Starting with helping Zhao Kai ascend the throne in the snow

After reaching a cooperation agreement with Dongyue Sword Pool, Shen Qing's actions in Lujiang County became much smoother. Around noon the next day, an outer disciple sent by Zhang Fakui brought several heads of powerful families in Lujiang County to visit him. During the lunch, they easily finalized the food issue, and the price was paid at the level before the price of grain skyrocketed.

"Young Shen, the conditions you offered to the Dongyue Sword Pool are far too generous, especially regarding the official school. Aren't you worried that they'll become too powerful to control?" The old sword god asked, somewhat puzzled, after seeing Shen Qing send off the group of powerful families.

Based on Li Chungang's understanding of Shen Qing, he knew that Shen Qing was a very insightful person and could not possibly be unaware of the downsides of such favorable conditions, especially the matter of the official school, which could easily lead to a rapid increase in the influence of the Dongyue Sword Pool, and even threaten the rule of the Yue King's Mansion.

"Senior, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Currently, our foundation in Yuezhou is weak, and we need to establish an example like the Dongyue Sword Pool, which is known for its lavish spending, to quickly stabilize the hearts and minds of the people and improve the lives of the local population. As for the matter of the official academy, although I promised the Dongyue Sword Pool to become an official academy, there are many other martial arts schools in the world besides the Dongyue Sword Pool. We will definitely find them some qualified opponents. As for who will benefit, it's really uncertain." Shen Qing said with a smile, looking confident and assured.

Dongyue Sword Pool wants to expand its influence by leveraging the power of the Yue King's Mansion, while Shen Qing's goal is to transform Dongyue Sword Pool from a sect into a higher education institution, similar to a military academy in the past, specifically for cultivating talents for Yuezhou. Both sides have their own plans, and it remains to be seen whose methods are more ingenious.

With confidence in his abilities, Shen Qing believed that even the talents cultivated by the Dongyue Sword Pool would only end up benefiting the Yue King's Mansion.

Once Shen Qing came to his senses, he immediately sent someone to fetch Yang Long. Before long, Yang Long rushed to the prefectural governor's mansion. He must have been training new recruits at the drill ground, and was covered in dust and sweat.

"This humble servant Yang Long greets Your Excellency." Yang Long said to Shen Qing, pounding his chest with one hand, his eyes filled with gratitude. After the destruction of the Eastern Yue Kingdom, he not only became crippled but also fell into poverty and became a beggar. It was Shen Qing who gave him hope during the darkest moment of his life, allowing him to start over. Not only him, but also his comrades and brothers received medical treatment.

Therefore, after being promoted by Shen Qing, Yang Long did his best in everything he did, for fear of betraying Shen Qing's trust.

"Yang Long, how many local militia have you recruited so far?" Shen Qing asked directly.

"My lord, we have limited provisions, so after some calculations, I have only recruited 500 men. This will last us a month," Yang Long replied immediately. Clearly, he was very meticulous in his work, which allowed him to have such a thorough understanding of these figures.

Seeing this, Shen Qing nodded in satisfaction and said, "Yang Long did a good job."

Yang Long smiled as he received Shen Qing's praise.

Shen Qing continued, "But that's not enough. I've already solved the problem of provisions. If nothing unexpected happens, we will receive more than 100,000 shi of provisions within two days. That's enough to feed 10,000 soldiers for two years. Therefore, I need you to expand the army immediately, increasing the original 1500 men to 5000."

"Don't worry, sir. As long as there are enough provisions, there won't be any problems," Yang Long said, overjoyed. As a military commander, everyone wants as many soldiers as possible under their command, so he became extremely excited upon learning of the expansion.

"Yang Long, I'll give you ten days to recruit soldiers and conduct basic training. After ten days, I need you to send people to escort 20,000 shi of grain to Luling and Yuzhang counties respectively. I will escort 30,000 shi of grain through Danyang and Wu County, and return to Kuaiji City to oversee the military examination. Can you do that?" Shen Qing stared directly at Yang Long and asked.

Upon hearing this, Yang Long hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "This subordinate guarantees to complete the mission."

Shen Qing nodded. He knew that his request was difficult for Yang Long. After all, it would take at least three months to train an ordinary soldier to be of usable use.

