After the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Zhang Xi will go back to work.
It's still the familiar camp and the familiar warehouse, but this time when I go to work after the New Year, there will always be two more people in the warehouse from time to time.
One is Kou Feng and the other is Guan Ping.
What was Guan Ping thinking? He left his father's military camp alone and insisted on coming to find Zhang Xi... Zhang Xi really didn't understand this, but there was nothing he could do about it. He was a major general.
But Kou Feng is easier to explain.
"Brother, my lord has appreciated me and allowed me to recruit troops. I came here to report to my brother. Please take care of me in the future!"
Listen, listen, this guy is even called "brother".
Speaking of this matter, Zhang Xi also felt helpless for a while. After all, it was not too worry-free to spend the first month of the year.
During this first month, Kou Feng went to Zhang Xi's house whenever he had nothing to do. The two of them became more and more familiar with each other. They really got along well with each other and became much closer to each other.
Another... Liu Bi's tofu shop has just opened.
For this reason, Xiao Qibao lost his temper and blamed Zhang Xi for giving the family's secret recipe to outsiders.
Zhang Xi comforted Xiao Qibao, dumbfounded, telling him that he had plenty of good things, but on the other hand... he had to deal with Kou Feng.
In these days, "brother" is not just called casually.
Since I have called you "brother", I must really treat you as a real brother. If something happens, I will really help you.
For example, in Guan Zhang, Liu Bei raised an army and two people helped Liu Bei kill people. When Liu Bei fell into despair, all those who sealed Guan Yu's seals and gold came to defect to him.
Another example is Sun Ce and Zhou Yu. Sun Ce raised an army, and Zhou Yu sent people, money, and plans. Sun Ce died, and Zhou Yu still had to help Sun Quan, his younger brother, secure the throne in Jiangdong.
And similarly, as a "brother", once you agree to the "brother", you have to take care of anything that happens to the "little brother".
Zhang Xi was influenced by modern thinking at first and thought that it was just like someone calling you "big brother" in modern society. It was polite and polite, so he agreed without realizing it.
Later, when I calmed down and thought about it, I realized that I had an extra "brother."
Although he is not a sworn brother in the formal sense, this "younger brother" is also a kind of recognition and entrustment.
If Kou Feng does something bad in the future... Zhang Xi gets a headache just thinking about it.
Will this guy do a lot of shit in the future? !
Shangyong bullies Meng Da, seizes Meng Da's honor guard and leads to Meng Da's rebellion, does not help Guan Yu in the battle of Xiangfan, Guan Yu actually listens to Meng Da's words and does not rescue Guan Yu after being besieged in Maicheng...everything is a big trouble. .
What's more, the history books say that this guy is "strong and proud." With this character, it would be abnormal if he didn't cause some trouble.
You have admitted it, but you can't tell Kou Feng that I was joking with you before, right? !
This would be turning against each other.
And Kou Feng also has his own reasons.
"Feng and his elder brother have a good rapport, and he has received guidance from his elder brother. My mother once said that the younger brother should serve him like an elder brother."
This is the reason for Kou Feng.
The reason is not only because Zhang Xi told Kou Feng how to make tofu, but also because Kou Feng told his mother and uncle about their interactions these days, and his uncle Liu Bi felt that Zhang Xi must be a very capable person. people.
Although Kou Feng has a good relationship with Guan Ping, Guan Ping is Guan Yu's son after all. Liu Bi doesn't think that if something happens to his family, Guan Ping will really come to help.
But Zhang Xi is different. Zhang Xi came to Liu Bei from a foreign country and has no foundation in Liu Bei's army. At this time, befriending Zhang Xi can be regarded as a timely help.
It can also be said that the two marginalized people in Liu Shijun's tent joined forces to keep warm.
Therefore, Kou Feng's "brother" not only means himself, but also represents the family behind him.
Zhang Xi couldn't help it.
It doesn't matter whether you agree or not, and if you agree, you can at least have a good relationship with Liu Mi. If you want to collect grain and fodder or launch corvees in the future, Liu Mi will definitely cooperate well.
Just after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Kou Feng received good news.
Liu Bei allowed Liu Feng to recruit local heroes, which could be regarded as an explanation for Liu Bi's surrender over the years.
This is good news for Liu Mi and Kou Feng.
For Kou Feng, he was finally allowed to do what he wanted to do and become a general of the army.
For Liu Bi, he now finally no longer has to worry about gains and losses as before, for fear that Liu Bei would doubt him.
Being able to allow his nephew to lead an army on his own, even though he only had a quota of 300 men, was Liu Bei's expression of his trust in Liu Bi.
Regardless of whether it was a coincidence or not, for Liu Bi, the appearance of Zhang Xi was simply the mascot for the turnaround of their Liu family and Kou family.
But Kou Feng didn't think too much, he really regarded Zhang Xi as his brother.
So, as soon as he got the transfer order and before Xiang Yong could recruit people, Kou Feng came to Zhang Xi to tell him the good news.
By the way, I also want to report to myself that I will also receive a share of food and grass from Zhang Xi in the future.
The filing process was simple. Zhang Xi checked Liu Bei's appointment documents and filed them if there were no major problems.
Instead, he expressed concern about Kou Feng's recruitment of troops.
At the end of the Han Dynasty, due to the melee between warlords, the recruitment system was basically adopted.
The recruited local warriors are full-time soldiers who do nothing except fighting training and need to be supported by the princes.
In the late Han Dynasty, the heroes fought for years, and the quality of the soldiers seriously declined. In this day and age, how many of the so-called rural warriors recruited are the children of good families in the county? They are basically gangsters or refugees who have no food to eat. They enter the military camp just for food.
