For several days in a row, several teams that did not collect at night crossed the mountains and mountains to investigate the movements of the enemy bandits. Mei Zhihuan, Zhao Cheng and others even sent their elite family members out, but it was strange that no thieves were found nearby.

In the end, he went deep into the thieves' den in the Yinghuo Mountains and reported that there were indeed signs of a sortie in the 5th Battalion on the left, but the operation was suspended again.

Although this was good news, Zhao Cheng and the others still didn't dare to be careless, they kept mobilizing the township warriors, and even recruited Minzhuang to deploy guards along the southern foot of Dabie Mountain.

Zhao Cheng and Mei Zhihuan directly regarded the Taiping Post Station as their temporary headquarters, and even Hutou Pass now houses the main barracks and horse team of Baosheng Fort.

Liu Jun saw that there was no possibility of war for the time being, so he asked Zhao Cheng for leave.

"My subordinates plan to go back to Saiwan to recruit another team of recruits, and they also need to purchase some supplies, so I have come to ask for a few days off."

Zhao Cheng also knew that Liu Jun was going to expand the nine-headed bird to more than 300 people, and he fully supported this plan, anyway, as long as he didn't have to pull out the silver, he would agree.

"The thief hasn't moved yet, it doesn't matter if you take a few days off, but you have to go early and return early, and you have to guard the Tiger Head Pass." Mei Zhihuan said that although there are soldiers and horses from Baosheng Fort stationed at Hutou Pass in Taiping Township, this army is considered a mobile force, and it must be mobile according to the enemy's situation, and according to the deployment, Liu Jun's nine-headed bird is the guarding force guarding Hutou Pass.

After getting the approval, Liu Jun returned to inspect the yamen.

"Jiye, come and sit down, I have something to say to you." Li Chunjiang greeted Liu Jun with a somewhat gloomy expression.

"What's wrong?"

"Hey." Li Chunjiang sighed, "Jiye, I may not be able to take care of the nine-headed bird in the future." At the mention of this, he frowned, and the establishment of a horse team was by no means a whim of his. Later, when he met Liu Jun, they established this horse team together, recruiting troops, purchasing ordnance, training team members, and then sending troops to suppress bandits.

But because of his injury last time, his family began to oppose him to continue to run this township group. Originally, he still insisted, but now after the news came out that a large number of bandits in the east were going to fight, Li Chunjiang's parents really and completely opposed him staying in the township regiment any longer, and this time he was not allowed to object.

Li Chunjiang's father said very hard, if he wants to give money and food, they will not object, and he will take out a large amount of money and grain to support the battle with the bandits. Even if they want to leave, the Li family can organize a group of family members and servants to come out, but Li Chunjiang can no longer stay in the township group.

This decision is unquestionable and non-negotiable.

The Li family also counted on Li Chunjiang to participate in the examination in Mingchun, and won the Jinshi and the champion in one fell swoop, how could he be allowed to take risks. The last time he beat a few thieves, he was already injured, and if that knife was inserted a little more, Li Chunjiang would be killed. And now those thieves in the east, but the thieves who are wandering all over the world, thousands, swords and guns have no eyes, who dares to take risks.

Liu Jun had expected this, and he was not surprised to hear it at this time, and he was not even unhappy. Li Chunjiang helped him a lot before. It can be said that without Li Chunjiang, there would be no Nine-headed Birds. However, after all, he couldn't really stay in the township group forever.

Even Liu Jun suddenly felt in his heart that in fact, Li Chunjiang's withdrawal now is not necessarily all bad. After he withdrew, the nine-headed bird would no longer be Li Jia's, no longer Li Chunjiang's, but his Liu Jun's.

Even if Li Chunjiang withdraws, without the support of the Li family's money and grain, Liu Jun is not afraid now, he already has a large amount of money and grain reserves.

Due to Li Chunjiang's insistence before, the Li family did not have much influence on the nine-headed bird, and it was Li Chunjiang who was influential. And now as soon as Li Chunjiang leaves, the nine-headed bird will really belong to him Liu Jun. He is no longer the deputy of the team, but the leader.

In that regard, this may be a good thing.

"Even if you are no longer in the team, you are still the founder and founder of the Hydra, and you can still support me and my brothers behind it in the future." Liu Jun said with a smile. Li Chunjiang withdrew, but Liu Jun still hoped that the nine-headed bird could get the support of the Li family in the future, even if he didn't want their money and food, he also hoped to use their influence.

Li Chunjiang smiled, in a slightly better mood, "Yes, if you have any problems in the future, you can come to me." ”

"The silver money in Qiting hasn't been taken out yet," Liu Jun said.

That's nearly 30,000 taels of silver, and it is said that this money belongs to the nine-headed bird, but the nine-headed bird was established by Li Chunjiang, and this matter must be made clear now, otherwise it will be easy to have problems in the future.

However, Li Chunjiang didn't care about this, "What do you do, that money is the money in the team, and with that money, the team won't have to worry about money and food for a while in the future." If you run out of money, you can come back to me and I'll help raise money. ”

Seeing Li Chunjiang so free and easy, Liu Jun admired him very much, this is a very pure person, Liu Jun can't think of it.

