Divorced woman with child travels through time

The doctor prescribed medicine for Wan Changlu and specifically told him not to get out of bed and not to get angry, because the internal injury was severe and the liver qi was stagnant, which would make it difficult for him to recover later.

Wan Changlu was grinding his teeth in frustration. He had never suffered such a loss before. He hunted geese every day, and today a goose had pecked his eye. Back at his residence, he flew into a rage, summoning all the servants and whipping them one by one until they bled profusely and the ground was filthy. Only then, satisfied, did he have Xilu pay him and go to rest.

It can be described as extremely perverted.

Pacification Division.

Wang Feng led Yu Long and the others out.

With Wang Erniu relieved after arranging Wan Changlu's affairs, he went to find Zhang Jing, who wanted to recruit soldiers.

"Lord Zhang, I need manpower, at least 30,000 men, and they must be usable and capable men!" Wang Erniu sat down opposite him and smiled slightly.

Zhang Jing put down his brush and said, “In Quanzhou, there is no shortage of people. Let alone 30,000, even if you need 50,000 or 100,000 soldiers, I can recruit them for you. The key is to raise and use the soldiers. Where will you get the money, sir?”

Zhang Jing laughed and poured tea for Wang Erniu, "Although Eunuch Wan was willing to risk his life to give you 30,000 taels of silver, given his temperament, it won't be easy for you to take this money, sir, let alone in the future..."

Wang Erniu didn't mind, picked up the coarse tea in the earthenware bowl and drank it all in one gulp. "You're right, but there's always a way. Does the master have any brilliant ideas?" He wanted to hear his opinion first.

Seeing this, Zhang Jing nodded silently and became serious.

“If you want to grow stronger, you need a stable source of soldiers. I also know that your wife is very capable. She sets up large food workshops wherever she goes to earn money. With the support of the Jiang family, you have been able to steadily rise to a high position.”

"Please continue!" Wang Erniu's eyes flickered, and he sat up straight. This guy was no ordinary person; he knew him so well.

Zhang Jing took a sip of tea and smiled slightly. "My lord, there's no need to worry. I'm sure everyone in power can easily find out what you're doing. However, even if they know, they might not be able to do it. That's why you've succeeded."

"The richer people are, the more greedy they are, and the less willing they are to share their money with others. If they make a ten percent profit, they want to make a twenty percent profit next time. This cycle continues, and the rich become richer and more powerful, while the poor become poorer and poorer. It's like a game, until the poor have nothing left, the officials force the people to rebel, and everything collapses!"

Wang Erniu listened attentively. If Chen Wenfang were here, he would definitely stand up and applaud. That's right, every dynasty is like this!

“Therefore, superiors like General Wang are very rare. I have investigated the pay situation of all the soldiers stationed along the way. Even when you were a captain in Hubei Road, you never embezzled the soldiers’ pay. The Captain Wang Hanyang you brought with you is the same as you, and he has not embezzled a single penny.” Zhang Jing said solemnly.

"Lord Zhang, you have excellent skills. You can investigate even these trivial matters thoroughly." Wang Erniu said to him with an ambiguous look in his eyes.

Zhang Jing smiled and said, "General Wang has truly mastered the art of training his subordinates to be so incorruptible. It's rare indeed. I've been immersed in officialdom for over twenty years, and I've weathered countless storms in my position as the grain and provisions officer. I've risen from a lowly clerk to this position, and I do have some connections, but they're mostly based on vested interests. Unlike you, General, who has managed to cultivate so many incorruptible individuals. In this world, what we lack most is officials, but good officials. I wonder how you, General, selected your generals?"

He looked at Wang Erniu with a questioning expression.

Wang Erniu smiled helplessly and spread his hands, saying, "Do you believe me when I say birds of a feather flock together? I'm not really good at judging people, but I believe that what every soldier initially asks for is just a house, a meal, a wife, and a few children. That's what people like us at the bottom of society want the most."

Wang Erniu poured himself some tea and said, "Actually, being rich is only meaningful when you spend it with someone you like, isn't it?"

Zhang Jing was somewhat stunned by what he said. So there really are people in this world who reach this position, and all they ask for is a wife and children, and a harmonious family?

"Then why does the general still want to climb higher? Isn't it good enough to be a minor official?" Zhang Jing thought about it and was still indignant. "He has no ambition at all."

"It's not that I don't want to, it's that some people don't want me to be a decent minor official. Just like I'm a poor person, those rich people only want more."

Zhang Jing remained silent, yet the logic seemed to apply to everything.

"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. I'll handle the money, you handle the personnel, and you don't need to worry about anything else!" Wang Erniu stood up, patted his shoulder, and said, "Don't worry, you won't be disappointed if you follow me."

Zhang Jing rose to see him off, saying, "If the general can truly do this, paying wages every month without deduction, Zhang Jing will certainly serve the general faithfully."

"Alright, recruit enough people to fill the quota of 30,000. As for the old, weak, sick and disabled, send them back. Make sure they get enough compensation. The 30,000 taels of silver I got back yesterday has been deposited into the public account. Spend it as you like. If you need more money, just tell me." Wang Erniu said as he walked, almost out of the Pacification Commissioner's Office.

"Thank you, General. I thank you on behalf of your soldiers." Zhang Jing bowed deeply, his back almost bent over.

"Of course, I won't let you down, don't worry!" Wang Erniu's figure had disappeared, only his voice could be heard from afar.

Zhang Jing remained seated for a long time, his eyes brimming with tears of joy at having met a wise ruler.

"My lord! Are you alright?" The servant helped him up.

"It's nothing, haha!" Zhang Jing slowly straightened up. "I'm so happy, haha!" His hair, streaked with silver, stood up straight in the cold wind, making him seem much more energetic.

"Come, come with me to risk your life, and watch me realize my grand ambitions, achieving lasting glory for my lord. Our Great Song Dynasty will have hope!" Zhang Jing laughed heartily.

For the first time, I found the noisy air of the camp to be so pleasant. Looking at my colleagues who I usually disliked, they even seemed a bit more endearing.

"Governor Huang, I heard that Lord Wang said the 30,000 taels of silver notes he gave me yesterday have been deposited into the public account and will be used to expand my manpower. Is that true?"

"Uh, that's true!" the short, stout Magistrate Gao said with a smile. "However, I've already paid back some of the money I owed to the merchants, so I only have 23,000 left. And I'll need some more later, so you should only have a little over 10,000 available, sir. You should be careful."

"You! You dare to embezzle public funds!" Zhang pointed at his nose, his good mood from the morning completely gone.

"What are you saying, Lord Zhang! I'm just following the ledger. It's not good to keep owing people money." Magistrate Gao slapped his hand away and wiped his hands in disgust.

"That's right, that's right!" Several colleagues chimed in, trying to smooth things over.

"We're all colleagues, let's not hurt feelings!"