PS: -e, pronounced in four tones.
114 The county government discusses military strategy; the chosen ones of heaven.
Wu Shuangren actually doesn't know the word ''...
After all, he's a sports student.
However, his habit of half-recognizing words led him to guess that this word must be related to birds. Combined with the word "crazy" in front of him, he had a rough idea of the temperament of the county magistrate in front of him.
How can such a small West River County have two people with Traits related to it?
In contrast, in Yi Province, neither of the two First Rate masters from Mist Hidden Temple, nor his own mother, First Rank master, had Traits.
Is there anything strange about me?
Guo Jiwang asked with a half-smile, interrupting Wu Shuangren's thoughts.
This young man seemed composed, but after taking Zhang Clan Village yesterday, he didn't come to pay his respects. Today, after meeting him, he didn't take the initiative to greet him; instead, he kept staring at him.
This arrogance is no less than it was in my youth!
Wu Shuangren out of his daze, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Wu Shuangren greets Your Excellency, the County Magistrate."
Guo Jiwang his head. "Militia Commander Wu has not yet answered my question."
Wu Shuangren replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Your Excellency possesses an extraordinary bearing, unlike anything I have ever seen in my life. Therefore, I apologize for any rudeness I may have displayed."
"Oh?"
Guo Jiwang somewhat surprised, then laughed and said, "Militia Commander Wu a young hero, truly the likes of which I have never seen before in my life."
The two exchanged compliments, which eased the tension, and they each sat down.
Zhou Zhengqing personally served tea to the two of them, and then withdrew.
Guo Jiwang picked up his teacup, took a sip, and didn't speak immediately.
Wu Shuangren cupped his hands again and said, "The Zhang Clan's affairs are largely thanks to the county magistrate's help. I thank you very much!"
Yesterday, I led my troops to attack Zhang Clan Village, and from beginning to end, no government officials came forward to stop me.
Wu Shuangren knew that the county magistrate must have been behind it all.
He simply couldn't understand why the other party was so quick to help him eliminate the Zhang Clan —was it out of personal vendetta, or out of greed?
Guo Jiwang nodded, accepting the gratitude quite naturally.
"Militia Commander Wu has already taken over West River Market, and now he's taken over Zhang Clan Village. What are his plans next?"
If the other person doesn't have Traits above their head, Wu Shuangren's answer is always prepared in advance and is perfectly standard.
But after seeing the Traits above the other person's head, Wu Shuangren temporarily changed his mind:
"Your Excellency, I have actually come here with a question I would like to ask you. I wonder if you could enlighten me?"
"Explain."
"The county magistrate has been very accommodating to me regarding the Zhang Clan's affairs from the very beginning. I'd like to know why? The Zhang Clan has been operating in West River County for generations. Could it be that they are disrespectful to the county magistrate?"
Guo Jiwang laughed upon hearing this and countered, "What do you think my motives are? Revenge or greed?"
Wu Shuangren shook his head and said earnestly, "Please enlighten me, sir."
Guo Jiwang toyed with the teacup in his hand. "Although the Zhang Clan is arrogant, Zhang Clan won't hog all the spoils when it's time to share the profits. As for revenge, I have no personal grudge against the Zhang Clan."
If it's not revenge, then it's for personal gain.
Wu Shuangren felt that what the other party was after was probably not the small benefit of a few dozen more strings of cash in commercial tax each month.
Wu Shuangren didn't respond; he knew Guo Jiwang had more to say.
Sure enough, Guo Jiwang down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, and his eyes sharpened. "Rather than having a good-for-nothing as the head of the West River County militia, I would much rather see someone more ambitious and capable in this position. That's the reason."
Wu Shuangren's eyes shifted as he met Guo Jiwang's gaze. "Since you are so frank, I will not hide anything. The Mist Hidden Temple in Yi Province is my mortal enemy, and I will not have peace of mind until they are eliminated! Now that the Zhang Clan has been pacified, my next step is to return to Yi Province and wipe out the Mist Hidden Temple!"
"Mist Hidden Temple."
Guo Jiwang pondered for a moment, "Although this temple is far away in Yi Province, I have heard of its name even though I am in Xi Province. There are powerful families, governors, and military commanders in Yi Prefecture City, but they have all been suppressed by Mist Hidden Temple in recent years, which shows its strength. If you want to go back and deal with Mist Hidden Temple, how confident are you?"
