Chapter 13

As the sky was about to turn dark, the rest of the military穿越者s, led by Captain Qian, followed Zhang Weixin and Zeng Zhilin to the Jade Void Palace. The earlier arrivals, organized by Wang Xiaojun, held a brief welcoming ceremony and ushered them into the palace. Daoist Yu Xu ordered the Daoist boys to arrange accommodations for the newcomers and also arranged dinner to welcome them. While everyone was busy settling their luggage, Wang Feng suddenly shouted, "We learned about the Jinggangshan Assembly in our textbooks. I wonder if our gathering here will be known as the Baojinshan Jade Void Palace Assembly in future history?" Everyone burst into laughter, but no one answered his question. Perhaps only history could answer it.

The lively dinner didn't end until around 9:30 PM. Everyone, exhausted from the day, returned to their rooms to rest. Wang Xiaojun, Zhang Weixin, and Wang Feng were staying in the same room. However, after dinner, Wang Feng had disappeared somewhere, so Wang Xiaojun simply called Zeng Zhilin to the room. The three of them gathered to discuss the situation of the military穿越者s, as such a large group would inevitably involve issues of leadership. Wang Xiaojun planned to discuss with the commander of the military穿越者s the next day and arrange a suitable time for a general assembly to resolve these issues.

Zhang and Zeng briefed Wang Xiaojun on what they had learned at the military穿越者s' camp. According to their observations, Captain Qian's account was accurate. There were indeed fifteen people and three vehicles, with fourteen men and one woman. When Wang Xiaojun heard about the woman, he was momentarily surprised but quickly recovered and asked, "Is that the military doctor mentioned by Advisor Yang?"

"That's right," Zeng Zhilin replied. "From what I understand, the remaining fourteen people come from different units of the 38th Group Army, including an armored infantry battalion, a tank company, and a repair battalion. They had no prior affiliation with each other. In other words, the people in different vehicles didn't know each other. From my observations, although they are currently led by the highest-ranking officer, Lieutenant Colonel Xu Shaoguan of the armored infantry battalion, Engineer Li Junwu, who rides in the repair battalion's vehicle, seems to have significant influence among the six people from the repair battalion. Captain Qian of the tank company and his two subordinates are also very close, while the military doctor leans more towards the armored infantry battalion. In essence, these fourteen people are divided into three small groups, and it's uncertain who will be chosen as their representatives at the assembly."

"I think this is both a bad thing and a good thing for us," Zhang Weixin continued. "It's bad because their intentions are somewhat unpredictable, making it difficult for us to anticipate. It's good because they are far less united than our sixteen people, and their divided strength means they will struggle to reach a consensus when selecting representatives, leading to internal conflicts."

Wang Xiaojun nodded, pondered for a moment, and said, "Based on what you've told me, I think we can suggest to them that each side select two people to form a management committee. The committee's responsibilities would include the following:

1. Negotiate and coordinate with the Jade Void Palace regarding the team members' clothing, food, accommodation, and transportation.

2. Appoint relevant personnel as responsible for future team affairs without the need for a general assembly.

3. Make decisions on routine team matters without a general assembly, but submit detailed reports to the general assembly for explanation.

4. Propose penalties for members who harm the team's interests or violate commonly recognized moral standards, but these must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the general assembly.

5. Provide recommendations on major issues affecting the team's future, but these must be unanimously approved by the general assembly to be implemented.

Additionally, we can suggest that the committee adopt a majority rule, meaning that a decision is made if three out of the four members agree. What do you think of these points? Are there any other suggestions?"

"I think we should add a clause that, in the event that a general assembly cannot be held, the committee can exercise discretionary power or act according to the resolution of all team members who can attend the meeting," Zhang Weixin added.

"Agreed," Wang Xiaojun nodded. "What suggestions do you have for the team's future development? After all, we can't be Taoists forever."

"I'll go first," Zhang Weixin said. "First, time travel is unprecedented, and most of our knowledge comes from time travel novels. Stories of achieving greatness through a few perfect opportunities, gaining the favor of heroes and emperors, and achieving dominance in a few years are unrealistic. Too many plot devices and too much divine intervention are just wishful thinking. Therefore, we must be extremely cautious in everything we do. Our chances to correct mistakes are very limited, if they exist at all.

