Chapter 291

The Eastern Han used a conscription system; soldiers were recruited during wartime and returned to being farmers after the war.

The combat effectiveness of such soldiers could be said to be extremely unstable.

Moreover, conscription required a prerequisite: a sufficiently large population under one's rule.

Why did Yuan Shao have a million troops after occupying Jizhou?

While Cao Cao only had a little over one hundred thousand after occupying Yanzhou?

This was a matter of the population under their rule.

Liangzhou and Bingzhou combined did not even have a million people; how could one assemble a million-strong army?

Therefore, in Duan Yu's vision, he did not need that kind of conscription system.

He needed real, professional military units.

In the short term, he could only use quality to balance quantity.

But this involved a prerequisite.

To maintain professional military units, one needed a massive amount of money and grain to support them.

Without money and grain, everything was just empty talk.

Therefore, he not only needed a Commercial Department now, but he would also need an Agricultural Department in the future.

Now, it all depended on how far the system's entry regarding farming could develop.

The Combat Command Department, the Staff Department, and the Commercial Department now had their prototypes.

Besides these three, the path suitable for Tie Shitou and Wang Hunu was similar to that of the personal guards like Dian Wei and Xu Chu.

Personal guards were also an extremely important department for a commander.

One only had to look at the personal guard generals around those warlords to know.

Yuan Shao's Yan Liang and Wen Chou, Cao Cao's Dian Wei and Xu Chu, Liu Bei's Zhao Yun and Chen Dao, and so on.

The future development of the personal guards would also have to move toward becoming an Imperial Guard.

Subordinate generals might rebel, and soldiers might rebel.

But the personal guards must absolutely never rebel.

This was the final trump card for a Lord, meant to have a decisive effect at critical moments.

Moreover, the personal guards also served as a place similar to a military academy for the Lord to cultivate talent.

This was why, starting from the Qin and Han dynasties, military officers were required to have served as attendants by the Emperor's side long before.

Tie Shitou and Wang Hunu were the commanders of the left and right personal guards.

The rest was Liu Bai Tu.

At this moment, within the area of the Military Affairs Department.

The hundred-plus children were all sitting upright in the drill ground.

Liu Bai Tu, dressed in black robes and looking somewhat shy, stood before everyone.

A large sheet of white paper was pasted onto a wooden board.

On the white paper was a sketch of the human body.

And in front of Liu Bai Tu was a pile of neatly arranged small knives.

"From this position, insert the knife three fingers below the ribs..."

"When taking the knee, the fingers must be relaxed, and the blade must be held straight..."

"When conducting torture and interrogation, attacking the heart is primary, and torture is secondary..."

Standing behind the drill ground and listening to Liu Bai Tu's words, Duan Yu's forehead was covered in black lines.

These were all things he had previously taught Liu Bai Tu.

Now Liu Bai Tu could already teach others.

He really didn't know what kind of people this guy would end up teaching.

Jia Xu was sitting not far from Liu Bai Tu, one hand supporting his chin, looking as if he were about to fall asleep.

And Liu Bai Tu, who was in the middle of his lecture, also saw Duan Yu.

He immediately smiled and put down the small knife in his hand.

"Big Brother Duan!" Liu Bai Tu called out happily.

Seeing the smile that had appeared on Liu Bai Tu's face, Duan Yu knew that this guy must really like this feeling now.

Having suddenly found over a hundred people with the same hobbies as him, perhaps he finally didn't have to appear so out of place.

Everyone in the drill ground also looked toward Duan Yu.

The hundred-plus children were divided into six rows.

Sitting in the very front were the oldest ones.

The eyes of one young girl were exceptionally bright.

Following Liu Bai Tu's call, the hundred-plus children all stood up and then turned toward Duan Yu.

"Master."

The young girl called out joyfully.

Subsequently, the hundred-plus children all called out "Master" to Duan Yu.

Duan Yu, who had already grown accustomed to this form of address, smiled and waved his hand, then came to Liu Bai Tu's side.

Everyone in the drill ground sat down.

The six oldest children sitting in the front row all looked at Duan Yu with fanatical eyes.

With the young girl at the lead.

"Qing." Duan Yu looked at the young girl at the lead.

After a few days of rest and having changed into a brand-new set of clothes, the young girl had grown increasingly delicate and pretty.

"Master, I have given myself a name," the young girl said as she stood up. "Father and Mother said that we, who have been abandoned, are not worthy of having our previous surnames because we have no home."

"But now we have a Master, we have an instructor, and we have a home."

"I want to be called Duan Liuqing."

"Is that okay, Master?" The young girl looked at Duan Yu with expectant eyes.

Duan Yu was slightly stunned.

Duan Liuqing?

In his imagination, he had hoped the girl would be called Liu Qing.

Looking at the longing in the eyes of these hundred-plus children, Duan Yu naturally would not refuse.

Who could refuse the expectations of these hundred-plus children who had no surnames of their own, did not know their origins, and had suffered so much bitterness among the Xianbei?

Thus, Duan Yu nodded and said with a smile: "A very pleasant-sounding name!" ===== CHAPTER 293 =====