Tiger Guards

Chapter 146 Compensation Matters
The soldiers who participated in the battle returned to the camp one after another, and after Zhao Ji simply wiped his body, he actually put on a set of leather armor.

Xu Huang felt speechless. If Dong Zhuo had been so vigilant, even ten Lu Bu would have found it difficult to succeed.

In the current atmosphere, who among the soldiers would be willing to take action?

Except for new recruits, most officers and soldiers do not wear armor unless necessary.

Even light leather armor or double-crotch armor should be avoided if possible.

Xu Huang searched his memory and it seemed that he had the impression that Zhao Ji always wore armor.

Central military area, meeting hall.

Zhao Ji held the wooden bowl and drank the thick wine with soaked small yellow rice. This was another kind of sweet rice wine, which was brewed within two or three days.

The taste can be sweet, turbid like paste, or clearer.

They were all drinks to quickly replenish energy after the battle, and many people preferred the thicker, more viscous version.

The Tiger Step soldiers in the camp were also busy, polishing bamboo to make arrows, or processing various daily necessities.

At this moment, campfires were lit everywhere, and soldiers who knew how to slaughter and skin horses were slaughtering injured horses under the light of the fire.

After drinking two bowls in a row, Zhao Ji started to eat the main meal, which was mainly white rice.

After eating all these, I picked up a bowl of sweet wine brewed from barley, which is another kind of sweet rice wine and thick wine.

Barley grains are relatively complete. He doesn't know much about nutrition, but he knows that eating a bowl of it can help digestion and empty the stomach.

Blood sugar levels rise rapidly and fatigue sets in immediately.

Without thinking, he sat cross-legged and practiced his skills.

Xu Huang was also eating nearby. He did not participate in the battle, but he was also tired.

As a commander, there are too many things to worry about and take his time. After eating until he was 80% full and looking at Zhao Ji's expression, he simply lay down on his side to rest.

Hou Xuan and Li Kan were unfamiliar with Zhao Ji, and they had thought that after returning and enjoying a feast and drink, Zhao Ji would offer them official positions and promise them favors in an attempt to win them over.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Ji just ate quickly and then sat cross-legged, as if he was practicing the Daoyin technique.

The two looked at each other, feeling tired, and lay down near the dining table, falling asleep without realizing it.

Hearing footsteps, Xu Huang turned around and saw that it was Pei Xiu.

Pei Xiu nodded to him, and Zhao Ji opened his eyes and asked, "Seventh Brother?"

"The list of those killed in action has been compiled, and Liang Dao will send over the list of those seriously injured later."

"Well, how are you today, Lord?"

"Situ Gong visited the officers and soldiers who participated in the battle and recorded the events before and after the battle. The rest of you, grind over thirty stones of wheat and beans and mix them into fodder for the horses."

Pei Xiu stepped forward and sat beside Zhao Ji, wondering, "How could the Xiongnu be so vulnerable?"

"The tribes were not united, and their king was shot dead by me. They were unable to react in time, so I succeeded in one strike and captured a lot."

Zhao Ji explained and picked up the bamboo slips to look through the roster. Most of the Huben soldiers wore heavy armor and were often injured but not killed. Most of the casualties were from the cavalry.

When the human body is fragile, even young and middle-aged people can die from a fall.

When you are strong enough, even the maggots on your body can heal themselves.

He turned his head left and right, and stood up to get the brush and ink. Pei Xiu got up first to take it, but Zhao Ji grabbed his arm and said, "Seventh Brother, there's no need for this between you and me."

Pei Xiu said nothing and just sat there.

Zhao Ji stood up, took out a pen and ink, and started writing his evaluation on the list. He only wrote "excellent" or "medium-high" for the Huben according to his general impression. For a few Huben who left a deep impression or were good, he would write "excellent".

He was stunned when he saw a name: "Rui Tong? Why is he gone too?"

This is the Tiger Guard appointed by the Rui family to fill the vacancy left by Rui Dan. He is Rui Dan's cousin, and was selected by Zhao Ji from three young and strong men of the Rui family. The other two are one over forty years old and the other fifteen years old, neither of them is suitable.

In order to help Rui Tong survive as much as possible, Zhao Ji assigned him to be a drum cart attendant and let him learn how to beat the drum from the drummer.

He gave two heads to Rui Dan and unified the internal statement. Wenxi County arranged for Pei Zheng to bring people to distribute the rewards.

The pensions contributed by fellow warriors from the same hometown, the government, and the usual rewards totaled 60,000 coins; there were also 20 pieces of cloth, of which Zhao Ben himself gave 6, and Pei Xiu and Wei Xing each gave 2; and finally, a mare was given.

These things are enough for Rui Dan to adopt a child, manage the family business, and raise the child.

In addition, Rui Dan was counted as having died in battle. According to Zhao Ji's regulations, Rui Dan's adopted son could receive one stone of grain and one hundred coins every month before he came of age, and a piece of silk every six months.

As long as Rui Dan's mother is still alive and does not remarry, or remarries Huben, as long as the Rui family continues to fill the vacancy, she will continue to enjoy the same level of support.

Pei Xiu didn't care about Rui Tong's death. He knew the background of the Rui family, which was a small and widowed clan. Instead, he asked, "How will the Rui family fill the vacancies?"

"The rules cannot be abolished, and someone must be found to fill the vacancy. Otherwise, the pension will be limited to the children and will be abolished when they turn seventeen." Pensions will stop for men when they turn seventeen, and for women when they turn fifteen.

