will not accept them either.

Just as many refugees feel their hope shattering, a burst of exclamations suddenly rings out from ahead.

"This... what kind of house is this?"

"So many houses, are they for us to live in?"

"What a beautiful house, there are even cotton quilts inside!"

In an instant!

Many refugees look up in surprise and gaze forward one after another.

They are dumbfounded!

On the open ground outside the city pass, rows of strange square "houses" are impressively displayed!

Inside the houses, basic daily necessities are also provided.

Xiao Dabao stands in front with a group of soldiers, arranging for the refugees to enter the rooms and sleep on the floor.

"The weather is freezing, everyone just make do for now, squeeze in together, one family at a time."

"Tomorrow morning, the Prince will make further arrangements."

Dozens of refugees move into the first room and are instantly so shocked they hold their breath!

This is called "making do"?

This house is far more magnificent than the adobe houses they lived in back in the village; it is not damp at all, and it is warm!

"This cotton quilt is so warm; you couldn't find a quilt this soft in all of Daliang."

"And this water basin, what on earth is it made of? It's both light and sturdy."

"The Prince of Zhenbei hasn't abandoned us; he even let us live in such good houses."

The refugees are deeply moved, dancing with joy.

The remaining refugees also become excited, scrambling to get into the rooms!

At this moment, Qin Zhan suddenly calls out.

"Look, the windows are actually Western Regions glazed glass!"

The several generals then realize the windows are made of glazed glass, and each is a single piece.

Everyone is stunned speechless!

To actually use sky-high priced glazed glass for windows—no wonder the rooms are so bright.

At this time, Bai Wei sends a message.

"Xiao Moting, have the rooms been set up according to the blueprints I sent?"

Xiao Moting snaps out of his daze and replies immediately.

"Shennü Daren, they have been set up. Do the people on your side all use glazed glass windows?"

"Glazed glass? You mean glass, right," Bai Wei replies, "Yes, every ordinary household here has glass windows installed, and glass doors too, in all sorts of colors. My house has over a dozen of them."

Xiao Moting falls silent, unable to speak for a long while.

This glass is a rare commodity brought by Hu merchants; even a small piece is worth a hundred gold.

The Goddess uses it for windows and doors... that is just too extravagant!

Even the Imperial Father would not dare to squander money like dirt!

He told several generals about this matter.

The several generals were also shocked, their faces full of reverence.

Never did they expect that the common people in the Goddess's world are all so wealthy they could rival a nation!

The refugees, with hot tears in their eyes, knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Xiao Moting.

"Many thanks to the Prince of Northern Pacification for taking us in."

Xiao Moting said in a deep voice, "If you truly wish to express your gratitude, then thank the Goddess. It is she who allows you to have food and shelter."

"Goddess?"

A look of surprise appeared on the faces of the refugees.

Some of the refugees came to their senses; on the road here, they had also heard that the Beijiang Camp was protected by a Goddess!

They had thought it was just a legend; they never expected it to be true.

Everyone kowtowed one after another and thanked her in unison.

"Thank you, kind and virtuous Goddess!"

Bai Wei had already teleported the five hundred isolation wards over and had no energy left to teleport anything else.

Manager Liu of the Trade Company had just called to say that the documents had been processed and would be delivered to the Farm tomorrow.

Starting tomorrow, she would be the boss of the Trade Company!

Bai Wei kept all the previous employees and also let Manager Liu continue as manager.

As for her now, she was not short of money at all.

Buying the company was to serve as a cover for her to procure large amounts of supplies.

Bai Wei returned to the Farm and called her senior fellow apprentice at the medical equipment company again.

"Senior, I want to order twenty thousand sets of Dabai Protective Suits, ten thousand boxes of masks, ten thousand bottles of disinfectant..."

"Bai Wei, you are buying so many things again; what on earth are you using them for?"

Bai Wei laughed, "I opened a Trade Company, and a friend needs to procure medical supplies and entrusted me to help."

The senior immediately stopped asking and said they would be delivered tomorrow morning.

Done!

Bai Wei revealed a smile; sure enough, a "Trade Company" is useful. Otherwise, purchasing such a large quantity of items would arouse suspicion.

Early the next morning.

Four trucks loaded with medical equipment drove into the Farm.

Bai Wei had rested for a night, regained her energy, and teleported all the supplies to Xiao Moting.

Outside Fengsha Pass.

Xiao Moting had already received the items sent by Bai Wei.

He had the soldiers open the city gates to let the refugees enter the pass.

Qin Zhan held a megaphone.

"Any healthy man with a strong body who is willing to join the Beijiang Army may enter the city; the military pay is three hundred coins."

"Blacksmiths, carpenters, grooms... anyone with skills who is willing to join the construction team may enter the city."

"Those who are strong but have no talent or skill, who can clear wasteland, farm, wash clothes, cook, feed horses, or chop wood... those willing to join the service team may enter the city."

Each person selected may bring one elderly person or child as a dependent, to be supported by labor in exchange for supplies.

At this time, Han Guiying also led several female soldiers to the city gate and opened a recruitment station.

The disparity in military strength between the two nations was too great, so she also came to recruit female soldiers to supplement combat power.

She was in full armor and shouted with a resonant voice.

"Anyone who wishes to join the Beijiang female soldiers, come to this General to sign up!"

As soon as the words fell, the crowd was shocked.

The status of women in the Daliang Kingdom is not high; usually, they can only do menial work such as washing clothes, embroidery, spinning... and so on.

It was the first time the common people had seen female soldiers being recruited in a military camp, and they all found it novel.

Several women asked out of curiosity.

"General Han, female soldiers... what do they usually do? Do they also have to go to the battlefield to kill the enemy like men?"