Sweep Yuan

Chapter 126 May I ask how old your daughter is?

The training battalion was responsible for training junior and middle-ranking officers and guarding the command tent. Their treatment was slightly better than that of the combat battalion. In the past, there was rarely any noise. Even when the whole army was given alcohol, the training battalion would arrange for half of its members to take turns on duty, and there were never any mistakes.

Hearing the commotion from a distance, Guo Ying worried that something was wrong and quickly ordered his personal guards to form a battle formation on the spot to protect the marshal's retreat, but Shi Shan stopped them.

The soldiers of the Teachers' Guard Battalion were all personally selected by Shi Shan, and he had put a lot of effort into their daily management. It was inevitable that there would be quarrels and fights among the soldiers, but he really didn't believe that someone could incite the soldiers of the Teachers' Guard Battalion to cause trouble.

"Don't panic, listen carefully, what exactly is that sound coming from the camp?"

Upon closer listening, Guo Ying realized it didn't sound like a fight, but rather like shouts of encouragement.

"Cheering?"

"Come on, let's see what's causing all this commotion?"

At the camp of the Imperial Guard, the soldiers formed a circle and watched the two wrestling. One of them was a head taller than his opponent. He was Feng Guosheng, who had been challenging him to a duel all day. His opponent was none other than Zhu Chongba, who had just joined the army.

Originally a military game, Jiaodi gradually spread to the common people and the court, evolving into sumo wrestling. The Yuan Dynasty rulers were afraid of Han people rebelling, so they even banned sumo wrestling. The material and cultural life of the people was extremely scarce. As long as there was excitement, people would watch, and the soldiers were no exception.

Relying on his height, long arms, and great strength, Feng Guosheng repeatedly threw Zhu Chongba to the ground, leaving the latter covered in mud. After a short rest, he would pounce on him again. Although he never won, it was clear that he was gradually mastering his opponent's technique of exerting force, and the two fought for longer and longer periods of time.

Due to the significant difference in their physiques and the fact that their skills were not on the same level, this was originally a duel with no suspense. However, Zhu Chongba fought on despite repeated defeats, becoming more and more courageous with each battle, which attracted more and more of his comrades to stop and watch and cheer him on.

"Sigh! I lost again."

"Brother Chongba, are you still able to go up?"

"Never mind whether he can win or not, just pay up the money from the last round, pay up the money!"

Amidst the commotion, Zhu Chongba regained some strength and pounced again.

Seeing Zhu Chongba's unsteady steps, Feng Guosheng laughed and was about to grab him and throw him over his shoulder. But Zhu Chongba suddenly closed in, grabbed Feng Guosheng's outstretched right hand, twisted his body and kicked him in the abdomen. Feng Guosheng hurriedly waved his left hand to block.

Unbeknownst to Feng Guosheng, Zhu Chongba's move was a feint. Using the force of twisting his waist and turning around, Zhu Chongba pulled on Feng Guosheng's right wrist. Feng Guosheng felt pain as his forearm was controlled by Zhu Chongba. Before he could twist his body to free himself, Zhu Chongba had already joined forces to counterattack and drag him down.

Bang!
"Hahaha! We finally won!"

"Well done, Chongba!"

"Beat him up! Don't hold back, beat him up now!"

"Hahaha, Brother Chongba, give him a good beating!"

Feng Guosheng was dragged down, and the smugness on his face vanished instantly, replaced by surprise. Once the other man released him, he got up, patted the panting Zhu Chongba, and laughed loudly:

"Hahaha, that's great! That's great! I knew Brother Chongba was skilled. I lost today, but I promise to treat Brother Chongba to a taste of meat, and I won't go back on my word!"

Zhu Chongba: ...

Feng Guosheng, however, became even more excited and clasped his hands in a fist salute to his comrades who were watching and cheering, saying:

"If any brothers want to fight me, it's the same. As long as you can beat me, I'll pay for the prostitutes—big brother! I'm just saying this to be cheeky, I'm not messing around."

When Shi Shan entered the camp, everyone was watching the fight with great enthusiasm. The sentry at the small camp gate wanted to report, but he stopped him and brought Feng Guoyong and others to join in the watching.

When Feng Guoyong saw his good-for-nothing younger brother being knocked down, he was initially pleased, hoping that his brother would learn his lesson and stop being so competitive. However, when the brother got up, he started spouting vulgarities, which made Feng Guoyong feel embarrassed. If it weren't for his status, he would have cursed him on the spot.

