Chapter 237 Wandering Bai Ci'en
"It's only a matter of time. The city lord is determined to expand his territory. Perhaps next year we will capture Xingyuan Prefecture, and then the entire Great Zhou Dynasty will see us. Whether Bai Ci'en is there or not, this situation will not change."
Xu Yinxi was persuaded by Zhang Wanjun, "You have a point. In that case, let him do whatever he wants. Let's just turn a blind eye and see what kind of changes he can bring to us."
Bai Ci'en walked aimlessly on the streets of Jinzhou Prefecture.
After his family sent two hundred thousand taels of silver to several chieftains in Qianzhou, he was released from prison.
The servants who came had urged him to leave several times, but Bai Ci'en just didn't want to go.
It is said that a new person in power has come to Qianzhou Prefecture. She is a young girl who is said to be the sister of Xu Zhenying.
Bai Ci'en really wanted to meet her, but the visiting card he handed over was ignored.
Even though he lowered his status and even used euphemistic words like "son of a first-rank military marquis", the new ruler still did not condescend to meet him.
Bai Ci'en naturally felt very uncomfortable.
It felt like begging for a meeting, but being looked down upon and dismissed as a poor relative.
What Ming Xiaoshuang said about Xu Zhenying's team not needing someone like him seemed to be true.
Because since he was released, the chieftains of Qianzhou ignored him, and Xu Zhenying's people didn't care about him much either. After all, he was the son of a first-rank official and a second-rank general in the court, but he became a person of no use at all.
This made Bai Ci'en feel very confused.
Is he not even worth being imprisoned?
After persuading a few of his men to surrender, Bai Ci'en wandered around Jinzhou Prefecture like a lonely ghost, until the new prefect sent someone to clearly convey his wishes, telling him to go wherever he pleased.
Bai Ci'en figured out the meaning of "free to do as you please", so his eyes lit up and he took a few of his men to the place where the captives were clearing land on the outskirts of the city.
The area being reclaimed was vast and sparsely populated, with only local villagers supervising the work and a few dozen soldiers managing it.
The soldiers in Lan County were valuable. They trained and studied regularly, and some were released to help with government affairs. Furthermore, Qianzhou Prefecture already had over two thousand guards, so Xu Yinxi preferred to use them where they mattered most. He was reluctant to use them for such trivial matters as supervising the captives.
When Bai Ci'en arrived at the reclaimed area, he originally thought that he would see his former subordinates being bullied and doing hard labor day and night. However, he saw them digging the soil with their heads down, united as one, and even talking and laughing.
In some places, people are even chanting spells like "two plus two equals four, two plus eight equals sixteen, two plus ninety-eight."
Bai Ci'en and his men were shocked.
Weren't they supposed to be doing hard labor to open up new land? Why didn't these people look pale? Instead, they were working so enthusiastically and even didn't mind their hard work. This really shocked several people.
Bai Ci'en was afraid that his former soldiers would recognize him, so he painted his face darker, wore a coarse linen shirt, and bent his back slightly, looking like an elderly local man.
Bai Ci'en and his men easily sneaked in.
He was filled with anger, so he was naturally willing to work hard. He swung the hoe in his hand in many different ways, and his whole body was drenched in sweat. When the other retainers saw this, although they didn't know why, they also followed suit and sweated profusely, joining in the fun.
Finally, the soldier next to him couldn't stand it anymore and said with a smile: "Brother, although you can own one acre of land for every ten acres you cultivate, you can't work so hard. If you hurt yourself, you won't be able to cultivate the land yourself even if you have it in the future-"
Bai Ci'en was shocked and instantly understood why the soldiers were so enthusiastic about opening up the wasteland.
Xu Zhenying was willing to spend a lot of money, giving one acre of land for every ten acres to the people who were reclaiming it. Although it was the land of Qianzhou and not as valuable as the land in Bianjing City, it was land after all!
Who would complain about having too much land?!
