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Jia Qu's astonishment stemmed from the mismatch between the grain quantity and Fei Qian's current troop numbers—it was far too much. A soldier, at full rations, consumed about 1.8 dan of grain per month. Thirty million dan could feed ten thousand soldiers for a year!
Yet Fei Qian's forces, even including the newly recruited, barely totaled over two thousand…
Grain wasn't something that lasted forever. Without proper storage, it could rot within a month, becoming utterly unusable.
"Lord Fei, how many troops do you plan to add?" Jia Qu asked.
Fei Qian held up four fingers. "Three thousand regular troops, one thousand auxiliaries."
A general who didn't hoard troops wasn't a good general, but one who expanded recklessly would end up with a scattered mess.
Fei Qian's decision not to massively expand his forces showed he wasn't following the Yellow Turban model but aimed for elite troops. However, it also hinted at another purpose for this stockpile of grain…
Jia Qu stared at the mat beneath him, questions about the grain lingering, but he chose not to press. From their earlier exchange, it was clear Fei Qian had a plan for the grain. Probing too deeply might not yield answers and could make Jia Qu seem overstepping.
So, he could only hypothesize based on the current situation…
Gentry families constantly schemed against each other, undermining openly or striking covertly. Allies one day could slaughter each other's families the next—a common occurrence.
Thus, the apparent conflict between the Wei clan of Hedong and Fei Qian wasn't particularly shocking to Jia Qu. The question was, why did Fei Qian feel the need to confront the Wei clan so directly?
Fei Qian was the acting Governor of Shang Commandery, while Anyi was the seat of Hedong's governor. No matter what, Fei Qian couldn't stay in Anyi long-term; he'd have to move to Shang Commandery eventually. So why linger here?
Moreover, the Wei clan's behavior was slightly irrational. They weren't the Wei clan of Shang Commandery, so there was no administrative conflict. Whether Fei Qian caused chaos in Shang Commandery or clashed with the Xiongnu, it wouldn't affect Hedong's Wei clan much. Why target him so aggressively?
As for the surface-level issue between the Wei and Cai families, that was a matter between them. What did it have to do with Fei Qian?
It was as absurd as two strangers drawing swords on the road because they wore the same gray robes…
While Jia Qu pondered in silence, Fei Qian tapped the desk lightly, as if clicking a mouse or typing on a keyboard in a later era.
Fei Qian was waiting for Jia Qu to give him an answer—a formality, a ritual.
The content of the answer mattered little; he just needed one.
It hadn't rained for days, and the weather was dry. The ground outside the tents had cracked, yellow earth splitting into jagged gaps.
Loose soil, stirred by the wind, rose like a haze, dusting the entire camp in yellow and settling on the faces and bodies of training soldiers.
Huang Cheng was drilling the new recruits with the veteran troops, his discipline severe. Team leaders and company commanders, wielding black-and-red military batons, patrolled relentlessly. Any recruit falling short received a swift strike to a tough, fleshy part—painful enough to make them writhe but not enough to break bones.
By the camp gate's yuan gu drum stood five pillars. One held a bound recruit, a troublemaker, undergoing a whipping. The salt-soaked whip left thick, bloody welts with each lash, splitting skin. Though a thin wooden stick was placed in his mouth to prevent biting his tongue in agony, the muffled screams from his chest sent chills through the other recruits, silencing them.
New recruits had to pass this trial. It wasn't Huang Cheng's cruelty but a shared understanding, including Fei Qian's, that rules set now were essential. Leniency today would be cruelty to themselves tomorrow.
Could they expect these green recruits to instinctively fight for the state, sacrificing themselves like fierce tigers, battling to their last breath against any foe?
Ha, nonsense.
Jia Qu looked up. "The Wei clan holds three fragmentary scrolls of Gui Zang, a prized treasure, rarely shown. Tomorrow, when they open their library, I wonder if someone will request to copy those scrolls…"
The Book of Changes's widely known version was the Zhou Yi, but earlier texts like Lian Shan and Gui Zang existed, nearly lost by the Spring and Autumn period. That the Wei clan possessed three Gui Zang fragments was a priceless treasure for scholars of the Changes.
Though Jia Qu seemed to be merely chatting, he'd offered Fei Qian a perfectly targeted suggestion, striking at the Wei clan's vulnerability.
The Wei clan's library opening was a rushed move to suppress Fei Qian, likely without detailed rules announced. If someone requested those three scrolls tomorrow, would the Wei clan lend them?
Lending them meant letting family secrets out, generations of effort benefiting others…
Refusing meant the Wei clan, having lured people in, would seem restrictive, earning a reputation for chasing empty fame…
"There's a family," Jia Qu continued, as if idly chatting, "ten li east of the city, near a small hill. The Ma family—has Lord Fei heard of them?"
"The Ma family?" Fei Qian frowned. Wasn't the northern Ma family from Fufeng? Why was there one here?
Jia Qu nodded. "This Ma family is a migrant lineage, originally from Shang Commandery. Their ancestors were scholars, said to have contributed to the Book of Han and served as governors, commandant generals, and Dulu generals. They fell due to court disputes, settled in Shang Commandery, and took root. But in the first year of Zhongping…"
"Then the Ma family relocated here, farming east of the city… If Lord Fei aims to reclaim Shang Commandery, the Ma family could be an asset…"