Back Off, Let Me Come

The subordinate officer threw the pot on Zhao Feng's head.

He cupped his fists and smiled naively: "Shen Jun saved the general's life. The general wants to repay his kindness. I can only obey orders..."

Everything was forced by my own general!

It was definitely not of his own free will! He was so "depraved" because he made sacrifices for his general!

Wu Xian's expression was as numb as if struck by lightning.

I couldn't say a word for a long while.

His lips moved twice.

"So, he is also... building a kang?"

The subordinate officials considered trying to regain respect for their general.

"Well, General, he always likes to set an example. Regardless of whether he is poor or rich, he advances and retreats with the subordinates and others. This kind of thing will naturally happen... The general's skills are better than those of the subordinates."

Zhao Feng was not sent on a business trip this time...

Alas, I just think it has a bad influence.

Thinking about him, Zhao Feng was once a powerful and courageous warrior who had been famous for many years. He was a ruthless character who made countless thieves tremble at the mere mention of his name. How could his colleagues think of him when he was so skilled at building a kang?

If not, he would have come by himself.

In the confused and worried eyes of the subordinate officials, his eyes quickly turned red, with tears streaming down his face. He wiped his tears on his sleeves and said: "My great righteousness, how could Brother Shen treat me so badly? I can't even bear to bear it... I know my great righteousness." He is the most loyal and righteous person, but to do this in order to repay his kindness... wu wu wu, my heart aches... Do you think my righteousness has been wronged by Brother Shen?"

Subordinate officer: "...Well, I'm not aggrieved at all. The general has gained a lot of weight these days..."

When there was work, they worked, and when there was no work, they would catch them practicing tactical military formations, or competing with several Gongshu captains. They drank and ate meat all day long. The days were comfortable and comfortable, and they couldn't lose weight even if they wanted to. My general enjoyed it very much.

Wu Xian wiped his tears: "Huh? Is it serious?"

Subordinate officer: "I'm just fat..."

That kind of fat is not fat with all the abdominal muscles, but the face is not as tough as before, and a little more rounded. In fact, it was much easier for the general to hit him with one hand than before.

Wu Xian: "..."

Xu Jie changed from lowering his head to covering his face with his hands.

Wu Xian sighed and said, "But what Brother Shen asked Dayi to do is really an injustice to Dayi..."

Let the warriors who are good at conquering and fighting do the craftsmanship...

The official was noncommittal.

Wronged?

A livelihood that keeps people full is not called a grievance.

The official is different from Wu Xian and others. He comes from a mud-legged background, and his ancestors have made a living in the mud for generations.

Why did he become a soldier?

The purpose of joining the army is to get enough food and pay.

Because in today’s world, there are so many common people without land who sell their labor to the powerful landlords who have land and work as tenant farmers.

He went to serve as a soldier with his fellow countrymen, fighting and killing enemies and making achievements. Although his life was in danger, he would not die of hunger.

If you are lucky enough, you will have rewards or other extra income, and you can also send the surplus food you squeeze out from your teeth back to your hometown to support your parents, wife and children.

Weak parents;

the hard-working wife;

A baby waiting to be fed.

They are all obsessions that can’t be played back in midnight dreams.

The same is true for brave warriors. They live just to fight, make achievements, build a career, and provide enough food for the whole family.

His family is similar.

Subordinate officer and Zhao Feng are from the same village.

The two of them can be considered as children, and they grew up together. Zhao Feng was born with supernatural powers and extremely high qualifications. He had the body of a young man when he was just seven or eight years old and had a hot temper. He followed the example of a ranger and roamed the countryside.

The subordinate officer believed that the other party was promising and followed him around.

In the past twenty years, from when Zhao Feng left his hometown with his luggage when he was young, to when his motherland perished, he spent the next few years wandering around and living without food, moving around to make a living, until he later defected to Wu Xian and settled down, never leaving.

Zhao Feng is fine with this.

No matter how ups and downs life brings, he will carry him with him, and he would rather cut down on his own expenses than treat his brothers badly.

The subordinate officer always feels that he is very lucky.

Compared with other fellow villagers and neighbors who died early on the way to escape, he is not only still alive, but his parents, wife and children are also lucky to be alive. He may not be rich, but at least he no longer has to go hungry. But even so, he was still frightened.

They are afraid that one day they will die on a certain battlefield, and the elderly, weak, women and children at home will no longer have anyone to protect them. They are even more worried that they will be bullied, not fed enough, not clothed warmly, and even have the thought of being afraid of death.

It's no good if he doesn't go to the battlefield. The whole family relies on him for their mouths.

He only knows how to fight and kill.

Farming?

He had no land to sow.

Squatting in Heyin, he gradually rejected his original resistance - how noble is the courageous warrior, how can he make a living in the mud like a man with mud legs? And now to the acceptance.

Occasionally, I come back covered in mud, and I vaguely feel that I am a craftsman and the world is peaceful. He relies on his exquisite craftsmanship to support his family instead of endless wars and killings.

