Chapter 12

Liu Bei appears. Also maybe "the first piece of soap" not a name.

For the sake of keeping the technology secret, the soap production base was also located inside Liu Bei's armory workshop; the technical staff were trained by Liu Bei, while the raw materials and sales were handed over to the Chen family and Mi Family to handle.

Both families tacitly allowed Liu Bei to take forty percent of the profits, while each of them took thirty percent.

The soap came in deluxe and ordinary versions; the ordinary kind was affordable, costing only ten cash per bar, with simple packaging and scent, while the deluxe version sold for over a hundred cash per bar, with exquisite packaging and many varieties. Even so, the deluxe soap remained in short supply among officials and nobles.

Using this stuff to bathe and wash clothes is simply fantastic! We, the great clans, are not short of money.

Buy!

Within half a month, the soap had already spread from the Xuzhou market to the thirteen provinces nationwide. Because the technology was concealed, the business was monopolized by the three families; seeing the huge market profits of soap, the Chen and Mi Families have both decided to bind their clans to Liu Bei.

From then on, the Mi Family and Chen family gave Liu Bei even greater support, also strongly backing him in grain and fodder; the Mi Family even secured over three thousand quality horses for Liu Bei through trade in Green Prefecture and Remote Prefecture.

Meanwhile, the protagonist who stirs up the winds and clouds is currently in the main camp examining the muster rolls; with grain available, recruiting troops and buying horses is naturally easy.

Liu Bei satisfiedly set down a roll of the roster and said to the several people in the tent.

"Yun Chang, Xian He, you two have worked hard; this time we recruited over thirty thousand able-bodied men just in Xiaopei. Our original five thousand-plus brothers, after removing the thousand guarding the armory, the rest were incorporated into the new army as junior officers. Thus the vacant positions will be filled by selecting the best-performing newcomers, and the evaluation work must still be done well."

The late Han army's organization consisted of six levels: department, division, battalion, company, squad, and team. A team had five men, led by a team leader; a squad had two teams, led by a squad leader; a platoon had five squads, led by a commander; each battalion had two platoons, with a battalion commander; each division had five battalions, totaling five hundred men; each department had two divisions, totaling one thousand men, called a thousand-man commander, also known as a lieutenant general.

Liu Bei originally intended to let the veteran soldiers serve as team and squad leaders. This way, with veterans leading the troops during training, combat effectiveness could be formed quickly; once reaching the rank of commander of a hundred men, the requirements would be higher, with a martial value probably needing to be at least 65 or above.

Everyone was full of joy; since raising troops, when have we ever had so many men and horses!

Liu Bei thought for a moment, then said to Zhao Yun.

"I intend to establish a cavalry unit, providing the finest horses and weapons; Zi Long, you previously commanded cavalry under your elder brother Gongsun, so you shall lead this cavalry. The force should be about five thousand strong; we have enough horses, and the new armor and equipment will be ready in ten days. Let's call this unit the Snow Dragon Cavalry."

Zhao Yun felt deeply moved, and at the same time secretly resolved not to fail his lord's kindness.

"Yes, Yun will surely die in service to the lord."

Liu Bei laughed heartily, stepped forward, and helped Zhao Yun to his feet.

"I want you, Zi Long, to lead the Snow Dragon Cavalry to sweep across the north and even the whole world in the future; talk of life and death, you are not allowed to say such things from now on."

Everyone followed suit with smiles; the second elder also stroked his fine beard with satisfaction.

"Elder brother, this way we still have nearly thirty thousand infantry; when Cao Cao comes to attack next time, we will have nothing to fear."

Liu Bei waved his hand and sighed.

"Don't underestimate Cao Mengde; I have received intelligence that Cao Cao has been locked in fierce battle with Lü Bu for a month, and I estimate that Lü Bu will soon suffer a major defeat and retreat."

Zhang Fei widened his eyes.

"Elder brother, I just don't believe anyone under Cao Cao can beat that three-surnamed slave; even if Dian Wei went, he couldn't hold onto Lü Bu, that's what I say!"

