Lu Xuan, of course, did not immediately launch the next military operation. He needed to digest the gains of this operation. He had also obtained data on various new firearms, some of which had shortcomings that needed to be addressed and improved in a timely manner. The generals also needed to summarize the various advantages and disadvantages of this operation and adjust their tactical command system. All of this required time to settle. Thus, Lu Xuan once again entered a state of dormancy.
This brought a sigh of relief to both the Qing and Ming dynasties. However, the painful reality was that they would soon have to return to living with a knife hanging over their heads. As time went on, Lu Xuan received some news that left him both amused and exasperated. He had actually received secret letters from many high-ranking officials in the court.
Although it's all indirect communication through various messages and relays, the words are already starting to convey a sense of flattery!
Lu Xuan was speechless. "I haven't even made a move, and you're already kneeling?" However, he hadn't entirely underestimated this situation. After all, in the original history, the ministers at the end of the Ming Dynasty were even more despicable. He originally thought that, according to the historical trajectory, the Ming Dynasty still had more than ten years until its demise. By then, those ministers who brought about the downfall of the dynasty shouldn't have all gathered. But now it seemed they were all the same.
Lu Xuan, feeling both amused and exasperated, wrote down and organized all of those things, and then gave them to Ding Baiying.
"Let our intelligence system send these things into the palace and find a way to get the emperor to see them."
Ding Baiying never asked why; she would just turn around and get to work. But the head steward, Lu Wenzhao, was somewhat unable to understand.
"My lord, what is the reason for this? There is something amiss in the court..."
"I don't need it." Lu Xuan interrupted Lu Wenzhao before he could finish speaking. Looking at the puzzled Lu Wenzhao, Lu Xuan said.
"Come with me."
Lu Wenzhao couldn't remember how long it had been since he last visited the backyard of Lu Xuan's residence. He remembered that Lu Xuan used to keep his bodyguards here.
Yes, to Lu Wenzhao, those children who were secretly trained by Lu Xuan were nothing more than assassins. But now he realizes he was wrong.
Groups of children were moving about happily and freely. Some were practicing combat, some were having heated discussions around homemade sandboxes, some were fiddling with intricate little gadgets that Lu Wenzhao couldn't understand at all, and some were writing and drawing on small blackboards. After watching for a while, Lu Wenzhao felt it was all gibberish, not a single thing he could decipher. Looking at everything around him, he felt somewhat bewildered. These didn't seem to be ordinary assassins!
Over the years, Lu Xuan's own residence remained unchanged. However, his backyard expanded more than once. Now, the number of children there has reached over 270. They are divided into three groups, receiving different levels of education. The oldest of the original group is now fifteen years old. Lu Xuan has already sent them to the military for training.
Every child must undergo at least a year of military training. Regardless of their strengths, this year of military training is unavoidable. This is to cultivate a certain martial spirit. Because in this era, the entire world is undergoing a major transformation. To stand out in this era, a lack of fighting spirit is absolutely unacceptable.
A year later, those who adapt well to the military will remain in service. After all, this is the initial stage, and everything is primarily focused on serving the military. The rest will be given targeted training based on their interests and strengths, allowing them to develop freely in various areas such as government affairs, people's livelihood, and scientific research.
Don't assume that some people are incompetent at everything. You should know that these 270-plus children were selected from tens of thousands of children around Liaoyang through a rigorous screening process. They were chosen based on a comprehensive consideration of intelligence, emotional intelligence, and other factors, resulting in the selection of these 270-plus most outstanding individuals.
“I know what you people are thinking. You, Zhao Jingzhong, Shen Lian, even Bai Ying, you who followed me the earliest, you’ve all wanted to ask me one question. What am I waiting for? Now I’ll answer you, I’m waiting for them to grow up.”
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Chapter 163 Target: Japan (Please Subscribe)
Lu Wenzhao wanted to get married, or more simply, he felt he needed a child. He knew he could never keep up with the younger generation. Therefore, he needed a child to inherit everything he had.
He knew Lu Xuan well and didn't think he would be abandoned. But looking at those children, he realized his worry shouldn't be about being abandoned, but rather whether he could keep up with Lu Xuan. Traditional Chinese thinking dictates that if you can't keep up, your children will. But that requires having children first.
Not only him, but Shen Lian also felt the same way. Zhao Jingzhong's situation was even more complicated than theirs. He spent nearly two years and a great deal of resources and energy to find a collateral branch of his family. He then spent a large sum of money to adopt a son from that couple and place him under his own name.
