Shen Tang chewed a few times before swallowing it.
He raised his hand to wipe the crumbs from the corner of his mouth: "Leave professional matters to professionals. I am the lord after all. I have to do everything myself. Even if I can clone myself, I still can't handle it. Also, what does 'dividing the spoils' mean? Does your eldest brother know?"
Shao Chong held the cake in his hands and said seriously, "Big brother knows."
His brothers had told him to tell them where he was going, what he was doing, and who he was meeting before he left their sight. Shao Chong had to get their permission to come to Chen Tang for a meal. His eldest brother also told him to learn from Chen Jun what it meant to be steady.
Chen Tang: “…That’s not called sharing the spoils.”
She spoke as if she were a bandit.
Not politically correct at all.
Shao Chong asked in confusion: "What is that called?"
Chen Tang patted his shoulder: "A commendation meeting!"
Shao Chong nodded thoughtfully, and memorized Chen Tang's teachings in his heart. The eldest brother said that he wanted to learn from Chen Jun's steadiness. The charm of chatting was obviously not as great as eating. After a brief complaint, the two continued to pat each other to replenish their energy.
Shao Chong has another purpose for this trip.
"Mr. Chen, the chef who makes pancakes..."
He wants to poach people, no matter how much pocket money he offers.
Before he finished speaking, Shao Chong keenly sensed the approach of a strange aura, and immediately looked over with displeasure, and saw a tall and strong pink figure. The latter's eyes were on Shen Jun who was eating together, or to be more precise, on the pancake.
Shao Chong asked the other party: "Strong men also want to eat?"
The next sentence is: "It's just that you came at the wrong time. Mr. Shen will not share it with people he doesn't have a good relationship with, no matter how greedy you are."
Wei Shou: “…”
He was not greedy at all and did not want to eat.
Chen Tang seemed calm, but she was actually very embarrassed. She sat upright and calmly took the last bite. She stood up gracefully and raised her lips in a standard smile: "Thanks to General Wei today, otherwise, I don't know how many soldiers would have died in this battle. Please accept Youli's greetings-"
"No need. This is not the first time that I have met Mr. Chen, so there is no need to bother with those polite and warm words of enticement. Let's skip these. It's good for both of us." Wei Shou raised his hand to refuse very impolitely. He still remembered the scene of Chen Tang jumping out of the window with two scholars that night.
Chen Tang also stopped his actions very decisively.
He stood up straight and said, "General Wei is straightforward."
Wei Shou still looked at the tall young man in front of him unhappily, and went straight to the point: "Mr. Chen also knows that because of your adviser Chu Wuhui, I had to abandon my old master Zheng Qiao. Now, apart from Mr. Chen, I have no better place to go. If it was just one person, everything would be fine, but not for the group of brothers under my command who have been with me through thick and thin."
Chen Tang nodded and said, "That's natural."
Her straightforward attitude actually raised Wei Shou's favorability towards Ji Jiwei. However, talking about money hurts feelings, and only talking about feelings hurts money. The salary must be negotiated in advance before going to work: "How much military salary can Mr. Shen give a year?"
Chen Tang asked how many troops Wei Shou had under his command.
Wei Shou said: "Not many, more than 2,500 people."
He said this lightly, but there was a smug look in his eyes. He should be proud of himself. This size of his private army is more than double the normal size. A general like Zhao Feng only has about a thousand private army.
It’s not that Zhao Feng cannot expand, but it costs money to maintain it.
Wei Shou chose to follow Zheng Qiao, in large part because Zheng Qiao was generous to martial artists, with good treatment and generous rewards. Most of his private followers were brought from his hometown, and they all followed him for a living.
It is impossible for him to change jobs without considering their livelihoods - the treatment given by Chen Tang later will largely determine whether Chen Tang is his temporary lord or his long-term lord.
Chen Tang didn't know what Wei Shou was thinking, but Chu Yao did know a little bit. However, he was not worried at all, and had no intention of reminding Chen Tang. Because Chu Yao knew her master's temper very well, in order to shape military discipline and prevent soldiers from surviving by massacring and looting, she was quite generous to the soldiers. The silver and money might not be much, but they would definitely not starve, and the rice and grain were sufficient.
really-
Chen Tang asked again: "How much do they eat?"
Wei Shou frowned secretly, but replied, "They are all young and strong men, so naturally they have big appetites. They eat as much as an adult man. Most of them have left their hometowns and have no relatives, but some of them have families."
Shen Tang bowed his head and thought for a moment.
He took out a blank piece of bamboo and wrote a string of words.
He said seriously: "In conquering Chaoli Pass, General Wei's troops should be credited with the greatest merit... Take a look at this, is this okay?"
She handed the bamboo slip to Wei Shou.
