Liang Xiao smiled, "Before I came, I had already asked my grandfather and the others to prepare in secret, recruiting suitable craftsmen in the capital and signing confidentiality agreements with them, just like the workers at the winery. The recruited craftsmen also needed to be literate, to enter the bookstore for printing, and then secretly arrange for people to carve the characters, waiting only for the bookstore to open and the white paper to arrive!"
Xiao Qing's promise was simple: in addition to all expenses for Liang Xiao's Qingtian Guard and armory being reimbursed, any funding Liang Xiao applied for would be met with the fastest possible speed!
Out of trust in Liang Xiao's character, Lü Yi and Wang Canghai did not object to such a promise.
Xiao Qing's objective was for Liang Xiao to leverage his business acumen and no longer have to use his own money to alleviate the contradictions of land annexation.
Liang Xiao also had intentions to do business and earn some small money.
However, establishing a bookstore and other factories for business in the remote Yan Prefecture was obviously very unsuitable.
The capital could radiate to surrounding areas, making it more convenient. After all, water transportation costs were also very expensive in ancient times. If one wanted to prevent thieves from robbing, one would even need to hire escorts, such as entrusting bodyguards from escort agencies.
"Second Young Master, the bookstore won't require so much capital, will it?" Liang Wen smiled.
Liang Xiao nodded, "Of course, it's not just the bookstore. In the future, I will also try to establish other factories, such as sugar refining. But currently, as long as the bookstore operates well, it has great potential."
Liang Wen nodded solemnly, but a hidden worry gnawed at him.
The Ouyang family's bookstore almost monopolized the entire country. Was it truly okay to try and snatch a bite from the tiger's mouth with their own bookstore?
If the person speaking were not his Second Young Master, but someone else, he would have persuaded them to desist with all his might.
There was no other way; the Second Young Master always surprised everyone and created miracles!
No matter how glorious Liang Xiao was outside, when he returned to the Liang Mansion, in Liang Wen's eyes, he was always the young Second Young Master.
Luo Qingxue held Liang Xiao's arm and said softly, "You're too tired like this. I should share your burdens..."
Sensing Luo Qingxue's sincerity, Liang Xiao nodded movedly and did not refuse.
Because of Qin Feng's wife, Zhi Rou, Luo Qingxue felt a lot of pressure and always wanted to prove that she could also manage the household for Liang Xiao. This was not a bad thing.
Furthermore, Liang Xiao's career indeed needed a capable wife, and he couldn't always trouble Liang Wen and Liang Qing to manage everything. As for Liang Feng and Liang Yun, they both had their own careers.
Having received Liang Xiao's permission once again, Luo Qingxue felt a great sense of relief, her face blooming like a flower.
Liang Xiao headed straight to Anxi County to inspect the Qingtian Guard.
"Marquis, you're finally back!" Upon hearing of Liang Xiao's return, Yue Qingtian's entire face, with its thick flesh, trembled with excitement. He rushed out of the military camp.
"Qingtian, how is everyone's training? Can they endure it?" Liang Xiao asked.
Yue Qingtian nodded, "Everyone is eager for more training! We eat well and drink well. Every day, apart from marching and martial arts training, we do weighted running!"
The training arranged by Liang Xiao was certainly not about running a hundred miles with a hundred pounds every day; most people would definitely not be able to handle it.
However, necessary high-intensity weighted training was essential. As the Qingtian Guards became more familiar with the training, they would eventually have to meet the standards of the Great Qian Iron Guards.
To support this army, Liang Xiao had specifically instructed Liang Wen to contact the major butchers in Yan Prefecture to ensure a daily supply of meat for the Qingtian Guard.
However, supplying such a large number of people with meat daily in the Yan Prefecture area would be unsustainable in the long run. Liang Xiao had already arranged for personnel to purchase livestock from all over the country to maintain the supply.
To avoid being eliminated by Liang Xiao one day, the Qingtian Guards trained with all their might.
Receiving five taels of silver each month, with meat every day, and occasionally even their families receiving a bowl of meat broth, it was simply a life of gods!
