Chapter 6, Going to the Town

Ouyang placed the money in the inner pocket of his cotton-padded coat. This coat was the winter military uniform of the屯军, lined with a layer of cowhide, essentially making it a type of cotton armor. In the eyes of the border tribes, this item is considered a treasure, as it provides warmth and decent protection.

Ouyang left thirty yuan in cash for his parents. He only carried a twenty yuan banknote with him, which is formally known as the Imperial Central Silver Reserve Note, with each yuan equivalent to one tael of silver. In reality, Ouyang had privately weighed a one-yuan silver coin, which weighs about twenty-five grams, while the actual tael in the imperial measurement system, Ouyang estimated, could be over thirty grams. Considering the issue of purity, the imperial coinage tax is quite severe. In reality, Ouyang had privately weighed a one-yuan silver coin, which weighs about twenty-five grams, while the actual tael in the imperial measurement system, Ouyang estimated, could be over thirty grams. Considering the issue of purity, the imperial coinage tax is quite severe

The 8 subordinates of Ouyang can indeed be considered private slaves of the royal family, but the royal assets are managed jointly by the cabinet and the royal family, and these individuals are accounted for as state-owned slaves. The true private slaves of the royal family members are the eunuchs—most of whom are now replaced by captured Di Yi youths, with only a few of the senior eunuchs being Han people left by the previous emperors, but their status is already quite high. Even the palace maids are not slaves—neither the cabinet nor the royal family wishes to see the purest bloodlines of the empire mixed with the blood of the Di Yi. The true private slaves of the royal family members are the eunuchs—most of whom are now replaced by captured Di Yi youths, with only a few of the senior eunuchs being Han people left by the previous emperors, but their status is already quite high. Even the palace maids are not slaves—neither the cabinet nor the royal family wishes to see the purest bloodlines of the empire mixed with the blood of the Di Yi. These individuals are all women from commoner families; since they are Han people, they cannot be slaves, and each of them holds a rank as female officials. After serving in the palace for five years, these female officials are given a dowry to leave the palace, and they can be considered white-collar employees of the royal family.

One yuan is equal to one thousand wen, without the units of jiao and fen in between. Ouyang is a citizen, and he can purchase unlimited quantities of coarse grains at ten wen per jin. Although he does not consume them himself, it is not a problem to feed his subordinates, the Di Yi. According to the law, the minimum price for commoners to purchase coarse grains is fifteen wen per jin, while for slaves it is twenty wen. However, the law does not prohibit citizens and commoners from 'gifting' the coarse grains they purchase to commoners and slaves, nor does it prohibit slaves who receive food from giving gifts in return to citizens. Many people in border areas engage in this loophole exploitation in the grain trade, with an average profit of three to eight wen per jin of grain. However, the law does not prohibit citizens and commoners from 'gifting' the coarse grains they purchase to commoners and slaves, nor does it prohibit slaves who receive food from giving gifts in return to citizens. Many people in border areas engage in this loophole exploitation in the grain trade, with an average profit of three to eight wen per jin of grain

If he were in his hometown in Qisheng, Ouyang's family background would be quite ordinary. However, he does have the title of a scholar, and the doors of higher education institutions are always open to him. Therefore, he came to the western ridge to serve at the border, which caused quite a stir in his hometown. Although his parents opposed it, their stance was not firm. Moreover, Ouyang has an older brother, so he cannot be considered the only son going to war

Hehe Li was particularly spirited today. The day before yesterday, Pai Jia gifted him an old cotton coat. This is a genuine cotton coat, made of two layers of cotton fabric with only a few small patches, and filled with fluffy, thick cotton in between. Under the warmth of the cotton coat, Hehe Li has even stopped having a runny nose. He had considered cutting the coat to make it fit for his two children, but his wife disagreed, saying that the coat gifted by Pai Jia was meant for Hehe Li to wear while hunting. Moreover, the children stay at home during the winter, and with the fire pit, they won't get cold.

