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Ch15 - Sergeant
Yiyan looked up abruptly and blinked disbelievingly, “My lord, you want me to lead your troops?”
“What’s the matter? Too afraid?” Liang Feng received a cup of tea from LĂŒzhu and sipped lightly, “The militia needs someone to train them. I’m in no condition to do so personally, so naturally, I need an aide.”
In reality, it was never the head of household’s task to train the militia, they had subordinate officers for that kind of thing, not that Yiyan knew. He only felt that his blood had been ignited. His lord trusted him! His lord was willing to entrust him with the task of training his private military! His heart was nearly leaping out of his chest, he resolutely answered, “I’m willing to die for you, my lord!”
LĂŒzhu jumped at his sudden shout, though Liang Feng had the urge to burst out laughing. If there was one thing he’d learned from all those years of being a policeman, it was how to read people. Yiyan’s heart was in the right place. He was fierce and brave and genuinely wanted to follow him. And he was only seventeen to boot. With the proper training, he’d doubtlessly become the capable talent he needed. His loyalty, his strength, was exactly what he needed in a weapon.
Liang Feng’s expression became severe, he said solemnly, “From tomorrow onwards, you will begin learning how to lead and train troops. I’m not looking for a group of reckless butchers who only know how to kill, but a force that advances at the drum and retreats at the gong. A powerful force that can protect their country and home. And because you carry a heavy duty on your shoulders, you must endure greater hardship than the soldiers under your command.”
“I can do it!” Yiyan answered confidently. Tomorrow, his lord would teach him how to lead troops! That wasn’t something an ordinary servant could learn! For that alone, he would do his utmost to fulfill his lord’s every order!
Upon seeing Yiyan’s spirited attitude, Liang Feng smiled faintly. He didn’t expect that motley group to instantly learn how to get in a “Sancai Formation” or a “Yuanyang Formation,” but they needed to be able to march neatly in line at the very least. That was a foundational skill, one that had been refined countless times by modern militaries, it’s importance was self-evident.
To tell the truth, he was also curious as to how much this youngster would be able to learn.
“Master, it’s time to take your medicine.” LĂŒzhu, seeing an opportunity, interjected. She held up a bowl full of medicine.
She hadn’t purposely interrupted their conversation; she was merely concerned that her master would wear himself out too much.
After dealing with Tian Chang and rallying the militia, Liang Feng was indeed somewhat tired. He didn’t brush off LĂŒzhu’s kind intentions. He received the bowl of medicine. It should be the formula that Physician Jiang had prescribed. Its effects were yet unknown, but it’s smell was far more horrifying! He took a deep breath, held it, and downed it in one go. He nearly went green from the effort it took to keep his nausea down.
When the urge to puke finally passed, Liang Feng turned and saw the two youngsters staring at him nervously. LĂŒzhu was already holding out a box of honeyed sweets and urging, “Master, quick, have some dried apricot
”
Liang Feng weakly waved it away, “There’s no need.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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LĂŒzhu had been hoping for such a result. She carefully arranged her master’s sheets and noticed that the Jie person hadn’t left yet. She looked at him annoyedly and quietly asked, “Isn’t it about time to leave?”
Yiyan had no intention of leaving. He replied in an equally quiet voice, “My lord ordered me to serve on night duty.”
“You’re dirtying this room just by standing in here!” LĂŒzhu retorted under her breath.
Only then did Yiyan realize that he hadn’t cleaned himself off yet. He flushed just thinking about how long he’d stayed in his lord’s presence like this. He dashed out the door.
LĂŒzhu was stunned by his antics again. She huffily stomped her foot then tidied the desk and added some calming incense into the censer. Once she was done, the door creaked as Yiyan, with drenched hair and in clean clothes, returned.
“I’ve washed.” Yiyan was still planning to stay. He planted himself in the doorway, “I’m staying on night guard for my lord!”
LĂŒzhu was so mad she nearly had steam puffing out of her ears. She humphed and said sullenly, “Fine, then you can stand on night duty outside the door!”
Yiyan took a glance at the man sleeping soundly on the bed and didn’t argue. He stood rigidly at the door, having successfully established his privilege to stay on night duty. LĂŒzhu began to carry out her tasks, but less than an hour later, there was the sound of quiet dispute outside the door.
“Young master’s come to pay respects
.”
“The lord is asleep already!”
“Young master is the master’s only son
..”
“The lord is asleep already!”
“You, you vile slave
.”
