Chapter 22: Honorary Soldier

  After a moment of delight, Huāng Tiān obviously thought of this question as well. He hesitated for a moment before saying: "General Biān, although our acquaintance is brief, I believe you also understand that I, Huāng Tiān, am absolutely not the kind of person who is petty-minded and likes to scheme against others. If you truly are willing to fight side by side with someone, then that person will certainly not disappoint your expectations. But if you are just using this as a temporary expedient, then that person can help you replenish your troops right now and guarantee not to interfere with the affairs of your army."

  Dugu's eyes narrowed slightly, and he obviously understood Haotian's meaning. Xue Sha and Jiang Chenzi looked at Bian Chongxu with a hint of a smile, awaiting his response.

  The brow of Bian Zhongxing slightly furrowed, and after a moment of contemplation, he said: "Your Excellency, I, Bian Zhongxing, am not the kind of person who would switch sides easily. Since I have decided to follow you, I will never go back on my word. I am following you not because I have nowhere else to turn or because I no longer have my own troops under me, but because of your noble spirit of putting the country and its people first. In my twenty years of military service, I have followed many capable generals, including some who are exceptionally talented. However, when it comes to prioritizing the nation and its people, even the current Prime Minister or our former commander, Iron Zhen, cannot compare to you. As a soldier, my thoughts are simple: I am willing to protect my nation and country at all costs, even if it means sacrificing my own life. But in all these years, I have never seen a leader worthy of my loyalty until now. Now that I have found one, I will not let go easily. However, Your Excellency, I pledge my loyalty to you because of your selfless dedication to the nation and its people. If there ever comes a day when you prioritize personal gain over the well-being of the country and its people, I may very well leave your side."

  "Old Bian said it well, that's what I wanted to say too." Dugu cheered loudly. But accidentally moved the wound again, and at that moment, he groaned in pain. Tian Yi quickly grabbed a pillow and placed it behind his back, and only then did he feel a bit better.

  Haotian's expression turned solemn, and he suddenly drew out his sword, cutting off the index finger of his left hand with a "whoosh" sound. He dripped blood as an oath, saying: "Two generals, I, Haotian, rose up in arms only for the sake of the people of Shenzhou, without any selfish intentions. If one day I, Haotian, abandon the world and its people for personal gain, that person will surely not die a good death."

  "Master, with your kind and gentle nature, how could you do such a thing?" Blood Kill said with a faint smile, while the faces of everyone else lit up with joy. For from now on, they would be comrades-in-arms fighting side by side.

  "My lord, I have something to report to you." Jiang Chen said with a smile.

  Haotian's eyebrows slightly raised: "Oh, just say it directly, you've been following me for many years, don't you understand my temper? No need to be hesitant." Haotian was only 19 years old, but the garrison of a thousand riders in Qingyun County was originally composed of local sons. Haotian himself was an intelligent person, and his father had held the position of magistrate of Qingyun County for twenty years, so from the time Haotian joined the army at the age of 14 to his promotion two years later, he took on the role of commander of this army. Although it was indeed due to family background at first, being able to hold this position for many years and having such prestige in the military was inseparable from Haotian's own abilities.

  "Your Excellency, although many brothers fell in the battle of Jizhou and countless were injured, some only need simple bandages to return to the army. However, a large number of brothers are severely wounded and may not be able to recover. These brothers have long been accustomed to military life and cannot adapt to the outside environment. If they are allowed to retire, they do not possess the skills to survive on their own. Your Excellency, can you show mercy and let these brothers stay in the army?"

  Hao Tian's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and the expressions of Blood Kill Du Gu and others also became serious. This is the most common and most troublesome problem in the military. The Qingfeng Empire implements a combination of conscription and garrison systems. If soldiers recruited through conscription are injured, the court only needs to compensate with a certain amount of money and will not be responsible for their future livelihoods. However, if they are garrison soldiers, not only do they need to receive a certain amount of disability benefits, but also the court must arrange for their future livelihoods as much as possible. The problem is that in recent years, the country's power has been weak, and the number of soldiers wounded or killed in battles is countless, making it impossible for the court to solve the livelihood problems of so many people. Moreover, even if the court provides a small amount of assistance, it will be embezzled by high-ranking officials or mid-to-low-level officials. The reason why the Northern Frontier's Xuanwu Army and other military units collapsed so quickly under the attack of foreign tribes was largely due to the fact that their military pay and consolation money were embezzled by their superiors, resulting in a significant decline in combat effectiveness. Otherwise, with the strong fighting power of the Qingfeng Northern soldiers, even if they lost the battle, they would not have been so defeated.

