usatvline Chapter 37 Recruiting Soldiers
Chapter 37 Recruiting Soldiers
As he spoke, Wei Xu feigned anger once again.
"What kind of wandering knight are you calling that!"
"How long have those wandering knights known you, Wei Yue? And how long have I, Wei Xu, known you, Wei Yue?"
"We've known each other since we were kids, fighting on bamboo horses! And Uncle Lü watched me grow up!"
"What is there that you won't say? What is there that you can't say?! Do you, Wei Yue, really think that I, Wei Xu, would betray Lü Bo?!"
Hearing Wei Xu's words, it was clear that he wouldn't let go unless he told Wei Xu the truth.
Wei Yue hesitated for a moment, then finally just let out a long sigh.
He omitted his experience of following Lü Ping to kill someone and forcing him to write a complaint the previous night, but only mentioned that Lü Bo was a martial arts officer and had the authority to recruit soldiers.
After listening to Wei Yue's explanation...
Wei Xu was overjoyed and exclaimed repeatedly.
"Good Wei Yue! Good Lü Bo!"
"I'll go find some men right away, and once I've found them, I'll go find Uncle Lü! I'll ask him to help us all get official positions!"
Immediately afterward, before Wei Yue could say anything more, he let go first, a smile on his face, and strode straight off in another direction.
This is what it looks like.
Wei Yue seemed hesitant to speak.
......
Spring has passed more than halfway, and in May, the heat and dryness of summer are beginning to emerge.
Several days later.
At each of the city gates of Jiuyuan City, a banner with the character "賥" (meaning "recruitment") was erected and fluttered in the wind.
Below the "recruit" banner is a temporary recruitment pavilion.
It was called a recruitment pavilion, but it was really just a large sheet of Cai Lun paper with recruitment notices posted on it, a few tables, a few bamboo scrolls, a few inkstones, and a few clerks who could read a little.
As the instigator of the recruitment of soldiers.
Dressed in an official robe and wearing a copper seal and yellow ribbon at his waist, Lü Ping sat casually by a recruitment pavilion near the south gate of the city early in the morning.
Next to Lü Ping.
Naturally, he had a minor official carefully selected from the government office to loudly read the notice to the villagers who came to watch the excitement, so that they could understand it.
On the table in front of Lü Ping.
Several half-closed bamboo slips, already filled with names, were placed there.
Through one of the bamboo scrolls, which was not completely closed, the pitch-black ink revealed dozens of extremely familiar names: Wei Yue, Wei Xu, Cao Xing, Song Xian, Cheng Lian...
Yes.
After the big-mouthed Wei Yue leaked the news.
Wei Xu, Song Xian and others took the initiative to bring their own dozens of wandering knights to join them. Together with Cheng Lian's group of wandering knights and some other groups of wandering knights who came because of their reputation, there were already two or three hundred people!
Facing two or three hundred wandering knights.
Lü Ping did not refuse them because Wei Xu had not answered his summons before and Song Xian's reputation in history was not very good.
of course.
He didn't simply wave his hand and recruit them, along with their entire group of wandering knights, into his ranks just because they were all historical figures.
After all, where would someone take office and immediately disregard rules and regulations, openly and legitimately gathering troops?
If they really did that, no sooner would they have done it than they would send someone to Wang Yun's side and whisper: "His intentions are treacherous! Could it be that Lü Ping and Lü Zizhi are planning a rebellion?!"
Lu Ping's decision to recruit this group of wandering knights, compared to the previous requirement of only wanting men from respectable families, already demonstrates that he used his authority to make an exception.
He summoned several minor officials from the government office.
They were instructed to conduct tests on the group of wandering knights according to Han dynasty regulations, including their height, physical strength, eyesight, and the number of stones they could draw with their bows, and to record these findings.
Choose the best one and use it.
It must be said that among these figures who have made their mark on history, or rather, those who have become leaders among a group of wandering knights, there are very few ordinary people.
