Chapter 64: The Newly Recruited Guard

Jiang Yi brought Shen Rong home and had the guards deliver the money to the Jiang family’s warehouse.

He stationed several guards around the workshop and stepped up patrols around the clock.

He instructed the workshop workers to mind their safety while working, and placed several large water vats with covers around the premises.

Should a fire break out at the workshop, the water from these vats could be used to douse the flames.

Jiang Yi then gathered the villagers and advised them not to go up the mountains to hunt for the time being.

Being bitten or scratched by wild beasts could easily lead to illness, which would be exceedingly difficult to treat.

He informed them of a disease called rabies, which had an extremely high mortality rate, warning them not to take it lightly.

Treatments for rabies did exist, but they were quite difficult to execute and could not guarantee a hundred percent success rate.

Before they knew it, the third day of the third lunar month arrived, the Shangsi Festival, a traditional day for young men and women to go out on spring outings.

Many young people within Hanyang City ventured outside the city walls to enjoy the sights, while Jiang Yi and Shen Rong had been exceptionally busy lately.

"I wonder if Wang Chao’s illness has been cured? He was bitten and scratched by a wild dog, and there is a very high probability he will contract rabies."

"You’ve mentioned rabies several times now. Is it really that terrifying?"

Shen Rong had only heard Jiang Yi speak of it a few times, but every time he brought it up, his brows would furrow deeply.

"Quite terrifying. Once a person contracts this disease, the chances of survival are slim to none."

Jiang Yi decided to educate Shen Rong further on the nature of rabies so she understood just how formidable it was.

"Is there truly no way to cure this disease?"

Shen Rong wished there was a remedy for rabies, even if it offered only a ten percent chance of survival.

"There is a method, which is to kill the rabid dog or other wild beast, extract its brain fluid, and apply it to the wound. It has a certain therapeutic effect."

Jiang Yi recalled a method used by Ge Hong, a renowned physician of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, which historical records claimed was effective in treating rabies.

"You must not tell anyone else about the treatment method I just told you. I’ve only heard of it myself and am not entirely certain if it works."

Should something go wrong, he would undoubtedly face a torrent of criticism.

"I won't tell a soul. Still, if anyone close to us ever falls ill with this, it might be worth a try."

Knowing there was at least some way to treat rabies put Shen Rong at ease.

A moment later, Pang Xiong came to the front courtyard to speak with Jiang Yi about an important matter.

"Master, the recruitment of guards has been completed according to your instructions. Please come and inspect them."

Pang Xiong and the other guards had strictly vetted candidates throughout the Hanyang region and successfully recruited a thousand men.

They had already arrived at Funiu Village, and the next step was to begin military training.

Jiang Yi left the courtyard with Pang Xiong to see how the newly recruited men fared.

They were gathered in the plaza at the eastern end of the village, where the villagers of Funiu Village had noticed a large number of unfamiliar faces from out of town.

The villagers had heard that Jiang Yi was constantly recruiting young men to join the guard force, and over a hundred local youths had already become members.

Upon arriving at the east plaza, Jiang Yi saw the young men sitting directly on the ground.

They looked somewhat lean, and their clothes were worn and tattered.

"Everyone, stand up straight! This is your master," Pang Xiong shouted loudly.

The youths sitting on the ground quickly scrambled to their feet, gazing at Jiang Yi, who appeared remarkably young and handsome.

Some of them had heard that Jiang Yi was the wealthiest man in Funiu Village and that joining the guard force offered exceptionally high compensation.

"Since you have chosen to join the guard force, you must abide by the rules. Your monthly pay will be fifteen hundred wen, and we will provide you with uniforms, room, and board."

Upon hearing that they would receive regular pay along with free meals and lodging, the crowd could not help smiling with joy.

They had heard that regular government soldiers only received a monthly stipend of a thousand wen, which was not even guaranteed to be paid in full.

"Does the master really pay fifteen hundred wen every month?"

Some of them had worked in other shops or artisan workshops before, where a portion of their wages was always withheld as a deposit.

