I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 42 [Liu]!
It was only at this moment that Lu Kang realized that the four thousand elite troops Liu Miao had mentioned were just a mirage, not something he had fully organized into his forces...

"It'll happen sooner or later! Lu Zhongyi, don't be impatient! Hand over those new recruits to me, I'll go out for a bit first!"

Is it Chaohu?

"No, it's Wankou!"

Not only did Liu Miao bring two thousand new recruits, but he also took with him the grain and fodder transported from Shouchun, as well as dozens of female entertainers who had stayed in the prefect's mansion for some time.

These new recruits were all located at the drill ground west of Shuxian County, where they were training when Liu Miao went to see them.

Upon seeing these new recruits for the first time, Liu Miao knew that Lu Kang, as the benefactor, was indeed not deceiving him.

The autumn sun blazed down, and yellow dust swirled across the drill ground. Two thousand new recruits, all clad in coarse hemp uniforms, their scabbards and leather quivers clashing against each other, stood in formation like a chessboard. Clearly, they had invested heavily in both equipment and training, sparing no expense.

What surprised Liu Miao the most was that he could see about thirty cavalrymen training in the distance.

These cavalrymen were certainly not heavy cavalrymen, and they might not even have the ability to fight on the front lines, but they were just sent out to act as eyes and ears, which was of great importance to the safety of the army!
"set off!"

The one in command of the troops was not Liu Miao, but Lu Kang's eldest son, Lu Jun.

Under his command, the two thousand new recruits quickly formed a long snake formation and headed south.

Lu Jun rode up to Liu Miao's side: "Lord Liu! We can reach Wankou in two days, but transporting those grain supplies is always a burden. I wonder if we should put them on the back and transport them slowly?"

"Need not!"

Liu Miao excitedly tugged at the horse's belly and shook his head from side to side: "It doesn't matter if we go slowly, as people and grain must move forward together."

"And by the way, tie those silk ribbons to the military flag to show off your wealth!"

Tie silk to the military flag?

Lu Jun secretly clicked his tongue, thinking that this was a bit too extravagant!

However, since it was Liu Miao's request, Lu Kang didn't hesitate and decisively gave the order.

"Please wait a moment, Lord Liu. These new recruits haven't been trained well yet, and their movements are still a bit slow."

Liu Miao looked back and, sure enough, found that the neatly arranged ranks in the training ground had been exposed as soon as they came out.

Not only were there several obvious disorganizations within the units, but there were also countless instances of rioting. When orders were finally given, the situation became even more chaotic, completely lacking the discipline and orderliness one would expect from someone on the battlefield.

Fortunately, all of this was within Liu Miao's expectations.

If a skilled soldier could be trained in just a few days, then Lu Jun shouldn't be called Lu Jun, but Zhu Jun!
We're not doing anything big these days, so as long as it works, it'll be fine!

A full quarter of an hour passed before the silk fabrics were finally hung on the military flag.

Those exquisitely crafted and brightly colored silks are all high-quality items, and now they are hanging on the military flag, which is truly extravagant!

In addition, Liu Miao ordered that whenever passing through towns and villages, people should exchange grain for livestock and salt. Even at a loss, Liu Miao would try his best to exchange for soy sauce, fermented black beans, and vinegar to continue his journey.

Although Lu Jun found it novel and wasteful, these things were, after all, goods transported by Shouchun to Liu Miao, so he couldn't offer any advice and could only do whatever Liu Miao said. As a result of this delay, the journey from Shuxian to Wankou took a full five days!

……

Meanwhile, in Anhui.

A massive camp, built like a dragon swimming along the water, was surrounded by three layers of moats. Sharp wooden barricades were driven diagonally into the earthen ramparts, gleaming coldly. The camp was laid out according to the five elements: in front of the archers' tents of the left camp, oil vats were piled up, and bundles of arrows leaned against the crossbows made of mulberry wood; in the cavalry formation of the right camp, the bridles of the warhorses were tied to the chevaux-de-frise, and their iron hooves occasionally pawed the ground.

Every thirty paces along the camp's watchtowers, a watchtower with a bronze gong hanging from the beam was positioned. Night watchmen, clad in heavy armor, scanned the surrounding fields. The camp's passageways crisscrossed like a chessboard, with white earthen markers demarcating the garrisons of different units. Each tent entrance bore a tiger-head plaque inscribed with the military order "Silence." War chariots formed an inner perimeter, covered with damp cowhide for fire prevention. Supply officers, carrying counting rods, moved about, their bronze bells jingling softly with each step. Just by observing this camp's layout, one could tell that these soldiers and their commanders were no ordinary men!
In fact, these were the four thousand elite soldiers who had previously fought alongside Sun Jian in his conquest of the world!
The only thing that seemed out of place with their image as a strong military force was the worry and hesitation that inadvertently flashed across the faces of these soldiers…

"Boyang, news has come from Shuxian that they are about to escort Wentai's coffin to Jiangdong. Let's go together."

Cavalry Commandant Wu Jing entered the tent and spoke to Sun Ben.

"We've been in Wankou for so long, and thankfully the Yangtze River has been teeming with fish, otherwise we would all have starved to death here."

"Even so, although the soldiers didn't say it, they must have been complaining in their hearts. They said that there was a fishy smell when they slept. Moreover, because they hadn't eaten salt for so long, many soldiers in the camp had swollen hands and feet and were completely weak."

"If we don't leave now, I'm afraid we won't be able to keep even these four thousand people..."

Sun Ben, tall and thin, glanced at Wu Jing and couldn't help but sigh.

"Yes, everyone has not eaten for too long since they were evacuated from Jingzhou."

"Even if it's just millet or rice, some leftovers and scraps are better than eating that disgusting fish every day."

"only……"

Sun Ben felt somewhat uncomfortable.

"Even if we reach Jiangdong, how many meals can we feed these soldiers?"

“Although we are considered prominent families in Jiangdong, we are not as powerful as the Gu, Lu, Zhu, and Zhang families. We don’t own much land, so how can we support four thousand soldiers?”

“These are the wealth accumulated by my uncle throughout his life, and a testament to his military achievements. How can we possibly abandon them?”

Wu Jing's originally high morale also waned, and several times he wanted to say something but hesitated, not knowing what to say.

"Does Boyan have a plan?"

"Ah."

Sun Ben looked gloomy.

"After burying my uncle, I plan to lead these troops north to join the General of the Rear."

"In the end, even if my uncle is a subordinate of the General of the Rear, we are not wrong to pledge allegiance to him now."

"Besides the General of the Rear, who else is willing to take us in and treat these soldiers well right now?"

Wu Jing sighed again.

In chaotic times, things are so unpredictable.

From a valiant elite force that fought in the north and south to a homeless dog that couldn't even afford to eat, it all happened overnight.

We just don't know where our future lies...

Suddenly, the sound of warning arrows rang out outside the tent!

Wu Jing and Sun Ben were both shocked and rushed out to check.

"General, a large army has suddenly appeared to the north, numbering several thousand!"

"Judging from the banner, it looks like it contains the character 'Liu'!"

(End of this chapter)