Chapter 0009: Astonishing Skills

The army of the New Dynasty is broadly divided into three systems: first, the capital army; second, the local army; and third, the frontier army

He felt unconvinced in his heart, but had to put on a facade on the surface. He bowed to Peng Yong and said, "Thank you for your appreciation, my lord"

In fact, there is no need for Liu Yan to provide an explanation, as Longyuan naturally regards the protection of Liu Xiu as his primary task

Xiao Shi swiftly completed the writing with a few strokes, then pushed the bamboo tablet in front of Liu Yan and said, "Alright, next."

Place of origin? The minor official picked up a brush and wrote down Liu Yan's name on the bamboo plaque, while also inquiring.

According to the organization of the Han army, a unit consists of 500 men, with one military commander appointed for each unit. A detachment consists of 100 men, with one detachment leader appointed for each. A squad consists of 50 men, with one squad leader appointed for each. A team consists of 5 men, with one team leader appointed for each.

Two stone pillars, weighing no less than 200 pounds, were lifted by him with just one hand. How strong must this person be

Liu Yan glared at his younger brother, pulled Liu Xiu to a secluded spot, and quietly admonished, "Ah Xiu, do you think being a soldier is easy? When it comes to battle, you must charge to the front. You should stay obediently by my side. If you do not listen, you will go home immediately!"

Peng Yong was in high spirits and laughed heartily while looking up.

Xiangyang is a large city, with tens of thousands of residents within its walls. Now, Xiangyang has also become one of the gathering places for the righteous army, and the number of people in the city has increased even more

Long Yuan said solemnly: "Yes! Brother Liu!"

Liu Yan took the bamboo plaque, glanced at it, stood still, and said: "I did not come alone; there are dozens of brothers with me!"

Everyone present was amused by his appearance, and the atmosphere suddenly became more relaxed

After a journey of silence, Liu Xiu, Liu Yan, and others successfully arrived at Xiangyang City three hours later

Long Yuan inclined his body slightly towards Liu Yan and said, "I have practiced some skills, but they are rather ordinary and not worthy of the grand stage."

Seeing his elder brother effortlessly lift the largest stone pillar, Liu Xiu felt a sense of pride and clapped enthusiastically below. Long Yuan also nodded in agreement, acknowledging that the lord's elder brother indeed possessed remarkable strength.

Perhaps it is true that a gem will shine sooner or later. In this chaotic world, where numerous heroes rise, how could a talented individual like Liu Yan possibly be overlooked

The thunderous applause and cheers stirred Liu Yan's nerves to a heightened state of excitement

In counties with a population of over 10,000, the highest administrative official is referred to as the County Magistrate, while in counties with a population of less than 10,000, the highest administrative official is called the County Chief. The County Deputy is responsible for civil affairs, and the County Captain oversees local officials and soldiers.

Many people are discussing: "Who is this person? How can they be so strong?"

After Liu Xiu and his elder brother joined together with others, they traveled together to Xiangyang

Longyuan's identity is too special to be exposed. Although my elder brother is trustworthy, the people around him may not all be reliable. Furthermore, it is not easy for him to say that Longyuan has pledged allegiance to him and recognized him as the lord.

Peng Yong was momentarily taken aback, unable to suppress a laugh, and said: "You certainly have a big tone; why don't you bring one for me to see."

He looked around at the people present and said in a loud voice, without a hint of flushed cheeks or breathlessness: "It's a pity there is no place to load more; otherwise, even if I added a few more stone blocks, I would still be able to lift them up!"

The stone pillars vary in size, but even the smaller ones weigh at least seventy to eighty pounds, making them too heavy for an ordinary person to lift

The silence in the venue was suddenly broken, and people were in an uproar. Liu Xiu, Zhang Ping, Zhu Yun, and others were particularly enthusiastic, clapping and cheering.

