The anti-Qing movement began with the looting of the Eight-Nation Alliance.

"Lunch is served!" With the ringing of a bell, the soldiers emerged from their dormitories and lined up in the mess hall.

"It looks like there's meat in it! Brother Tie Niu!" Stone sniffed and said happily.

Zhang Tieniu nodded; he too could smell the aroma of meat. He couldn't help but swallow.

Soon it was their turn!

"Rice or steamed buns?" the cook asked, holding a large ladle.

"Steamed buns, thank you!" Shi Tou held out his wooden bowl, and soon two white steamed buns were placed in his bowl.

"Eat as much steamed buns and rice as you like. You can ask for more if you're still hungry. But you can't waste a single grain of rice! However, I advise you to eat less, as we have drills this afternoon," the instructor standing to the side said loudly.

Moving on to the next stall, the cook picked up a piece of fatty meat, about an inch thick, and placed it in his bowl. The large, juicy piece of meat, even before it touched his mouth, made Stone know it would be delicious. He had never eaten such a large piece of fatty meat in his entire life.

There were several steaming soup pots nearby, with a layer of yellow oil floating on top. Shi Tou picked up a large ladle and stirred it; it was actually bone and radish soup. He quickly grabbed a wooden bowl and scooped it full. He was lucky; he even managed to find a piece of lean meat about the length of a finger.

Zhang Tieniu also ordered steamed buns, but he didn't scoop out the lean meat from underneath. Instead, he picked up a spoon and ladled a full bowl of oily broth from the surface of the soup.

"Brother Tie Niu, this food is amazing! We eat meat every day, even landlords wouldn't dare to eat like this!" Shi Tou took a bite of the fatty meat; it was so tender and juicy, it was absolutely delicious. He almost swallowed his tongue.

Zhang Tieniu ignored him. He took a bite of the steamed bun, then a bite of meat, and chewed them together. He chewed slowly for a long time before reluctantly swallowing, then took a sip of the meat broth. It couldn't be more satisfying!

Shen Lian and Dong Shaohua were also eating, the same food as the soldiers. However, he preferred rice and took more than half a bowl.

"Sir, the soldiers' food is too good! How much silver must have been spent?" Dong Shaohua exclaimed after taking a sip of bone broth.

"The soldiers train hard, how can they not eat well! Their exercise will increase, and if we don't take good care of their bodies, they won't be able to keep up."

Shen Lian ate half a piece of fatty meat and felt a bit greasy, so he quickly ate a couple of mouthfuls of rice and a couple of pieces of radish to settle down.

"This is too much! Even wealthy families in the countryside don't have such good food. The adults are being too kind to the soldiers." Dong Shaohua shook his head. His family used to be quite well-off, but they wouldn't dare to eat this well every meal.

After a one-hour break at noon, the instructors led the soldiers in practicing formations.

This time, all sorts of things happened. Many people couldn't distinguish left from right, couldn't step with their legs, or swung their arms on the same side—there were all kinds of people. The instructors were all yelling until their faces turned red, and countless people were beaten with sticks.

Shen Lian did not interfere with the instructors' training; he simply watched with a smile.

Military posture and drills can't be mastered in a day or two. Although Shen Lian had never served in the military, he had undergone a month of military training in college, so he knew this. Take it slow!

The afternoon passed quickly, and the two-hour training session ended in chaos.

Although there was no meat for dinner, the stir-fried vegetables were very well seasoned with salt and oil, and the soldiers were still very satisfied.

After dinner, we couldn't go to sleep yet. After resting for half an hour, the instructors started teaching us to memorize military regulations.

That's right, it's our army's winning formula: the Three Main Rules of Discipline and the Eight Points for Attention! Shen Lian only made a slight modification and used it directly.

Although it was only a few dozen words, it was incredibly difficult for these roughnecks to memorize. Most of them were illiterate and could only rely on rote memorization.

Time flies, and a month has passed. After a month of training, the soldiers finally looked like soldiers. They were all in high spirits and stood tall and straight.

Shen Lian held a special drill competition and awarded banners to the top three winning companies. Each soldier and instructor received half a month's to a month's salary.

In addition to daily drills, training began to incorporate running. Every morning, we started with a 5-kilometer cross-country run, followed by drills. In the afternoon, we began training in weapon disassembly and maintenance.

Evening study sessions also included military orders and internal regulations. These were all brought over from modern times by Shen Lian, and only needed to be modified according to the actual situation.

Each soldier has a unique file, which records all their performance. Gradually, the more capable soldiers will stand out.

Besides his daily routine, Shen Lian would often take time to participate in the soldiers' training, running and eating with them.

His actions deeply moved all the soldiers. They never expected that an officer as high-ranking as Shen Lian would train and eat the same food as them. They all intensified their training, eager to impress Lord Shen.

Another month passed in a flurry of activity. During this time, Shen Lian's Zhenhua Cigarette Factory and Zhenbao Lighter Factory finally went into production.

Large quantities of cigarettes and lighters began to be sold in Zhili and Shandong provinces. This ordinary Peony cigarette was well-received by smokers as soon as it hit the market.

Even at 20 coins a pack, demand still exceeded supply. Lighter sales were also soaring, with prices ranging from two to twenty ounces.

Large sums of money began flowing into Linqing every day, but making money was secondary. What Shen Lian cared about most was that the two factories had provided employment for more than 10,000 people. They had also helped tens of thousands of families escape poverty.

The city of Linqing is now incredibly prosperous, with a large influx of merchants. Under Shen Lian's guidance, the prefect has cleaned up the filth and disorder, leaving the streets spotless. Soldiers wearing red sleeves patrol the area at all times.

Outside the city, a large open space was specially cleared out to build a small commodity market to accommodate merchants from all over the country.

In just two months, the commercial taxes collected were equivalent to the total taxes for the entire previous year. Prefect Wu Huiqing admired Shen Lian immensely and was determined to follow him.

"Sir, there is a Westerner outside requesting an audience!" That day, Shen Lian was discussing matters with Dong Shaohua when a gatekeeper came to report.

Shen Lian has now sent all his guards, including Lu Da and Shen Xiaohu, to the military camp for training. The guards at the general's mansion are still his father's former subordinates. Although these men are a bit older, they are all elite veterans who have seen battle, so Shen Lian is quite at ease with them.

"A Westerner? Let him in!" Shen Lian was taken aback. What does a foreigner want with me?

Soon a tall foreigner in a black suit walked in.

"Jason? You're back!" Shen Lian stood up happily.

"Greetings, sir! Jason has fulfilled his mission. He has brought the goods you requested!" Jason cupped his hands in a Chinese manner, speaking with a hint of pride.