Chapter 8: Winning the Hearts of the Troops (Part 2)

  Wu Jie ordered the treasures to be moved back to the military camp, and this news had already spread. Soldiers and their families came to watch, old and young, with children in tow. The family members, regardless of age, looked at the treasure piled up like a mountain, and their eyes shone brightly, as if hungry wolves had spotted lambs.

  These treasures were the military salaries deducted by He Wanquan, which should have belonged to the soldiers. He Wanquan was so rich that he had more than enough, while the soldiers were so poor that they were on the verge of death, just like refugees, unable to open their pots or support their families. At this moment, who could not be moved by these treasures?

  "That scoundrel He Wanquan deserves ten thousand deaths! Deserves ten thousand deaths!"

  "This is our military pay! Our military pay!"

  "Waaah!"

  Many people gazed at the glittering treasure and shed tears of sorrow.

  Seeing but not getting, isn't that torture?

  "Will he send it to us?"

  "It's tough! All officials are of the same kind! He Wanquan is greedy for wealth and goods, and this Commander Wu is also one of them! To get him to distribute our military pay, it would be easier for the sun to rise in the west!"

  "He doesn't give it to us, can't we make a fuss about our wages?"

  "Right! Let's make some noise! This time, we must have a good fight! Quick, go and get in touch!"

  The soldiers whispered to each other, discussing and looking at the vast treasure, feeling that it was an opportunity that could not be missed, and if lost, would never come again, so they began to make contact and prepare for a riot.

  Wu Ji stood beside the treasure, sizing it up, his heart racing with shock. He Mianquan was too ruthless, actually deducting ten years of military pay. These soldiers were also capable of endurance, and they could endure for so long.

  In modern society, He Wanquan would have been shot long ago, and might have been killed in some dark corner.

  "Wu Zhihui, how will you dispose of this?" Huang Fu looked at the mountainous pile of treasure and asked with a start.

  "Alright!" Wu Ji furrowed his brow and let out a soft sigh: "The soldiers all have families to care for, waiting for their rice to be cooked! Give it to them, let them eat their fill!"

  "Lord Wu, this is too much silver, there's no need to give it all out, just giving a part of it will do." Huang Fu pondered for a moment and came up with an idea: "Even if Lord Wu gives them half a year's military pay, they will be grateful and the army's morale will be stabilized."

  "No!" Wu Ji's eyes flashed with determination as he said resolutely: "Whatever they owe, we'll give them whatever they owe! This is what they deserve!"

  The tone of the words was not high, but it was said to be decisive and left no room for maneuver. Huang Fu did not dare to have any doubts, and after sizing up Wu Ji for a while, he gave a thumbs up and praised him: "Commander Wu, you're great! You're great! Money can't move your heart, you're indeed a good man! Good man!"

  "It's not that I'm not tempted, but this money doesn't belong to me, I shouldn't take it!" Wu Ji shook his head.

  To be honest, so many treasures piled together have a strong visual impact and are very attractive to Wu Ji. He can't help but want to take them all for himself. But can he really take this money?

  This is squeezed out from the teeth of soldiers and their families, if Wu Ji took it, that would be a shameful thing to do, a shameful thing that would make one's children born without an anus.

  A gentleman loves wealth, but gets it in a proper way! Wu Ji may not be a gentleman, but at least he won't do something that would cut off his descendants.

  "Hmm!" Huang Fu nodded heavily, without saying a word, his expression of admiration grew even stronger.

  "What's become of the chief clerk?" Wu Ji shouted loudly.

  "Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!" The accountant stared at the treasure, his mouth watering uncontrollably. Looking at it, he was so eager that he almost pounced on it and hugged it in his arms.

  "Ah! Commander Wu, you're looking for me?" The clerk gave a loud shout to wake up Wu Ji, who hastily came forward to pay his respects.

  "Is there still an account after deducting the military expenses?" Wu Ji asked.

  "Here! Here! Here!" The quartermaster replied hastily: "He Wanquan has deducted a total of two years and six months' military pay. He Wan came to Guixin three years ago, and the deduction of military pay was the most severe. Brothers couldn't bear it, they made a fuss about the pay several times, but some were not issued, and there are still two years and six months of military pay that have not been issued."

  "Go and bring the accounts, start distributing the salary." Wu Ji's eyebrows rose, and he gave a loud order.

  "Salary? Which month's salary... Ten days', half a month's or a whole month's?" The accountant asked dully.

  Issuing military pay was what he had been looking forward to the most, but it was a faint hope. When it finally arrived, he couldn't quite believe that such good fortune would come knocking on his door of its own accord, and even saved him from having to make a fuss about it.

  "Is it half a month's pay or ten days'?"

  "Ten days half a month? He's so kind? It's already good if he can send it in three days."

  "He won't make trouble, he just won't send it."

  The soldiers pricked up their ears and listened clearly to Wu Ji's words, and then they started whispering to each other, making guesses.

  "I'll pay as much as I owe, no less! Not a single penny short!" Wu Ji's voice was not loud, but it was enough to make people dare not doubt him.

