Fantasy: After transmigrating, I effortlessly became a god.

Li Po was executed, Guo Yi was killed, and they drank the blood wine. These were all methods of intimidating people with force. The next step was to win people's hearts.

clap clap...

Zheng Qian's applause echoed in the quiet night, like war drums on a battlefield, stirring the hearts of the people. With his movement, four soldiers, like messengers endowed with mysterious power, slowly emerged from the darkness, carrying two heavy boxes side by side.

Bangdang...

The lid of the box was suddenly flung open, and the dazzling light, like the first rays of dawn, instantly illuminated everything around it. The gleaming silver shimmered under the light, radiating an alluring luster.

The hearts of the fifty battalion commanders were completely ablaze at that moment. They had originally thought that tonight would only bring bloodshed and bitter blood wine, but they never expected such an unexpected surprise.

At this moment, their hearts were filled with burning anticipation, their eyes fixed on the silver, as if afraid it would disappear in an instant.

They stood ramrod straight, barely suppressing the smiles that threatened to burst from their lips, like soldiers undergoing rigorous training on the field. But their hearts were already overflowing with joy at this unexpected windfall.

"Five hundred taels each." Zheng Qian's voice, like heavenly music, echoed in everyone's ears. They knew what five hundred taels of silver meant to them; it was the wealth they had always dreamed of.

Their total annual salary was only thirteen taels. After deducting food, drink, and household expenses, they could not save more than five hundred taels in their entire lives.

Reaching the box, Zheng Qian said loudly, "Please remember, this wealth did not come for nothing; it is a reward for your loyalty and hard work. In the days to come, I hope you will continue to serve me and contribute your strength to this land."

"We swear to serve our commander to the death!" The shouts of the fifty men were exceptionally loud in the quiet night, echoing throughout the entire military camp.

Zheng Qian was very satisfied with their answer and smiled. "I am a person who wins people over with virtue. Please say thank you after you receive the silver! Now, come up one by one to receive it."

"Thank you, Commander!"

"Thank you, Commander! Li Baohe swears to be loyal to you to the death!"

"Thank you, Commander! Zhang Qingfeng swears to be loyal to you to the death!"

……

Zheng Qian personally distributed the heavy silver coins to everyone, each coin representing his trust and expectations.

In Zheng Qian's mind, each time a coin was distributed, a transparent particle would light up. After fifty people had received their coins, he would light up another fifty particles.

Previously, Zheng Qian wasn't enthusiastic about collecting mental energy, always feeling that the power obtained that way was unreliable. However, upon hearing that Jiang Siting had completed the Body Refinement Realm in just one day, he was deeply shocked. With Ya Lan's guidance, he now only wanted to rise quickly.

As for whether there will be any side effects in the future, that's a matter for the future, so there's no need to worry about it too much.

After distributing the silver to the battalion commander, Zheng Qian said a few words of encouragement and dismissed them, telling them that he would distribute silver to 50,000 soldiers the next day. He then called the five deputy commanders into the tent.

With a clang, the box was opened, revealing a pile of gleaming silver. Zheng Qian stroked the silver and said to the five men, "Those who are willing to follow me, Zheng Qian, will receive five thousand taels. Those who are not, please leave. I, Zheng Qian, do not engage in forced sales."

Zheng Qian knew that only with the support of these five deputy commanders could he completely control the Xuanhu Army. These five were Zheng Qian's strongest backing in controlling the Xuanhu Army.

The five men exchanged glances. Their annual salary was only eighteen taels of silver, and five thousand taels was more than they could earn in three lifetimes. The prospect of such a large sum of money was tempting, but no one stepped forward to claim it, and the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat oppressive.

The man was killed, the wine was drunk, and now you're demanding five thousand taels from everyone, saying you won't do forced sales? So, Guo Yibai died? And the blood wine was drunk for nothing?

Of course, they dared not say it aloud; those who could sit in the position of deputy commander were all smart people.

A pledge of allegiance and receiving benefits are two different concepts. A pledge of allegiance is merely surrendering oneself to another; once benefits are received, one cannot betray that person and must truly stick to that path to the end. Otherwise, one will be condemned for life, becoming a traitor in people's eyes, someone no one would dare to use again, and even oneself would despise oneself, since one was lured into surrendering for personal gain.

