My strength increases by one percent every day; I can destroy stars with my bare hands.

"Thank you, sir."

Nangong Zhan and the others were moved to tears and became even more loyal to Li Xuancang.

For several days in a row, Li Xuancang stayed at home, spending time with his family and enjoying a rare moment of leisure, stealing a half-day of peace from his busy life.

After resting for a few days, Li Xuancang left his residence and went to the government office.

Yang Tiangang followed behind Li Xuancang, awaiting instructions.

Seeing Li Xuancang heading towards the yamen (government office), Yang Tiangang looked puzzled and couldn't help but ask, "Sir, why are we going to the yamen?"

It's no wonder Yang Tiangang had this question.

Historically, the military and the government have had very little interaction.

On the one hand, it was to maintain distance and reassure those above them; on the other hand, military personnel had always looked down on the government, and the two sides rarely interacted unless absolutely necessary.

Li Xuancang rarely interacted with government officials, so Yang Tiangang was very puzzled by his sudden visit to the yamen.

You'll see when you get there.

Li Xuancang responded calmly.

Five hundred elite troops went to war, and half of them were wounded and covered in injuries. Although they survived, some soldiers were left with lifelong disabilities.

Some soldiers had their left arms severed, and their empty sleeves swayed in the wind.

Some lost their right leg and struggle to move forward with the help of wooden crutches.

Some suffer from damaged meridians and broken blood and qi, making it impossible for them to practice martial arts or join the army for the rest of their lives.

Some souls are corrupted by evil poisons, becoming weak and sickly, losing all traces of their former battle-hardened physique.

They were all veterans of the battlefield, who had guarded the frontier, vanquished demons and evil spirits, and protected the people of Anzhou with their blood and flesh.

But after this battle, they could never return to the barracks, never again wield guns to kill the enemy, and never again make a living through military merit and bravery.

According to old military practice, wounded soldiers received only a small amount of compensation money and no other resettlement.

Military discipline in chaotic times is cold and cruel; if something is useless, it is discarded.

Although these veterans can still enjoy the privileges of the imperial court, simply reducing or exempting their families from taxes is far from enough.

They will be unable to serve in the military in the future, will not receive a salary, and will become useless. Even if taxes are reduced, their families will find it difficult to survive.

These comrades who followed him through life and death, who fought to the death in desperate situations, met such an end after the war, which pierced Li Xuancang's heart and filled him with unbearable guilt.

He went to the government office today only to seek a way out and a place of peace for his wounded comrades.

The Sima of Anzhou was in charge of the resettlement of people's livelihood, corvée labor, city defense patrols, and street maintenance throughout the prefecture.

The Sima position was responsible for the miscellaneous affairs of the people's livelihood, labor placement, and public service scheduling in a state. It was also responsible for local stability, low-level jobs, and idle positions.

They are officials with real power who are in charge of people's livelihoods and the livelihoods of those at the bottom.

Upon learning that Li Xuancang was requesting an audience, the government office dared not delay and immediately sent word.

Inside the hall.

Huang Tianyun, the Prefect of Anzhou, sat in the main seat and looked at Li Xuancang, who was in the limelight, with a sense of respect.

At such a young age, he has already experienced countless battles and made outstanding contributions, which makes him worthy of his high regard.

"Lord Li has just returned from a fierce battle and a great victory. Instead of resting in the camp, what brings you to the government office today?"

Li Xuancang bowed respectfully, his posture upright and sincere, without a trace of arrogance as a general, but rather with a hint of pleading.

"Lord Sima."

"My hundreds of soldiers followed me into the mountains to exterminate the evil and fought to the death."

"The battle was fierce, and many brothers were seriously wounded and maimed, with missing limbs and broken meridians, leaving them unable to serve in the army again and never able to fight again for the rest of their lives."

"They were all loyal and brave men who shed blood for their country and were wounded for their people."

At this point, Li Xuancang looked up at Huang Tianyun and earnestly requested.

"This humble servant has come to your door today to beg Your Excellency to grant us, your wounded and disabled comrades, special consideration."

