Tens of thousands of officers and soldiers gathered in front of the tent of the Chinese army, and more than a dozen generals still wearing armor were escorted to their knees on the ground, their faces full of despair and remorse. Behind each of the generals stood a fierce and vicious executioner, who would cut off the heads of these criminals as soon as the superior gave the order.

Cao Wei made a look, Xu Pengju stepped forward, and said loudly: "Ladies and gentlemen, the country cannot be governed, the army cannot be ruled without law, the old man's bones are not cold, these dozen people actually colluded with the White Lotus Sect, and wanted to disrupt the army and the country, according to the military law, they should be beheaded!" ”

No matter how those generals begged for mercy, Xu Pengju stopped talking. The executioners slowly raised the steel knives in their hands, and then slashed down with great speed, and suddenly blood gushed out and their heads tumbled.

"Let's go, go home!"

Xu Pengju stepped forward to call Cao Wei, but he found that Cao Wei didn't move at all, and frowned: "What's wrong?" Isn't the matter settled? ”

"Not yet!" Cao Wei's response was very rigid, and there was even a cold meaning in it: "Huaiyang Mountain has not been leveled yet, and this matter is not over." ”

Xu Pengju was silent for a moment and said: "Although I am the Duke of Wei, according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, as long as I mobilize more than 1,000 soldiers and horses, I must have the permission of the Nanjing Military Department......

In all dynasties, Wei Guogong had to defend Nanjing, but it did not mean that Nanjing's military was determined by Wei Guogong's words, on the contrary, Wei Guogong had many constraints in Nanjing.

The secretary of the Nanjing Military Department generally held the title of "Counselor and Maintenance", and jointly managed all the affairs of Nanjing with the eunuchs and Wei Guogong. If Wei Guogong wanted to mobilize the army, he had to have the military department and the town guard eunuch nod together.

Cao Wei glanced at him, then walked to the front and said in a loud voice: "Fellow soldiers, the old man could have lived a long life, but he died of a vicious disease because of the villain's murder, and now the thief has been removed, but the rhizome is especially there." As the son of the old man, this official should cut down the grass and eradicate the roots for it, and avenge his hatred, who of you is willing to go with the official and step on the thief's den? ”

The soldiers were silent, and Xu Pengju opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. After a while, a soldier said loudly: "My lord, my old man has never deducted my salary, and he often treats the three armies, we are especially grateful, and I also want to avenge my old man's hatred."

However, as a Ming soldier, we should respect military law, and we cannot leave the barracks without an order......"

The other soldiers were also silent, obviously having the same idea, they could not leave the barracks without a military order, otherwise they would be complicit in rebellion.

Cao Wei laughed and said: "As a soldier, you naturally can't ignore military law, but you don't have to worry too much about returning to the field after disarming and returning to the field, according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, but all soldiers who are not confused can be disarmed and returned to the field, who is willing to take off their armor and go with this official to avenge the old man?" ”

There was still silence in the crowd, and the soldiers could indeed be disarmed and return to the fields after the year of confusion, but not many people were willing to leave the barracks. For soldiers who have spent most of their lives in the barracks, it is difficult to make a living outside the barracks, and as long as they are in the barracks, they can receive a salary, so most people will hide their age and choose to continue to stay in the barracks.

Now that Shangguan has asked this question, many people will have difficulty making a choice for a while.

"Do you say you have no clothes? with the Son. Wang Yuxingshi, repair my spear. Enmity with the Son.

How can you say that you have no clothes? With the Son. Wang Yuxingshi, repair my spear halberd. Work with the child.

How can you say that you have no clothes? with the Son. Wang Yuxingshi, repair my armor soldiers. Walk with the child......"

A young general stood up and hugged his fists and said: "The last general, Wu Xiangwei Qianhu Cao Bin, is willing to disarm and return to the field today!" ”

"Xiaoqi Liu Zhusheng is willing to disarm and return to the field......"

