Chapter 330 – Ten Miles of Bridal Attire (Part Three)
Jiang Pengji had not been in Hejian County for the past few years, but with Qi Guanrang aiding from the outside and Meng Hunyun managing things within, the Hejian County Guard had secretly opened a plethora of convenient doors, amassing a force of over five thousand. This was still the result of Meng Hunyun diligently adhering to Jiang Pengji’s teachings by carefully selecting recruits.
If they had disregarded logistical conditions and simply swelled their ranks, they could have easily had at least fifty thousand!
The bandits around Hejian County had mostly been wiped out, and under Meng Hunyun’s lead, the troops had also swept through several neighboring counties, confiscating supplies. With the food grown by the troops plus resources left by Jiang Pengji, their expenditures and income barely balanced out.
As the troop numbers grew, so did their targets. If they attracted the vigilance and suspicion of the Hejian County Guard, life would become quite difficult. Thus, Jiang Pengji ordered Meng Hunyun to disperse most of the troops, breaking them up to disguise them as refugees and send them to Chongzhou.
“…Currently, only two thousand troops remain in Hejian County. One thousand three hundred and thirty of them are adult men, while the remaining six hundred and seventy are lonely women or young girls… Regarding the female troops, I think Young Master should consider this more carefully…”
Xu Ke had long recognized Jiang Pengji’s intention behind forming the female troops, fully utilizing every ounce of manpower to prevent societal resources from going to waste.
However, in the current environment, the existence of female troops was indeed awkward.
Some unscrupulous men couldn’t help but speculate, could these female troops be intended for… alleviating desires?
Jiang Pengji raised an eyebrow, “Why?”
Xu Ke replied, “Words can be frightening.”
As for this conversation, the audience in the live stream could only watch anxiously.
【Beef Rice Bowl】: Damn, streamer, please don’t be swayed by Xu Ke! Who says daughters are inferior to sons? This is how society is now, but does that mean it’s right? In ancient times, women had such low social status—does that look comfortable to you?
【Brainwaves】: Streamer, look at me! What words can be frightening? Isn’t this just how society is? Is the big environment really correct? Back in ancient Huaguo, polygamy was the norm, but now in advanced society, it’s a crime!
【Shredded Potato Rice Bowl】: But thinking carefully, Xu Ke does have a point. We need to think for the streamer. If she really pushes female troops on a large scale, the societal pressure of public opinion will be huge.
【Drunkenly Slashing White Snake Soup】: I disdain the opinions above; what if there’s societal pressure? There are so many viewers in the live stream, constantly criticizing the streamer, calling her cruel or lacking in quality, even cursing her ancestors. Have you seen her care about the mouths spitting filth?
Seeing this, many began to realize.
The core issue was no longer the external pressure of public opinion but whether Jiang Pengji was willing to bear that pressure.
【Mountains and Rivers Stay the Same】: Streamer, don’t be upset! We will always support you.
【One Blade Eight Thousand Eight】: Tsk tsk, the entire live stream is filled with the vibe of cancerous feminism. Why not just advocate for polyandry? Ancient society was such; the societal environment dictated that women stayed home to bear children, while men were the main producers. Can you all calm down a bit and consider the big environment of this world for the streamer? Are you all a bit unwell?
Due to differing opinions, the live stream erupted into its usual daily bickering.
Of course, most of those arguing were new viewers; many old viewers remained unfazed, fully confident that Jiang Pengji wouldn’t be swayed by Xu Ke.
【Old Driver Alliance】: By the way, does anyone even remember the name and true theme of this live stream?
【Huaguo History Encyclopedia】: It’s dressed as a palace struggle stream, but in reality, it’s a battle for the empire, hunting for supremacy.
【Musician Zhuge Qinmo】: #Laughing, so it’s settled; what more is there to discuss about forming female troops?
Jiang Pengji herself was a woman. In the future, battling for supremacy and gaining fame across the nine provinces, she would inevitably raise the social status of women and make them truly valued. For Jiang Pengji to make her competition smooth, she must also improve the social status of women.
In a way, the two were intertwined.
Only when the broader environment acknowledged the social value created by women could the title of Empress deserve its name.
Otherwise, even if a woman sat on the dragon throne, if the entire social atmosphere remained patriarchal, she would merely be a puppet.
Seeing these comments, Jiang Pengji couldn’t help but smile secretly.
The live stream was a mix of spectators; most were merely interested in the drama. However, upon careful selection, there were still some clear-headed individuals among them.
【Cautionary Note】: But… don’t you all think it’s unfair for women in battle? After all, with those things…
Battlefields aren’t places to care about decorum; against female soldiers, it’s inevitable that shameless tactics will be used.
【Worldly Spirit】: #Nose Picking, look at what they said. As if men’s private parts are made of cast iron; kicking them doesn’t hurt at all!
Everyone: “…”
“I’ve made up my mind, we must definitely have a female troop,” Jiang Pengji raised a hand to silence Xu Ke, saying, “Currently, the foundation is still too shallow, every person counts. Moreover, joining the troops at least gives them a place to survive…”
Xu Ke thought about it and realized it was indeed the case.
Currently, these six hundred seventy female troops were mostly lonely refugees or abandoned girls.
If the troops refused to accept them, they would either die of starvation on the streets or be sold by human traffickers.
If sold, the outcomes could be drastically different; the unfortunate ones would end up in dark places selling their bodies, while the slightly luckier ones would be bought by some household to become child brides or worked as servant girls—a lifetime of servitude and generations of slavery.
Back in the day, Jiang Pengji mitigated Hejian County’s grain shortage with grain purchase limits and indirectly reduced the number of refugees.
However, the natural disasters and famines in the following years still resulted in a large number of homeless refugees.
With families fleeing, the likelihood of daughters being abandoned or sold rose significantly.
Currently, this female troop sprang from that.
Why was this?
Due to filial piety, commoners could not forsake their parents.
To continue the family line, sons also couldn’t be abandoned.
Thus, to ensure the household’s survival, when push came to shove, wives and daughters had to be sacrificed.
When these two situations conflict, a wife’s value would understandably be deemed greater than a daughter’s, leading to the abandonment of girls.
Xu Ke thought about these details and suddenly felt soft-hearted.
He could only sigh, “Young Master is kind…”
Unknowingly, Jiang Pengji’s image in Xu Ke’s heart elevated several notches.
To protect the weak, she wouldn’t spare her reputation, willingly bearing societal pressures and condemnation—such an image couldn’t be more grand!
Yet, the truth was, Jiang Pengji wasn’t so noble.
Be it female or male, in her eyes, they were just a single synonym—societal production resources.
Whoever wasted them, was asking for trouble with her!
If she wasn’t happy, no one would get to be happy!
