Lord Yao and Li Xue immediately understood what had happened; it turned out that Li Guang had altered his appearance through makeup.
"Li Guang, your makeup skills are amazing! Even your voice has changed. How did you do that?" Li Xue asked.
“Princess, do you still remember when we went south last time and met Master Dao? He waited for us for three months, but he had something to give me.”
The Taoist priest gave me an ancient book, the true teachings of Guiguzi, called "Gu Chan Ce," which has never been circulated.
This book is very rich in content, mostly about military strategy and governance, with the last part covering the art of diplomacy.
The Art of Diplomacy introduces some magical spells.
One type of disguise technique can drastically change a person's appearance and voice, making it difficult for others to distinguish between the real and the fake.
When General Yao first came to the farm, I was practicing my disguise technique. I wanted to test it out and see if my disguise skills could be detected.
I didn't expect that General Yao still couldn't see through the trick. I tried the same method just now, but even after watching for so long, the princess and Lord Yao still couldn't find the flaw.
Li Guang's words surprised and delighted Li Xue and Lord Yao. Li Guang had previously told Lord Yao that he had obtained a book by Guiguzi.
Lord Yao thought it was just about military strategy and governance, but he didn't expect it to also contain some ancient magic.
"Li Guang, once you obtain this extraordinary book, you will become a disciple of Guiguzi."
His disciples were all exceptionally talented, and ultimately Chengdu achieved great things. With you in the Northern Dynasty, there is nothing to worry about.
After Lord Yao finished speaking, he burst into laughter.
At this moment, Li Xue spoke up: "Li Guang, last time I saw you training your troops, your methods were very unique and different from other military camps. Is this training based on the military strategies of Guiguzi?"
Li Guang nodded: "General Yao's first phase of military training has ended, and the second phase is now underway."
This stage mainly involves training in battle formations. Once the training is complete, troops can be deployed.
However, it will take time to master the Guiguzi formation.
Li Guang's words surprised everyone. They hadn't expected Li Guang to know how to set up battle formations; there were very few like him in the Great Northern Dynasty.
"However, our forces are too small to conduct large-scale formation drills. If we can grow to 30,000, we will be able to contend with the hundreds of thousands of troops of the foreign kingdom."
Li Guang's words greatly excited Li Xue, and she said:
"Li Guang, Shuixian Village is backed by mountains. No matter how many troops you develop, the court cannot monitor it. Moreover, you are developing troops to deal with foreign enemies. Even if the court knew, it would not say anything."
"My father has analyzed it. In less than a year, the Fan Kingdom will join forces with the Luo and Jin Kingdoms to launch a southward invasion. Your local army will be a powerful ally for the Northern Dynasty."
Upon hearing this, Lord Yao frowned and said:
"Developing an army of 30,000 requires a considerable amount of military expenditure. Even all the money Zhao Shaofu has earned is not enough to cover the expenses of this army."
It's impossible for the imperial court to cover these military expenses; it seems we'll have to find a solution ourselves.
“There is a way to solve this problem,” Li Guang said.
"What's the method? Tell me quickly!" Li Xue asked impatiently.
"Brother Zhao once told me that among all his businesses, brewing liquor was the most profitable, but the imperial court had a clear regulation prohibiting individuals from using grain to brew liquor."
The production of liquor from grains was only permitted with the approval of the imperial court.
Brother Zhao conducted an experiment using dried sweet potatoes to make liquor, and the results were excellent. However, sweet potatoes are also a grain, so they should not be allowed to be used for brewing liquor.
But sweet potatoes are different from other grains. They have a very high yield, and once they are promoted nationwide, there will be an abundance of sweet potatoes.
If the imperial court allows us to use sweet potatoes to brew wine at this time, the problem of military expenses will be solved.
Once sweet potatoes are used as a raw material to produce baijiu (Chinese liquor), production will increase significantly. The resulting baijiu can be sold throughout the country, and the profits will be enough to support an army of hundreds of thousands.
Li Guang's words made Lord Yao's eyes light up, and he said:
"This is easy to handle. I will take care of this matter and get the court to allow you to use sweet potatoes to brew wine."
However, you still need to pay the relevant fees. As long as the imperial court benefits, things will be easier to handle.
"That's great! Next year we can plant sweet potatoes in large quantities, and we can also buy the sweet potatoes grown by farmers in the surrounding area."
Once the raw material problem is solved, we can start mass production of baijiu.
At this moment, Li Xue looked at Li Guang and said:
"Li Guang, how long can this disguise last after you've changed your appearance?"
"I haven't tried it. It should be fine to preserve it for a few days. If you deliberately maintain this appearance, it can last for several months."
“Okay, if that’s the case, I’ll take you back to the capital sometime, so no one will recognize you.”
Li Xue's words excited Li Guang, who then spoke:
"I really want to go back to the capital to see my father and mother. I don't ask them to recognize me, I just want to see them."
Lord Yao looked at Li Guang, pondered for a long time, and then spoke:
"Don't worry, I'll look for an opportunity, but now is not the time."
The eldest prince wields considerable power in the court. If he discovers you're still alive, he'll do everything in his power to eliminate you, and many others will suffer the consequences.
"Of course I know all that. It's not the time for me to show myself yet. What I need to do now is to bide my time, develop my strength, and wait for the day when I can make my mark."
Two days later, Lord Yao prepared to return to the capital. He asked Zhao Xian to prepare some sweet potatoes and potatoes to take back to the capital, as they would be of important use.
Not only that, he also asked Zhao Xian to prepare two more jars of liquor for him. He had another important task when he returned this time, which was to give Zhao Xian the right to operate a liquor production business using grain.
After Lord Yao left, Li Xue planned to stay in Narcissus Village for a while longer to see if she could help Li Guang increase his power as soon as possible.
That day, the headmaster of Wufang Academy was busy when the gatekeeper brought two people over.
The visitor claimed to be from the county Confucian Academy and said he was there to deliver a notice that the county examination had been moved up to next month and that students of Wufang Academy should prepare for the exam.
Ruan Fang was stunned. The county examinations of the Great Northern Dynasty were held every year in February. How could they be moved up by more than four months?
The person who came told her that they didn't know what was going on either; not only was the county exam brought forward by four months, but the prefectural exam was also brought forward accordingly.
They were dispatched to academies and schools throughout the county at the request of Qing'an Prefecture to deliver the notification.
Ruan Fang didn't think much of it. Since it was a notice from the County Confucian Academy, she would just follow it.
This was the first time that students from Wufang Academy had participated in the imperial examination, making it a very significant event.
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