The standards for recruiting soldiers were easily met by Wei Xu, Song Xian, and others.
There were more than two hundred wandering knights in total, but in the end, only fifty were gathered together.
That's just enough to make a team!
There can be one squad leader and five squad leaders!
Speaking of this, we must mention the military system of the Han Dynasty.
The military system of the Han Dynasty was roughly as follows: Wu-Shi-Dui-Tun-Qu-Bu
Based on the number of people, the breakdown is as follows: five people - ten people - fifty people - one hundred people - around five hundred people - around one thousand people
among them.
Taking a garrison leader who commands a hundred men as an example, the garrison leader's rank is 100 shi (a unit of grain), and he can wear an official seal and enjoy the salary of the imperial court.
From him onwards.
The squad leaders, platoon leaders, and platoon leaders had no official rank and were essentially forced into corvée labor.
From him and above.
The chief of the troupe, also known as the troupe leader or the troupe commander, was worth a full six hundred bushels of grain and commanded four or five hundred men!
As for the military commander in charge of a thousand men, or the commander of a separate department, that is already an official with a salary of over a thousand shi (a unit of grain).
For the soldiers, becoming a garrison leader meant officially entering the ranks of officials, becoming a lowly clerk, and becoming a glorious Han official!
From then on, we could draw a line between ourselves and those poor people who only knew how to toil in the fields!
So.
Without hesitation, Lü Ping appointed Cheng Lian as the temporary team leader of their group. If he succeeded, he would be very likely to be promoted to platoon leader and enter the ranks of officials!
after all.
If we don't teach the sensible and trustworthy Lian Ge'er to be the team leader, are we supposed to teach that reckless Cao Xing, who only knows how to cut himself with a knife to show his loyalty, to be the team leader?
No sooner had he been taught how to do it than Cao Xing became so excited that, while professing his loyalty, he ended up cutting himself with a knife and bleeding to death.
As for Wei Yue, Wei Xu, Song Xian, and the others...
Lu Ping hadn't even considered it. Firstly, he hadn't been a member for long enough, and secondly, while Wei Yue was alright, Lu Ping still couldn't quite figure out what the other two were thinking.
Think about it.
He treated them like henchmen, keeping them in captivity. If they were useful, he would throw them a couple of bones to amuse them; if they were useless or even rebelled, Lü Ping would naturally not be merciful.
He wasn't as foolish as his own adopted eldest son.
He allowed his troops to become restless, burying his head in the sand like an ostrich and turning a blind eye.
Summer is almost here.
As time went by, the sun grew stronger and stronger.
More and more villagers gathered at the recruitment pavilion, curiously observing Lü Ping with amazement in their eyes and excitement on their faces. Some even wanted to sign up without asking any questions.
Lu Ping looked completely bewildered and hurriedly got to work.
......
After a busy day.
As dusk approached, it was almost time for our shift to end.
The clerks in charge of recruiting soldiers hurriedly packed up their bamboo scrolls and writing materials and rushed towards the government office. As for the recruitment pavilion, there were only a few troublesome desks and tables left.
The same applies to Lü Ping.
He had a bamboo scroll covered with names tucked under his arm, and he was in a good mood.
As soon as they entered the government office.
Bang!
Several bamboo scrolls were then tossed onto the table.
As the bamboo scroll was struck, it unfurled, revealing a completely blank surface with only a few scattered names written on it.
"You son of a bitch!"
"Isn't it said that you Han people are fierce and brave, and that all you need to do is set up a recruitment booth, shout out a few recruitment slogans, and a large number of soldiers will flock to you?"
"Too many choices to make?!"
"How come... you've been recruiting soldiers at this city gate for two or three days, and while there are plenty of onlookers, not many are actually coming forward to volunteer?!"
"Judge Zhengnan has ruined me!"
"If I had known it would turn out this way, I would have been better off staying in the camp, so I wouldn't have been treated like a monkey and had to put up with this humiliation!"