"The worries you harbor will not happen here. Wages will be paid in full every month according to your rank. My demands are simple: strictly follow the rules and obey orders without exception."

Jiang Yi would never engage in withholding their wages, knowing full well that they depended on this money to support their families.

"As long as you work diligently, your master will not treat you unfairly."

These newly recruited youths possessed bad habits to varying degrees.

To remain in the guard force long-term, they would have to shed their past undesirable traits.

"Joining the guard force requires strict adherence to discipline. Gambling and visiting brothels are strictly prohibited, as is bullying the weak. You must obey commands absolutely and be capable of enduring hardship. If you cannot do this, you may leave now."

The training for the Jiang family guard force was grueling, but the benefits were superb.

The guards who had joined earlier would serve as squad leaders for these new recruits, taking charge of their military training.

"Master, by recruiting so many guards, aren't you afraid the authorities will blame us and order us to disband?"

The government kept a tight rein on the number of private guards, fearing that Jiang Yi might use them for unlawful activities.

"You needn't worry about the government finding fault. Just focus on doing your jobs well and obey orders. If any of you are afraid or harbor other concerns, you may leave right now."

For those willing to leave, a travel allowance of one hundred wen would be provided to each person.

After a long while, not a single person stepped forward to leave.

With the monthly wages, a family of several could be fed and clothed; just thinking about it made it worthwhile.

"You are about to undergo very rigorous training, and it will be extremely hard. If you are injured during training, we will provide medical treatment. Are you all willing to stay?" Jiang Yi asked.

"We are willing to stay, and we are willing to obey all commands!" the crowd replied in unison.

"Good. As long as you work hard, there will be opportunities for pay raises."

Since no one wished to leave and everyone met the criteria, they were officially accepted into the guard force.

Each man was issued a set of light blue uniforms and a pair of black cloth shoes.

After a short while, another set of clothes and shoes would be issued so they had changes for washing.

Jiang Yi had them enter the bathhouse in batches to clean up and put on their new uniforms.

Once everyone was washed and dressed in standard attire, he led them to the guard force mess hall for a meal and assigned them dormitories, with training scheduled to begin the following day.

Entering the spacious and bright mess hall, the men were greeted by the mouth-watering aroma of food.

"This is where you will eat from now on. All Jiang family guards are provided with food and lodging."

Pang Xiong introduced the mess hall to them, cautioning them not to waste food.

"Master, may we go home to visit our families from time to time?"

"Everyone gets four days of leave per month. If you wish to visit your families, you must inform your squad leader in advance, and he will arrange your leave."

"Of course, we cannot have everyone leaving at once; we must ensure enough men remain to carry out duties."

"Thank you, Master! We will surely work hard."

Hearing that there were holidays and opportunities to reunite with their families, the men were greatly relieved.

Their initial worry had been that they would be unable to return home for long stretches and thus neglect their families.

"I understand your longing for your families, so do your jobs well. If you perform meritorious service, there will be extra monetary rewards so your families can live even better lives."

"Dinner is served! Line up to get your food," the head cook shouted loudly.

The newly recruited guards caught sight of meat and smelled the rich fragrance.

"You are truly fortunate to have joined the Jiang family guard force; you get to eat meat every single day," Pang Xiong said proudly.

Upon hearing that meat was served daily, the crowd grew intensely excited.

At home, they were lucky to eat meat once every six months, and working for other masters hardly guaranteed meat either.

Today’s menu featured radish stewed with wild boar meat, and the portion given to each person was quite generous.

Everyone received a large bowl of millet rice, several chunks of wild boar meat in another bowl, and a bowl of vegetable soup.

The amount of wild boar meat given to each person was roughly equal, but the millet rice was all-you-can-eat.

Some men felt tears welling up in their eyes; seldom had they ever eaten such fine meals at home.

"Master, since we eat so well, is the cost of our meals being deducted from our wages?"

"It is not deducted from your wages," Jiang Yi replied.

If the meals were counted against their pay, the men would likely try to pinch pennies wherever they could.

This way, they could keep their full wages and allow their families to eat a little better.