"Zhang Dong is willing to ......"

“…………”

More and more people stood up, Cao Wei laughed and said: "The soldiers who have been disarmed and returned to the field will be registered, and you will be my Cao Wei's brother in the future, and your father and mother will be my Cao Wei's father and mother, let's step through Huaiyang Mountain together and avenge my husband!" ”

"Avenge the old man!"

A commander slowly walked to Xu Pengju's side and whispered: "Little grandfather, this is not in line with the system, so many soldiers need to have documents from the military department to disarm and return to the field." Besides, Lord Cao has gathered so many people, His Majesty ......"

"Don't worry, I'm carrying it on the side of the military department, as for Your Majesty's side...... I'm carrying it too! ”

Xu Pengju looked at Cao Wei with envy, there were many things he couldn't do, but Cao Wei could have no scruples. Gathering thousands of armor to break the enemy, this is what a general should do, Xu Pengju feels that Cao Wei is like a general, like a chivalrous warrior, and more like a son than him.

Half an hour later, there were many people missing in front of the Chinese army's tent, Cao Bin took the roster and hugged his fists and said: "Tell your lord, there are a total of 5,119 soldiers who have been disarmed and returned to the field this time, including one person from 1,000 households, three from 100 households, and 11 people from the general banner......

Cao Wei took the roster, looked at the solemn soldier and said: "The official said that your father and mother are the father and mother of the official, and now that you have been disarmed and returned to the field, you must go back to see your parents, wives and children, and the official will give each person a hundred taels of silver, you take it home to honor your father, and we will go out to break the enemy in ten days!" ”

"Defeat the enemy!"

The soldiers were in high spirits, if it weren't for the fact that they had been in the army for many years and there were many officers here, they would have cheered out long ago. Their monthly military salary is only one or two and a half yuan, and a hundred taels of silver means nearly ten years of military salary for them, and they can buy more than ten acres of good land in the countryside and a house with two entrances, so this hundred taels of silver is not heavy.

At the beginning, they were relieved and returned to the field because they were grateful for their husband's kindness, and they were still a little disappointed about leaving the barracks, but now they were glad for their choice not long ago, and their eyes were full of excitement and gratitude when they looked at Cao Wei.

The generals who watched from the side also sighed at Cao Wei's generosity, a hundred taels of silver is nothing to them, but there are more than 5,000 people here, and one hundred taels per person is 500,000 taels of silver. is a real big deal, this Lord Cao is simply the God of Wealth!

Cao Wei was also very satisfied with the reaction of the soldiers, and when this group of soldiers returned to the field, they would become the first mercenary army in the real sense of the Ming Dynasty, and they would be able to do a lot of things at that time.

For example, sweeping the world's bandit dens and collecting thousands of taels of gold and silver; For example, Haidu boarded Dongying, opened a gold and silver mine and returned to the Ming Dynasty; For example, guarding the transportation of property and ensuring the safety of business......

Now is the time to set up credit, 500,000 taels of silver can make 5,000 brave people return to their hearts, which in Cao Wei's view is a sure deal.

On the way back to China, Xu Pengju looked at Cao Wei, who was closing his eyes and recuperating, and couldn't help but speak: "Cao Wei, these five thousand armor soldiers are all experienced in a hundred battles, and they will be restrained in the barracks, but once they get out of the barracks, the blessings and misfortunes are unpredictable!" ”

"When you reach the age limit but you are reluctant to leave the barracks, it is easy to form a situation of overpowering the army, presumably Your Majesty is also a headache, now I give these sergeants a way to live, and also solve the trouble for the court, so Your Majesty and the ministers of the court will only be happy to see it, and will not blame me."

Now that bandits are rampant in the Ming Dynasty, I will give a letter to Your Majesty and ask for the establishment of a mercenary station, and the local government will hire these armor soldiers to clear out the bandits. You can solve the problem of bandits without spending the money of the court, how can the princes of the court not agree? ”