Second, we must never underestimate or look down on the ancients. While they may not have as much knowledge in natural sciences as we do, and their knowledge may be narrower, they are not foolish. On the contrary, they are our teachers in many aspects, such as how to deal with officials and political forces. The wisdom of the ancients cannot be underestimated. For example, despite our efforts, the team's survival still depends on the attitude of Mr. Zhong, the magistrate. Even with automatic rifles, these weapons are only a psychological comfort against a county government. Our journey ahead is long, so we must never think the ancients are easy to manipulate, or we will suffer greatly.

Third, for the team's future development, I lean towards building strength. We should seize every opportunity and use every available resource to strengthen our power, creating a space for ourselves in this era where strength is paramount. Specifically, we need our own funds, leading technology, and our own influence. If possible, we should even have our own armed forces. Whether we achieve dominance is uncertain and not something to obsess over."

Zhang Weixin's lengthy speech left Wang and Zeng in deep thought. After a while, Wang Xiaojun made up his mind and said solemnly, "I agree with Weixin. In this unfamiliar and unpredictable era, we must always maintain a cautious mindset, never thinking we are gods just because we know some historical trends. Since we arrived, the history of this era has already changed. The changes may not be obvious now, but they will become more significant over time, eventually transforming the era beyond recognition. Therefore, we must judge every situation independently, not letting our historical knowledge dictate our actions. We are here to create history, not to witness it."

"Right, well said. Since we're here, we can't let this opportunity go to waste," Zeng Zhilin loudly supported.

Wang Xiaojun calmed down and continued, "For future development, I think the first priority is to accumulate funds. Selling alcohol is the first step. With this initial capital, we can purchase some real estate to ensure everyone has food and a place to live. We can also consider operating a few shops in the city, using modern concepts to attract customers and generate income. Then we can gradually expand our business and accumulate capital. Of course, the prerequisite for all this is that we must be accepted by this era and not be seen as oddballs. This will take time. Additionally, our development will be influenced by external factors. Weixin, do you remember any major events in the next few years in Youzhou or nearby regions?"

Zhang Weixin thought for a moment and said, "It's 953 AD, the third year of the Yingli era of the Liao Dynasty, and the third year of the Guangshun era of the Later Zhou Dynasty. According to our timeline, there are no major events affecting us this year. Next year, the first year of the Xiande era of the Later Zhou Dynasty, Emperor Taizu of the Later Zhou, Guo Wei, will die, and his adopted son, Chai Rong, will succeed him. In the fourth month of the lunar calendar next year, there will be a battle against the Northern Han, which the Later Zhou will win. After this victory, Chai Rong will lead his troops to Taiyuan but will withdraw after a month due to various issues, failing to completely destroy the Northern Han. After that, Chai Rong will reorganize his army and launch campaigns in the northwest and against Southern Tang. In 959, Chai Rong will launch a northern campaign to Youyun, reaching as far as Guyan, just a hundred miles from Youzhou. Unfortunately, Chai Rong fell ill and had to retreat."

"Indeed, it's a pity. Do you know what illness Chai Rong had?" Wang Xiaojun asked.

"It's hard to say. The historical records don't specify, so it's impossible to determine the exact illness. But it must have been severe, otherwise, he wouldn't have retreated when victory was within reach. At the time, the Liao's留守 in Nanjing, Xiao Siwen, dared not engage in battle. If the Later Zhou army had directly attacked Youzhou, he might have fled," Zhang Weixin said regretfully.

"If we knew what illness Chai Rong had, maybe Doctor Lin could cure him. That way, we might have a better chance to develop," Wang Xiaojun mused about a highly unlikely scenario.

"That's not certain. The political landscape of this era is not something we can handle. If we really saved the emperor and received high positions, we might face Zhao Kuangyin and his ten brothers. After all, in our original timeline, Zhao Kuangyin became emperor just six months after Chai Rong's death, indicating he was prepared," Zhang Weixin poured cold water on his friend's dream.

"That's if Chai Rong dies. If he doesn't, Zhao Kuangyin might not have the courage to usurp the throne," Wang Xiaojun said, but then shook his head, self-critically. "I just said we need to be cautious, and now I'm daydreaming. I deserve a penalty, I deserve a penalty."

The three of them looked at each other and burst into laughter, the previously tense atmosphere easing up.

The next morning, Wang Xiaojun found Lieutenant Colonel Xu Shaoguan and told him about the plan to hold a general assembly. As predicted, Xu did not immediately agree but said he would discuss it with the others before deciding. Wang Xiaojun had no objections and readily agreed that it was not urgent, and he would wait for Xu's response.