  The proportion of soldiers in the imperial court and the recruitment system was originally half, but with the decline of the imperial court's national power, the proportion of the imperial court's soldiers became larger and larger. After all, the training and subsidy costs of the imperial court's soldiers were much lower. However, once a war broke out, these wounded soldiers became the imperial court's biggest headache. This is exactly the trouble that Hu Tian is facing now.

  His fingers tapped the table in a slow rhythm, and Hua Tian's words were measured as he spoke slowly: "You can rest assured that since my brothers have been injured for the sake of the Hezhou and Shenzhou people, I will not mistreat them. For every soldier who has died in battle, their families will definitely receive generous compensation. However, Hezhou's finances are currently too difficult, so it may be necessary to distribute it in batches. I've already spoken with Mr. Luo and the military advisor about this; if it really doesn't work out, we can use material compensation or tax exemption instead. After all, we haven't obtained a small amount of spoils from these battles. As for our injured brothers, those who are lightly wounded should be sent back to their units as soon as possible. Those who cannot return to the battlefield... hmm, I will try my best to find a place for them. On my territory, I, Hua Tian, absolutely will not let my brothers shed both blood and tears!"

  As soon as this was said, everyone around him was moved. They knew the situation in Hezhou, which could be described as poor and white after being ravaged by foreign tribes from outside the Great Wall. However, it was extremely rare for Haotian to make such a promise under such difficult circumstances. Especially Du Guren and Bian Zhongxing, when they looked at Haotian, their eyes were shining brightly.

  Jiang Chen hesitated for a moment before continuing, "However, General, some of the brothers have suffered severe injuries, but they are unwilling to leave the army. To them, the army is their life. Can you find a suitable place within the army to settle them?"

  Hao Tian's eyebrows furrowed again, while Tian Yi smiled slightly and interjected: "Your Excellency, I have an idea."

  Hao Tian said nonchalantly: "Go ahead and speak. Let's see if our female Zhuge can bring some good ideas."

  "The heavens have cleared their throat and slowly said: 'Although I am not a military person, I have also been in the military for a long time, so I can understand the thoughts of the soldiers. In my opinion, it would be better for the lord to set up another army under the current system, called the Honorary Army. The source of these soldiers is those who were seriously injured on the battlefield and those brave generals who killed the enemy. What does the lord think?'"

  As soon as this was said, everyone's eyes lit up. The suggestion from the heavens was simply a stroke of genius, not only solving the problem of where these wounded soldiers belonged, but also greatly enhancing their sense of honor and fighting spirit through the three words "Honorary Army" and the transfer of other excellent soldiers. Moreover, such an army could also serve as the Imperial Guard in peacetime. Although these soldiers had suffered irreparable injuries, they were undoubtedly the elite of the military for having survived on the battlefield. They would surely become the standard-bearers on future battlefields. With their protection, the safety of the Emperor was no longer a concern.

  Haotian nodded: "This is a good idea. Hmm, the temporary formation of this honor guard will be 30,000 people, and it will be led by..."

  "Tianyi interjected: 'Your Excellency, Chen Zhou has followed you for many years and is flawless in both ability and loyalty. He can be appointed as the commander.'"

  Haotian smiled slightly and said, "You've said it, so be it. Chen Zhou, I'll hand over this army to you. This is a fortune earned for you by heaven itself, so treasure it well."

  Jiang Chen was overjoyed and, forgetting his injuries, hastily sat up and said: "Thank you, my lord, for your kindness. Thank you, my lady, for promoting me. I will definitely do my best and not disappoint my lord's expectations."

