Chapter 3, Armor.

"Huh." Hehe Li hurriedly called upon Ukeshan and another Tatar strongman, Batu, to turn around and look for someone.

Finally arrived

!''

Indeed, Pai Jia coldly kicked the old man Guan Nong in the backside, causing the old man to cry out and crawl in front of He He. A low murmur of laughter spread through the crowd; this old man has certainly made a fool of himself today

"It is the master of the armor." The newly arrived Wukeshan whispered to Heheli by his side.

The distance to run is far, and Batu said with some concern: "The Lord of the Card Armor looks like a scholar, doesn't he? What are we to do about this?"

Ouyang was also amazed by the resilience of these barbarians, as there were reasons why they had caused so much trouble for the empire. He had been in this world for more than two years, and although there were magazines and similar publications in this life, Ouyang had never encountered the genre of science fiction, and forums and online novels were completely absent. To Ouyang, the numerous ghost and fox tales seemed overly clichéd. Thus, his only remaining interest from his previous life was military affairs. He now greatly enjoyed collecting old books and newspapers, as they contained many reports from over a decade ago about the expeditions of various renowned ministers and generals who had conquered the steppes and destroyed the Tatar Golden Horde.

The third whistle sounded. The man lowered his right hand, and the sharp-eyed Ukeshan noticed that it was indeed the bamboo whistle that had been kept in the village but had never been blown before

Heheli arrived outside and saw the men from each household rushing out, carrying axes and soft bows as they ran towards the large house in the center of the village. That was the best house in the village, built with a substantial amount of thick timber and bricks, intended for the long-absent paijia. The old farmer's house was also nearby, and no one dared to live in that house, leaving it empty.

No one expected that this seemingly scholarly figure in armor would immediately propose a hunt, which aligned perfectly with everyone's wishes. A group of foreigners, filled with excitement, began to jump and shout as if they were still in their home tribe. Among them, the loudest was Heheli. He appeared rough, but due to his wife, he had a better understanding of the Han people and knew that they held scholars in high regard. Having a scholar who also enjoyed hunting as a leader was like drawing the best lot; it was simply a stroke of good fortune.

Compulsory education in this country is mandatory for commoners and citizens' children, but graduation is not guaranteed. To obtain a "graduation certificate," one must pass a comprehensive examination, which effectively constitutes a policy of lenient admission but strict graduation standards. The educational content surprisingly emphasizes equal importance on literature, history, mathematics, and physical education. After studying for two years in this realm, Ouyang discovered that the mathematical proficiency of the scholars is roughly equivalent to that of a second-year middle school student on Earth. Although he has not yet entered high school, he can generally understand that the level of the degree holders is not lower than that of high school students in his previous life. Moreover, there are even courses similar to physics and chemistry! This is simply incredible in a country still steeped in ancient traditions.

The person raised their right hand, clad in a dog-skin glove, to shield their face, making it difficult to discern their features. At that moment, a sharp whistle emanated from the raised right hand, and the villagers then realized that the whistle had been blown by the stranger. They began to whisper among themselves, each forming their own conjectures about the identity of this individual

Everyone has arrived. The squad leader put the bamboo whistle back into his cotton coat pocket, then took out a palm-sized iron plate engraved with small characters and waved it in front of the villagers, saying: "My name is Ouyang. From now on, I will be your squad leader. Control your wild tempers; if the whistle sounds three times or less again, do not blame me for being harsh."

Indeed, Ouyang harbors significant doubts that this world has already been traversed by predecessors, as evidenced by the educational system alone. This world implements a tiered education system consisting of primary school, high school, and university, while the titles of Xiucai, Juren, and Jinshi resemble professional titles from a previous life, requiring separate examinations for acquisition

Ouyang's family was not wealthy, so in order to secure the capital for continuing his education and to satisfy his modest hobbies, after obtaining the qualification of a scholar, he decided to take up arms. Amidst the astonished gazes of his teachers and classmates, he enlisted in the border garrison.

"Are you Heheli?" Pai Jia raised his chin and asked Heheli with a nod.

The villagers originally went to find Old Man Guan Nong, but upon arrival, they discovered him standing in front of the empty large courtyard, accompanied by a tall stranger. The man wore a dogskin hat with the ear flaps down, which looked quite warm. He was dressed in a gray knee-length padded coat, stuffed full of cotton, making him resemble a large bear. A leather belt around his waist held a pistol, a broadsword, and a leather square box, which Heheli recognized as containing ammunition for a short gun. This set of gear could be considered a family heirloom in a common household.

High school is not compulsory education, and Ouyang settled on the border as a scholar. One reason is to earn money for tuition, avoiding the life of a poor scholar, and there is also a hidden intention—to take the imperial examination and become a jinshi. Scholars who have served in the frontier are given extra points in the examination process

The villagers, who had subtly guessed the identity of that person, gradually fell silent, all turning their gaze towards the stranger, as if they all wished to discern his origins from his face

He He Li turned back to take a glance, and upon seeing that the armored figure could no longer see this way, he replied: "Do not rush, as soon as the master of the armored figure arrives, he will blow the whistle, and he may not necessarily be one who enjoys tranquility. Let us see if the master is accompanied by family; if not, as long as we can persuade him to go hunting once, we can visit those tribes of the barbarians and see if we can snatch a couple of young women for the master. I have heard that scholars nowadays take pleasure in keeping young women from the barbarian tribes. Once the master tastes the sweetness, he will not fear the hardships of future days."