Liu Bei tucked his hands into his wide sleeves, frowned in thought; hearing Zhang Fei's words, he shook his head and laughed.

"Yi De, although Lü Bu has bravery and fierce generals under him, Cao Cao has far too many talented people; his strategists vastly outnumber those on Lü Bu's side. Lü Bu's offensive merely seized a chance, but once Cao Cao reacts, Lü Bu will certainly not be a match."

"We have thirty thousand infantry; right now each of us brothers trains a unit, this being our first force. Given the Han court's collapse, let us call ourselves the Pacification Army, meaning to pacify the world and stabilize the cosmos. I will be commander-in-chief, and you two will be my deputy generals—what do you think?"

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei both laughed and said.

"Elder brother as commander-in-chief is most appropriate."

"Hahaha, big brother's words are spot on; I could never contend with you for the commander-in-chief position."

Liu Bei pondered for a moment and said.

"Come on, let me show you a few things."

Immediately everyone followed Liu Bei to the drill ground, where several weapons lay before them; they glanced at each other, not understanding why Liu Bei had them look at these swords, spears, bows, and crossbows.

Liu Bei waved his hand; everyone saw two veteran craftsmen step forward, kneel on the ground, and skillfully hammer something onto a warhorse, then install a pair of strange objects on its back.

"Big brother, what is this?"

Liu Bei patted Zhang Fei's shoulder.

"Yi De, want to give it a try?"

Zhang Fei, doubtful, swung himself onto the horse; under the craftsmen's guidance he slipped his feet into the stirrups, lightly squeezed his legs against the horse's belly, and the warhorse shot forward with a whoosh. Zhang Fei, amazed on horseback, found it far more stable than before and much less tiring.

So, with this, wouldn't it allow one to stand up and exert greater strength when fighting on horseback in the future!

After riding a circle, Zhang Fei excitedly jumped down.

"Big brother, this thing is extremely useful!"

The others also noticed something different, and immediately looked at Liu Bei with puzzlement.

"These are stirrups; with them soldiers can quickly master horsemanship. Fighting on horseback also becomes less tiring, but for now we must keep it secret, letting other lords learn of it later if they must. Zi Long, you are a divine archer—go test that crossbow."

Zhao Yun strode forward, picked up the crossbow whose shape differed from any he had seen before; it was three chi three cun long, with some mechanisms, and its bowstring was about two chi five cun.

Zhao Yun lightly set the bolt, aimed at a target about two hundred paces away, nocked the arrow, took a slight aim, released his finger, and the long arrow shot from the string.

"Whoosh"

The feathered arrow struck the bullseye; half the shaft embedded in the target's center, it continued to tremble.

Everyone was stunned; although Zhao Yun's divine archery is indeed formidable, this crossbow can shoot two hundred paces away without losing power—an ordinary wooden shield would likely shatter in a single shot.

Liu Bei picked up the crossbow and said to everyone.

"This crossbow is called the Divine Arm Crossbow; by adjusting its mechanisms it can fire single shots or volleys; henceforth it will be a key weapon in our army, and its method of manufacture must absolutely not be leaked."

Everyone assented; then Liu Bei picked up a curved blade and handed it to Guan Yu.

"Yun Chang, try this blade."

Guan Yu took it, beheld the flashing cold light of the curved blade; the second elder gripped the hilt, lightly swung a few cuts, flourished a few blade flowers, and slashed at a piece of leather armor with one stroke.

Like a hot knife cutting butter, the leather armor was sliced cleanly in half.

"Elder brother, this blade's chopping force is not great, but when swung with momentum its power is indeed considerable."

Everyone's hearts already held admiration for Liu Bei beyond measure; the surprises he has brought them since his serious illness are already too many!

Afterwards everyone tested the remaining weapons, their hearts shaken even more.

"With these, as we continue to develop and grow, who in the world could stop us?"

Everyone present already had a vigorous fighting spirit burning in their hearts..

This world!

We will follow the lord and roam together.