knife

Chapter 435 Small Town
The town that appeared before him was not large, but it was very compact, and the houses and roads were all new. The identical houses formed a straight rectangle. Zhang Quanyi glanced at it and saw that there were about a hundred houses, some of which were clearly buildings with special functions.

There are some farmlands outside the town, but not many. It is clear that the town was established here to provide some basic services to the surrounding villages, and not many people live here and engage in agriculture.

A road more than ten feet wide that winds around the town caught their attention.

Unlike the muddy roads they had traversed before, this road was extremely compacted and covered with fine pebbles, making it cool and refreshing even on a rainy day like this. At the far end of their field of vision was an enormous square, large enough to accommodate at least several thousand people for drills.

A young man walked steadily over from the other end, and Zhang Quanyi and Quanxin and the others also dismounted.

This young man was the captain Han Si had mentioned who was stationed in Gongqin Town.

At first glance, he looked to be in his early twenties, but his cultivation level of the seventh grade of Xuan Yuan still surprised the two of them.

"Captain Ding!" Han Si took out a plaque and an official document from his pocket and handed them to the young man, saying, "These two are General Zhang Quanyi and General Quanxin. I will escort them to Baoping Prefecture. The two generals wanted to get there as soon as possible, but they missed their lodging today, so they can only trouble you."

Although Han Si had already sent someone to deliver the message, Ding Ergou still meticulously checked Han Si's identification and official documents before clasping his hands in a fist and bowing to Zhang Quanyi and Quanxin. He smiled and said, "You two have graced our humble abode with your presence. Welcome, welcome! However, due to the haste, hot water, food, and lodging are still being prepared. Please come and sit at my place for a while!"

"Thank you, Captain Ding!" Zhang Quanyi and Quanxin both bowed in gratitude.

Although once the two of them officially join the Beiting Protectorate, their status will definitely be above that of the young captain in front of them, right now, they are still novices, while he is a proper military officer guarding a region.

"Captain Ding is an idol in the eyes of countless young people in our Beiting Protectorate!" Han Si laughed and said, "The youngest Xuan Yuan Rank 7, and also the youngest captain. Generals, don't underestimate him because of his youth. He has participated in all the major and fierce battles of the Beiting Protectorate in the past few years."

“Brother Han, stop talking nonsense!” Ding Ergou laughed. “What do you mean by being the youngest seventh-rank Xuan Yuan? Compared to the Protector, I am far inferior.”

“Young Master is a god-like figure; we shouldn’t compare him to ordinary people like us,” Han Si said with a smile.

“That’s true!” Ding Ergou led the way, saying as he walked, “Generals, you’ve come at an inopportune time. I received the assembly order three days ago. The order has been issued and the assembly will be completed tomorrow, so the whole town is busy with this matter. If there are any shortcomings in preparation or negligence, please don’t take offense. Just tell me and I will correct them!”

"Lieutenant Ding, you're too kind!" Zhang Quanyi laughed. "We're all soldiers by origin, we've been through wind and rain, rolled in the mud, what kind of hardship haven't we endured? Having ready-made meals and shelter from the wind and rain is already very good, don't you all agree?"

The trusted guards following behind the two men responded with a resounding "Yes, sir!"

"Captain Ding, is this place used to assemble and train troops?" Quanxin asked. "When I was in Shu, I heard Protector Li briefly explain the Fubing system outside the pass!"

“Yes!” Ding Ergou nodded and said, “Besides a small number of standing troops, the Beiting Protectorate implements the Fubing system. Normally, the soldiers who are not on duty should farm or do business. They only gather together for about a month of inspection and training during the off-season. Otherwise, the local captains train them themselves.”

"There haven't been many people along the way!"

“Yes!” Ding Ergou nodded. “This area used to be known as the Black Domain, a place beyond the reach of the government. Two years ago, Protector Xiao led everyone to wipe out the bandits and forces that refused to submit to the Northern Protectorate, thus bringing this area under his control. Within a radius of a hundred miles, there are only about thirty villages, and only about a thousand families are qualified to become soldiers.” “Not just anyone can become a soldier, right?”

"Of course!" Ding Ergou laughed. "The garrison soldiers have many privileges that ordinary people don't have. To become a garrison soldier, one must go through self-application, then step-by-step approval, and finally gain the approval of the Protectorate General before truly becoming a garrison soldier. Quality over quantity is key; shoddy soldiers won't do. Gentlemen, we've arrived!"

This is a government office.

The plaque of Gongqin Zhechongfu hung above the door, though the characters looked rather clumsy. Zhang Quanyi didn't care, but Quanxin came from a prominent family and naturally had to practice calligraphy from a young age, so he couldn't help but glance at the plaque a few more times.

"I wrote it myself. My handwriting isn't very good, so please excuse me!" Ding Ergou said somewhat embarrassedly. "I come from a poor family and never went to school. Later, I learned some characters from my wife."

"Speaking of our Commandant Ding's wife, she's even more famous than Commandant Ding himself!" Han Si said with a smile. "Just a few months ago, our Beiting was recruiting talented people and hiring women as officials. Commandant Ding's wife was the top scholar in the imperial examination. She's currently observing the administration in the Protectorate. Who knows, one day she might become Commandant Ding's superior!"

Quanxin and Zhang Quanyi had heard rumors about the recruitment of women as officials outside the Great Wall, but they never expected that the wife of the first low-ranking officer they met after arriving at the Beiting Protectorate would be one of them.

"My wife is more capable than me!" Ding Ergou said proudly. "Without her, I wouldn't be where I am today. This government office is big enough, so let's all squeeze in and make do for the night."

On both sides of the government office were large warehouses, and guards were on duty at the entrances.

"The one on the left is the granary, which provides enough food for a thousand people for a month. The one on the right is the armory, which stores weapons that the soldiers cannot carry under normal circumstances, such as various crossbows," Ding Ergou explained.

"How many such military commands are there in the entire Beiting Protectorate?" Zhang Quanyi asked curiously.

"My place is quite small!" Ding Ergou laughed. "Don't be fooled by its size; it can only muster a force of about a thousand men. A proper military command has a strength of three thousand. I don't know the exact number, but if we were to fight a major battle, gathering over a hundred thousand men wouldn't be a problem at all!"

Walking through the government office, it was small but complete in every way.

Inside each of the small houses, you can see people busy at work.

The troops will be assembled tomorrow, so tonight will obviously be a sleepless night.

"Generals, please rest in the backyard. Don't worry about them. We all have a lot to do today!" Ding Ergou said.

"Thank you for your help!" Quanxin and Zhang Quanyi both bowed and thanked them. They were really embarrassed that the other party was so busy and had to spare some manpower to take care of them.

(End of this chapter)