Both Wukeshan and Batu found it reasonable. Wukeshan remarked: "No wonder Heheli is solely hoping for a master and shows no fear of scholars; it turns out he has long had his own plans."

Only Ding Zhuang and three others, as well as half of Ding Qi and seven others, have not arrived. It is unclear whether they did not hear the whistle or if they were slow to walk. Heheli and the others did not dare to show favoritism; upon their arrival, they could only be made to kneel properly in front of the牌甲门.

The people below, whether commoners or slaves, all kneel and respond in various languages

The armored figure kicked the ground with his toes, causing the old farmer lying on the ground to gasp in shock, yet he did not dare to utter a sound. The old farmer said, "Get out of the way!" The old farmer did not dare to complain, crawling on all fours to the edge of the crowd, yet he still bowed and smiled obsequiously in the direction of the armored figure.

After the three trumpet calls, all the soldiers who do not report must be punished, as this is also a military regulation

Anxi Town has a total of 70 households, 76 able-bodied men, and 30 semi-able-bodied men. According to the "Great Hua Law," able-bodied men are defined as those aged between 18 and 40, who are the main contributors for taxation, conscription, and labor service. Those aged 14 to 17 and those aged over 40 but under 50 are classified as semi-able-bodied men. This concept is primarily significant in border and desolate areas, as only in these regions is there a need for semi-able-bodied men to supplement the insufficient able-bodied men.

The person coldly asked: "Who else has not arrived?"

Then Pai Jia turned to the old farmer Guan Nong, who was still bowing his head, and said: "You go check the grain storage at each household. I will be going hunting at the end of the month. I will take twenty men with me, and each should prepare ten days' worth of provisions. Those who do not have enough grain can come to me for a temporary loan"

The old farmer, who had been bending over beside him, immediately jumped in front of the villagers and shouted: "Is there anyone else who hasn't arrived? Don't you know that when the military signal sounds three times, those who hear it must report to the gate of the barracks with twenty military sticks? Lord Baijia has blown the whistle, didn't you hear it?" He pointed at Heheli with a fierce expression and said: "Heheli, go and bring those who haven't arrived!"

Ouyang found it quite strange that a great empire in the Central Plains, equipped with firearms, artillery, and steam engines, could conquer the surrounding tribes without any difficulty. However, he was perplexed by the significant casualties inflicted on the modernized Central Plains army by the barbarians, as reported in old books and newspapers. How did these people manage to repeatedly break through the large formations despite facing flintlock guns and smoothbore cannons? In another world, Ouyang could barely claim to have some understanding of famous battles from both the East and the West. In that dimension, modern armies rarely faced a direct breach of their formations by semi-feudal, semi-slave society nomadic barbarians. Occasionally, when modern armies suffered losses of around a thousand men, it was enough for the defeated side to take pride in it for a hundred years.

Get up. The commander did not blame anyone; he instructed, "Take two people to find those who have not arrived and have them kneel on the side first."

At your command

Everyone finally saw the face of Pai Jia. He was very young, with only short stubble on his chin and jaw, and his complexion was quite fair. In the tribes of the barbarians, such skin color would definitely be ridiculed as effeminate, but no one here dared to laugh, because most of the educated Han people had this kind of appearance. The villagers all knew that the education received by scholars taught them that the Di Yi were beasts, not humans, and they would not care about the lives of these commoners and slaves. If someone laughed and embarrassed Pai Jia, he would immediately order the execution of a few people to establish his authority, leaving everyone without even a chance to cry. The villagers all knew that the education received by scholars taught them that the Di Yi were beasts, not humans, and they would not care about the lives of these commoners and slaves. If someone laughed and embarrassed Pai Jia, he would immediately order the execution of a few people to establish his authority, leaving everyone without even a chance to cry.

Hehe Li let out a dark chuckle, remaining motionless. This fool, now that the master of the card armor has arrived, what place is there for him to speak? The monkey has dominated for too long; when the real tiger comes, he won't even know how to flatter.

"Returning to your honor, I am called Heheli." While responding, Heheli had already knelt down on both knees, crawling on the ground before the banner. In fact, he was aware that the military regulations of the Han people stipulated that one should not kneel in the camp; according to protocol, the sounding of the banner's horn indicated that they had already entered the military camp. However, Heheli could not gauge the temperament of the banner, so he had no choice but to follow the customs of the Jurchens in greeting his lord.

Ou Yang raised his hand to suppress the crowd's howls; he was quite displeased with such beast-like sounds. However, as the people expressed their excitement, he felt it inappropriate to forcibly suppress them, and thus resolved to impose order in his heart. He cast a glance at the few individuals still kneeling there and said to the only one whose name he currently knew, Heheli: "Each of these slaves will receive twenty lashes. You and the two who just captured the person will administer the punishment. Half of the lashes will be forgiven this time, but if they offend again, they will not be spared!"

This is already a very light punishment. Those few young lads and the old man often go hungry; if they receive another twenty lashes, it will surely lead to death. A few strong and sturdy men can withstand a few hits without issue. Heheli and the others did not dare to show favoritism; they found a few thick wooden sticks and fiercely struck the backs of the three unfortunate souls with twenty lashes. The three men, however, remained resolute, gritting their teeth and not uttering a word. After enduring the punishment, they even bowed their heads to the plaque before standing up.

Here, no one can read, but everyone knows that the iron plate is a symbol of the identity of the armored. With this object, commoners are somewhat better off, as they cannot be executed without reason. However, the lives of slaves are entirely at the mercy of the armored, who have the power of life and death over them