Chapter 785: Military Academy

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Su Binglan could not stop smiling as she imagined the people harvesting their yields. With more high-yield crops, they would never run out of food. She remembered people freezing or starving to death in other villages.

Although the villagers sowed their seeds in the spring, there would either be a drought or a flood. Hence, their crops would not grow at all, and the villagers could not harvest their food. Ultimately, the entire village would starve.

Meanwhile, if the villagers could not afford blankets, they would freeze to death during the frigid winter.

Although the villagers wanted to help others, they could barely survive on their own. Fortunately, most of the Su Teng villagers and people of Tenghe Town had relatively stable lives with Su Binglan’s help.

When merchants from other towns, villages, or cities visited Su Teng Village, they would get emotional. After all, not every place was as fortunate as Su Teng Village or Dingzhou during war times.

Lan Ruozhu could imagine how tough it might be for most people. If all of Dingzhou could produce high-yield crops, the people could store enough rations for harsher seasons.

He was most concerned about the people he governed. He smiled when he imagined the commoners enjoying a good harvest and living in peace. His heart burned with passion as he said, “You deserve all the credit, Sister.”

Su Binglan hurriedly waved him off, saying, “Don’t give me all the credit. Dingzhou has improved under your governance. I’m just adding a little embellishment.’

Although she knew her brother doted on her, she did not want any credit for merely helping him. She was just trying her best to do anything she could.

Su Binglan said, “l want to focus on making two kinds of food popular here.

I’ll also need people to work in my paper mill and printing factory. I hope you’ll allow me to use some of your men to work for me.”

Lan Ruozhu said thoughtfully, “Sister, what are you saying? 1 know you have good intentions.

“You might not know, but many more commoners have inquired about army recruitment since they heard about what you did for the soldiers’ families. I’ve never seen them so enthusiastic about enlisting in the army.

His expression relaxed as he spoke of this. After all, his sister had helped him solve many problems. Dingzhou was on the brink of prosperity, which was due to Su Binglan’s hard work.

Su Binglan smiled lightly and stuck out her tongue at Lan Ruozhu, saying,

“You look so anxious just now. I was just joking with you.”

“Oh, you—” Lan Ruozhu helplessly shook his head. Still, his eyes were full of affection as he looked at his sister.

After some thought, Su Binglan said, “Brother, we don’t just have Dingzhou now. We also have the land from here to the border province.

“We must continue our methods and encourage the soldiers to reclaim more wastelands for cultivation. I’ll look around and set up factories in various places. ”

Lan Ruozhu said, “Many soldiers care most about their families. If their families are well off, the soldiers will naturally become more proactive in whatever they do.”

Su Binglan nodded in agreement. “When I visited the soldiers’ families, I realized they had only one reason for joining the army. The soldiers only wanted the food served in the army.

“The soldiers would then send their earnings to their families to buy food. Most of the soldiers come from poor families, so they never had the things we gave them.”

Lan Ruozhu sighed in disappointment, “Most in the military are illiterate, too. Three of my generals grew up with us. Xingye is well-versed in cultural relics and went from a soldier to a general.

“The other two earned their promotions due to fighting on the battlefield. They’re excellent fighters who didn’t even know how to read maps. When I found out, I arranged for someone to teach them.”

Su Binglan raised a brow when she heard that. “Brother, do you want to teach the soldiers to read and write?”

Lan Ruozhu shook his head in resignation, saying, “That’s easier said than done. It’ll be challenging to set up classes for the soldiers. They prefer practicing their fighting skills instead of learning to read.

“Although some are young and eager to learn, their families can’t afford to teach them to read. It’s harder to learn such things when they grow up.” Su Binglan fell into deep thought when she heard her brother’s words.

Lan Ruozhu sighed again, “If only the soldiers started learning at a young age, like Xingye and the other two.”

Suddenly, Su Binglan had an idea. She became wide-eyed as she said,

“Brother, we can set up a military academy.”

Lan Ruozhu raised his brows, saying, “A military academy, huh?”

He had never heard of such a thing as nothing like it existed throughout Chu Country. Many of the country’s generals either came from a family of generals or had risen in ranks from the military.

Furthermore, the higher-ups appointed some as generals. Most generals had talent and could command squads.

“What’s a military academy? Is it to train generals?”

“That’s right. We can build a huge school to train military talents in martial arts and academics. Those who study at the academy can take on higher-ranked missions.

“You can also appoint them as officials so that they can earn promotions through practical experiences. We can use the academy to train our confidants and elites, too.’

Lan Ruozhu stood up and excitedly slammed the table. “That is an excellent idea, Sister! Why didn’t I think of that? We can use them as our trusted aides, too. However, those who want to study at the academy must have clean records.’

Su Binglan could not help but laugh at her brother’s enthusiasm. She was pleased that she could help him in any way.

“Sister, how will the academy operate, and what will the instructors do?”

There were academies in Chu Country and also the Yunhong Academy in the capital. However, the teachers there only taught subjects regarding the imperial exams.

Only the princes could learn archery in class. There were no academies that taught military knowledge..

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