Chapter 155: Chapter 126: Primordial Emperor
Translator: 549690339
“All right, I’ll leave this matter to you.”
Prefect Cui nodded, quite satisfied in his heart.
As for Lu Yuan’s ability to lead troops, he had considerable trust in him.
After all, it was this man who had led the troops to suppress the bandits in Wugang and eliminate the Miao rebellion.
These were genuine achievements, which could not be faked.
The two then discussed other matters, mainly about how much money to provide, how many installments, and which soldiers to recruit.
Lu Yuan naturally demanded more money and early payment. Prefect Cui promised to handle it as soon as possible.
As for the source of soldiers, it was still the usual way, recruiting hunters from the mountains.
After all, what Shaoyang Prefecture’s mountainous region was least lacking in were these valiant Mountain People.
It was not until almost noon that all these issues were finally settled.
Cui Changqing invited Lu Yuan to stay for lunch and then let him leave. Back in his residence, Lu Yuan called for Liang Hu, who arrived quickly.
“Sir, you were looking for me?” Liang Hu saluted.
“The Prefect has asked me to recruit six hundred more soldiers, and I plan to leave this task to you,” Lu Yuan instructed, looking at Liang Hu. “Recruit Mountain People who are young and good at archery.”
“Yes, sir, rest assured. There is plenty of chaos outside and ordinary people are having a hard time. Many of them want to join the army for a better life. In less than ten days, I will recruit enough people for you,” Liang Hu replied in a loud,
clear voice.
This old official, since becoming a catch officer, has become more and more vigorous. Working hard in the army, he does not show any signs of aging, but rather appears rosy and healthy.
Last year, he even married a young concubine at the age of forty-seven and wasn’t afraid of being drained dry by that young woman.
Not long ago, it was said that the young concubine had given birth to a fat son for him, and the old man was delighted and even sent candies to Lu Yuan to celebrate.
“Well, go ahead. I trust you,” Lu Yuan nodded and waved for him to leave.
Having arranged the recruitment, Lu Yuan continued to stay at home and cultivate in seclusion for the next few days.
Today’s conversation with Cui Changqing served as a wake-up call for him.
As the situation in Da Yue deteriorates, no one knows when it will collapse.
When that happens, the world will be leaderless, and there will be no peace.
Even Lu Yuan may not be able to avoid the chaos just by hiding.
After all, even if he cultivates now, it requires a lot of assistance from herbs. And to buy the herbs, he will inevitably have to deal with the outside world.
The chaos will affect his cultivation, too.
Unless he could wholeheartedly hide in the mountain for decades, wait for the turmoil to pass and then roam the world freely when peace returns.
However, such an option is the least desirable for Lu Yuan. He would never choose it unless he had no other choice.
“Although the world is in chaos, it also represents opportunities. If I can’t avoid competing with others, can those great forces and Jianghu factions avoid it?”
Thinking of the mental technique he was gradually mastering, a cold light flashed in Lu Yuan’s eyes.
He needed to kill in times of chaos.
The collapse of order in the world might not be a bad thing for him after all.
“After all, strength is supreme in troubled times. If one has enough strength, no one will care about how many people they kill.”
The current stability of Da Yue provides protection for Lu Yuan, but it also restrains him to some extent.
With the imperial court putting pressure on him, even if Lu Yuan wanted to kill people in those major factions and seize their achievements, he would have to worry about being hunted down by the Jianghu and the court.
But without the court, the thousand soldiers under Lu Yuan’s command will answer to no one but him.
He could use them as he pleases.
“I need to pay more attention to military training this time,” Lu Yuan thought.
Originally, he planned to train a hundred personal guards, but now it seems that this number can be increased to two or even four hundred.
Doing so would increase his annual expenses by several thousand silver tales.
But considering the benefits of training these personal guards, the additional costs were well worth it.
“It’s settled, then.”
With the decision made, Lu Yuan’s mood improved.
Should Da Yue fall, he must ensure he survives.
This time, he would seize the opportunity when the court is gone to enjoy himself and, if possible, eat to his fill.
A few days later, Liang Hu, who was in charge of recruiting, returned to Fu City with six hundred young men who had just been recruited from the mountains.
Lu Yuan personally went to the barracks to receive them.
After confirming that these new soldiers were between fifteen and twenty years old and highly receptive, he couldn’t help but nod his head in satisfaction. Then, turning to Liang Hu, he said, “You did a good job with this. Go to the silver room and collect fifty silver tales as a reward.”
As a catch officer, Liang Hu earns twenty-five silver tales a month, and now he received two months’ salary at once. He was immediately overjoyed and thanked Lu Yuan repeatedly, “Thank you, sir, for the reward.”
Then, he went to collect the silver.
Now that Liang Hu had a legitimate wife, a concubine, three children, and five servants at home, his monthly expenses were not small.
Even with a monthly salary of twenty-five silver tales, it was not easy for him to live a decent life.
Now that he could receive fifty silver tales, it would be enough for him and his family to live comfortably for a long time..