Bai Ci'en said calmly, "There's nothing I can do. I have so many children at home, so I have to take advantage of this good opportunity to earn a few more acres of land. What will I do to feed so many mouths in the future? I can't afford to buy other land, so I can only work hard—"
"Well, who says it isn't?" This statement seemed to immediately start everyone's conversation. The soldier next to him sighed and said, "When I followed the generals on their campaigns, I only earned two cents a month, and it often took a year or two to get paid. I only had two acres of land at home, and my wife and children couldn't even get enough to eat. Now things are much better. To be honest, I'll come here and work for a year, and I can get at least ten acres of land."
Someone nearby laughed and said, "So what? You have ten acres of land, so what? Are you going to bring your wife and children over?"
"So what? Although Qianzhou is a bit remote, at least there's plenty of land, and we can stand tall. At least we don't have to worry about food all year round."
"Hey, Brother Qian, are you really planning to bring your whole family here?" The man next to him lowered his voice, "Brother, are you crazy? This is the territory of the rebels, and we are still soldiers of the imperial court! Besides, Qianzhou is far from Bianjing--"
"So what if it's rebel territory?" the man protested. "Now, where in the Great Zhou Dynasty isn't there a rebel? If my parents hadn't been so poor they couldn't even afford to eat, who would have joined the army? Not only do we have to hang our heads on our belts every day, but we don't even earn a penny all year round. We are soldiers of the Zhou Dynasty, but don't forget, we are captives! We won't have a good ending if we return! If you're lucky, the higher-ups will give us a few words of blame; if you're unlucky, you'll be disliked and sent to die on the battlefield as a vanguard!"
Everyone felt the same way when they heard these words, and the atmosphere suddenly became silent.
Bai Ci'en quickly said, "How could that be? Your General Bai will definitely plead with His Majesty when he returns—"
Someone sneered, "General Bai has his father, a high-ranking official, to protect him. We are nothing. We failed to suppress the bandits and were captured. The court has lost face and will definitely not let us off easily. Besides, General Bai was redeemed for 200,000 taels a long time ago. I'm afraid he has already gone to Bianjing City to enjoy a good life. He doesn't care about the lives of us——"
The servants around Bai Ci'en immediately became anxious and were about to explain, but were stopped by Bai Ci'en.
"I think Qianzhou isn't anything special except that it's a bit remote. Didn't you hear what the propaganda officer said? He said that after we reclaim this land, we'll mainly grow tea and fruit trees. Using the composting method they brought over from Lan County, they say the soil will be extra fertile, and the fruits might be big and sweet. We can then sell them all over the country. Won't our lives be better than back in Bianjing?"
When it came to business, everyone was clearly very interested. They were busy digging the ground while discussing, "I've heard that the propaganda officer also said that universal education in Qianzhou Prefecture is about to begin, and the first priority will be children over seven years old in the city. They'll be taught to read and write, and it's free!"
"Is it true? Studying is free?"
"Hey, when the propaganda officer came to give a lecture, you found another excuse to go to Huang Cuihua's house, didn't you?"
The man chuckled twice and seemed a little shy.
"Of course it's true. Didn't you hear what the propaganda officer said? Lan County was the first to start universal education. Anyone picked up from the street can read. Not to mention the civil servants' examination that took place a while ago, and the people from Lan County did the best. Just wait and see, our Fengming County will soon have a new county magistrate."
"So...if I go to school, can I become a county magistrate?"
The crowd erupted in laughter.
"Who knows? The highest-ranking official in Qianzhou Prefecture is actually a woman. If women can get the job, why can't we? We can't be worse than a girl, right?"
"If you ask me, even though this is rebel territory, I've noticed these people are very methodical in their actions. Have you taken a closer look at their soldiers?"
Bai Ci'en's heart skipped a beat.
Then he glanced at the soldiers on duty on the hill from a distance.
"Look at him, that muscular body, the food he eats, the weapons he has, and the way he speaks in a flowery way. He doesn't look like a soldier at all, he looks more like a general!"
"Oh, you know what, I often see them carrying books with them. Whenever they have a free moment, no matter where they are, they just whip out a book. Last time, I thought this soldier who could read must be at least a captain or a general, so I went over to ask, and they said he was just a soldier. They also said that their soldiers have tests every week and every month, not only on physical fitness, but also on reading and literacy. If the results are too poor, they will be asked to leave!"
