Chapter 81. Spring and Autumn, Warring States Period (20) Taking the Lead in Conscription, Grants +4 Freedom Points.

     During dinner, Ye Mo promised Meng Sheng that she would take a good rest and adjust after finishing the food processing plant. Moreover, she specifically asked Meng Sheng not to publicize this matter too much for the time being, and to discuss it together after Yang Chengjun came back.

     Meng Sheng knew her filial piety and thought she just wanted to give her father a surprise. He happily agreed and gave her a high evaluation of not being eager for quick success, which made her blush a little.

     Just as the sun was setting, at the North Suburb Farm, today’s hunting team was carrying prey like yesterday.

     When hundreds of guards were carrying iron lumps of unknown function to the farm, they drew the attention of numerous hunters. Many people, when carrying their prey, would pause to take a curious glance.

     “Equipment?”

     “Who?”

     “Li Jing?”

     “Fuck, machinery factory!!!”

     Wang Wu and others were shocked. Many survivors couldn’t help rubbing their eyes many times, looking at the environment and the machinery full of modern atmosphere. Zhang San’s worldview was seriously split. Although Li Jing told him that she would solve the baking problem, she did not say that such a machine would be used to solve the problem. The newly built mud house was really a factory!

     Even if this factory was built with the help of Master Mo Men, Li Jing, who was able to communicate in the middle, was definitely not a simple person. No wonder Wang Wu reported that they could not compare to Li Jing’s talent in mechanical engineering.

     Li Si accepted his defeat sincerely. No matter whether it was machines, mechanisms or mechanical mechanisms, they were all too far away from him in the copy.

     The reserve was still entangled in discussing the issue of power. The agents have already set up the equipment, following the instructions of  a Momen disciple, They’ve assembled the staging, drying storage tanks, and other standard assembly line equipment

     When Ye Mo and her friends finished lunch and arrived at the farm, the Five Elements Array Food Processing Plant was completed.

     There is more meat today.

     After the simple and crude meat was added to the device, without the use of electricity, spiritual energy was converted into other forms of energy. A rumbling mechanical sound echoed through the farm, and is partially echoed by the mountains.

     Fifteen minutes later, strips of jerky came out of the oven, which was somewhat similar to the Magic Beast jerky in the Irish dungeon.

     There is no doubt that the moisture content of these jerky is less than 5%. If stored properly, they can be enjoyed for several months without going bad. Not only meat can be dried, but also wild vegetables.

     As for medicinal herbs, it’s much more complicated, it won’t work.

     Apart from giving them admiring glances, what else can the survivors say? Why were their Senior so excellent?”

     Wang Qi: … No, we are different.

     There are some people who know a little about machinery in the logistics reserve led by Sun Ba. They are not slow to get started with the magical machinery of the grain factory.

     The buzzing sound of the Five Elements Machinery Processing Factory ran with a constant hum until midnight. The addition of artificial smoke allowed them to process a third of the catch. The dried meat was then stored in a temporary, dry warehouse.

     That night, Ye Mo finally slept well.

…

     By the third day, all the meat from the hunt has been fully processed.

     Ye Mo relaxed for a rare half day and joined the hunting team outside Huquan River. She and Wang Xue carried out the “mountain clearing movement”. After removing the cubs and pregnant females, more than half of the remaining prey were shot.

     They didn’t have to chase after animals. Wang Xue played a beautiful bamboo flute tune in the mountains, but strangely, the animals started acting odd. It might be a good idea to sit and wait for something to happen.

     Hundreds of guards followed the two to pick up prey.

     Because they walked a little far, there were no garrisons in these mountains. Each guard had a lot of prey in their hands and on their body. Every half an hour, someone had to go back and forth to clear the prey. The profession changed from guards to transporters.

     Too brutal!

     Ye Mo praised: “The flute is played well.”

     In just half a day, Ye Mo and Wang Xue greatly increased the workload of the serfs. If the number of prey of their team was not included in the competition, there is no doubt that the two of them would definitely take the first and second place in this spring hunting.

     Others didn’t know that Mi Wenjing and her team were so brutal, and they just thought that Yangcheng Jun’s guards were very capable.

…

     The mechanical sounds on the farm were mixed with the smell of smoke, and the soldiers also tasted the dried meat and smoked meat.

     Nowadays, all the kitchen utensils are steamers, or they are directly grilled on the fire. Meat will have a fishy smell no matter how it is eaten without grilling, and vegetables will have a sour taste no matter how they are cooked, but dried meat and smoked meat have a little wine and ginger to remove the fishy smell.

     Wang Qi took advantage of the opportunity to bring the iron hot pot to this period in advance. With limited seasonings, he displayed his mediocre cooking skills and won the favor of a group of foodie soldiers. His popularity suddenly improved.

     Sure enough, from ancient times to the present, the land of China has always been full of foodies.

     The soldiers also saw the storage capacity of dried meat. If it was put in the past, there would be more mold in spring and summer. When hunting on the third day, except for the live prey, the first prey may have started to go bad.