Wu Shuangren smiled and said, "Although Mist Hidden Temple is powerful, it has suffered heavy losses at my hands twice in a row. Even if it still has trump cards, it is not invincible."
"Oh? Could you elaborate?"
Guo Jiwang sat up straight, his interest piqued.
Wu Shuangren then gave a general account of the ambush on the canal and the bloody battle in the forest.
In the bloody battle in the forest, he omitted Bu Renjia and Xu Nanzhi.
"You two were ambushed by more than 150 riders, including a First Rate expert, and you actually managed to turn the tables and rout them?"
Guo Jiwang did not hide his surprise.
He guessed yesterday that Mist Hidden Temple and the Zhang Clan must have taken action against Wu Shuangren, which is why Wu Shuangren was so angry that he quickly razed Zhang Clan Village to the ground.
But he never expected that Wu Shuangren would encounter such a deadly trap!
"Just lucky."
Wu Shuangren said modestly.
Guo Jiwang re-examined the young man before him, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "The Zhang Clan militia has over five hundred men, all now under your command. What are your plans for dealing with them?"
Wu Shuangren a beat, and he immediately asked, "May I ask what guidance you have for me, sir?"
Since the other party no longer referred to himself as "this official" and was not wearing official robes when they met today, he took the opportunity to change his form of address.
As expected, Guo Jiwang didn't seem to mind. Instead of answering directly, he continued, "I heard you recruited people in West River Market, including many former members of the West River Gang and Flying Feather Gang?"
"Right."
"Now that you've taken over West River Market, if you were to evaluate the Xie Clan, the Zhang Clan, the West River Gang, and the Flying Feather Gang, which family do you think has the most capable fighters?"
Wu Shuangren replied without hesitation, "A servant of the Xie Clan Chamber of Commerce."
In the battle on Changsheng Street, he first routed Xie Clan's servants, a victory that was not easy. Although the West River Gang had more men later on, winning was not as difficult.
Guo Jiwang nodded. "Do you know why?"
Wu Shuangren: "The Xie Clan hired retired soldiers from the border army to train their household servants, and they paid them well."
Guo Jiwang his head. "That's only part of the reason, but not the most crucial one."
Wu Shuangren cupped his hands in greeting. "Please enlighten me, sir."
Guo Jiwang didn't keep them in suspense. "Because the Xie Clan family's servants are mostly selected from their own tenants, while the members of the West River Gang and Flying Feather Gang are mostly idle thugs."
Wu Shuangren seemed to be deep in thought.
"The fact that your militia were able to defeat these people from West River County is related to your skill in training troops. But I'm certain that most of the militia you brought from Bo County are also tenant farmers."
Guo Jiwang said with certainty.
The term "tenant farmer" refers to a farmer who does not own land, rents land from landlords, and makes a living by farming.
The Wu Dynasty implemented the "equal-field system," which meant that land was allocated according to the number of adult males. Each household could be allocated dozens of acres of land after the males reached adulthood.
If there are no male members left in the household, and only a widow and an only daughter, land can also be granted.
Therefore, in theory, every household should have land, be able to support themselves, and pay taxes to the imperial court.
This is a policy that benefits the country and its people.
Unfortunately, nearly two hundred years have passed since this policy was implemented, and powerful families in various regions have been frantically annexing land by purchasing it privately and taking advantage of years of famine.
Now, the Wu Dynasty's "equal-field system" has become a mere formality.
In most places, farmers do not actually own their own land; they are merely tenants.
These tenant farmers worked hard to cultivate the land, but in the end, apart from barely filling their stomachs, most of their grain had to be handed over to the landlord. If they were to exchange the surplus grain they kept for money, they could probably save less than nine hundred coins a year.
And this is already considered the "superior people" among tenant farmers; in some places, tenant farmers even struggle to fill their stomachs.
Therefore, when Wu Shuangren recruited militiamen in Bo County, offering three meals a day and 120 cash a month, many tenant farmers signed up.
These conditions are much better than being a tenant farmer!
"That's right, 90% of the militiamen I recruited in Bo County were tenant farmers."
Wu Shuangren thought for a moment and then answered.
