He waved his hand and pointed in the direction of the large pit.
That composting pit was a material preparation pit that Gu Moran had specifically marked on the sketch; it was two zhang wide and five chi deep.
According to the agricultural administration methods of Chuan-Shu, it was filled with wood ash, rotten soil, and chopped straw.
In addition, Xue Huan and his men collected some cow and horse manure from the surrounding area, which, after fermentation, produced a strong odor.
Thirty-five servants, one after another, were lifted up by the neck and sent inside.
At the edge of the pit, Xue Huan stood holding a long bamboo pole, his eyes calm.
"His Highness instructed that I must thoroughly reflect on my actions and cleanse my heart of all impurities. One night should be just enough."
Screams, wails, and pleas for mercy echoed from the pit.
Song Wan squatted down by the pit, straightened the bamboo pole, and called out into the pit.
"Gentlemen, if anyone sits up, the bamboo pole must be pressed down; the rules must be followed."
There was a moment of silence in the pit, then a low sob could be heard.
Yun Shuyue jumped down from the tree, strolled over to Xue Huan's side, glanced into the pit, and then looked in the direction of Gu Moran's bamboo shed.
"Commander Xue, should we inform His Highness?"
Xue Huan poked the bamboo pole on the ground and shook his head.
"No need. His Highness has instructed that if anyone comes to cause trouble at night, deal with them according to the law and do not disturb their rest."
Yun Shuyue gave an "oh," squatted down to the side, hugged her knees, and looked at the steaming pit.
She recalled the gesture Gu Moran earlier that day, standing on Ten-Li Slope, draping that dark blue outer robe over her shoulders.
He unconsciously pinched his chin, then realized he was being too obvious in his daydreaming, so he quickly turned his face to the other side and took two deep breaths into the night air.
The night breeze was crisp and cool, blowing away most of the remaining heat.
In the distance, the smell from the compost pit drifted on the night wind, and cries of agony rose and fell, lasting all night long.
early morning.
Anyang City, Martial Arts Training Ground.
Gu Mochen stood on the high platform, his hands behind his back, his expression focused, his gaze fixed on the tall, chestnut-red horse in the center of the arena.
On the horse's back, eight soldiers were stacked one on top of the other like candied hawthorns. The bottom rider was deathly pale, and his eye was twitching.
Gu Mochen took out the booklet he had studied repeatedly, opened it, compared it with the text, and nodded.
"Good, very good. This is called 'human pyramid riding one horse.' This kind of training broadens the horizons of both soldiers and civilians, and makes the people feel a sense of identification with the army."
"Tickets can be purchased and the public can watch; this is called military-civilian enjoyment together."
His aide stood behind him, turning his gaze away from the pile of soldiers, his expression remaining perfectly calm, though the veins on his temples throbbed twice.
"Your Highness," he began slowly, his voice low, "I have carefully considered what is written in this booklet, and I'm afraid some parts..."
"What is it?" Gu Mochen turned a page.
"Look, there's more behind them, twelve riders circling in a crisscross pattern. The people are clapping and cheering. The army and the people are united, and morale is soaring. This is called the 'Horse-Playing Formation.' We need to hurry; Yi Prefecture is definitely already doing this."
The aide swallowed the rest of his sentence, remained silent for a moment, and then changed his perspective.
"Your Highness, look at that horse..."
Gu Mochen looked up and glanced at the arena.
The chestnut horse was trembling, its four legs stiff, its neck arched, and it was panting heavily.
"Your Highness, the horse can't take it!"
Gu Mochen brought the booklet closer to his eyes, looked at it again, and laughed, "This horse won't do; we need a stronger one."
In the training ground.
The eight soldiers were piled up together, and not one of them dared to speak.
The one at the very bottom, riding a horse, is named Zhi Tianfeng, and he is quite prestigious in the Anyang Army.
He's been through countless trials, from the brink of death to the fall of a horse; he's seen it all.
But this is something he's never experienced before.
I can't straighten my back anymore.
My legs don't even feel like my own anymore.
The second person to be added was a 200-pound man. I stepped on him in the wrong place, two inches off, and landed squarely on his waist.
On horseback, the eighth person, stacked the highest, had their head almost reaching the sky.
A gust of wind blew, and it shivered, clutching the hair of the person below it. The person below gasped in pain, released their leg, and swayed to the side.
Splash--
The first four go left, the last four go right.
They fell down with a whoosh, like bamboo shoots, completely emptying the back of the chestnut horse.
Eight people, seven collapsed and one sprawled on the ground.
The chestnut horse stood still, sneezed, and then ran off like a madman into the distance.
The scene became even more chaotic.
Gu Mochen frowned and said, "I know where the problem lies. It must be because people practice more before they can stack the horse. You guys practice stacking it on the grass first!"
Zhi Tianfeng lay on the ground, his face pressed against the mud, spat out half a mouthful of sand, and closed his eyes.
His fist hardened.
The aide put his hands behind his back, gently pinched the bridge of his nose, and said in an extremely calm tone.
"Your Highness, whether Prince Yi is actually using this method remains to be verified."
Gu Mochen smiled and said, "It's alright, let's wait for Chen Qing's news."
Ten-Li Slope.
At the edge of the compost pit, Xue Huan straightened up, planted a bamboo pole on the ground, and turned to look at the large pit behind him that emitted a sour stench.
The screams from inside the pit had weakened considerably.
Thirty-five servants soaked in the water all night. At first, they cried and screamed, but later their voices became hoarse, and now only sporadic sobs could be heard.
Yun Shuyue squatted by the pit, holding a thin twig in her hand, and poked the edge of the pit.
"Commander Xue, His Highness said to retrieve the people at dawn. That time has long passed; shouldn't we start the search soon?"
Xue Huan nodded and waved his hand.
Song Wan and a few of his brothers brought over thick hemp ropes, threw them into the pit, and pulled the servants up one by one.
Thirty-five people were pulled up and found lying on the ground, unable to turn over or move.
The smell from the compost pit was so strong that it made people dizzy, weak in the legs, and unable to even stand up.
Xue Huan the group once, then stopped in front of the burly man at the front and squatted down.
"Wake up."
The burly man slowly raised his head, his eyes red-rimmed and his lips trembling.
"Good sir, spare me... spare my life..."
Xue Huan shook her head, her expression calm.
"Your Highness means that since you've come to Ten-Li Slope, it would be a good thing for you to stay."
He paused, then turned to look at the newly dug trench and the outline of the irrigation canal in the distance.
"We need to build waterways, dig ditches, and lay foundation stones here, and we're short-handed."
The burly man was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and his eyes widened immediately.
"You... you can't do this! We are from the Gan Family! The Gan Family is in Yi Prefecture..."