I am an immortal in heaven and earth

Chapter 364 Recruiting Soldiers
Chen Gongming's boat returned quickly. They docked in Poyang and then came over by small boat.

They brought back a lot of food, spices, and some native officials from the Kingdom of Luzon Island, all of whom came to organize studies.

Chen Liuxian was also among them. He was captured by bandits for no apparent reason, and then taken away by the Hedgehog Fairy Bai Po Po for no apparent reason. He became a refugee who reclaimed wasteland in Poyang Lake, and later immigrated to the sea, treating illnesses and saving lives in Luzon.

After this training, he felt "the world is wide open". Originally, he was the reincarnation of the Ninth Palace Immortal, but he was confused for a while. The snake demon did not affect him and was suppressed under the stupa. Now he has accomplished some things.

In his first life, he practiced as a junior Taoist priest in Mount Longhu. In his second life, he practiced as a Taoist doctor in Mount Gexian. But in his third life, he was just a minor doctor and early on became entangled with a snake demon.

Xu Jia was stubborn and could not be enlightened twice, but now there was no need to enlighten him. He had let go of many of his worries and had developed a compassionate heart. He was taught the talisman and now started practicing again.

Although he has lost his virginity and has not been practicing since childhood, it doesn't matter. There are those who started practicing in their forties or fifties, those who have given birth to three or four children, and some who have achieved immortality. What's more, he still has the foundation for immortality, so his practice can be considered to be making rapid progress.

Chen Gongming brought him to see Xu Jia, but before they arrived at Xu Jia's place of meditation, they saw a boy blocking their way. The boy was sitting on the back of a huge old hen, which was as big as a cow. It was none other than the Taoist Feng Lei. There was also a sheep and a frog next to it. They were all three disciples of the Lishan School transformed by Xu Jia.

The three of them are now being raised by Xu Jian, the original founder of Shanju Temple, to protect them in their cultivation. Xu Jian's cultivation is also progressing very fast, and he has already reached the middle stage of human immortal, with a solid foundation.

"Chen Changsheng, you ungrateful man, where have you been for the past three years? My junior sister has been suppressed under the tower for three years, and you didn't care about anything?"

Chen Changsheng looked at the three "monsters" in surprise and couldn't help asking, "Who are you?"

"We are the seniors of Junior Sister Liu Ruyan. If you have any conscience, go and see Ruyan."

Chen Changsheng was silent for a while: "I will go to see her."

Before the Taoist Fenglei could say anything, Chen Gongming stepped forward and said, "You old hen, you are too talkative, or I will stew you and eat your chicken soup. The pheasant spirit in Qingfeng Pavilion was not worse than you in size, but it was also stewed and eaten, wasn't it?"

"I am a transformed person."

“Now it’s also a chicken. The human turned into a chicken, and the chicken cultivated into a human. Don’t you think it’s strange?” Chen Gongming had the temperament of a military general. His cultivation was not bad either. With the foundation of a martial arts candidate, he was already in the late stage of human immortal. When he was overseas, he often used shark oil to refine pearls to practice martial arts. Now his skin was dark and shiny, flashing with copper light. In terms of martial arts, he had already achieved great success in skin refining, which could be said to be the achievement of “Water and Fire Immortal Clothes”.

This kind of martial arts immortal is fundamentally different from those who practice health preservation. It's like Taishang Laojun, who has a higher level, was pushed down by Sun Wukong in Journey to the West. A high level of Taoism does not mean strong combat power. The physical body, magic power, and the soul each have their own corresponding systems. It's like a top scientist who can also be stabbed to death by a gangster.

Once he got angry, Fenglei Taoist didn't dare to say anything, even though he was at a higher level and was proficient in Fenglei Dao. Although he turned into an old hen, Xu Jia had set up a blessed land during these days, and they had also been pardoned and their strength had recovered a lot. But if they were really caught, it would be over.

Chen Gongming led Chen Changsheng to Xu Jia's place and reported the situation on the island.

"Master Xu, now in Luzon Daoguo, 100,000 mu of paddy fields have been reclaimed. In addition, there are several thousand mu of land for growing sweet potatoes. Once the stuff grows, just cut the vines and plant them in the ground. They can survive. They are very easy to raise. Now about two mu of land can feed one person. If the island continues to be reclaimed, it will be no problem to feed 100,000 people. Another 100,000 mu can be reclaimed. This time it will definitely take less time."

"In addition, each tribe has cultivated some land on their own, some have thousands of acres, and some have hundreds of acres. In the future, they will all be incorporated and coordinated together."

