229 Chapter 229 pushing the giant wheel
One month later, at noon, all the officers above the division commander level gathered at the gate of the Yanmen camp in the state of zhao to welcome li MU’s arrival.
At noon, in the valley to the South of the camp of Yanmen, a cloud of dust appeared. After a while, a team of hundreds of cavalrymen with the ” li ” flag escorted li mu to the gate of the camp.
Li mu was riding on a tall Red Horse. He had a long beard and was wearing armor. He used his left hand to control the reins. His eyes were as calm as the deep sea. He had a different kind of temperament. Even the most irritable general would calm down when he saw him.
“Greetings, general jianjia.” All the generals at the gate of the camp of Yanmen bowed to li mu in unison.
Li mu nimbly jumped off the horse. His eyes swept over the faces of the generals who welcomed him, as if he was confirming and also looking for them.
Li mu was no stranger to these faces. They were all his old subordinates.
“Only these people are left?” Li mu sighed softly.
After hearing his words, many fierce generals “eyes turned red as they started to cry. Some even lowered their heads in shame.
Who said that men don’t cry, only because it’s not the time to be sad.
When li mu was in the camp of Yanmen, the total number of infantry and cavalry in the camp of Yanmen was almost 180000, which could be said to be strong and powerful. After several years, the 180000 people were less than 100000, and more than half of them had been lost.
When li mu was still alive, many of the generals and officers under his command had criticized him for avoiding war. They did not agree with li MU’s actions. In Yanmen, some people even gave li mu a nickname,”general Ying.” After li mu left, the king of Zhao changed him to “fierce general.” Only then did these generals and officers truly understand li MU’s good points.
“General Meng” had been in the camp of Yanmen for many years and had never avoided war. Everyone in the camp of Yanmen had become the pawns of “general Meng,” the cannon fodder for “general Meng” to gain fame and recognition from the king of Zhao.
General Meng knew how li mu had left, so he only paid attention to what the person in Handan City thought of him. Since the person in Handan City wanted to fight, then let them fight. As for the lives of his soldiers, hehe, there was no such thing as a war without death.
After a few years, general Meng left Yanmen unscathed and returned to Handan. Most of the soldiers in the camp of Yanmen had become white bones under the yellow soil.
Now that they saw their former commander again, the soldiers in the camp felt complicated, sad, and ashamed.
Li mu walked through the gate of the camp and directly led a group of generals to the main tent of the camp. He sat in the position of the commander and showed everyone the Tiger Seal that King Zhao had given him. Then, under the worship of everyone, he officially sat in the main seat and began to take charge of the camp of Yanmen.
Li MU’s eyes flickered as he sat on the main seat. He swept his gaze across the faces of all the generals on both sides of the tent.
“Pass on my order. From now on, anyone who dares to come out of seclusion to fight the Xiongnu without my order will be executed!” Li MU’s first order was the same as before. They were not allowed to fight with the Xiongnu people. Upon hearing this order, all the generals in the tent became alert and obeyed in unison.
the king of Zhao has given me full control of the taxation and financial power of Yanmen. These two places will be used to reward the Army and raise the soldiers. As usual, I want all the infantry soldiers to have beef and sheep meat in their daily meals. If any of you dare to cut it, it will be like cutting my meat or removing my bones. I will kill you!
The general in the tent bowed again.
After giving two orders and having a few words with the generals to understand the situation inside and outside the camp of Yanmen, li mu asked the generals to disperse and return to their own camps. He took a few generals and began to personally inspect the situation in the camp of Yanmen.
The situation in the camp of Yanmen was within li MU’s expectations.
At this moment, the camp was lacking in soldiers and morale was low. They had to start all over again and slowly accumulate.
Li mu patrolled the camp and unknowingly came to the casualty Barrack.
Li mu was very clear about the wounded soldiers camp. However, when he arrived at the wounded soldiers camp, what he saw shocked him greatly.
Before he arrived at the casualty Barrack, li mu heard a cheerful and passionate song coming from the camp.
Someone was singing with those wounded soldiers in the wounded soldiers camp. Outside the wounded soldiers camp, li mu heard a voice,”Ge Ge ...”
