The Alchemist God

In the afternoon, news of soldiers and horses continued to come from outside the city, and the messengers even galloped inside and outside the city lord's mansion without listening.

His Royal Highness Qi Zuo, Zhang Han of Dongming Commandery led 3,000 troops to attack and kill the defeated army of the Blackstone Empire, and beheaded about a hundred of them. He is here to kowtow to His Highness.

His Royal Highness Qizuo, Zhuge Tian, ​​the lord of Huoyao City, led 2,500 people to kowtow.

His Royal Highness Qi Zuo, Li Wantian, a farmer from Lu County, led eight hundred villagers to chase and kill the enemy bandits, beheading more than fifty people, and brought the heads of the enemy bandits to come here to ask His Highness to kowtow.

...

In a short afternoon, after hearing that the Empress Qin Yin appeared in Linghan City, people from various states and counties sprung up like mushrooms after rain, but before the victory of Zhanlongguan, these people were silent.

What exactly is going on.

In the meeting hall, Qin Yin sat dignifiedly on the seat of the city lord, and asked with her eyes closed.

Lin Muyu explained: Before the enemy was too strong, we issued a decree that officials from various states and counties can recruit troops to fight against the strong enemy. These people should be similar to the existence of princes in various places, but I did not expect that Even farmers can gather 800 troops to hunt down the army of the Blackstone Empire.

Xiang Yu sneered from the side: Who knows whether those fifty or so heads are enemies or innocent civilians? Don't forget, His Highness the King of Qin, after the promulgation of this edict, how many civilians have become bandits.

Lin Muyu was silent, maybe Xiang Yu was right to criticize, this edict has advantages and disadvantages, just like the edict issued during the Yellow Turban Uprising at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, it saved the world, but it will also make the world fall apart. The empire is different, she still has a large number of main forces, and the monarch is not weak.

Wei Chou hurried in from the door and said respectfully: Your Highness, almost all the princes near the Lingkong Province have come. There are a total of fourteen groups. There are as many as five thousand troops and as few as hundreds of troops. Do you want to see us? .”

Qin Yin asked, Ah Yu, what do you think?

See you.

Lin Muyu nodded and said: We are short of troops now, it would be great if we can use these people for us.

okay.

Qin Yin raised her hand and said, Duke Wei, bring them here.

Yes, Your Highness.

...

Not long after, more than a dozen princes and chiefs appeared outside the gate of the meeting hall. Some of them were wearing imperial official uniforms and armors, and some were armors made temporarily. The color is obviously a peasant leader, and a group of more than a dozen people have never seen what the empress looks like, and they are a little at a loss.

Xiang Yu raised his eyebrows and said, It is not acceptable to kneel down to worship Her Majesty the Empress.

Everyone knelt down one after another: The minister/caomin kowtow to His Highness.

Stay flat.

Qin Yin raised the corner of her mouth and said with a smile: My lords have contributed to killing the enemy, and your contributions will be recorded one by one. After we have completely recovered the Lingkong province, we will naturally give rewards to each other. But now that the empire is employing people, I don't know Your soldiers and horses are willing to be incorporated into the major legions.

Immediately, a fat man in the costume of the prefect at the front showed embarrassment, clasped his fists and said, Your Highness, this minister is Zhang Han, the prefect of Dongming County. The bandits from the Blackstone Empire plundered Dongming County like a gust of wind sweeping away fallen leaves. The elders in the city suffered a lot. And the 3,000 troops recruited by Weichen are all recruits, and they are all soldiers from Dongming County. When recruiting soldiers, Weichen promised that they would only fight for the defense of the city according to the edict, so...they are not real soldiers. If they are to be recruited, I have to ask their own opinions, please forgive me, Your Highness.

Oh, that's right... Qin Yin nodded.

Lin Muyu smiled faintly: Zhang Han, Her Majesty the Empress is the lord of the Great Qin. Does she still need to listen to his opinion who she wants to use as a soldier? Isn't it the greatest honor for every adult man in the empire to be able to fight for Her Majesty the Empress? You might as well bring all your people into the city, and I will personally ask them if they are willing to serve Her Highness the Empress.

Zhang Han was startled: You are...

Wei Chou said coldly: He is His Royal Highness King Qin.

Zhang Han hastily knelt down: I see His Highness the King of Qin...I just feel...that I should ask the soldiers for their own opinions, and I have no other intentions. Please forgive me.

Lin Muyu waved his hand and said: I know it's not easy for you to recruit troops, so I won't force you, so let's do it, all the troops of the princes in the Lingkong Province will gather together to form a defense army for the Lingkong Province. How about promoting military ranks and positions with the troops you recruited, and letting you still bring the troops you recruited to serve the empire.

Zhang Han nodded again and again: Weichen is willing to obey the arrangements of His Highness and His Highness the Empress.

Lin Muyu glanced away, and the rest of the princes knelt down one after another, shouting again and again: I am willing to accept His Highness's arrangement.

That's good.

Lin Muyu looked at Wei Chou, and signaled: The matter of preparing the garrison of the Lingkong Province will be handed over to Wei Guogong, and Wei Guogong will also serve as the temporary commander of this new army. As for the Longdan Battalion , I’ll bring it myself.”