Liu Jun also smiled, "What are your plans next?" ”

"I'm going to Nanjing in a few days to meet some friends. Then I will enter Beijing at the end of the year to prepare for the examination next spring. Li Chunjiang said, "Jiye, what about you, have you decided to take this year's martial arts exam?" ”

Liu Jun shook his head, "How can you think about these now, let's see when the time comes." It just so happened that I had just asked Zhao Bingxian for leave, and you accompanied me back to the Queen City first, so that the brothers could move all the things from the old barracks to Hutou Pass. Besides, I have to go back and recruit a batch of new soldiers, and you have to check for me. Besides, last time I said yes, you have to help me go to the Lu family to propose marriage, you can't run away. ”

Li Chunjiang laughed, "Of course what I Li Chunjiang says counts, you wait and see, I will definitely succeed and help you talk about this family." ”

Early the next morning, before Liu Jun left, he first rewarded the meritorious soldiers in the last battle to rescue Zhao Dagu.

Last time, a total of fifty levels were beheaded, twenty taels of silver for each level, and a total of 1,000 taels of silver. However, most of the enemies killed in that battle were Liu Jun and Zhang Shan and other veteran players, and the recruits actually only killed five, and most of them were killed together.

In the end, Liu Jun proposed that the recruits should be rewarded with five taels of silver each, and the veteran team members would be rewarded with twenty taels, a total of six hundred taels for the recruits, three hundred taels for the veteran players, and one hundred taels for the remaining ones.

Nine hundred taels of silver were sent out at once, and Liu Jun was also a little careful. He felt that it was time to make some changes to the reward system, otherwise it would be okay for now, if there was a big battle and hundreds or thousands of kills, then he would not be able to support the bounty at all.

The first-level merit should be retained, but it is not possible to give so many silver rewards, and twenty taels of the first level is too high. It should be divided into several levels, such as dividing the head into five categories: northern captives, southern widows, rogue bandits, mountain bandits, and bandits, and each category is further subdivided, for example, it is divided into five categories: leader, leader, elite, ordinary, old and weak, etc.

From the northern captives to the bandits, the first level of reward is ten taels to two taels, and each level is reduced by one tael.

The head of a northern captive, the elite is ten taels, the leader is added two taels, the leader is added two taels, the ordinary is subtracted by two taels, and the old and weak are subtracted by two taels. A leader of the Northern Captives is fourteen taels, a leader of the Northern Captives is twelve taels, an elite is ten taels, an ordinary one is eight taels, and an old and weak is six taels.

Of course, the reward for first-level merit is reduced, and some collective military merit must be strengthened. It is better to count the first-level army according to the team, and it is more fair to divide the first-level merit of the individual according to the whole team, regardless of the first-level merit. In addition, it is necessary to calculate the collective merit, such as how much is rewarded for winning with more hits, how much is rewarded for winning with a comparable number of hits, and how much is rewarded for winning more with fewer hits.

Liu Jun felt that this had to be a rather complicated calculation, and he still only had a preliminary idea, but a new military merit system was also imperative. Otherwise, in the future, with cavalry, infantry, and artillery, it will definitely be that the long-range troops will kill more enemies, and the melee troops will be the least worthy, which will affect fairness and morale.

On the way, Liu Jun told Li Chunjiang about his idea, and Li Chunjiang nodded frequently after hearing it, "This method is good." Be more fair and equitable. ”

Although the Ming army has a ready-made system of rewarding military merits, it is actually difficult to really implement it. For example, the Ming Dynasty once stipulated that those who fought with the robbers and captured and killed one of the thieves in the ship were rewarded with 50 taels of silver. Whoever captures and kills one person on land will be rewarded with twenty taels of silver. The commander of the guard, the thousand households and other officials must be given a widow boat and a thief to be promoted to the next level, and the reward is 50 taels of silver and 50 ingots of banknotes.

By the time he arrived in Yongle, the army was divided into miraculous merits, first merits, and secondary merits, and the miraculous merits were promoted by two levels, and the first merits were promoted by one level, and the second merits were not promoted. The calculation of military merit in Yongle was mainly based on combat performance, and it was also stipulated that those who came to capture a thief would be rewarded with 30 taels of silver, and those who came to capture a thief would be rewarded with 20 taels of silver.

Later, in the ninth year of Xuande, it was stipulated that the southern part of the country should kill barbarian thieves, and those who beheaded three or more people were promoted to the first level.

In the later stage, more attention is paid to the decapitation upgrade, such as killing the northern captive, beheading the first level to upgrade to one level, beheading the second level to the second level, beheading the third level to the third level, and the third level.

In the Jiajing period, the head of the widow was beheaded by one level, promoted to three levels, and those who did not want to be rewarded with 150 taels of silver. The thieves and the Han thieves were killed, and those who were unwilling were rewarded with 50 taels and 20 taels of silver.

The imperial court gave the army a very high degree of beheading, and often the first level of beheading could be promoted to a level, and there were even dozens of taels of silver as a reward. However, in reality, the border army often won very little, so they often killed the good and risked the merits. And even if there are real gains, the officers of the soldiers are often impersonated, and the rewards are deducted.

Although the reward for killing a few dozen taels is high, it is empty talk if you can't get it.

The reward of the nine-headed bird is to give as much as it is, and there is no risk of receiving and deducting it. Therefore, the old case of killing a thief for twenty taels of silver is obviously high, especially when they are facing some bandits and bandits.

However, the nine-headed bird also has a shortcoming, that is, the official army has won the merit, in addition to the reward of silver, there is also an upgrade, and it can be promoted. And the nine-headed bird belongs to Xiang Yong, and now it is Liu Jun's personal family, they kill the head, except for the reward, there is no official to promote.

The silver is still rewarded, but the reward is fairer, so that the players can accept it.

Along the way, Liu Jun and Li Chunjiang discussed while walking, and from time to time, Liu Jun would call Zhang Shan, Wang Qian, and Zhang Donggou, the officers below, to ask for advice.