Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 148 Military Camp
'Coo coo~coo coo~'

From within the towering courtyard walls, the low hooting of owls could be heard.

Under the cover of darkness, a group of men in black approached the courtyard wall and cast their grappling hooks, which then landed on the top of the wall.

They deftly scaled the courtyard wall and joined the people inside.

The informant led a group of people, skillfully maneuvering to avoid the patrols.

They were all sprayed with dog repellent and easily made their way to the warehouse.

"Everyone says that General Chongtian's soldiers are very capable fighters."

During the unlocking process, someone chuckled, "The security is far too lax."

Someone nearby hissed, "Silence!"

With the help of an inside man, the heavy, thick lock was quickly opened.

The heavy door was pushed open, and a group of people stepped inside with shining eyes.

By the light of the moon streaming through the window, rows of large boxes appeared before everyone.

The warehouse was densely packed with stacks of goods.

Some people couldn't wait and rushed forward, breaking the lock and opening the box.

There was no glittering silver as I had imagined; the box was completely empty, not even a hair could be seen inside.

"How can it be!?"

The group was shocked and hurriedly opened more boxes.

The result was the same: all the boxes were empty.

"Where's the money?!"

"Tens of millions of taels of silver!?"

Many people knew that Lin Dao had embezzled tens of millions of taels of silver.

There are some audacious and desperate criminals who want to steal this batch of silver.

The group of desperados in the warehouse, after planning for many days and spending countless resources, finally entered the silver storage warehouse.

As a result, the money was gone!

In a fit of rage, he decided to eliminate the mole first.

Outside the warehouse, their accomplices shouted, "Eagle Claw Sun is here! Get out of here!"

The armor plates rattled, and a large number of soldiers surrounded them from all directions.

The rows of crossbows were raised, and the desperados were all dumbfounded.

Even if you could sprout wings and fly, you wouldn't be able to escape now.

The morning sunlight was bright and lovely, its warmth streaming through the glass window and falling onto the ground.

Lin Dao, who had developed a habit of waking up early, opened his eyes.

After regaining some consciousness, I first removed the arms and legs that were pressing on me, then lifted the blanket and sat up.

Lin Dao glanced at Haitang Chun's sleeping face beside him, then got up and dressed himself.

If you don't go on military campaigns, you don't need to wear chainmail.

Lin Dao changed into a custom-made, lightweight stab-proof vest, dressed neatly, and went out to wash up.

Before the meal, a guard came to report that the treasury had been robbed the previous night.

"Seventeen people were killed on the spot, and nineteen were captured alive, both inside and outside the city."

"Several of them are habitual bandits and thieves who have been wanted for years."

"There was no loss in the treasury."

Lin Dao calmly instructed, "Interrogate them first, and make them confess to all the crimes they have committed."

"They will be dealt with after a public trial."

He remained calm, of course, because he knew it was impossible to lose the silver.

Precious metals and the like were basically transferred by Lin Dao to the modern world or stored in Yonghe Time and Space.

The world over there is much more peaceful and stable.

To steal his precious metals, the thief would have to be able to travel through time.

That wouldn't be a thief, that would be a time thief.

The girls who were off duty last night came out of their rooms to have breakfast with Lin Dao.

"Since Sister Xiaowan didn't cook today, the taste is indeed much worse."

"Sister Xiaowan worked hard last night, so let her get some rest."

"If you want to eat well, just learn to cook it yourself!"

With more women around, a cacophony of voices inevitably arises.

Getting a group of women to eat quietly is no less difficult than a football team winning a championship.

Lin Dao was completely focused on eating.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, they got up and left.

His current focus is mainly on strengthening training and building up combat effectiveness as soon as possible.

In fact, the Ming Dynasty was facing various difficulties at this time.

To the north were the Mongol tribes and the Jurchens, to the south were the Red-haired Barbarians, along the coast were numerous pirates and bandits, to the southwest were many chieftains, and in the interior were various roving bandits.

And from the nobles in the palace, high-ranking officials of the court, imperial relatives, civil and military officials, down to local government offices at all levels, local gentry, landlords and temples, etc.

All these people brought difficulties, torment, and oppression to the Ming Dynasty.

There is a most direct way to resolve everything.

That is, to resolve it with the most basic and straightforward force.

Once the creditor is eliminated, the debt will naturally disappear as well.

Once they are subdued, taxes can be collected normally.

With taxes, the country can function properly.

This is how wild boar hides were historically processed.

They eliminated all the bloodsucking leeches, and their tax revenue exceeded ten times that of the Chongzhen era.

Even as they were gradually heading towards extinction, they were still able to effectively collect taxes and pay astronomical sums in reparations.

Unlike the Ming Dynasty now, which is in a state of paralysis.

This kind of thing can be done with wild boar hides, by bandits, or by forest rangers.

But the one emperor Chongzhen could not be.

Because these blood-sucking leeches were the foundation upon which the emperor maintained his rule.

If one attacks the very foundation of a dynasty's rule, then the emperor ceases to be an emperor and becomes a rebel and gravedigger who destroys the dynasty.

Those who have this level of awareness and determination to do it are probably only formidable figures like Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, and Emperor Taizong of Tang.

The Chongzhen Emperor, outwardly fierce but inwardly weak, desired substance but refused to relinquish his pride; he lacked the willpower for such a situation.

Lin Dao had known this all along, so from the very beginning he never thought of throwing himself into the huge, foul-smelling vat that was the Ming Dynasty.

He chose to start from scratch. "You can sit on a wild boar's hide? But I can't?"

The foundation for getting things done is a powerful and well-trained army.

