I asked you to go hunting, and you ended up wearing a yellow robe?

Meng Da kicked him awake: "Go rest in the shade, we're out of eggs today."

The men looked embarrassed, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Those who followed saw someone quit and began to consider it as well.

Anyway, most of the time, the promises are just empty words.

Standing here is a punishment; whoever wants to suffer it can suffer it.

Fifteen minutes later, more and more people dropped out.

Niu Er, after holding on for half a minute, also sat down, grumbling and cursing.

He rubbed his leg, looking at the people still standing in the front row, feeling resentful.

Why pretend to be a tough guy?

If there are no eggs later, let's see how you handle this.

Qi Shan did not curse.

He simply sat under the shed, flipping through the roster that Meng Da had handed him.

"Of these thousand people, how many are from hunter families?"

Meng Da said, "One hundred and sixty-three."

"Where are the mountain people?"

"Two hundred and forty-seven."

"Mark all those with nighttime walking experience who can identify footprints, water sources, and wind direction."

Meng Da was taken aback: "What does the master want to do?"

Qi Shan said, "Select three hundred men and set up a scout camp."

Meng Da's eyes lit up.

Having participated in the surprise attack on Yelü's camp, he knew best the importance of scouts.

Without scouts, it's like fighting a blind man's battle.

Qi Shan pointed at the roster: "The scout battalion's pay will be increased by 10%, and their meat rations will be increased by one portion. However, their training will be doubled, and they will be eliminated the fastest."

Meng Da grinned: "These kids will probably fight tooth and nail to get their hands on it after they hear that."

Qi Shan said calmly, "That's for the best; only those who fight for it are true scouts!"

The sun slowly shifted its position.

Only three people were still standing on the drill ground.

Meng Da.

Yan Zhi.

There was also a dark-skinned, thin boy.

Yan Zhi was the county soldier who almost fell off a cliff in Guijianchou.

Qi Shan saved his life.

At this moment, his face was pale, his clothes were soaked, and his legs were trembling violently, but he stared intently ahead.

Meng Da was also suffering.

He's a centurion; if he can't stand firm, he won't be able to lecture anyone in the future.

As for the dark-skinned, thin boy, Qi Shan took a few more glances at him.

The boy was short, with sunken cheeks and arms as thin as sticks.

But he stood very steadily.

It's not that my body isn't tired.

His eyes were too fierce.

Like a person who has been starving for a long time finally seeing a bite of food.

The sundial's shadow falls on the engraved lines.

Meng Da's voice was hoarse: "The time has come!"

The three people who were still standing swayed almost simultaneously.

Yan Zhi was supported by an old soldier next to him.

Meng Da plopped down on the ground, panting heavily.

The dark-skinned, thin boy didn't sit down.

He was still standing.

Qi Shan stood up.

The new recruits on the drill ground also looked up.

They wanted to see a joke.

I also want to see how Qishan will resolve this.

Soon, Su Yue came out from behind the barracks with several women.

A wooden basket was brought over, with piles of white eggs inside.

Everything was cooked, and the aroma was wonderful!

The entire venue fell silent.

Niu Er's eyes widened in disbelief.

Really?

Do officials really give them money?

Qi Shan picked up an egg from the plate and walked over to Meng Da.

"The centurion leads the way, reward him."

Meng Da took the eggs, grinning from ear to ear: "Thank you, sir!"

Qi Shan then walked up to Yan Zhi.

Yan Zhiqiang struggled to perform the salute.

Qi Shan pressed down on his shoulder: "Save your energy for eating."

Yan Zhi's throat bobbed: "Sir, I can stand."

Qi Shan said, "I know."

He put the egg into Yan Zhi's hand.

Yan Zhi looked down at the egg, and his eyes immediately reddened.

Back then, Gui Jianchou thought he was doomed.

Qi Shan pulled him back from the edge of the cliff.

Today, he received another reward in front of everyone.

This is not an egg.

This was the first time Yan Zhi felt that he wasn't just a worthless person.

Finally, Qi Shan walked up to the dark-skinned, thin boy.

"name."

The boy's voice was low: "Shen Heizi."

Someone in the crowd laughed.

The boy's face was tense, and he didn't look at anyone else.

Qi Shan asked, "Your real name?"

The boy was silent for a moment: "Shen Yan."

Qi Shan looked at him: "Can you read?"