“Come on, everyone, sing with me. This is the melody. One, two, three. The beginning is the solemn rabbit, the tinkling of the Xun. The city of gonghou. Solemn and respectful. A great enemy of the Duke and Marquis. Solemn and respectful, the Pallas’s cat was placed in the middle of the forest. The second line, you’re out of tune again. Can you not be so loud when you’re out of tune? if you continue to sing like this, I’ll punish you to face the wall and sing!”
hehehe, I think it’s better to sing like this. I’ll be quieter next time, ” a weak voice said.
hahaha! more people laughed.
“Alright, let’s do it again. Pay attention to the melody this time and don’t go out of tune again, Yingluo.”
Many people in the wounded soldiers camp were singing along, and it sounded quite interesting.
The general beside li mu was about to send someone to pass on the message when li mu waved his hand and walked to the casualty Barrack.
The moment he entered the camp, li mu had found that the ground of the wounded soldiers camp had been leveled. It was not as dirty as before. Besides, tidy ditches had been dug around the wounded soldiers camp. The wastewater in the camp then flowed out of the ditches.
This was only the ground. After entering, he saw another scene. The walls of the rooms in the wounded soldiers “camp were painted with white lime, which was very eye-catching. The rooms of the wounded soldiers were clean, tidy, and well-ventilated, even cleaner than the barracks of ordinary soldiers.
In the open space to the South of the casualty Barrack, there were some ropes tied around which were hung sackcloth.
In the empty space where the sackcloth was drying, there were dustpans and straw mats. On them were all kinds of medicinal herbs that were dried in different categories.
In the kitchen of the injury Battalion, there were several large woks, and the smell of boiling medicine wafted over.
In the large open space in the middle of the camp, more than 1000 wounded soldiers were singing under the sun. Each of them had a relaxed and happy smile on their faces. A young man in his 20s was teaching them to sing to the beat.
Besides these people, over 100 people in white linen armband were busy working in the wounded soldiers camp.
Some of them were processing medicinal herbs, some were washing and preparing to dry sackcloth, and some were boiling medicine in the kitchen. Even these people working in the wounded camp were in high spirits, listening to the wounded soldiers singing in the distance while doing their work, humming along.
Li mu had never seen such a lively and joyful casualty Barrack in his many years in the Army.
Li mu blinked his eyes as he watched from outside the circle. He almost thought that he was seeing things.
“Who is that young man?” Li mu pointed at Xia ping ‘an, who was in the crowd, and asked the person beside him. With li MU’s eyes, he could tell at a glance that the young man who taught the wounded soldiers to sing was the soul of this camp. The wounded soldiers looked at the young man with a glow in their eyes, while the others who were busy around looked at him with respect.
general, that man is called Xia Pingan. Xia Pingan used to be a Ranger in Yanmen. He once met a strange man in the mountains and was taught a high level of medical skills by the strange man. He was brave and valiant. He was once shot by two arrows and killed four Xiongnu cavalry. Last month, I went out and found him. I saw him use silver needles to stop his bleeding and treat his injuries. I also identified the medicinal properties. I brought him to the camp and let him be in charge of the wounded camp and treat the injured soldiers.”No one has died in the casualty Barrack since then. Hehe, as soon as that Xia Pingan came, he turned the casualty Barrack upside down,” Liu Chi explained.
It was more than just impressive. Li mu thought to himself,
“Aren’t there three shamans in the casualty Barrack? who are those people wearing sackcloth armband? why are they working here?”
general, that Xia Pingan said that it was not enough to have only three shamans here. He wanted some soldiers who were free to come here to take care of the injured soldiers. At first, no one came, but Xia Pingan said that he would teach the people here the medical skills and prescriptions for taking care of the injured soldiers, so that they could become military doctors. Therefore, many old soldiers in the camp fought to come here to work and learn. We felt that letting a few old soldiers come to the injured camp would not affect the military affairs of the camp, so we acquiesced.”Xia ping ‘an was appointed as a soldier,” another general explained.
In this Battalion, a soldier leader could manage 100 people.
Li mu knew that it was impossible for some old soldiers to stay in the military camp for a lifetime. When those old soldiers were older and their physical strength declined, they could only leave the military camp and go home. Those old soldiers who returned home could only farm for a living. It was completely unimaginable for many people to have the opportunity to learn medicine in the military camp. If those old soldiers had the ability to cure diseases and save people, they could live outside without having to worry about food and clothing and be respected by others even if they left the military camp.
