In the following days, apart from recuperating from injuries, Xiao Jingxuan spent the rest of his time dealing with official duties. His life was quite fulfilling.
Another month passed like this, and it was already winter. It also started to snow lightly in Fengzhou City.
In this month, Xiao Jingxuan finally got his fate and allowed Fengzhou City to expand its army by five thousand, which meant that the total force could reach ten thousand.
As soon as he got the order, Xiao Jingxuan sent people out to recruit troops. This time, Xiao Jingxuan planned to have 5,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry, which would be enough to promote some of the people he was originally optimistic about.
Due to weather conditions, the construction of the city had to be stopped. However, the city wall is almost complete. All that remains is to continue to heighten and thicken it.
Most of the craftsmen and civilians were sent home by Xiao Jingxuan, after all, the weather will get worse and worse in the future.
However, many people still stayed because there was still a lot of work to do in the city.
However, compared with building a city wall, the price of living in the city is much higher. In addition to the people who were previously rescued by Xiao Jingxuan from the barbarians, there are many more former residents in the city, as well as some merchants from other places.
The existence of these people has brought a lot of popularity to Fengzhou City, and also brought a lot of jobs, such as the construction of residences, the construction of shops, and the transportation of goods, all of which require manpower.
You know, Xiao Jingxuan is quite good at handling his soldiers. In addition to full military pay, the soldiers are also rewarded for every capture.
When soldiers have money, they naturally have to spend money. In addition, the captured cattle, sheep, horses, furs, etc. need to be sold, which requires a large number of merchants. This is mutual demand.
As a border town, Xiao Jingxuan immediately took charge of the army and dismounted to take charge of the people. Xiao Jingxuan selected many people from some soldiers who were injured and unable to go to the battlefield to serve as detectives, government servants, and tax collectors to maintain public order in Fengzhou City.
Although Fengzhou City is not prosperous yet, Xiao Jingxuan believes that as long as he is given time, this day will come soon.
After walking around the military camp, Xiao Jingxuan returned to his residence in the city.
The courtyard where Xiao Jingxuan lives is located in Beicheng. It is a newly built three-entry courtyard.
Speaking of this courtyard, Wei Ming built it for Jam Hsiao privately. Jam Hsiao didn’t know about it in advance. Wei Ming didn’t tell Jam Hsiao until after it was built.
But it doesn't matter. The yard is neither big nor small, so it's suitable. After all, I really need a place to stay.
When he arrived at the gate of the yard, Xiao Jingxuan saw a person standing at the gate of the yard. He walked in and took a look. Xiao Jingxuan knelt down happily.
"Disciple Xiao Jingxuan greets the master. Master, why are you here?"
It turned out that this person was Xiao Jingxuan's master Cui Xiwen. Cui Xiwen looked at his beloved disciple kneeling on the ground and said, "Get up. Why, just say it at the door?"
Xiao Jingxuan quickly welcomed the master into the courtyard. After sitting down in the main hall, Xiao Jingxuan quickly went out to boil water and make tea for the master.
Looking at the apprentice who was doing everything himself, Cui Xiwen shook his head and said, "Okay, don't be busy. Come and talk to the master."
After hearing what the master said, Xiao Jingxuan immediately came to the master with a dog-legged smile.
"Master, why are you here?"
"My apprentice has been wronged, so of course I have to come over."
Xiao Jingxuan was a little surprised and asked: "Master, the other party is above the innate realm, can you do it?"
"Humph, I have long since ceased to be in the innate realm. However, Xuan'er, I am entrusted by others to tell you some things, but I have to remind you of some things.
You can be regarded as guarding one side now, but it's too fast. You are only sixteen years old now. Growing up too fast is not a good thing, and the same goes for martial arts.
Apart from a powerful set of Bull Demon Fist, what else can you use now? It's nothing more than a castle in the air.
According to my temper, I would like to destroy your martial arts skills and let you start over again to lay a solid foundation."
"Master, didn't you say that you want me to hone my martial arts on the battlefield?"
"Yes, I asked you to master the moves on the battlefield, but I didn't ask you to break through the realm. You are now at the Guiyi realm, and you are the first among the younger generation. Are you very proud?"
Xiao Jingxuan did not dare to speak at this time, for fear of saying the wrong thing and facing the master's storm again.
Immediately afterwards, the master said: "The road to martial arts is one step at a time. If you take a wrong step, the final result will be that the higher you stand, the harder you will fall.
As for the bald donkey on the grassland, don’t worry, I will go and give it some color.”
After saying that, he was about to stand up and say goodbye, but when he reached the door, Cui Xiwen hesitated to speak.
After thinking for a long time, he said: "Xuan'er, although you are talented and perseverant, the capital is a land of tigers and wolves, and the situation is unpredictable.
You still need to practice for a few years to accumulate a little more foundation.
As for the grassland, don’t go there for the time being, train your troops well, and don’t rush into anything.”
After saying that, he quickly left without looking back.
Xiao Jingxuan looked at the master's disappearing figure and said to himself: "Master, I also know..., but now I urgently want to know what the answer is."
Although it has not been long since Xiao Jingxuan joined the army, many things have traces of artificial arrangements. Has the Xiao family really declined? My rise has been too smooth, right?
