Chapter 285: Through Liang Shixian's Hand
Liang Shixian explained, "Previously, when we suppressed bandits, the outlaws loved to roam along the provincial borders. If Shaanxi soldiers advanced on them, they would simply cross into Yansui, rendering the Shaanxi forces unable to pursue. Conversely, if Yansui soldiers attacked, they'd duck back into Shaanxi, leaving the Yansui troops with no recourse."
"Now, the Emperor has appointed Yang He as the Supreme Commander of the Three Borders, granting him command over Shaanxi, Gansu, Yansui, and Ningxia. With this, even if the bandit armies dash back and forth across provincial lines, it will be of no avail. The imperial troops can now utilize Yang He's written warrants to cross provincial borders and give chase."
Li Daoxuan already understood this explanation, but it served as a lesson for Gao Yiye, Mr. Wang, Qiu Ju, and Dong Xue.
Mr. Wang realized with a start, "No wonder the imperial court's bandit suppression efforts were consistently ineffective. So all this time, the bandits only needed to cross a provincial border to immediately escape to safety."
Liang Shixian nodded. "From the appointment of the Supreme Commander of the Three Borders, it's clear the imperial court is finally getting serious. Cross-provincial pursuit of bandits will likely become commonplace. But with this, the bandits might be hounded everywhere by imperial troops, and our Chengcheng County could frequently fall prey to their raids..."
Gao Yiye inquired, "Magistrate Liang, what are you suggesting?"
Liang Shixian cupped his hands towards the sky. "Your humble servant begs the Heavenly Lord to bestow further resources, to arm and train all the militias throughout the county, thereby increasing their numbers and enhancing their combat strength to meet unforeseen needs."
Li Daoxuan was instantly amused. *Oh? An increase in militia numbers?*
This was, of course, entirely feasible!
In recent days, he had been contemplating how best to manage Liang Shixian, but unexpectedly, the man came to him proactively, without any prompting. Perhaps Liang Shixian still believed that a deity like him would never interfere with "dynastic changes" in the mortal realm, thinking the Heavenly Lord was solely concerned with saving the populace, and never imagining the Heavenly Lord's true intent to establish a new nation.
Leveraging him to establish an even larger new militia was, indeed, a viable strategy.
In any case, as long as the militia's ideological training was managed well, Liang Shixian would continue to believe he was drilling troops for the emperor. Yet, the ultimate outcome would simply be a force trained for the Heavenly Lord.
Li Daoxuan smiled faintly. "Your request is entirely sound, and I agree. I shall grant the necessary provisions. However, each village and town militia must appoint a chief instructor, and this chief instructor must be an individual of proven integrity. Otherwise, if an insatiably greedy and corrupt individual takes on this role, they will misappropriate the resources I provide."
Liang Shixian considered this carefully. *There's logic to that,* he thought. *The position of chief instructor for the militia demands a trustworthy individual.*
He looked up. "Does the Heavenly Lord have a suitable candidate in mind?"
Li Daoxuan replied, "Bai Yuan of Bai Family Fortress. This man prides himself on being a gentleman, and his conduct embodies the spirit of a true gentleman. He is deeply admired by the common people around Bai Family Fortress. Several times, bandits have attacked Bai Family Fortress, only to be repelled by Bai Yuan. This man is both talented and virtuous, an exceptionally fitting candidate to be the chief instructor."
Liang Shixian didn't even need to rack his brain to recall Bai Yuan. The man had once engaged him in a fierce battle of wits over mathematics in Gao Family Village, a contest from which Liang Shixian emerged utterly defeated...
"If it is this man, he is certainly worthy of the position of chief instructor for the militia." Liang Shixian nodded. "Then I shall convene all the militia instructors from the various villages and towns in the county seat for a meeting. With Bai Yuan as the chief instructor, we will deliberate on the expansion and armament of the militia."
Li Daoxuan chuckled inwardly. *Well then, I shall gladly claim this substantial militia.*
Liang Shixian looked up again. "Under the Heavenly Lord's beneficence, the county town has now largely regained its vitality. However, many surrounding villages and towns are still struggling greatly—for example, Fengyuan Town and Quangou Village. The Heavenly Lord's benevolence has yet to extend to these places. I, your humble servant, humbly propose diverting a portion of the supplies bestowed by the Heavenly Lord to bring aid to the villages and towns outside the county seat. I implore the Heavenly Lord for approval."
This was, of course, a request to be granted!
Li Daoxuan declared, "Approved. Proceed without restraint! Transportation to these villages and towns is difficult, so you can also construct roads. Work-relief is the best method to assist these communities."
Li Daoxuan's vision already encompassed most of Chengcheng County, but as his gaze swept across, he saw countless impoverished villagers still struggling for survival. Moreover, these people had no idea who Dao Xuan Tian Zun was, nor were they aware that the county town was distributing relief porridge and operating work-relief programs...
In ancient times, transportation and information flow were exceptionally underdeveloped. Many villagers would never venture ten *li* from their homes their entire lives, and news spread at a glacial pace.
Li Daoxuan didn't have the time or energy to manifest divinely village by village, incorporating each of these common people into his system.
So...
He would, of course, once again leverage Liang Shixian.
As long as the cement roads could be extended to every village and town, the solar-powered buses would then be able to circulate freely throughout Chengcheng County, and all operations would become significantly simpler.
Liang Shixian was greatly delighted. The Heavenly Lord was truly amenable, providing money when asked, grain when needed, and even willing to help the populace build bridges and mend roads. What a benevolent Heavenly Lord!
His spirits soared. "I shall then exert every effort to implement this. To extend cement roads to every single village and town—just envisioning it feels like a monumental undertaking, an act of lasting merit for generations to come!"
Two days later, in the early morning.
Bai Yuan rose early and had his maidservant assist him in dressing and grooming. Adorned in a flowing white robe, a large bow slung across his back, and a fine sword hanging from his waist, he cut a truly strikingly handsome figure.
To be so handsome in his forties filled him with no small amount of self-satisfaction.
With this appearance, taking on the role of chief instructor for Chengcheng County's militia, should be perfectly acceptable, right?
As he walked out of Bai Family Fortress, he noticed a low-hanging cloud drifting in the sky. It seemed the Heavenly Lord had personally come to oversee this matter.
Bai Yuan's spirits were greatly invigorated. He performed a grand bow towards the heavens. "Heavenly Lord, rest assured, you shall witness my capabilities."
Head held high and chest puffed out, he strode to the train station, where a small train awaited his boarding.
Bai Yuan, however, did not slip into a passenger carriage. Instead, he merely instructed his trusted retainer to lead his horse and load it onto a carriage, while he himself walked directly to the locomotive and climbed inside. "Driving this vehicle, of course, requires my personal touch."
The two train engineers found themselves torn between amusement and exasperation. They reluctantly yielded their positions to him.
Bai Yuan laughed heartily. "Small train, let's depart!"
With a click, he flicked the switch...
The train pulled out of the station, and Bai Yuan was full of youthful vigor and ambition when, abruptly, the train sputtered and lost power. It coasted forward on inertia, decelerating steadily, until it came to a complete stop.
"Huh?" Bai Yuan exclaimed. "What's going on?"
Li Daoxuan couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. "Ah, the battery's dead. I forgot to swap it out, hahahaha."
He took out a piece of A4 paper, printed something on it, then unfolded it, displaying the message within the diorama box: "Bai Yuan, take the two train engineers and leave the locomotive."
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