The next day, April 24th, the scorching heat of summer arrived with a gentle breeze.
Ning Yue had stayed in the camp overnight yesterday. There was no other choice; Xue Zige had ruined his perfectly good two-story courtyard to such an extent that Ning Yue feared he wouldn't be able to sleep if he went back.
Today, he specifically requested a day off to resolve the matter once and for all.
However, before that, there was an even more important task to attend to first.
Early in the morning, as the sun rose and the day began.
He eagerly summoned all his subordinates for a meeting.
The black-clothed soldiers and their Xiaoqi shared a common fate in the army: they prospered together and suffered together.
The eight men, including Wei Xian and Chen Song, had shed their former despondency and were now all spirited and full of ambition.
These were his old guard, his capable lieutenants for the future. His other subordinates and the later personal guards would naturally advance even further.
Ning Yue secretly sensed for a moment that three of them, including Wei Xian, had already perfected their Skin Polishing and were beginning to try Lianrou (Body Refinement).
In just over half a month, their progress was remarkable, clearly showing they had taken Ning Yue's words to heart.
The thin, gauze-like tent curtains swayed with the breeze. Ning Yue sat alone in the main seat, facing everyone, unmoving as a mountain.
He got straight to the point: "You all know about the matter of going to Longxi, right?"
Upon hearing this, the joy on their faces immediately turned much more solemn.
Without waiting for their reply, Ning Yue continued, "I am not an unfeeling person. I have no choice, but you all do!"
"I imagine you all thought about it last night. Who wants to go and who doesn't, speak up now."
Ning Yue said no more, quietly awaiting their answers.
The eight junior officers exchanged glances for a while, none able to fathom their superior's thoughts.
So Liu Song, emboldened, asked, "Ning-ge, if we don't want to go, it won't be considered betrayal, right?"
Ning Yue smiled. Liu Song and Wei Xian were the first to work for him, but Wei Xian was inherently upright and diligent in martial arts, while Liu Song was much more smooth and easygoing.
However, knowing how to use people effectively was the way of an official, and Ning Yue would not treat them differently.
It was important to remember that when Xue Ren was feigning illness in bed, and Ning Yue was most isolated and helpless, everyone present had passed the test.
"Of course not," Ning Yue shook his head.
"Phew~" Everyone exhaled in relief.
"However—" Ning Yue's tone shifted, making everyone's recently settled hearts jump again.
"Those who stay behind won't be idle; this Zongqi has other arrangements," Ning Yue added.
"I am willing to accept Ning-ge's arrangements!" Liu Song stepped forward first, saying with a sense of duty.
"Hahahaha..." Hearing this, the brothers all burst into laughter, and the atmosphere in the tent became more joyful.
Ning Yue smiled, "Hmm, you are meticulous in your work. Indeed, some things truly require you."
"What about the others?"
"Your subordinate is willing to go with you, sharing honor and disgrace," Wei Xian said with conviction.
After speaking, he even raised an eyebrow at Liu Song, who was just chuckling foolishly and showed no ambition.
However, Liu Song wasn't annoyed. His bone structure wasn't great, and his talent was average; he knew that in this life, achieving greatness in martial arts was difficult.
But he believed his judgment was good. The military camp had complex personnel matters, and the infighting was no less than in officialdom.
Therefore, good judgment and following the right person were very important.
After all, even the wise and mighty City Lord needed someone to serve tea and water, wash clothes, and cook meals.
Liu Song solidified his grand ideal of focusing on logistics management in the future.
Ning Yue's gaze turned to the remaining few.
Ning Yue didn't have to wait long; several people expressed their stances. Four who had not yet married and established families chose to follow, while two others, one about to marry and one who had just had a baby, stayed behind.
So, Ning Yue waved his hand, telling the three to wait outside first.
Once Liu Song gently closed the door, Ning Yue wasted no time and said something astonishing: "Longxi is a place of trouble; we cannot stay long. I plan to pacify it completely in at most three months, no more than half a year!"
Upon hearing this, the five men's bodies trembled!
They wondered where their Zongqi got such immense confidence.
That was a quagmire that countless Zongqi hated and complained about, a place that even the wise and mighty City Lord scratched his head over, and which had trapped countless people to this day.
Could it really not be regarded by him?
But Ning Yue had never been one to boast; the boasts he made before had all come true, even more remarkably than they could have imagined!
A general who often wins battles naturally possesses an invincible spirit, and an army that wins every battle grows stronger with each victory.
The five men's expressions gradually became calm, their confidence doubling.
They bowed in unison and said, "We are willing to serve you, sir!"
Ning Yue accepted it calmly, then said with a hint of disdain, "But your current cultivation is still not enough."
"From today onwards, you will suspend all drills and military duties. You will enter secluded cultivation in this military camp, and you are not to emerge until you reach the initial stage of Lianrou (Body Refinement)!"
Their previously joyful faces immediately turned bitter. Wei Xian seemed to see Xiao Hong from South Nine Alley waving goodbye to him in the distance.
Unexpectedly, Ning Yue looked at Wei Xian with anticipation and added, "Wei Xian, the moment you enter the initial stage of Lianrou (Body Refinement), I will give you the position of Xiaoqi!"
Wei Xian's body trembled slightly, and tears began to well up in his eyes again.
He said nothing more; a scholar would die for his confidant!
Ning Yue turned sideways and said to the remaining few, "Don't worry, it's just a Xiaoqi. I guarantee that in the future, everyone will have a share, and once we go to Longxi, everyone's salary will be quintupled."
"Once I buy all the body-refining medicinal soups today, I'll let you soak in bathtubs and sleep every day!"
Boom, boom, boom!
Three bombshells in a row made the five men dizzy, immediately turning their sorrow into joy.
Not to mention future official positions and salaries, just the medicinal soup for martial arts training.
The medicinal soup provided to soldiers in the army, if sold outside, would cost nearly two taels of silver per dose. It was only because they had gotten some extra money following the Zongqi recently that they could occasionally afford such a luxury.
Now that the Zongqi had spoken, the quality of this medicinal soup would naturally be even better, and its price would more than double.
To be able to enjoy it daily, wouldn't their martial arts progress be a hundred li a day, far surpassing their peers?!
The few secretly rejoiced.
How laughable, how laughable. The three who had just left were too short-sighted, unaware that wealth is found in danger.
They had missed a precious opportunity for nothing.
...
After the few left, Ning Yue called Liu Song and the other two alone.
However, Liu Song and the two others lingered outside for quite a while before finally arriving, their eyes somewhat red. They had clearly heard about the treatment of the others and developed 'red-eye disease'.
Ning Yue cursed with a smile, "You won't even cook, yet you envy others eating meat? Even if it's your ugly wife at home, if you don't coax her properly, you'll have nowhere to pay your 'public grain' (sexual desires)!"
The three men's eyes turned red, and their faces turned even redder.
Liu Song argued, "Ning-ge, I don't have a wife, but last time I went to the Hundred Flowers Brothel, the girls there didn't even make me take off my clothes myself, and those soft, red hands, tsk—"
"Clap!" A military document rolled up and landed on Liu Song's head.
Ning Yue angrily said, "In broad daylight, in a dignified military camp, are you going to elaborate on your glorious deeds?"
Liu Song was so scared he dared not speak again, and the other two also remained silent and hesitant.
Ning Yue could only say, "Don't worry, if you do your work well in the future, you won't miss out on benefits either."
Before long, Ning Yue finished giving all his instructions and kept Liu Song alone.
The two talked in detail for a long time in the room...