diymy Chapter 17 You've become a coward, you old man.
Chapter 17 You've become a coward, you old man.
Tianjin.
It means the place where the emperor crossed the river.
But in just a few days, the place has changed dramatically.
From the confluence of the three rivers to the camp, the road is wide open.
In the sixteenth year of the Chongzhen reign, plague struck the entire northern Zhili and Shandong provinces, while floods occurred in Shaanxi and Gansu, affecting approximately ten million people.
Tianjin has just recovered from the plague.
The Grand Canal and the North Canal are frozen over, the dry riverbed of the Haihe River is exposed, and the ice on other sections of the river is more than three feet deep, making it passable by carriages and horses.
The camp is building greenhouses, mainly for hay, to feed the Pegasus.
The two officials in charge of agriculture have been busy with this matter these past few days.
The hay cannot be eaten immediately after it is cut; it must be drained, mixed with brown rice flour, wheat bran, and a large amount of soybean feed.
The entire history of the White Horse Righteous Cavalry, spanning sixty years, is now being documented and registered for the Heavenly Horses of the Cavalry.
Pegasus would mostly object to having their buttocks stamped.
Therefore, they made a point of designing the mithril daggers worn by the Pegasus.
It can truly be described as a completely aristocratic military branch.
Jiazi pushed open the door and entered, walking into the central courtyard.
The house was expanded considerably, with vegetable gardens, thatched huts, and a flower garden.
It connects to the left and right sides, and several fire walls were built between the walls.
Inscriptions were laid underground.
It ensures privacy and personal space for Sichen, allows Liuding and Liujia to provide support at any time, and also provides warmth and protection from the cold.
Not just here, the entire camp is being expanded.
It was originally a permanent military fortress, but it was transformed into a large city, and there were even plans to connect it to the garrison city across the Haihe River.
Two maids used a hot, damp towel and a silver comb to tie Si Chen's hair from root to tip.
Si Chen raised his hand, and the two quietly retreated, lowering the screen.
Jiazi observed his appearance and expression while sitting comfortably in front of the couch.
"Don't worry, they are all family members and relatives of the Yi Cong," Si Chen said casually.
This was true not only in Sichen's camp, but also in the entire camp.
Supporting an army naturally means supporting one's family as well.
"My intention is to establish a family unit, with each household of the White Horse Cavalry inheriting the position regardless of whether they die in battle. The position will be passed down from father to son, from elder brother to younger brother."
"Including grasslands and greenhouses on the west bank of the Haihe River, which were also allocated to them."
"The volunteers were trained in a closed camp, and everyone, regardless of rank, ate and lived together without receiving a salary."
"The military strictly enforces a rationing system and prohibits gambling and trade."
"how?"
Si Chen said with his eyes closed.
Jiazi gripped the book in his hand, his brow furrowed.
"Are you sure you want to do this to take over?"
There is no precedent for this in history.
Si Chen sighed, "Today, a wealthy family often brings mares to breed, but I have not agreed."
"Such a large number of stallions is an invaluable asset."
Si Chen underestimated the value of a thousand celestial horses.
The fact that large households flock to it is clear proof of this.
This means that in the future he will be able to control at least one herd of horses. With Tianma as the core, monopolizing a large number of high-value horses will be his wealth and power.
It is incomparable to ordinary draft horses.
The current military structure is unreasonable.
Tianjin had no muskets, only three captured Western cannons, which were all for show.
"But wealth and horses are things that can only be considered after victory."
"Someone must be using this to test the strength of our army."
"Therefore, we must separate the military camp from the civilians! Only by pulling back our fists can we have a deterrent effect."
"The human heart is perilous, the Dao heart is subtle; only through refinement and unity can one achieve perfect clarity of thought, fullness of spirit, and freedom from all hindrances."
"Yicong will surely be showing off these days, won't that make people jealous? He's focusing all his attention on interpersonal relationships."
Jiazi scratched his head and said, "This is what ordinary people are like, those in positions of power."
"Joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness; separation and death—these are the natural order."
Ordinary people naturally cannot endure boredom for long; they need to show off and communicate.
When you're feeling down, you need to vent; when you're happy, you should drink to your heart's content.
Born casually, died hastily.
"From the moment I chose them, they were no ordinary people." Si Chen suddenly opened his eyes. "What, do you also think that kings and generals are born with a special destiny?"