In this era where everyone is competing to be the worst, a strong army is enough to dominate the world.

The strength of a powerful military is reflected in many details.

Surrounded by numerous guards, Lin Dao rode his horse to a newly built military camp outside the city.

By this time, the soldiers had already eaten breakfast and were sweating it out on the training ground.

Lin Dao didn't go to the training ground, but went straight to the kitchen.

The cooks who were cleaning the stoves hurriedly bowed when they saw the commander-in-chief approaching.

"Busy with your own things."

Lin Dao waved his hand and carefully inspected the kitchen.

"The soldiers are most concerned about whether they can eat their fill and eat well."

He asked the sergeant on duty, "Is there anything unusual?"

"Commander!"

The sergeant saluted, "Today's breakfast, including the grain, oil, salt, sauce, and vegetables, all met the standards."

"No one embezzled, and no one wasted money."

Lin Dao's gaze swept over the town magistrate, who was also in charge of supervision.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief!"

The garrison commander responded loudly, "All the supplies spent this morning have been recorded and verified, and there is nothing amiss."

In the old-style military, food was the easiest thing to be embezzled, and it was also the subject of the biggest complaints from the soldiers.

Soldiers who felt they had been treated unfairly would not fight well on the battlefield, leading to defeat.

Lin Dao is very strict about this.

Not only was there a garrison commander overseeing every meal, but there were also soldiers on duty to supervise.

Once they notice anything amiss and report it to their superiors, the cooks' good days are over.

Since the army was formed, more than a hundred cooks have been beheaded for embezzling, misappropriating, and reselling military supplies.

Lin Dao, check the menu.

There's training in the morning, so the food is pretty good.

Corn porridge is available in unlimited quantities.

The porridge should be thick enough to allow chopsticks to stand upright in it.

In addition, there were white steamed buns, four per person.

Boiled eggs, one per person.

A dish of pickled vegetables.

Lin Dao no longer allows egg drop soup.

Because on several occasions, the cook had been found to be skimping on the eggs by diluting them.

After that, they simply switched to distributing eggs directly, one for each soldier.

If the numbers are accurate and complete, anyone who is short or doesn't receive their share will cause a scene.

“Jinling City doesn’t have that many eggs, so I’m the one who supplies them. Maintaining an army is really too expensive.”

Not only in Nanjing, but in the entire Ming Dynasty, no one else could afford to support the soldiers of Lindao.

Starting with one egg a day, with such treatment, who could possibly sway the troops of the forest trail?
The cooks cleaned the stoves and utensils and began preparing lunch.

Lin Dao was looking at the lunch menu.

The staple food is broken rice exported by the Indian family in the modern world.

In order to earn foreign exchange, India is truly willing to let people starve to death in order to export food in large quantities.

The price is not high, and Lin Dao is very satisfied with it.

Rice is plentiful, and it is also served with one meat dish and one vegetable dish.

Meat dishes are usually luncheon meat stir-fried with potatoes, or potatoes stir-fried with luncheon meat.

Both of these are cheap, so go for it!

As for vegetables, they are either onions exported from India or stir-fried cabbage.

The training in Lin Daojun is intense, with training sessions in both the morning and afternoon. Therefore, the food is plentiful and filling, while also ensuring a balanced diet of meat and vegetables.

Similarly, oils are essential.

Continue browsing the menu.

Evenings are much simpler: a porridge-like feed and a boiled potato.

After dinner and night school, they go to sleep so that the feed can be digested and they can grow fat quickly.

Potatoes, on the other hand, were bought in excess and needed to be used up as much as possible.

India also exports potatoes, and the price is very cheap.

As for whether anyone in their family will starve to death due to lack of food...
What does this have to do with Lin Dao? He paid for it!
Previously, to encourage sergeants to attend night school, each sergeant who went to night school was given a can of sugar water to supplement their fruit and sugar intake.

This tradition has been preserved, and the consumption of canned goods is quite high.

Lindau is already a major customer of many canneries in the modern world.

Through long-term cooperation, he can get very favorable prices, plus free shipping.

After leaving the kitchen, Lin Dao went to check on the outhouse.

The "Regulations on Health Management in Military Camps" are strictly enforced.

No drinking untreated water, no urinating or defecating indiscriminately, no walking barefoot, no eating unclean food, and the requirement to maintain personal hygiene regularly.

As for violators, the squad of soldiers cleaning the outhouses right in front of us is the best example.

If one person violates the rules, the whole team will suffer and have to clean the dry toilets for at least ten days.

As for the soldiers who violated the regulations during these ten days, the complaints and reprimands they received within their units will likely leave a very deep impression on them, so that they will never dare to do it again.

Lin Dao arrived at the barracks and inspected the personal hygiene of the barracks personnel.

It goes without saying that bedding and personal belongings must be arranged neatly.

Lin Dao randomly visited several barracks, making sure everyone had tooth powder and soap before nodding in satisfaction.

The disease epidemics during the Chongzhen era were terrifying.

Although medicine can be purchased, prevention is clearly more important.

Oral hygiene, regular bathing and shampooing, and the removal of disease carriers such as lice must all be strictly followed.

Compared to other armies of the era, it is clear that the troops trained by Lin Dao had far too many requirements.

However, the military strictly adhered to the rules, and no one complained or wanted to leave.

It doesn't rely on harsh laws and punishments, beatings and beheadings, but on high welfare and generous benefits.

The cost of Lin Dao supporting his soldiers would be equivalent to supporting his personal guards, adopted sons, and suicide squads in someone else's household!
(End of this chapter)