No wonder those people were so happy to work here.
Li mu asked someone to call over an old soldier not far away for questioning.
The old soldier was happily cutting herbs and listening to music when he was suddenly called over. When he saw li mu, he became excited and recognized li mu at once. He hurriedly saluted li mu and said, ” ah, General Li, you’re back!
“You still remember me?” Li mu also laughed.
The old soldier revealed a smile as his eyes turned a bit red, ” when general was alive, we ate beef every day. The amount of beef that I ate in my whole life couldn’t match that of general when you were in this camp for a few years. General, you came to patrol the camp once and even ate in the same pot with my brothers. How could I forget about you? however, over these years, many of my brothers have passed away.
Li mu gently patted the old soldier’s shoulder and sighed with emotion. what skills have you learned here? ”
soldier Xia taught us two prescriptions for treating sword wounds and arrow wounds, one for external use and the other for oral consumption. He also taught us how to pick herbs, boil them, apply them, stop bleeding, and pull out arrows. He also taught us how to bandage wounds with sackcloth and how to boil lime to paint the walls. The prescriptions he taught us were amazing. After taking his medicine, our brothers in the wounded camp didn’t die again and recovered quickly. He also knew how to treat them with silver needles, but his skills were too profound. we can’t master it, Yingluo, ” speaking of the prescription taught by Xia Pingan, the old soldier became spirited at once as his eyes turned bright, ” now, all the brothers in the camp know that there’s a miracle doctor in charge of the wounded soldiers camp. They’re all very happy, Yingluo.
“Do you know how to treat an illness?”
The old soldier nodded and said confidently, ” according to what soldier commander Xia taught me, it’s no problem to treat wounds caused by arrows and swords. I never thought that I could be a doctor in my life!
Li mu took a look at Xia ping ‘an who was singing with the wounded soldiers in the distance and nodded. Instead of walking over, he turned around and left the wounded soldiers’ camp. After leaving, he ordered the people beside him, ” ask Xia ping ‘an to see me in the main tent later!
“Yes!”
......
More than an hour later, Xia Pingan finally met the famous li mu in the main tent of the Yanmen camp.
Xia ping ‘an’s gaze swept across li MU’s face and then looked at li MU’s right hand. He found that li MU’s right hand was habitually placed behind his back, which was a little unnatural. Xia ping’ an thought to himself that some historical records said that li MU’s hand had been injured and that he could not draw a bow. It seemed to be true.
you’re Xia ping ‘an? ” Li mu also looked at Xia ping ‘an seriously and asked in a soft voice, ” do you know why I called you here? ”
“The general first wanted to ask me if I have a prescription to treat typhoid.” Xia Pingan said calmly.
Li MU’s eyes flashed, and suddenly, he was as sharp as a Tiger. why are you so sure? ”
I’ve heard that you didn’t allow your soldiers to go out to battle in Yanmen camp. There were very few casualties on the battlefield. Instead, because Yanmen camp was located in a bitter cold, many people died of typhoid fever. You love your soldiers like your children. When you saw me in the wounded soldiers camp today, you must first ask me about the treatment of typhoid fever!
Li mu nodded. that’s right. You just said that it’s first, then what’s second? ”
“Secondly, general would like to see if I have any other abilities other than medical skills to help you resolve the Xiongnu disaster!”
“What’s your answer?”
I have the prescription for treating typhoid. I can teach the cooks in the Army to make herbal soup. As long as the soldiers take my herbal soup, the possibility of them being infected with typhoid would be less than 1%. It could basically eradicate the typhoid in the Army!
Hearing this, li mu instantly stood up and said, ” if you have such a great ability, I can let you be a Master Commander!
Xia ping ‘an knew that a division commander in the Army of the zhao state was already a high position.
During the Warring States period, the military establishment of every country was influenced by the Zhou Dynasty. They were basically the same. For example, in the infantry of the Zhao Army, there were five people in a platoon, with a Sergeant, a hundred people in a platoon, a soldier, five hundred people in a Regiment, a Colonel, five regiments in a division, and five divisions in an Army. The so-called general would lead more than ten thousand soldiers.
Li mu made him the commander. In the camp of Yanmen, his position was only below that of a few generals.
“General, aren’t you going to ask me if I have anything that can help you resolve the Xiongnu disaster?” Xia Pingan smiled.
