The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

In front of the military currency office south of Kaifeng, a group of military officers from the Jingnan Army, dressed in red, narrow-sleeved, round-necked robes, came and went in droves, each one beaming with pride and walking with a brisk pace.

Dozens of tall, strong horses were tethered in the stables in front of the gate, their backs mostly laden with bundles of various kinds.
Huang Hu led a black warhorse laden with many packages out of the stable.

Zhou Changshou and Wu Ping were each carrying a heavy package, while Han Fuliang's hands were constantly occupied, carrying one package on each side.

What's most eye-catching is his waist: a sandalwood folding fan is tucked into the right belt, while a long, vermilion-lacquered Japanese sword hangs on the left, its scabbard gleaming faintly.

"Thanks to Tiger, I've truly had my eyes opened today."

Han Fuliang grinned from ear to ear, weighing the package in his hand.

"This military currency exchange has a lot of good stuff. Goodness, this is the first time we've ever seen genuine Sichuan brocade. The fabric is so smooth to the touch; compared to the coarse cloth we usually wear, it's like heaven and earth."

"When I go home this time, my wife will probably be overjoyed."

Huang Hu waved his hand dismissively and laughed.

“We’re brothers, no need to be so formal. It’s just some military scrip; keeping it won’t produce any offspring, so spend it when necessary.”

"but……"

Huang Hu glanced at the Japanese sword at Han Fuliang's right waist and looked at it with some disdain.

"Why did you buy a Japanese sword from the military exchange? Can any Japanese sword be as good as the goose-feather sword issued by the army?"

Han Fuliang chuckled.

"In the army, only officers of the rank of centurion or above can take their weapons back to their hometowns. We're used to carrying knives, and if we don't have something hanging on our waists, we always feel empty and not very happy."

"We heard from the clerk at the military bank that this sword has a very special history. It is said to be the sword of a general from the Shimazu family in Kyushu, Japan, and it is called something like Chidori Masamune."

Han Fuliang straightened up and boasted.

"The clerk said this sword is made of some kind of jade steel, and it's incredibly sharp. We tested it, and it's lighter than our goose-feather sword, but its sharpness is just as good. It's easy for the blade to chip in battle, but it's definitely sufficient for use outside the camp."

Huang Hu glanced at Han Fuliang and said.

"These kinds of goods were all brought from Japan by the Zheng family. We heard that some time ago, the Zheng family's fleet sailed east from Korea, disguised as pirates, and robbed Japan. These knives should be the spoils of war. Things from the dead are not good luck."

Han Fuliang laughed it off, not caring at all.

"We've got plenty of dead people's stuff on us. Back when the Duke was the General of Hanzhong, we all wore captured armor. We've been through thick and thin with swords and spears, why would we be afraid of this?"

"If this knife has truly drunk blood, it'll suit our tastes even better. The stuff from the military currency exchange is always better than what you find on the street."

Zhou Changshou and Wu Ping, who were standing nearby, laughed as they listened to the conversation between the two.

For these veterans who had fought their way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, whether a knife belonged to a dead person or not was hardly a taboo.

The sword that their battalion commander was carrying at his waist was a straight sword, which was said to have been the original sword of the Gushan Ezhen of the Plain Yellow Banner of the Jurchens, whose name was something like Baiyintu. It was also captured.

Thanks to this military achievement, their battalion commander won a first-class gold medal of martial prowess in the Battle of Jining. Less than twenty of those medals were ever awarded in the army.

"I'm not going to talk to you anymore."

Huang Hu waved his hand, then tightened the bundle on his warhorse.

"The holiday to visit relatives is only a little over a month long, and it is all earned by the brothers through fighting with swords and spears. The Northwest is not peaceful yet, and we may have to go back to the battlefield in a few months."

Huang Hu clasped his hands in a fist salute, mounted his horse, and prepared to leave.

However, as if remembering something, Huang Hu pressed down on the reins, leaned down, and whispered his instructions.

"You lot, keep some money on you, don't spend it all at once."

"We heard from our superior that the joint petition from the various battalions has had an effect. Before long, a batch of military notes will be issued as part of this season's military pay, and officers at the captain level and above will also be able to receive military notes."

"As compensation, the military currency office has an exchange counter. Depending on your position and length of service, you can exchange silver for a certain amount of military currency. Once it expires, it will be gone."

"Tiger Lord is well-informed."

Han Fuliang's eyes lit up, and he immediately beamed with joy.

Many items in the military currency exchange cannot be bought on the market, and the quality is guaranteed. Not only can you find novelties from Southeast Asia and Japan, but you can even buy things from Tibet and the Western Regions.

More importantly, warhorses could even be purchased at the military exchange.

