Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 56 Military Camp Report
The military camps in Sheng'an were much better than those in the prefectures and counties; the barracks were for six people each.

Song Shi'an arrived in his official robes. As a young civil official of the seventh rank, he was immediately recognized as the magistrate of Shuofeng County. Without even looking at his letter of appointment, he was taken to a single room in the household of a centurion.

It was about seven or eight square meters inside, with uneven muddy ground underfoot. There were basic living necessities and a small lamp.

And this is already the best military barracks in the country.

The reason why noble families could suppress powerful clans for so many generations was not only because of the status of the founding fathers. They would also be unwilling to have those pampered young masters of noble families mingle with dirty, sweaty soldiers.

Even in battles that could be won and where one could earn military merit, the sheer experience along the way would deter those privileged young men born with a silver spoon in their mouths.

The difference with some nobles is that they are mindful of potential dangers even in times of peace.

I heard that the Duke of Li's family only eats coarse grains. His youngest son was only given a bowl of white rice by secret special treatment, and that night he was hung in the stable and whipped with a top.

Of course, some nobles were corrupted by the aristocratic style of their families and became somewhat decadent and unambitious.

For example, Zhao Xiang was known as the "Fragrance General," and he always carried a sachet on his carriage. His armor was always polished to a gleaming shine, and the red robe beneath it was never allowed to be stained.

Of course, before this defeat, everything was actually positive.

The prominent families of Kyoto also praised him for having the demeanor of a Confucian general, unlike those rough and perfunctory nobles.

But public opinion is something that can be extremely easily reversed.

It calls when the wind is favorable, but turns into a tortoise when the wind is unfavorable.

Normal, normal.

"Lord Song, the military camp is simple and crude, I apologize," a military clerk said with a smile as he led Song Shi'an over.

“When marching and fighting, the ground is our bed, the sky our blanket, and decaying grass our fireflies. It’s too much to complain about having military barracks to live in,” Song Shi’an said.

Upon hearing this, Chief Clerk Qin Kuo smiled. Sensing the other party's amusement, he agreed, "Very well, then Lord Song will certainly adapt very well to the military life he is looking forward to."

Song Shi'an also smiled.

After exchanging greetings, the other person left.

This B is Lao Tzu, the master of Yin and Yang.

Song Shi'an understood that he thought he was the kind of rich, foolish guy who believed that "not sleeping under a silk quilt is considered hard work" and liked to wallow in self-pity.

He would then have to watch himself make a fool of himself during the truly arduous march that followed.

Song Shi'an had a complete understanding of the concept.

Born in a rural area of ​​Shandong, he graduated with a master's degree from a top-tier university (985 Project). He passed the provincial targeted selection exam and went to Guizhou, where he served at the grassroots level for two years. Actually, someone as capable as him, who is good at taking exams and writes excellent application materials, could easily have become a full-fledged department head before retirement if he had just worked honestly.

But an easy path would make him feel guilty.

Have you ever seen Dong'e Experimental High School at 4 a.m.?
Of course, marching and fighting are at least ten times more arduous than this.

It also faces very high risks.

But he has one ability, and that is—adaptability.

When he is in a tough environment, he must be the most resilient and able to endure it.

To fall behind is to perish.

After tidying up his bedroom for a while, there was a knock on the door.

"Go in." Song Shi'an completely conformed to his status.

Then, a soldier, about twenty years old, thin and dark-skinned, but with remarkably strong muscles, tensed up upon seeing Song Shi'an and immediately tried to kneel: "This humble servant greets the county magistrate..."

"Hey, the military doesn't do these things."

In the common people of Dayu, they are required to kneel before the county magistrate when they go to court. But this is the army, and for some reason, this guy has triggered a conditioned reflex and wants to kneel before Song Shi'an.

Seeing that Song Shi'an had said this, he was no longer so frightened. He stood up and clenched his fists: "My subordinate is called San Gou. He's here to be a guard for the hall master." "Who sent you?" Song Shi'an asked.

“It was assigned by Commander Zhu (the captain),” San Gou said.

Since my dad paid money, how come he found someone so skinny, and only about 1.7 meters tall?
Song Shi'an was a little suspicious.

You took the money but still didn't put in any effort?

"San Gou, where is your hometown?" Song Shi'an asked with a smile.

“Replying to the elder, you are from Fu County.”

"Oh, it's also from Sizhou, so we're practically fellow townsmen."

As he spoke, Song Shi'an took out a silver ingot from his bundle and tossed it to him.

San Gou quickly caught it, his face filled with surprise and joy, but he also asked nervously, "What is this, Master?"

"The journey ahead is fraught with difficulties and dangers. Take this and leave it for your family," Song Shi'an said.

"Thank you, sir!"

San Gou knelt down on one knee again, clenched his fist and bowed. Then, he polished the silver ingot until it shone, put it in his pocket, and said to himself with gratitude and joy, "I'm really lucky today. They just said they would give me extra rations, and now I've received silver from the Hall Master."

"Extra rations and pay?" Song Shi'an asked, puzzled.

“Reporting to the esteemed elder,” San Gou explained, “Yesterday, a large amount of military pay arrived outside the camp. There were nearly a hundred boxes of rice, cloth, and money. Today, the centurion told us that the imperial court is going to reward the troops. Everyone will receive one, which will be sent directly to their homes. Moreover, it will not conflict with the pensions for those who die in battle. If someone dies, their hometown will receive another pension.”

Upon hearing this, Song Shi'an fell into thought.

“Oh, there’s also a Hall Master,” San Gou added.

"Hmm." Song Shi'an, seemingly unconcerned, raised his hand and inquired again, "Is this way of distributing salaries reasonable?"

“This is the first time we’ve encountered this,” San Gou shook his head and said. “I heard that Zhao Zhonglang escorted it in last night.”

Zhao Yi.

Isn't that one of the King of Wu's men?

The imperial court is so poor that if it can pay the soldiers' wages and pensions, that's already a good thing. How can there be extra rewards for the soldiers?
Could it be that the King of Wu paid for it himself?
If that's really the case, then this is a brilliant move.

To outsiders, sending reinforcements to Shuofeng was a certain death sentence. Therefore, this donation was not intended to win over the Sixth Prince or form cliques for personal gain.

What's the point of winning over a dead person?
It's purely a political show to gain prestige, and it doesn't offend anyone at all.

After all, this is real money.

And the coolest thing is, if the Sixth Prince comes back after going there.

While this sum of money wasn't enough to classify him as a member of the faction—after all, it didn't fall into the hands of the Sixth Prince, and the Prince of Wu had already gained prestige—his relationship with the Sixth Prince was certainly closer than that with the Prince of Jin.

So now it seems that if the King of Jin doesn't have any hidden schemes, the King of Wu is stronger than him.

The King of Jin was the eldest.

The King of Wu was wise.

The disparity in strength doesn't seem that great.

"With the reward from the lord and the imperial court's bounty, once we return home after this battle, we can claim a fortune back in our hometown..."

"shut up!"

Just as San Gou was happily daydreaming about the future, Song Shi'an suddenly interrupted him seriously. Then, he sternly reprimanded him: "From now on, you're not allowed to say things like 'After this battle, I'll go back to my hometown to get married,' 'When I get back, I'll build a big house for my family,' or 'If I survive, I'll definitely bring my mother to live with me!'"

(End of this chapter)