After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Ning Nan stared at the hereditary Liu Qianhu in front of him with a slightly somber gaze... The garrison system was a product of three hundred years ago.

Military households were hereditary; they farmed in peacetime and fought in wartime… The founding emperor had a wonderful plan: to support a million soldiers without spending a single grain of rice.

He thought he was good to the people and the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who fought alongside him, and that he had found a new path for them to continue their stable and prosperous lives for generations to come.

However, over the centuries, as numerous hereditary officers and privileged classes seized the land of lower-ranking military households, the system had long since collapsed. While many military households lost their land, they themselves became slaves to their superiors, forced to cultivate the land for them… Their fighting ability was low, and they were ultimately forced to flee… This was one of the main reasons for the downfall of the Former Liang dynasty…

Sixty years ago, the Northern Dynasty marched south across the Yangtze River, slaughtering its way through the entire Jiangnan region. While a large number of hereditary commanders of thousands and hundreds died on the battlefield, some hereditary officers also surrendered to the Northern Dynasty.

But not long after Princess Xuanwu paid homage to her ancestors in Jinling, declared herself empress, defeated the Northern Dynasty, and regained control of the southern lands, she quickly purged these traitors.

Afterwards, the imperial court remeasured the land according to the field area drawn up by the founding emperor three hundred years ago, allowing the previous and new military households to continue their hereditary system. This alleviated the problems to some extent and gave the garrison system a second life. However, a backward system is a backward system. Even though the imperial court was very strict about the encroachment on military land, after sixty years, the number of runaway military households gradually increased again.

The military households under Liu Da Huzi's command, seemingly supported by the Zhu family's land, had actually, over the decades, suffered from layers of exploitation and enslavement by these hereditary centurions and chiliarchs. As a result, their fighting strength and will to fight gradually declined, just like in the former Liang dynasty.

Simply giving them money might not be enough to mobilize them, but if you give money to mid-level officers like junior officers and colonels, things will be different.

Performance in killing thieves... With such a performance boost from the number of thieves killed, exploitation will be used in reverse.

Liu Da Huzi would order his mid-level officers to kill more bandits, and the mid-level officers would order their soldiers to kill more bandits, and the soldiers themselves were happy to kill more bandits.

Of course, this was to prevent the killing of innocent people and the impersonation of their merits.

Ning Nan specifically mentioned that each commander would have two Imperial Guards responsible for recording merits, and several secret guards responsible for supervision... secret guards... In fact, he didn't know if the Imperial Guards had secret guards everywhere, but saying it like that would always have a deterrent effect.

Liu Da Hu Zi placed his rough hands on the brocade box.

Ning Nan withdrew his hand at the opportune moment, his smile sincere.

The bearded man pursed his lips, remained silent for a moment, then looked up and said, "Brother Ning, their thousand-household unit can indeed only send out four captains, two hundred men, but their armor and weapons will be complete."

Ning Nan remained silent, only squinting his eyes.

At this moment, Liu Da Hu Zi hesitated and tentatively said, "But I can send out my household servants, about forty of them, with mules and horses, which is more than the equivalent of a hundred garrison soldiers!"

Ning Nan quickly stood up and, with a courtesy rarely seen in this era, warmly shook the bearded man's hand, saying that it would be wonderful if his brother were willing to send his servants to fight!

As for my brother's servants, let's just give them twenty taels of silver each as a token of our gratitude.

After the bandit stronghold is destroyed, each bandit will be rewarded with twenty taels of silver. Five taels will go to the brave soldiers and servants themselves, and the remaining fifteen taels will be given directly to you, brother. Please reward the soldiers and servants accordingly!

The bearded man grinned broadly and said in a gruff voice, "Don't worry, Brother Ning..." He patted his broad chest, "This time, when we break through Black Tiger Stronghold, my men will be your vanguard!"

After leaving behind a Jinyiwei captain and a few men to distribute silver to the people of the Qianhu Garrison, Ning Nan mounted his horse and led his men toward the Jiulin Qianhu Garrison.

On the way, Qin Yuanyao couldn't help but ask the other party, "What's the difference between your way of spending money to fight a war and hiring bandits to fight bandits?!"

Soldiers pass by like combs, bandits pass by like hairpins; it's hard to tell them apart. But Ning Nan was too lazy to explain such things to the female commander. He held the reins with both hands, his body bouncing up and down with the horse's trot.

He smiled and asked, "What does Commander Qin think we should do?"

Qin Yuanyao's wheat-colored oval face tightened, and she said solemnly, "Report this truthfully to the court, saying that the garrison commanders are shirking their responsibilities and unwilling to send troops, and have someone investigate whether they are embezzling funds..."

"Military settlements are a major issue. Commander Liu doesn't have enough manpower for farming, and we urgently need more people. Sending troops to fight is no small matter. Where did Commander Liu go wrong?" Ning Nan countered.