     However, the dried meat from the grain factory or smoked meat cured over a wood fire not only keeps well but is incredibly versatile. It can be cooked, fried, or eaten as is. Whether it’s simply heated as boiled meat or shredded into meat floss, it’s tastier than the boiled meat before.

     “The young lady is a wise woman.” 

     Wang Qi silently calculated in his mind, This is the nth soldier to praise Li Jing as a big shot. They, the survivors, have become numb to it. There’s no need to control the public opinion. Mi Wenjing’s reputation in the army is almost legendary.

     If Ye Mo had not personally ordered to stop the news from leaking out, the whole Chuyang City might have been even more heated now.

     This spring hunt was a great harvest.

     But this year’s summer seedlings, autumn hunting, winter hunting, and even next year’s spring hunt will definitely be affected.

……

     At noon on the fourth day, the second project of the spring recruitment officially ended, and the prey began to be counted. Among the recruits and the soldier hunting team, the top 5,000 individual hunters and the top 3,000 teams were ranked.

     Among them, three hunting teams including agents were in the top 3,000 recruits.

     Under the advice of the young lady, except for those who withdrew from the selection for various reasons, more than 85% of them entered the army. Ye Mo was in the limelight because of the meat ration issue, and no one jumped out to refute it.

     This year, the number of soldiers recruited in the spring recruitment is much more than three times that of last year.

     A total of 192 people in the reserve force enlisted in the army. Their elimination rate in the second project was not small. Among them, 3 people were unfortunately forced to withdraw from the project due to encountering bears, but they were recruited as an exception because of their good roots.

     The primeval forest is really beyond the imagination of modern people. Facing tigers, pythons, various poisonous insects and ants, tiredness, thirst, hunger, etc., they have the idea of escaping and muddling through in their minds, which is a circle higher than that of the locals. The more thoughts of retreat one has, the higher the possibility of giving up halfway.

     Not everyone is like the biologist agent Wei Jiu, who has time to explore and compare during the hunting process, find out which species of modern plants have become extinct, and dissect extinct animals such as the South China tiger.

     During the hunting process, Zhang San repeatedly reminded: “Wei Jiu, remember your mission, identify medicinal plants, wild fruits, and wild vegetables!”

     “Acorus, Juhua, Ginseng, Dry Rehmannia, Cuscuta, Chongweizi, Nvwei, Fangkui, Bupleurum, Ophiopogon…” Wei Jiu, who was reciting the “Shennong Herbal Classic”, nodded randomly.

…

     When Meng Sheng personally announced the results of the conscription, a system voice appeared in Ye Mo’s mind:

   【Congratulations to the survivor Ye Mo for successfully leading the conscription of Chu Yang City in the ‘Spring and Autumn Warlords’副本, completing special side quest 1, and gaining +4 free attribute points.】

     Wang Xue: 【Congratulations to the survivor Wang Xue for successfully participating in the Chuyang City conscription in the ‘Spring and Autumn and Warring States Copy’, completing side quest 1, and gaining +2 free attribute points. 】

     Wang Qi: 【Congratulations to the survivor Wang Qi for successfully joining the army in the ‘Spring and Autumn and Warring States copy’, completing the side quest 1, and the free point attribute +2. 】

     Survivor No. 2 & Survivor No. 3: 【……】

     At the same time, in the reserve, agents Zhang San & Li Si & Zhao Liu & Qian Qi heard two consecutive voices:   

  【Congratulations to XXX for successfully joining the Chuyang City army in the ‘Spring and Autumn and Warring States copy’, completing the side quest 1, strength attribute +1, agility attribute +1, and constitution attribute +1. 】

   【Congratulations to XXX for assisting the survivor Mi Wenjing in the ‘Spring and Autumn and Warring States copy’ to complete the Yangcheng Jun conscription, completing the side quest 1, strength attribute +1, agility attribute +1, and constitution attribute +1. 】

     The remaining reserve also heard:

   【Congratulations to XXX for successfully joining the Chuyang City army in the ‘Spring and Autumn and Warring States copy’, completing the side quest 1, strength attribute +1, agility attribute +1, and constitution attribute +1. 】

     For the reserve, it is not easy to break through the critical value of attributes. The attribute increased by completing the task is three times the critical value. The physical and mental fatigue of the day is instantly eliminated, and the interest in being a soldier is high.

     ‘Is there a reward for conscription? ‘

     Hearing the system prompt sound, Ye Mo took the opportunity to think about it.

     The four different system tasks of Mohist Master, Guarding Chuyang City, Saving the People, and Joining the Army are from high to low difficulty, but in fact every survivor can do these tasks?

…

     The third spring recruitment project is a competition between the strong, that is, the competition between the top 5,000 individual hunters and the top 3,000 team members in the second hunting project.