All kinds of questions are weighing in my heart, but the master's words still make sense. On the battlefield, a pair of iron fists alone is not far away, but what is suitable for me?
After the master left, Xiao Jingxuan went to the army every day, and the affairs in the city were temporarily delegated to Wei Ming.
Nowadays, there will be more and more troops in Fengzhou, and Xiao Jingxuan has made new appointments to the official positions of the troops.
Wei Ming's performance during this period was remarkable. Not only did he manage the logistics in an orderly manner, but the civilian laborers and craftsmen who built the city also made proper arrangements.
However, the regular soldiers have a headache, and the cavalry is okay. After all, the contact time is a little longer, and the infantry has never been on the battlefield.
I really don’t have the right talents at my disposal. I have no choice but to try to be the best among the shortest.
The infantry has five ranks: the first is guerrilla Lei Ben, the second is guerrilla Zhang Kui, the third is guerrilla Zhang Wenli, the fourth is guerrilla Hu Zhihao, and the fifth is guerrilla Li Dingshan.
There are five ranks of cavalry: the first is guerrilla Li Xiaoyun, the second is guerrilla Gao Xiaohui, the third is guerrilla Lu Xu, the fourth is guerrilla Ye Xiong, and the fifth is guerrilla Zhao Hu.
Xu Ce is the leader of the Guards. Wei Ming is still the auxiliary, but this time there is an additional position for Wei Ming, that is, the chief bookkeeper of Cangchang.
After these personnel were arranged, Xiao Jingxuan began to prepare for next year's city defense supplies.
This year is another cold winter. No matter what the reasons are for the barbarians, they will definitely attack Wei next spring. Although I don’t know which direction to attack from, it’s better to be prepared.
In addition to logs and boulders, the most useful tools for defending the city were bows and arrows. Fortunately, a lot of bows and arrows were captured during the previous plunder. In addition, Longzhou also allocated a lot, so the quantity was sufficient.
Nowadays, the infantry are basically practicing bows and arrows and sabers. The cavalry is mainly practicing mounted archery.
In addition to city defense, Xiao Jingxuan also hired people to transport the huge rocks and trees outside Fengzhou City back to Fengzhou City to prevent them from being used by the barbarians.
As the saying goes, before the three armies move, food and grass must go first, and food reserves are also very important.
Xiao Jingxuan stockpiled a large amount of grain, grass and meat in the city, which can be consumed by the city for two months.
Now, everything is ready, all we have to do is wait for the enemy.
With the arrival of the Lantern Festival, the entire Fengzhou is immersed in joy. Although there were too many disasters for Fengzhou last year, today's Fengzhou City is overall much stronger than last year, and it also provides a good foundation for the success of the Lantern Festival.
It brings more security to the residents of Toyosu.
Nowadays, there is no one alone in Xiao Jingxuan's residence. Last time, when the master came over, there was no one to pour tea.
So, Xiao Jingxuan hired a cook, a maid, and a concierge.
However, because it was Shangyuan, Xiao Jingxuan gave a few people a few days off early.
When I got home, I ate something casually and wondered what happened to the master?
I don’t know how my mother is doing in the Duke’s Mansion. I wonder how many dishes were cooked at home today?
I wonder how Cui Yingxue is doing now, has she found her family, and does she still remember herself?
In a burst of random thoughts, Xiao Jingxuan spent the Lantern Festival alone like this.
This year, Xiao Jingxuan will be seventeen years old. The time has finally reached the seventeenth year of Jia'an.
The next day, Xiao Jingxuan got up early, washed up, and went to the military camp to pay New Year greetings to the soldiers.
There are many soldiers who live in Fengzhou City. Except for those on duty, Xiao Jingxuan has given Xiao Jingxuan the rest in the military camp.
However, there were also a lot of manpower. Xiao Jingxuan gave red envelopes to the soldiers on duty one by one. The money was not much, and he couldn’t get out more. It was just for good luck.
Now that the Lantern Festival has passed, the war is not far away.
This can be regarded as the calm before the war. As long as it survives the seventeenth year of Jia'an, Fengzhou will be completely stabilized.
As time passed little by little, the atmosphere in Fengzhou became solemn.
Everyone knows that the war is not far away.
Some traders took advantage of the lack of restrictions at the city gate and began to evacuate towards the south.
Some people outside the city also began to move into the city. Various city defense materials also began to be moved into the turrets of the city wall.
Wei Ming also began to organize civilians to thicken the city wall. The soldiers also began to inspect the equipment.
Xiao Jingxuan also began to issue orders to close the city gates every day at midnight, and the number of sentry posts was doubled from the original level.
The cavalry also began to move their camps into the city. Although there was no need for cavalry in the city, it was still too dangerous for poorly trained cavalry to stay outside.
While waiting anxiously, the barbarian cavalry finally arrived.
Looking at the dust rising in the distance, Xiao Jingxuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Unknown enemies are scary.
If the enemy doesn't come again, I'm afraid the soldiers will relax.
Xiao Jingxuan was on the tower, observing the enemies in the distance.
In addition to the two personal guards around Xiao Jingxuan, the guerrillas under their respective leaderships also arrived.
Seeing the size of the enemy and the flag, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The size of the enemy is not large, and it is not the Khan's personal conquest to see the commander's flag. Although this idea is cheap, it is the reality.