  "Really? You can't be serious! Commander Wu, you're not drunk, are you?" The clerk couldn't believe his ears and stared blankly for half a day before asking.

  Knowing it's impolite to speak like this, and likely to cause trouble, but the heart is too shocked, can't control the mouth.

  "I said full payment, FULL PAYMENT! Didn't you hear clearly? Quick, go get the account book!" Wu Ji was quite understanding of their doubts, but at this time, if he didn't use some strong words, they wouldn't believe him. His voice was already very loud and severe.

  "Yes! Yes! Yes!" The accountant hastily acknowledged, with a joyful expression on his face, and loudly shouted: "Commander Wu said to issue all of it!" He jumped high and ran away quickly.

  The roar was like a huge stone thrown into the water, instantly breaking the silence. The soldiers who were originally discussing in a low voice could no longer hold back, and they loudly discussed: "Really? Really all issued? Won't we be fooled?"

  "It's ninety-nine percent likely to be a scam!"

  "Does he really have such a good heart?"

  "Officials have always been black-hearted and black-lunged, how can they be so kind! Brothers, don't believe his nonsense!"

  "He won't give, we'll take by force! Kill the officials and rebel!"

  The soldiers grew more and more agitated as they spoke, their voices growing louder, clenching their fists and rubbing their palms together. If Wu Ji did not fulfill his promise, they would definitely make a big move.

  "How dare you!"

  Huangfu Song let out a cold snort and began to rebuke them. His voice was not loud, but it was like thunder, echoing in the ears of the soldiers, stunning their eardrums and forcing them to quiet down.

  Zhu Bo ran back like flying, holding a thick stack of account books, and handed them to Wu Ji: "Commander Wu, this is the account book, please review it."

  Wu Ji took it over and flipped through it, only to see that it was all accounts, recording which year and month someone's salary had not been received, and how much was owed. Very detailed, very specific.

  Dead silence!

  All the soldiers looked at the account book in Wu Ji's hand, but no one spoke. Their eyes shot out urgent light, tense to the point of changing color, and clenched their fists.

  After flipping through it for a while, Wu Ji handed the account book to the chief clerk and said, "Let's start distributing the salary!"

  "It's time to distribute salaries!" The accountant took over the account book, cheered and came to the silver side, ready to distribute salaries.

  Things have come to this point, and it's almost certain that the rumors are true. The soldiers didn't dare not believe it anymore. Their faces were very strange, without surprise, but with shock and incredulity.

  Getting back their military pay for over two years was a huge joy for them. With this money, they could eat their fill and support their families. They had been longing for it day and night, every moment. When good fortune finally arrived, it was hard to believe, like being in a dream.

  "Am I dreaming?"

  "Ouch!"

  Some soldiers still thought they were dreaming and pinched their thighs hard, unable to bear the pain.

  "It's really been sent!" The soldiers finally reacted and couldn't help but cheer up.

  The soldiers hugged each other, with their good friends and family members, jumping up and down, cheering and laughing. This matter came too suddenly today, but it was a great thing, without them making any trouble, Wu Ji had already given them the silver coins they owed, everyone was happier than the Chinese New Year.

  "Slow!" Just as the soldiers' cheers rose, Wu Ji's right hand waved, stopping the chief clerk.

  "He won't have changed his mind, will he?"

  "Did he regret it?"

  Wu Ji's single word "slow" was not loud, but it was like a thunderbolt that struck the soldiers' hearts, making them shake and almost fall to the ground. The momentary surprise disappeared, replaced by disappointment and grief.

  "What about Li Ming? His wife is going to give birth, he needs money urgently, let's pay him first!"

  However, Wu Ji did not say anything to disappoint the soldiers as they had expected. Instead, he showed concern and care, and surprisingly, he wanted Li Mingchu, the soldier who needed silver the most, to receive it first.

  Li Ming was so poor that he had no pants to wear, and yet he had children. This matter truly made the soldiers sympathetic. After hearing Wu Ji's words, they all agreed, their mood transformed from extreme disappointment and extreme anger to wild joy.

  "Thanks for your directions! Thanks for your directions!"

  Li Ming bowed deeply to Wu Ji, his body bent at a ninety-degree angle.

  "Take the silver quickly!" Wu Ji waved his hand to stop him from bowing, picked up the silver, counted it, and put it into Li Mingchu's hands: "Li Mingchu, take this silver and have a good childbirth!"

  "Wu Zhihui, you have given Xiao'er a second life, you are Xiao'er's reborn parents! Wu Zhihui, please accept my humble bow!" Li Mingchu held the silver and his hands trembled with excitement, he couldn't hold back anymore and knelt down on the ground, repeatedly knocking his head against Wu Ji's feet.

  "Knock knock! Knock knock!"

  Li Ming was too excited, and he used a lot of force. After just a few knocks, a bump appeared on his forehead. He still wasn't satisfied, and continued to knock his head with even greater force. The bump burst open, and fresh blood flowed out.

  However, he still knocked his head: "Thank you, Commander Wu! Thank you, Commander Wu!"