According to Han Dynasty law, if a girl was over 15 years old and did not marry, she would be charged four times the head tax, which was higher than that of merchants and sons-in-law.

Hedong is currently exempt from head tax for ten years. If Zhao Ji does not collapse, the boys who died in the Tiger Guards will definitely be arranged for jobs after they turn seventeen. Those who are suitable will be given priority to fill the vacancies of the Tiger Guards, and then they can join the county soldiers and the county soldiers. At the very least, they can be arranged to learn a skill.

Under the current circumstances, for daughters who are fifteen years old or above, the Huben families can marry each other and there will be no worries about finding a husband.

Zhao Ji thought that the compensation for each Tiger Guard who died in battle would directly affect the morale of his fellow Tiger Guards and indirectly affect the local people's views of him.

Zhao Ji didn't mind the extra burden, so he picked up his pen and wrote a "good" for Rui Tong. As long as he didn't flee or was afraid of fighting, he could generally get a medium to high rating.

After writing, he said to Pei Xiu: "After defeating the Xiongnu, let the third brother go to the Rui family again. Let Rui Tong's nephew fill the vacancy and send him to my side to lead the horse... Or he should stay with the seventh brother, so that he will not die again. Teach him to read and write. If he refuses to listen and does not learn well, break his legs and leave a descendant for the Rui family."

"Alright."

Pei Xiu agreed. He didn't want to go to Rui's house anyway, and he knew Zhao Ji didn't want to go either.

People like Rui Dan would be beaten to death by their fellow villagers during a fight outside.

He had no great hatred with Zhao Ji and Pei Xiu. Even so, Pei Xiu was worried that Rui Dan would take revenge after returning home. He only had one mother, and he had to chop firewood, collect herbs, and dig wild vegetables.

It's very troublesome to be targeted by someone like Rui Dan.

Zhao Ji quickly wrote the evaluation for the remaining Huben. These fallen Huben were accompanied by heads that he had captured or that were given to him by his companions.

The number of heads carried with you is the main reference for evaluation.

For example, Rui Tong, who had a head tied around his waist, could be rated "upper middle". Zhao Ji added one more level based on his personal perception, which was a top rating.

As he was speaking, Hou Xuan and Li Kan had both sat up. Zhao Ji handed them the list and writing materials and asked them to write evaluations for their respective subordinates who had died in battle.

There is no need for detailed explanation, these two people can understand this.

While Li Kan was still hesitating, the candidate picked up a pen and started writing. He generally promoted his subordinates by one level, and also determined the posthumous honors for his subordinates based on the heads recorded in the roster.

Given their poverty, they could not afford this posthumous title, so it had to be paid by the court controlled by Zhao Ji and Zhao Yan.

The rewards for posthumous meritorious service and the pensions are all paid by the imperial court and the government. Do you still have the nerve to control your troops by force?
If you force your subordinates to do something, it depends on whether they are willing or not.

Seeing that the candidates did not refuse Zhao Ji's intervention in the rewards and pensions of their tribes, Li Kan took the pen and began to write.

After all, it was a victory, so it is normal to give a higher reward.

When the roster was delivered to Zhao Ji, only twenty-three Yulin Knights were left vacant. Zhao Ji asked, "Where is Uncle Guanqiu?"

"His Majesty summoned him, and he went to the old camp to pay his respects to His Majesty."

Pei Xiu rolled up the bamboo slips, tied them with a rope, and said, "The emperor is also concerned about the outcome of this battle. Tomorrow morning I will ask him to write his assessment."

Seeing Zhao Ji nod, Pei Xiu continued, "Wei Zhongjian sent a letter this evening, but he was too embarrassed to come here to greet you. This is a letter for you. If you're interested, please give me a reply and I'll tell him in person another day. Even if you're not happy, don't rush to refuse."

Pei Xiu added, "In my opinion, the Wei family's suffering is not your fault. He also knows that we are not to blame. Instead, it was you who raised an army to denounce the unethical ministers and saved his entire Wei family. This favor will be remembered by his family for three generations."

"Okay, I'll reply to Brother Seven after the war."

When Zhao Ji saw that Pei Xiu didn't take out the letter, he knew that Pei Xiu felt that the current situation was inappropriate.

There's no need to urge him. Wei Gu's mood is very unstable right now. Anything in the letter is possible. He can change his mind three times in one breath.

Let Wei Gu calm down for a while, it will be good for both of them.

Therefore, it is better not to read letters written when you are emotionally excited. Reading them will only cut off other possibilities.

Pei Xiu left, and Jia Xu soon came in and handed over a scroll of bamboo slips: "Minister Zhao, this is the military information I have examined."

Seeing Hou Xuan and Li Kan present, Jia Xu sat aside and scooped himself a bowl of thick wine, which he drank, with no intention of discussing the information obtained from the interrogation.

Zhao Ji picked it up and read it, then asked, "Where is the Right Wise King?"

"Accompany me in the interrogation. He said he would come to visit the Minister later to discuss military affairs."

Jia Xu spoke calmly. He had just verified intelligence with Qu Bei and killed four Xiongnu nobles on the spot.

Death to Jia Xu is like the melting of snowflakes outside the window.

And he, through interrogation, was very satisfied with today's casualty ratio.

Whether it is to support the imperial court or to restore peace to the world, this kind of war must be fought.

He didn't want to fight the five battles when the court moved eastward. No matter how many lives he lost, they were not enough.

(End of this chapter)