Chapter 120

Chapter 120

Sun Wei, Zhang Wengong, and Qiao Changan led a group of clerks to count the military pay and provisions sent by He Lianqing.

Xiao Mu asked Tong Sui to follow Xiao Zhen to line up with the Acropolis Army, while he took He Lianqing and several respected elders and wealthy gentry from the city to ascend the city wall.

Each person carried out their tasks, and about two hours later, the surrendered army also formed ranks, neatly lining up behind the Acropolis Army.

The more than forty thousand soldiers looked at the old man Xiao and his companions on the city wall, then at the more than five thousand Acropolis Army soldiers in front of them, and finally at the military pay and provisions brought from Ding County, feeling puzzled.

Xiao Mu walked to the forefront of the city wall and said with a powerful voice, "Fellow countrymen of the five counties of Yunyu, I promised today to let you return home. However, the peace of our seven counties was bought with the blood of the soldiers from Wei and Ding counties. I have an agreement with Lord He that once the rebel king is subdued, we will reward the meritorious and punish the criminals according to law. Please bear witness!"

The surrendered soldiers, with mixed feelings, agreed to be witnesses.

Xiao Mu: "Good. Now, I will first commend the Acropolis Army."

A guard stepped forward and handed him the first ledger.

This ledger contained compensation for the deceased and injured soldiers and civilians. Regardless of whether they were dead or severely disabled, each person would receive ten taels of silver and ten acres of land as compensation.

The fifty thousand soldiers from the seven counties below the city wall remained silent, only the wind seemed to answer for the fallen.

Then came the commendations.

The old man first rewarded his own grandson, Xiao Zhen.

Xiao Zhen stepped out and received fifteen taels of silver from the prepared clerk.

The second top merit went to Tong Sui.

When praising his grandson, the old man's words were brief, but when praising his granddaughter-in-law, his praise was much richer and factual, without any exaggeration.

The city guards cheered in unison, proving that what the old man said was true, and there were many surrendered soldiers who had almost personally experienced the prowess of the second lady's archery skills who could testify.

Tong Sui followed Xiao Zhen's example, stepping forward to receive her reward, then retreating to her place in the formation.

Next were the five battalion commanders, Xiao Shouyi, Xiao Yan, Xiao Ye, Sun Dian, and Qiao Changshun. Those present stepped out to receive their rewards, and those absent would be rewarded upon their return.

The militiamen both on and off the city wall noticed the difference in the old man's rewards; the Xiao family and their relatives did not receive any land grants!

Several clan elders and wealthy gentry standing behind the old man whispered to each other, "Commander Xiao is truly righteous, always thinking of the public good."

"Yes, yes, actually, Second Master and others have done great deeds, how can they not be rewarded with land due to avoiding suspicion?"

He Lianqing glanced at the old man's back, quickly borrowed pen and ink from a soldier, and snatched the account book of Ding County from a guard, crossing out the land grants for his relatives.

Fortunately, the old man read a long list, leaving enough time.

After rewarding the Acropolis Army, Xiao Mu began reading the compensation and rewards for the Ding City Army. This time, he only read it aloud, saying to the more than three thousand soldiers of the Ding City Army, "This is the commendation list personally written by Lord He. You will receive your rewards one by one when you return to Ding County with Lord He."

The soldiers of the Ding City Army were all overjoyed.

The eyes of the forty thousand surrendered soldiers turned red with envy. They had all fought on the battlefield, yet look at the treatment of these two county soldiers, and think of themselves!

Those who deserved rewards should be rewarded, and those who deserved punishment should be punished.

At the old man's command, a squad of soldiers escorted Li Gang and Mr. Fan, along with more than three hundred others, to the front of the surrendered army at the city gate.

Xiao Mu sternly said, "Li Gang wreaked havoc in the countryside, forcing good people to become bandits, and appointed his confidants as battalion and company commanders to coerce the people of the five counties into serving him. According to our dynasty's laws, officials can directly execute those who incite rebellion. Today, I and Lord He will act according to the law to set an example!"

The surrendered soldiers at the back tiptoed and craned their necks to see.

"Execute!"

A row of large knives rose high and fell, cutting off more than three hundred heads. The small soldiers standing nearby held the hair and rode horses to display the heads in various places.

This was to tell the men of the seven counties that the Xiao family could not control rebels elsewhere, but anyone who dared to cause trouble in the seven counties would meet the same fate as Li Gang and Li Zhen.

