After a moment of silence, Liu Jin slowly said,
“Fourth Brother, gather all these evidences and the testimonies of the common people, then send them to the Prefect’s office and inform the Prefect.”
“Also, prepare fifty thousand coins and give them to the Prefect to build a good relationship with him. That way, we can act as we please here without any obstacles.”
“After that, seal Zhao Lei’s head and parade it around the surrounding villages to inform them that the culprit has been executed. The soldiers stationed here will no longer harass the common people, and anyone who violates this will be punished by military law.”
Upon hearing these instructions, Zhao Ergou nodded solemnly.
Without daring to delay, he immediately began to handle the matter.
Liu Jin looked at the decisive Zhao Ergou and was very satisfied.
Although his martial arts were not very strong, he was excellent at handling miscellaneous tasks, which indeed relieved him of many burdens.
With Guan Yu and Zhang Fei leading the army, Zhao Ergou managing miscellaneous affairs, and himself as the leader overseeing the overall situation, the coordination was perfect.
Several days later!
Everything in the military camp returned to normal, and the twenty-odd missing soldiers had been replaced.
The entire Tuncun had over one hundred and ten people in total: fifty spearmen, thirty archers, twenty sword and shield soldiers, seven cooks, and three messengers.
Liu Jin sat on a small stool, watching the hundred-plus people drilling with great enthusiasm on the military training ground, their shouts echoing continuously.
Especially Zhang Fei’s loud voice; a single roar could be heard clearly several li away.
Therefore, these soldiers dared not slack off and could only drill honestly.
After this period of integration, their standing posture was quite complete, increasingly resembling elite soldiers.
This was his first army, so the drilling naturally could not stop.
He even used Zhang Fei’s family assets to subsidize the soldiers’ food and drink, ensuring they were full every day so they would have the strength to train.
If you want a horse to run, you naturally have to feed it grass. If it’s not fed enough, what strength will it have to train?
Although there were only a hundred people, with such training, they would eventually become an elite force.
With Guan Yu and Zhang Fei leading the troops, even against enemies several times their number, they could still emerge victorious.
Liu Jin looked at the bright sunshine and fell into deep thought.
It was now Guanghe Year Seven, early February, with only about a month left until the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
The three brothers Zhang Jiao, Zhang Bao, and Zhang Liang would rise up and instantly sweep across the Han Empire.
However, it would probably take a month for the news to reach Zhuo Commandery in You Province, prompting the nearby Yellow Turbans to rebel.
Counting it this way, he still had two months. He had to use this time to build up his strength, and his official rank had to at least climb one level higher.
To reach the Military Marquis level, commanding several hundred soldiers, the military achievements gained from suppressing the Yellow Turbans would allow him to advance quickly.
Merely relying on the Tuncun position, commanding over a hundred soldiers, it would still be somewhat difficult to climb up during the chaos of the Yellow Turbans.
Besides bribing the Prefect, he also needed to gain some merits to be promoted.
Looking at the vast mountains around him, a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
It seemed that if he wanted to get promoted, he had to find a way to eliminate the mountain bandits entrenched in these mountains.
As long as he cut off their heads, he could gain a large amount of military merit, and with the help of money, he should be able to get a promotion.
Just then, Zhao Ergou was riding a black horse towards this place, a bright smile on his face.
After arriving beside Liu Jin, he immediately dismounted and said with a smile,
“Big Brother, the matter you asked me to handle has been taken care of.”
“The Prefect is very satisfied and said that everything Big Brother did was very good, protecting the surrounding common people and stabilizing the region. If anyone dares to disobey, they can be killed at will, just needing to be reported.”
“Also, Second Brother has been promoted to Squad Leader, commanding the first squad.”
Liu Jin laughed heartily upon hearing this.
It seemed that the fifty thousand coins were well spent; at least he wasn’t blamed for killing people at will, and he even secured a Squad Leader position for Guan Yu.
Zhao Ergou chuckled, then added,
“Big Brother, the nearby villages all know that you personally executed the culprit Zhao Lei, bringing peace and eliminating the villain for them.”
“Now, their goodwill towards us soldiers has greatly improved; they no longer view us as hungry wolves like before.”
Liu Jin nodded, looking at Zhao Ergou before him with great satisfaction. He patted his shoulder and said softly,
“You’ve worked hard these past few days. Get some good rest.”
Zhao Ergou scratched his head with a smile, his face beaming with excitement. He still enjoyed handling these matters, at least he could help Big Brother relieve his worries.
Liu Jin looked at Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who were still drilling, and shouted with a smile,
“Yun Chang, Yide!”
Hearing this, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei quickly handed over the drilling to their subordinates and swiftly walked towards them.
Both clasped their fists and respectfully said,
“Big Brother.”
Liu Jin nodded slightly, threw a token in his hand to Guan Yu, and said with a smile,
“Yun Chang, the Squad Leader token has arrived. You are now an imperial official, with a rank of one hundred shi.”
Guan Yu’s hand holding the token trembled slightly with excitement, his phoenix eyes showing exhilaration. Previously, he was only a temporary leader, not an imperial official after all.
Now that he was a true imperial official, it was impossible not to be excited.
Zhang Fei’s dark face showed great excitement, and he said boisterously,
“Congratulations, Second Brother!”
Guan Yu nodded solemnly, his gaze towards Liu Jin becoming even more respectful.
Liu Jin grinned, patted Guan Yu and Zhang Fei’s shoulders, and said softly,
“Second Brother, Third Brother, during this period, you two must diligently train the troops in the army, turning them into an elite force as soon as possible. In a while, we may need to suppress the bandits in the mountains.”
“After gaining merit, I will secure a Squad Leader position for Third Brother, making him an imperial official who receives a salary.”
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were both very excited upon hearing this, even a little impatient. For them, fighting on the battlefield was the most exhilarating.
Zhang Fei grinned, patted his chest, and declared loudly,
“Please rest assured, Big Brother, I, Old Zhang, will definitely charge forward, relieve Big Brother’s worries, and eliminate the mountain bandits!”
Guan Yu was not to be outdone, his cheeks flushed, and he declared loudly,
“Guan also accepts without hesitation and will charge forward for Big Brother!”
Seeing their enthusiasm, Liu Jin nodded with a smile, feeling very pleased.
After chatting with them for a while, he told them to continue training the soldiers and not to slack off.
Several days passed in a flash!
Liye Township area!
Wu Family Village, surrounded by some excellent fertile fields, where common people were already tilling the land.
As spring had arrived, it was the busy season for farming, and also the busiest time for the common people.
They had to sow the seeds so they could harvest grain in the autumn, allowing them to have a prosperous New Year.