People in the Three Kingdoms: Starting from Preaching

Chapter 106 Letting the dog bite people
With the mass-printed textbooks, both officer cadets and craftsman cadets can review according to the textbooks after the class. Xu Chen even thoughtfully provided them with blank notebooks and rough charcoal pencils to make it easier for them to take notes and do exercises.

Teacher Xu Chen also clearly felt that the teaching progress had become faster, and the effect of the teaching materials was immediate.

So after a long period of teaching, all the students also faced their first assessment. This assessment was only the most basic one, which determined whether they could still retain their status as formal believers of the Natural Way.

So far, what Xu Chen teaches is still the most basic content such as reading and basic calculations.

Now that the teaching has been going on for almost a season, if the students cannot even pass such a basic assessment, it can only be said that their learning attitude or ability does not meet the requirements. Xu Chen can only expel them from the Yellow Turbans and the Ministry of Works and let them return to the status of ordinary people.

After the exam, Xu Chen printed out dozens of standard answers and asked Zhang Zhongjing and all the surrendered officials from the Yellow Turbans to review them. With the answers, they did not have much trouble even if the content was in simplified Chinese.

Two days later, all the test papers were marked and the atmosphere in the Engineering Institute became tense.

When the news of the results announcement came, the craftsmen in the institute all put down their work and rushed to the list. It was obvious that everyone had a look of nervousness on their face, and Hu Tao in the crowd was the same.

Although he was confident in his learning progress and felt that the test was not difficult, when the results were announced, he was still subconsciously worried.

When he arrived at the place where the results were announced, he saw a long piece of paper hanging on the wall with densely packed names and their scores written on it.

The Shenjiao exam uses a scoring system, and the vast majority of the questions are designed to be intuitive multiple-choice, judgment-based, and fill-in-the-blank questions. Only the final essay and application questions have a certain amount of subjective judgment. In short, the exam strives to reduce subjective factors. Right is right and wrong is wrong, and you get as many points as you can.

The college's grades are also expressed in digital symbols. Now, the students have become accustomed to this symbol that is more convenient for calculation and can understand it at a glance.

As soon as she arrived here, Hu Tao heard many sighs of relief, and only a very few people had unhappy expressions.

From this perspective, the vast majority of people can pass the exam.

Hu Tao didn't care about others and started searching on the list. He immediately found his name on the list, among the small group of people with the highest scores at the front.

"You have a bright future, kid. You've already caught the eye of the great heavenly master, and your results are so good this time. You will definitely be able to become an official in the future!" When someone saw Hu Tao, they were immediately envious. After all, Hu Tao's results were at the top and could be seen at a glance.

Hu Tao smiled at the man and said, "If you want to be promoted, you have to pass the subsequent higher exams. I can only continue to study hard to live up to the expectations of the Grand Master."

The man also nodded: "That's right, we don't care about background and connections, we only look at ability. If you can't pass the exam, you won't be accepted no matter what!"

Hu Tao said: "If you want to be promoted, the exams will become more and more difficult. Craftsmen like us also need to evaluate our technical achievements. If we don't work hard, we will definitely not succeed. Let's encourage each other."

This person also bowed and said "Let's encourage each other", but then changed the subject: "Today is a good day, the Great Heavenly Master is calling on villagers from all over the country to meet by bonfire tonight, how about you and I go together?"

Hu Tao thought about it, and finally shook his head and said, "I'd better stay in the courtyard and continue to review my lessons."

The man felt bored when he heard this, but he didn't say much. He just nodded and said goodbye and left.

Hu Tao didn't take it seriously. He turned around and went back to his room, where he studied and prepared for his future work.

Since the paper mill was on track, the craftsmen, in addition to learning, also divided the work according to their respective types of work.

The potters were arranged by the Grand Master to build a pottery workshop. After the workshop was built, they not only had to study the craft of making pottery and porcelain, but also had to burn something called glass according to the guidance of the Grand Master.

Blacksmiths naturally have to set up blacksmith workshops, and in the future they will mainly study as many iron materials as possible.

Experienced farmers and women are trying to breed better varieties of food and livestock.

Even those alchemists were assigned tasks by the Great Master, asking them to try to refine medicines that could preserve the medicinal properties, and to explore the process of producing purer salt and sugar.

As for carpenters like myself, my main focus is to study mechanical structures. In the future, I will not only make wooden machinery, but also try to combine metal components, and even eventually develop completely into metal machinery.

Hu Tao knew that these things were not so easy to do, at least he was still at a loss as to the carpentry part.

Perhaps it is true as the Great Heavenly Master said, that craftsmen need a very long time of study before they can acquire the ability to accomplish these things.

Hu Tao didn't think too much about the future, but he didn't dare to relax about the current difficulties.

The project that the Grand Master has now assigned to the carpenter group is to improve and develop large and small equipment used by the army. Every month the carpenters have to report on the project progress and existing results, and there is no room for slackness or laziness.

