When the grain collection team returned to Piyong, they spotted Mi Huang pacing back and forth at the entrance from afar.
Chen Yougen, a rough man who always seemed to lack a few screws in his head, chuckled and said, "Commander Mi looks like a little wife waiting for her husband to come home, all pitiful and anxious."
The joke fell flat, and no one laughed along.
On top of that, he earned himself a smack with a scabbard, which promptly shut him up.
Old Chen now had nine soldiers under his command, all carefully selected for their bravery.
Each of them was equipped with iron armor and a crossbow.
Half of them wielded heavy swords as their primary weapon, while the other half, who hadn’t been fully equipped yet, made do with ring-pommel swords.
They served as both the disciplinary troops and Shao Xun’s unofficial personal guards, tasked with protecting his safety.
This was a suggestion made by Yu Liang.
During the last battle against Meng Chao’s forces, Shao Xun had sustained another wound.
Though it wasn’t serious, it looked dangerous—just a slight deviation, and it could have hit his heart.
This was already the third scar he had gained in recent times.
If he managed to survive the long years of warfare and achieve something, he might one day use these scars to teach his descendants.
He had already thought of what to say: "Your father came from humble beginnings. I joined the army at a young age and fought for decades before achieving what I have today. The hardships I endured are still vivid in my mind. The number of arrows pulled from my body alone is no less than a hundred…"
It sounded quite impressive when he thought about it.
"Commander," Shao Xun quickened his pace and stepped forward to salute.
Mi Huang grabbed his arm and smiled mysteriously, saying, "There’s an important matter to discuss. Good news!"
"Commander, you—" Shao Xun glanced at Mi Huang’s expression and asked softly, "Have you been taking the Five Minerals Powder again?"
Mi Huang’s face turned red, and he nodded.
Shao Xun was speechless.
They had just won the first phase of the battle, and the second phase was in a difficult stalemate.
Yet, here they were, indulging in such things.
How impressive!
"Commander, it’s best to avoid the Five Minerals Powder. You didn’t take it during the three months we held the southern city, and you were fine, weren’t you?" Shao Xun advised.
Mi Huang looked somewhat embarrassed and muttered, "It was tough at first."
Seeing his expression, Shao Xun felt a pang of regret.
Lately, he had been praised and flattered so much that his ego had started to swell.
What he had just said was meant as advice, but to someone with a narrow mind, it might have sounded like a reprimand.
That really wasn’t appropriate.
But since the words were already out, and given his temperament, he wasn’t going to backtrack.
He’d just have to be more careful in the future.
Fortunately, Mi Huang didn’t take offense.
As they walked inside, he sighed and said, "I really should quit. But that’s not why I came to see you today."
He quickly pulled Shao Xun into a corner and whispered, "He Lun and Wang Bing have recruited over a thousand soldiers. These troops will be merged with ours."
"Don’t worry, I said it’s not a bad thing," Mi Huang added quickly, seeing Shao Xun’s displeased expression.
"Our defense of the southern city was impressive, and as the battalion commander, I also earned some merit. The Grand Tutor plans to reward me."
"I recommended you to him, saying that with your talents, you’re more than qualified to be a battalion commander. Coincidentally, the Grand Tutor has a good impression of you and specifically asked me about your literary skills. From what I’ve gathered privately, he might appoint you as the Commandant’s Assistant."
"Don’t be too attached to your current position. This reorganization is a great opportunity. If you miss it, you might not get another chance like this. Some things can’t be forced."
Mi Huang finished in one breath and then looked at Shao Xun.
"So that’s how it is," Shao Xun said slowly.
"But the Grand Tutor hasn’t fully agreed to appoint you as the Commandant’s Assistant yet. Do you know why?" Mi Huang asked.
The internal structure of a princely state in the Great Jin Dynasty was quite complex.
In simple terms, the Grand Administrator was the highest-ranking civil official (fifth rank), overseeing civil administration, justice, taxation, education, and supervising the prince.
The Grand Administrator was appointed by the court, and his subordinates were selected by him.
The civil administration system was separate from the military system.
The most important military officials were the Three Ministers: the Chief of the Guards, the Commandant, and the Grand Steward (sixth rank).
The Commandant was in charge of the state’s military forces, responsible for army building and territorial defense.
Under the Commandant were various generals, all of the sixth rank, with no direct chain of command among them, but all under the Commandant’s authority.