He who takes a bribe is bound to be obligated to serve it. Taking five thousand taels is nothing short of a life-or-death transaction.

After a brief silence, Wang Yue was the first to step forward, taking out five thousand taels of silver. "Commander Zheng, ever since I joined the army, I have believed in one principle: only by following the strong can one achieve great things. I, Wang Yue, am willing to follow Commander Zheng and work together to accomplish great things!"

Zheng Qian nodded in satisfaction when he saw the particles that lit up in his mind.

Then Zhao Long, Ma Teng, and the other three stepped forward one after another to take the silver and swear allegiance to Zheng Qian. Zheng Qian saw the lit particles and was very satisfied with them.

While the group was chasing Li Po, Zheng Qian negotiated terms with Ma Teng. Ma Teng's family would take the lead in contributing 100,000 taels of silver, and Ma Teng's father would become the president of the Shengshi Huazhang Chamber of Commerce branch in Shangxi Prefecture. Furthermore, they would have three shares in Shangxi Prefecture.

To Zheng Qian's surprise, Ma Teng's father managed to raise 100,000 taels in just a few minutes. The five deputy commanders each received 25,000 taels, the fifty battalion commanders each received 25,000 taels, and the remaining 50,000 soldiers each received 50,000 taels, totaling 100,000 taels.

This was a win-win situation, and Lord Zhou and Ma Teng's father readily agreed.

"Zhang Yi, go and coordinate with Lord Zhou to end the banquet. The rest of you can go and rest. Tomorrow I will personally distribute silver to each soldier, and I will need you to maintain order then."

"Yes, Commander."

The five people left one after another, and then Wang Yue brought in a man in black.

The man in black was Feng Ziguo. As soon as he entered, he asked, "Aren't you afraid that Zhang Yi has ulterior motives?"

Zheng Qian smiled confidently, "If you doubt someone, don't use them; if you use someone, don't doubt them. Since I dare to use him, I'm not afraid of him playing dirty tricks."

Feng Ziguo remained silent. Having served as commander for three years, he naturally understood that Zheng Qian's methods were not only efficient but also highly practical, and he would not interfere with Zheng Qian's decisions.

Who can guarantee that Zhang Yi won't be completely loyal to Zheng Qian?

After a long silence, Feng Ziguo finally said to Zheng Qian, "Thank you!"

"Why thank me? You've already broken through to the Spirit Fusion Realm. Killing Li Po would be a piece of cake for you. It's just that you have too many entanglements. I'm just helping you make a decision." Zheng Qian saw the particles that lit up in his mind. He wouldn't take credit for it. Everything was done by Feng Ziguo himself.

"I have received information that the First Prince has established connections with the Fourth Prince in the palace, allowing the Red Turban Army to proceed unimpeded. They will arrive in Yan City in three days."

Feng Ziguo's words made Zheng Qian's heart skip a beat. This news was really terrible. He looked at Wu Yuxiao in the darkness, "Why didn't the Shadow Guards receive the news?"

Wu Yuxiao came out, shrugged, and said helplessly, "Commander Feng is the fastest at transmitting messages in Wuyan Kingdom. He uses peregrine falcons, and he is the only one who knows how to tame them. We use rock pigeons, which are half the speed of peregrine falcons."

"The Shadow Guards are useless too." Zheng Qian felt disappointed in the Shadow Guards for the first time.

Feng Ziguo, with an expressionless face, said, "Actually, I am also a member of the Shadow Guard."

Zheng Qian looked at Feng Ziguo in disbelief, "You're a member of the Shadow Guard, so why don't you dare kill Li Po to avenge him?"

"The four major families of Yan City are all in cahoots. Sometimes even the emperor has to be mindful of their moods. I can't fight against them." Feng Ziguo was actually quite helpless. The power of the four major families was unfathomable.

Zheng Qian said casually, "They're just the four major families. We can just uproot them. It's that simple."

"What's your plan?" Feng Ziguo didn't trust Zheng Qian; he trusted Consort Mei. After all, Consort Mei had given the gold medal to Zheng Qian, so Zheng Qian could represent her.

Zheng Qian's voice was icy cold. "The plan is simple: march back to Yan City and establish a new Wu Yan Kingdom."