Chapter 60: Hu Ben (Three)

  Zhang Han and Wang Jian left, leaving Huhai alone in the big tent.

  "Hualong! Hujiao!" Hu Hai shouted after a while.

  "I'm here!"

  "Send someone to Xingyuan Temple to summon Winyi, I have something to instruct him. Also, go find Wang Gan and bring me a piece of white cloth."

  "Yes, milord!"

  Long Hui and Zhang Han returned together with a white cloth after a short while.

  Zhang Han handed the seal to Hu Hai and asked, "Your Majesty, aren't you returning to Xianyang tonight? What is this white cloth on the copper case for?"

  Huhai took over the seal and said: "I won't be back tonight. As for what this white cloth is used for, Zhang Aiqing will know."

  On the copper case there is a brush, said to have been invented by Meng Tian; apart from this there is also an ordinary stone slab the size of a palm, on which there is a long strip of small stones the length of a finger. Next to the stone slab is a small box.

  Hu Hai picked up the brush, but couldn't find an inkstone and ink. Zhang Han saw Hu Hai picking up the brush and searching around, and hastily said: "Your Majesty, let me grind the ink for you!" He opened a small box beside the stone slab and took out a black bead about the size of a thumb.

  Then Zhang Heng placed a black circular bead on a stone slab, poured water over it and began to grind it with a long strip of small stones.

  In the pre-Qin period, brushes and inkstones were very simple. Inkstones were ordinary and had no decorations or carvings. It wasn't until later that inkstones developed into various forms with four legs and exquisite carvings. At this time, ink was made by grinding ink sticks with water.

  Zhang Han studied ink, Hu Hai moistened the brush and began to paint on white cloth. In less than a dozen breaths, he put down the brush.

  From Zhang Han's perspective, Hu Hai was just casually using a brush to draw a few strokes on the white cloth and then stopped.

  Huhai picked up the white cloth and took a look, then asked: "Is there any craftsman in this big camp?"

  "Your Majesty, our Qin artisans are all in Xianyang's Shangfang workshop. At present, the craftsmen in the army can only repair some simple siege equipment and cannot forge complex tools."

  "Let's see if this thing can be cast by the craftsmen in our army," Hu Hai said, handing the white cloth to Zhang Han.

  Zhang Heng took over the white cloth, on which was a simple trumpet-shaped thing, elliptical in shape, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, with a large mouth at the very bottom and a fist-sized hole at the top.

  This is the simple loudspeaker invented by Hu Hai.

  "Your Majesty, this thing is quite simple. The craftsmen in the army should be able to cast it. But how big can this thing be made?" Zhang Yan asked after a moment.

  When he heard that craftsmen in the army could make it, Hu Hai felt at ease.

  "One person tall is enough, top fist-sized is enough, bottom opening as large as possible." This way the sound effect will be good.

  "I understand, I will go and do it now."

  "Hmm, casting is done, bring it over for me to see. Alright, you go and check if the imperial edict has been sent out, if it has, then summon him over."

  "Your humble servant obeys your orders!"

  ……

  Before long, Wang Qian arrived. Hu Hai raised his hand to stop Wang Qian from bowing and said,

  "General Wang Ai, go and summon all the generals with a rank of hundred or above to come here."

  When Wang Gan heard Hu Hai's order, he was a bit dizzy and asked stupidly: "Your Majesty, are they generals above the hundred officials?"

  "Hmm, yes. The hundred or more generals! What's wrong?" Hu Hai replied firmly.

  "Your Majesty, among the 200,000 imperial guards, there are now over 100 generals, 2,000 deputy commanders, 500 battalion commanders, 400 company commanders, and 250 squad leaders. There are also 40 army marquises, 8 cavalry commanders, and several other generals. I fear that this grand tent cannot accommodate so many commanders!" Wang Gan replied hesitantly.

  "Oh!" Hu Hai slapped his forehead and said, "It was I who didn't think it through, it was I who didn't think it through. Is there a more secluded martial arts arena in this large camp? Hmm, no need for it to be too big, just enough to hold a thousand people will do!"

  "Report to Your Majesty. There is a place for martial arts performances in the big camp!" Wang Gan replied after some thought.

  "Very well, take me there at once. Then issue an order for all the commanders above the rank of 500 to gather at the martial arts arena to see me!"

  "Ah!"

  Originally, the gathering of generals in the big camp was usually done by directly beating drums to gather the generals, but Hu Hai's requirements were a bit high. Wang Gan went out and immediately let his personal soldiers go to pass on orders to summon various level generals, and he took Hu Hai to walk towards the martial arts arena.

  It was called a martial arts arena, but it was actually just a huge tent that could hold thousands of people. The spacious interior of the tent was about half the size of a football field, and except for a few tables and cushions at the very top, there was nothing else inside, which made Hu Hai very satisfied.

  Before long, all the generals arrived one after another. Although it was already late at night, the Emperor had come to the camp in person, and everyone rushed over with the fastest speed. Who dared to keep the Emperor waiting?

  Huhai sat on the couch with his eyes closed, cultivating his spirit. Wang Gan stood in front of the desk, counting. After everyone entered the account, they first paid homage to Huhai, and then under Wang Gan's indication, they consciously lined up neatly according to their rank.

  Thinking it was about time in his heart, Hu Hai opened his eyes and stood up.

  The various generals in the tent saw Hu Hai get up and hastily knelt down on one knee, saying: "Welcome Your Majesty!"

  "Everyone get up." Hu Hai said with a false gesture of lifting his hands.

  "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

  When everyone stood up, Hu Hai asked: "Wang Gan, are all the generals in the army here?"

  "Your Majesty, all 656 commanders of the Imperial Guard with over 500 men under their command have arrived."

  "Alright, good. I have summoned you all here tonight for two matters. Firstly, tomorrow I will issue a decree to bestow the name 'Tiger Guards' upon our imperial guards. This Tiger Guard Army will be the personal army of our great Qin emperors throughout the ages, and will be the first army of Great Qin, answering only to my commands!"

  All the generals in the account heard Hu Hai's words and were all stunned for a moment, then they were all overjoyed. Everyone knew what this meant.

  "I am willing to die for Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty, forever and ever!"

  More than 600 people knelt down on the ground in unison and said.

  "Don't be too happy yet, the 'Tiger Guards' are bestowed upon you, but that doesn't mean you are the people of the 'Tiger Guards Army'. This will be discussed later. Now I'll say the second thing."

  The second matter is the four hundred thousand convicts and slaves who are about to be formed into an army. I have summoned you, my dear ministers, today to impart to you the method of training them, and you must use this method to train both the convict army and the two hundred thousand imperial guardsmen.

  "I tell you, in half a year's time, I will select from among the 400,000 convicts and 200,000 imperial guards, only the most elite soldiers of Great Qin can enjoy the name 'Hu Bao'. Do you understand?" Hu Hai said loudly.

  The following generals heard that Hu Hai was going to select people from the 400,000-strong convict army to enter the newly established "Tiger Elite Army" and become the emperor's personal guards, and they were all stunned. Everyone couldn't understand why His Majesty wanted to choose people from the convict army as his personal guards.

  In the great tent, all was silent for a moment.

  "What? Unwilling? Looking down on the son of a prisoner and a slave? I tell you, the Hu Bao Army will be the foundation of my Great Qin. My 'Hu Bao Army' only needs the most elite and brave warriors of Great Qin, regardless of birth, regardless of past. And after the Hu Bao Army is formed, every year thereafter will re-select, the capable enter, the inferior exit. Can you understand now?"