Sheng Tang: What is Liu Jianjun going to do today?

Chapter 159 Weapons or People: Which is More Important?

Liu Jianjun kicked Wu Youji, who was lying on the ground, and after finding that he was just fast asleep, he walked back and sat down, telling Xue Zhongzhang, "Drink less. Once your wound has healed, you can drink as much as you want!"

Upon hearing this, Xue Zhongzhang immediately put down his wine cup, reluctant to part with it.

Then, Liu Jianjun looked at Li Xian and laughed, "It seems that Xianzi is like me, not used to drinking baijiu."

Li Xian glanced down at the liquor in his glass: "Baijiu?"

“Hmm, clear as water, baijiu, this stuff is only good for being strong, it’s not as delicious as the original Sanlejiang. I made this stuff simply to prevent wound infection.” Liu Jianjun then looked at Xue Zhongzhang and said, “But these rough men seem to like this kind of strong liquor.”

Li Xian asked curiously, "You just mentioned steaming something... Is this wine made from Sanlejiang?"

"Hmm... more or less. Just think of it as craft beer. I can make any kind of beer. I didn't have any Sanlejiang back in Bazhou." Liu Jianjun took out the porcelain bottle again and sighed, "I only got this little bit from a full jar of Sanlejiang. The airtightness is too poor, and it's difficult to collect..."

Liu Jianjun then mumbled some words that Li Xian couldn't understand.

Xue Zhongzhang hesitated for a moment and asked, "Can't Chief Secretary Liu mass-produce this wine? You just said that one jar of Sanlejiang is enough to make this porcelain bottle... white wine. If you add water, it will be almost a pound. I think it would be worth selling it for a thousand gold pieces!"

"Wouldn't this also be considered an additional source of income for the Prince of Pei's household?"

Liu Jianjun shook his head and said, "That's not how it's calculated. In reality, if I only refine the Sanlejiang into drinkable liquor, I can get a little over a pound per jar. The more I refine it, the greater the loss."

"But we can't make that money right now."

"Why?" Xue Zhongzhang asked, puzzled.

Li Xian, on the other hand, seemed to be deep in thought and asked, "Is it related to grain?"

"Yes, this year there is a severe drought, which has already reduced grain production. Brewing Sanlejiang requires a lot of grain, not to mention my finely brewed wine. In the end, the wine will be brewed, but thousands of people will starve to death because they have no food. I, Liu Jianjun, cannot do such a thing. I would feel ashamed."

Xue Zhongzhang bowed with heartfelt admiration: "Liu Changshi is truly virtuous!"

"It's not exactly great kindness, just a bit of conscience. Never mind, let's not talk about that. Let's talk about you." Liu Jianjun waved his hand and looked at Xue Zhongzhang. "You should know what I meant by arranging you to be with Wu Youji, right?"

"I have a general idea... I would appreciate a more detailed explanation from Chief Secretary Liu." Xue Zhongzhang sat up straight.

"Try every means to climb up the ranks, preferably to make a name for yourself in the Sixteen Guards, or even... take charge of one of the guards."

Xue Zhongzhang's face twitched, and the cotton threads sewing the face also trembled.

“Of course, it’s okay if it really doesn’t work out. This was something I came up with on the spur of the moment after Wu Youji came to me. It was a pleasant surprise. But there’s one thing you have to do.” Liu Jianjun’s expression turned serious.

"Please speak, Chief Secretary Liu!"

"Help me train a troop. I don't need them to know how to wield swords and spears, draw bows and shoot arrows, or even be bad at riding. But they must be physically strong, good at running and raiding, have great endurance, and be able to travel a hundred miles a day without getting red in the face or out of breath!"

"Does Chief Clerk Liu mean... the scout army?" Xue Zhongzhang asked, puzzled.

"Can the scouts really do that?" Liu Jianjun asked rhetorically.

"Well... if they are lightly armed and simple, they can travel 120 miles a day without any problem. They can even take on the roles of reconnaissance and harassment. However, these are elite soldiers selected from among thousands, and they must have a constant supply of meat and fine food, supplemented by extremely rigorous training. Ordinary soldiers would never be able to do that."

Liu Jianjun nodded instantly: "Yes! That's how you train!"

Xue Zhongzhang hesitated for a moment, then looked at Liu Jianjun with the caution of a veteran soldier: "I wonder what the Chief Scribe intends to do by training such a weary army? If it's for battle, this is putting the cart before the horse, as they are not skilled in swords and spears, nor in horsemanship and archery..."

Liu Jianjun didn't answer directly, but asked, "Brother Xue, in your opinion... in battle, which is more important, weapons or people?" Xue Zhongzhang looked incredulous: "Of course, people are more important. Without people, weapons are just inanimate objects; how can they kill the enemy?"

"Uh... let's try a different approach." Liu Jianjun thought for a moment and then asked, "How brave and skilled is Brother Xue?"

Xue Zhongzhang pondered for a moment before pointing to Wu Youji on the ground and replying, "If I were wearing this armor and wielding a sharp blade, I could easily take on ten men! And if I had a fine horse, I could charge through a hundred-man battle formation!"

Liu Jianjun nodded and said, "This is the importance of weapons. If I were to tell you, there is something that even a child could easily kill a veteran of a hundred battles with."

This time, not only Xue Zhongzhang, but even Li Xian couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "How is this possible?!"

"Yes... your mother wants to ascend to the highest position, but isn't that also impossible?"

Liu Jianjun waved his hand and said, "Alright, just practice in this direction. I can't say more about the specifics."

After saying that, he added meaningfully, "Learn from Wang Bo: do more and ask less."

This was clearly a warning, and Xue Zhongzhang hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting: "Master Xue obeys!"

Liu Jianjun nodded and said, "Yes, when the cotton mill starts operating, I will recruit about three thousand people. You can choose from these three thousand people, and train eight hundred of them. It's not about the number of people, but the quality."

"My requirement is that they are just ordinary cotton mill craftsmen in normal times, but when they take that weapon, they become an army that can make gods and demons tremble in fear. Can you... do that?"

"This humble general...swears to fight to the death!"

"Alright, there's no need to make such a big fuss. You're my cousin now. I, Liu Jianjun, will do everything in my power to keep you alive, as long as you're one of ours."

Looking at Liu Jianjun like this, Li Xian felt a sense of relief instantly.

What he lacks is the "arrogance" spirit of Liu Jianjun, a confidence that can strongly inspire those around him.

As expected, Xue Zhongzhang's face also showed excitement. He grabbed the ceramic bowl on the table and took a big gulp: "Xue Da, I will obey the orders of His Highness Prince Pei and Chief Secretary Liu!"

Li Xian paused and looked at the ceramic bowl that was more than half empty.

Suddenly, I felt that Xue Zhongzhang probably just wanted an excuse to drink that wine.

This time, Xue Zhongzhang's face turned red even faster than Wu Youji's, his eyes darted around rapidly, and then he instantly collapsed to the ground.

Li Xian and Liu Jianjun looked at each other in bewilderment.

Liu Jianjun sighed, "I knew I shouldn't have poured out so much alcohol. You don't like it, and these two are just idiots. As for the rest..."

This time, before Liu Jianjun could finish speaking, a figure appeared at the gate of the courtyard.

Wang Bo.

Wang Bo rushed over, his eyes filled with excitement as he looked at the small half-bowl of wine remaining on the table and asked, "What kind of wine is this? It's so fragrant and delicious!"

Li Xian nodded silently in his heart.

Looks like the next person to pass out drunk has arrived.

……

(End of this chapter)