Han Fuliang looked enviously at the black horse under Huang Hu's horse. He also wanted to buy a tall warhorse to show off, but unfortunately he didn't have enough military stamps.

The warhorses sold in the military exchange started at a price of one hundred taels of military currency, a price that only battalion commanders and centurions could afford.

Huang Hu was able to afford it and even had extra military notes to give to them because he cut off the head of a Meile Zhangjing, and because of his military achievements in killing generals and capturing flags, as well as his vanguard role in battle, he received a generous reward of military notes.

Moreover, given Huang Hu's achievements, if he were to be transferred out of the Imperial Guard to another camp, he could command a battalion of soldiers.

All the merits they made were meticulously recorded by the military judges and entered into the military archives, so that no one could embezzle them.

For example, Han Fuliang and Zhou Changshou both achieved the rank of battalion commander in terms of merit.

In other words, within the Imperial Guard, each position is filled by a specific person, and without a vacancy, one cannot be promoted.

Even so, no one in the Imperial Guard, not even a common soldier, was willing to be easily promoted and sent out.

They watched Chen Wang rise from Earl to Marquis, and then from Marquis to Duke.

From Duke to Emperor, the difference isn't that much.

Without their Duke, the Ming Dynasty's territory would have been seized by others long ago.

Within the Imperial Guard Battalion, they were the Duke's personal troops, with a bright future ahead of them. Compared to other military garrisons, they were far more powerful and envied by everyone.

"My wife at home received the news and might already be waiting for it."

Huang Hu held the reins, clasped his hands in a fist and smiled.

"I won't chat with the brothers any longer, I'll go ahead first."

"May Tiger have a favorable wind."

Zhou Changshou, Han Fuliang, and Wu Ping also clasped their hands in farewell.

Huang Hu laughed loudly, lightly turned his horse's head, and mingled into the bustling traffic on the street, slowly heading towards Kaifeng City.

His black warhorse stood out in the crowd and quickly disappeared around the street corner.

After watching Huang Hu leave, Wu Ping, who had been silent all along, turned around and solemnly clasped his hands in greeting to Zhou Changshou and Han Fuliang.

After watching Huang Hu leave, Wu Ping also clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Brother Zhou, Brother Han."

A rare smile appeared on Wu Ping's dark face.

"Your families should be waiting too. The resettlement area is now outside the city. The later it gets, the more people will leave the city. It's time for me to leave as well, so there's no need to see me off anymore."

Zhou Changshou and Han Fuliang both straightened up slightly.

Zhou Changshou patted Wu Ping on the shoulder and said in a deep voice.

“Brother Wu is right. In that case, I won’t take up any more of your time.”

Han Fuliang became much more serious and smiled.

"I've already had the house next to ours, the one you just bought, cleaned thoroughly. I've also had your sister-in-law hire a chef from the kitchen service market, so you don't need to worry about the banquet in the new house." "After you pick up A-Nan, come back quickly. Don't delay anything too much along the way, or it won't be good if you, as the host, aren't there."

Wu Ping bowed and clasped his hands in gratitude.

"Thank you, Brother Han."

Over the years, he has accumulated a considerable sum of money.

Although the speakers at the resettlement area made it sound very good, it was somewhat irresponsible to keep the children in the childcare camp indefinitely.

The houses in the city were not expensive, and Wu Ping listened to the advice of Zhou Changshou and others and bought a house in the city that was adjacent to three other houses.

If we leave A-Nan in the city, all three families can live there and be taken care of.

Moreover, there are primary schools in Kaifeng, and the teachers there are all very capable people.

Each family of military personnel can send one child to school without taking an entrance exam, regardless of gender.

There are special women's colleges where girls can study.

Zhou Changshou stood to the side and smiled as well.

"Go early and come back early. See you in the city."

Wu Ping bowed again and said solemnly.

See you in the city.

The military is known for its simplicity, and the three of them didn't exchange many pleasantries. Everything was already made clear in the phrase "See you in the barracks."

Wu Ping didn't carry the package and strode towards the carriage yard at the city gate.

After Wu Ping left, Zhou Changshou and Han Fuliang said goodbye to each other and then embarked on their journey home.

The streets of Kaifeng were still bustling, but amidst this bustle, there were countless farewells like this.

The carriages and horses passed by, and people came and went, almost all of them soldiers returning home.

Wu Ping paid the money, received the ticket, and boarded a large four-wheeled carriage.

Besides a young man dressed as a student, there were five or six soldiers of the Jingnan Army wearing arrow-patterned uniforms sitting on the carriage.

Wu Ping's boarding of the vehicle attracted the attention of a group of soldiers.

"Greetings, Commander Qi."

Several soldiers clasped their hands in salute. They recognized Wu Ping's narrow-sleeved, round-necked robe as a sign of his status and noticed the numerous medals hanging on his chest. Their expressions immediately became even more respectful.