"Hahaha, great, fantastic!"

Shi Shan's comments broke the awkwardness between the Feng brothers and startled the soldiers, who quickly made way for him. Hu Deji, covered in cold sweat, ran over, but before he could apologize, Shi Shan waved him off.

Looking at the soldiers who were engrossed in their play, Shi Shan said:
Wasn't this fight exciting?

The soldiers looked at each other, and seeing that the marshal seemed to have no intention of blaming them, they answered in unison:

"Wonderful!"

Shishan didn't blame the soldiers for watching the spectacle; on the contrary, he wanted to take the opportunity to create even more excitement.

"Since its establishment, our army has been either fighting or preparing for war, which is too intense and monotonous, and it must be tough on the soldiers. The rescue of Dingyuan has already tested the training effect, so we won't be doing much more competition. With the Spring Festival approaching, I've decided to organize a sports meet. Are you interested?"

Although Shishan was strict in disciplining his troops, he did not put on airs. The soldiers were more comfortable in front of him and dared to speak their minds to the marshal.

"interested in!"

"Marshal, what kinds of competitions are there?"

"The individual competitions will roughly include wrestling, archery, spear throwing, and iron ball throwing, while the group competitions will tentatively include Cuju (ancient Chinese football) and tug-of-war. Of course, these are just my initial ideas. You are welcome to suggest any good ideas you may have. The final plan will be decided after we collect the opinions of the soldiers from each battalion tomorrow."

"That's great!"—This is just someone who wants to watch the show.
"Hehe, my strength can finally be put to good use." — This indicates someone who still wants to participate;

Others with outstanding abilities also wanted to win a ranking—"Since it's a competition, is there a prize for winning?" Shishan had been planning this competition for some time, and bringing it up today was not just for the soldiers to have some fun. In fact, it was to demonstrate strength and a new order to Haozhou, so naturally, he wouldn't be stingy with some prizes.

"It's not just about the prizes, it's also about the limelight! The individual competitions will first be preliminarily selected by each battalion, and the official competition will be held in the city, so that we can enjoy it with the people. All the top six winners will be rewarded! The first place winner will be considered as a military merit."

"it is good!"

After discussing the martial arts competition, the soldiers dispersed on their own initiative. Only then did Shi Shan inquire about the details of today's events from Hu Deji. He learned that Zhu Chongba had voluntarily accepted the competition and praised him in person for his fearless spirit against strong opponents, encouraging him to study hard in the training camp.

As for Feng Guosheng, although he was suspected of "bullying the weak," his duel with Zhu Chongba was in accordance with military regulations, so there was nothing wrong with it. Shishan would not care about such a trivial matter, and his elder brother Feng Guoyong would deal with him severely.

Shi Shan returned to his main tent, washed off the dust, changed into his armor, and then personally patrolled the camp with two squads of guards. During this time, he naturally shared a few drinks with the soldiers from each camp who were enjoying themselves. By the time he returned to his command tent, he was already quite drunk, which was just the right amount to help him fall asleep.

The day after the army-wide awards ceremony, the soldiers continued to rest and recuperate.

After washing up, Shi Shan went to the Yulin Camp's small camp to personally check on the children's recent studies and had breakfast with them before heading to the Marshal's Mansion, where Chief Secretary Liu Xingge was already waiting.

He seemed to have adjusted his mindset and regained his composure, as if nothing had happened yesterday.

"The gentry of Haozhou deeply admire the Marshal's lofty aspirations, and each family has selected a total of twenty-one talented individuals. This is the list I have compiled; please take a look, Marshal."

Shi Shan took the list and carefully flipped through it. He saw that it not only recorded the names, family backgrounds, education, and personal strengths of the talented people of Haozhou, but also included brief biographies. Several wealthy families in the city had their sons on the list.

The banquet ended yesterday afternoon, and this morning a list of talented individuals willing to join them was compiled. The speed of this process is remarkable.

This incident not only reflects Liu Changshi's decisive and efficient approach, but also the respect that the gentry in the city had for the power of the Red Flag Battalion and accepted the cooperative approach led by Shishan. These people may have had some complaints in private, but they were already very obedient in form.

Shi Shan originally thought that the gentry of Haozhou would hesitate for a while, and some might even change their minds, so there would inevitably be some turmoil.

