Several county magistrates who were standing at the side immediately understood what Zhang Zhong meant. He didn't want to give up the entire province even after he left. There would be a new provincial governor in the province, and some other officials who would do other things. However, no matter what, the province couldn't be separated from the seven counties that were united.
As long as the people in the province went too far, the seven counties could compete with the provincial yamen. More than 50 strings of coins per person per month was actually to prevent them from being greedy and accepting bribes. In this way, the province couldn't catch them and they didn't need to worry about the provincial governor finding excuses.
Thinking of this, the county magistrates felt that the weather seemed to be colder. Zhang Zhong was too meddlesome. But after thinking about it, they had to do this, unless they were willing to surrender.
"County Magistrate Zhang, I think this is a good idea. I'd rather be a Level Seven County Magistrate than a Level Six Idle Official. At most, I'll have a few more acres of land. How can it compare with a monthly income of 50 strings of coins? County Magistrate Zhang can rest assured. What County Magistrate Zhang was like when he left the yamen of Sanyuan County will only be better when he returns. "
The county magistrate of Sanyuan County expressed his opinion, and the county magistrates of other counties also followed. They were waiting for Zhang Zhong to be promoted after he came back. Others might not have this ability, but the Zhang family could.
"Well said, well said. In the future, as long as I have a way to make money, I will take you with me. When we go back, go to the yamen and take a few kilograms of black fungus back to taste."
Seeing that the matter was easily solved, Zhang Zhong happily told the county magistrates. He decided that when he went back, he would give each of them ten kilograms of black fungus. As for whether they would keep it for themselves or give it to Shangguan, it was not up to him to decide.
They talked and laughed easily on the boat and returned to the yamen of Huayuan County in the middle of the night. After settling them in Jinlai Tower, Zhang Zhong hurried home and wanted to ask his son. As a result, he found that his son and daughter-in-law didn't come back. They stayed in Yaowang Mountain.
Suppressing the urge to look for him, Zhang Zhong began to tell his family about some of the specific things that happened when he returned to the capital. After the booklet, sand table, and the rental tax were sent, the imperial court discussed it for many days before approving the matter of Cheng Lizhou.
It was snowing at night. Zhang Zhong hugged Jang Wong Clan and felt the warmth of home. He said softly, "I heard that the winter in the south is not cold at all. There are pearls by the sea. I'll make you a beautiful necklace."
*****
"Pay attention to adjusting your physical strength. Lower your body a little, form a figure eight with your feet, bend your legs, and use your peripheral vision to feel the things around you. Focus, don't put all your focus on one leg. Even if you're jogging, tie the straps of your backpack yourself. It has to be just right."
On Yaowang Mountain, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan each carried a backpack and held a foot-long bayonet in their hands. They led 56 people to train. Wang Juan taught the 56 people as they walked.
The 56 people listened as they walked. They controlled their bodies and tried their best to meet the requirements. Now they didn't have much strength. The food was good, but they couldn't stand it if they didn't rest. During the day, they practiced in the morning and swam in the afternoon. They didn't know what the little girl was going to do today.
At night, even if it was still snowing, they didn't rest. They were taken to the mountain, carrying a big bag of things, and kept on walking.
In the middle of the night, the sky was dark. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were surrounded by 56 people. They kept on jogging. They had been jogging for two hours, and there was no sign of stopping. The two of them were tired, but their willpower was different. When it was midnight, Wang Juan finally touched Zhang Xiaobao.
Zhang Xiaobao knew that Wang Juan didn't have the strength to shout, so he helped to shout, "Stop, rest and eat."
Fifty-six people finally stopped. Not caring if the ground was cold or not, they sat down and brought their backpacks in front of them. They took out the wrapped smoked chicken and rice wine in bamboo tubes, eating and drinking at the same time.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan first gave each other a massage, and then took out their food to eat. There was some beef jerky, a tube of juice, and a big steamed bun with pickled vegetables inside.
"Today is the first day, you can eat as much as you want. Go back later and have a good sleep. Wait until noon tomorrow, you will leave here. I will take you to Fragrant Hill to play. Crossbows and other weapons have been prepared for you. Tomorrow, change into new clothes, put sand in your backpacks, and put your food in the pockets of your clothes.
You only have three days of food and water. When you arrive at Fragrant Hill, after eating, find a way to find your own food. Those who can't persevere, go back to the inner courtyard. You are the strong Team Zero of Team Miao. The team only needs the strong. Cowards can go to other places to do things. "
Zhang Xiaobao took a bite of the steamed bun and ate some pickled vegetables. He said to the 56 people who had blurred eyes and wanted to sleep.
