Chapter 377 (1/2)

Xu Shu and the others did not know what a medic was. However, they soon understood after Liu Mang gave his explained that it was another way to call doctors. There was no reason for Xu Shu to stop them from obtaining more doctors. Although this job used up a lot of supplies like drugs and medicine, anyone who objected to this would offend the entire army. After all, many people would be injured in war and these doctors could help them save lives.

“Milord. If that is the case we should take the robust men. It is better for less women to enter the military!” Xu Shu still would not let Liu Mang go. Liu Mang’s intentions of having gentle women partic.i.p.ate could have many ambiguous meanings. It was possible that turning these women into doctors was just a cover while making them prost.i.tutes were Liu Mang’s real intentions.

“No.” Liu Mang did not know what Xu Shu’s thoughts were but rejected anyway. It wasn’t that men could not become medics. However, men were rough and course. This is especially true for those that served in the army. While they could become medics, their jobs would be rough and not as good.

Xu Shu became depressed. Although Liu Ye have not voiced his opinions, he too did not want there to be prost.i.tutes in the army. “Milord. Once there are prost.i.tutes in the army, your reputation would be finished!” Xu Shu earnestly persuaded. He planned to risk his life in his advice. Xu Shu also knew that prost.i.tutes could raise the morale and strength of the army it has its detrimental side effects. Right now, Liu Mang had his reputation as a Sage King with compa.s.sion and integrity. Once these kind of armies were formed, that reputation would be gone. The people would not care about how strong the armies were. All they know is that Liu Mang forced honest women into prost.i.tution. After all, there are no women who would want to become prost.i.tutes in the army. This would make Liu Mang an evil person that does not deserve to be spared.

“Milord. I also think that the Military Advisor is right! We are a benevolent group. Prost.i.tution is a foreign culture is brought in by foreigners. We cannot act in such a manner!” Liu Ye gave his support.

“Foreign culture??” Liu Ye’s words caused Jia Xu to frown. Jia Xu did not care about whether there were prost.i.tutes in the army or not but the fact that Liu Ye called it a foreign culture. This is because Jia Xu also gave the same advice to Li Jue and Guo Si to raise morale. It was also to reward the troops that risked their lives in war. Liu Ye had basically called him a barbarian1 with those words.

“Milord. I believe that prost.i.tution is something that can be done to raise morale. The prost.i.tutes could be given to the more meritorious soldiers which can ensure their loyalty.” Jia Xu also stood out and spoke.

“Jia Xu! What is the meaning of this?” Xu Shu glared. “If we do that, Milord’s reputation would be finished! Is that what you want to see?”

“Lose his reputation? I think you are simply too soft hearted!” Jia Xu already decided to make his existence known. “First of all, they could raise morale. Besides that, Milord also called them medics and not prost.i.tutes. How is he going to lose his reputation? This is only how you think because you are too soft hearted and pitied the two thousand women. Can the Military Advisor not see the benefits of such actions?”

“You!” Xu Shu did not know how to retort to Jia Xu. He had to hide his selfish desire to serve a Lord that would be benevolent and would be cherished. However, such a person cannot exist. In these chaotic times, these kind of people would be the first to die. Kong Rong was one such example. Before this, Xu Shu had chosen to serve Liu Bei. Although he knew about Liu Bei’s hypocrisy, the other options such as Sun Ce and Cao Cao were much worse.

Xu Shu’s eyes turned dark. During these chaotic times, there were no sense of integrity or honor at all. Jia Xu had been right. Liu Mang calling them medics and making them prost.i.tute themselves could raise morale and at the same time there was no need to worry about reputation. There was nothing to object to.”

“Army prost.i.tutes!” Liu Mang listened to their discussion in confusion. When did he asked for prost.i.tutes? It was true that these could raise morale amongst other things but what Liu Mang wanted were troops, not animals. If Liu Mang were to set this up, he too, would be an animal. People would fall to their desires and temptations and it would no longer be possible to remove this from them. It would become like an addiction that they would never be able to leave behind. Liu Mang did not want this. He still had a lot of enemies. Besides that, conquering the land was also for the Lu Bu’s Army. All the warlords were his enemies but Liu Mang also knew that all the people on this land were his clansmen. They were all Han. Liu Mang would not purposely kill others unless he was forced to.