Wei Chou nodded and smiled: Yes, Your Highness.

Now that Qin Yin is back, Lin Muyu can finally lead the troops in person, and it is very appropriate to send Wei Chou to be the commander of this new army. Wei Chou is a famous general of the empire and has many successful battles. In terms of prestige and The ability to lead troops is also one of the few in the empire, able to convince the masses, and also capable of commanding a new army.

Tang Xiaoxi smiled and said: Let's just wait here for a few more days. According to this situation, there will definitely be many princes coming from all over the Lingkong Province within three days.

Yes. Qin Yin nodded and smiled.

Xu Jiantao said: These bastards... are not seen on weekdays, but they all show up when it's time to ask for credit and reward.

Zeng Yifan laughed: The prefects and city lords of various states and counties have always not had much military power, and this time they took advantage of the opportunity of the edict to make more meritorious deeds and think about their own future, which is actually human nature.

Su Yu also nodded and said, Well, that's right, that's it.

Lin Muyu sat down slowly, with stern eyes and said: As long as this group of people don't make trouble, then it's easy to say anything, Wei Chou, you must appease the good people, these princes have different thoughts, you have to shock them at the same time It also wins good hearts, we still have 400,000 enemies of the Tianji Empire, and there must be no more troubles in the rear.

Yes, Your Highness, this subordinate understands. Wei Chou clasped his fists together and smiled, Then, this subordinate will take the guard battalion outside the city to appease the princes from all over the country, and arrange camps and food for them.

Well, go ahead and be safe.

yes.

...

Three days passed in a blink of an eye, and princes from all over the Lingkong Province, Lingnan Province, and Mingshan Province all rushed to gather in Linghan City after hearing the news. There was a vast camp outside the city. Although most of them were recruits, there were at least forty soldiers. The princes and tens of thousands of troops made Wei Chou very happy. After a bloody battle, there were only 13,000 troops left in the Longdan Battalion, but so many new recruits came in a blink of an eye. coming.

In the meeting hall, everyone was drinking afternoon tea.

How many troops are there? Lin Muyu looked at the roster and asked.

Wei Chou said happily: So far, there are more than 74,000 people, and it is estimated that tens of thousands of people are still on the way.

Zeng Yifan smiled: Congratulations to Lord Wei, this garrison is about to break through one hundred thousand people just after it was established. Speaking of which, it is already considered the number one army in the empire.

Wei Chou said helplessly: Why should you make fun of me, Mr. Fan, the strength of this 100,000 army is probably not as good as 10,000 gentian cavalry.

At this time, a civil servant came in, holding a heavy booklet in his hand, and said: The servant of the household department, Jiang Chong, greets His Royal Highness Yin.

Pingshen, tell me.

Yes. Jiang Chong put the roster on the table, opened the first page tremblingly, and said: The Ministry of Household Affairs has made a rough count. Last year, there were a total of five million households in Lingkong Province. Calculated based on eight households per household, the total population is 40 million people. We started counting the number of households a month ago, and there are only about 3.3 million households. When the Blackstone bandits came, many civilians were killed, Being plundered or hiding in the deep mountains and wild forests, nearly half of the population has been lost, the princes from all over the country have forcibly conscripted their troops, and the people are suffering unspeakably. The current Lingkong Province can be said to be a waste of time, and the farmland is barren. Please govern the country with mercy, Your Highness. Forgive the provincial taxes for three years of volleying.

Qin Yin was surprised, touched Tang Xiaoxi's hand lightly, and asked her for help. After all, Qin Yin had been away from the Broken Cauldron Realm for too long, and she didn't understand many things, so she couldn't make rash decisions.

Tang Xiaoxi stood up and said: Her Majesty has an order to reduce or exempt all the people in Lingkong Province from taxes for one year, increase rewards for land reclamation, and reward five silver coins for every acre of land reclamation, which will be given by the local governments themselves. Investigate corruption, if anyone embezzles or hides government money, if it exceeds 10,000 gold coins, behead, if it exceeds 2,000 gold coins, exile, if it exceeds 500 gold coins, depose, if it is less than 500 gold coins, whipping One hundred, Ministry of Officials, write down all my words, directly promulgate the decree, and implement it immediately.

Yes, Princess Xi.

Tang Xiaoxi lowered her head and smiled next to Qin Yin's ear: This is good, is it appropriate?

Qin Yin also nodded and smiled: It's exactly what I want.

...

Two days later, the last remnants of the Cangyan Army and the Haishan Army also plundered the fishermen's boats and fled to the East China Sea. Xuzi Port was deserted. The Imperial Navy was almost wiped out, and they were powerless to hunt them down. They could only let them escape. , and in the past two days, as everyone expected, the garrison of Lingkong Province has expanded to 100,000 people.

But Wei Chou was worried. The 100,000 people were composed of more than 70 princes, and there were many conflicts among the battalions. People from Hedong looked down on people from Hexi, and people from Lingbei looked down on people from Lingnan. A battalion with the same combat power is simply a fantasy.