Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 282, Section 281: The Gleaming Armor
It had only been a few days since the martial arts competition at Shanglin Garden, and now he had the opportunity to accompany and protect the troops. Captain Lin was overjoyed.

Although he was already a colonel, with a salary and noble rank, and was exempt from taxes, these were still far from enough under the current Qin system.

He wanted a higher rank, a higher tax exemption, more land, and the ability to protect one or two relatives, so he had to strive to become a captain.

Moreover, no martial artist can resist the allure of powerful weapons.

Their entire army knew that the Queen had brought divine weapons. The General of the Palace of Xianyang was bestowed with a hundred-times-forged sword by the King, which could cut through iron like mud and had never met an opponent.

The other party was both protective and boastful in private, and when the news reached Shanglinyuan, everyone felt the same longing.

But a mere captain is not qualified to receive specially made weapons; what he receives is merely the standard military weapon...

In short, nowadays, all the young men of Qin are practically beaming with ambition.

Fighting, making meritorious contributions, or making meritorious contributions again! That has always been their pursuit.

Now, traveling with the Queen and going directly to our destination by warship, although the possibility of making military achievements is gone, what if there is a chance?

Everyone was very excited about the Queen's presence.

but……

Who is that unfamiliar soldier standing next to the Queen, clad in iron armor, tall and imposing, yet bearing no distinguishing features?

Captain Lin was dumbfounded.

The one who stole the house was [Zhuang].

Ji Heng would never employ someone with a history of assassination, and the Queen frowned deeply when she wanted to use him.

However, because of his desire for revenge and his promise, he ultimately acquiesced.

Now that he is accompanying the Queen on her travels, Zhuang is ready to risk his life at any moment, and for this reason he has put on the newly built bright armor from the Ironworks!

These gleaming armors, popular during the Tang Dynasty and featuring breastplates, shimmered and glowed under the sunlight and ripples on the warship.

The sight made everyone's eyes well up with tears, and they almost shed tears of jealousy!
Captain Lin commands a private army, which is currently equipped with only standard iron armor.

The old-fashioned iron armor, layered and dull in gray, was originally something only people of high status could wear. He was quite proud of it, but now, looking at other people's...

Waaaaah, how awful!
Even the most valiant men are feeling envious right now!
Qin Shi was unaware of this.

After the great advancements in iron smelting technology, she described all sorts of armor, such as Mingguang armor, Shanwen armor, and chainmail, waiting for craftsmen to make them.

However, the queen's prestige was also an important aspect of this trip, hence the choice of this radiant armor.

Now she was dressed in a flowing robe, radiating glory, with a tall, imposing, and imposing figure beside her, her defenses impeccable, and she was surrounded by a multitude of maids and eunuchs...

Even though it was still simple in scale for Ji Heng, it was grand enough in the eyes of his private soldiers.

Now, Lin put aside his sour feelings and led his soldiers to bow: "Greetings, Queen!"

Qin Shi sat down calmly, holding the brazier close in the cold river wind, and then smiled and said, "No need for formalities—I know that you were able to come and serve because you performed exceptionally well in the previous assessments... Not bad, it seems that my rewards were not wasted."

A surge of fervor welled up in everyone's hearts: "We are willing to die for the Queen!"

Qin Shi's smile deepened: "I know your loyalty, but on this trip, there weren't many places where you risked your lives, but there were quite a few places where you served."

"It's a complicated process that requires patience and a gentle demeanor. I wonder if any of you can manage that?"

When she said those words with such gentleness and a smile, the hearts of the people below were filled with excitement!
Then he recalled the gleaming armor on Zhuang's body. Their wealthy and generous queen never shortchanged her own people. He had heard that the members of the Shaofu had been rewarded one after another, and now they walked with an air of superiority.

Now it's finally their turn to be useful, and whatever it may be, even if it's just watering manure in the fields, they'll do it willingly!
But—after hearing the Queen's request, everyone was really scratching their heads.

"Is it really enough to just carry these sheets of paper around the Guanzhong region and spread the word?"

"What about the Queen's safety...?"

If those 200 spots in the 8000-person competition, which they fought tooth and nail for, can't be used to protect the Queen, then wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?

Qin Shi shook his head: "The king has already dispatched other troops, and after arriving in Guanzhong, local military forces will take over the security."

"But this task is of great importance to me. If I were to entrust it to someone else, I'm afraid they wouldn't do it well and it would affect my ability to recruit talent. That's why I'm entrusting it to you all."

After she finished speaking, she lowered her eyes, held the hot tea, and said nothing more.

But the private soldiers had already agreed.

joke.

The Queen's amiable demeanor did not diminish the authority of her commands. What use were these private soldiers if they hesitated even when given orders?

What use is their existence?
In short, they should just do whatever the Queen says!

However, this is not over yet.

After everyone solemnly agreed, the Queen's chief secretary, Lord Wu Zi, and the eunuch, Dan Pu, stepped forward together:
"Regarding this talent recruitment, we have some scripts and Q&A explanations here. Please divide into groups and regions, and then the two of us will personally guide you through the key points..."

"Furthermore, the disciples of Lord Wen Xun, the Queen's guest advisor, will also be accompanying us and will receive training as well..."

Everyone: ...? ??
Recruiting talent—isn't it just a matter of giving an order and taking people with you? Like how they recruited soldiers before?

Why does this sound so complicated?

This is naturally quite different.

Previously, when conscription was conducted, anyone could be recruited to the battlefield; now, if someone is serving in the military, the government can simply ask them for service.

Recruiting talent is different, because there is no way to know what abilities the other party has. They need to confidently apply, and then slowly screen and train them.

The Qin Dynasty didn't necessarily need thinkers like Wen Xun. There were people skilled in raising pigs, cattle, and sheep; skilled in managing livestock; skilled in farming; skilled in pest control; and even skilled in weaving hemp...

These are all fine.

However, in this day and age, many people are unaware of these skills, so naturally, those recruiting need to practice their sales pitches more.

……

Qin Shi returned to the Sparrow Room.

As queen, she moved her command room to another room, giving her ample time and space to carefully consider the situation in Guanzhong.

Before me was a large hand-drawn map, surrounding Xianyang and the Guanzhong Plain—its accuracy was only so-so, and the actual map needed to be viewed in person.

But it doesn't matter. The difference of two thousand years is not enough to cause a dramatic change in this place. Therefore, Qin Shi only needed to refer to the information he had temporarily recorded to have a general idea.

Susu Village is located in Tongchuan, in the transitional zone between the Guanzhong Plain and the Shaanbei Plain. Mountains, valleys, basins, plains…

All of them converge here.

This is truly a wonderful place!
Here I am! Yesterday, I disinfected the whole house with hypochlorous acid and ultraviolet ozone. I was so sleepy around 9 PM that I could barely lift my head. I slept for ten hours today...

Hey! Coffee boosted my energy! See you next door!