CH 14

With the refugee camp and Lady Luck’s careful nurturing, or maybe it was just the system showing mercy for his plight, he got a total of 1800 people from the camp. This was a great relief to Zhong Yu.

Including the 600 savages he already had,there were now a total of 2500 people which should be able to, according to Zhong Yu, expand his domain.

First of all, he took 300 of the 1800 to form a new army in training for a dire situation. He needed to be always cautious.

In the not so far future, days actually, his domain would be facing a savage army the likes he’d never seen, an alliance. Savages weren’t to be underestimated as they hunted every day and had many infightings which all honed them into powerful warriors. 

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In the unlikely event of his army failing, his paranoia for safety in forming the new corp from refugees would be the saving grace, presenting him with the winning shot.

Wang Daniu selected young recruits for the newly erected army camp which was also made by the refugees. It was a huge complex, taking days to build and holding everything it needed. Like barracks, training grounds, a stage, a hall, offices and dozens of other buildings. 

It could house 3000 soldiers for when the population and domain expanded, requiring military expansion as well. It was better doing it now, just in case. 

The green recruits were finally conscripted, meaning it was now the people’s turn to work as they were tasked with the development and economical expansion of the domain. 

As it was Spring, now was the perfect time for sowing on the river’s fertile banks with its lush vegetation. It held a natural beauty, mesmerizing and unmarred by human marks.

A home of five ate 2.5 kg of food and with his domain predicted to grow to 10000 in a short time, that would translate into a 100 shi of food upkeep per day.

And this fertile land, using ancient measurements, one mu should provide 3 shi at best. If he’d get two harvests a year, that would mean each half a year he would get 18000 shi of food. (T/N: mu= 1/15 of a hectare)

‘In half a year, the population will increase and I will need more food stocks, at least 30000 shi. Which means, I need to sow 10000 mu in one month to reach it. This is no pet project.’

According to Farming – An Introduction, ‘On the field, one farmer can handle 10 mu. If there’s more land, the land can be rented out. Where there are people, land is hard to posess, making the poor fight over who can rent it and will work it to their best.’ That meant because the ancient mu terminology was smaller, the size it referred to in his case was around 3 mu. 

In other words, to plant the 10000 mu, he needed a thousand hardened men. But with him taking them as recruits, that left the old and the weak, making the number of workers rise to 2000.

‘By working together and using a good irrigation system, I’ll barely make the cut of 10000 mu planted.’

He thus split the refugees into twenty teams of a hundred, each handling 500 mu. Zhong Yu then established a reward and a punishment system. The first team to finish would receive 5 shi of food while the last would be in indentured slavery for a month.

Using the carrot and the stick, the development of the fields was well underway and in just a few days, a seventh was already sowed.

At this rate, the project would be done in 20 days. He might even use the remaining ten days to sow more fields.

With the internal affairs finished, Zhong Yu went to the army camp and as he was getting close, he heard shouts and wild clamor so loud it struck fear in others.

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“Pull, thrust! Pull, thrust! Harder, men! It might be rough now, but these are essential skills that one day might save your lives. In the words of our lord: the more you sweat now, the less blood you shed on the battlefield. You’d best keep that in mind at all times.” Zhong Yu, with four guards around him, walked in. A smile played on his lips at the fiery and energetic drill. ‘They shall be the foundation I will use to rule and control this region!’

He watched the new soldiers, covered in black and blue marks from either mistakes on their part or punishment from instructors. While some lit up with a prideful smile from the praises of doing something outstanding.

All in all, the full spirit and drive presented here made Zhong Yu rest easy. ‘A driven army is how you unleash a powered army.’ With good morale and high spirits, they would show some slight promise on the field of battle.

Wang Daniu, preaching on the stage, noticed his lord was here at the army camp, so he came down at once. He skipped over and made a bow while reporting the status of the training.

“Your Grace, out of the few joining the drill only a couple days ago, the rest are accustomed to life in the army over these days and are getting better.” Wang Daniu reported with a stern gaze.

Following with, “We are now going through basic formations and battle skills. Although foreign still, in a couple of weeks they should have grasped the basics enough to avoid confusion on the field of battle and raise the survival rate.”

Zhong Yu contemplated Wang Daniu’s report. ‘Two weeks. It’s been a week already since those strongest tribes caught wind of us unifying the other small tribes.’

‘They won’t give me the time, coming to pillage and take my people. In three days at most, they will be upon us. The recruits aren’t ready to hold them. At best, they’ll only work as a one-time deal.’

Looking at the training soldiers, Zhong Yu felt a slight pity and remorse. Remorse he didn’t have enough people and had to pointlessly throw these men away. Pity for these promising soldiers, ignorant to what future awaited them. The smiles they bore was fate’s most twisted and sadistic mockery.

These thoughts ran through Zhong Yu’s mind, nipping them in abud as soon as they appeared. As the single lord in 5 km around, ruling over thousands of people, something as meaningless as pity was the last thing he needed. These soldiers were to contribute to his grand design. 

‘A necessary step to make me king, emperor, sovereign over the entire creation. It is their honor, no privilege. A worth they can brag about to other souls in the afterlife.’

‘These nobodies have no right to complain anyway. Not after the blissful life I gave them the past days. They are more fortunate than many others who were now rotting away in the mud.’

Zhong Yu: “Gain and losses, they’re all mine in the end.  There’s no place for regret here.”