If a Qingtian Guard were to die in battle in the future, Liang Xiao would also do his utmost to support their relatives, ensuring they had food and clothing for life!
After such a short time, the military and civilian population of Yan Prefecture, upon learning of the Qingtian Guard's treatment, were all envious to the point of their eyeballs bulging with blood!
Those who had passed the test earlier but chose to withdraw now regretted it immensely.
The Qingtian Guards looked up at Liang Xiao, who was reviewing them on the platform, with fanaticism in their eyes, each of them radiating confidence.
These Qingtian Guards had evidently come to regard Liang Xiao as a deity.
A smile of satisfaction appeared on Liang Xiao's face.
He wasn't in a hurry to spread any ideology to the Qingtian Guard. However, as long as their families were well taken care of and they were given ample preferential treatment, they would naturally be loyal unto death.
No matter which world it was, the common people cared about who could allow them to live a good life. This was humanity's most primitive and basic need.
As for realizing life's value, such as achieving great deeds, defending the country, and ennobling their wives and offspring, those were matters for later, depending on the Qingtian Guards' own performance.
The three commanders of a thousand men: Jiang Long, Yue Qian, and Yue Heng, were all exceptional individuals, handpicked from a hundred thousand. Although not comparable to formidable generals like Yue Qingtian and Nan Jiyun, they would undoubtedly become fierce generals in the future.
Liang Xiao then glanced at the various documents presented by Liu Fan and others, nodding slightly.
The twelve scholars from the East Sea, led by Liu Fan, handled these military affairs with ease. They were all promising individuals.
The remaining twenty-three preferred to handle political affairs and miscellaneous matters, each with their own strengths.
Liu Fan quietly asked, "Marquis An Guo, does the Qingtian Guard only use sabers as their weapon?"
Liang Xiao nodded, "Indeed. It's just that the existing sabers are not practical enough. In the future, I will equip them with 'Mo Dao'!"
"Mo Dao? This doesn't seem to be a common weapon in the Great Qian Kingdom?"
Liu Fan and the others looked bewildered. This was clearly a name they had never heard before.
Liang Xiao merely smiled, "This saber is also a concept. If used properly, it can even 'shatter both man and horse'!"
Shatter both man and horse! To cleave through both man and horse simultaneously?
Liu Fan and the others' hearts leaped. Understanding that this was a confidential matter, they said no more, but their anticipation grew even greater.
Liang Xiao did not make empty promises to them. He truly gave them opportunities to utilize their talents, to hone themselves, and each received about ten taels of silver per month.
Although the Great Qian Kingdom favored civil officials and suppressed military ones, the primary way for scholars to live a good life was still to become officials and receive high salaries and generous benefits.
They were once insignificant poor scholars, and this was already a splendid treatment they had never dared to dream of!
"In the future, I will trouble all of you to handle military affairs for me. I am not necessarily wealthy, but I hope to foster incorruptibility through high salaries. Please do not forget your original intention for studying," Liang Xiao said earnestly.
High salaries foster incorruptibility?
Jian Qinwan and Chen Shaoling's eyes lit up.
Everyone's hearts warmed, and they nodded in unison, "We are willing to exert ourselves to the utmost!"
In fact, Liang Xiao had devised a unique and strict set of military laws that applied to everyone. Besides enabling them to supervise each other and restrain each other's power, Liang Wen, Liang Si, Liang Zhan, and others were responsible for supervision. It was almost impossible to embezzle or cause rebellion.
Despite the prevailing sentiment of favoring civil over military officials, their unwavering loyalty to the Liang Mansion, exemplified by Liang Wen and the others, was beyond doubt.
Led by Yue Qingtian, the Qingtian Guards began practicing their saber techniques and marching, which was considerably more orderly than before.
Liang Xiao secretly rejoiced.
Most of these Qingtian Guards had not served in the military before, and for the time being, they could not compare to the Great Qian Iron Guards. However, with time and training, they would undoubtedly be on par.
However, it would take a long time of training for both units to become truly invincible elites.
For example, the more than ten thousand sets of weapons being hastily manufactured by Mu Hong would take several months to complete.
Just as Liang Xiao was reviewing the troops, Lü Changhe arrived with urgency.