Military Manual

"Is that even human? If every ordinary soldier had his strength, what would Great Jin have to fear from Qiangqu's invasions from the north or the Roaming Bandits' unrest in the west?

They'd be crushed with ease!"

Qin Lie heard this and couldn't help rolling his eyes.

But remembering that he was supposed to be the elder here, he merely tilted his head slightly.

He couldn't tell whether the boy truly didn't understand or was deliberately saying this.

He chose to answer Lin Xuan honestly. "You could absolutely enlist, and you'd have no problem serving directly as a Squad Leader. Did your grandfather or father ever hold an official post in the Garrison?"

Lin Xuan answered truthfully. "Both my grandfather and father served as Squad Leaders in the Garrison."

Qin Lie's eyes lit up at this. He slapped his thigh. "That's perfect!

"All you have to do now is apply to the Garrison to return to active service, and you can directly inherit the Squad Leader position your ancestors held. Could it be you didn't know?"

"I didn't..." Lin Xuan shook his head. His sources of information were extremely limited, and his understanding of the military system was only superficial.

The Grand Ancestor Internal Strength was a martial arts manual. To keep it concise and make it easier to spread, it only included martial arts content.

He'd learned from his grandfather that minors and unmarried men weren't drafted.

"Then you don't know about the stipend, either?" Qin Lie continued.

"What's a stipend?" Lin Xuan asked after a moment's confusion.

After a long pause, Qin Lie finally explained:

"When a military officer dies in battle or of illness, the Garrison pays his family a sum equal to his monthly salary until his children come of age."

Lin Xuan shook his head. "I truly had no idea."

Qin Lie glared, his indignation rising. "Then your superior must've pocketed it—the Flag Commander or the Hundred-Household Commander!"

Then he sighed. "Ah! A Squad Leader's monthly salary is only one tael of silver."

"Commander Zhang and Flag Officer Zhang again?" Hearing this, Lin Xuan thought even less of the two men.

"I'll speak to the Thousand-Household Commander on your behalf and get you reinstated right away. If you apply through Commander Zhang... hmph, who knows what kind of trick he'll pull."

Lin Xuan clasped his hands. "Thank you, Uncle Qin."

"What are you thanking me for? It's a small favor. And let me remind you:

"In a month, there'll be the Winter Hunt Martial Trial. The Squad Leaders will compete, and the winner will be chosen as Flag Commander. With your abilities, I reckon you'll easily beat the other Squad Leaders and claim the position!

"The competition's all about strength, archery, and actual combat.

"You'd better get ready in the meantime. Don't neglect your martial training."

Hearing this, Lin Xuan finally gained a clear understanding of his own strength. So he was already strong enough to serve as a Flag Commander in the military.

According to the military regulations, a Squad Leader oversaw ten men and was responsible for their daily training and drills. A Flag Commander commanded five Squad Leaders and was responsible for the daily training of all the soldiers under them.

That made fifty-five men in total.

Lin Xuan could hardly believe it. "With my current abilities, I can serve directly as a Flag Commander?"

Qin Lie nodded. "Yes. Most Flag Commanders probably aren't even as skilled or as strong as you."

Taking the opportunity, Lin Xuan asked, "I'd like to know, what's a Flag Commander's monthly salary? And what do they usually have to do?"

"A Flag Commander gets one and a half taels of silver a month. If he's married, he also gets three jin of salt.

"They used to hand out grain directly, but grain prices have gone up, and the Garrison doesn't want to provide it anymore. So they exchange it for silver at the old rate. That means you only get a quarter of what officers earned during the founding period.

"That little silver isn't enough to support yourself, so you'll have to find other ways to earn."

Lin Xuan nodded, committing every word to memory.

Qin Lie went on to explain in detail. "There isn't much to do most of the time. You drill the soldiers every three days, and on the two days in between, you can do whatever you like. When the Garrison calls you in to work, you just go.

"But never ignore an order from the Thousand-Household Commander. Don't disobey. Otherwise, you could be stripped of your post. If you want to become an officer after that, you'll have to start over and climb your way back up step by step."

Lin Xuan nodded, committing it all to memory.

"One more thing—can you read?" Qin Lie immediately asked.

"Of course."

"Then I'll give you a military manual to take home and read. If you truly want to go far on the path of martial arts, how can you not understand the art of war?"

Qin Lie pulled a printed book with a blue cover from his study. The words "Gu Family Military Manual" were clearly written on it.

Lin Xuan took the manual in both hands, then clasped his hands to Qin Lie once more. "Thank you, Uncle Qin. I'll study it diligently when I get home."

The military manual didn't cover strategy or tactics. Instead, it contained the most basic knowledge of military command, soldier drills, and training techniques. These were also Lin Xuan's daily duties once he became a Squad Leader or Flag Commander.

As for strategy and tactics, Qin Lie felt Lin Xuan wouldn't need them just yet. He could learn those later. After all, trying to swallow too much at once would only spoil the meal.

What was the point of discussing strategy and tactics if an army officer didn't even know the basics of command?

Lin Xuan wandered around the market in the Garrison. Finding nothing he could use, he headed home.

Before he even reached home, he saw a young man in mourning clothes standing outside Lin Jie's door, pleading tearfully.

"Brother Lin, please, lend me some money so I can bury my mother. I'll work like an ox or a horse for you!"

The young man standing before Lin Jie's son was Lin Lu, who also served as a Squad Leader in the Garrison. Faced with the boy's tearful plea, Lin Lu's expression was cold and his tone harsh:

"Get lost! You're bringing bad luck. You don't own any land or property, and your house is about to collapse. You still expect me to lend you money? How are you going to pay me back? Keep crying at my door and I'll chase you off with a beating!"

As he spoke, Lin Lu grabbed a thick wooden club from beside the door and raised it to strike.

The boy was so frightened that he dropped to the ground. He hadn't thought Lin Lu was serious, and hurriedly tried to crawl away.

"If you won't lend him money, fine. But why beat him?" Lin Xuan stepped forward and grabbed Lin Lu's raised hand.

Lin Lu's hand was held fast, unable to move even an inch.

"Lin Xuan... don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong!" Lin Lu realized he couldn't free his hand.

Then Lin Xuan flung Lin Lu's hand away.

Realizing he was outmatched in strength, Lin Lu didn't try to fight again. After a moment, he simply slammed the door shut.

"Picking on a kid whose mother just died—you've got some nerve!" Lin Xuan snorted, then helped the boy up from the ground.

"What's your name?"

"I-I'm Zhang Xuan." Rescued by Lin Xuan, the boy stammered a little.

"Do you not have money to bury your mother?"

"Mm... There've been disasters year after year, and the harvest failed for several years. My mother and I sold our land and became porters in the city. Mother made a living doing needlework. Life was hard, but we managed...

"Who could've known Mother would fall gravely ill recently? I spent all our savings trying to treat her, but she didn't get better, and the money ran out."