"I don't seek high-ranking positions or generous salaries, I only seek a stable job, such as city patrol, riverbank duty, granary management, or street inspection. No matter how important or difficult, as long as they have work to do, a salary to receive, and a peaceful life for the rest of their lives."

"These brothers sacrificed their lives for the country; they should not end up in such a miserable old age. We beg you, sir, to grant their request."

His words were sincere and heartfelt.

Huang Tianyun was moved after hearing this.

Having lived in the civil service for a long time, he was used to the indifference of officials and the selfishness of generals, but he had never seen a general who was not arrogant despite his great achievements, who was considerate of his soldiers despite holding military power, and who was willing to go to great lengths to save the lives of wounded soldiers.

Li Xuancang has recently achieved numerous military exploits, is highly valued by Du Tianfeng, and has a bright future ahead of him, making him a worthy ally for Du Tianfeng.

From an official standpoint, these wounded soldiers are loyal, brave, and respectable, and should be given compensation and resettlement.

On a personal level, he had no reason to refuse the favor that Li Xuancang had personally requested.

Huang Tianyun did not hesitate for long. He nodded with a solemn expression and made a promise on the spot.

"Lord Li treats his soldiers with benevolence and his righteousness is as heavy as a mountain. I admire him greatly."

"Since you have come in person, I will grant you this honor and give all the loyal and brave soldiers justice."

Since Huang Tianyun was interested in making friends, he planned to do his best.

"All the wounded and retired soldiers under your command in this battle will be uniformly collected by the government without any assessment or selection process."

"As long as they live, the government will pay them monthly salaries, never dismiss them, and never abandon them."

Once this statement is made, it becomes an ironclad rule.

In chaotic times, it is an extremely rare lifelong guarantee.

Li Xuancang naturally believed Huang Tianyun's personal guarantee.

With a great weight lifted from his heart, he bowed deeply to Huang Tianyun.

"On behalf of all our wounded comrades, I thank Lord Huang."

Before long, Li Xuancang left, satisfied.

"He is loyal and righteous, and exceptionally gifted. If this young man does not die, he will surely have a place in the army."

Watching Li Xuancang leave, Huang Tianyun's eyes blazed as he muttered to himself.

Before long, the news reached the military camp.

When the wounded soldiers heard that Li Xuancang had personally gone to the government office to secure them stable jobs for life, ensuring they would have enough to eat and wear for the rest of their lives and no longer be treated like trash, they were overjoyed.

Everyone was stunned for a moment.

Moments later, the entire camp was deeply moved.

A veteran with a broken hand, a limping hero, a veteran whose meridians have been destroyed, a soldier who can no longer practice martial arts...

These tough men, who shed blood but not tears on the battlefield and fought to the death against evil spirits, now had red eyes and tears streaming down their faces, unable to hold back their emotions any longer.

They thought that the day they became crippled would be the day they were abandoned by the army and forgotten by the world.

They thought that the rest of their lives would be spent begging, wandering, barely surviving, and being bullied by others.

To everyone's surprise, their own commander, who had achieved great military exploits and had a promising future, was willing to humble himself and personally go to the government to seek a peaceful life for a group of useless soldiers.

"grown ups……"

No one knows who spoke first, but all the wounded soldiers knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, tears streaming down their faces, their voices choked with sobs that echoed throughout the camp.

"We are crippled and should have been abandoned, but the general has disregarded his own dignity to save our lives."

"I have no regrets in dying for being able to follow the general in this life."

"Thank you for your kindness, General. Thank you for not abandoning me."

"..."

The sounds of gratitude echoed throughout the military camp.

One by one, these tough, hardened men wept, their bodies trembling, and repeatedly kowtowed.

Li Xuancang stood in front of the crowd, looking at his comrades kneeling on the ground in gratitude. Overwhelmed with emotion, he spoke in a deep voice.

"You have fought alongside me through bloodshed. As long as I am an official and command troops, I will protect your safety for every single day."

These people were his comrades who had fought alongside him, and Li Xuancang would do his best to settle them properly.