“Do you have the ability to do that?” Li mu asked.
“If general only wants to pacify the head of the clan, man Chanyu, on the other side of Yanmen Pass, even without me, general would have already had a plan in mind. With just a few days, it would not be difficult for general to destroy the clan!”
Li mu laughed and squinted at Xia Pingan, ” what big words. In the whole world, there is actually someone who dares to say that it is not difficult to suppress the ruandi Xiongnu. Do you know how many bowstring-controlling soldiers there are in the ruandi Xiongnu clan? there are more than 200000 of them. The cavalry of the ruandi clan is twice as many as the soldiers of the Yanmen camp. How can we suppress them? ”
“If it wasn’t for the fact that you were forced to leave the camp of Yanmen, I believe that the ruandi clan would have already been suppressed by you. The reason why you didn’t let the soldiers of the camp go out to battle was to nurture the arrogance and despising attitude of the Xiongnu soldiers towards the Zhao Army. At the same time, you wanted to build up the courage of the soldiers of Yanmen. Once the Xiongnu soldiers developed such a mindset, everyone would think that the soldiers of Zhao were weak and could be bullied, and they would not dare to go out to battle. He will definitely be able to heavily damage the entire ruandi clan and make an unparalleled contribution, leaving his name in history!”
Hearing Xia ping ‘an’s words, li MU’s expression changed. This was his plan to pacify the Xiongnu people. He had never told anyone about it, not even the king of Zhao knew about it. He did not expect that when he had just arrived at the camp of Yanmen today, it would be seen through by a small soldier.
Looking at Xia ping ‘an again, li mu was already in a state of shock. How could such a person be a mere Ranger?
Li mu hurriedly walked over from the position of the commander and came to Xia Pingan. He bowed and asked Xia Pingan to sit down. Then, he solemnly asked, ” you just said that it is not difficult to suppress the Xiongnu clan. In your opinion, what is difficult? ”
“The ruandi clan is only a part of the Xiongnu clan. Other than the ruandi clan, there are also the Huyan clan, the LAN clan, the Xu bu clan, and many other clans within the Xiongnu clan. They are extremely powerful. The Xiongnu clan has occupied a large area of the grasslands in the North, and their forces extend for tens of thousands of miles. They are a major threat to our Hua Xia. Even if the state of zhao and the general can suppress the ruandi clan, after a long time, the other Xiongnu clans will recover and make a comeback, bringing disaster to the world. The most difficult thing is to eliminate the threat posed by the nomadic people who occupy the vast grasslands in the North and to build up a long-term achievement!” Xia Pingan said.
Li MU’s expression was extremely serious as he looked into the distance with a hint of worry in his eyes. I also know that the nomads in the North pose the greatest threat to Hua Xia. On the grasslands, all the men are soldiers who have been practicing archery and horse riding since young. They are truly terrifying. With the power of the state of zhao alone, they have already done their best to suppress the ruandi clan. If they want to suppress the entire North, even if they unite the world and spend the world’s money and taxes, it will still be impossible. As long as we can hold on, it will already be difficult!
“General’s words are common sense, but have you ever thought that the world is bustling with people for their own benefit? now, all the countries, including the Yan country, want to suppress the Xiongnu because they are threatened by the Xiongnu. We have no choice but to do so. By making everyone think that they can take the initiative to pacify the Xiongnu people, it will be profitable for them to attack the Xiongnu people. Not only will they not need to spend money, but they will also be able to make a lot of money. As long as we occupy a piece of the grassland, we will have a lot of profits, and we will be able to feed the Army and feed the people, making the country rich and making the merchants all over the world go after it. General, do you think that China will be able to pacify the northern grasslands?”
Li MU’s brows twitched, and his eyes flashed. He thought for a long time. if that’s the case, it’s possible. However, there are only cattle and sheep on the grasslands. Cattle and sheep can’t be transported over long distances, and they can’t last as meat. Even if we can expel the Xiongnu and occupy the grasslands, we can only benefit one area. How can we make the merchants all over the world flock to us like ducks? how can we feed the Army and fatten the people so that the country can be rich? how can we feed war with war? ”
“If general trusts me, as long as you lend me one thousand taels of gold, give me three thousand men, a piece of grassland, and twenty thousand sheep, in three months, I will be able to show general how our Zhao Army can squeeze gold out of the grassland and make the merchants flock to us!”