Just a few exchanges, and there was already a cloud of gloom hanging over LĂŒzhu’s head. She hurriedly opened the door and said, “Stop fighting, master’s only just fallen asleep.”
The woman standing outside looked at LĂŒzhu like she was a lifeline, “LĂŒzhu, the young master requests an audience, please would you accommodate
.”
LĂŒzhu saw that the nursemaid was leading the hopeful and yearning young master in hand. She bit her lip and responded softly, “Zhaoyu, why don’t you wait till tomorrow. Master’s been busy all day today, he needs his rest to recover.”
A flash of dejection shone in Zhaoyu’s eyes. She tugged on Liang Rong’s hand and quietly said, “Your father’s asleep already, we’ll just come again tomorrow.”
LĂŒzhu felt somewhat sympathetic, though she’d already been serving her master for a while already, and knew what relations were like in the family. The father and son had only just reconciled; if he irritated the master, things could turn for the worse again. She gently said, “Don’t worry, young master. Once master wakes up, I’ll notify him of your visit. He’ll definitely be overjoyed.”
However Liang Rong stubbornly shook his head, “I’ll come tomorrow.”
Still holding the nursemaid’s hand he turned as if to leave. Zhaoyu patted his head in sympathy and said to LĂŒzhu, “Thank you, LĂŒzhu.”
She sighed and ambled away with Liang Rong.
After the two had completely vanished from sight, LĂŒzhu turned to Yiyan, who was stone-faced and straight-backed as ever, and roller her eyes, “You know, the young master is master’s only son. Aren’t you afraid of being punished?”
“The lord has slept already. No one is allowed to disturb him.” Yiyan said quietly but inflexibly.
LĂŒzhu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. This Jie might look ugly, but he was loyal at least. She lightly humphed but didn’t say anything. She cautiously closed the door. Before it closed, Yiyan only caught a glimpse of a figure sleeping on the bed before he looked away and dutifully stood guard outside.
※
Tian Chang was fuming as he returned to his house and flung open the door. A middle aged woman greeted him, “Husband, has the master given you management over the estate?”
Tian Chang flung his sleeve, “What master?! The way I see it, that brat was scared witless by the bandits. The moment he returns, he wants to train a militia! Everyone’s got private soldiers these days, but how many of them really have useable militias? It’s not that easy to drill up a militia! He’s just throwing money down the gutter!”
His wife lurched, “The master wants to re-form the militia?”
“Indeed he does! He even exempted a whole bunch of people’s land tax. I bet he’s going to give the militia plenty of perks too. Why doesn’t he take a look at what kind of straits he’s in?! We’re already strapped for cash just supporting that father-son pair; we don’t have the money to raise troops!” He’d been stewing in anger ever since Liang Feng had given him a hard time.
That was unexpected. Mrs. Tian had thought that after Yan Sheng died, her husband would be called upon to take on greater responsibility. Still, as the former handmaiden of Liang Feng’s mother, she did have some petty cleverness. She instantly replied, “I heard ah-Liang say that the master was going to recruit some farmhands into the militia as well. Maybe we should tell the Wang brothers the news?”
The brothers Wang Hu and Wang Bao, who counted as the estate’s security guards, were restless layabouts who loved to drink and gamble. The man upstairs didn’t know, but how would Tian Chang not know? He realized what his wife meant; they could be used to stir up trouble in the militia!
He grinned and patted his wife’s arm, “Ah-Yuan, you’re absolutely right. I’ve got to make some plans about craftsmen Jiang and Wu as well
”
There weren’t just farmers and fishers among the hundred or so households that the Liang family gained along with their title. Those families that were skilled in handiworks became the foundation of the four crafting workshops: the clothworks, the metalworks, the clayworks, and the woodworks. The craftsman in charge of the woodworks was poor, but upright and slow-witted; the head of the metalworks was too hard headed and conservative. Only the clothworks and the clayworks were making a profit, and their managers were doing quite a bit of illicit business on the side. They’d taken advantage of the fact that the last two heads of household were useless and incompetent to earn quite a bit of money for themselves. Even the stewards in the main residence wouldn’t offend them lightly.
Now that things in the Liang Estate were being shaken up, the workshops would likely be turned on their heads as well. If he meddled with the ledgers a bit and pressured the craftsmen a bit, he could get them to bite the hook for sure!
It was easy to find a brute who could wave a sword around, but it was much harder to find someone who could work an abacus. Since that wastrel wanted the ledgers, then he couldn’t be blamed for making life difficult for him!
The author has something to say:
Hahaha, the wolfdog’s training begins tomorrow =w=