"We can request funds from the imperial court, allocate funds, use part of it to temporarily employ tenant farmers to help the soldiers farm, use part of it to reward the soldiers, and use the last part for pensions and relief." Qin Yuanyao retorted quickly, it seemed that the female commander had thought about it for a long time and could not hold back her words at this time.

What the other party said was not wrong; it was in accordance with the usual practice under the law.

"How much pay does Commander Qin think the court should allocate?" Ning Nan asked with great interest as the journey was quite long, while admiring the mountain scenery.

After thinking for a while, the female commander said, "This can be calculated according to local custom. The amount of money needed to hire short-term laborers locally is calculated based on the number of days and the area of ​​land."

"Does Commander Qin think this pay is a lot?"

Indeed, there might not be many... Qin Yuanyao thought the other party was speaking up for the lower-ranking military households, and her opinion of the person improved a little.

She did a quick mental calculation. But it was a bit troublesome, difficult to calculate, because these were all done by the clerks.

She said calmly, "At least it won't be less; the military households will definitely not lose out."

"Oh..." Ning Nan nodded. "What if we request a salary, but still fail to capture Black Tiger Stronghold this year?"

Qin Yuanyao sneered: "Are you trying to say you're using the enemy as leverage to increase your own importance? You didn't conquer Black Tiger Stronghold this year? You're still asking for pay next year?"

The female commander seemed to have anticipated this response, and her voice carried a hint of smugness. She raised her chin and proposed a solution: "Punish them! If the commander's office fails to capture Black Tiger Mountain, then punish the commander's office! In this way, there will be rewards and punishments, and the system will be clear and fair. What mountain bandits or outlaws in the world cannot be defeated?!" Her voice was firm and powerful.

At this moment, even the usually taciturn Imperial Guards following behind the two men couldn't help but change their expressions, revealing a hint of admiration, feeling that what Commander Qin said did indeed make some sense.

With such a strict system of rewards and punishments, even the most formidable bandits... and even the Eight Banners army of the Northern Dynasty, would find it difficult to withstand their might!

Ning Nan chuckled and said, "Asking for punishment... alright..."

Before Qin Yuanyao could reveal a strategist-like expression, she heard Ning Nan's calm yet thunderous voice.

"What if General Fan of Yunhu Camp pleads on their behalf?"

Qin Yuanyao was stunned. General Fan?

Ning Nan laughed and said, "This kind of information was obtained by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Commander Liu's daughter married one of General Fan's sons."

Qin Yuanyao and the Imperial Guards were stunned.

The female commander bit her lower lip: "Even so, how could General Fan show favoritism?"

Ning Nan smiled and said, "General Fan was recommended by Chief Minister Qin. If the Chief Minister is going to give General Fan this face, what if he says that Commander Liu is loyal to the country and, although he has not made great contributions, he personally braved arrows to climb mountains. Even if he has no merit, he has still worked hard. After a reprimand, he will let him off lightly?"

Qin Yuanyao and the other Imperial Guards froze, somewhat taken aback.

Ning Nan stroked the mane of his horse, his gaze calm as he looked at the green grass in the distance. If the court ever had such a "treacherous minister," the so-called disciplined army he built would crumble instantly, like a castle in the air.

Human relationships and social interactions are subtle and seemingly effortless, yet they can somehow influence the weight of the law. After this rambling conversation with the female commander, Ning Nan composed himself.

Let's go!

He flicked his riding whip.

"Let's go to Jiulin first."

Qin Yuanyao's eyes were somewhat vacant and confused. She seemed to want to say something, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

After remaining silent for a long time, as if a fishbone was stuck in his throat, he finally bit his lip and urged his horse to catch up.

...

...

That evening, Ningnan arrived at Jiulin Qianhu Post.

After his experience at Yushui Thousand-Household Garrison, Ning Nan handled the banquet with ease. After the banquet, he reached an agreement with Jiulin Thousand-Household Garrison... The other party warmly held his hand, patted his chest with delight, and promised to send troops out the next day!

Ning Nan smiled and said thank you, brother... Then he traveled through the night and arrived at Dingjiang Thousand Household Office at dawn the next day. Two hours later, after finishing his talks with the Dingjiang Thousand Household Office, the host and guest were all happy.

Commander Jiang Hewei drank three large cups of wine and said with tears in his eyes, "Dingjiang has suffered from Black Tiger Mountain for too long! This time, with the Emperor's protection, Governor Gu's strategic planning, and Brother Ning's swift and decisive actions, Black Tiger Mountain is like a grasshopper in autumn, it won't be able to jump for long!"

In the afternoon, Jiang Hewei gathered his men.

That night, Ning Nan led three hundred men from Dingjiang Garrison, along with fifty servants sent by Jiang Hewei, and rushed to Black Tiger Mountain.

It is a small fishing village located 20 miles southwest of Black Tiger Mountain.

Xu Qing, a veteran officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and Da Hei, along with some men and some supplies, had been waiting in the village for several days.