Chương 173: Development of Youzhou in One Year

The village school was also thriving.

Whether they are children of migrant workers or local children, as long as they reach the appropriate age, they can attend school for free.

The teaching materials consisted of the four books compiled by Liu Ce, plus Cai Yong's books. The teachers included scholars recruited by Cai Yong, retired officials, and literate soldiers—they took turns teaching, a diverse group.

During the busy farming season, they also give children "farming holidays" so that they can come home and help, emphasizing "learning to farm while doing nothing."

Now, any child in Youzhou can write their own name and even help with household accounting. They're much better off than the blind children of the past.

Merchants from other places were amazed when they saw this: "The children of Youzhou are more literate than some adults in other places!"

Interestingly, although schooling was free, after a bumper harvest, the people indulged in a taste of wealth and insisted on paying for their tuition with grain.

"The Marquis has been so kind to us, how can we take advantage of him for nothing?"

"Exactly! What's a little bit of food?"

"The general made sure our children went to school for free; that's a great kindness."

"I'll pay! I'll pay double! So my kid can learn a few more words!"

After learning about the situation, Liu Ce smiled helplessly and did not stop it—it was a good thing that the people had good intentions.

...

Not to mention the military aspects.

After a year of training, and with the constant "tutoring" (actually, bullying) from Liu Ce and the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun, the 800-strong Dragon Cavalry under Dian Wei's command are now all skilled warriors.

Horseback archery? A piece of cake.

Formation coordination? No problem.

Night raids? They're commonplace.

These eight hundred men are now dressed in bright armor purchased from modern times, holding long spears and horizontal swords, carrying composite bows on their backs, and wearing champion crossbows at their waists... They stand there exuding a murderous aura.

In one exercise, the Longxiang Battalion's charge "collapsed" Guan Yu's Zhongyong Battalion—although it was just an exercise, it demonstrated their strength.

Soldiers under generals such as Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun were also gradually equipped with new gear, including Mingguang armor, horizontal swords, Mo Dao (a type of long sword), composite bows, and champion repeating crossbows.

Combat power has soared.

Liu Ce also frequently sent them to the border to "see blood"—to wipe out small groups of Wuhuan and Xianbei raiders, or to clean up the remaining Yellow Turbans in Jizhou.

They euphemistically call it "real combat training."

The Wuhuan and Xianbei tribes on the border had a tough year.

Several small-scale incursions were detected in advance by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Gongsun Zan, Zhang Liao, Qin Qiong, and Yuchi Gong led their troops to capture them and gave them a sound beating.

In addition, the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun, known as the "nightmare of the grasslands," often appeared "wandering" around the Wuhuan and Xianbei tribes.

Every time I finish shopping, I always "get something"—horses, cattle, sheep, furs...

They've "acquired" over 5, 000 warhorses alone. Adding those purchased through the Zhen family's channels, Youzhou now boasts over 10, 000 warhorses.

They were assigned to the Longxiang Camp, Zhao Yun's Xiaorui Camp, Yuwen Chengdu's Tianbao Camp, Lü Bu's Feiqi Camp, and Gongsun Zan's Baima Yicong.

The cavalry's strength has greatly increased.

...

The system was also busy throughout the year.

I checked in several times and received generous rewards.

The two most important talents were Xue Rengui and Xu Da.

There was also a special cavalry force: three thousand Jingse Iron Cavalry (Han cavalry had fewer than ten thousand, but ten thousand were invincible!).

Liu Ce brought out Xue Rengui and Xu Da.

Xue Rengui, a young general in white robes, was highly skilled in martial arts, especially archery—the one who settled the Tianshan Mountains with three arrows.

Xu Da was a calm and steady man with the demeanor of a great general. He was skilled in commanding troops and was a founding hero of Zhu Yuanzhang.

Name: Xue Li, courtesy name Rengui Gender: Male Age: 23 [Strength]: 107 Command: 96 [Politics]: 75 Intelligence: 92 (Military) [Appearance]: 81cm Special skills: 【Three Arrows to Settle the Heavenly Mountain】: If you launch three long-range sniper attacks on three enemy generals and inflict fatal damage, there is a very high probability that you will directly force the morale of the entire enemy army to collapse and surrender, thus avoiding a large-scale battle.

【White-Clad Breaker】: Serves as the vanguard, increasing the damage of the unit's assault. On the first charge, it can cause a "shock" effect on the enemy, with a chance to cause the enemy to fall into confusion.

...