The rebel army is to be incorporated into the local military. As one of the strongholds for the formation of the rebel army, Xiangyang's county magistrate, Peng Yong, is also to lead the Xiangyang rebel army into Yizhou to cooperate with Lian Dan's capital army in combat

Liu Yan's performance can be described as astonishing, deeply shocking everyone present.

After Peng Yong came to his senses, he quickly walked up to Liu Yan. However, upon seeing the two stone pillars he was holding high, he instinctively took two steps back and waved his hand, saying: "Alright, alright, Bosheng, quickly put down the stone pillars!"

On this day, the entire city of Xiangyang heard that a person of extraordinary strength had arrived among the righteous army, named Liu Yan, also known as Liu Bosheng. This individual possessed the strength of a thousand pounds with a single swing of one arm, and boundless power with a swing of both arms.

Liu Yan shrugged dismissively, walked forward nonchalantly, looked around with his head down, and casually patted the largest stone pillar.

The two of them took the lead, and everyone present also came to their senses, enthusiastically applauding and expressing their approval

Peng Yong approached Liu Yan, smiling broadly and repeatedly exclaimed, "Bo Sheng's divine strength, Bo Sheng's divine strength!"

I heard he is called Liu Yan! Liu Yan? I have never heard of such a person! I know him, Liu Yan, also known as Liu Bosheng, is quite famous in the Caiyang area...

A minor official glanced at Liu Yan, picked up a bamboo tablet, and asked: "Name?"

Two clerks were registered on his side, while the county constable, Peng Yong, sat nearby with his eyes closed, resting his mind

Liu Yan effortlessly walked back and forth on the field while holding up two stone pedestals, as if he were lifting not over 200 pounds of weight, but rather two small pebbles

Nearby, there were kind-hearted individuals who deliberately approached, wanting to see if they could lift the stone pillar. However, those who attempted to try, even when gripping the stone pillar with both hands and exerting all their strength, could only manage to lift it slightly.

With Liu Yan being promoted to the position of military marquis, the clerks in the yamen became much more courteous towards him. Under Liu Yan's invitation, Liu Xiu and others also smoothly completed their registration.

He flipped his wrist that was holding the stone pedestal, changing from lifting to supporting it. Immediately after, he picked up another stone pedestal, and with a loud clang, it landed on top of the one he was supporting. Then, he held both stone pedestals, which were now stacked together, and slowly raised them above his head

The scene fell silent for a moment, and Zhang Ping and Zhu Yun were the first to regain their senses. In unison, they shouted, "Good!" and were the first to start applauding.

He weighed it in his hands, and with a dismissive curl of his lips, he turned his mouth slightly to the side

Liu Yan shifted his gaze and looked at Long Yuan beside Liu Xiu, asking with a look of suspicion: "A Xiu, who is this?"

His name is Long Zhongbo, and he is a friend I met at the market. Upon hearing that I was going to join the righteous army, Zhongbo decided to accompany me. Liu Xiu had long prepared this line.

Liu Yan continued to hold up the stone pedestal and asked with a smile, "Do you think I have passed the test, my lord?"

Peng Yong curled the corners of his mouth and gestured towards a few stone pillars beside him, saying, "Why don't you give it a try and see if you can lift the stone pillars."

The recruitment location for the militia is at the county office, where the county magistrate, deputy magistrate, and county constable of Xiangyang are personally responsible for the recruitment affairs

After looking, he shook his head. Peng Yong raised the corners of his mouth, chuckled, and sneered: "If you can't even lift such a stone block, how dare you claim to have practiced martial arts?"

He praised several times, then picked up the military token given to Liu Yan by the clerk and threw it back directly, saying sternly: "With Bo Sheng's courage, how can he serve as a mere soldier? Would it be acceptable for Bo Sheng to hold the position of military marquis by my side?"

Regarding this battle, Peng Yong has little confidence. The volunteers recruited in recent days are all of poor quality, lacking any combat effectiveness.

