Chapter 33: An Older Brother is Never Too Many

“Captain Yang, how do you plan to settle the people brought by Lord Hua?”

Yang Zheng froze for a moment, then immediately understood that these words were a delegation of authority. “Reporting to the Lord, I will have them rest where they are. Once the tools arrive, I will have them start by digging out their living quarters.”

Meng Changqing nodded. “Find all the men who previously served under you, provided they are not currently on duty.”

“Yes, sir.”

Soon, except for those currently on guard, all of Yang Zheng’s men—twenty-three in total—entered the kitchen.

After Meng Changqing had them sit cross-legged, he spoke: “Everyone, I have called you here today because I have something to tell you.

You know that the most pressing matter right now is building the city walls. You have seen the soldiers borrowed from Hongjia County, and you know that Bafang has taken Zhang Yuan and the others out to fetch tools.

These are things you have seen with your own eyes and inferred yourselves.

I have never formally spoken to you about them.

Today, I want to make it clear to you exactly what Beishan County is facing.

But before I say that, we must first settle a matter of debt and gratitude.”

The twenty-three men sitting there looked at Meng Changqing in unison. Even in the dim light, the confusion in their eyes was clear. What debt?

Meng Changqing continued, “His Majesty gave me one hundred personal guards, but why is it that you are the ones who have entered here?

Because you—including the seven currently on guard outside—are fundamentally different from the others.

When the situation in Beishan County was uncertain, I went to the barracks to select men. Hundreds stood on the training grounds, but only your thirty were willing to follow me.

You all have ties to the Meng Family Army, and for the sake of my father, you were willing to abandon bright prospects to come to me. For such sincerity, Changqing shall never forget!”

“Young Master Meng, there is no need for this,” the soldier sitting in the middle said, his voice choking with emotion. “We followed you of our own free will.”

“Precisely! Since you treat me with such sincerity, I can only repay you with sincerity,” Meng Changqing said. “I dare not promise that when we succeed in the future, I will grant you high offices and great wealth—that is too far off, and it is something we cannot see right now, so let us not speak of it.

I will only say one thing: I remember the name of every single one of you thirty, and I, Meng Changqing, regard you as my elder brothers.

I share your honors and your disgraces; I advance and retreat with you.”

Zuo Datou was overcome with emotion, as if he had just heard a commander's speech before heading into battle. He stood up so abruptly that he didn't even have time to brush the dust off his seat, raising his hand and shouting, “Advance and retreat together! Advance and retreat together!”

As he shouted, the others followed suit, “Advance and retreat together!”

Meng Changqing quickly reached out to press them down. “Stop shouting, stop shouting! I haven't finished the business at hand.”

The men who had stood up immediately sat back down.

“The most urgent matter for Beishan County now is building the city walls, but you, my brothers, do not realize just how critical it is.

I have promised the Imperial Court that the walls will be completed within two months.”

“Two months?” one of Meng Changqing’s brothers couldn't help but repeat. “How is that possible?”

“Hear me out. It is not impossible. If it were truly impossible, the Imperial Court would not have agreed. This is a matter of national importance; who would allow me to treat it like a game?

First, although the walls we are building are long, they are not complex. We simply need to tamp the earth down from the bottom up.

Furthermore, all the men and materials required for the construction have already been prepared. We have two hundred and fifty thousand piculs of grain, forty thousand laborers, and I will not list every other item, but in short, the material and manpower are sufficient to build the walls within two months.

We only need to ensure that no mistakes occur during this period.

What does it mean to have no mistakes? It must be addressed in two ways: the people and the walls.

Among the people, there must be no casualties or delays in work caused by conflict. To achieve this, we must resolve conflicts as soon as they appear, or even better, prevent them from arising by ensuring labor is distributed evenly and rewards and punishments are clear.

As for the walls, 'no mistakes' means ensuring their quality is flawless.

Every one to two hours, someone must go up to inspect them. Once a problem is found in the construction, the crew must immediately tear it down and rebuild it; do not allow useless work to accumulate. When a shift ends, the quality must be cross-inspected by the incoming shift, because an individual is bound to miss something eventually.”

As Meng Changqing spoke, the seated brothers nodded.

“The laborers will arrive this afternoon. To facilitate management, the people of Beishan County will be organized into groups,” Meng Changqing said. “Five small groups will be merged into one large group of about fifty people.

Since their original places of residence are not changing, I suggest merging nearby small groups.

The reason for this change is that the laborers will also be organized into groups of fifty. With similar group sizes, it will be easy to see at a glance which group is slacking and which is working hard.”

“Rest assured, Lord Meng. Once this shift is over, the next shift will be reorganized immediately.”

“No need. Start the reorganization with tomorrow's morning shift. When the laborers arrive today, have them start by digging out their living quarters,” Meng Changqing said. “I must also trouble you, brothers, to use the previous arrangement rules to mark out the locations for their pits.”

“Leave it to us, don't you worry.”

“Brothers,” Meng Changqing cupped his hands. “Share honors and disgraces; advance and retreat together.”

All twenty-three men stood up, cupped their hands, and replied, “Share honors and disgraces! Advance and retreat together!”

After they left, Meng Changqing gulped down a bowl of water. Talking really took it out of him.

“Young Master!” Laicai ran in. “Bafang has returned with eight wagons of supplies.”

Meng Changqing set down his tea bowl and immediately followed.

Bafang was mounted on his horse, circling the eight wagons. Seeing Meng Changqing approach, he finally dismounted.

He presented the inventory with both hands and, in a theatrical gesture, dropped to one knee. “Young Master, your subordinate has fulfilled the mission and brought the goods back. Please inspect them.”

Meng Changqing helped him up with both hands. “Good, good, good. You watch too many plays,” Meng Changqing said, taking the inventory. He added casually, “Though there isn't much opportunity to watch them now.”

Meng Changqing checked the items and quantities listed against his own requisition note. Finding no discrepancies, he said, “Unload the goods. Laicai, go tell the soldiers from Hongjia County; if anyone is strong, come help unload the cargo.”

Laicai cleared his throat and shouted loudly to the Hongjia soldiers, “Which of you brave men are strong? A few of you, please come out and help unload some goods!”

Immediately, dozens of men from the crowd stood up and followed Laicai to the wagons to begin unloading.

Others wanted to follow, but they stopped when they heard Laicai say there were enough men.

Although the eight wagons were packed full, the large number of men meant the unloading was finished quickly, and the goods were piled next to the kitchen.

Meng Changqing walked up to the Hongjia soldiers. “Soldiers, I am the Magistrate of Beishan County. Thank you for coming all the way from Hongjia to help. Conditions here are harsh; I must trouble you all to persevere for two months.”

“To defend the nation, we feel no hardship!” someone among the soldiers shouted, and soon others joined in.

It was obvious that before Lord Hua brought them here, he had already done the ideological groundwork.

Once again, Meng Changqing thanked Hua Rujin in his heart.