The subordinate officer also had complicated thoughts because of this. One time, he was drunk and asked the general: "General, tell me - if we don't fight, what will we eat in the future?" 】

Zhao Feng said casually: [Drink wine and eat meat. 】

The subordinate officer shook his head and said melancholy: [...If there is no war, who will be willing to spend a lot of money to support us? Feeding idlers? No meat to eat, no wine to drink...]

Zhao Feng chuckled: [It is unfounded to worry about the sky. 】

There have been wars for hundreds of years.

How can you say that if you don’t fight, you won’t fight? Even if there is no fighting one day, they are not of their generation, so rest assured, it is not their turn to worry about how to live without fighting.

The subordinate officer sighed even more, and then he thought, if there is no war to fight, he will build Kangs for others, help build bridges, build roads, farm and open canals... Look, there are still many things he can do.

After some self-education, the subordinate officer completely looked away.

Wu Xian asked people to try their best to cooperate with Zhao Feng's subordinate officials.

The latter will prepare whatever materials are needed.

After the subordinate officer left, where was the trace of sadness on Wu Xian's face? There was a chill in his eyes. Xu Jie sighed when he heard him: "This Brother Shen is really hard to see through."

Xu Jie said: "Jun Shen?"

Wu Xian said with a smile: "Is this person really dedicated to the people, without any distractions, or is he hiding it and having a back-up plan? Brother Shen treats us undefended. No matter how magnanimous a gentleman in the world, he can't hand over his wealth and life." To outsiders?"

But Shen Tang did it.

Wu Xian added: "Every time I thought that Brother Shen would suffer a loss, he would always come up with unexpected ways to deal with it. You tell me - I spent money to buy 'craftsmen' from Brother Shen to build the kang, and the result was this The 'craftsman' is still one of our own, and he has gained all the reputation, while I am at a disadvantage. I'm thinking, is this really a coincidence?"

Xu Jie frowned and said: "It can be said that Mr. Shen is hiding his secrets. Heyin County is so big and has only a few decent soldiers and horses. Among them, a thousand elites were brought by Dayi to support, which is not decent. Jie visited Heyin several times. , pay close attention to its movements, except for the last time it went to Luxia to recruit a group of strong men, there was no other movement... This is unreasonable..."

"That's why I said that this person is full of contradictions..." Wu Xian was always wary of Shen Tang rather than trusting him.

The subordinate officials passed on all their experience in building Kangs to the craftsmen, and even led demonstrations for several days. The earthen kang is indeed more convenient and cleaner than the charcoal basin. There is less smoke and dust in the house, and there is no need to worry about discomfort caused by poor indoor ventilation.

Wu Xian led by example and built his own house first.

He also arranged it for several common people who were affected by the winter disaster, and then they publicized it among the common people, spreading it to ten people and hundreds of people. It won't be long before this thing is completely accepted.

It just so happens that that group of craftsmen can also learn and become masters.

The subordinate officer and his people were on a business trip in Tianhai for half a month.

Shen Tang is still busy in the official office.

It’s just that there aren’t many things to do, so I can still be lazy.

"Miss Lu, are you getting used to these days?"

She took a sip of the warm tea, and the warmth spread down her throat throughout her body, and her hands and feet also became much warmer. Miss Lu was dressed in plain clothes, with a calm expression on her face, as if she had recovered from the grief that was so overwhelming that day. "If there is any lack of hospitality or neglect, don't tolerate it."

Miss Lu forced out a strange smile.

"No, adapting well."

It should be said that it's great.

Mrs. Lu organized the whole family's funeral and stayed there for another month before packing her bags and moving to Heyin County with her infant nephew, elderly housekeeper, wet nurse and maid.

She was confused about the future and even mentally prepared for the worst, but the outcome turned out to be better than her best imagination.

Mr. Shen is such a good person.

Worried about the elderly, weak, women and children of their family, they specially arranged their residence near the government office. The place is heavily guarded, so even if the house is left open at night, there is no need to worry about security issues. Mrs. Lu was grateful to Shen Tang for taking care of her. From time to time she would come to her home with handmade refreshments and express her feelings, which attracted meaningful looks from her subordinates who knew the cause and effect.

As they came more often, Miss Lu and Shen Tang became familiar with each other. One time, the latter was too busy and asked her to help find a simple letter to give to the main bookkeeper, and Miss Lu helped.

As a result, Shen Jun asked her to help him from time to time.

After that, we simply set up an exclusive small table for her.

When nothing happens, let’s fish happily together.

Drink tea, chat and eat snacks.

In the past two days, Mrs. Lu always seemed to be hesitant to speak. Shen Tang thought she had been wronged and that was why the superiors showed concern. I felt relieved when she said she was adapting well.

but--

Miss Lu endured it again and again, but she still couldn't.

She asked: "Why doesn't Mr. Shen recruit more troops?"

