Wu Shuangren: "Please ask Adviser Zhou to tell the magistrate when he returns that he will not have to worry about the local militia in West River County from now on."
"I'll definitely bring it."
"..."
A moment later, Zhou Zhengqing boarded the carriage with the money.
Before leaving, he deliberately lifted the carriage curtain and took one last look at the fortified village.
When he arrived yesterday, his attention was mostly on the militiamen training in the drill ground. Today, he noticed that the wooden walls surrounding the entire fortress were being altered. Judging from the wooden frames erected in some places, it seemed that the surrounding wooden walls were to be raised and thickened.
Inside the fortified village, the shouts of the militiamen during their training could be heard continuously.
Zhou Zhengqing lowered the carriage curtain and muttered to himself, "It certainly has some grandeur."
Meanwhile, inside the council hall, Wu Shuangren summoned Luo Heng.
"What's been happening with the Zhang Clan lately?"
Wu Shuangren got straight to the point.
"Unstable."
Without hesitation, Luo Heng replied, "The second, third, and fourth branches of the Zhang Clan are all making a scene. They've joined forces to pressure Zhang He for an explanation. They feel that the assets in West River Market were accumulated by the Zhang Clan over generations, and now that they're all gone, someone has to take responsibility. With the Zhang Clan in turmoil, Zhang He must be in a terrible predicament."
Wu Shuangren picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Zhang He can't even keep things under control within the Zhang Clan?"
Luo Heng said, "Although Zhang He is the head of the family, there are quite a few members of the Zhang Clan in the militia, and the other branches also have a certain degree of control over the militia. Zhang He cannot rule alone."
Wu Shuangren nodded, understanding the situation.
If that's the case, Zhang Clan's militia can hardly be considered a fighting force. No wonder the county magistrate didn't hesitate to bet on his side.
What about Mist Hidden Temple?
Wu Shuangren asked again.
Luo Heng stood up and bowed to Wu Shuangren: "Please forgive me, Commander. Mist Hidden Temple is deeply entrenched in Yi Prefecture City, and our intelligence network is only just beginning to take shape. It's currently difficult to obtain much useful information from Yi Prefecture City."
"No rush."
Wu Shuangren put down his teacup. "An intelligence network can't be built in a short time."
"Yes, Your subordinate will do everything in his power to achieve a breakthrough in Yi Prefecture City as soon as possible!"
Luo Heng cupped his hands in greeting.
Wu Shuangren's current lack of remorse doesn't mean he will never blame her, and Luo Heng cannot accept that he, as the head of intelligence, has consistently failed to meet Wu Shuangren's expectations.
"Um."
Wu Shuangren nodded, "We need to continue recruiting. Spread the word so that everyone in West River Market and West River County knows that the West River County militia is officially recruiting in West River Market, and the treatment will be the same as our own militia."
Luo Heng showed no surprise upon hearing this, but simply asked, "How many people does the regiment commander plan to recruit this time?"
"One thousand."
"Yes!"
Luo Heng was very efficient; within an hour, the news had spread throughout the entire West River Market.
Militiamen carried gongs and beat them along the street, shouting messages.
A recruitment notice was also posted on a notice board in the center of the market, written in black ink on red paper, clearly stating the various benefits.
The entire West River Market was in an uproar!
The establishment of the West River Chamber of Commerce helped Wu Shuangren gain a great reputation and popularity in West River Market.
Merchants paid less and earned more than before, naturally increasing their approval of Wu Shuangren and the Fist Academy. Furthermore, the fact that this recruitment was conducted under the guise of the West River County militia meant that the local government also recognized this force!
They've gained treatment, reputation, and a sense of righteousness.
Therefore, when the recruitment news spread, many people were willing to sign up.
By the afternoon, long queues had formed at the recruitment post outside the fortress.
Seven or eight square tables were lined up in a row, with two clerks sitting behind each table, and registration books spread out in front of them. The queue stretched out from in front of the tables all the way to the street corner.
Most of those who signed up were young people. There were dockworkers dressed in coarse cloth shorts and tuxedos, porters carrying loads on shoulder poles, shop assistants, and some who looked like they had practiced martial arts, with a more fierce demeanor than the average person.
The clerks were sweating profusely from their work, and Luo Heng's Flying Feather Hall was also bustling with activity.
Flying Feather Hall is responsible for verifying the authenticity of every person who comes to register.
This time, Wu Shuangren's recruitment requirements are still: applicants must be at least sixteen years old and no more than thirty years old, have a relatively strong physique, have no criminal record, and their families must live in West River Market.
A member of the Flying Feather Hall quickly found Wu Shuangren and came to report:
"Chief, many of those who have signed up are former servants of the Xie Clan Chamber of Commerce, and some were former members of the West River Gang. Should we accept them or not?"
West River Market a population of over 30,000. Although the number of able-bodied young people is several times greater than in most county towns, most of them are dockworkers, shop assistants, and various other laborers. Although it is hard work, they earn a decent amount of money. Not everyone is willing to pick up a knife and risk their life.
As for those with the guts, they had already been taken in by the original four major powers.
Now that Wu Shuangren is recruiting soldiers, those brave and daring young men from before will inevitably come to give it a try.
"There are also some other people."
The Flying Feather Hall representative continued, "Their conditions are all suitable, but their families aren't in West River Market. Some are in West River County, some are in other counties. Should we recruit these people?"
Wu Shuangren thought for a moment and said, "Go tell Hall Master Luo to thoroughly investigate those former servants of the Xie Clan family and members of the West River Gang. As long as they are not of extremely low character or have a bad reputation, accept them. As for those whose families are not in West River Market, don't accept them for now."
With his family not in West River Market, Wu Shuangren lost the means to control or motivate these people, so he wouldn't take them.