"Greetings, brothers. There's no need for such formalities outside the military camp."

Wu Ping clasped his hands in a fist and smiled, then sat down in the last available seat.

The young man in the carriage, dressed in a scholar's robe, must be a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the imperial examinations at the county level).

However, he showed no disdain for these soldiers.

In the past, as a scholar, one would naturally be unwilling to ride in the same carriage as soldiers.

But things are different now than in previous years.

The status of soldiers is much higher than that of ordinary soldiers.

Soldiers in all towns are granted the privilege of not kneeling before officials, and are allowed to greet them with only military salutes.

Even if soldiers commit crimes, the local government offices do not have the authority to interrogate them; the interrogation must be conducted by the local military court.

Now, in the imperial court, the power and status of military officers have been significantly elevated.

With the new policies, most of the preferential treatment given to civil officials was abolished, and they never regained their former glory.

The imperial court had almost explicitly decreed that military officers were no longer allowed to kneel and pay respects to civil officials. Even when civil and military officials of the same rank met, the civil officials would dismount their sedan chairs and stand aside, waiting for the military officials to pass before they could continue their journey.

The imperial court also issued an edict ordering all civil and military officials in the country, as long as they were in good health, to travel by horse and not by sedan chair. Even if they traveled by carriage, it was only for long-distance travel, in order to cultivate a martial spirit.

In addition, there were many different decrees, collectively known as the "Martial Arts Decree," which promoted a martial spirit while weakening a literary one.

Everyone now knows that the person who truly holds power in the court is not the current emperor.

Instead, it was Chen Wang, who rose to the position of Duke of Yan as a military general through his outstanding military achievements.

The power of the world is now in the hands of military men.

The fact that all three newly appointed governors of the Northern Kingdom were military officials, with not a single civil official, is enough to show the political climate in the court.

The military officials of today walk with an imposing and majestic air, a far cry from their former cautious and humble demeanor.

The carriage remained perfectly smooth as the wheels rolled on.

As Wu Ping sat in the carriage, watching the peaceful scenery flash by outside the window, his eyes gradually reddened.

In the past, he had not thought much of such peaceful times, but after experiencing the turmoil of war and the life-and-death struggles on the battlefield, all of this seemed so precious to him.

As you travel further and further out of the city, the rows of houses gradually disappear, replaced by endless fields stretching as far as the eye can see.

After traveling for an unknown amount of time, as the number of people in the carriage dwindled, the carriage stopped once again, and the driver's voice could be heard from outside.

"Commander Wu, we've arrived."

The carriage door opened, and Wu Ping stepped down, his vision suddenly opening up before him.

Not far away, a majestic fortress stands on the plain, its bluish-gray walls gleaming with a solid luster under the summer sun.
Wu Ping accepted the bundle from the coachman, and after showing his official credentials and the adoption certificate issued by the army at the city gate, a clerk from the orphanage quickly came to greet him.

"This brother must be Wu Ping, the flag commander of the Imperial Guard Division. He is indeed heroic and imposing, with an extraordinary appearance."

The orphanage staff member who came to greet us was a middle-aged civil official dressed in a blue round-necked official robe. He was very enthusiastic as soon as we met.

Wu Ping subconsciously touched his face, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He knew his own family members knew his own situation; his appearance was far from heroic.

"My name is Wan An, an official under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and I have been appointed as the Chief Clerk of the Kaifeng Xiangfu Military and Civilian Settlement Center. The orphanage is also under my jurisdiction."

Wan An led Wu Ping to the outside of the orphanage. Above the black lacquered gate hung a plaque that read "Jingnan Army Orphanage," with neat and powerful characters.

There were guards at the gate, who saluted respectfully when Wan An arrived.

As you step through the gate and past the screen wall, the clear, melodious sound of children reading aloud fills the air.

Wu Ping looked in the direction of the sound and saw dozens of children of varying ages sitting on small stools in the east wing, reciting aloud with a teacher in front of them.

The west wing was quieter, with some older children sitting at their desks writing, their expressions focused.

The courtyard is spacious and clean in the middle, with a slide, swings and other play equipment in the corner.

Wan An explained as he walked.

"The camp is divided into classes according to age. In addition to elementary education and literacy, they are also taught arithmetic and basic geography. The Duke has decreed that all children in our nursery camp, regardless of their background, must be able to read and write."

"Although the children in the camp also have to do some work and help out to earn some extra money for the camp, it is much easier than being outside. Besides, they can also study, which is already a wonderful life."

At this point, Wan An paused for a moment, then smiled.

"Many of the rifles carried by General Wu's soldiers had barrels that were all hand-ground by the children in our orphanage." (End of Chapter)