The 56 people were shocked at the same time. Most of their sleepiness disappeared, and they became alert. They tried to drink as little as possible. They were afraid that they would be driven back. They couldn't afford to lose face. There was a new protector, and they would lose their identity as protectors. If they were driven back, would they say that they couldn't keep up when the new protector asked them?
Zhang Xiaobao nodded with satisfaction, "Now, I will teach you some simple skills. The first is sleep. Don't underestimate this sleep. At critical times, if you can rest for a while in a special environment, you will have a chance to survive. Cuckoo and I have practiced sleeping well. Now, we can sleep at any time and wake up at any time."
The 56 people listened attentively. Zhang Xiaobao patiently explained how to adjust their bodies. For example, what to lean on when standing to sleep, the center of gravity and the angle of the body, what was deep sleep, what was light sleep, how to cultivate the sense of danger, and how to wake up on time when sleeping, etc.
Zhang Xiaobao had done a lot of research in this area. He first explained the general theory, and then he would take it slow when the time came. Especially for the dangerous training, he would arrange special things to put the fifty-six people in a half-asleep state.
The 56 people were already sleepy. When they heard Zhang Xiaobao talking about sleeping methods, they all felt their eyelids become heavier and heavier. Wang Juan took advantage of this time to take a nap.
"Okay, that's about it. After resting for a quarter of an hour, we will set off and go back." Zhang Xiaobao felt that it was about time. He called out to the 56 people and leaned against Wang Juan to sleep.
The 56 people yawned. Feeling the cold weather, they all began to eat and drink.
After a quarter of an hour, Zhang Xiaobao woke up first. Wang Juan also opened her eyes, put on her backpack, and began to lead the group back.
When they came, they didn't walk slowly. When they went back, because they were full and had a day of exercise, the 56 people walked until a quarter to five in the morning. Only then did they return to the foot of the mountain, enter the house, quickly take off their wet clothes, and lie down to sleep.
The next day, Zhang Zhong rushed over when it was almost noon. He wanted to have a good talk with his son. As a result, it was exactly a quarter to noon. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan led the group and set off. This time, like last night, they didn't bring any servants.
All the way to Fragrant Mountain, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan sat in the carriage and took turns to drive. Looking at the 56 people behind them, Zhang Xiaobao opened his backpack and explained to everyone:
"This small knife is used to deal with animals or fish. In the same bag, there is a smaller steel knife used to cut off the dead skin when you are injured. Don't mix them up. The small bamboo tube contains cotton soaked in alcohol. There is also a small tweezer. When the time comes, use the tweezer to pick it up and use it to wipe the wound and the small knife.
He remembered that when there was alcohol cotton wool in the small knife, it could not touch the wound directly. If there was no alcohol cotton wool, it had to be roasted with fire first. This small bamboo tube was filled with salt. There was only salt and no other seasonings. These few packets of medicine were made by the doctor of the main house to treat injuries and illnesses.
This paper packet contains dried meat, which can be used to satisfy hunger. There are also some dehydrated vegetables and special compressed biscuits. Everything added up, except for the salt, is only enough for you to eat for three days. If you eat sparingly, you can eat more. The small gourd contains wine, which is very strong. When you feel weak, drink a mouthful.
In addition, the most important thing is these black things extracted from opium poppies. When you are injured and in pain, you can eat a little. When you want to force yourself to continue doing things, you can eat a little. Remember to control yourself. If you eat too much of this thing, you will become addicted. Use it at a critical moment. "
Zhang Xiaobao was also wearing clothes with many pockets. Every time he said something, he put it in a suitable place. The speed of the carriage slowed down so that the fifty-six people could slowly follow and stuff the things into the pockets of their clothes.
A bag of things seemed to have a lot of things, but they could all be stuffed in. When there was only an empty bag left, the fifty-six people began to put the sand from the carriage into the bag. Each person put in ten pounds. In addition to this heavy bag, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan also made small sandbags of two pounds each for the fifty-six people. These sandbags could be wrapped around the hands and ankles of the fifty-six people.
These things added up to a total of thirty pounds. There were also weapons, which added up to about forty pounds. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan didn't use these sandbags because they were still young.
In the beginning, they didn't think much of carrying 40 catties of items. However, after walking for four hours, the 56 of them finally understood how burdensome these items were.
Each of them was sweating profusely, and their clothes were also soaked. Wang Juan took Zhang Xiaobao's place to drive the carriage. She was holding two three-inch-wide ropes in her hands. To be precise, they were thick patches, the kind that were made of canvas.
"Are you tired? Xiao Bao, stop the carriage first. I will teach you how to put on the leggings. These leggings can't be tied all the time. You can put them on when needed. With this, you can feel more relaxed when walking and have more explosive power. "
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