As for the ma.s.sacre at Wan city, it was because Liu Mang knew that those innocent would not be grateful to him even if he spared them. On the other hand, they may even show hatred Liu Mang had to kill their father or children. At that time, Wan city would have fallen with a single mistake. Lu Bu would no longer be able to escape then. Liu Mang could not allow his family and subordinates to be completely wiped out so he could only kill others.

If it was not because of all this, Liu Mang would be very good natured to these people. Another example was at Guangzhou. He wanted Hu Che Er dead because he was a foreigner that was too smart. He also wanted to kill off the other Qiang cavaliers but not the Han. This showed Liu Mang’s att.i.tude towards the Han. If these women were not Han, then he would not feel as bad about making them prost.i.tutes. However, he would absolutely not make Han women do this.

“Milord is not establis.h.i.+ng prost.i.tution?” Xu Shu looked pleasantly surprised and at the same time felt like he could not believe his ears.

“Who told you that?” Liu Mang did not know whether to laugh or cry when he saw Xu Shu’s excited face.

“Then why do all this Milord?” Xu Shu may be pleasantly surprised but he was still filled with doubt. Xu Shu did not know why Liu Mang needed two thousand gentle women if it was not for prost.i.tution. After all, there were also strong women. The violent women were definitely not any weaker than men. There were pretty much no difference between these women and men besides their gender.

“Tell me. Would rough men or gentle women be more attentive with their work?” Liu Mang asked all the generals. The generals then started to think. It was true that the rough men sometimes made mistakes when bandaging or relocating bones. Some of them have caused people to die rather than help them.

“Women would be better!” The generals all agreed. The women all engage in feminine arts at home. Their work required meticulousness. On the other hand, men were rough. They would not be as good as women when it comes to taking care of the wounded.

“But Milord!” Xu Shu still wanted to say something but he was stopped by Liu Ye.. Knowing that Liu Mang had no intentions of using prost.i.tution was enough. It would be bad to continue arguing with Liu Mang.

“Yangzhou have already received the gift. What we need to do now is to return it!” Liu Mang said as his eyes narrowed. Liu Bei and Zhang Xiu had already been defeated but there was still Sun Ce to deal with. Liu Mang had difficulty with Sun Ce as he was on the other side of the Yangtze River. Liu Mang would not be able to harm Sun Ce unless the man personally came to dry land to attack Lujiang.

However, shaking the foundation of Jiangdong and gaining benefits from them were two different matters.

“I want to see my banner at Tuzhang and Linhuai !” Liu Mang wanted to collect his interest. There were two lakes with developed waterways in between these two cities. Liu Mang did not go there the last time because he did not want to provoke SunL Ce. Liu Mang did not have any s.h.i.+ps then. After that was Sun Ce surrounding Jianye with three hundred thousand troops. That time, Liu Mang did not want to go and hara.s.s people. However, the situations have changed. Sun Ce’s troops have restricted the movements of Liu Biao. With their alliance in tatters, Liu Mang could capture the two cities and obtain a lake. There, they would be able to train navies and also to prepare an attack on Jiangdong.

“Zhang Liao, Ge Jun and Zhang Hu! You are to serve as the vanguard and make preparations for our army at the river!” Liu Mang immediately issued an order.

“This general accepts the order!” Zhang Liao, Zhang Hu and Ge Jun cupped their fists as they replied. Although Zhang Liao had only just received the authority to command the Xiliang Cavalry, his strength was not any weaker than Ge Jun and Zhang Hu. In fact, it was his traits as a general that would allow the Xiliang Cavalry to exhibit their strength. On the other hand, Ge Jun and Zhang Hu were knew about Linhuai. By capturing it, they would obtain merits. Even though they have just only joined Liu Mang’s Army, they already had the thirst to make contributions.

“Xu Sheng and w.a.n.g Wei. You are to take the Black Flag Army and be the center army! Set out and get me Linhuai!” Liu Mang issued another army.

“This general accepts the order!”

“Little Lord!” Zhang Liao was a little bit dissatisfied when he heard that Liu Mang also wanted to let the Black Flag Army go to Linhuai. Although there were two cities, Tuzhang and Linhuai, Zhang Liao did not think much of them. With his cavalry of five thousand, those two cities will fall. If they were to join up with the Black Flag Army, they would have ten thousand troops. This was too many people for just two small cities. Was Liu Mang underestimating him? “One army is enough. Little Lord just needs to wait for the good news in Shouchun!”