After parting ways with Mi Huang, Shao Xun immediately summoned Wu Qian and the leaders of the three squads of children and teenagers—the squad leaders, platoon leaders, and team leaders.
Looking at the large group of people sitting cross-legged on the ground, Shao Xun got straight to the point: "You’ve probably heard about the Grand Commandant’s military reorganization. I’ll keep it short—I want to transition all of you into professional soldiers. From now on, you’ll all be soldiers of the kingdom."
"Don’t worry about anyone looking down on you. Remember the battle where we captured Sima Yi? His personal guards and attendants were no match for you. A single thrust of your spears, and the enemy fell. A swing of your swords, and the bandits were finished. Even the Grand Commandant praised the bravery and decisiveness of the warriors I selected. You’re no worse than anyone else."
"Once you become professional soldiers, I’ll still be leading you, and everything will remain the same. You’ll continue learning to read, studying arithmetic, training in martial arts, and even farming. The military strategy lessons will also continue."
"Of course, if anyone doesn’t want to stay, even if it means risking the Grand Commandant’s displeasure, I’ll make sure you’re released."
"Now, let’s hear your thoughts."
After speaking, Shao Xun sat back calmly, his eyes scanning the group of young men.
The teenagers whispered among themselves, their expressions varied.
"Quit dawdling! Are you men or not?" Chen Yougen scolded from the side.
"If you want to stay, stay. You’ll keep eating well and continue learning from the commander. The commander is like a celestial being descended to earth, and he won’t hold back in teaching you. If you don’t want to stay, then get lost. I can’t stand the sight of you. Go back to farming—oh wait, you can’t even do that now. Xuzhou is at war, and you’ll probably be conscripted again."
"Chen Yougen, watch your tone," Shao Xun reprimanded.
"We part on good terms. We’ve been teacher and student, and that bond remains. For those who don’t want to stay, I’ll personally cook a good meal, and we’ll part ways after eating. We can still meet again in the future."
After being scolded, Chen Yougen stepped back, glaring at the teenagers with frustration.
He muttered, "The world’s in chaos. Rebel armies eat human flesh. You’re all plump and well-fed. If you’re captured, you’ll just be a feast for others."
Shao Xun shot him another glare, and Chen Yougen finally shut up.
"Yougen, really…" Wu Qian sighed.
"Let me say a few words. The commander has led you for a year and a half. Hasn’t he treated you well?"
Seeing everyone nod, Wu Qian continued, "I actually want all of you to stay. When the princes conscript soldiers, they don’t care if you’re willing or not. They just hand you a wooden spear and send you off. With the chaos in Xuzhou, if you go back, you’ll likely be conscripted. But the commander has taught you diligently for a year and a half, treating you like his own sons. He doesn’t want to force anyone to stay."
"Personally, I don’t want to go back. Farming is backbreaking work, and it’s hard to even make ends meet. It’s better to stay in the army and at least get a full meal. The commander said he’d make me a squad leader. Honestly, I never expected that. At my age, becoming a low-ranking officer was something I never dared to dream of. You all can read, and your martial skills are better than mine. Your future prospects are far greater than just being a squad leader."
"The world’s a mess, and the roads back home aren’t safe. I don’t know what else to say. It’s up to you to decide."
After speaking, Wu Qian also stepped back, looking at the teenagers with anticipation.
"Meeting each other was fate. Whether you stay or leave, the bond remains," Shao Xun said with emotion.
"Now, let’s hear your decision."
"Commander Shao, wherever you go, I’ll follow," Wang Que’er was the first to stand up and declare loudly.
After he spoke, a dozen others stood up, saying, "I’ll stay too."
Three people remained seated, their faces flushed with embarrassment.
After a moment, one of them hesitantly stood up, leaving only two team leaders still sitting.
"Commander Shao, I’ll follow you too, even to the ends of the earth," Jin San stood up.
One by one, the members of the squad stood up, leaving only four who remained seated.
Jin San was furious.
He kicked and hit the remaining two until they stood up.
The last two looked ashamed but still didn’t rise.
"Commander Shao, I’ll definitely follow you," Mao Er stood up, pulling and dragging others to their feet.
Finally, only three remained seated.
"Lu Heigou, your home is only a dozen miles from the commander’s. Aren’t you going to stand up?" Mao Er asked angrily, looking at a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy.
Lu Heigou mumbled something but didn’t dare speak.
He eventually stood up.
Mao Er called out the names of the other two.
They hung their heads, not daring to look at him.
One of them even started crying.
Mao Er was about to scold them further, but Shao Xun stopped him.
"Enough," Shao Xun stood up, looking at the now fully standing group of teenagers.
"A gentleman’s word is unbreakable. Once you’ve made your decision, there’s no turning back. The military has its own rules. Even if I’m reluctant, I’ll have to enforce discipline with the axe if anyone breaks the rules."
"We’ll follow Commander Shao’s orders," the group chorused, led by Wang Que’er, Jin San, and Mao Er.
"Good," Shao Xun smiled with satisfaction.
"When you return, gather the opinions of your squad members and compile them into a report for Wu Qian."
"Yes, sir!" the group responded loudly.