With his current financial resources, it wouldn't be difficult for him to rapidly expand his militia several times over, but his philosophy is that "quality is more important than quantity in military strength."
Wu Shuangren can accept not recruiting a full 1,000 people this time, but he cannot accept people who are just filling the ranks.
This is also why he wants to expand towards West River County. Only by expanding his territory and gaining real control over a place can he truly increase his manpower.
After the Flying Feather Hall members left, a guard strode into the council hall, holding a letter in his hand. "Commander, a letter from Bo County."
Upon hearing this, Wu Shuangren's heart skipped a beat, worried that something had happened in Bo County. He quickly took the letter and opened it.
After watching the beginning, he completely relaxed and a smile appeared on his face.
The letter was written by Liao Yu. It didn't say anything important, just that Wu Shuangren's birthday was in a few days and he hoped that Liao Yu could come home.
The letter contained some trivial family matters. Although Liao Yu didn't say it explicitly, Wu Shuangren understood the meaning hidden between the lines—your parents miss you, come back soon.
Wu Shuangren read the letter in his hand several times, and a sudden wave of longing washed over him.
'Having been away for so long, it's really time to go back and visit.'
He considered the matter in his mind. Luo Heng was overseeing the recruitment, and Mo Zhengxing managing the affairs of the Chamber of Commerce. For the time being, he did not need to do either thing personally.
As for the Zhang Clan, even if they were to take action, they would have to wait until all the new recruits were recruited.
Taking a few days to go back to Bo County is perfectly feasible.
Wu Shuangren folded the letter and put it in his pocket, then ordered his guards to go and call the people one by one.
He told Mo Zhengxing and the others that he was going back, gave them some instructions, and then ordered his personal guards to go to the market to buy some things—silk, pastries, tonics, and all the good things they could find.
After everything was arranged, he touched the letter in his pocket.
In his past life, every time he won a match, he would immediately send a WeChat message to his grandfather. After his grandfather passed away, no one ever replied to him again.
In this life, someone will reply to him.
The next day, before dawn.
The two men, with swords at their waists, dressed in black martial arts attire and wearing bamboo hats, leaped directly down from a section of the wooden wall of the fortress and left silently.
A moment later, the two arrived at the official road outside West River Market, where two fine horses had been prepared for them, with various packages hanging on their backs.
"Walk."
The two mounted their horses, gently nudged their bellies, and headed south along the official road.
These two are Wu Shuangren and Xu Yu.
For the past month or so, Xu Yu has been practicing horseback riding every day, and now he can ride horses for daily commutes without any problems.
Mo Zhengxing originally suggested that Wu Shuangren take more people back, but Wu Shuangren felt that taking several hundred people back would not only be a waste of time, but would also let the enemy know that he had left.
Therefore, Wu Shuangren chose to leave secretly, taking only Xu Yu with him. The two disguised themselves and quietly left West River Market, returning to Bo County.
Only a handful of people in the stronghold knew about his departure.
Given the communication methods of that era, by the time news of Militia Commander Wu's absence spread, Wu Shuangren should have already returned from Bo County.
Bo County, Wu Clan.
As soon as it was light, Xu Nanzhi was already busy in the kitchen.
Wu Dongrong, shirtless, was practicing his swordplay in the courtyard as usual.
A moment later, the two sat down together to eat breakfast.
"Shuangren's birthday is in two days."
At the dinner table, Xu Nanzhi said softly, "I wonder if he will come back?"
"Old Liao said he wanted to write a letter to Shuangren the day before yesterday, asking him to come back, but I stopped him."
Wu Dongrong's voice was calm, "He's just settled in, he's got a lot going on, and there are a lot of people watching him. There's no need to make him make a trip for a birthday. The child is grown up, let's not distract him."
Xu Nanzhi nodded gently.
She had actually considered that if Wu Shuangren couldn't come back, she and Wu Dongrong could go to West River Market. But since Wu Dongrong said not to distract the child, she didn't bring up the idea.
"I made two pairs of shoes for my son, one thin pair for him to wear now, and one thick pair for him to wear in the fall."
Xu Nanzhi said.
Wu Dongrong nodded. "I'll have someone deliver it to West River Market today."
In the afternoon, the sun was beginning to set.
On the official road, two riders rode one after the other.
Along this section of the official road were groves of locust trees, with thick trunks and lush foliage. Cicadas chirped their hearts out in the canopy, each cry louder than the last.
The two riders were naturally Wu Shuangren and Xu Yu.
Wu Shuangren calculated in his mind that at this speed, he and Xu Yu could reach Bo County tonight.
Just as he was imagining the scene of his parents seeing him, Xu Yu behind him suddenly shouted, "Big brother, I feel danger ahead!"
Wu Shuangren was startled and pulled hard on the reins without hesitation, and Xu Yu also pulled his horse back.
The horses beneath them were pulled off the ground by the reins, their front hooves lifting off the ground, and they neighed.
In the battle of West River Market, thanks to Xu Yu Yu's advance warning, Xie Jingshan's forty repeating crossbows that were lying in ambush were unable to exert their intended killing power.
Now that Xu Yu has warned him again, Wu Shuangren has no doubt about the other party's intuition!
Just as the two men reined in their horses and stopped—
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!
A series of piercing screech sounds erupted simultaneously from both sides of the woods ahead.
Dozens of arrows emerged from the shadows of the locust grove and shot towards the two men!
105 Mounted Archery! Mounted Combat!
Bo County, the location of the local militia.
Early in the morning, the sound of orderly footsteps could be heard on the open space beside the city wall. One hundred militiamen were lined up in four square formations and were training in formation.
Wu Dongrong went to the county government office to report for duty first, and then came here, as did Liao Yu.
They're focusing most of their energy on this now.