Ancient people were so obsessed with bloodlines and lineage. He had once only wanted to climb the social ladder, relentlessly pursuing endless power and wealth. But after following Lu Xuan, his mindset underwent a change. He realized he could seemingly gain more. After all, becoming a eunuch in the palace was an extremely unfilial act, especially since he had no offspring.
Zhao Jingzhong is thinking more deeply now; he's no longer just preparing for his own position, but also aiming to revitalize the Zhao family.
The core group has begun preparing for the succession. This means they have staked their lives on Lu Xuan. At the same time, the initial restlessness has begun to disappear. A sense of dormancy and cultivating the land has begun to take root in everyone's hearts.
However, one person remained anxious: Ding Baiying. She was gripped by a deep sense of panic. Why wasn't she pregnant?
She had been with Lu Xuan for many years, and Lu Xuan had even given her a formal title. But so far, her belly had not shown any signs of pregnancy.
She knew what Lu Xuan was planning. Therefore, whether she could conceive was a crucial question. Ding Baiying tried countless methods, various folk remedies, and even arranged for many of her maids to take her place. But without exception, none of them yielded any results.
"Don't worry, it's not your fault. It's my fault." Lu Xuan couldn't bear to see her so anxious, so he told her the truth. Back in the previous world, he had discovered that his body seemed to have some kind of problem; he couldn't get women pregnant.
Lu Xuan had tried to research this problem, but ultimately to no avail. No matter what tests were done, his own body was absolutely healthy, even unusually strong. And the inability to conceive could not be found to have any physical issues.
Lu Xuan understood that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this was likely a side effect of his time travel. As for why this time travel caused such a side effect, Lu Xuan naturally had no idea. Sometimes he wondered if this was the price he paid for his superhuman physical abilities.
However, both worlds we've traveled to so far are ancient worlds at the level of reality, and we lack the capability to conduct further investigations. Lu Xuan himself is merely a powerful ordinary person, and he is even less able to trace the origins and detect the detailed data of his time travel. Therefore, this matter will have to remain unresolved.
"Why is that? You clearly have no problem."
"...It's hard to explain. You can think of it as me practicing a powerful martial art. But the price is that once I succeed, I will inevitably be unable to have offspring."
"No, that's impossible. We can find a doctor..."
"The doctors of this world can't solve my problem. I'm sorry, that's the truth. I can't give you a child."
"It shouldn't be like this..." Ding Baiying, a former swordsman, also couldn't accept this outcome.
“We can handle this,” Lu Xuan said, gently stroking her long hair. In his previous life, he had been troubled by this very issue. To maintain the empire he had built, he always needed to identify a direct descendant. Since there was no possibility of a bloodline descendant, he could only cultivate one himself. In fact, Lu Xuan had already begun preparations in secret. However, this matter required absolute secrecy, so only a very few people could be involved. The person Lu Xuan chose was Shen Lian.
Whether in the movie or in history, Shen Lian is a relatively trustworthy character. Despite being a jinx, bringing misfortune to his brothers, Lu Xuan declared, "No one in this world is more lonely than me."
Time doesn't stop because of anyone's anxiety. The second five years have passed.
Lu Xuan now commands an army of 100,000, a fully-equipped corps armed with the latest firearms from Liaoyang. Firearm battalions now comprise more than half of Lu Xuan's army. In fact, the entire corps is now primarily composed of cavalry and firearm battalions. The infantry corps has begun to shift towards a supporting role.
Standing before Lu Xuan was Field, the Spanish firearms expert. He was currently introducing a brand-new weapon to Lu Xuan: a revolver.
All-metal fixed-load ammunition appeared two years ago. It then took another year to refine it, and this year, the entire army was re-equipped with it. The advent of metal fixed-load ammunition means that the Central Plains are no longer an obstacle for Lu Xuan. If he wanted, he could easily sweep all the way to the capital.
He reached out and picked up the revolver. It was a silver revolver, one that Lu Xuan had specifically requested. In his previous life, he had always loved silver revolvers from movies; they seemed incredibly cool. Now that his skills were finally up to par, he naturally wanted to get himself one first.
The craftsmanship of a revolver isn't complex; compared to modern handguns, its structure is one of the simplest. However, for this era, it was still a novelty. Technically, it required further optimization. This particular revolver is a purely handcrafted luxury item. In later generations, it would be displayed in a showcase as a collector's item.
He fiddled with his revolver. Lu Xuan asked casually.
"How are the warships doing now?"
"Reporting to Your Excellency, the latest twenty warships have been launched and are ready for service." Nearly ten years had passed. Field had become fluent in Chinese and was now the chief engineer of the Liaoyang Science and Technology Research Institute.