In the grove next to the playground behind the No. 2 Military Preparatory School in Quancheng, Xiao Jin, who was wearing braids and wearing a military uniform, was holding a meat bun and gnawing happily.

"Is it really that delicious?" Xu Daixuan asked curiously.

The meat bun was brought by him, there were five in total, he ate one himself, Xiao Jin ate three, and now he is still gnawing the last one.

The steamed bun is made by the old chef of the original Wubao family in Shaanxi Province, and now it is the pastry master of Meiquan Palace, using the best flour, baked just right, and then sandwiched with soup, fat and thin bacon, it tastes really good.

But is it really that good?

To this, Xiao Jin's answer was to nod violently while eating.

Swallowing the last meat bun, Xiao Jin licked his fingers one by one, and said with satisfaction: "Meat is the best, meat is rarely eaten in school." ”

The military preparatory school is the so-called "orphan military school", which adopts all Han Chinese orphans nationwide, both male and female, in the name of the imperial family.

As the junior military academy with Xu Shiyang as the nominal president, there is naturally no shortage of funds and food, but now, even with the productivity of the empire, it is impossible for everyone to have meat to eat.

A 16- or 7-year-old child like Xiao Jin, who is still growing his body, usually has one meal of pork, one meal of whale, one meal of chicken or duck, two meals of fish, and five eggs every ten days.

All children are hungry for meat, and Xiao Jin, who has lived hungry since childhood, is no exception, and meat can never be eaten.

But it's strange that you can't get fat no matter how you eat.

"Where the hell did you fill all this meat?" Xu Daixuan looked at the skinny girl: "When I first met you, you were like a hemp stick, why are you still like this after so many years?" ”

"I don't know, I can't eat enough, I can't eat fat, and the teachers are worried about whether I have any disease."

This is indeed a disease, and people who were chronically malnourished as children also have a hard time eating fat when they grow up - a notable example is Hepburn in another plane.

It's just that people in this era don't know this.

"Alright, you're done, it's time for me to go."

Xu Daixuan stood up and patted the dust on his body:

"You have to learn to take care of yourself in the future, eat as much as you can, although there is not much meat, but the school will always let you eat enough."

He also thought that Xiao Jin always couldn't eat enough.

"I can eat enough, and besides, isn't there Brother Xu who came to bring me meat to eat?" Xiao Jin gave Xu Daixuan a faceless smile, and he shook his head when he saw it.

"I won't be here in the future."

"Why?"

"I'm going far, far away." Xu Daixuan replied with a smile: "I won't be back for a long time - and maybe I will never come back." ”

"Where the hell are you going?" Xiao Jin asked a little panicked.

She was rescued by Xu Daixuan from the black shop, and Xu Daixuan sent her to the military academy to study, and the relationship between the two has always been very good, and he will bring her meat to eat when he is free.

For Xiao Jin, Xu Daixuan is not only a friend, but also like an elder brother, the only one, a real relative.

Now, her brother says he will never come to see her again.

"I'm going to a very west, very west place where my career is." Xu Daixuan replied proudly: "I will create my own future." ”

"Can you take me?"

"You?" Xu Daixuan smiled: "You haven't finished your studies yet, have you?" You won't be able to go there until you graduate. ”

The education department of the empire had great powers, and all children of school age above the commoner class had to be enrolled, otherwise parents would be punished, and banks would refuse to give loans to families who did not allow their children to go to school.

Moreover, students have enrollment subsidies and food subsidies, and it is no problem to at least eat enough in school, which can save families a lot of food expenses. If you have a good academic performance and there are scholarships, you can make money.

But in the same way, everyone must complete compulsory education (now it is seven years), otherwise they don't want to enter the social work, and the factory will not dare to accept it.

If it's an orphan like Kim, dropping out of a prep military school can even be considered a crime - the empire doesn't have a juvenile delinquency protection law.

Looking at Xiao Jin's pitiful appearance that almost cried, Xu Daixuan smiled and rubbed the girl's head: "I'm going to the west of the Green Ridge, it's very dangerous, but if you really want to go, when you finish all your education, apply to the relevant departments." ”

"Study hard, little girl, I'm waiting for you in the Western Regions."

……

Gan Province, sandbank, garrison camp

"Your Highness has written it."

Zuo Helin called Xu Shizhen and handed him Xu Daixuan's letter:

"He has received permission from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and it is estimated that he will be back in two months, and then we can prepare for action."

"This nephew of mine can really get out." Xu Shizhen smiled, took the letter, and unfolded it.

"Your Highness said that he has the right to recruit 5,000 soldiers, not including the Waibo soldiers who volunteered to follow, I estimate that we have to prepare at least 20,000 soldiers."

Zuo Helin said excitedly:

"Your Highness said in the letter that there is no problem with him, there are 5,000 people, they are definitely good at guns, and the marshal will help him. Then we're all left left, and we need to recruit 15,000 people as soon as possible! ”

"Don't worry." Xu Shizhen said: "First of all, the cabinet has been wary of them from Liaodong, and the cabinet will definitely agree to take them away from the imperial territory." ”

"Then wait for Wang Qinian, his thieves may not all come. But it's no problem to have a few hundred cavalry, he has connections in the steppe, and he can recruit more Muguls, so that when the empire sweeps the north again in the future, there will be fewer obstacles. ”

"Find all these people and see how many there are, and then recruit the remaining places from the Qiang, Dangxiang, Tubo, Uighur and other tribes in the Western Regions, so that if we need reinforcements at that time, we can also recruit reinforcements nearby, which is always more convenient."

"That's it." Zuo Helin continued: "Let the foreign soldiers prepare their own military horses, armor, and blades for ten days, and you can borrow from us, and you have to pay interest!" ”

"Dai Xuan said that my third brother gave him 300,000 taels, and his mother gave him 50,000 taels of private money." Xu Shizhen patted the letter in his hand: "There is no problem with military spending." ”

"There is no problem with military spending, the emperor's eldest grandson personally conquered the Western Regions, and the Imperial Bank must rush to Cyprus for a loan, not to mention 350,000, 3.5 million is no problem."

Zuo Helin waved his hand and shouted magnificently:

"Our Zuo family can give 50,000 yuan, I will go to find Zhe Keshi, he may also come to participate in the war, Wang Qinian asked him to give 200,000 yuan, and the thief has money......

"Stop, stop! Don't tell me this! I don't have any money! Xu Shizhen said with a smile: "I'm just a colonel, and it's not enough to take out all the military salaries." ”

"Okay, I won't let you pay, but you're a clan, so you have to exert some influence."