Above the section chief is the military officer, who can command a unit, and above that is the captain.

Upon witnessing this, everyone present could not help but widen their eyes. The stone pillar that Liu Yan struck must weigh no less than one hundred pounds

Practiced

Peng Yong stood up, slowly walked up to Liu Yan, looked him up and down, and asked: "Have you practiced martial arts?"

The individuals who registered later also cast disdainful glances at Liu Yan

Liu Yan grasped the handle on top of the stone pedestal, without even gathering strength, and effortlessly lifted the largest stone pedestal with one hand, as if he were picking up a small chicken

Peng Yong is a county lieutenant. When placed in the military, he does not even reach the rank of a school lieutenant; at most, he is a military scribe. The official position he holds under Liu Yan is that of a military marquis, which is equivalent to being just below him.

Upon hearing this, the young official looked at him in surprise a few more times, and even Peng Yong, who was resting with his eyes closed nearby, opened his eyes and curiously looked at Liu Yan. Before the young official could speak, Peng Yong asked: "Are you Liu Yan?"

Liu Yan smiled and said, "Practicing is better than not practicing. You can follow us, but you must take good care of my third brother."

Wow

Liu Yan scrutinized Long Yuan once again, feeling that this person's demeanor was quite extraordinary. He tentatively asked, "Are you a martial artist?"

Zhang Ping, Zhu Yun, and others were either assigned as the屯长 or appointed to lead a team. As for his younger brother Liu Xiu, he was not given any position, but was only allowed to stay by his side

"Passed, passed, hurry up, quickly put it down!" Peng Yong nodded repeatedly

Quite a number of people came to register, and the line was quite long. Liu Yan waited for more than half an hour before it was finally his turn

As the saying goes, when one person attains the Dao, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. Liu Yan became a military marquis, and naturally, those around him would not settle for being mere foot soldiers.

Liu Yan smiled calmly and said, "My lord, it is not that I cannot lift them, but rather that I find these stone stumps too small."

As a newly joined member of the militia, being promoted to a military officer in such a short time was already enough to make one envious, but Liu Yan did not take this matter to heart at all

The arrival of Liu Yan was akin to administering a shot of adrenaline to him, instilling in Peng Yong a measure of confidence in this army of righteous warriors under his command

As commanded! Upon seeing that his elder brother finally relented, Liu Xiu was overjoyed and performed a formal bow with both hands in a respectful manner

I am Liu Yan, courtesy name Bosheng

Nanyang County, Caiyang County

The military marquis is equivalent to the length of the tune

Many films, television dramas, and storytelling works often downplay the position of the "xiaowei" (a military officer), frequently depicting scenarios such as "killing a minor xiaowei with a single sword strike" or "shooting a minor xiaowei with a single arrow." In reality, the position of xiaowei is not low; its salary is equivalent to that of two thousand shi, and in terms of rank, it is on the same level as that of a county governor and a county commander.

Liu Yan turned his head to take a glance; several stone pedestals, varying in size, were all carved from a single block of stone, with handles engraved on them

At this moment, the gazes of the people towards Liu Yan were filled with admiration and astonishment, unable to refrain from giving a thumbs up in their hearts, for this person truly is extraordinary

Twenty-seven people

How many people are you bringing

Upon hearing this, Liu Yan let out a hearty laugh twice, and then, feeling satisfied, he threw the two stone pedestals onto the ground, producing two muffled thuds.

Exactly

At that moment, the scene fell silent, with no applause and no cheers, including County Officer Peng Yong, who was astonished by Liu Yan's innate divine strength

In this regard, Liu Xiu was very dissatisfied and approached Liu Yan, saying: "Elder brother, even if I cannot become a commander or lead a team, at the very least, I can serve as a squad leader, right?"

He joined the militia not to seek an official position, but merely to make a fortune. Once the war is over, he will return to his hometown, recruit soldiers, and build up his own strength