  Hao Tian hastily pressed him back onto the bed: "The injuries on your body have not healed yet, rest and recover properly first. As for military matters, I'll let Feng Jing and them take charge for now."

  "Sir, let me go myself. It's not that I don't trust General Feng, it's just that as a soldier, you should understand my feelings the most."

  Dugu Yueming and Bian Zhongxing also chimed in, "Your Excellency, we are all generals who have fought on the battlefield for many years. The military camp is our best place of recuperation. Rest assured, we will not neglect our bodies just because we are training soldiers. Before we annihilate the barbarians, even if we die, we will not close our eyes."

  As he spoke, Dugu Yueming took advantage of the fact that Huan Tian was not paying attention and secretly winked at Xue Sha and Tian Yi. Xue Sha's heart slightly rejoiced, thinking that Dugu Yueming was indeed a bit unruly, although he had acknowledged Tian Yi as his sworn sister, but still had some reservations when facing him. However, in order to return to the army earlier, he actually took the initiative to show humility. Thinking of this, Xue Sha also happily said: "Your Excellency, the generals are right, for us military men, once we leave the army, our whole body feels uncomfortable. Why don't you let them go to Junying first and take a look? Maybe living in the barracks will help them recover faster."

  Hao Tian still hesitated, but couldn't resist the gaze of his elder brother. He stepped forward and said: "Your Excellency, these generals are all robust and strong, although they have injuries on their bodies, as long as they don't engage in intense exercise, it shouldn't be a problem. Moreover, at present, they are all busy reorganizing their troops and don't have time to help with the arrangements, so let them try."

  Heaven's will is indeed the intimate treasure of Haotian, although there was still some reluctance, but Haotian nodded, and at that time, Dugu Yueming and others who were still on the sickbed almost jumped up.

  "Zhan Shu Tang!" Hao Tian shouted in a deep voice. Zhan Shu Tang was also his old subordinate when he was in Qing Yun, with exceptional martial arts skills and being meticulous and astute. It was for this reason that Hao Tian specially appointed him as the captain of his personal guard team, concurrently serving as a messenger.

  "Ah!" Zhan Shu Tang took a step forward and said, this was a young man with clear eyebrows and bright eyes, very young, and from his appearance, he also looked refined and courteous. However, occasionally in those piercing eyes of his, one could still see a hint of ferocity and bloodlust that only came from truly experiencing the battlefield.

  "Besides the Blood Legion, there is another honor legion, temporarily with a strength of 30,000 people, but now it should be less than full strength, with Jiang Chen as its commander; There is also a White Crane Army with a strength of 25,000 people, all infantry, led by Dugu Yueming; And a Rock Army with a strength of 25,000 people, also all infantry, led by Bian Zhongxing." Hu Tian said in a deep voice. After finishing the order, he turned his head to face the three and said: "Three generals, what I can do now is to allocate enough troops for you, as for other things, you have to solve them yourself. As for your deputies, just appoint them yourself, as long as they are registered with the military advisor at that time."

  "No problem, we will definitely get the troops up in the shortest time." The three of them burst out laughing, and Huang Tian also secretly let out a sigh of relief. Now his only concern was personnel and supplies, and what he lacked most was talent. Dugu Yueming and Bian Zhongxing were both exceptionally talented individuals, if they could help him, then at least the problem with the troops wouldn't be something he had to worry about himself.

  In the battle of Jizhou, the soldiers under Bian Zhongxing and Dugu Yuming were almost wiped out, and more than 30,000 of the 80,000 cavalrymen in Huangtian's Blood-colored Army were lost. Although they annihilated the 100,000-strong Hu barbarian army, their own losses were also extremely heavy. Originally, Huangtian thought it would be difficult to recruit new soldiers, but unexpectedly, the number of people who joined the army was beyond his expectations. In addition to those rescued from the original Northern Expedition Army prisoners, the recruitment work was completed in less than a day. As for supplies, all the money and grain plundered by the foreign tribes outside the pass that day fell into Huangtian's hands, and now he is worried about how to return these things to the people.

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