Before dawn the next day, Zhang Yangquan heard the sound of morning training drums. He subconsciously opened his eyes and closed his eyes again when he remembered that he did not have to train with Qin Lingjun today.
I lay there for more than an hour. When I got up again, it was already bright outside the window.
Zhang Yangquan got dressed and left the house. The door was heavily guarded, with soldiers on guard and patrols performing their duties in an orderly manner.
After breakfast, we came to the university field, where Qin Lingjun was conducting team training.
After catching a glimpse of Zhang Yangquan, she raised the red flag and waved it up and down, and all the soldiers immediately stood in a row of wooden posts.
Qin Lingjun inserted his spear in front of everyone and said loudly: "You must stand as straight as this spear, with your heels close together and your toes pointing outwards, with your abdomen drawn in and your chest raised, your arms straight and your shoulders level, your head upright and your neck straight.
, eyes looking straight ahead. Stand still for half an hour!"
Zhang Yangquan turned his attention to the new recruits.
This batch of recruits is of better quality and stronger than the refugee militiamen recruited by the village a while ago. With training, they will surely become a powerful force.
He greeted Qin Lingjun from a distance, turned and left the school grounds, led a few soldiers out of Qianhu Residence, and went straight to the city gate.
The gatekeeper today was a wild boar. When he saw Zhang Yangquan coming, he immediately stepped forward to report.
"Military advisor, I received news this morning that Jin Sanwang has defected to the Nanmen Army. The Nanmen Army has expanded to more than a thousand people!"
Zhang Yangquan was stunned for a long time before he remembered that Jin Sanwang was the leader of the Beggar Gang, had defected to the Red Scarf Army, and had been to the village with Zhao Junyong.
I think he saw that the Red Scarf Army could not defeat him, so he turned to Huang Boyan.
"Is there any news from Taizhou?"
"Not yet."
"What's going on with the Ximen Army?"
Shanzhu said: "There is news that Zhang Mingjian is secretly contacting the bandits in the western suburbs and intends to recruit them."
Zhang Yangquan let out a breath.
Huang Boyan and Zhang Mingjian were actually looking forward to this recruitment order just like him. Now that the recruitment order came out, they all took action.
"Shanzhu, please help me keep an eye on any celebrities in Jiangdu City recently, especially those from out of town!"
"Do you want to recruit talented people?"
Zhang Yangquan smiled and said: "If we want to do big things, we naturally need the help of more people!"
Shanzhu suddenly said: "I have heard that Zhang Mingjian recently acquired a talent."
"Who?"
"The man's name was Ma Yulin, and he was said to be a hermit in the western suburbs. Zhang Mingjian learned from Zhuge Kongming and visited his thatched cottage three times to invite him, but Ma Yulin refused to go. In anger, Zhang Mingjian burned Ma Yulin's thatched cottage and tied him directly to
Qianhusuo."
Zhang Yangquan burst into laughter: "Zhang Mingjian also knows how to adapt. If you can't imitate Liu Bei, you can imitate Zhang Fei."
The mountain pig also laughed: "Military advisor, do you want to send someone to rescue Ma Yulin? This man hates Zhang Mingjian so much. If we can rescue him, he will definitely serve us!"
Zhang Yangquan weighed it for a moment, waved his hand and said: "Forget it, now is not the time to have a conflict with Zhang Mingjian."
After leaving the north gate, Zhang Yangquan took several personal guards all the way back to Longtan Village.
"The military advisor is back! The military advisor is back!"
As soon as they arrived at the gate of the village, the soldiers guarding the village cheered in unison.
Zhang Yangquan was not in a hurry to go up the mountain and chatted with everyone at the gate of the village for a while.
This group of old village soldiers are regretting it now. They are all looking forward to being transferred to Jiangdu City to feel the majesty of guarding the city gates and patrolling the streets.
Zhang Yangquan promised them that they would be rotated once a month before leaving the village gate and going to the top of the mountain.
The cottage is getting more and more lively, even a little crowded.
Along the way, the old villagers greeted them warmly, and the new villagers bowed and saluted in awe. Some even knelt down and kowtowed. Zhang Yangquan asked his guards to help them up.
