Chapter 55 – Selecting House Servants (Part 3)
Though the muscles on his body looked intimidating, who was Jiang Pengji, really?
She could tell with a single glance whether those muscles were truly the result of hard labor or just a product of good genes handed down by his parents. This big guy was nothing but a genetic freak; in reality, he walked like a feather, and she could send him flying with a single slap.
After two years in the wilderness, his fingers were barely calloused, and the even skin tone on his arms showed no signs of hard work or hunting. The Tooth Matron claimed he had to sell himself to bury his deceased parents, but Jiang Pengji had her doubts.
As she casually threw that out, the big guy’s eyes shifted, filled with fear and shrinking away.
Although the Tooth Matron didn’t know how Jiang Pengji figured that out, she felt an indescribable embarrassment.
What’s the biggest fear for someone in her line of business?
Isn’t it selling shoddy goods and ruining their reputation, jeopardizing their income?
She thought she had recommended a good one who could prove his honesty to Jiang Pengji, but instead, she ended up getting slapped in the face publicly.
“This one’s out too,” Jiang Pengji stated. “With the drinking, gambling, and whoring habits, he thinks he can strut around as a master at my place, huh?”
The Tooth Matron’s mouth twitched, nearly tearing the napkin in her hand in half. The very one Jiang Pengji had just pointed out was the one she intended to recommend.
That man was a mere twenty-one, well-built, had a few years of schooling, was a bit clever, and had good social awareness.
By all accounts, he was a decent “catch,” but here came this noble saying something even she didn’t know.
Jiang Pengji continued, “That ankle’s got an issue. It’s not noticeable when walking slowly, but it becomes obvious when they hurry. How’s he supposed to be a guard?”
The Tooth Matron was dumbfounded again. The people she’d picked were supposed to be in top shape; after all, they had to protect the household. Other attributes could be overlooked, but health was non-negotiable. Otherwise, how could they ensure the family’s safety?
But looking at that guy’s evasive eyes, the Tooth Matron realized Jiang Pengji’s words rang true.
“…And this one, a lewd boy? Liu Residence won’t be taking such trash—wouldn’t want to pay for the disgust.”
Under the nearly gaping stare of the Tooth Matron, Jiang Pengji swiftly eliminated several candidates, each with diverse reasoning that left everyone stunned.
After the selection, Jiang Pengji glanced at the remaining candidates and said, “Everyone, stretch out your right hand.”
People of this era generally had poor physical fitness and bone structure. Jiang Pengji couldn’t use her past standards for selection, but among the shorter ones, she’d look for the taller. With her sharp eye, she filtered through the problematic ones, and only those left would be evaluated for their merit.
【Sleepy Three Kingdoms Heartthrob】: Does the Host do bone assessments?
Classic novel trope—how does one do bone assessments, anyway?
In truth, Jiang Pengji couldn’t assess bones, but she’d seen enough to have her own methods for judging potential.
If one wanted to put it that way, it was close enough to a bone assessment.
However, she didn’t need to physically touch them. Just a glance at the arm could visualize the skeletal structure in her mind.
In other words, if she wanted, anything that entered her sight was basically just a skeleton.
【Host V】: Not really, but bones can indicate potential; it’s not the final say, just a reference. Different bodies develop differently, and the bone state can distract from the judgment. For warriors, talent can matter less than willpower—the latter can sometimes create impossible miracles.
【Sleepy Three Kingdoms Heartthrob】: Ugh, just how many people is the Host planning to pick?
【Host V】: Quality over quantity. I’ll train a few guards first and take things from there.
Jiang Pengji had read “Military Strategies” a few days ago, along with some local books about the battlefield, even asking Liu Zhi himself. After piecing together the information, she had a rough understanding of warfare in this era.
If a war showed that the attacking side had 200,000 soldiers while the defending side had 150,000, one might assume the attackers would likely win. Ignoring factors like weather and terrain, many would bet on the attackers’ victory.
In reality, the odds were often closer to fifty-fifty, and that so-called advantage wasn’t much to begin with.
The conflicts of this era weren’t simply a numbers game; just because one side had more soldiers doesn’t guarantee victory.
While it appeared that over 350,000 soldiers were involved, the actual number of game-changers might not even total 50,000.
What truly mattered were the elite troops; the majority were just filler, armed with sharpened sticks, dressing in coarse linens, with a few lucky enough to wear leather armor that provided little protection.
When the elite forces clashed for a decisive battle, the victor would show their strength. The less elite would then swarm in eagerly, while those on the losing side would bolt faster than anyone else, fleeing in panic.
History is rife with tales of the few defeating the many, filtered through many variables aside from weather and terrain.
With all of this in mind, if Jiang Pengji were to raise a fighting force, she’d clearly opt for a “reforms in elite cavalry” approach.
Of course, in her eyes, even this “elite” fought like amateurs; in her former life, she could crush a bunch with a single slap.
“This one, this one, and this one… these few will do; write them down.”
After much selection, only a handful remained from the entire yard, most being boys under fifteen, with only a few young men barely filling the count—less than fifteen altogether.
“Is this everyone?” Jiang Pengji scanned around, frowning as she turned to the Tooth Matron. “Doesn’t seem like enough…”
The Old Steward had been worried at first, but with Jiang Pengji’s selections, he finally relaxed, his heart full of relief.
Though the atmosphere was different, the Second Young Master did indeed have the same flair as the young master of old.
The Tooth Matron hesitated; she was now afraid of this young master—he was truly a fearful character.
“There are some, but they don’t quite meet the Young Master’s standards; some even have a criminal record…”
The Tooth Shop had various sources—some were good families selling themselves, others were brought in by relatives, some had been enslaved due to crimes, and yet others were servants sold off from different residences…
“A criminal record?” Jiang Pengji raised an eyebrow, originally thinking she could pick enough candidates, so she set stricter standards, but after going through the selections, she was left with a meager handful, “Bring them over to take a look.”
The Old Steward was no longer calm; letting those dangerous folks approach his Young Master was simply out of the question.
Jiang Pengji picked up on his meaning and preemptively shut him down, “I just want to take a look, satisfaction is a different story.”