"If they were truly capable, why would so many heroes rise up to vie for supremacy?"
"Besides, humans are not wild beasts."
"The restraint of violence is precisely the manifestation of violence. When dormant, one remains steadfast and unmoved like a mountain; when unleashed, it is like a landslide or a tsunami."
Si Chen raised his hand, revealing a gleaming sword.
The sword light shone on their faces.
"Anger makes you clench your teeth, fear makes your chest feel tight, anxiety makes your stomach churn; you are controlled by the seven emotions and six desires."
"From a young age, I was fond of Taoism, spirits and monsters, flying swords, cultivating magic, refining elixirs, talismans, Taoist soldiers, supernatural powers, and dreaming of goddesses at night..."
"Observing the myriad beings of the world, through the coming of cold and heat, the harvest of autumn and the storage of winter, sixteen years have passed in this way. Not seeking a single thing from the mundane world, one is content within oneself."
"I vow to follow the way of Heaven in this life, to take from the surplus and give to the deficiency."
"To fulfill our good wishes, we offer sacrifices to the Five Sacred Mountains; to subdue evil and uphold righteousness, we traverse the Nine Provinces."
"The sword rises and the stars fly, slaying across ten thousand miles; the wind and thunder sometimes accompany the rough sound of rain."
"He travels to the North Sea in the morning and to Cangwu in the evening, with a green snake hidden in his sleeve and a bold spirit."
Having finished speaking.
Si Chen raised his hand and slashed, his two fingers joined together, and thrust out his sword.
A beam of sword light, initially extremely narrow, then swept up wind and thunder, roaring across the heavens and earth.
In the vast expanse of heaven and earth, the wind and snow fell silent.
A huge streak was left in the sky, which lingered for a long time.
A ray of setting sun fell on the window.
The six Ding and six Jia appeared in the courtyard in unison, and Jia Chen descended from the sky, knelt on one knee, and pushed open the door to enter.
"Take over!" Jia Chen drew his sword, his eyes wide with rage. "Where is the assassin?"
The group looked around but found nothing.
Si Chen sat cross-legged on the couch. "It's nothing. I was just demonstrating martial arts for Jiazi. Tell everyone, there's no need to panic."
Jia Chen stood with his hand on his sword, his eyes darting between Jia Zi and Si Chen.
"yes!"
The group quietly left.
Si Chen looked at Jiazi and said, "You've become cowardly, old man. What I gain is my fortune, what I lose is my fate. Why are you so worried about external things?"
"The way of war is all about killing and conquest, with courage and diligence as the primary principle."
Jiazi raised his head, looking at his silver-hooked chainmail armor, plain robe and tassels, white flag and white horse, silver-handled sword and spear. He took a deep breath and said, "Your subject understands."
"These are the Taiping Thousand-Household Commanders, Taiping Hundred-Household Commanders, and Taiping Colonels assigned by me. Please take a look, Your Excellency."
"The White Horse Cavalry can only command a maximum of three thousand men, which is one battalion."
Si Chen casually took it and pressed it down with his other hand.
"From now on, I will only consult you on all matters concerning the White Horse Cavalry. When I bestowed upon you the tortoise-shaped tally, I granted you the power of life and death."
"From this day forward, you shall be the Left Commander of the White Horse Cavalry."
"There's only one rule: you mustn't act recklessly. Do you understand?"
Special times call for special measures.
If power is firmly held in one's own hands, then even if Si Chen were to toil away at paperwork all day long, it would be a waste of his energy.
Leaders need to be visionary and use more of their free time to think.
Focus on the big picture and let go of the small details.
Moreover, this era nepotism is necessary.
Si Chen returned the list to Jia Zi.
Jiazi remained silent, feeling a long-lost surge of emotion within him.
"Go."
After bidding farewell to Sichen.
Jiazi returned to the camp, summoned his followers, and read the imperial edict aloud in person.
The familiar sight of hundreds and thousands of households brought a sense of security to the volunteers.
After all, that's how their ancestors came to be.
It's just a different name.
Closed training makes it even simpler.
At least they genuinely felt that they were making progress during this period.
Now I don't even have to worry about anything at home.
Righteousness roused him and he shouted.
"Long live the Great Teacher! May the General triumph forever!"