After entering the meeting hall, Guo Niansheng went down the mountain to help Qin Lingsi. The person in charge of the village was Monkey. Zhang Yangquan called him over and asked about the situation in the village.
The monkey laughed and said: "Military advisor, that Taigong He is really knowledgeable and can also draw. He has recently opened a private school. Every family in the village is looking forward to sending their children to Taigong He's private school!"
"Is he too busy to come here alone? Don't tire the old man out!"
The monkey smiled and said: "He Taigong will inspect the children entering school and only accept those with talent, so it is not too tiring."
Zhang Yangquan thought for a while and said: "Select some educated old people from the villagers, expand the private school, and let them teach under He Taigong."
The monkey quickly agreed.
Zhang Yangquan ordered someone to call the porcelain craftsman over again.
It was a woman in her thirties, her name was Shu Ting. Her facial features were pretty good, but her face was a little dark, and her figure was shorter than that of an ordinary woman.
Zhang Yangquan had a conversation with Shu Ting and learned that her ancestor was a famous pottery maker in the Southern Song Dynasty.
Moreover, their family has both male and female inheritance. There was a female craftsman named Shu Jiao in their ancestors, who became famous in the porcelain making world.
Zhang Yangquan nodded and said: "Very good, I will let the masons in the village give priority to building the kiln, and then allocate twenty female apprentices to you, how about that?"
Shu Ting lowered her head and said softly: "Everything depends on the military advisor."
After Shu Ting resigned, Zhang Yangquan asked Monkey to select ten chefs with the best skills from the cottage.
In addition, select twenty more clerks, regardless of gender, and finally a smart and capable shopkeeper.
The chef and the waiter Monkey were quickly selected, but Zhang Yangquan was not satisfied with the person he chose as the shopkeeper. He always felt that he lacked the ability to stand alone and could not support a large restaurant.
The monkey picked several people in succession, but Zhang Yangquan rejected them all, and he felt a little anxious.
When I got home, I told Yang Ying about the matter and asked her if she had any good candidates.
Yang Ying's eyes flickered for a while and he said: "I do have a good candidate."
"Who?" the monkey asked happily.
Yang Ying crossed her arms and said with a smile: "Me!"
The monkey was stunned for a moment and waved his hands hurriedly: "No, no, it's too dangerous for you to go to the city. What will you do if someone recognizes you?"
Yang Ying turned her head, examined his expression for a while, and said calmly: "As long as you take good care of Lin'er for me, I will not be in danger!"
The monkey scratched his forehead and asked puzzledly: "Why do you want to take this risk for no reason?"
Yang Ying glanced at him sideways and said, "I have my own thoughts. Can you just say yes or not?"
The monkey's expression became more serious and said: "Madam, if you don't tell me your purpose, I can't let you go."
Yang Ying frowned and said, "Are you afraid that I will bring trouble to your village?"
The monkey lowered his head and said nothing.
Yang Ying snorted and said: "Don't worry, the village has protected our mother and son for so long. I will not do anything to harm the village. I just want to get back some of my own things!"
The monkey changed his color and said: "You don't want to use Jiangdu as the new stronghold of the White Lotus Sect, do you?"
Yang Ying raised his eyebrows and said, "No?"
The monkey shook his head: "That will definitely arouse the hostility of the other Red Scarf Army and bring disaster to the village! I can't let you do this!"
Yang Ying's eyes became cold and sharp, and he looked at the monkey.
After a long time, she turned away her gaze and sighed: "Don't worry, I just want to regain control of the White Lotus Sect of the Zhaozhou lineage."
The monkey still remained silent.
Yang Ying said softly: "I am not a wolf-hearted person. The village is the only way out for our mother and son. I will not destroy it. Moreover, if I can control the Zhaozhou White Lotus Sect, it will also be good for the village!"
The monkey stared at her for a while and finally nodded: "Okay, but you must tell me any action you take!"
Yang Ying suddenly laughed: "I didn't expect that you also have a loyal side. Of course I will tell you that in order to deal with the traitors in Zhaozhou, I have to rely on your strength!"