“One thousand taels of gold, three thousand men, a piece of grass, twenty thousand sheep, three months?” Li MU’s voice suddenly rose.
“Not bad!”
alright, I’ll give you this. I’ll now appoint you as the field Messenger of the Yanmen camp. I’d like to see how you’ll squeeze gold out of the grass in three months! Li mu nodded and said.
The field Messenger of the Yanmen camp was in charge of managing the border trade between Yanmen and daijun, collecting money and grain for the Army. He was equivalent to the Minister of logistics and finance of General Li mu.
When li mu came to Yanmen Pass, one of the conditions he proposed to the king of Zhao was to resist the Xiongnu. He had full control over the taxes, personnel, and military affairs of Yanmen and daijun. The king of Zhao agreed.
At this moment, in daijun and Yanmen Pass, li MU’s words were more powerful than that of the king of Zhao. He held great power.
......
Walking out of li MU’s main tent, Xia ping ‘an looked at the sky in the distance and let out a long breath.
It was too easy to help li mu destroy the ruandi clan. Even without him, li mu, as a peerless general, could do it.
Even if he personally went into battle, he would not be able to kill a thousand Xiongnu people.
Since this realm Pearl was summoning cavalry, Xia Pingan wanted to try another way and see if he could achieve a greater result.
He wanted to do one thing, which was to enervate the cavalries of Yan, Zhao, and Hua Xia. He wanted to turn the cavalries, which were the most expensive in the eyes of the Monarchs, into the most profitable machines.
Xia Pingan didn’t know if this plan would succeed or how far it could go, but he just wanted to try.
......
Li mu really did what he said. On the same day, the news that Xia Pingan was appointed as the field emissary spread throughout the camp.
Xia ping ‘an didn’t stay idle either. After handing over the wounded soldier camp to his subordinates, he selected 3000 old soldiers with weak physical strength from the camp. The next day, he brought his men to daijun and took over a Ranch and tens of thousands of cattle and sheep.
After that, Xia ping ‘an found carpenters and blacksmiths to build workshops next to the ranches in daijun. He also hired some women who knew how to spin and weave sackcloth and had them learn how to fleece.
Xia Pingan had never woven woolen cloth before, but he had a general idea of the process and the conditions and equipment required to weave woolen cloth.
If there was something he didn’t understand, he could slowly correct it.
In the end, in less than three months, Xia ping ‘an had finished knitting a woolen cloth and placed it in front of li mu.
Touching the woolen fabric, li mu was dumbfounded, even though he was experienced and knowledgeable.
Within a few days, the soft, snow-white woolen fabric appeared at the border trading post of Yanmen. As soon as it appeared, it caused a huge commotion and attracted countless merchants from all directions.
Xia Pingan had set the price of the woolen fabric at a hundred taels of gold for one tael of woolen fabric. The supply was in short supply, and the woolen fabric that had just been listed on the market was instantly snatched up by the merchants.
When woolen fabrics appeared in Handan, a single carriage of woolen fabrics could be sold for ten taels of gold. This woolen fabric attracted countless wealthy and influential families, who would be proud to have a piece of it.
Everything was as Xia Pingan had expected.
In this era where there was no wool, the appearance of woolen fabrics had caused a huge sensation.
A piece of woolen cloth could make everyone go crazy for it. It was sought after by the common people and made nobles bend their backs. To the merchants who pursued profits, this woolen cloth was simply a white gold mine.
In a short time, Yanmen and daijun were filled with merchants because of the appearance of woolen fabrics. The originally ordinary grasslands and sheep were also in high demand.
Li mu recruited new soldiers again in the camp of Yanmen and began training. He did not fight.
After the Xiongnu slaves outside Yanmen Pass learned that they had woollen wool, they would go out to plunder it, and woollen wool became the most sought after item.
The situation outside of Yanmen Pass was still the same as history. What was supposed to happen was still happening, but many things had already quietly changed Xuanji.
Two months after the appearance of the woolen fabric, a wealthy merchant from zhao state sent over a thousand good horses to li MU’s camp at Yanmen. He started to build a relationship with li mu and rewarded the Army. The merchants who wanted to meet li mu formed a long line outside the camp.
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