The Military Governor in Dream of the Red Chamber

Jia Chen first had Sun Tiechong and his men cook the food.

The eighty people who came over didn't look very energetic; they were emaciated and pale from chronic hunger.

Since they're here, we should at least make sure they're well-fed so they can work better.

At present, the food supply in Qianshandun is still sufficient. This food was directly allocated by Liu Tianwang from Deshengbao, not from Zhenqiangbao.

However, Jia Chen knew very well that the supplies would likely be reduced in the future, and he needed to be mentally prepared.

After they had eaten their fill, the eighty newcomers expressed their gratitude repeatedly.

To be honest, they didn't expect to be able to eat their fill here. If they could eat until they were about 70 or 80 percent full, they would be very happy.

Now this adult says that as long as they work hard, they can be fed well every day.

Whether it's true or not, this meal alone gave them something to look forward to.

In particular, Jia Chen's reputation as a hero of the North East Road made these laborers feel much more at ease.

Jia Chen wasted no time and quickly selected the location, determining the positions of the moat and the city wall.

Everyone immediately picked up their tools and began digging a trench.

The soil excavated from the trenches can be piled directly at the foundation of the wall and used as raw material for building the wall.

They took soil from the moat and piled it up to build a city.

Because it was a fortified town on the border, it was extremely dangerous.

Various unexpected events may occur during the construction process, such as the Northern barbarians suddenly moving south.

Therefore, there is a corresponding order in the process of building the fortress.

Prioritize external defense over internal defense, and focus on prevention before relocation.

The priority is survival, then settling down.

First, a defensive system such as city walls and moats must be established. City walls are the most important to ensure that the construction will not be attacked by the enemy. Only then can houses be built safely inside.

It all started with digging trenches; the walls could be built at the same time as the trenches.

However, due to a shortage of manpower, we are still focusing all our efforts on digging trenches.

With trenches in place, even if the northern barbarians and some bandits from beyond the Great Wall launch a sneak attack, there will be a buffer, giving Jia Chen and his men time to react.

It got dark. After dinner, and after a long day of work, everyone sat down to rest.

"Do you know any fellow villagers or friends in the army?" Jia Chen asked. "We need manpower for Qianshan Fortress, and we also need people to garrison the rear. Can you recruit some people?"

He could go back to the Beijing garrison to recruit people, but the number would likely be limited, and it certainly wouldn't be enough to suddenly increase the number of people here to several hundred.

So we still have to rely on locals like Wang Baisheng.

"Sir, yes, they do, but they most likely won't come here," Sun Tiechong said.

Everyone was pretty much in the same boat; Qianshanbao was still too dangerous.

If given a choice, who would like to come?

"Here, the food and pay are sufficient," Jia Chen said. "Of course, I can't guarantee that this sufficient situation can continue indefinitely."

He dared not make any definitive statements.

"Sir, how long will this full amount last?" Zhao Zheng asked.

"I dare not say much, but I can definitely guarantee it during the construction of the fortified village," Jia Chen said.

"That should be able to convince some people," Sun Tiechong added.

"Let's give it a try," Wang Baisheng shouted. "Sir, don't worry, I'll only find someone who can fight, definitely not a coward."

Jia Chen smiled.

For him, the selection criteria are not high right now; as long as someone can endure hardship and work diligently, that's fine.

Moreover, having Wang Baisheng and his team select the people ensures they are well-informed and prevents unqualified individuals from being used.

Most of those selected will likely be incorporated into the garrison troops.

Jia Chen had read the military strategy book of Qi Jiguang, a famous general of the Ming Dynasty, which included instructions on how to select soldiers.

Simply put, it's a process of selection through multiple layers.

The core principle is "top-down, layer-by-layer responsibility," meaning that officers are appointed first, and then the officers select their subordinates at each level, rather than the general recruiting all the soldiers directly.

The benefits of doing this, besides ensuring thorough understanding, also include shared responsibility, which can enhance cohesion.

Since you personally selected him, you, as the selector, must also bear responsibility if he deserts or violates discipline on the battlefield.

This fostered a close bond between officers and soldiers, and among soldiers themselves, like that between fathers and sons or brothers, enabling them to help each other in battle and preventing them from becoming a disorganized mess.

Although we are only selecting people to build fortified villages now, it is also to prepare for the future garrison.

The Qi Family Army was renowned for its might. Jia Chen dared not say he could achieve that level, but he could at least learn to do it step by step.

Over the next five days, Wang Baisheng and his team went out to recruit people in batches, and they actually managed to recruit twelve people.

There are still some things that require some time to consider.

Jia Chen felt that most of these things that needed to be considered were unlikely to come.

It would be good if we could have twenty people in the end.

"Sir, I have an idea, but I'm not sure if I should say it." Wang Baisheng approached Jia Chen.

"What can't be said?" Jia Chen asked with a smile.

"I've embarrassed you this time by hiring someone; I only managed to hire one person." Wang Baisheng looked embarrassed.

He had previously thumped his chest loudly, saying that while he might not be able to recruit a dozen or so, recruiting three or five would be no problem.

Who would have thought that only one person would come directly in the end?

The person who was recruited the most here was Zhao Zheng, and there were four of them.

Some of them didn't recruit a single one.

"It's already pretty good that we were able to recruit even one," Jia Chen said.

"My lord, I'm thinking of recruiting people from the village. I believe we can recruit some." Wang Baisheng clearly wanted to make up for the lack of recruits. "Even if the food and pay aren't enough, during the construction of the fortress, everyone can at least have a meal. After the northern barbarians' raids, the village was destroyed, and many people there are now lacking food and clothing. It's better for them to come here."

Others might not believe Jia Chen's words, but Wang Baisheng trusted Jia Chen completely.

It's better to come here than to starve in the village. The northern barbarians won't be moving south anytime soon, so it's relatively safe.

"That's right, how come I never thought of that? Our village is the same." Someone immediately chimed in.

……

Jia Chen eventually agreed to recruit laborers from the village.

This is considered finding someone from the same village or neighborhood, someone you know well, and it doesn't conflict with the previous criteria for selecting soldiers.

The next day, Wang Baisheng and others began to recruit people in their respective villages in batches.

At that moment, a fast horse came swiftly from the south.

It was Liu Tianwang who sent him, instructing Jia Chen to immediately go to Desheng Fort and set off back to the capital tomorrow to select men.

Jia Chen didn't expect it to be so fast. Hu Youcai had said it would take half a month, but now it's been less than ten days.

Of course, he kept this matter in mind, afraid that Liu Tianwang would forget about him.

Jia Chen also wanted to see the two Jia family mansions with his own eyes. Although he had some memories of them, he still wanted to see them for himself.

In the end, Jia Chen took Jia Mao back to Deshengbao with him, while Liu Cheng stayed behind.

Jia Chen wasn't sure if Liu Tianwang would agree to let Jia Mao return to the capital with him, but he had to try. Jia Mao's elderly mother was ill, and if he couldn't go back to visit her this time, he didn't know when he would be able to.

If he is not allowed to return, Jia Mao can simply go back to Qianshanbao.

Liu Cheng told Jia Chen that he could recruit his old brothers from the Beijing Garrison, many of whom had followed Jia Gan, and he believed that many would be willing to come.

Especially since they had little hope in the Beijing garrison, coming to this town gave them more opportunities.

His promotion to the rank of colonel is the best example; it was dangerous, but the benefits were equally great.