After Wei Shou took it, he read it quickly, and there was a moment of astonishment on his face. It was not that Chen Tang was too stingy and offered a low salary. On the contrary, the salary she offered was too good, so good that it didn't seem like she could afford it with her family. The military salary was paid monthly. Although the silver was not much, there was a lot of rice, grain, oil, and meat. There were also two sets of new clothes and new shoes every season. In winter, an extra five kilograms of cotton were also distributed.
Because of this meritorious service, he received two extra months' military pay.
The key is -
Monthly payment!
Wei Shou put down the bamboo strips, looking suspicious.
Chen Tang thought that the salary was too low, and said sincerely: "... General Wei, although the money is not much, there are many things necessary for life. At this age, it is not easy to have enough food."
She still has too little land to farm.
Can't afford to support too many elite troops.
Of course, the number she gave was not the final bottom line, and there was still room for negotiation. If Wei Shou asked for too much and the negotiation failed, it would be that she and Wei Shou were not destined to be together. It was just a pity that Wuhui could not recruit this powerful general after all his planning.
Unexpectedly, Wei Shou just asked: "What is cotton?"
Chen Tang explained: "Similar to reed fluff..."
"Reed fluff? These things are not good for keeping warm, but-" Wei Shou looked honest, but he was calculating. Regardless of whether Chen Tang's family was poor or rich, he dared to give this bargaining chip in public, and he would not regret it in the short term. Even if he could not afford it, he would still pretend to be rich. These burdens were what Chen Tang should worry about, and had nothing to do with him. So he changed the subject and patted his chest and said, "But, all of my soldiers are real men who can endure the cold, and they have fought in the middle of winter with bare chests!"
He claimed that he jumped directly from "old man" to "last general".
Chen Tang didn't notice it for a moment, and focused on explaining: "General Wei misunderstood, what I meant is that cotton and reed fluff are both used as fillings for jackets, but the warmth retention is incomparable. Cotton is the best thing to keep out the cold."
Wei Shou nodded perfunctorily, obviously not listening.
Chu Yao's lips curled up and his eyes were filled with light.
After Chen Tang finished speaking, Mianhua finally reacted and looked at Wei Shou, saying happily, "General Wei, do you mean you are willing?"
Wei Shou also held up his own Wudan Tiger Talisman with both hands: "Wei, with the help of others, is willing to serve Lord Shen!"
Chen Tang covered the tiger talisman with his hand.
"I will not let the general down." She is no longer the young and ignorant girl who was at a loss when faced with Gong Shuwu's loyalty.
When Chen Tang finished speaking, Wei Shou keenly felt a warm current flowing down her palm and into his Danfu Wudan. This feeling was too familiar to him. He immediately looked up at Chen Tang in astonishment, but soon he lowered his head again, his head buzzing.
Chu Wuhui, this bastard...
How dare you!
The Lord Shen in front of him actually held the national seal!
The warm current that could not be ignored just now was clearly martial luck!
Chen Tang helped Wei Shou up with both hands, smiling as if he had picked up a fortune. With Wei Shou joining, his family now had a top-notch fighting force, and finally it was not too biased. Chen Tang took out a big pancake and asked, "General Wei, are you hungry after fighting a battle?"
Wei Shou: "... My Lord, I am not hungry."
Unable to sell it, Chen Tang could only digest it himself.
Chen Tang recruited Wei Shou, and the benefits have exceeded expectations. She doesn't care much about how much benefit she can get at the spoils-sharing meeting... no, the commendation meeting. She is a Buddhist, but Gu Chi is not. He is still very calculative. Relying on his ability to read minds, he has a firm grasp of the minds of everyone in the account. He opens his mouth and says "My lord was the first to capture the city", "Bai Su bent his bow and shot the flag", "Chu Yao planned the overall situation and instigated Wei Shou to rebel"... Isn't it unreasonable not to give him the first credit? Isn't it unreasonable not to give priority to selecting prisoners
Of course, our lord respected Huang Zongzhu very much. It was Huang Zongzhu, who was wise and brave and had a clear distinction between public and private affairs, who united everyone and led to today's victory. When distributing prisoners, Huang Zongzhu naturally had priority.
Huang Lie was flattered by Gu Chi and found it difficult to refute.
Gu Ren agreed from the side, and Wu Xian had no objection.
Tao Yan, who had some opinions, was criticized by Gu Chi in a sarcastic tone - he has little ability, but a big appetite - Tao Yan's face turned green.
Only then was Gu Chi satisfied.
Of course, there were still some things to deal with later, and he had to keep an eye on every step. At first, Chen Tang thought he was making a fuss.
"Huang Lie also has some dignity to show for himself, he won't be too deceiving, right?"
Gu Chi said that the lord was still too young.
"How much is your face worth?" Suppose your side gets 3,000 prisoners, but in the end you get 3,000 wounded prisoners, or 3,000 oldest prisoners, or 3,000 idiots... They won't be responsible for after-sales service. There's a lot of water here.
