The Military Governor in Dream of the Red Chamber

"Oil? Thunderclap bombs? Gunpowder?" Upon hearing Jia Chen's words, Liu Cheng frowned. "These are strictly controlled by the military, and obtaining them is not easy."

"I know, whether it works or not, we have to try." Jia Chen took out some loose silver from his pocket and handed it to Liu Cheng. "Here's two taels of silver. Take it and try to bribe someone to see if you can get some back."

Having been exiled to Jiehuodun outside the Great Wall, Jia Chen naturally considered how to better ensure his survival.

Fire oil and thunderbolts can be used better for defense, and the advantage of relying on fire-block defense can increase the success rate of the three of them surviving.

"Okay, I'll give it a try." Liu Cheng didn't hesitate; he understood Jia Chen's thoughts, of course.

This matter can only be entrusted to Liu Cheng. Not to mention Jia Mao, even if Jia Chen were to take action, it probably wouldn't be very effective.

The main reason is that Jia Chen is too young and lacks experience in the military.

Liu Cheng is clearly more suitable in this regard, as he is familiar with some of the unspoken rules of the military.

Although many things are under military control, given the current state of the military, it's not impossible to get these things out.

Of course, there is another person who is actually more suitable than Liu Cheng, and that is Feng Rucai.

However, Feng Rucai was not a local, so he didn't have much power here.

Besides, if he were to reach out, he might be targeted.

Jia Chen didn't want to cause trouble for Feng Rucai.

The three of them had already been exiled to Qianshandun, which was practically considered dead by others, so what couldn't they do?

The next day, led by a local border soldier, Jia Chen and his two companions went to Qianshandun, which was thirty miles away.

Liu Cheng eventually managed to get thirty catties of kerosene.

As for the thunderclap bomb and gunpowder, we couldn't get them.

According to Liu Cheng, there are some small, single-person-thunderbolt bombs in Zhenqiang Fort, but due to their poor quality and lack of proper maintenance, they are basically useless duds.

As for gunpowder, the other party was hesitant to provide it, saying that the stock of gunpowder in the fortress was extremely low.

However, they had a slight surplus of kerosene, and after Liu Cheng spent an ounce of silver, they obtained thirty catties of it.

Thirty catties wasn't a large amount, but Jia Chen was quite satisfied.

Something is better than nothing, though he hadn't had high hopes anyway.

Each of Jia Chen and his two companions carried two baskets on a shoulder pole. The baskets contained kerosene, millet, mixed grains, pickled vegetables, quilts, clothes, and other necessities for going to Qianshandun.

Jia Chen also carried a horn bow, a powerful bow that could shoot more than 200 meters at its furthest point, with an effective maximum killing range of about 150 meters, or about 100 paces (one pace is about 1.5 meters). This bow was left to him by his father.

The fact that Jia Chen could use this bow shows that he was quite strong.

In addition, Jia Chen's archery skills were superb. While he wouldn't say he could hit the bullseye from a hundred paces, he was close. With these excellent archery skills, he made a name for himself in the martial arts competition in the capital, hitting the bullseye with all ten of his arrows.

Throughout the journey, everyone looked tense.

Once you leave the Great Wall, you may encounter the Northern barbarians at any time, especially small, scattered groups of them who will capture anyone they see.

Jia Chen was not stingy with his copper coins. After giving the guide several dozen coins, he learned some information from him and gained some understanding of the six soldiers stationed at Qianshandun.

Since the three of them were outsiders, it became very important for them to know how to get along with the local soldiers.

The front hill mound is square in shape, with a wide base and a narrow top, and is about three zhang high. There is an earthen house on the top of the mound.

At the foot of the platform, there are three low earthen houses, which are surrounded by an earthen wall, and beyond that is a shallow moat.

When Jia Chen and his group arrived, six ragged soldiers from the front beacon tower were already waiting for them.

They had already spotted Jia Chen and his group on the watchtower, and of course, they had also received word that a new watchtower commander was about to take office.

After giving a brief explanation of the situation, the guide hurriedly left, not wanting to linger there for even a moment longer.

"Are you the new foreman?" Wang Baisheng sized Jia Chen up, his eyes full of suspicion. "How old are you? This isn't a fortress; you might wet your pants if you see the Northern barbarians here... hahaha..."

Jia Chen knew that the guy in front of him must be Wang Baisheng, the troublemaker from Qianshandun.

This is an attempt to intimidate him.

"What did you say?" Before Jia Chen could speak, Jia Mao stepped forward and shouted.

"Oh ho, you've got quite the temper? Want to fight? Come on, let this old man test your skills." Wang Baisheng laughed loudly.

Wang Baisheng was quite tall; he was the tallest of the six soldiers.

However, compared to Jia Mao, he was still a head shorter.

Wang Baisheng, 25 years old, has a violent temper and claims to have killed three Northern barbarians and escaped from the pursuit of more than a dozen Northern barbarians.

The other five are Sun Tiechong, the oldest of whom is already fifty years old. Before Jia Chen came, he was the head of the front hill mound.