     Their competition will be divided into four main categories: infantry, crossbow, chariot, and cavalry. The infantry category will feature contests in halberd, spear, glaive, battle-axe, sword, and axe. The crossbows include crossbow, horseback archery, waist-drawn crossbow, hand-drawn crossbow, etc. 100 winners will be sent out for each small project.

     In previous years, the top three melee fighters who were particularly outstanding in the competition might be summoned by Lord Yangcheng to join his guards, such as Gong Ziyi, and the remaining top 100 might receive rewards such as land, money, food, and cloth.

     Ye Mo did not change the material rewards, but increased the rewards for this competition project, specifically referring to the twenty-level nobility system for military merits issued after Shang Yang’s reform in later generations.

     From the Shuǐhǔdì Qin Tomb Bamboo Slips, Middle Labor Laws: ‘In the new military discussions on attacking cities, it is said that even after the city has fallen and there are still places to hide, before reaching the battlefield, an announcement should be made: those who break through the siege and die are considered “enduring.” The captains and squad leaders, if they do not report those who are ignorant and incompetent, will be fined one suit of armor, and the squads will be fined two suits. The captains should set an example.’

     As we all know, the Qin army is very powerful.

     In addition to the generals, there are also iron-clad military discipline and strict promotion regulations. Cruel punishments for deserters such as “ten-five joint responsibility”, “self-destruction and family disability, men and women are public officials” cannot be achieved, but the promotion mode of “beheading one armor and granting one level of nobility” can be completely imitated.

     In the first step, Ye Mo first gave different titles to the outstanding soldiers and divided them into the first, second and third levels. With the levels, Zhang San and his men would stand out more easily in the future.

     For instance, all recruits from the second project were enlisted as ordinary soldiers. The top 100 in the equestrian competition were promoted to the rank of Bing Shi, with the top 3 advancing to Yi Shi. Similarly, the top 100 swordsmen were promoted to Bing Shi, and the top 3 to Yi Shi.

     Soldiers who ranked in the top 100 in the equestrian competition were promoted to Yi Shi, while the top 3 were promoted to the elite Jia Shi rank.

     This pattern continued for other competitions.

     The rewards of the soldiers in previous years have not been reduced, and there may be an additional honorary title that can be compared. Those who are able to compete for the top 100 have nothing to lose, but instead have a desire to compare.

     In addition to the above regulations, Ye Mo added a ring competition on the afternoon of the second day. Regardless of weapons or soldiers, all those present who think they are strong can go on stage to compete.

     The defender who wins ten games in a row will be rewarded.

     The officials were still immersed in the joy of meat and grain, and did not care about these things with the young lady. It was a good thing that these ranks could motivate soldiers to improve, and they could not argue with them.

     The number of officials who disliked Ye Mo was gradually decreasing, and the officials who rejected Ye Mo felt isolated and helpless. It was impossible for them to complain to Meng Sheng, so they could only wait for Yang Chengjun to come back and report the matter to him.

     This part of the officials was looking forward to Yang Chengjun’s return all the time.

     Meng Sheng, the Juzi, was really not very interested in war. He was now immersed in the new surprises brought by metal materials, and did not pay much attention to other things. As long as the spring recruitment project followed the regulations, it would be fine.

     He trusted that his disciples were not reckless people.

…

     Wang Qi and the other three survivors all participated in the competition of the third project, two close-combat swordsmen, one long-range crossbowman, and the agents’ choices included riders, waist-drawn crossbowmen, swordsmen, chariot battles, etc.

     Compared with the weight training and hunting of the previous few days, the fighting event was obviously more exciting. The reservists were all shocked because what was in front of them was beyond comparison in contemporary martial arts movies. The speed alone was dazzling.

     The real masters among the soldiers also emerged.

     Wang Qi also encountered several swordsmen with lower attributes than him but much better swordsmanship in sword fighting. The result was obvious. He unexpectedly fell out of the top three and just ranked fourth.

     The other two survivors, the long-range crossbowmen, were awarded the title of Yishi. The melee swordsmen were Bingshi like Wang Qi. They may have the potential to be Yishi in strength and speed, but they lost in swordsmanship and combat experience.

     What was surprising was that three agents, including Zhang San and Li Si, fought in the chariot fighting competition. All three of them could drive the chariot, shoot arrows, and fight in close combat. They cooperated very well, had first-class driving skills and speed, and with the credit of improving the chariot, they squeezed into the top three.

     The final free challenge ring competition was very exciting.

     At the beginning, there were ordinary-level soldiers on the stage, but after a Yishi swordsman came on the stage, it was basically all masters PKing. Even the officials watched with great interest and discussed who would win and who would lose during the process.

     The fighting style of civilian soldiers was different from that of the guards, and Ye Mo also absorbed a lot of new knowledge while watching.

     In the middle of the game, the defender among the soldiers was a Jiashi-level swordsman. When he asked if anyone else would challenge on the stage, he suddenly heard a female voice answering, and saw Wang Xue borrowing several forces in the air, like a breeze, and appeared on the ring.

     Meng Sheng & Xu Ruo: “…”

     Officials: “This is not polite!”