Chapter Thirty-Two: The Essentials of Military Training

"Whoosh!"
"Snap!"
In the backyard of the county magistrate's office, An Xin was working his body, executing a set of boxing techniques with vigorous, tiger-like momentum. The sound of his fists cutting through the air and his tendons snapping echoed repeatedly in the small courtyard. Beside him, Hu Changshan occasionally demonstrated moves or corrected flaws in his technique.

After finishing the set, An Xin reined in his power, took a damp towel from Hu Changshan, wiped the sweat from his brow, and sat down to drink tea.

"My lord, have you truly never practiced martial arts before? Your progress is so rapid that I fear you will develop internal strength in no time," Hu Changshan exclaimed in awe.

An Xin had been unable to find a method for Taoist cultivation, and not wishing to waste his time, he had called for Hu Changshan to teach him martial arts. It was only then that Hu Changshan discovered that the magistrate—whom he had always assumed to be a master of both literary and martial arts—had never practiced before. Yet, An Xin’s physical strength, reaction speed, and tendon flexibility were far beyond those of an ordinary person; his cultivation progress was like a thousand miles in a day. He was quite simply a natural-born martial arts genius. Combined with his mysterious "acupoint-striking" techniques, there was an air of enigma about him.

"Changshan," An Xin said, bypassing the discussion on his training, "do you know any boxing styles that are quick to learn—preferably ones that show results in strength within a month or two?"

"They exist, but most such styles don't nourish the body. If you practice them for too long or too intensely, they will harm you instead," Hu Changshan replied.

"These past few days, Clerk Wan has been out in the countryside conducting a draft. We will soon begin training the troops in the county. When that time comes, I want you to act as the chief instructor, teaching them martial arts and learning some principles of troop formation and deployment along the way." As he spoke, An Xin picked up a thin booklet from the small table and handed it to Hu Changshan.

"Essentials of Troop Training."

The four characters caught the eye immediately. Hu Changshan opened it to find columns of small, sharp, and forceful script that seemed to pierce through the paper, yet it did not look like the work of a traditional calligraphy brush. The entire text was only about five thousand characters, but every line was packed with practical substance, and Hu Changshan read it very slowly.

Though short, it covered everything from general strategy and organization to training, equipment, logistics, and combat. The content was highly pragmatic. The organization section included not only descriptions and sketches of cold-weapon formations like the "Triple-Thrust" and the "Mandarin Duck Formation," but also firearm tactics such as the "Three-Stage Fire." Though simple in name, the instructions were incredibly practical. This was information An Xin had compiled and condensed from local digital archives and AI-assisted data back when his computer still had power.

"My lord, this is too precious!" Hu Changshan looked up, staring at An Xin in shock.

Such military manuals were strictly regulated by the Great Yan Dynasty’s penal code; they were not meant for circulation among the common folk and were usually passed down through generations of military nobility or prominent clans. Each copy was invaluable. While basic manuals like the "Summary of Military Preparedness" or the "New Agricultural Treatise" circulated among the people, they were often fragmented or based on hearsay. A comprehensive and highly instructive manual like the "Essentials of Troop Training" was exceptionally rare.

"I compiled this by combining ancient military classics with the realities of suppressing bandits in the mountains. It covers how to organize troops, select officers, maintain discipline, train stamina, form battle arrays, fight in mountainous terrain, and handle equipment and logistics. Take this opportunity to study it well; it may prove very useful in the future," An Xin instructed.

Upon hearing this, Hu Changshan’s eyes widened like copper bells. To think that such a military treatise was compiled by the county magistrate himself! His profound knowledge and capability filled Hu Changshan with such shock that he looked at the magistrate as if he were a grandmaster of the current age. Even the world’s most renowned grandmasters could only face a thousand foes; with this manual, one could truly face ten thousand.

"My lord, Wu Yin from the Tax Office is here to see you," old Zhang reported.

"Tell him to go to the second hall." An Xin stood up and added to Hu Changshan, "I have asked the county assistant to find a piece of land outside the city for a training ground. Find some time to go and inspect it."

"Yes, sir!" Hu Changshan replied.

Entering the second hall from the back door, Wu Yin stood up immediately. "My lord, the merchants have been eager to donate these past few days. The total is eighteen thousand four hundred taels."

"Why so little?" An Xin frowned in dissatisfaction. "Wuren County has a thriving trade. This round of donations should have yielded at least fifty thousand taels. How much was donated at the docks? How much from the weaving workshops?"

Sensing An Xin’s displeasure, Wu Yin felt anxious. "My lord, my assistants and I have been running around with the Tax Bureau for several days to collect this much from the local salt, tea, and porcelain merchants, as well as the transport guilds. As for the docks, the River Guild gave eight hundred taels. The people at the weaving workshops are all looking to their guild leader, Ma, but he refuses to pay, claiming that the workshops are in partnership with the Imperial Weaving Bureau and that the county should go ask the Bureau for money."

"I see," An Xin narrowed his eyes. The gentry had already yielded, but he had not expected the merchants—who should have been easier to handle—to try and stir up trouble.

"How much silver did the gambling dens in Tower Lane and the West City donate?" An Xin asked suddenly.

Wu Yin’s expression changed, and he ultimately shook his head. "They generally do not pay silver."

"Is it that they refuse to pay, or that you didn't ask?" An Xin questioned. Seeing Wu Yin’s expression, he already knew the answer, and his voice turned cold. "Clerk Wu, remember who you are serving."

"My lord!" Wu Yin’s seat slid back as he knelt. "The gambling dens all have the backing of martial arts schools. Without the approval of the schools, these dens could not operate. The Tong Family Martial Arts School has been operating for over sixty years, and their influence in Wuren County is deeply rooted. When the previous magistrate first took office, he decided to take action against the school because its disciples were arrogant and overbearing, but it ultimately came to nothing. My lord, many of the bailiffs in our own county office are disciples or descendants of that school..."

He would never have dared to say these things if the magistrate did not hold leverage over him. Speaking out brought him no benefit and was more likely to invite trouble.

An Xin took out his official badge and toyed with it. He was hesitating whether to make an example of someone—to crush the so-called Guild Leader Ma. A county magistrate had the power to ruin families for a reason. If they refused to pay the required taxes, the county office had plenty of ways to deal with them. As for the gambling dens, if they refused to pay, they could wait; once the cancer of the martial arts school was excised, he would settle the accounts with them later.

At that moment, a bailiff reported from outside the door, "Magistrate, a woman calling herself Qin Shiyue has come to pay a visit."

"Invite her in," An Xin said quickly upon hearing the name. "You go find Chief Clerk Huang and resolve the matter with the weaving workshops," he told Wu Yin.

"Yes!" Wu Yin responded and left.

An Xin stood up, wondering about the purpose of Qin Shiyue’s visit, and walked quickly to the door to wait. Soon, a graceful figure rounded the corridor and came into his view.

He smiled at her and said, "With the arrival of Mistress Qin, I suddenly find the mundane objects in this office to be exceptionally bright."

"The Magistrate is too kind," Qin Shiyue replied, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled. Even behind her veil, her beauty was undeniable. She bowed gracefully to An Xin.