The Norton army underwent a significant transformation. Li Xian's promotion to deputy corps commander was something no one had anticipated. Initially, everyone in the Guards Regiment thought he would be expelled from Norton, or at the very least, lose his position as commander of the regiment. But, contrary to all expectations, while he did lose his command of the Guards Regiment, he was instead promoted to a higher position. This development left the members of the Guards speculating about who Li Xian really was to be valued so highly by the legendary figure.
Meanwhile, the other two regiments began a thorough overhaul from top to bottom. Wen Xian entrusted Li Xian with full responsibility for restructuring the First Corps, while Wen himself focused on reorganizing the Third Corps and training the Guards Regiment.
Li Xian took decisive action, and on his very first day, he expelled two battalion commanders from the military camp—one of them literally kicked out. Out of 15 company commanders, half were removed from their positions, while the remaining half were kept to assess their capabilities. Two-thirds of the regular soldiers were dismissed, especially those not from the Norton nation, who were sent home with travel expenses.
The situation in the Third Corps was similar, and even more soldiers were dismissed. While Li Xian was still testing some of his personnel, things went much more smoothly for Wen Xian. No one dared to act rashly in front of the legendary figure who had lived through countless ages, so they all obediently took their pay and returned home.
Ivy was in charge of recruiting new soldiers. The results of the recruitment campaign were not very promising. Despite the respect people had for the princess and the Norton royal family, most of the city's residents preferred a peaceful life, making recruitment efforts in the city difficult. Surprisingly, recruitment in rural areas, which Ivy had initially thought would be even more challenging due to the people's dependence on the land, was much more successful. The rural families' desire for many children and their hopes of gaining more rights and national status helped bring a strong group of young men into the army.
Wen Xian naturally favored the Guards Regiment emotionally, but Li Xian persistently requested reinforcements, claiming he was short of good candidates for battalion and company commanders. In the end, Wen Xian had no choice but to send a batch of people to reinforce the First Corps.
After the reinforcements, the Guards Regiment had grown to a size of one thousand. They began various forms of discipline and physical training. At first, the soldiers found the new training methods unfamiliar. Their physical fitness was not in question, and the physical training was manageable, as it was something soldiers should naturally undergo. However, when it came to discipline, the soldiers prided themselves on being one of the few elite forces in the world capable of following orders. They didn't understand the purpose of such formations and drills, especially compared to the more engaging battle formations they were used to. However, after a period of time, they stopped questioning the methods, and the regiment's level of obedience saw a significant improvement.
"We need to discuss what kind of equipment we should provide for the army." Ivy had temporarily converted the manor's dining room into a meeting room, from where the imperial decisions of Norton were currently made and issued.
"At present, we can only supply traditional weapons on a large scale—spears, a few handheld crossbows, and bows and arrows, along with some close-combat weapons. But even for these, Norton lacks sustainable production capabilities." Li Xian reviewed the reports, shaking his head. The situation was far more severe than he had anticipated. There was a shortage of people, no production capacity, and all finished goods had to be imported.
"The nearby mines need to be activated, but we are short of manpower," Wen Xian said, sharing in the frustration. Although they had money and mines at their disposal, they lacked the labor force to extract the ore and the craftsmen to turn it into weapons.
"Don't worry about the craftsmen. The Copperhelm City in the far north suffered a once-in-a-century snow disaster, and the dwarves have sent out a plea for help to the southern nations. I wrote back offering to accommodate some of their people and hire their master blacksmiths. The dwarves are excellent miners and smiths." Ivy pulled out a letter from the stack of papers on the table and waved it in the air.
"How many people in total?"
"Not many, just over a thousand, mostly women and children. There will be a few dozen blacksmiths. The craftsmanship of the dwarves is still something to be trusted." Ivy proudly boasted of her accomplishment, although her face showed her excitement even as she spoke modestly.
"A great achievement. Arrange for transportation and have the First and Third Corps gather," Wen Xian instructed Li Xian, who nodded and quickly left the meeting room.
"Brother, what are you planning?" Ivy asked curiously.
"You have a task as well—help me raise some funds. We need to take a trip to Hengshan."
"Why are we going there?"
"To buy bricks for the new homes for our citizens."
...
The Norton Empire began purchasing large quantities of blue bricks, red bricks, and other construction materials from the neighboring vassal states. It seemed like some grand construction project was underway in the empire, sparking curiosity and suspicion among the neighboring nations. However, by now, they had very few spies in Norton, and even if there were any left, they wouldn't dare reveal themselves. Some vassal states, after some hesitation, still chose to sell Norton the materials they needed.
Various construction projects were in full swing along the shores of the Shi River and near Mangshan Mountain. The soldiers of the First and Third Corps never imagined their first assignment would involve moving bricks and building houses.
The new city being constructed for the dwarves and the future miners would eventually become the "industrial center" of Norton. Wen Xian placed immense importance on the planning of this area. He and Li Xian spent days studying and planning exactly where everything would go. They left space for future factories after the industrial development, and they also began searching for fossil fuels or arcane masters. If they could find the former and pair it with the latter, it might create a completely different system. Of course, if they couldn't find the former, they could have scholars attempt some unprecedented experiments.
Ivy headed to the port, where the first batch of refugees began arriving in Norton. She arranged for a strict inspection to ensure that no one among the refugees carried any contagious diseases. Afterward, they were thoroughly cleaned and disinfected in communal baths. The children were sent to school, and the adults were sent to the mines, farms, or wherever they could find work.
...
"How did it go?" Wen Xian asked as he watched Ivy head straight for the water kettle upon entering the room.
"Everything went smoothly, but they need reassurance. Perhaps finding a cleric could help," Ivy replied, adding her request.
"I'll figure something out. I received a letter today—Qi Hui will be coming soon," Wen Xian said, lowering his feet from the chair and standing up.
"That friend of yours? He's still alive?" Ivy asked, surprised.
"He's no ordinary person. He's a scholar of the School of Life, so living for a long time is quite normal."
"I hope nothing goes wrong. I've been feeling uneasy lately," Ivy said, worried. She had a sense that something was coming, something trying to prevent everything that was happening in Norton.