“One, two, one! One, two, one!”
At dawn, as the villagers were just rising, Zhong Wu had already led the guards and veterans jogging into the back mountain.
Each carried a pack weighing over thirty jin on their backs.
Even Zhong Wu, at the front of the group, was no exception.
This was a rule Jin Feng set for the guard team.
Every morning, they had to run a five-kilometre cross-country with a load. Those who couldn’t finish would have their wages docked the first time and be kicked out of the guard team the second time.
This wasn’t just to build the veterans’ physical strength, but also to strengthen their willpower and cohesion.
The five-kilometre distance wasn’t arbitrary; it was a figure determined by military research in Jin Feng’s previous life.
More than five kilometres could overexert soldiers, causing no issues in the short term but leading to irreversible damage over time.
Less than five kilometres wouldn’t meet tactical training goals.
So, a five-kilometre weighted run was essentially the optimal threshold for conditioning.
The veterans, having lived tough lives in recent years, didn’t have the physical condition of soldiers from Jin Feng’s previous life. To complete a five-kilometre mountain run, they needed sheer determination to persevere.
Initially, Jin Feng considered a gradual approach, starting with three kilometres and extending the distance after a month.
But after much thought, he settled on five kilometres.
He didn’t just want a guard team; he aimed to forge an elite force.
This was also his first test for the veterans.
Those who couldn’t pass the first hurdle had no reason to stay.
The chant of “One, two, one” was to train the veterans to work in sync, fostering unity.
“One” for the left step, “two” for the right.
At first, some veterans struggled to adjust, their steps chaotic, but after a kilometre, their pace and rhythm gradually aligned.
To Jin Feng’s relief, the veterans, hardened by past struggles, all completed the first day’s five kilometres.
In his previous life, Jin Feng had worked on military projects and was familiar with soldiers. Drawing on military training methods from that life, he devised a scientific training schedule.
After breakfast, Zhang Liang took the veterans to the back mountain to continue training according to the schedule.
Zhong Wu and the guards stayed behind in the courtyard, waiting for Jin Feng, each with a black knife at their waist.
“Sir, I’ve gathered everyone. It’s time for me to report back to the Marquis.”
Zhong Wu asked, “Any further instructions, sir?”
“None,” Jin Feng patted Zhong Wu’s shoulder. “The battlefield is unpredictable. Tell the Marquis to stay safe above all. As long as you’re alive, there’s always a way forward.”
From his trip to Weizhou, Jin Feng was thoroughly disappointed with Da Kang’s army.
Corrupted by decadent leaders, most Da Kang soldiers had lost the fighting spirit expected of warriors.
When the situation turned bad, from generals to soldiers, they fled faster than anyone, terrified of being caught and killed by cavalry.
To Jin Feng, this was the root cause of Da Kang’s repeated defeats in recent years.
In such an environment, relying solely on Qing Huai’s Iron Forest Army and General Fan’s Fan Family Army couldn’t sustain the northwest front. Instead, they risked being isolated by the decadent leaders.
This was why Jin Feng left the Iron Forest Army.
After over two months together, Jin Feng and Qing Huai had formed a friendship. Jin Feng knew Qing Huai’s heart was with the Iron Forest Army and that he would never leave.
People have their own paths. Qing Huai let Jin Feng go, and Jin Feng respected his choice.
“Don’t worry, sir. I’ll protect the Marquis with my life.”
Zhong Wu pounded his chest and left with the guards.
Jin Feng didn’t see them off far but stood at the gate, watching their figures until they vanished at the mountain’s base, then turned to head to the newly built workshop.
The new workshop covered over five mu, divided into three sections by two high walls.
The southern two-plus mu housed the textile workshop and warehouse, while the northern one-plus mu was the iron smelting workshop.
The iron smelting workshop used high-temperature charcoal fires, and textiles were highly flammable, so Jin Feng built a three-courtyard siheyuan between them.
This prevented the smelting workshop’s fires from igniting the textile workshop and made it convenient for Jin Feng to move between both.
The back courtyard was for the women’s residence, the middle courtyard held Jin Feng’s study and guest rooms for visitors.
The front courtyard was for the gatekeepers and guards, with a large study serving as Jin Feng’s office.
This layout was a standard siheyuan, common in Jin Feng’s previous life among landlords and gentry, but in Da Kang, it was unique. Even Guan Xiaorou, let alone Tang Dongdong from a wealthy family, had never seen such a design.
This thrilled Guan Xiaorou, who wanted to move in the day it was finished, but Jin Feng persuaded her otherwise.
It wasn’t about airing out smells; Jin Feng hadn’t even had time to mess with lime, let alone other renovations.
The main issue was the dampness in the newly built brick house. Jin Feng planned to let it dry out before moving in.
The textile workshop, with many people, didn’t face this issue.
After finishing the black knives for Zhong Wu and his group, Man Cang had been working overtime assembling spinning wheels.
Once he finished, the textile workshop could move out of Jin Feng’s home.
With Tang Dongdong and Man Cang managing things there, Jin Feng didn’t need to worry much.
After seeing Zhong Wu off, he went to the iron smelting workshop.
Jin Feng knew ranged attacks were the future of warfare, so crossbows were a mandatory training subject for the veterans.
But with only a few crossbows on hand, the veterans had to take turns practising.
To mass-produce powerful heavy crossbows, high-quality steel was essential.
Thus, Jin Feng’s current focus was on building this new iron smelting furnace.
He placed high hopes on this furnace.
Originally, Jin Feng planned to build a blast furnace, but the resources he could access were far from sufficient.
So, he settled for a compromise, combining features of a blast furnace, porcelain kiln, and traditional furnace to build this new one.
The masons building the furnace were skilled craftsmen Zhang Liang had found from nearby towns and the county. Their work was excellent.
Jin Feng was never stingy with talent, offering high wages and meat with every meal.
Even the best masons rarely received such treatment when working for others.
So, they worked with extra care. Jin Feng inspected and found no issues, but as he was about to leave, he ran into Man Cang.
“Had I known you were here, sir, I wouldn’t have come.”
Man Cang greeted Jin Feng with a smile.
“You’ve been working hard lately. Things are fine inside; you don’t need to check. Sit and rest.”
Seeing Man Cang sweating, Jin Feng knew he’d rushed over. He picked up a bowl from the side and handed him some cool tea.
Man Cang had been busier than Jin Feng lately, not only finishing the black knives for Zhong Wu’s group but also overseeing the furnace construction and assembling spinning wheels.
He hadn’t been home in nearly half a month, eating and sleeping at the blacksmith’s shop.