If these people go to the battlefield, they will have no problem winning the downwind game, but they will show you in minutes when they go against the wind.
And Kou Feng... a kid who is just sixteen years old this year, do you expect him to know how to train soldiers? !
Zhang Xi can't help it. If someone says, "Brother, you agree, then you have to take care of it."
"Gongzhong, come here!" Zhang Xi called Kou Feng, regardless of whether Guan Ping was by his side or not, and said to Kou Feng, "Since the lord asked you to recruit Xiang Yong, what are your plans?!"
"What's so difficult about this?!" Kou Feng said with a nonchalant expression, "As long as we post the list, and with the help of my uncle, we can always find all three hundred local warriors!"
Yes, your uncle is the county magistrate, which is great... But you are not afraid of your uncle forcibly recruiting people or forcing you to recruit some defeated soldiers? !
Don't be surprised, this kind of operation is routine these days.
But this kind of person can go into battle to kill people, but he can't fight a tough battle.
"Aren't you afraid that these people will turn against you on the battlefield?!" Zhang Xi was no longer in the mood to say half-hearted words, and directly said angrily to Kou Feng, "Don't you think about it either. How did the unlucky King Zhou of Shang lose the battle?!"
"The Battle of Makino?!" Kou Feng scratched his head and asked, "What is that?!"
Guan Ping also had a puzzled look on his face, looking at Zhang Xi but saying nothing.
Obviously, in these days, few people had read "Historical Records", and that certainly did not include Guan Ping and Kou Feng, who had been in the army since childhood.
Zhang Xi didn't notice, and tried his best to use words that Kou Feng could understand, "Back then, King Wu of Zhou conquered the merchants and fought a decisive battle with the merchants in Muye... They were evenly matched, but the merchants' auxiliary troops were all slaves. These slaves They turned against each other on the battlefield, resulting in the defeat of King Zhou of Shang and the destruction of the country."
Guan Ping looked surprised and secretly kept this in mind.
But Kou Feng still didn't care and said, "The country warriors I want to recruit are regular soldiers, not auxiliary soldiers."
This was so true that Guan Ping couldn't stand it anymore and quickly grabbed Kou Feng and said, "Gongzhong, there are such consequences if the auxiliary troops are unstable, let alone the regular troops!"
Zhang Xi also nodded and said, "So, when it comes to recruiting troops, you'd better go in person and survey the soldiers carefully. It's best to find miners, landless farmers and the like. Remember, you must find those who have the courage to fight but are ruthless. People who have no land or property.”
"Why is this?!" Kou Feng was puzzled, and Guan Ping was equally confused.
The best soldiers in these days are the sons of good families. To put it bluntly, they are the sons of good families who own land and have a clean background. This is because such people are stable, obedient, loyal to the court, and easy to control.
I have never heard of recruiting someone who has no land and is brave enough to fight.
But Zhang Xi said, "Nowadays, the world is different. Those who have land care about their land, but they may not be willing to fight for it. Those who have no land have no worries and are willing to use their lives, so they are considered to be the best soldiers."
"Master Zhang's words are inappropriate!" Guan Ping expressed his objection and said, "Those who have no land have no perseverance. When encountering adversity, won't they scatter in a hurry?!"
Well... where do I know where to go? Just ask Marshal Qi.
Didn't he only recruit miners and landless peasants? Why did he create Qi Jiajun? !
They are all products of the recruitment system, so they should be universal, right? !
After all, Zhang Xi was self-aware and knew that he didn't know much about military affairs. After all, Guan Ping had followed Guan Yu for such a long time. When he objected, Zhang Xi felt a little guilty.
"Then... how about half and half?!" Zhang Xi looked at Guan Ping, then at Kou Feng, and said, "Recruit half good family members and half brave fighters among refugees?!"
Kou Feng was also a little vague, so he nodded and agreed.
But regarding this matter, Kou Feng at least knew that he couldn't place his hopes on a list of papers or his uncle's help. He needed to personally inspect the soldiers he recruited.
Therefore, Kou Feng searched for Zhang Xi more diligently.
He really doesn't know how to look at soldiers.
Zhang Xi actually didn't understand, but he knew that when Qi Shaobao was able to train the Qi Family Army, the soldiers were not only miners and landless farmers, but also the army rejected cunning people.
To put it simply, one must be honest and obedient, and dare to fight bravely.
But such people are not easy to find.
The late Han Dynasty has been in chaos for twenty years. Basically, there are wars and refugees everywhere.
There are some brave and fierce people among the refugees, but these people have either become bandits or become soldiers of various princes.
For example, Cao Cao's Qingzhou Army.
The purpose of the remaining refugees wandering around is to survive. It is really difficult to find brave and ruthless people among these people - unless you force them to be unable to survive and become beggars. Living army.
But obviously, in the Xinye under Liu Bei's rule, the refugees and common people are not unable to survive, so who will be the soldiers?
So, when Kou Feng recruited Xiang Yong, it wasn't that he couldn't recruit people, but that he couldn't recruit the soldiers Zhang Xi wanted.
For this reason, Zhang Xi and Kou Feng had to lower their standards again and again. It was not required to be strong, as long as they could carry a stick, and they were not required to be brave and ruthless, as long as they could be obedient.
Except for those gangsters and veterans who looked cunning at first glance, Kou Feng basically recruited troops according to the standard of just being a normal person.
After about half a month, we finally recruited all 300 people.
It's just the spirit of these soldiers...well, it's impossible to see at all.
Those who knew they were newly recruited Xiangyong, but those who didn’t know thought they were ordinary people fleeing somewhere.