In larger states, there was also a Commandant’s Assistant (eighth rank).
Some smaller states might also have this position, responsible for recruitment, dismissal, compensation, rewards, assisting in training, enforcing military discipline, and providing military advice.
Strictly speaking, this was a civilian military officer (eighth rank), lower in rank than the Commandant (sixth rank) and the generals (sixth rank), but it sounded more prestigious than a battalion commander.
The Commandant, Commandant’s Assistant, and generals were all appointed by the court, while their subordinates were selected by them.
Donghai was previously a small state but had now become a secondary state.
Whether the Commandant’s Assistant position would be established depended on Sima Yue’s mood.
"Regarding the Commandant’s Assistant position, I’d appreciate your guidance, Commander," Shao Xun said humbly.
Although the Commandant’s Assistant was a minor position, for someone without a noble background, it was quite an achievement.
Back in the day, Gou Xi had earned the favor of the Commandant of the Capital, Shi Jian, and was promoted to a minor official.
Without the approval of a powerful figure and lacking a prestigious family background, becoming an official was truly difficult.
The first step was the hardest to take.
Once that step was taken, the resistance would lessen significantly.
"Since you’ve been out collecting grain, you probably know some things already," Mi Huang sighed and said.
"The grain reserves in Luoyang are running low. The Qianjin Dam has been destroyed by Zhang Fang, making it difficult even for the palace to get water. The soldiers, civilians, and scholars are in a similar situation. At first, people could endure it, but after months, when will it end? On top of that, Prince Changsha has been extorting heavily, and even the noble families aren’t spared, breeding resentment. The Grand Tutor is now reorganizing the troops…"
At this point, he instinctively glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then continued, "These troops—they’ll be of great use!"
Wow! Shao Xun didn’t know how to describe his feelings.
He had long known that Sima Yi kept winning battles, but it hadn’t fundamentally changed the situation.
Perhaps only the common soldiers were foolishly happy, thinking they were slaughtering the enemy, who had fled in disarray and no longer dared to engage in open combat, instead hiding in their fortifications.
But what was the attitude of the court officials and noble families?
Three months ago, the grain reserves in Luoyang were a secret, and even the Prince of Donghai might not have known the exact numbers.
Later, the information leaked, but it was only circulated among the higher-ups.
Three months later, even lower-ranking officers knew about it.
On top of that, Zhang Fang had blocked the Qianjin Dam, cutting off most of Luoyang’s water supply, forcing people to queue for well water, which was insufficient.
Over time, not only were the officials and noble families dissatisfied, but the ordinary people, who were most affected, were probably cursing even more.
At this point, Shao Xun increasingly felt that Sima Yi had made a serious strategic mistake.
The first mistake was before the war began, when he failed to gather the elite main force of the Luoyang Central Army to crush Zhang Fang, who had arrived half a month earlier.
Zhang Fang didn’t have many troops—only seventy thousand in total, arriving in batches.
Yet, Sima Yi only sent Huangfu Shang with about ten thousand questionable troops, who were defeated by Zhang Fang.
Then, he employed a piecemeal strategy, conscripting more men from Luoyang, only to suffer a second defeat.
By then, the Hebei army had also arrived, and Sima Yi had missed his chance.
The second strategic mistake was the Battle of Jianchun Gate.
After a great victory, he lacked the courage to press forward with the main force and take advantage of the Hebei army’s disarray and lack of leadership.
By then, the enemy had dug deep trenches and built high fortifications, cutting off the roads and rivers, while sending small forces to harass.
It was already difficult to make a breakthrough.
Some might say, what about the south?
But Shao Xun’s troops had been stationed in the southern city for months, and they hadn’t seen any supplies coming from Yuzhou.
The Governor of Xuchang, Sima Xiao, seemed to be doing something in Jingzhou, perhaps quelling rebellions? All the resources were being used in the south? Shao Xun wasn’t sure.
His rank was too low, and no one had told him the reason.
Moreover, Sima Xiao and the other governors and prefects weren’t fools.
You claim to have won consecutive battles, but what proof do you have?
Isn’t Luoyang still under siege?
From the perspective of officials in other provinces, Sima Yi was in a severely disadvantaged position, yet he was still boasting and sending out victory reports.
What’s the point of lying?
"Do you understand?" Mi Huang asked, looking into Shao Xun’s eyes.
