Today, there is a lack of officials everywhere, and Chu State even has to reluctantly employ a large number of forr officials from other countries with potential risks, which is a manifestation of indigestion.
Therefore, let’s not talk about other issues for now, it is not suitable to proceed with the next expansion until there are sufficient qualified officials trained to assimilate the current achievents and fill the roles needed for the territories to be conquered in the future.
After capturing Yuzhang and Jianan Prefectures, Lu Yuan ceased his military campaigns and temporarily halted warfare, shifting from offense to defense, focusing on assimilating the fruits of victory and accumulating strength.
Since the shift from offense to defense began and the ti for recuperation has arrived, it is natural to take this opportunity to improve the military defenses in Jiangdong and Lingnan, as well as the expansion and adjustnt of the various military troops within the country.
Since the war began, Chu State has successively annihilated Su Country and South Sea Prefecture, and has also defeated Jiangdong, the defeated armies totaling nearly a million n.
Naturally, the Chu army did not, and could not, wipe out all these nearly one million troops.
That would be unrealistic, as well as cruel and wasteful.
In fact, a large portion of these defeated enemy forces were captured.
In the battle against Su Country, Chu’s forces first broke through Tonghai County, capturing over ten thousand defenders.
Late they defeated the allied troops of Su and Song, capturing over fifty thousand n.
During the attack on Yulin County, they captured ten thousand local troops.
And when they finally captured the national capital of Yulin, they took over twenty thousand more prisoners.
Simply by vanquishing Su Country, Chu captured almost one hundred thousand Su and Song soldiers and horses.
In the battle against Nanhai Country, they captured the prefectures and counties of South Sea Prefecture, taking over ten thousand prisoners.
Later, in the great battle in Nanhai City against the combined forces of twenty-five thousand troops from Ning and Southern Sea, continuous attacks led to the capture of one hundred sixty thousand soldiers when Nanhai City fell.
Even in these last two months, the naval forces of Nanhai Country, who had originally traveled far and wide for trade, ca to surrender upon hearing that their holand had been occupied by Chu State.
In South Sea Prefecture, Chu State recruited an additional twenty thousand naval forces.
Thus, in the battle against Nanhai Country, Chu State subdued a total of two hundred thousand troops, both naval and land forces.
In the following massive battle at Dongting, the Chu army successively defeated four hundred thousand land and naval forces from Ning, beheading over one hundred thousand and capturing two hundred thirty thousand.
Only the remaining thirty thousand or so naval forces of Ning Army, stationed near Xiangyang and Xiakou in the north of the river, escaped the encirclent and thus were spared from doom.
Later, Lu Yuan conquered Yuzhang, capturing over twenty thousand local soldiers from prefectures, counties, and county soldiers.
Qingyunzi attacked Jianan, capturing over ten thousand local military forces.
In over a dozen battles, big and small, Chu State captured troops from four different countries on five battlefields, a total of five hundred sixty thousand n.
Even if the civilian workers forcibly conscripted by Nanhai Country were to be discounted, the remaining regular military forces numbered five hundred thousand.
And before the war began, the entire nation of Chu had only a total military force of seven hundred thousand.
After the continuous battles, Chu’s military suffered losses exceeding one hundred thousand; only around five hundred thousand soldiers remained, which is a figure comparable to that of these captives.
That’s exactly why assimilating these captives beca an urgent affair that Chu’s military had to deal with quickly.
Otherwise, with hundreds of thousands of captives skilled in killing gathered together, even with a large army to watch over them, there could be no guarantee against all mishaps.
With ti, rebellion and disturbances could easily arise.
So, after consulting his confidant ministers, Lu Yuan issued an edict to select from the five hundred thousand captives, dismissing one hundred thousand infirm and elderly for replenishnt of the damaged troop numbers in various prefectures of Dongting, and to establish county soldiers in the newly captured prefectures, improving local security.
Next, he selected fifty thousand soldiers to establish county soldiers for five prefectures.
Another eighty thousand were chosen to replenish the depleted ranks of the Forbidden Army.
An additional forty thousand navy prisoners were absorbed into the Chu naval forces, expanding the navy to eighty thousand n.
The remaining two hundred thirty thousand captives were mixed with the existing Forbidden Army and organized into ten new units, expanding the Forbidden Army’s strength.
At the sa ti, from within the Forbidden Army, thirty thousand elite troops were selected to replenish the Jinwu Guard, tasked with defending the imperial city of the capital, reaching a total troop size of twenty thousand for both the palace guards and the Jinwu Guard.
With such absorption and assimilation, the regular military forces of Chu would officially surpass one million.
Among them, there are one hundred ninety-six thousand prefectures and county soldiers,
one hundred ten thousand county soldiers,
eighty thousand naval forces,
twenty thousand each for the Jinwu Guard and palace guards,
and thirty-five divisions of the Forbidden Army, totaling seven hundred thousand n.
All five divisions combined, amounting to a total of one million one hundred twenty-six thousand n.
All these are regular troops, not so civilian conscripts to be used as cannon fodder.
With such powerful forces, Chu has the strength to rank within the top five in the world and to look down upon other heroes.
If there is a need for war in the future, there won’t be a need to mobilize civilian workers, as they could easily deploy an army of five to six hundred thousand n to instill fear in an entire province and exhibit boundless power.
Such might befit the title of Supre Dominator of the world indeed.
With such expectations, Lu Yuan continued to sign various edicts within Nanchang City, closely engaging with military leaders, striving to push for the military restructuring and expansion of Chu’s army.
He was extrely busy, hardly having a mont to rest.
And in the midst of all this busyness, outside Nanchang City, from the north and the south, two groups of visitors arrived in the city in succession, presenting their calling cards and requesting an audience with the King of Chu.
After the lower-ranking officials reported and presented the calling cards, even amid the heavy load of tasks, Lu Yuan took a mont to look at the nas and titles on the calling cards, revealing a look of surprise, followed by an unstoppable smile on his face.
For on the two calling cards, the inscribed identities were none other than:
Liuyang Sect Leader, Yin Huixuan.
Purple Cloud Taoist Master, Xuan Chengzi.
The only two Inborn powers within Yuzhang territory that remained outside Chu’s control, as Chu beat Ning Country and revealed the potential to unify Jiangnan and Yangzhou, and thoroughly took control of Yuzhang Prefecture.
They finally let go of their pride.
Without waiting for Chu to initiate contact, they took the first step and ca knocking on the door to offer their services.
How could Lu Yuan not be pleased with such an alignnt of the people’s will and the trend of the great mont?
"First, let Sect Leader Yin Huixuan of Liuyang Sect be summoned for an audience," Lu Yuan put down the calling card and instructed the inner attendant by his side, "As for the Taoist Master of Purple Cloud, arrange for him to stay in the post house in the city for now, and have the officials of Honglu Temple attend to him properly."
Strictly speaking, Purple Cloud Dao and Chu are currently on opposing sides.
The enforcers within their sect are even serving in Ning Country, helping oppose Chu’s military force!
On the other hand, Liuyang Sect has always upheld the principles of Jianghu in recent years, never interfering in the strife for supremacy in the world, honestly living as people of Jianghu.
Therefore, when it ca to the two who requested an audience, Lu Yuan naturally intended to et with Yin Huixuan first.
After this eting, he would then decide on his stance toward Purple Cloud Dao.
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