Guo Jiwang at him and said, word by word, "The best soldiers are honest men from the countryside. They should be dark-skinned, strong, with hard-working hands and faces, firm skin and flesh, and the complexion of someone who has worked the land." (Note 1)
"The militia you brought from Bo County are mostly tenant farmers, the honest, rural folks I was referring to. Furthermore, you understand military training methods and always lead from the front, beheading enemy leaders. That's why you've been able to win every battle and capture West River Market!"
Wu Shuangren nodded repeatedly, vaguely understanding Guo Jiwang's meaning.
Guo Jiwang continued, "Most of the Xie Clan family's servants are also from tenant farming backgrounds, and considering the two points you mentioned, you believe they are the strongest in combat. As for the West River Gang and the Flying Feather Gang, their members appear strong and robust, and many are skilled in martial arts, but they are merely bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong. They are strong but lack courage, skilled but cowardly; they are afraid to die in battle, disobey orders, and do not know when to advance or retreat. What kind of combat power do they have?"
At this point, a mocking look appeared on his face. "As for the Zhang Clan militia, although most of them are from tenant farmer backgrounds, those in high positions are mostly sons of the Zhang Clan or other wealthy families and officials in the city. If the generals lack courage, the soldiers will be incompetent; what fighting power can they possibly have?"
After listening, Wu Shuangren stood up, clasped his hands in a respectful bow to Guo Jiwang, and looked sincere:
"What you said today has enlightened me greatly. Thank you for your guidance!"
Guo Jiwang didn't mince words, staring at Wu Shuangren: "Let me ask you, do you know what to do next?"
Wu Shuangren nodded. "First, any new recruits already enlisted in West River Market who disobey orders during training and whose bad character is difficult to change will be expelled from the militia! Second, those militiamen previously recruited by the Zhang Clan who are tenant farmers and not closely related to the Zhang Clan can be allowed to join the militia after their wishes are inquired. Third, future recruits will mostly be selected from among the tenant farmers. Fourth, talented individuals will be selected for positions within the militia."
Guo Jiwang: "Is there anything else?"
Wu Shuangren paused for a moment. "... That's all I can think of for now."
Guo Jiwang smiled, regretting that there was no wine with him, otherwise he would have liked to raise another glass.
"What do you think those tenant farmers value most?"
"Money... no, land should be valued most."
"Good."
Guo Jiwang looked at Wu Shuangren approvingly, "West River Market mainly a commercial area with few farmers, but there's actually quite a bit of land around it. The Zhang Clan has also acquired a lot of land over the years, and the situation in Bo County is probably similar. If you take all this land, you can distribute it to your soldiers based on their military merits, and that will truly win over the hearts and minds of the troops!"
Upon hearing this, Wu Shuangren's expression changed.
He looked intently at Guo Jiwang, who met his gaze without flinching.
These are not words a county magistrate should utter, especially since the two had only just met...
Wu Shuangren had just witnessed the opponent's arrogance!
"What is your purpose in teaching me all this, sir?"
Guo Jiwang laughed and asked in return, "Do you think it's useful?"
Wu Shuangren nodded. "I've benefited greatly!"
"Ha ha ha ha."
Guo Jiwang loudly, "If that's the case, why bother?"
Wu Shuangren smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "What you say is true, sir. I hope you will not hesitate to give me your guidance in the future."
Guo Jiwang laughed and said, "Of course, of course."
Next, he hosted a lunch for Wu Shuangren.
Wu Shuangren nodded in agreement, and the two went to the dining room together.
The meal consisted of only Guo Jiwang and Wu Shuangren. The food wasn't particularly delicious, but the wine was excellent.
Wu Shuangren witnessed Guo Jiwang's drinking capacity firsthand. The Wu Dynasty now had strong liquor, Guo Jiwang Wu Shuangren Wu Shuangren with it, drinking one cup after another with him!
Alcohol is the best 'tool' for men to get closer to each other, and this has been true throughout history.
After two jugs of wine, both men at the table were somewhat tipsy and no longer spoke with restraint.
"I sense that you are no ordinary person. May I ask if you come from a prominent family?"
"Haha, a country family, nothing to brag about!"
"May I ask where you are from, sir?"
"My home is in Huai Province. My parents passed away many years ago, and I have been homeless for a long time."