"Commander, I’ll convince everyone in my squad to stay," one of the seated teenagers cried.
"Life is full of ties and obligations. If you must return home, I understand," Shao Xun walked over, pulled the boy to his feet, and put an arm around his shoulder.
"Let’s have a good meal before you leave. When you return to Xuzhou, we’ll meet again."
The boy sobbed uncontrollably, and others also felt the sadness.
"You’ll return home," Shao Xun patted each person’s shoulder, promising, "Study hard, train diligently, and one day you’ll return in glory, making your ancestors proud. Show those who looked down on you that you’ve achieved more than they ever could."
With his comforting words, the teenagers’ sadness faded, replaced by a sense of hope.
At this age of dreams, who wouldn’t want to rise above their station?
The compiled data was sent to Wu Qian that evening, who then handed it to Shao Xun.
After reviewing it, Shao Xun was relieved.
Out of 146 people, only about 20 insisted on leaving.
This result was completely acceptable.
This time, he had played a small trick.
He used emotional appeals, moral pressure, and even Chen Yougen’s "scare tactics."
Of course, the three "class monitors" also used their personal influence to intimidate and scold.
In the end, this was the result.
Not bad, not bad.
It was only because these were teenagers.
With ordinary soldiers, he wouldn’t have bothered with such efforts.
After settling this major matter, Shao Xun began visiting Yu Liang, Xu Lang, and others.
"The war is about to end," Shao Xun said.
"You should start making plans."
The simple meal was surprisingly tasty.
It was prepared by Lady Qiu and her daughter Yu Wenjun, possibly using recipes from the Book of Food.
"Can we enter the city?" Yu Liang asked.
"It’s best not to," Shao Xun said seriously.
"Once the peace agreement is finalized, the western and Ye armies will enter the city. What happens then is anyone’s guess."
In this era, soldiers were mostly conscripted temporarily.
The higher-ups only provided food, no pay.
Being away from home meant missing out on farm work—weeding, repairing houses, or doing odd jobs for landlords.
As a result, soldiers had a strong urge to loot, and some even wanted to massacre cities to vent their frustrations.
Officers, for various reasons, sometimes turned a blind eye.
If they didn’t, morale would plummet since there was no pay.
Shao Xun believed that once the external armies entered, Luoyang would effectively be divided.
The royal army would occupy one area, the Ye army another, and the western army yet another—like concessions.
That’s how it would likely play out.
"Don’t return to Luoyang. Head south. The Xianbei have already withdrawn, so the road south is clear," Shao Xun advised.
"Find a place to lay low, avoid the most dangerous period, and then decide whether to return or not."
The initial entry of external armies would be the most chaotic.
After that, officers would enforce discipline, and things wouldn’t get too out of hand.
Yu Liang and Xu Lang exchanged glances and nodded slowly.
"Prince Changsha clearly won the battle. Zhang Fang, Lu Ji, and Qian Xiu were like clay chickens and straw dogs, yet they ended up victorious," Xu Lang sighed.
"It’s so frustrating."
Shao Xun felt slightly uncomfortable.
After all, it was he who had captured Prince Changsha, who was now being held in Jinyong City by He Lun.
"Sima Yi wasn’t a good person either. Let’s not talk about him," Yu Liang coughed and said.
Xu Lang sighed and stopped dwelling on the matter.
Instead, he asked, "Given the current situation, which side should we join if we want to enter officialdom?"
Yu Liang instinctively looked at Shao Xun.
Shao Xun felt a secret thrill.
Not long ago, what kind of image did he have in their eyes?
After these past few months, his status had risen.
Indeed, they now saw him as a trusted general of the Yue household, having received rewards twice, clearly held in high regard.
The camaraderie forged through shared battles made it natural for them to seek his advice.
Most importantly, his usual remarks were insightful, often thought-provoking, earning the admiration of the sixteen-year-old Yu Liang and the nineteen-year-old Xu Lang.
That’s why things had come to this.
"Join the Grand Commandant," Shao Xun said.
As expected! Yu and Xu thought to themselves.
He’s recruiting talent for his own lord.
But Xu Lang should indeed join Prince Donghai.
He’s from a Donghai noble family—what else is there to consider?
Yu Liang, however, thought more deeply.
The Grand Commandant had already tried to recruit him once.
If he were to be recruited again this year, should he agree? Perhaps he shouldn’t refuse this time.
Shao Xun watched the two with interest.
Xu Lang aside, would Yu Liang really join the Grand Commandant’s staff? After all, Yu Kai was close to Sima Yue and had never given up on persuading his nephew to join.
He didn’t know if Yu Liang had accepted the recruitment in history.
Probably not.
Sima Yue’s reputation was still somewhat lacking.
If Yu Liang joined Sima Yue’s staff, would that change his fate, or even the fate of the Yu family?
Had he—finally reached a point where he could influence the fates of historical figures?
It felt pretty good.
Moreover, if Yu Liang joined the Grand Commandant’s staff, it would benefit him as well.
After Mi Huang left the staff, someone needed to relay messages from within.
Otherwise, he’d be completely in the dark, and that would be unbearable.
It’s decided! He’d find a way to get Yu Liang in.
(End of Chapter)