Chen Tang: “…”
The same problem applies to other loot.
Chen Tang simply gave Gu Chi full authority to handle it.
The Dragon Slaying Bureau coalition forces captured Chaoli Pass, but did not immediately set up camp. Instead, they rested for a few days. Although the capture of Chaoli Pass was smooth, they still suffered heavy casualties from the initial army of heroes, and were now exhausted and unsuitable to continue fighting.
The news of the fall of Chaoli Pass soon reached Zheng Qiao's ears.
He got furious when he heard that and kicked the table over.
He drew his sword from his waist and split the table in half. Since the last assassination attempt by Yan An, Zheng Qiao, who was already suspicious and sensitive, became even more suspicious and started to carry a sword again. However, because of this, countless eunuchs and palace maids died at his hands.
"Lost it towards Liguan?"
"How did you lose it?"
"How can you lose it!"
Zheng Qiao tightly gripped the hilt of his sword and asked three questions in a row. The people below dared not breathe, fearing that this life-threatening sword would fall on them. Zheng Qiao asked sternly, "Where is Li He?"
He is very clear about Li He's abilities.
The subordinates replied: "Li Jianjun was beheaded."
"Beheaded? Who did it?"
"I don't know, but someone found his head..."
Li He's head was discovered by the remnants of soldiers who had fought their way out of the siege at Chaoli Pass. It was said that the head was discarded at random and when it was discovered, it had been eaten by birds, with most of the face missing.
Zheng Qiao became even more furious when he heard this.
Without the explanation from his subordinates, he guessed what the death of Li He, the lobbyist, meant. It must be that he failed to persuade Shen Tang and was killed. Zheng Qiao asked about the details of the battle of Chaoli Pass. When he learned that the fall of Chaoli Pass was caused by Wei Shou assassinating the general, leading his troops to rebel, and colluding with the Dragon Slaughter Bureau coalition, his anger instantly reached its peak, and his eyes were bloodshot.
"Wei Shou! What a great Wei Yuanyuan!"
Zheng Qiao squeezed out these words from his back teeth.
He thought he treated Wei Shou well - because Wei Shou was different from the ambitious warriors under his command. Wei Shou had a clear purpose, which was to support the people he brought from his hometown. He did not fight for power or profit, and was one of the few people Zheng Qiao did not have to worry about. Wei Shou's ambitions were easily satisfied, so Zheng Qiao had trusted him for many years. Who knew that this guy would be the first to turn against him...
Of course, this isn't the only bad news.
The troops he sent out to capture Wei Shou's personal scroll also returned empty-handed, which showed that Wei Shou's rebellion was not a whim but a long-term plan. Although he was angry, Zheng Qiao had not completely lost his mind. He knew that after passing Chaoli Pass, the terrain was flat and the counties had no natural defenses to rely on. It was only a matter of time before they were taken over by the coalition forces.
The most urgent task is to come up with a countermeasure.
Once the useless Jiang Ao died, Zheng Qiao could use the sixteenth-level great master to cultivate one person. Although this person's combat power is not comparable to the useless Jiang Ao, there is also the risk of loss. He carefully selected the people he could use, and the lights in the palace were not turned off all night.
It was late at night and the wind was cold.
Zheng Qiao rubbed his brows, trying to push away the sleepiness.
Suddenly, he seemed to see a familiar figure in the candlelight. When his vision was refocused, there was nothing there. Looking at the bright moon outside the window, he sighed: "Senior Brother..." But the man was already dead.
Military camp, stronghold.
Shen Tang couldn't sleep late at night.
I climbed to a high place and found an excellent view to see the moon.
Before she could appreciate it for long, she keenly heard the noise of a weapon breaking through the air. Chen Tang was skilled and courageous, so she followed the sound and found the shadows of swords dancing in the dark night, interweaving into a net of heaven and earth. She leaned against the rocks and admired it for a long time.
Until the man sheathed his sword.
"Tunan."
The person dancing with sword late at night was Ning Yan.
Ning Yan also noticed Chen Tang nearby early in the morning.
He bowed and said, "My Lord."
Chen Tang's eyes were full of admiration. He broke off a branch and said, "I didn't expect Tu Nan to have such handsome sword moves. Hehe, I'm itching to try it."
Ning Yan raised her eyebrows when she heard this: "What does the lord mean?"
Chen Tang held up the branch and said with a smile, "Want a fight?"
Ning Yan drew her sword without saying a word.
"Please enlighten me!"
Although the fight was stopped at the right time, the two figures fought for dozens of moves before stopping. The branch in Chen Tang's hand was infused with martial energy, no worse than an ordinary sharp blade. Two completely different sword lights entangled and danced together under the moonlight. Chen Tang then realized that Ning Yan's swordsmanship was very orthodox. Each move was soft and hard, dense and long. If she didn't make a move, it would be nothing, but once she made a move, it would be shocking and thunderous!