However, Wang Baisheng simply wouldn't listen to Sun Tiechong.

Liu Daniu is a year younger than Jia Chen. He is thin, introverted, and timid.

Zhao Zheng, thirty years old, of medium build, shrewd and capable, was not the one who collected the night's loot.

Zhou Shitou and Wu Jiangsheng were both in their early twenties and skilled in using firearms. There were more than ten kilograms of gunpowder and two three-barreled guns at Qianshandun, which were mainly used by the two of them.

The outer beacon towers guarding the Great Wall were extremely dangerous, and no one wanted to come there.

Years ago, a mutiny broke out in a border town because soldiers were sent to guard the outer outskirts of the town.

Therefore, some changes have been made in recent years. In addition to issuing orders, the authorities have also provided some benefits to the soldiers who came to garrison the area.

That is to provide extra rations and pay, which will be issued immediately. Although it is not much and will be deducted, it is still attractive to the border troops who often delay their pay.

Sun Tiechong and his men each had their own difficulties; most of them were already struggling to make ends meet at home, and had no choice but to risk their lives for a bite to eat.

They have family members inside the Great Wall.

This is also a way to prevent them from escaping; their family members are considered hostages.

With these concerns, they could only obediently remain stationed at the watchtower.

Otherwise, it would be common for these border troops to desert, become bandits, occupy mountains and become kings, or even directly defect to the various tribes of the Northern Barbarians.

"Watch how I teach you a lesson!" Jia Mao said coldly.

"Let me do it!" Jia Chen reached out and stopped Jia Mao, who was about to step forward.

Wang Baisheng is the troublemaker here. The others may not be like him, but if they don't show some skill, these guys probably won't be convinced.

"Are you sure you can do it?" Wang Baisheng asked with a look of disdain.

In his view, neither Jia Chen nor Jia Mao were worth his fear.

Although Jia Mao was taller and bigger than him, with his many years of military experience, what difficulty would it be for him to deal with two young men?

What experience could Jia Chen and his companion possibly have?

However, the other older fellow might be a bit more difficult to deal with.

"Before coming to Datong, my second uncle won first place in the martial arts competition at the Beijing Garrison Training Ground. What do you say?" Jia Mao said coldly.

How dare you question my second uncle?

"From the Beijing Garrison?"

Wang Baisheng was taken aback when he heard Jia Mao's words.

Sun Tiechong and the others behind him also showed a hint of surprise.

They were not surprised that the Beijing garrison was rotating through border towns for training.

Not every year, but every few years, troops from the Beijing garrison would come to Datong.

These Beijing garrison troops are usually stationed inside the fortress, so this is probably the first time I've heard of them coming to the outskirts of the city to receive fire beacons.

"What? Never heard of it?" Jia Mao asked.

"Haha, the Beijing garrison is a bunch of spineless cowards." Wang Baisheng laughed loudly.

Jia Mao's face darkened, and he wanted to reprimand him, but Jia Chen stopped him.

Jia Chen was well aware of the situation of the Beijing Garrison.

Although the situation of the border troops was not much better, the situation of the Beijing garrison was even worse.

This is an era of competing to be the worst.

The rotation of troops by the Beijing garrison gave the border towns a certain understanding of the Beijing garrison's forces, and the officers and soldiers on the border towns naturally spread the news.

Therefore, the soldiers in the border towns looked down on the troops stationed in the capital.

"Even if you're the boss, I, Wang Baisheng, won't give in to you," Wang Baisheng said, staring at Jia Chen.

He didn't take Jia Chen seriously at all.

What? The Beijing Garrison won first place in the martial arts competition?

It's just a case of choosing the tallest among the short.

How could a half-grown kid compare to a veteran like myself?

"Come on." Jia Chen smiled slightly, took the bow off his back, and handed the sword from his waist to Jia Mao beside him.

Seeing Jia Chen's expression, Wang Baisheng sneered inwardly. Was he telling him to make the first move?

This kid is really arrogant and ignorant.

Since that's the case, he had nothing more to say. With a loud shout, he charged towards Jia Chen.

Seeing Wang Baisheng lunge at him, Jia Chen remained unusually calm.

He already knew his body very well and had mastered considerable martial arts skills. Despite Wang Baisheng's tall and strong stature, Jia Chen still had absolute confidence in him.

Wang Baisheng pounced on his prey like a hungry wolf. Just as he rushed in front of Jia Chen, Jia Chen nimbly dodged and suddenly darted forward, circling behind Wang Baisheng.

Before Wang Baisheng could react, Jia Chen gripped his waist tightly with both hands, let out a low growl, and suddenly tightened his grip.

With a cry of pain, Wang Baisheng was knocked to the ground by Jia Chen.

Wang Baisheng, who was pinned to the ground, struggled desperately to get up, but Jia Chen held him down tightly.

They were defeated in just one round.

The soldiers at Qianshandun were somewhat surprised, as they were aware of Wang Baisheng's strength.

In their view, the new foreman was too young and looked quite strong, but if it really came down to a fight, he probably wouldn't be a match for Wang Baisheng.

