Chapter Thirty-Six: Recruiting Craftsmen

“Military Police?” Zhang Juntao asked Li Wenyuan with a puzzled look.

“Yes,” Li Wenyuan replied. “The military police are mainly responsible for maintaining discipline within the army, ensuring the execution of orders, and organizing military tribunals.”

“Military tribunals?” Zhang Juntao was still confused.

“They are institutions that strictly regulate soldiers’ behavior according to military law—no favoritism, no bribery,” Li Wenyuan explained.

“Wherever there are people, there are ties; where there are ties, there are favors. Achieving absolute fairness is no easy feat,” Zhang Juntao sighed.

Li Wenyuan deeply agreed. The law should delineate where the public must not tread, and where they may boldly explore, demanding strict enforcement. Considerations of subjectivity seldom benefit the common folk; instead, they provide loopholes for the powerful.

But this time, he was prepared. “To counter these so-called favors, I’ve prepared two hundred loyal warriors over the years—enough to keep our three thousand men in check.”

“And then gradually use these three thousand as the backbone to control the troops of the Western Regions?” Zhang Juntao said with a smile.

Li Wenyuan smiled and nodded, continuing, “Military discipline is crucial—whether we aspire to rule the Central Plains or to expand our borders, discipline must be upheld. We must never relax, especially since our soldiers will one day return to their villages.”

Zhang Juntao nodded. Li Wenyuan suddenly asked, “How are those officers who were promoted temporarily?”

Zhang Juntao nodded again. “Most are former leaders of the defeated troops. After the army’s reorganization, promoting officers based on talent has been very popular.”

Hearing this, Li Wenyuan felt reassured. In the army, squad leaders were appointed solely through martial examinations—those with notable prowess could hold the post. But from battalion commander upward, assessments included military strategy and essential knowledge such as camp formation and marching, all handled by Zhang Juntao, leaving Li Wenyuan free from involvement.

Some who performed less well and couldn’t secure officer positions were not neglected. To quickly expand his cadre, Li Wenyuan assigned each commander two deputy commander slots, fostering mentoring and offsetting the shortage of his own trusted men.

Now, with three thousand men—a regiment by establishment—Li Wenyuan naturally took up the position of regimental commander, with Zhang Juntao as deputy, overseeing all affairs.

Drawing on the structure of armies in later generations, Li Wenyuan emphasized the cultivation of spirit and morale, frequently arranging military exercises between units to foster belonging and honor among the soldiers.

Zhang Juntao was keenly interested in these exercises, intending to refine and deepen their scope based on his own experience. Li Wenyuan never interfered, save for one demand: utmost realism—no scripted drills.

With most military arrangements settled, Li Wenyuan left the barracks. In matters of training, Zhang Juntao was leagues ahead; there was no need for Li Wenyuan to linger and risk an amateur leading experts. He entrusted everything to Zhang Juntao. Now, Li Wenyuan sought the shopkeeper who had previously forged the Marquis’s repeating crossbow.

That shopkeeper was surely not alone in Jincheng; some of the original craftsmen must have fled here.

Li Wenyuan pushed open the shop door and entered directly. Not seeing the shopkeeper behind the counter, he called out, “Old Jin! Where are you? I need to speak with you.”

Soon, the shopkeeper emerged from the back, brushing thread from his clothes as he said, “What wind brought you here today? Please, have a seat.”

Li Wenyuan noted the abundance of thread ends—it would take a while to tidy up—and said, “I’ll just say a few words and go, no need for the fuss. But tell me, are you really still doing tailoring?”

Old Jin smiled. “Everyone needs to eat, don’t they? A while back, my assistants returned home, so I had to work myself, hence all the threads—sorry to let you see me this way.”

Li Wenyuan glanced around the empty shop and spoke in a low voice, “I want to recruit a group of craftsmen skilled in forging military equipment for the Western Regions. If you come with me, I can grant you official status—you won’t have to serve as soldiers.”

Hearing this, Old Jin was about to protest that he didn’t know of any other refugee craftsmen in Jincheng, but seeing Li Wenyuan’s sincerity, he lowered his head in hesitation.

Li Wenyuan, seeing his reluctance, took his badge from his waist and handed it over. “You’re a craftsman from the imperial workshops; you should recognize this badge as genuine. I am the governor of the Western Regions—I have no reason to deceive you. If you come with me, the government will cover all resettlement expenses.”

Old Jin trembled. “Resettlement expenses? Does the governor mean to take our families with us to the Western Regions?”

Li Wenyuan nodded. “Of course. With your families by your side, you can work at ease. I need your skills, and you’ll be able to live together with your loved ones. It’s mutually beneficial.”

Old Jin bit his lip and said, “There are over a hundred craftsmen like me, all refugees from the previous dynasty. If the governor wishes, I’ll gather them to go together.”

Li Wenyuan smiled, handing him a document. “Once everyone’s assembled, bring this to the barracks outside the city and find me. We’ll depart together.”

Leaving Old Jin’s tailor shop, Li Wenyuan stretched, feeling the fatigue of days spent tirelessly recruiting talent. He hadn’t yet attended to his own family affairs. With that thought, he led his horse home, pondering his plans for the Western Regions as he walked.

Deep in thought, he was startled by noisy voices ahead. From a distance, he spotted Qiuniang’s figure—she was directing people to move several large chests into the courtyard, with a few women standing nearby. Only Gai Suzhen was familiar to him; the rest he did not recognize.

Curious, Li Wenyuan quietly approached Qiuniang, hoping to surprise her. But before he could get close, several unfamiliar women gripped their sword hilts and spun around, their eyes sharp and alert. Li Wenyuan, trained in martial arts, recognized their skill and keen senses—they must be the martial attendants Qiuniang had mentioned.

Li Wenyuan nodded, thinking to himself what excellent hands they were. With them at Qiuniang’s side, he felt much more at ease. Sensing the commotion, Qiuniang turned around, and upon seeing Li Wenyuan, said something to the others, who then sheathed their blades and saluted. Li Wenyuan nodded back, then reached out to embrace Qiuniang’s waist, but she pushed him away, saying, “Don’t be foolish—this is not the place. A general must mind his reputation.”

Li Wenyuan relented and said, “I’ve found all the people you wanted. The rest I leave to you; I just want results.” With that, he laughed heartily and strode into the courtyard, leaving a young woman nearly biting through her silver teeth, stamping her feet in frustration under the astonished gaze of the others.