"I think I do," Shao Xun said, instinctively touching the hilt of his sword.
"Thank you for the advice, Commander."
It all boiled down to him having to risk his life.
At this point, he had so many debts that one more didn’t matter.
Seeing Shao Xun calmly discussing such "major matters," Mi Huang was genuinely impressed.
The Sima family was the imperial clan!
And when you heard about it, you even touched your sword hilt.
This…
"The Grand Tutor’s reorganization of the army seems inevitable. I just wonder how it will be done?" Shao Xun didn’t pay attention to Mi Huang’s surprise and instead asked.
"As I mentioned earlier, two armies, six battalions, three thousand men," Mi Huang replied, collecting his thoughts.
"How will our people be reorganized?"
"They’ll definitely be incorporated," Mi Huang frowned.
"We’ll just have to see how it goes. Weren’t you planning to disband some of them? Do it soon. Once the reorganization is complete, they won’t be able to leave. As for the three teams of children and teenagers…"
"Those can’t be disbanded," Shao Xun said awkwardly.
He had invested too much effort into them.
Do you know how exhausting it is to get up in the middle of the night to inspect the barracks?
At least a third of the meat and broth from the battlefield’s injured and dead horses, as well as the pigs and sheep they managed to scavenge, went to the children.
The effort spent teaching them to read and do arithmetic was immeasurable.
And the drills and training—he had put more heart into them than any other team.
He considered them his true assets!
"Master Shao, don’t be like a mother hen protecting her chicks," Mi Huang said earnestly.
"Do you plan to be a battalion commander forever? Let me be honest with you—that’s not possible. You have to rise through the ranks and move forward. Otherwise, someone could crush you with a flick of their finger. Would you like that? Besides, the Commandant’s Assistant position could shield you from disasters. Think carefully."
Shao Xun fell silent.
Mi Huang was speaking from the heart, and that wasn’t easy.
Among all the scholars he knew, only Mi Huang could be this candid.
But he truly didn’t want to give up on these children.
If he could convert them all into regular soldiers, that would be ideal.
However, it was a difficult and complicated process.
This was the downside of being in a low position.
Your hard work could easily be taken or destroyed by others.
And they weren’t even wronging you—they were promoting you.
Would you refuse that?
"Is there a solution?" Shao Xun looked at Mi Huang sincerely.
"If there is, please tell me. Even if it requires killing someone, I’m willing…"
Mi Huang shuddered inwardly.
This young man was truly ruthless.
Even the Grand Tutor didn’t dare to kill Sima Yi, at most imprisoning him.
"I’ll think about it," Mi Huang frowned.
"The reorganization won’t happen overnight. But first, come with me back to the city. The Grand Tutor wants to see you."
"Why does he want to see me?"
"Because you killed Meng Chao so spectacularly," Mi Huang laughed.
"The Grand Tutor needs a good blade right now. Be that blade. Many people want to be the blade but don’t have the chance. If you do well, becoming a battalion commander is no problem, and the Commandant’s Assistant position is within reach."
"Alright," Shao Xun agreed.
Mi Huang turned to leave but hesitated, then said, "If it really comes to it, I’ll fight for it during the reorganization."
Shao Xun was deeply moved.
Mi Huang’s words were vague, but the meaning was clear.
He was willing to give up his chance for promotion in the Grand Tutor’s office or a local official position to compete with He Lun and Wang Bing for command of this unit.
At this time, there wasn’t a strict division between civil and military officials.
In fact, the lines were blurred, and Mi Huang could do both.
"Don’t make that face. You look like a woman, haha," Mi Huang patted Shao Xun’s shoulder.
"My family isn’t of high status, so I can’t become a high-ranking official if I’m sent out. I’ve thought about it, and the position of Commandant of Donghai is something I can fight for."
"Who are your competitors, Commander?" Shao Xun asked seriously.
"The Left and Right Marshals of the Grand Tutor’s office, the various military advisors, the Upper and Lower Army Generals—all of them could be contenders," Mi Huang said.
"Actually, high-born scholars like Wang Dao wouldn’t be interested in the Commandant of Donghai position. It’s people like Liu Qia, He Lun, and Wang Bing who would compete with me."
"How can we outmaneuver them?" Shao Xun pressed.
"We’ll play it by ear," Mi Huang didn’t give a direct answer.
"Let’s go back to Luoyang."
"Alright."
(End of Chapter)