So Hu Tao was unwilling to spend more time participating in this bonfire party.

But for most people who lack entertainment life, they are very willing to participate in such activities.

When night fell, people from inside and outside the city came to Yuyang spontaneously. There was no need for any special organization. As soon as it got dark, bonfires were lit everywhere and the crowds began to sing and dance.

Xu Chen, the great celestial master, did not make a public appearance, but just watched the party from the top of the city wall. This party could be regarded as a party for the Yellow Turbans' military and civilians, or a social party for the Yellow Turbans.

Most of the people who come here are young men and women from inside and outside the city, and this is also a good opportunity for many Yellow Turban men to get rid of their single status. If they fall in love with each other at the party, they will naturally develop in the direction of getting married.

"These bastards require the leader to worry about important matters. They are just a bunch of useless guys!" Wang Dang looked at the lively party below and snorted coldly.

Xu Chen just smiled and said: "Those who have constant property have constant determination. Soldiers must first have a family business before they can have constant determination."

Wang Dang added: "The leader has good intentions, but the war is about to start, and I don't know how many of them can get married before then."

Xu Chen remained silent. A new war meant new sacrifices. He wondered how many more of the singing and dancing Yellow Turban warriors would be buried in the earth.

Starting a family before the war was actually a bit cruel, as the newlyweds would be separated from each other if something went wrong.

But war is so cruel. If you don’t fight, others will.

Only when people have a family will they have a place to return to. Fighting a war is not just about fighting, but also about defending their homes and religion. Only then will they be unwilling to retreat and have a more cohesive military morale and combat effectiveness.

"The surrounding counties are making more and more noise. I'm afraid they are already waiting to encircle and suppress them after the autumn harvest. Instead of waiting for them to join forces to attack us, I think it's better to take the initiative to attack and defeat them one by one, just like when we defeated the coalition forces of the three counties."

As the autumn harvest approached, the surrounding military movements inevitably reached Xu Chen. He judged that the war would come soon, most likely after the autumn harvest.

If we harvest in autumn later, we can get grain directly from the county town, saving the effort of harvesting.

But precisely because this might be too obvious, Xu Chen felt that they were wishful thinking.

"I think they haven't been beaten enough. Do they really think I'm a piece of dirt? Do you want to step on me for no reason?"

Speaking of this, Wang Dang narrowed his eyes, and his original intention of going down to socialize was instantly extinguished. Then he slammed his palm on the battlement, and his tone became even colder.

"Just do as the leader says. Our army will take the initiative in this battle. I will definitely make them feel the pain!"

"Very good. This sect allows you to recruit 3,000 households and 1,000 Yellow Turbans, a total of 4,000 troops to attack. We will follow the style of our army in Zhuo County, sweeping the wealthy villages along the way and threatening isolated counties. We will use our strength to march quickly and engage in guerrilla warfare, fight to support the war, and cause the greatest damage to the enemy and distract their energy."

Xu Chen's face was serious, and he gave orders to Wang Dang, but the way of fighting this time was different from before.

Now that the family business has grown, there must always be someone to look after the rear. After all, his current situation is almost surrounded. The barbarians in the north may plunder, and the east and south are forming an alliance. Only the west is relatively quiet.

If the entire army is mobilized, it is easy to focus on the head and not the butt. If someone steals your house, it will be too late to regret it.

So Wang Dang had to go out to fight, while he stayed in the rear. This way, the rear could be kept stable, and Wang Dang could decide whether to advance or retreat depending on the battle situation.

"You will start recruiting soldiers tomorrow. I will give you ten days to complete your combat readiness training. After you go out, you must treat yourself like a vicious dog.

When the main force of the enemy attacks, you run away. When the main force of the enemy cannot catch up, you eat up their county and village tyrants.

While trying to save ourselves, we tear their flesh and blood. When they are in great pain, they will not bother to trouble us anymore. Once we have a safe autumn harvest in the rear, we will not be afraid of them coming again. "

Wang Dang was speechless for a moment. Of course he understood Xu Chen's tactics and strategies, but what the vicious dog said was really unpleasant.

But he also knew that this was just a joke from the leader and he didn't take it seriously.

And this metaphor is really apt. If we follow this style of fighting, we will be just like the vicious dog of the Yellow Turbans.

"I will definitely let them have a taste of my power!"

Wang Dang was already rubbing his hands in anticipation and couldn't wait. Since the last war, the Yellow Turbans had been stable for a long time, and he was already losing his patience.

If the Yellow Turbans had followed their previous style, with the current strength of the Natural Cult, they would have gone out to stir up trouble long ago. How could they still be hiding in just four counties?

However, Wang Dang did not think this was a bad thing. At least the current Grand Master was indeed better at doing things than his predecessor.

Although the Yellow Turbans were powerful in the past and could easily lead hundreds of thousands of people, they only brought chaos and destruction. The Yellow Turbans now advance steadily and are always developing and building.

No one feels this difference more deeply than Wang Dang.

(End of this chapter)