Shen Tang was stuffing food into his mouth, his cheeks bulging.

He turned to look at her in confusion: "What?"

Mrs. Lu bit her lower lip lightly, trying to shrink back and blur the matter out, but she felt that this would not work. Shen Jun was the benefactor who took her family in, how could he see the problem but not point it out?

She considered it carefully and said: "...Yesterday, Lieutenant General Gongshu handed over a letter and wanted to apply for military pay for the new month..."

"I know this. Lingde has also done the calculation and said there is no problem. But where are the gaps?"

Miss Lu said: "It's not because of any shortage. It's just that the military pay is so small that it can only support four to five thousand soldiers... How can Heyin County cope with a strong enemy with such a small number of troops?"

Shen Tang understood and asked with a smile.

"Then what do you think we should do?"

Miss Lu said: "It should be at least 20,000."

Luxia County used to have more than this.

Shen Tang asked again: "Who said there aren't twenty thousand people?"

Miss Lu was stunned for a moment: "Huh?"

Are you hiding the remaining fifteen thousand?

"If that's the case, it doesn't seem right..." Even though she is demure and gentle now, Miss Lu also grew up in a military camp and is very familiar with the ways inside. Her father never hid anything, and even taught her step by step.

Therefore, she is more sensitive to it.

Shen Tang smiled and said: "Hide? There's nothing wrong with you saying that, but - I'm not hiding my soldiers and horses in deep mountains and old forests. With He Yin's 'undefended' state, it's easy to do it." Someone discovered it..."

She wants to have 20,000 troops, and her neighbors should be worried.

How can it be as harmonious as it is now?

Fifteen thousand is not a small amount.

You can't hide it no matter how hard you try.

Miss Lu was sensible and didn't get to the bottom of it, but she couldn't hide the curiosity and speculation in her eyes.

Shen Tang half-truthfully said, as if jokingly: "If we really encounter a war, we can raise 15,000 troops through emergency recruitment..."

Miss Lu: "..."

Little did he know that Shen Tang was not joking.

This was the strategy she and Chu Yao had discussed for a long time - they wanted to maintain a good relationship with the three companies and develop themselves quietly in a relatively stable environment, so they couldn't have too many troops on the surface.

But without soldiers and horses, you are very passive - having a sword in your hand but not using it, and having no sword in your hand are two different concepts.

Furthermore, she currently did not have the financial resources to support so many soldiers, so she discussed a compromise.

Let the people under your rule live as well as possible.

Every household has a surplus of food.

Tie them and He Yin completely to death, and force the concept of "They have no other way out except He Yin, and without He Yin they will lose all their foundations" into their minds, which is deeply ingrained!

Once the war comes, they will be frightened so that they dare not take their property and family to flee, because the world outside is more cruel and bloody! At this time, if you tell them that the enemy is here to kill people, steal wealth and cut off food, they will naturally be willing to stand up to defend their wealth and bring their own food.

In the past, they served as soldiers just to keep their stomachs full. Survival on the battlefield was the most important thing. What did victory or defeat have to do with them? It couldn't get any worse anyway. Now they join the army to defend their food. Failure means losing both men and money.

Naturally, the latter is more willing to fight.

After Shen Tang prepares for the busy farming season in spring, he finds an excuse to organize the common people to conduct light military training in villages, so that they can become familiar with the villages as combat units.

When Wu Xiansan asked, they could find excuses to fool him.

Excuses are easy to find.

It is said that there is a conflict in the village and they are fighting.

This kind of thing is not uncommon.

Two villages even had a verbal dispute over a well, which eventually turned into a melee between hundreds of people.

As long as Shen Tang needs it——

Regardless of men, women, old or young, all people are soldiers.

Chu Yao: [Hide your power, bide your time, and take pictures slowly. 】

Shen Tang: [Naturally. 】

She has a lot of patience and can endure it.

As everyone knows, such peaceful days are gone for a few months.

Miss Lu ran to the government office diligently, and gradually got acquainted with Lin Feng and Yu Zi, but the person who matched her temperament was Bai Su, who had never seen the dragon before it came to an end. The latter seemed cold, but the chilling air lingering around him made her feel particularly close to him.

Jiang Sheng saw this scene in his eyes.

Looking at Miss Lu who was smiling happily with Bai Suyu, Jiang Sheng sighed: "The gap between people..."

Look at Mr. Bai Sulang, and then look at my own lord, this is the gap between people! My lord is obsessed with official duties, and occasionally chats with Miss Lu just to coax her into handling official duties for him...

And Mr. Bai Lang also knows how to give gifts!

Shen·Confused·Tang: “???”

Gu Chi was already suppressing laughter until his face cramped.

Ren smiled and said: "My lord, we have a long way to go!"

I don’t know if everyone is evil, but no one took the initiative to tell Jiang Sheng the true gender of the lord.

Winter passes and spring comes, and spring plowing comes again.