"In addition to food, there are more and more merchants. After we attacked the pirates several times in a row, they realized that the Dragon Kings in the sea are on our side, so they moved further south and no longer dared to harass the merchants doing business with us."

"We earn a lot of money from customs duties and the toll docks. The shipyard has also started building new ships. It is estimated that within one or two years, large ships built entirely by us will be put to sea. Then the South Sea Islands can basically be said to be our territory. Most of the indigenous islanders are still using canoes."

"As for the soldiers, in addition to the Taoist boys, I also organized 500 militiamen, but they are not full-time. As you said, they are responsible for patrolling and maintaining public security. They are paid monthly wages based on the customs duties collected at the docks, and a series of fines have been formulated. For example, if someone is caught using the toilet in public, a fine of fifty will be imposed..."

These 500 people are basically responsible for maintaining public order and doing comprehensive work such as sanitation, urban management, traffic police, and police.

Xu Jia said softly, "Now that you're gone, who's in charge now?"

"It's Senior Brother Huizhuo. He has become a great chieftain respected by more than a dozen tribes. Many chieftains are even willing to marry their daughters to him as concubines. But those women... are hard to describe."

Although most Southeast Asian women have flat noses, small eyes, and dark skin, which do not conform to the aesthetics of the Central Plains, they are somewhat exotic, and the daughter of a chieftain is not too bad. Xu Jia found it a little funny: "Is he hot in it, or does he feel humiliated? Or is he torn between the two?"

"It's likely that he enjoys it." Chen Gongming said, "Master Xu, you didn't see that he has become the most fragrant person on the island."

Xu Jia sensed a bit of sourness in what she heard. Originally, Chen Gongming was also a seven-spotted ladybug and had an affair with Fox Agui. She must have suffered a lot on the island. These islanders did not meet her aesthetic standards, or her excitement points were raised too much by Fox Agui, so she felt that these pleasures were ordinary. Or maybe practicing martial arts meant to be pure-hearted and free from desires.

"Don't say anything else. Since ancient times, those who have accomplished great things have never compromised on small matters. With your merits, you can be promoted to general. However, the general's seal was given to you many years ago. This time, you are allowed to recruit soldiers and organize an army."

"Recruiting soldiers and organizing the army?" Chen Gongming became excited, and his nostrils became bigger.

He asked, "How many soldiers do we need to recruit? How do we recruit them?"

"These landlords must have private slaves, all of whom are private soldiers. Now I am taking action against them, but there is a lot of resistance. You should first recruit 2,000 soldiers and let these Taoist children you brought back be squad leaders. They will be well fed and well trained for two months, and they will be ready to be new soldiers. As for weapons and equipment, they are already prepared."

"Just don't fire randomly. Don't let blood flow unless it's absolutely necessary. By then, all the armed forces and private slaves will be left to you to reorganize. There are 200,000 people in Yushan and Dexing. If we fully support the logistics, we can probably raise about 5,000 soldiers. I allow you to fully staff them, but except for the core weapons that are fully equipped, I'm afraid the rest can only use old-fashioned weapons."

The weapons Xu Jia was talking about were the latest flintlock rifles, while the old weapons were cold weapons.

"Nothing, this is more than enough. Once we occupy the entire Raozhou City and Xinzhou Prefecture, we can fill in some more." Chen Gongming was very happy: "We have finally made it this far." However, Chen Changsheng was already fidgeting at this time, and couldn't help asking: "Are you planning a rebellion?"

Xu Jia looked at him strangely: "Is this hard to understand?"

"Aren't you afraid of being beheaded?"

"I have become a god, so I am not afraid. Killing me will only help me to break free from the enemy."

Chen Gongming said: "What we did on the island and in Poyang, weren't we always rebelling? If we weren't rebelling, why would we win the hearts of the people and provide disaster relief? Should we tell them that we were sent by the emperor to do good deeds?"

Xu Jia said to him, "I gave you two chances before to accept me as your master. Now you haven't accepted me as your master, but you have learned my Dharma. Have you made a vow or taken a pledge?"

"I don't know... this is you..."

"You didn't know at the beginning, but you didn't know later? Or do you think that if I help the people, you will do the opposite of me, or you think that everyone else can do good deeds, but I can't. This doesn't fit your stereotype. After all, I separated you two young couples and pressed your wife under the tower."

Chen Changsheng didn't know what to say and said nothing.