Name: Xu Da, courtesy name Tiande Gender: Male Age: 23 [Strength]: 96 Command: 98 [Politics]: 85 Intelligence: 95 (Military) [Appearance]: 78cm Special skills: 【Steady and Steady Progress + Step-by-Step Advancement】: Avoiding greed and rash advances, focusing on pre-battle planning and battlefield layout can effectively reduce the risk of being ambushed and gradually accumulate battlefield advantages.

[Strict Military Discipline]: Significantly enhances the discipline and morale of the troops, ensuring that no one is harmed after a city is captured, thereby quickly winning over the hearts of the people and consolidating rule.

【The Great Wall】: When used as a general or responsible for guarding a region, it can greatly enhance the stability of the defense line and strengthen the overall combat effectiveness of the troops under its command.

The moment the two appeared, they stunned the generals of Youzhou.

Xue Rengui challenged Lü Bu to an archery contest, and Lü Bu readily admitted defeat.

Xu Da discussed military strategy and troop deployment with Zhang Liao, who nodded repeatedly and said, "General Xu is well-versed in military strategy. I admire him greatly."

Liu Ce appointed Xue Rengui and Xu Da as colonels.

As for that cavalry, Liu Ce didn't take it out—he wanted to save his trump card for a crucial moment.

Liu Ce has also been busy with talent acquisition.

Lu Bu, Jia Xu, Xi Zhicai, Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, Chen Gong, Xun Yu, Guo Jia, Tian Feng, Ju Shou, Yu Jin... After a year of "influence" (actually, seeing the good development of Youzhou and feeling its potential, plus a combination of soft and hard tactics and genuine treatment), these people now sincerely call Liu Ce "Lord".

Even Gongsun Zan was won over by Liu Ce—Liu Ce replenished his supplies, provided him with warhorses, and even assigned Zhang Liao to assist in the defense. Gongsun Zan was moved to tears, patting his chest and saying, "My lord, from now on, I, Gongsun Zan, will guard the borders of Youzhou for you! If the Wuhuan and Xianbei dare to come, I will kill them all!"

Liu Ce, in his capacity as governor of Youzhou, also brought local talents Cheng Pu, Han Dang, Tian Chou, and Tian Yu under his command.

Cheng Pu and Han Dang were appointed as military commanders, while Tian Chou and Tian Yu were assigned to Fang Xuanling to handle government affairs.

He then transferred Gao Lan, a military general from Ji Province, to the province, in exchange for the title of General of the Cavalry and the additional military power over Ji Province.

But Liu Ce felt it wasn't enough.

He took a liking to several talented individuals: Taishi Ci, Xu Chu, Qu Yi, Xu Huang, Xu Shu, Xun You, Cheng Yu, Shen Pei, and Gan Ning.

These people are either not yet in office or hold low-ranking positions. Those with low-ranking positions cannot be transferred across regions, and those who are not yet in office may be rejected if they are directly recruited.

Liu Ce thought about it and wondered how embarrassing it would be if he were rejected. So he wrote a letter to his brother, the emperor Liu Hong, deciding to use an imperial edict to "morally blackmail" him.

The letter is half true and half false, and contains artistic embellishment.

"Your Majesty, I have been governing Youzhou for almost a year, and it is finally starting to look promising. The Wuhuan and Xianbei have raided several times, but I have stopped them from entering the border. The remaining Yellow Turbans in Jizhou have also been almost completely wiped out."

There's another important matter: next spring, I will lead my soldiers to attempt a counterattack against the Wuhuan and Xianbei. After all, our ancestor, Emperor Wu, said, "They may go, and so may we go." The Han Dynasty cannot always be on the defensive; the Han Dynasty is not afraid of the Wuhuan and Xianbei!

"Now I have a few small requests: I find that I do not have enough administrators and generals under my command. Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to transfer the following personnel to me: Taishi Ci, Xu Chu, Qu Yi, Xu Huang, Xu Shu, Xun You, Cheng Yu, Shen Pei, and Gan Ning."

When the letter arrived in Luoyang, Liu Hong read it in the Greenhouse Palace and was overjoyed.

"Haha... My brother's military capabilities are quite impressive. It seems I'm quickly becoming a ruler of great talent and ambition like Emperor Xiaowu!"

He glanced at the list and, apart from Xun You, whom he vaguely recognized, the rest were all minor figures.

"Hmm, they're all nobodys, so it's fine to give them away." Liu Hong became increasingly pleased with himself.

"I will be the restorer of the dynasty!"

He wrote it down with a flourish: "Approved."

It was handed over to Zhang Rang to handle.

Zhang Rang was efficient – having received a "service fee" from Liu Ce, he naturally worked hard.