"Oh my god, is this a talent show or a soldier selection? Why do they have to learn to read and write?"
"Of course. If you ask me, it's not unfair that we lost the war to them."
"Don't you see how they are treated and how we are treated?"
"What kind of treatment?"
The man sighed. "The soldiers in Lan County get one tael of silver a month, at least twelve sets of clothes for all seasons, three meals a day, free medical care for the disabled, and a pension for the deceased, which is paid to their children or parents who have passed away. Oh, and they even spend half a day every day reading, learning military tactics, and practicing combat. How can we compare to them?"
"Wow!" Everyone was shocked. "Where did you get this information?"
"Didn't they pick up some of our men before? Huang Er came back and told me about the treatment of soldiers there."
"Huang Er?"
Someone remembered, "I remember him. He seemed to be able to read and was tall, but he was a bit introverted and couldn't even fart when you hit him with three sticks."
"Yes, yes, the group we selected earlier all knew how to read."
"Oh, I remember that Huang Er wasn't very capable. He acted like a woman all day long. Last time we fought, he was hiding behind me!"
"That was in the past! You didn't see him that day, but now he has the air of a great master and speaks in a tone that makes him look like a great man. I dare say that even General Bai would be no better than him!"
"Is it true?" Everyone was curious and wished that Huang Er would appear in front of them right now.
"Just say that they are well-fed and well-drinking, capable of both civil and military service, while we eat only porridge and pickles every day. How can we fight this war? We are unlucky and were transferred to support Qianzhou and then became prisoners. If other soldiers come, won't they be prisoners like us?"
The others nodded frequently, as if they did not feel ashamed of being prisoners, but instead felt that their defeat was natural.
Upon hearing this, Bai Ci'en's servants wished they could immediately kill these people who were spreading false rumors and misleading the public.
How could someone who spread such deceitful words and disrupted the morale of the army not be killed?!
Pian Bai Ci'en acted as if nothing had happened, without any trace of anger on his face.
He simply pulled out the test paper and took another look at it.
Everyone was silent.
They had seen that test paper before, and Bai Ci'en had asked them to do it. Unfortunately, although they could recognize the words on it, they couldn't answer any of the questions on it.
The most they could do was to give a hesitant and fragmented answer to the big discussion questions at the end.
Bai Ci'en seemed a little numb after listening to those words.
In the final analysis, the reason why Xu Zhenying's soldiers were able to win the battle was nothing more than the three conditions of food, treatment, and training. In the final analysis, it all comes down to one word.
money!
It takes money to improve the food, it takes money to improve the treatment of soldiers, and it takes money to teach soldiers to read and learn military tactics!
These are all problems that can be solved with money!
But what the Zhou Dynasty lacks most at the moment is silver!
In recent years, the Zhou Dynasty has been engulfed in wars, and the number of soldiers has doubled. It is bound to be difficult to support so many soldiers.
Not to mention that they withheld military rations and salaries, even the salaries of the soldiers fighting the Tartars on the front lines in the north were severely withheld.
The Great Zhou Dynasty was now surrounded by enemies on all sides. Whenever it came to military pay, the court would always start a fight. The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War almost came to blows in the court, but only a tiny bit of information could be leaked out.
Last year, the weather was so cold that thousands of soldiers on the northern front froze to death in a single winter. General Zhao Yi submitted several memorials, lambasting officials from the six ministries, including Han Xiang and others, and only then did he receive his six-month overdue pay.
But where did Xu Zhenying get so much money?
It seemed like her money was endless and kept falling from the sky.
Not to mention the cost of raising so many soldiers, just the universal education that she is now vigorously promoting, these two items alone cost at least tens of thousands of taels a month.
She is a bandit, where did the money come from?
The longer Bai Ci'en stayed in Qianzhou Prefecture, the more he discovered the unusualness of Qianzhou and the unusualness of Xu Zhenying's administration.
He had a vague feeling of weirdness.
This Xu Zhenying... maybe she is the child of destiny... maybe she is the person that the Great Zhou Dynasty should concentrate all its efforts to eliminate first!
He had a premonition that if Xu Zhenying was allowed to grow in power, the court would be trapped in an irretrievable situation.