Xu Jia said: "You are also a doctor, you may understand great love. Now, I have suppressed her for three years. She has not done anything that disgusts me. She just confused you and made you indulge in small love. It's not a big deal. There were fox demons who opened brothels to sell sex before. It's not a big deal. It's just that several of her seniors bumped into me. You just saw them. I demoted them to animals and made them experience the hardships of animals. It also smoothed their arrogant mentality."

"Now, you should have figured it out. Take this handwritten order and go to Jinshan Temple. Find the abbot and ask her to take you to the stupa. Use my handwritten order to release your wife."

"what?"

So easy?

He was a little bit unbelieving. He had come back this time wanting to see Xu Jia and talk to him, but now he was speechless.

"Go ahead, go ahead. It's up to you to decide whether to go or stay, whether to go home and live a simple life, or to start a career."

Chen Changsheng held the handwritten imperial edict and opened his mouth slightly: "I understand." Then he left without looking back.

Chen Gongming said with a sigh of relief, "I was so optimistic about this kid. I thought he performed well and made great contributions on the island. He compiled a health manual, tasted hundreds of herbs on the island, and wrote the Luzon Herbal Classic, saving the islanders and immigrants from the problem of difficulty in treating diseases and difficulty in buying herbs. He just left like that? He didn't even say thank you."

Xu Jia said: "Let him make the decision in his heart. People are always assholes sometimes. I have let it go. Why can't you let it go? This time, recruit more talents who are good at martial arts and fighting."

"Those who practice martial arts also say that it's hard to say whether you can fight a war or not. You can't learn how to fight by reading military books. How can you know you can fight if you haven't fought a war? Once you have fought, survived, and made contributions, you will have experience. Then it will be useful to read military books again."

"But now it's different. The equipment is different. As long as we don't lose heart, there is no battle that we can't win. We fight for the people and for the distribution of land. Instead of saying we're going to fight, we can find someone with a loud voice and shout a few times, telling them to stop fighting and come back soon to divide the land. If it's too late, there will be nothing left. Then they will stop fighting and happily follow us."

Xu Jia naturally knew about this. In history, the troops that dared to distribute land equally had extremely high combat effectiveness. Patriotism and loyalty to the emperor were all empty talk. The most important thing was why they fought. It was to distribute land, so that their wives and children could have food to eat, so that their mother would not starve to death, and so that they could wear new clothes for the New Year...

"So we need to be more vigilant. What if there are people who don't buy into this? What if they also buy into this? The aristocratic families always try to buy people's hearts and minds during times of chaos, just like we do. But are they essentially the same? Do you think they are? But the common people think they are the same. As long as we maintain their rule, we are maintaining our own interests. They may not be very tempted by our land-sharing plan."

"Be prepared to win the battle, but also be prepared to lose the battle. Losing is not terrible. As long as people's hearts are not scattered, as long as we can clearly distinguish between us and them, and do this one thing wholeheartedly, come from the masses and go to the masses, this is Lingbao."

"If you want to fight in the future, you must remember this. Now when you recruit soldiers, you are not recruiting numbers, but real people. They are the sons of the villagers. How can you betray their trust? How can you make them cry?"

"Oh." Chen Gongming felt much heavier, and his excitement just now was mostly gone, and he also remembered this matter.

"I will figure out what to do. Before establishing the army, we will first establish the system and rules. Then everything will be done according to these rules."

"Rules are dead and cold, but people are alive and warm. You have to take better care of them."

"I will."

"I hope you can do it. Go ahead. Find Jinchan for finances and the Salt and Iron Department for equipment. Now that we have minted our new coins, use them to pay the soldiers."

"By the way, did you conquer Ryukyu?" Xu Jia asked.

"I haven't gone yet. Ryukyu originally submitted to the Daning Dynasty. As long as Daning is not overthrown, it will not make trouble. Later, the Changsheng Sect took over the country and established the Changsheng Dao Kingdom. We have not eliminated the Dao Kingdom either. Many of them have fled to the Wa Nu Kingdom and regrouped in the Wa Nu Kingdom. Now there are 20,000 samurai defending it. Our ships and weapons are more advanced, but landing on the beach will still result in heavy casualties, so we have temporarily given up the idea of ​​conquering Ryukyu."

"Then wait until we conquer Fujian. Since ancient times, Ryukyu and Formosa have belonged to Fujian. We can retake them together then."

Xu Jia talked to him a lot more, and ordered him to post the notice when recruiting soldiers. If you join the army, you will get two acres of land, a new set of clothes, and the treatment will be specified. He also talked about how to deal with corruption in the army... Most of these were based on previous experiences, and it was imperative to discipline the army strictly and not harm the people.

(End of this chapter)