In the village, there was previously a mule, five cows, and a sled, which are public property but managed by Old Man Hu's household. Ou Yang can use these items at will, as long as it does not interfere with the transportation of timber and farming. Ou Yang hopes to buy a few more handcarts, as only Old Man Hu can drive the sled in the village, but any strong man can use a handcart, which can save a lot of physical effort

At this time, the empire is divided into four social classes. Han people, if they have not committed a crime that leads to exile, are all considered commoners. Subsequently, whether through academic examinations, military service, labor, agriculture, or commerce, those who perform well can be promoted to citizens. Below the commoners are the lower class, mostly consisting of minority ethnic groups that were conquered earlier and Han individuals who have committed crimes but whose offenses do not warrant death. Finally, there are slaves, which are categorized into state-owned slaves and privately-owned slaves. The former belong to the state and primarily work in state-owned farms, ranches, and mines. Below the commoners are the lower class, mostly consisting of minority ethnic groups that were conquered earlier and Han individuals who have committed crimes but whose offenses do not warrant death. Finally, there are slaves, which are categorized into state-owned slaves and privately-owned slaves. The former belong to the state and primarily work in state-owned farms, ranches, and mines. Privately-owned slaves belong to individuals, some of whom serve their masters as companions like these two barbarian women, while others work in private factories and fields.

The journey is not particularly long; departing in the morning, one can reach the low city walls of the town in three and a half hours, almost perfectly arriving under the moonlight to spend the night in the town

Anxi Town is the westernmost territory of the Empire, and the time since its conquest and establishment is relatively short. The Han population is sparse, and the defensive walls appear somewhat haphazard. However, Anxi Town is currently considered a garrison town; apart from merchants and their families, almost everyone else is armed. Moreover, there are regular troops stationed along the Lingxi Road behind it, and in the event of an alert, regular cavalry can arrive within five days at most. Additionally, no one currently has the audacity to attack the Empire, so there is little cause for concern regarding defense.

The court no longer acknowledges the saying "A good man should not serve in the military." In recent years, the treatment of the military has been continuously improved, and ambitious young individuals like Ouyang, who choose to enlist, are particularly welcomed. Therefore, even though Ouyang only served as a garrison soldier, he was promoted to a rank of sergeant, qualifying him as a junior officer, and he also enjoyed citizen benefits, additional subsidies such as extra points in examinations.

Ouyang rode a horse, bringing nothing but his own equipment and money

In addition to the political benefits, there are also considerable economic compensations. A relocation allowance of fifty yuan was provided. As an officer, the state also granted a horse. Together with weapons and military uniforms, the total value amounts to one hundred yuan.

The other six individuals—commoner Geheli, slave Wukeshan, Batu, Saci, Geshitu, and Daha—are all around thirty years old and belong to the barbarian tribes. Their harsh lives and savage natures, combined with their bodies in the prime of life, have shaped these hunters into formidable warriors. However, each of them carries only a logging axe, a soft bow, and a quiver, and to describe their equipment as inferior would be an understatement.

The flintlock smoothbore pistol is no problem. With a caliber of 15 millimeters, it is essentially second-rate equipment for garrison troops, while the regular army has already transitioned to rifled guns with mercury ignition and Minié balls. However, there is an advantage: the bullet is merely a small lead ball, which can be produced by oneself.

Supervisor Murong is now nearly fifty years old, yet he remains in excellent spirits. He takes great pride in the choices he made in his youth, and he particularly admires his fellow townsman Ouyang for his decision to abandon his studies and enlist in the military. After encouraging Ouyang in a manner befitting his status as a senior, he even sent him two foreign female servants to help with the bedding.

The winter days in Lingxi are particularly short. Fortunately, when Ouyang arrived, the city gates had not yet been closed. Ouyang, being a scholar, could directly seek lodging from the local academic supervisor. Old Hu, on the other hand, found a sheltered corner by the city wall to spend the night with others. At this time, many people had already gathered under the city wall, most of whom were commoners and slaves brought by nearby merchants who could not afford to stay at an inn. They lit piles of bonfires, warming themselves while roasting coarse grain cakes. At this time, many people had already gathered under the city wall, most of whom were commoners and slaves brought by nearby merchants who could not afford to stay at an inn. They lit piles of bonfires, warming themselves while roasting coarse grain cakes

Hu Lanshan, He Heli, and five others are waiting outside the door. Today, they are going to the town with Ouyang, serving both as bodyguards and laborers for loading the vehicle. Additionally, they need to push back the handcart that Ouyang intends to purchase.

Murong Ming arrived in the Western Regions eight years ago to serve at the border. At that time, he had failed the provincial examination and his family was unable to support his further education. However, he had the qualification of a scholar, and he chose the path of becoming a slightly higher-ranking official in the Western Regions rather than starting from the bottom in his hometown. In fact, he was quite anxious about his choice at that time, but unexpectedly, the empire soon issued new regulations that favored scholars in the Western Regions in their examinations. Two years ago, Murong passed the provincial examination, and due to the scarcity of educated individuals in the Western Regions, he surprisingly advanced directly to the position of a town academic supervisor. The towns under the jurisdiction of the Lingxi Road were all military garrisons, and the academic supervisor was the highest-ranking civil official in the town. It is said that the position of the next academic official of the Lingxi Road has already been informally designated for this senior scholar Murong.

