Chapter 485 – Spring Plowing (Three)
This matter is prone to errors; it takes attention to detail and a strong will to handle it properly.
If done well, it could be a significant point boost.
At the beginning, the tasks were not complicated, and with Wei Ci’s current physical condition, he could manage just fine. By the time the workload increases, his body would likely be in better shape too…
More importantly, she felt she could trust Wei Ci; he had ambitions for governing the world, and wealth wouldn’t cloud his judgment.
Without a second word, Wei Ci took over, planning to establish a relatively comprehensive compensation process, “I will not fail the Lord’s trust.”
Combining experiences from his past life with improvements from this life, he believed he was currently the best fit for the job.
“Hmm, remember to get Xiaoyu to write off those twenty thousand coins.”
“Yes.”
Jiang Pengji didn’t place much importance on money; she often treated her private treasury as a public fund, tossing it to the accountants to manage.
Xu Ke couldn’t help but chuckle at her attitude.
Throughout history, who among the high-ranking officials hasn’t treated public funds as their own? Yet, their own leader was wayward, flipping the script.
Jiang Pengji’s indifference to the silver made sense; it all came easy to her. Why would she care?
Speaking of which, the North Border had already sold four batches of glass. Jiang Pengji felt it was best to hold off for now, to keep the fat sheep’s appetite piqued.
Once the New Year festivities were over, the weather remained cold, and there was a faint atmosphere of an impending great battle hanging over Xiangyang County.
The common people sensed a subtle tension in the air, and the administrative office was once again bustling.
As the saying goes, “Before the soldiers march, provisions must be in place.” War isn’t just a contest of troops and tactics; it’s also a competition of financial logistics.
Grain supplies, horses, siege equipment, armor, weapons… every single item burns through money!
Especially the armor for defense and the weaponry for battles, which costs an arm and a leg.
Jiang Pengji would never allow her soldiers to march into battle in plain cloth, gripping just a wooden spear!
That’s not a battlefield; that’s a queue to chat with the King of Hell, handing their heads to the enemies!
Upon hearing Xu Ke’s accounting figures, Jiang Pengji couldn’t help but think, “We’re broke.”
If only she could produce armor here…
Jiang Pengji squinted, recalling her initial plans when she first came to Xiangyang County… This place likely harbored iron mines.
However, whether the iron mines actually existed was still her own judgment; it couldn’t be fully confirmed.
Once things calmed down a little, she planned to take people to investigate. If there were indeed iron mines, it would significantly cut down on expenses.
After a long winter of training, the newcomers had already adapted to the heavy workouts, and with sufficient food, every single solder hadn’t just avoided losing weight; they had become even more robust, making their previously fitting old clothes feel a bit tight.
Previously, they struggled to march even a few miles with a load; now, they could run back and forth carrying wooden beams.
It turns out, human potential is like a sponge; squeeze it a bit, and there’s always more to extract.
This group of rough-and-tumble male soldiers received no leniency in training; as long as they survived, they were pushed to their limits.
The newcomers and veterans engaged in various physical training and military formations.
In ancient times, the means of communication were too backward, especially on such a rapidly changing battlefield. Military formations could maximize the effectiveness of soldiers working together, such as cutting through enemy lines, encirclement tactics, and strategic retreats…
All these required strong execution ability; Jiang Pengji would not tolerate even a single deserter in her army.
If you’re ordered to charge, you charge head-on, even if it hurts.
If you’re told to retreat, even if the enemy lays their heads down at your feet, you don’t get greedy for the spoils.
They must abide by true discipline.
Repeatedly drilling them, over and over, until they developed a reflexive response to act immediately upon hearing orders.
Once the New Year was over, the atmosphere in the male soldier camp felt significantly heavier than before.
Training intensified, and food improved.
The skies were dark; as soon as the camp horn sounded, the soldiers had to get up and dress as fast as possible, assembling in the parade ground.
Initially, most soldiers couldn’t meet that expectation.
With time, even those who struggled before managed to do it.
Of course, they put in effort during training for another reason—they were motivated by the sheer presence of the hundreds of female soldiers in the female camp.
Since the last incident of the new recruits mocking each other, Jiang Pengji had been posting explanatory notices from time to time.
The people of Xiangyang County, who initially doubted, gradually started to believe, and some families determined that their daughters were a burden, resolutely sending those who were particularly bothersome to the female camp. The number of female soldiers grew steadily to six hundred, finally meeting expectations.
Jiang Pengji didn’t let anyone else take over the female camp’s training; she personally took the reins.
Seeing this, Xu Ke secretly shed tears of sympathy for the little ladies in the female camp.
He was one of the few who knew of his lord’s “tough love” prowess.
Sure enough, the female camp, which faced skepticism and even disdain from the outside, officially welcomed a hellish regimen.
The training volume was only twenty percent less than that of the male soldiers, which was nothing short of brutal for these slender young girls!
On usual days, Jiang Pengji was easy-going. But once she shifted into instructor mode, unless the female soldiers collapsed from exhaustion or faced other uncontrollable situations, she wouldn’t show a shred of mercy.
As long as they were still conscious, as long as they could breathe, even if they crawled, they had to crawl on the ground to the finish line.
The live stream viewers were crying out in disbelief, “Host, treat those cute girls like this? Be careful of divine retribution!”
【Host V】: “The training I went through at military school when I was five or six was even tougher. In today’s world, cute girls are meant to be toughened up; without the strength to protect themselves, they just turn into playthings for others. Your pity isn’t love, it’s harm. By putting them through hardship now, they’ll suffer less later. Do you understand that this is love?”
Love her? Then train her to her limits.
That was Jiang Pengji’s standing policy.
【Old Driver Alliance】: “That’s love from the host; the kid doesn’t get it now, but they’ll understand in the future.”
【Debt Don’t Break Eight】: “Although I feel a bit sorry, the host’s reasoning makes sense. In chaotic times, no one can protect anyone. If these little girls don’t want to be mere breeding machines, commodities, or reserves, they have to work hard on their own. From the live stream, it seems they were almost dragged here by their families, clearly discarded; even if they don’t suffer here, they’ll face hardships at home.”
【Tonight’s Three More】: “I hope they can learn something from the host. Even a weak little sprout can break through the oppression of the stubborn stone.”
A group of girls aged thirteen to sixteen cried pitifully as they gritted their teeth through training.
Long-distance weighted runs were bearable; they could dawdle a bit along the way.
But weapon training was brutal. If they didn’t hold their posture correctly, Jiang Pengji would use the rolled-up whip to correct them, her attitude incredibly strict.
By the end of the day, their slender arms were swollen twice over, and their limbs felt solid as rocks.
