When Guan Yu and Zhang Fei heard this, they greatly approved of their Big Brother's actions.
With the distribution of pensions, at the very least, these soldiers would have security, preventing their wives, children, and elderly family members from starving to death after they fell in battle.
With their worries resolved, soldiers would fight even harder on the battlefield, and the army's combat effectiveness would increase significantly.
Guan Yu hesitated for a moment, then continued!
"Big Brother, we also discovered some abducted women in the cellar of the mountain stronghold, totaling over twenty people."
"How should these people be dealt with?"
Liu Jin's brows furrowed upon hearing this. These women were abducted, and it was obvious they had been defiled by the mountain bandits.
Even if they were sent home, they would likely be subjected to gossip and judgment, and perhaps their families had even been killed by these mountain bandits, leaving them utterly alone.
If they were left uncared for, it would be very difficult for them to survive in this chaotic world.
After some hesitation, he slowly said!
"Ask them. For the twenty-odd women who wish to return home, give them some money and provisions and let them go."
"For those who do not wish to return, I, this Tuncun, will marry them to the single soldiers in the army, pairing them up so they can live good lives."
"Before assigning them, both parties must be asked if they agree. If either party disagrees, the matter should be dropped. No one should ever be forced."
It should be known that the women abducted by mountain bandits were usually quite beautiful, basically one in a hundred.
Most of the soldiers in the army, however, were poor and struggled to find enough to eat at home, which is why they chose to enlist. It was difficult for them to find wives.
By bestowing these women upon the single men in the army and helping them settle down, they would surely be grateful. To protect their wives and children, they would naturally fight to the death.
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei nodded in agreement, thinking this was probably the best solution. It would not only solve the problem of single men in the army but also allow these women to live stable lives.
After all matters were handled, Liu Jin led everyone away from the place.
Before leaving, he also set a fire, burning the entire Juxian Village to ashes.
This was to prevent the mountain bandits from returning and re-establishing themselves after the officials left.
Now that it was a ruin, rebuilding it would not be something that could be done in a short time.
Two days later!
Liu Jin led the officials, escorting the captives and spoils of war, to the entrance of Wu Family Village.
The Old Village Chief and the people of Wu Family Village gathered upon hearing the commotion.
They had previously learned that Liu Jin was leading the officials into the mountains to encircle and suppress the mountain bandits of Juxian Village, and they were all somewhat surprised and disbelieving.
After all, there were hundreds of mountain bandits in Juxian Village, and it would be very difficult to encircle and suppress them with just over a hundred officials. They might not even be able to breach the village gate.
When they saw the officials approaching, escorting the captives and carrying heads, their eyes were filled with shock.
The Old Village Chief, trembling, walked over and excitedly said!
"Lord Liu, have you annihilated the mountain bandits of Juxian Village?"
Liu Jin smiled and nodded, his clear voice carrying over!
"The mountain bandits of Juxian Village have all been wiped out. Only a handful, a dozen or so, escaped, but they won't be able to stir up any trouble in the surrounding areas."
"From now on, you can live without worries and no longer have to fear attacks from bandits."
The Old Village Chief and the people of Wu Family Village were all incredibly excited upon hearing this. They all bowed and prostrated themselves, saying!
"Thank you, Lord Liu, and thank you, all soldiers, for protecting the safety of Liye Township."
Their gratitude was truly heartfelt.
After all, the bandits in these mountains had dominated for decades, sending people down every year to demand protection money in exchange for peace.
They would even send mountain bandits to raid, causing immense suffering to the nearby villages. Many common people couldn't endure such a life and moved away with their families to distant places.
The Old Village Chief warmly invited Liu Jin to stay for a night, hoping they could properly fulfill their duties as hosts and offer good wine and meat.
Liu Jin waved his hand in refusal. These common people were already quite poor and didn't have much money in their homes. Hosting once was fine, but if they hosted again, it would become a burden for them.
He only chatted for a moment, borrowing a few ox carts and donkey carts from the village to transport the goods.
Then, he led the officials, escorting the captives and the seized supplies, back towards the military camp.
By the time they returned to the military camp, the sky had already begun to show a hint of dusk.
Zhao Ergou, with several mess hall soldiers, rushed out. Yang Ling also stood among the crowd. Everyone looked at the large number of troops returning in the distance, their faces showing excitement.
However, as they got closer, they saw that the horse carts and donkey carts were piled high with heads, and there were also many captured mountain bandits. Everyone felt shocked.
How many people had been killed for them to be piled up like a mountain?
The most incredible person was Yang Ling. He had been stationed here for several years, and he had always felt a certain fear when facing the mountain bandits.
Because there were many of these mountain bandits, they had several times more officials stationed here.
However, these mountain bandits were quite sensible and did not actively provoke these officials, so as not to incur the displeasure of the Prefect and cause a large army to be sent to encircle them.
The officials stationed here were also content with this, as they were fewer in number. As long as these mountain bandits did not provoke them, they would not poke the tiger's backside.
So, the two factions had always treated each other with respect and avoided provoking each other.
He never expected that Liu Tuncun, upon taking office, would completely uproot these mountain bandits in just one month, wiping them out entirely.
This left him both shocked and emotional. No wonder Liu Tuncun had acted decisively to kill Zhao Lei and seize his military authority; it turned out he had such strong capabilities.
Now that these hundreds of mountain bandits had been annihilated, if the news reached the Prefect, these merits would not be small. With a little effort, Liu Tuncun could at least be promoted by one rank, and becoming a Military Marquis of a Qu would be no problem.
Such a person was already considered a middle-tier figure in the entire Prefect. Ordinary officials would have to bow in his presence.
Even high-ranking officials like the Prefect and Prefect would treat him with some courtesy.
Zhao Ergou, with a smile on his face, quickly came over!
"Big Brother, Second Brother Guan, Third Brother Zhang."
The several men nodded to each other, exchanging smiles.
Liu Jin immediately ordered!
"Store the captured supplies, and take out a portion to reward all the soldiers of the army."
"Instruct the mess hall to prepare good wine and meat to reward the entire army."
After saying this, Liu Jin, surrounded by Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Ergou, and others, returned to the main tent of the military camp.
After everyone was seated, Liu Jin's voice slowly emerged!
"This battle was a great victory. We annihilated nearly three hundred people and captured dozens."
"I plan to round up the reported military achievements a bit, reporting a total of five hundred enemies annihilated and several mountain bandit strongholds eliminated."
"Then, I will personally escort these heads and captives to the Prefectural City and prepare some money to bribe the Prefect to see if I can secure the position of a Military Marquis of a Qu."
The three brothers nodded upon hearing this, naturally understanding their Big Brother's plan: annihilating the mountain bandits was for the sake of promotion.
After seeing that the three understood, Liu Jin looked at Zhang Fei, who was beside him, and said with a smile!
"Yide, you will remain to guard the military camp. Yun Chang, Ergou, and I will go to the Prefect. Wait for my news then."