As a result, the fact that this matter was accomplished so quickly was largely due to Liu Xingge's attitude; he must have put in a lot of effort.

"Hmm, very good. Thank you for your hard work, Chief Secretary!"

Having experienced yesterday's events, Liu Xingge dared not readily accept Shi Shan's compliments, saying:
"It is my duty, and I dare not complain of being overworked."

Shishan, however, genuinely praised him and did not allow him to feign modesty, saying:

"The Chief Secretary has regulated the balance of Yin and Yang, maintained harmony between the military and the people, and ensured peace between superiors and subordinates, allowing me to concentrate on handling important military and political affairs. This has been done very well!"

Although Shishan granted Liu Xingge the position of Chief Secretary of Marshal's Office, he only allowed him to handle daily government affairs and documents. His duties were more like those of a registrar. The evaluation of "regulating yin and yang, harmonizing the military and the people, and ensuring peace between superiors and subordinates" was more in line with the identity of the Chief Secretary. Could it be that the Marshal wanted to further delegate power?
Liu Xingge was somewhat incredulous at his own judgment and tentatively asked:
"Marshal, what should we do with these people?"

Whether it's military or political talent, it's best to personally assess and vet them. However, these talents are a sign of loyalty from the gentry of Haozhou to Shishan. The banquet was just over yesterday, so it would be too "humiliating" to hold a public examination today.

Moreover, there's a saying: "Slap me and then give me a sweet treat."

In comparison, among the civil officials under Shishan, Liu Xingge was relatively well-rounded in ability and less self-interested than Fang Zhongwen. He was good at regulating the balance of yin and yang, harmonizing the military and civilians, and ensuring peace between superiors and subordinates. This was not just polite talk; some things were indeed not suitable for the ruler to do personally.

If we don't give Liu Xingge more authority to unleash his initiative, are we going to give that old fox Fang Zhongwen more authority?
"You can sort them out first. Those who are brave and courageous will be sent to the training camp. I will observe their character and abilities and then assign them to suitable positions. Those who are good at management will be sent to the veterans' association. Those who are good at writing will be sent to the administration department for a trial period. After half a month, you can draft an appointment plan for me based on their performance."

These people are all talented individuals carefully selected by their respective families, and they determine the future prosperity and decline of their families, so they are basically not to be fooled.

The so-called trial period is just a formality, and an opportunity to assess their true abilities so that they can be assigned to positions where they can better utilize their skills.

"it is good!"

After resolving the issue of talented individuals from Haozhou, Liu Xingge hesitated for a moment before bringing up another official matter that involved their private relationship.

"Yesterday, Magistrate Fang sought me out to discuss my daughter's marriage. There's something I'm hesitant to say."

Shishan knew the main event was about to begin, and feigned displeasure, saying:
"Old Liu, we've known each other for quite a while now, you should know my personality. What's important to say? Just say it!"

Liu Xingge composed himself slightly and said:
“In my early years, I served as an official in Rongzhou. The mountains there were many miasma, and my first wife and eldest son died of the epidemic. Although I remarried, I had another son in my old age, which I cherish. Now I am sixty-two years old, and I am afraid I will not be able to see him grow up.”

Liu Xingge suddenly brought up his plans for the future, which moved Shishan quite a bit.

"Old Liu, you're in good health; living another twenty or thirty years shouldn't be a problem. Why do you say that?"

Liu Xingge waved his hand and said with a wry smile:

"I know my own body best. I'll live for as many years as I can. My only worry is my young son. Today, I shamelessly ask the Marshal to grant my unworthy son a lifetime of wealth and honor."

As a member of the Yuancong and the first Chief Secretary of the Marshal's Office, as long as Liu Xingge himself did not commit any crimes, he would surely protect his descendants once the great cause of Shishan was accomplished. However, Liu Xingge's words clearly did not express that meaning.

His family was not large, and he himself was old. He could not hold the position of Chief Secretary for long. No matter how hard he tried to cultivate his network of connections, once his young son came of age, people would at most repay Liu Xingge for his help, but it was impossible for them to form an independent political faction with the Liu family as the core.

Shi Shan understood the unspoken meaning in Liu Xingge's words, which was also the reason why he had been hesitant to agree to the marriage alliance with Liu Xingge. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said:

"May I ask how old your daughter is?"

(End of this chapter)