A few days passed in a flash, and the recruitment plan was completed.
Jiang Jin had not expected to recruit as many as 658 soldiers this time.
Among them were 186 female soldiers, which was a pleasant surprise; she had not anticipated the commoners' high level of acceptance toward female soldiers.
Jiang Jin entrusted the soldiers' training entirely to Zhou Sui and Yao Ji.
Not many people were recruited for the yamen runners, only twelve in total.
Four large brick kilns had also been built, and Xia Zhong began leading people to make adobe bricks in preparation for firing.
At this time, the oxen were put to good use, helping to tread the clay and improve efficiency.
Two charcoal kilns were also completed and had begun burning charcoal.
Meanwhile, Jiang Jin started busying herself with digging wells.
Currently, the water used in Gefeng County came from a mountain spring diverted from Mount Gesi. The water was of good quality, but if Gefeng were ever besieged, the water source could easily be cut off or poisoned by the Quzhao people.
When that time came, the county's water supply would become very vulnerable.
Therefore, digging one or two backup wells was highly necessary.
Jiang Jin selected two locations in the city for the wells: one near the planned residential area and the other near the military district.
After finishing all this, Jiang Jin prepared to take out some items from her spatial dimension.
After all, with more people, the demand for grain, oil, salt, cloth, and other necessities had increased.
Furthermore, once the grocery store opened, grain and other goods would surely be sold in large quantities.
The next day, Jiang Jin rode her horse out of the city with a mighty contingent. She said to Xie Nanxiao behind her, I will go ahead to check the situation, you lead the team and follow.
Most of the soldiers were infantry who had to march on foot, so naturally, they could not keep up with her speed.
Jiang Jin arrived at a large mountain cave about seven or eight li away from Gefeng City, a spot she had scouted out previously.
After confirming that no one was around, she released all the handcarts and wheelbarrows she had collected in Lin County from her space. She took some of the grain on them back into her space, leaving only about a thousand shi of grain on the carts.
This could not be helped. The current Gefeng lacked a proper granary, making it difficult to store too much grain.
She already had over two thousand shi of grain out in the open. Adding this one thousand shi, it would be enough to feed the several thousand people in the city for two to three months.
There were too many carts to place easily, so she had no choice but to leave many of them on the flat ground in front of the cave.
These handcarts and wheelbarrows could all be used to transport bricks, timber, and stones. If she did not bring them out now, when would she?
Next, she took out two carriages worth of salt and oil, a large amount of cloth, and the medicinal herbs she had previously collected from the pharmacy in Liang City.
She also brought out a lot of sticky rice. With the massive construction currently underway, the consumption of sticky rice was quite substantial.
After some thought, she took out three Modao swords. One was of standard size, with a three-foot blade and a four-foot handle, totaling seven feet and weighing about fifteen catties.
She planned to use this Modao herself. After more than a month of training, using a Modao was still quite a strain for her, but she brought it out to keep on hand so she could practice when she had time.
The other two were enhanced versions, with a total length of about eight feet. One weighed around fifty catties and was intended for Zhou Sui, while the other weighed about eighty catties and was for Yun Chengxuan.
When a Modao squad strikes, men and horses are shattered to pieces—this was no exaggeration!
The Modao was not only useful in cavalry battles but equally effective in infantry and naval combat, and it was an exceptional weapon for defending a city.
These three Modao swords were forged from special materials from her own era. Combined with mature forging techniques, they were an absolutely overwhelming existence in this time period.
After arranging all this, she sat on a handcart and watched Little Red leisurely graze.
Little Red swished its tail and turned around, pointing its horse rear at Jiang Jin, as if to say that no one was worthy of gazing upon its magnificent beauty.
Jiang Jin was speechless. For some reason, her hands itched to smack it.
She did not wait long before Xie Nanxiao arrived with his men.
Seeing the grain before him, his heart finally settled in secret. Although Jiang Jin had previously mentioned that His Majesty and the Empress had left things for her, he had still been somewhat worried before seeing it with his own eyes.
Although the quantity was not massive, being able to deliver once meant they could deliver twice, and all the items sent were exactly what was urgently needed right now.
Looking at it this way, the Emperor had not only left grain for the Princess but likely a group of personnel as well.
Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly noticed three weapons wrapped in burlap resting on a handcart. From their shape, they looked somewhat like long swords?
Seeing Xie Nanxiao suddenly zone out, Jiang Jin could not help but urge him, What are you spacing out for? Hurry up and get moving.
Understood. Though Xie Nanxiao was intensely curious, he knew his boundaries and did not ask, simply directing the soldiers to push the carts.
When Zhou Sui received the Modao, he was shocked to his core.
He gently stroked the Modao. Unlike any weapon he had ever touched, this sword had a cold, metallic texture that emanated a chilling aura. This was a true weapon of mass slaughter!
His throat tightened slightly. His previous long sword had been destroyed in the Battle of Dingyang, and lately, he had just been using an ordinary long sword picked up in Liang City.
It turned out the Princess had seen it all and kept it in her heart.
He looked up, his eyes stinging yet resolute. This subject vows to follow my Lord to the death.
Jiang Jin waved her hand. There is no need for that. I accidentally acquired a special forging method and had someone make these few swords. However, the materials to forge this sword are hard to come by, so it might be difficult to make more in the future. I hope you will cherish it.
Although they had not found an iron mine yet, she believed that iron smelting technology would inevitably be put to use. Right now was a good time to give everyone a heads-up that she possessed a more advanced forging technique.
Zhou Sui was even more moved. The Princess had given him the rarest treasure in the world. How could he not bow to the task and give his all until his dying breath for her?
Seeing his expression, Jiang Jin knew exactly what he was thinking and could not help but smile. Hurry up and give it a name.
She found that people of this era loved to name their weapons, so she decided to follow local customs.
Zhou Sui lowered his head in deep thought. Let it be called Cold Scale.
Jiang Jin nodded. A good name.
She then looked at Yun Chengxuan, who was as excited as if he had received a new toy. Chengxuan, what about yours?
Yun Chengxuan refused to look away from his blade for even a second. He thought for a long time before saying, Good Sword.
Jiang Jin raised an eyebrow slightly. I know it is a good sword, I am asking you what its name is.
Yun Chengxuan looked up in confusion. Its name is Good Sword.
Jiang Jin was speechless. That was far too plain and literal.
Zhou Sui chimed in. How about you change it? It truly insults this divine weapon.
Yun Chengxuan lowered his head in thought and finally said after a long while, Then, how about Like a Flower? I think it is even prettier than a flower.
Jiang Jin almost vomited blood. That was even worse than her Great Demon King!
Yes, her sword was named after the nickname Great Demon King that she had once used in Liang City.
Zhou Sui fell silent, offering a suggestion only after a good while. How about Dragon Sparrow?
Yun Chengxuan shook his head. No good, that is too ordinary.
Zhou Sui was speechless. Could anything be more ordinary than your Good Sword or Like a Flower?
Jiang Jin made the final decision. Let us call it Buddha's Heart. The Buddha delivers all people from suffering.
Yun Chengxuan's eyes lit up. Nice, this is a good one.
Zhou Sui was speechless again. Wait, how was that good?
This was a lethal weapon for killing!
You call this the Buddha delivers all people? How exactly does it deliver them? By sending them straight to see the Buddha?
Regardless of what the names were, when Yao Ji, Xie Nanxiao, and the other military officers saw Zhou Sui and Yun Chengxuan bring out their Modao swords, they were all incredibly envious.