The surrendered soldiers, who had just been envious, now felt a chill run through their bodies. Some soldiers who had committed evil during the chaos trembled, fearing that the Xiao family would find out and settle accounts later.

Xiao Mu's next words reassured this group: "The main culprits have all been punished. After returning home, as long as you continue to behave and be good citizens, Lord He will report to the court, and all past actions will be forgiven."

At this moment, three fast horses galloped in from the west, ridden by Xiao Yan, Xiao Ye, and Sun Dian.

Each horse carried a large bag on its back.

The three dismounted at the city gate, untied their bags, and knelt on the ground. Xiao Yan reported to the old man, "Reporting to Commander, these are the land, gold, jewels, grain, and recruitment records hidden by the Li brothers in their homes. We have brought them all here!"

Xiao Mu: "Bring them up!"

The three climbed the city wall with their bags.

Xiao Mu flipped through a few pages of each bag and then asked He Lianqing and others to review them as well.

The recruitment records were one thing, but the land, wealth, and grain that the rebel king had seized were mostly obtained by killing officials, rich families, and ordinary people in the five counties. One could say that every piece of gold and every grain of rice was stained with human blood.

Xiao Mu's eyes turned red as he took out the land register of Huai County and read out the names and origins of ten wealthy families, asking the surrendered army, "I ask the people of Huai County, does anyone recognize these ten families?"

Voices of recognition came from all directions.

Xiao Mu asked again, "Are they, as the rebel king claimed, tyrants and bullies who harmed the countryside?"

"No! Jiang Jimin was a well-known benefactor in our village. The rebel king coveted the Jiang family's property and killed dozens of people in the Jiang family without any reason! Relatives of the Jiang family in other villages also died because of this!"

"Yes, Village Headman Wang often helped poor families in our village in recent years, but he was brutally killed by the rebel king's troops, even sparing no children a few years old!"

The people on the city wall sighed in succession, "What a loss of conscience, what a loss of conscience!"

Xiao Mu: "The rebel king has caused great harm in the five counties, and countless innocent people have died. The gold, land, and grain listed in these accounts all come from the people, but the victims have already died under the blade. What do you think should be done with these ill-gotten gains?"

Everyone was taken aback by the question.

A thought flashed through He Lianqing's mind. He took two steps back and bowed deeply to Xiao Mu, speaking clearly, "Commander Xiao, although the Li brothers have been punished, the rebel kings Dai and Shun in the south continue to cause chaos, possibly launching attacks to the north at any time. For the sake of the people in our seven counties, I humbly request that Commander Xiao take on the role of the commander of the seven counties, leading the young men as you did for Ding and Acropolis Cities to defend against the enemy!"

The clan leaders and gentry gradually came to their senses, standing behind He Lianqing one by one, earnestly requesting the old man to take on the role of the commander of the seven counties.

The Acropolis Army and Ding City soldiers, upon hearing this, all knelt down, loudly urging the old man to accept this heavy responsibility.

Unable to refuse such sincere requests, Xiao Mu looked at the forty thousand surrendered troops: "Young men from the five counties, are you willing to join my command and fight together to protect the seven counties?"

None of the surrendered troops were fools; they were still prisoners of war, how could they dare not agree?

Moreover, looking at the treatment the old man gave to the Acropolis Army and Ding City soldiers—receiving a fixed military salary every month, with additional rewards of silver and land for meritorious service—it was far more promising than farming at home!

"We are willing!"

"General Xiao, please take me too! Although I am over fifty, I still have strength!"

"Yes, yes, I can fight too; even two young men are no match for me!"

The young and strong would definitely be able to enlist, while the elderly and weak were eager to earn military salaries and land, clamoring in a cacophony of voices.

Xiao Mu turned to discuss with He Lianqing and others, then stood before the city wall, raising his hands.

The surrendered troops quickly quieted down.

Xiao Mu said, "I feel your enthusiasm to protect your homes and people. However, I firmly believe that the quality of soldiers is more important than quantity. If you wish to join the army, please follow the selection methods set by me, is that acceptable?"

"Acceptable!"

Xiao Mu: "Very well. Next, I will raise five large banners, each inscribed with the names of Yun, Yu, Huai, Ying, and Cheng counties. Please line up orderly under the banner of your respective county."

Mr. Shen, who had written pre-battle documents for Li Gang, swiftly wrote the names of the five counties on red banners.