In the online world of Ouyang's previous life, there were more "宅男女神" (宅男 goddesses) than there were otaku. He had no interest whatsoever in these two rough and unrefined women, who could only be considered beauties among the foreigners. Moreover, visiting someone else's home and engaging with their women (even though the owner did not consider these two as his own "women") did not align with Ouyang's moral values. His time in this strange social structure, which was half-slave, half-feudal, and half-capitalist, was still too short, and he had not yet adapted sufficiently, so he merely allowed those two foreign women to prepare a bed for him.

A leather bullet pouch, hung on the belt. Inside, it contains sixty rounds of pre-packaged ammunition.

Ouyang personally inspected their equipment. The axes were satisfactory, capable of both chopping and smashing in close combat. The soft bows and bone arrows could only aim for the eyes of animals larger than foxes. The remote firepower of his team was essentially limited to Ouyang's own pistol, which seemed rather inadequate. He decided to purchase a few iron arrows for the strongest members of the team to enhance their strength for this expedition. The forest was home to many formidable animals and wild men, and this expenditure could not be spared. However, he could not afford a good bow at the moment, and any better equipment would depend on the outcomes of this venture.

This, on the contrary, left the latter quite disappointed. Ou Yang was not bad-looking, tall, and also an educated man, being a rising star favored by Master Murong. Regardless of whether he could secretly conceive a child, his status among the private servants in his family would surely be elevated after one night.

The snow kept falling, but it would be strange if it didn't snow in this cursed place. Old Hu was driving a mule pulling a sled, on which some furs were piled up. Ouyang took a look and saw that they were mostly sheepskins and rabbit furs, which were not worth much. The majority of the load consisted of firewood, which was even cheaper, but there was nothing better to sell for 8 mu.

The academic supervisor is a fellow townsman of Ou Yang from Qi Province. Although the two had not known each other before, encountering a fellow townsman in this remote border area, both being scholars, naturally made them feel much closer. According to the current unspoken rules of the empire, Ou Yang and this senior Murong can already be considered allies in the same trench.

This includes Ouyang himself and the old man Hu who is responsible for driving the cart, totaling thirty-two people. Except for the old man Hu, all the provisions for the others must be provided by Ouyang himself. It is estimated that this trip will last more than ten days, so it is necessary to prepare seven or eight hundred pounds of food at the very least, and just the transportation alone is a hassle

However, the purchasing power of this money is still quite high. The empire is in the early stages of the First Industrial Revolution, and its productivity is relatively advanced. Moreover, the surrounding barbarian tribes have already been subdued, and various vassals within the sphere of civilization, even those primitive tribes, regard the empire's currency as a valuable asset. This empire bears some resemblance to the former United States, which issued dollars through its aircraft carrier fleets.

Ouyang is going to the town today to purchase provisions for the hunting expedition. Initially, he had only selected twenty individuals, but the villagers were envious of this opportunity. Therefore, he had to relax the criteria and allow an additional ten people to join. However, it was agreed in advance that these individuals would not share in the group's catch. To earn any income, they could only take their own share of what they hunted.

The attire worn by Ouyang could exchange for the daughter of a chieftain in the surrounding tribes of the Di Yi. In the Empire, even in the most impoverished borders, it is merely the issued equipment of a second-rate junior officer in the military

A canvas crossbody bag. It contains some emergency rations, sugar cubes, a small packet of salt, a bamboo tube with chopsticks and a knife, a small pouch containing a fire starter, flint, and tinder, a cotton bag filled with basic medical tools and common medications, a notebook with a pencil, and a small copper flask filled with strong liquor

Examine the items around you more closely: the broadsword, indeed, the Tang-style broadsword made of laminated steel. The blade is made of steel while the back is iron. Many people in the empire mock this type of sword as "pseudo-steel"; the regular army has long ceased to use such weapons, yet it remains the main equipment for the garrison troops.

Heheli's "new" cotton coat made everyone envious; in contrast, the ragged clothes on his own body could hardly be called garments. This sparked a slight sense of ambition, as the armor lord immediately rewarded Heheli, clearly not of a stingy nature. If he performed well during this hunt, he would surely receive a considerable share of the spoils

The 10th day of the 9th month in the 30th year of the Republic