Princess Promotion

In a corner of the military camp, Liu San had just returned from the shower room, still damp and tired.

He walked into the tent and was about to lie down to rest when he heard the soldier in the same tent complaining while lying on the bed.

"This training is too hard. It's nowhere near as comfortable as the military service in the Western Zhou Dynasty."

The soldier's voice was filled with dissatisfaction and nostalgia: "Before, we could drink and play with women, but now? There is nothing."

Another soldier sat up from his bed, his face filled with anger. "I can't bear this anymore. The daily drills are hard and tiring, and there's no pay. It's also dangerous. I must find a way to escape."

Liu San didn't react to this. He sat on his bed and began to untie his wet hair.

He was already accustomed to these complaints. Ever since he was captured as a prisoner, he felt good about being able to regain his military household status.

He doesn't ask for anything else, just to be alive and have enough food and drink.

The other people in the tent also began to whisper. Obviously, there were many people who shared the same idea as Liu San, but some people also began to gather together to discuss the escape plan.

Liu San lay down and closed his eyes. No matter how they tortured him, it had nothing to do with him.

At this time, a gentle-looking man walked into the tent with a registration book in his hand. He swept his eyes around the tent and then asked about the soldiers' household registration.

The people in the tent became nervous instantly. What was going on?

Could it be that the register states that if anyone deserts, they will be arrested in their hometown, implicating their family members?

This thought instantly spread throughout the tent, and the soldiers who were planning to escape turned pale with fear.

"What are you doing?" a soldier asked nervously, with a tremor in his voice.

The military officer didn't look up. His voice was calm and mechanical: "Register your household registration. We will give you land when you are discharged from the army."

These words exploded in the tent like a bomb, and all the soldiers were stunned.

Liu San couldn't help but jump up from the bed, his eyes wide open and his face full of disbelief.

"Are all of you captured soldiers from the former Western Zhou Dynasty?" The military officer finally raised his head, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

The soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment, and only then did they realize that their entire team was actually prisoners of the Western Zhou Dynasty.

In the army of the Great Qi, in order to prevent generals from colluding with soldiers to rebel, the soldiers of the Great Qi and the captured soldiers of the former Western Zhou Dynasty were usually disbanded and reorganized.

A team like theirs, composed entirely of captives from the Western Zhou Dynasty, is indeed very rare.

Seeing that no one came out, the military registration officer realized that they really knew nothing.

"Since you are already soldiers of Da Qi, you should be treated the same way."

The military officer continued to explain, "Anyone who joins the army in Da Qi will be given a piece of land when they are discharged to ensure that they will have enough food and clothing for the rest of their lives."

The soldiers in the tent began to whisper to each other, their eyes flashing with excitement.

That's land, something these poor soldiers have been dreaming of all their lives.

"Of course, if you show bravery, you will be rewarded with more land." The military officer's words lifted the soldiers' spirits, and they began to imagine themselves making great achievements on the battlefield and getting more land.

"Of course, if you die in battle, this land will be distributed to your family." There was a hint of heaviness in the military officer's words, but this was also the reality that the soldiers had to face.

"That's what we're registering for now," the military registration officer said finally, and began recording the soldiers' information.

The soldiers were not averse to the fact that registration was actually a matter for their posthumous affairs. Instead, they were very happy that the court attached so much importance to them.

Soldiers live from today to tomorrow. Now they can get a piece of land while they are still alive, and their families can benefit from it after they die. What else can they be dissatisfied with?

The soldiers in the tent began to line up and come forward to register one by one.

Fu Hongxuan sat in the tent, with various military documents piled in front of him.

The light from the oil lamp danced on his resolute face, reflecting his focused expression. The brush in his hand moved quickly on the paper, occasionally stopping to think for a moment, and then continuing to write.

At this time, Li Yi lifted the curtain and walked in. His footsteps were light and made almost no sound.

Fu Hongxuan didn't look up, but asked calmly, "Has the soldiers' recent running-in and training gone smoothly?"

Li Yi walked to the table, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a sip before answering, "It went smoothly! It went very smoothly."

There was a hint of ease and laughter in his tone: "Even Coach Zhang said that in his lifetime of training soldiers, he's never seen these kids so motivated. They work like crazy every day, not a single one of them slacking off or complaining about the hard work."

Fu Hongxuan did not stop writing, as if this situation was within his expectations.

Li Yi continued, "But it's not surprising. His Majesty generously gave everyone a piece of land. Now, not only the new recruits, but even the veterans are training hard to perform well, fearing they'll be caught by the instructors and expelled from the barracks."

A smile appeared on Fu Hongxuan's lips as he recalled the scene when Yao Chuguang announced this decree.

Not to mention the civil officials in the court, even the military generals were shocked with their mouths wide open, deeply stunned by Yao Chuguang's heroism.

Throughout history, whenever an emperor gave generous rewards, he would select a few meritorious generals. This was used to motivate the soldiers and reward the generals to be more loyal to the emperor.

After all, the emperor is always busy with affairs of state. As long as he can firmly grasp those generals, and the generals can control the people below, and reward them layer by layer, this is the most efficient way to win over the hearts of the people.

Giving extra rewards to everyone like Yao Chuguang did is no different from not giving any rewards. Apart from spending a lot of money, no one's heart is won over. It is obviously a losing business.

Yao Chuguang did not explain much, but waved his hand and said, "I will provide these rewarded fields."

This sentence successfully silenced all opposing voices.

People can spend their own money however they like, and the ministers really have no say in it.

Li Yi sighed, "I've never seen anything like this before. In the past, if you made a mistake, you could be expelled from the barracks. I guess everyone would lie on the ground and line up to leave. Now, even if you want to expel them, you can't. It's so refreshing!"

Yao Chuguang's decision not only stabilized the military morale, but also boosted the morale of the soldiers.

Fu Hongxuan stood up, walked out of the tent, and looked at the soldiers who were training in the distance.

Their movements were in perfect unison and their morale was high, a sight he had never seen before.

Li Yi followed him out. He stood beside Fu Hongxuan, looking at the soldiers on the training ground, a glint of pride in his eyes: "With soldiers like these, there is no need to worry about not winning the battle or conquering the enemy."

As the sun sets, the soldiers on the training ground are still training hard. Their shadows are stretched out in the afterglow of the setting sun, as if telling of their desire for the future and their persistence in winning.