However, prices in Yuezhou are currently high and time is of the essence. Therefore, Shen Qing needs to deliver the grain to various counties as soon as possible to stabilize grain prices in different places. With this grain, even if it is only used to provide porridge and save lives, it can last for a considerable period of time, enough to support Yuezhou until it gets back on track.

Shen Qing thought for a moment and then shared his thoughts, “Yang Long, you must be flexible in everything you do. Once you have recruited enough men, you can stop teaching them martial arts and just teach them marching and formations. Although Yuezhou is currently in turmoil, most bandits and outlaws wouldn’t dare to mess with a thousand soldiers and laborers. You can then disperse your men and integrate them into the ranks, and just focus on escorting them. I will also have the Dongyue Sword Pool send some disciples to assist you.”

With Shen Qing's guidance, Yang Long breathed a slight sigh of relief. If it was just a simple task of escorting grain, and there was no enemy, Shen Qing's method was undoubtedly feasible. Ten days of training would be enough for the soldiers to complete the task of escorting grain.

North of the Guangling River, on the official road leading to Lujiang County, a young man and woman dressed as warriors were walking.

"Cuihua, have you ever heard of the martial arts examination?" The young man had his hands behind his head and a dog's tail dangling from his mouth. The woman named Cuihua, carrying a sword case on her back, followed behind the young man with her eyes closed and an extremely calm expression, seemingly unafraid of any mishaps.

"Never heard of it." Cuihua replied succinctly as always.

The two were none other than Wu Liuding, the sword-wielding genius disciple of the Wu family's sword tomb, and his sword attendant Cuihua. They had planned to go to Tai'an City to hone their swordsmanship with Qi Jiajie, who was known as the number one swordsman in Liyang Capital. However, after arriving in Tai'an City, they learned that Qi Jiajie had unexpectedly left the capital and come to Yuezhou, supposedly for the purpose of the martial arts examination. Driven by curiosity, Wu Liuding and Cuihua also joined in the fun and came over.

Along the way, the two encountered more and more martial artists attracted by the martial arts examination, and their anticipation for the examination grew even stronger.

"Cuihua, I heard that those who win the martial arts exam can become officials. What do you think would happen if I became an official? Would it shock the old blockheads in my family?" Wu Liuding suddenly thought of something and immediately became very excited.

The Wu Family Sword Tomb is known for its family's "Sitting Meditation Swordplay," which prioritizes technique over intent, striving for the ultimate variation in moves. Each move has countless variations and counter-moves, demanding immense mental effort and leaving practitioners listless and emaciated. Through countless repetitions of rigorous daily practice, the body develops an instinctive, visceral memory, achieving a state where the sword precedes the intent; before the practitioner can react, the sword has already launched its counterattack. This stands in stark contrast to the traditional approach of prioritizing intent over technique.

Therefore, most swordsmen who practiced the Wu family sword technique were lifeless and dull, like puppets without any vitality. However, Wu Liuding was an anomaly. While others endured the pain of practicing the sitting sword technique and eventually became numb, he enjoyed it and showed a pure and innocent heart for the sword. He believed that all kinds of trials were for the sake of the sword and always maintained his original intention. He became a talkative eccentric in the Wu family.

“You’re not cut out for it; you can’t be an official.” Cuihua directly shattered his wishful thinking.

“Cuihua, even if I can’t become an official, I’ll still be number one. I bet the number one person will get money, and then I’ll have money for you to pickle sauerkraut. I still think your sauerkraut is the best.” Wu Liuding said to Cuihua with a smile, a hint of affection appearing in the depths of his eyes.

He rode a bamboo horse, playing with green plums around the bed. The two had been together since childhood, from adolescence to adulthood, and gradually developed feelings for each other.

Meanwhile, outside Wu County, Qi Jiajie glanced back in the direction of Liyang and couldn't help but sigh.

As the saying goes, "A man in the martial world is not free to do as he pleases." Although he was the number one swordsman in the capital, he could only submit to Emperor Zhao Dun's demands and be ordered to seize the top spot in the martial arts examination. After winning the championship in public, he openly refused the recruitment of the Prince of Yue's mansion, causing the Prince of Yue's mansion to lose face.