Shen Yan nodded: "I recognize some of them; I used to grind ink for the accountant."

Upon hearing this, Qi Shan's eyes flickered.

Why did you join the army?

Shen Yan looked up and said, "I want to eat my fill. I've been starving for many days."

"Anything else?"

Shen Yan stared at the egg in Qi Shan's hand and said firmly:

"You want to kill someone!"

All around was quiet.

Meng Da frowned: "Can't you speak properly, kid?"

Qi Shan, however, did not get angry: "Kill whom?"

Shen Yan said, "The Yelü people, and the people who sold my mother to them."

This statement came out.

But the few refugees by the drill ground all lowered their heads.

Qi Shan handed him the eggs.

"First learn to stand, then learn to run, then learn to use a knife, then learn how to come back alive to kill."

Shen Yan took the egg, her fingers tightening: "Yes."

Qi Shan turned around, facing the entire army, and spoke with a resounding voice!

"Did you see clearly?"

No one spoke.

Qi Shan picked up an egg and held it high.

"The Qingyang garrison is known for its clear system of rewards and punishments."

"You fill the space, and I'll give you what you need."

"You kill the enemy, I'll provide."

"You've done a good job, so I'll give you the reward."

"If you die in battle, I will take care of your family."

On the drill ground, a thousand pairs of eyes were fixed on that egg.

Many people have never heard such words in their entire lives.

They had heard the officials' words far too often.

Those who urged them to pay grain, those who conscripted men, those who beat them with sticks, and those who cursed them as lowly people.

But today, Qi Shan took out the reward and distributed it to the three people in front of everyone.

This is more effective than a hundred oaths.

Niu Er suddenly stood up and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Sir, are you still standing this afternoon?"

Qi Shan looked at him: "Stand."

Niu Er gritted his teeth: "Fine! I'll fill the entire stand this afternoon too!"

Someone cursed, "You? You've been squatting on the ground for half an hour."

Niu Er glared back: "I'm not squatting this afternoon!"

A low chuckle came from the crowd.

This is exactly what Qi Shan wants.

Struggle!

Soldiers are not afraid of fighting.

What I fear most is numbness.

The afternoon sun is even more intense.

The mud on the drill ground had turned white from the sun.

Niu Er had previously thought that the officials were playing them for fools, and in the afternoon he was determined to stand for a full hour.

Many people have changed their minds.

It's not because they suddenly understood some profound truth.

It's because the eggs were really there.

They had heard the officials' words far too often before.

Today, Qi Shan didn't preach any grand principles; he simply distributed the goods to the people.

This is more effective than banging a gong and shouting a hundred times.

At the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), Meng Da struck the gong.

A thousand new recruits lined up again.

This time, no one was lax or sloppy.

The line is still crooked.

The shoulders are still uneven.

But his eyes changed.

Some people gritted their teeth, some wore tense expressions, and some stomped their feet into the ground as if trying to nail themselves down.

Meng Da yelled at the top of his lungs, "Stand at attention!"

A thousand people stood up together.

Qi Shan stood under the shed, not speaking immediately.

He looked around.

Those who couldn't stand for even half an hour in the morning had now tucked their chins back in.

Niu Er was also inside.

His legs were already trembling, but he stubbornly refused to move.

Meng Da walked past him, glancing sideways, and said, "Not squatting anymore?"

Niu Er squeezed out through gritted teeth, "I'm not squatting anymore! Centurion, don't ask me anymore. It's hard for me to talk. I'd rather save my energy for pressing down so I can eat eggs!"

Meng Da was delighted.

This kid has a sharp tongue, but he's got guts.

Qi Shan withdrew his gaze and asked Zhao Bingkun beside him, "Your Excellency, what do you think of this batch of soldiers?"

Zhao Bingkun changed into casual clothes today.

He stood under the shed, holding a folding fan in his hand, but he didn't use it.

"Well... to be frank, my troops are far inferior to Yuan Tianlong's!"

Qi Shan nodded: "That's the truth. Yuan Tianlong's soldiers are all seasoned veterans with strict military discipline. These new recruits naturally can't compare to those veterans."

Zhao Bingkun looked at the drill ground: "But it's much better than this morning. The number of soldiers in Liu's battalion is about the same."

"Lord Qi's treatment was so effective!"

Qi Shan smiled and said, "Because they saw the reward."