Bai Ci'en looked at the soldier on duty on the hill, wondering what he was thinking about. He held the scroll tightly in his hand. Then, as if refusing to admit defeat, he dropped his hoe, crossed the cleared fields, and slowly walked up to the guarding soldier.
Bai Ci'en couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that his father had hired the best masters for him since he was a child. Whether it was boxing, weapons, or literature, they were all the best teachers in the city of Bianjing. He had never slacked off for more than 20 years, but he was no match for a group of bandits who had only learned for a few months?
In this round, not only did he lose, but the Great Zhou Dynasty also lost.
Seeing this, the servants behind Bai Ci'en all secretly drew their knives, as if they were afraid that the young master would be in danger, and were ready to rush forward at any signal!
But Bai Ci'en just walked up to the soldier, squatted down, and handed him a paper.
The soldier was stunned at first, but then he saw that Bai Ci'en didn't seem to have any ill intentions. He then saw the test paper in his hand and laughed: "Isn't this our June monthly test paper? How did you get this set of papers?"
Bai Ci'en discovered that the soldiers under Xu Zhenying were truly unique.
They seem to be particularly approachable towards ordinary people!
They never scolded, threatened or scared away anyone who approached them. Instead, they did their best to help their fellow villagers. They did not even use whips or other tortures on prisoners. They usually gave them verbal admonitions, and those who were even worse were sent to the mountains to do real hard labor.
Their management is flexible and alternating between tight and loose, winning trust while establishing authority.
Even Bai Ci'en had to admit that this method was very effective in treating both civilians and prisoners.
Bai Ci'en coughed softly and said unnaturally, "This was given to me secretly by our teacher. I don't know where he got it from."
"Oh, your teacher is quite capable. It's no small feat to be able to come up with this set of questions. How come the trend of after-school tutoring classes has spread to Qianzhou Prefecture now?"
Bai Ci'en seemed to understand, so she deliberately changed the subject: "It's just that these questions are a bit difficult. I don't know how to answer many of them."
The several Bai family servants behind him slowly put down their weapons in their sleeves.
The soldier looked over the paper again and again before saying with a smile, "This set of questions was very difficult. At that time, the average score of our class was only about 60 or 70. We were scolded badly by Teacher Xu."
Bai Ci'en's face suddenly turned ugly.
That Ming Xiaoshuang didn't lie to him!
Even the ordinary soldiers under Xu Zhenying had an average score of over 60 when doing this set of questions, but he only got over 20 points!
Bai Ci'en clenched his hands into fists in the dark.
The soldier, oblivious, pointed at his mistakes and said, "You've made too many mistakes on this set. I'm afraid your foundation isn't solid enough. You probably need to start over with an intermediate course. You barely even did the math problems at the beginning, and you left most of the general knowledge and geography questions blank. Your military theory is doing okay, though."
Bai Ci'en's heart was filled with turbulent waves. He seemed to be gambling with his last breath and said, "Then can you tell me how to solve this first problem?"
"Let me see." The soldier, seemingly delighted to see someone from a literacy class, was very enthusiastic. "The first question is simple. It's a basic arithmetic progression, but with a slightly increased difficulty. The second number is one times the first plus one, the third is one times the second plus two, the fourth is one times the third plus three, and so on. You'll quickly get the answer."
The soldier said this, not even using a branch. He muttered something and wrote down the answer. "Look, isn't it simple?"
Bai Ci'en leaned over to take a look, then applied his principle and discovered that the string of numbers that seemed to be random at first suddenly had a pattern to follow.
Bai Ci'en was horrified!
From this we can see that the person who set the questions did not make them randomly, but rather possessed very advanced mathematical abilities, and could even be said to be a master of mathematics!
"The second question is even easier. It's about pursuit." The soldier took a branch and drew a circle on the dirt nearby. "If you encounter a situation where two people are chasing each other in a circle, there's a formula you can apply directly: the pursuit time is equal to the difference in distance between the two people divided by their speed difference. Substituting that in, you can immediately calculate that the two people will meet in a quarter of an hour."
Bai Ci'en was so shocked when he heard this that he couldn't even describe it.
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