Xiao Shouyi carried the Yun County banner, which was closest to Da Tong's border.

Xiao Ye led away the Yu County banner, which was furthest west.

Qiao Changshun held the Ying County banner, which bordered the territory of King Dai to the south.

Sun Dian was assigned the Huai County banner by the old man.

Xiao Yan took the Cheng County banner, located between Huai and Ding counties.

The five commanders held their banners high, forming a straight line.

The surrendered troops, like ants, lined up under their respective county banners.

When the formation became orderly again, Xiao Mu spoke loudly, "Since I have been entrusted with the task of protecting the seven counties, let us take advantage of the presence of the people from the seven counties today to select seven commanders to manage the training of the county troops and maintain order within the counties. Do you trust me?"

"We trust you!"

Xiao Mu: "Good!"

"I, Xiao Mu, will serve as the overall commander of the seven counties, also serving as the commander of the Acropolis Army."

"Xiao Zhen will serve as the commander of Ding County, overseeing the cavalry of the seven counties."

"Xiao Shouyi will serve as the commander of Yun County, Xiao Ye as the commander of Yu County, Qiao Changshun as the commander of Ying County, Sun Dian as the commander of Huai County, and Xiao Yan as the commander of Cheng County."

"The seven counties will each recruit five battalions of troops. The county commanders will be responsible for selecting soldiers and appointing ranks below the level of battalion commander."

"The soldiers from the five counties who were forced into the rebel armies and suffered casualties are innocent. After the county commanders take their positions, they will be responsible for compensating and resettling the families of the deceased soldiers, providing each family with five taels of silver and five acres of land. Surviving soldiers, regardless of age or condition, will receive one tael of military salary for the previous month. The county commanders will also thoroughly investigate the land holdings in their counties, distributing the land of those who died unjustly to households in the villages without or with little land, hoping that the villagers will remember their kindness and offer incense and sacrifices during the Qingming Festival and New Year, to comfort their spirits."

Among the surrendered troops from the five counties, some rejoiced, while others shed tears.

The soldiers from the Acropolis and Ding cities had already received their due rewards and were content.

With the harsh winter, living in simple tents would only increase the number of illnesses. The old man distributed the grain and fodder sent by He Lianqing to Xiao Shouyi and the other four, instructing them to lead the surrendered troops back to their respective counties first. Once the military salaries and supplies in Huai County were counted, the old man would send additional supplies.

Recruiting soldiers and pacifying the people, the entire eleventh month was destined to be busy.

Xiao Mu’s brother-in-law, the finance officer, had long ago selected a batch of scholars and students from the Acropolis City to cultivate. They now followed the various commanders to the counties. Sun Wei, Zhang Wengong, and Qiao Changan, the three chief clerks, accompanied Sun Dian to Huai County to count the military salaries and supplies looted by the rebel king. Even Xiao Zhen followed He Lianqing to Ding County and probably wouldn't return tonight.

Tong Sui watched the scene all morning, her heart burning with enthusiasm.

As the army left and the clan leaders and gentry departed, Xiao Mu brought Tong Sui to the remaining Acropolis Army and said, "Everyone has seen the capabilities of the Second Lady, truly embodying the spirit of women not yielding to men. Now, I want her to serve as my advisor. Are you all satisfied with this?"

The Acropolis Army smiled and responded, "Satisfied!"

Tong Sui maintained her composure but later whispered to the old man, "Grandfather, an advisor provides strategies for generals, but I don't understand these things."

Xiao Mu was surprised, "You actually know about advisors?"

Tong Sui felt a bit embarrassed, "It was Third Younger Brother's wife who told me recently."

Xiao Mu nodded and teased, "I asked Ningfang to teach the children, and it turns out she taught you as well. Yes, an advisor is a strategist, but we don't need to be formal among family. Advisor is just a title. In the future, you will stay by my side. When I am busy or tired, I might entrust you with both major and minor tasks. Just don't complain about the hard work."

Tong Sui hurriedly replied, "I'm not afraid of hard work; I'm just worried about making mistakes and upsetting Grandfather."

Xiao Mu: "Don't worry, even the smartest people learn step by step."

Tong Sui nodded repeatedly.

Xiao Mu took a few steps forward and suddenly looked over, "Almost forgot, an advisor receives a monthly salary of 2.5 taels. Is that enough?"

2.5 taels, equivalent to a battalion commander.

Tong Sui was thinking whether to modestly decline when she saw the old man smile, so she smiled too.