After Being Abducted by the General

chapter 85

After Gu Mao arrived in Ji County, he quickly adapted to the affairs of the Ministry of Government Affairs and developed good relationships with his colleagues.

He soon showcased his abilities and managed to persuade the remaining members of Cai Ji's group, who were left behind when he escaped, to join Yuan Li's command.

Since Cai Ji had abandoned these members, they were not highly regarded by him. Among them, those who were unwilling to follow Yuan Li left on their own.

Most strategists and attendants were opportunistic and held the idea of seeking refuge under a good master. They willingly became advisers and attendants under Yuan Li, continuing to handle the affairs of Guangyang County, which were previously handled by Cai Ji.

With the inclusion of these people, the burden on the Ministry of Government Affairs was somewhat alleviated.

In addition to conscripting soldiers, Yuan Li also recruited craftsmen.

He made it known that all craftsmen were welcome, regardless of their background. It was not just artisans and blacksmiths, but also craftsmen with expertise in agriculture, textiles, and water conservancy who were recruited without restrictions.

As long as they had sufficient skills, anyone could receive preferential treatment under his leadership.

However, there was a shortage of craftsmen, so those who met the criteria and were available were sent by Yuan Li to the Artifact Division to mass-produce the three-bed crossbows and the small crossbows known as "Divine Crossbows." The few remaining blacksmiths were appointed by Yuan Li to create military equipment, horse stirrups, and horseshoes.

Yuan Li had always wanted to make horseshoes, but due to the scarcity of iron, he prioritized making horse stirrups. Now that there was more iron available, it was only natural to equip the warhorses with horseshoes, a divine tool.

Chu Hechao was also busy strengthening the defense in Youzhou and the border regions, investigating spies within Youzhou, and warning the Wuhuan and Hu people who had migrated into Youzhou.

They were all secretly preparing to face the huge changes that would occur after Emperor Jianyuan's death.

Yuan Li also made time to visit the cattle, sheep, and pigs that could already be taken out to graze.

The cattle and sheep were driven to the grasslands to graze, while the pigs were left to forage on a mountain slope.

During winter, over 400 pregnant sows gave birth to more than 3,000 piglets, and by spring, 2,832 piglets had successfully survived, with 40% of them being female piglets.

The male piglets had already been castrated in February. After three months, they had grown fat and healthy. When they ran, their fat shook, and according to the convalescent soldiers who took care of them, the castrated pigs became more docile and lost much of their gamey smell. Their meat grew faster, and the food they consumed quickly transformed into fat.

Yuan Li looked around and was quite satisfied. He directly took away fifty pigs and had ten of them slaughtered that evening, hosting a grand feast with meat and wine to reward his subordinates and generals.

One reason was to reward everyone for their hard work, especially the officials from the Ministry of Government Affairs and the Artifact Division, as well as the three people who accompanied him, Guo Lin and the others. The other reason was simply to pay homage and satisfy his own appetite before the news of Emperor Jianyuan's death arrived. After all, after Emperor Jianyuan's death, the people would observe a three-month mourning period during which feasts, marriages, and the consumption of meat were prohibited.