Unexpectedly, Wang Baisheng was taken down so quickly.

Wang Baisheng was very dissatisfied.

After Jia Chen released him, he challenged him again.

In three consecutive matches, Wang Baisheng lost every single one. His best performance was only lasting three rounds before he was defeated.

"I'm hungry. If I were full, I definitely wouldn't have lost." Wang Baisheng couldn't save face.

At Qianshandun, he considered himself the strongest.

Although Zhao Zheng was a night owl and quite skilled, he was still no match for Wang Baisheng in a direct confrontation.

Wang Baisheng naturally didn't take the others seriously either.

Now he's been knocked to the ground by a new kid, suffering three consecutive defeats. Isn't that too embarrassing?

Just then, Wang Baisheng's stomach rumbled.

"Can't you handle losing?" Jia Mao sneered. "You dare to provoke Second Uncle? Even I'm no match for him."

Jia Mao wasn't bragging for Jia Chen; although Jia Mao was stronger, he really wasn't a match for Jia Chen.

A martial arts contest is not only about strength, but also about skill and martial arts technique.

"Don't be unconvinced. Even if you're full, you're no match for Duntou. Duntou is a trained fighter," Zhao Zheng said when he saw Wang Baisheng trying to argue.

Jia Chen glanced at Zhao Zheng. As expected of the Night Watchman, his eyes were quite accurate in judging people.

When Jia Gan was young, he apprenticed under a martial arts master and learned a great deal of skills.

Jia Chen trained in martial arts with Jia Gan from a young age. Perhaps because Jia Gan felt that his eldest brother was weak and died young, he had Jia Chen learn martial arts not only for self-defense but also to give Jia Chen a strong physique.

Wang Baisheng is a veteran soldier with his own set of battlefield fighting techniques, but if he were to face a skilled fighter like Jia Chen in a one-on-one fight, he would obviously be no match for him.

Jia Chen was aware of this, and in this respect, he did indeed gain a slight advantage over Wang Baisheng.

Wang Baisheng and the others all looked pale and sickly, and had been starving for a long time. When they were at Qianshandun, they only drank one bowl of thin porridge a day. How could such people have any strength?

Jia Chen and his two companions were in a much better situation than Wang Baisheng and his group. Although the food in the border town was worse than in the capital, Jia Chen had brought some silver with him from the capital, which at least ensured that he could have about 80% of his stomach full.

Their mental state was far superior to that of Wang Baisheng and others.

That's why Jia Chen confidently accepted Wang Baisheng's challenge.

If he's really unsure, Jia Chen will definitely send Jia Mao to test the waters first.

After hearing Zhao Zheng's words, Wang Baisheng had no choice but to shut up.

In fact, he could sense Jia Chen's strength during the competition just now.

As a result, no one dared to underestimate Jia Chen, nor would they think he was easy to bully just because he was young.

"Hey, what's in this basket?" Sun Tiechong changed the subject and asked.

This brings the matter to a close.

A hint of curiosity appeared in everyone's eyes.

Although they had already seen some blankets and clothes, they were still quite interested in the contents of some bags and jars.

"Oh, besides clothes, there's also some food," Jia Chen said.

Upon hearing that it was food, Wang Baisheng and the others' eyes lit up, staring intently at the cloth bags that Jia Chen and the others had unloaded.

Jia Chen knew exactly what they were thinking.

However, those who came to guard the watchtowers generally ate the food they brought with them.

After Jia Chen announced that he would treat them to a meal so they could get to know each other, Wang Baisheng and the others immediately became very enthusiastic.

What could be more important than being able to eat your fill?

Having taken on the role of the head of the front beacon tower, Jia Chen, led by Sun Tiechong, conducted a tour.

The platform is actually quite small, so you can see it very quickly.

Standing atop the platform, Jia Chen looked north.

The vast land stretches northward, with sandy soil interspersed with undulating mounds and patches of greenery.

Jia Chen could also vaguely see the beacon towers in the distance, about twenty miles away. Like the beacon towers at the front of the mountain, these were all beacon towers located outside the Great Wall.

The imperial court stipulated that adjacent watchtowers must be visible to each other and have their cannon fire audible to ensure that the transmission of information was uninterrupted.

This distance is generally no more than ten miles. In some dangerous terrains and valleys with poor visibility, there may be a beacon tower every few miles.

Since this area is outside the Great Wall, there are only a dozen or so watchtowers. In addition, the terrain is flat and open with good visibility, so the distance between the watchtowers is greater.

This is good news, as Qianshandun is not the northernmost beacon tower.

However, if the northern barbarians were to actually march south, almost no one at the watchtowers outside the Great Wall would survive.

They either died or were captured.

"Old Sun, if the northern barbarians march south, is there any way to ensure that the watchtowers are not breached?" Jia Chen asked Sun Tiechong beside him.

Sun Tiechong was a veteran of the army and a local, so he must have been familiar with the Northern barbarians.

Jia Chen respected him quite a bit, not only because the other party was older, but also because he valued the other party's rich experience.

Upon hearing Jia Chen's question, Sun Tiechong paused for a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile.