Wife, you didn't really drug me, did you?

Chapter 584 Chen Jie: We must not let the dead feel disheartened.

By this time, the war was basically over, and Xu Shouhui's army suffered a crushing defeat. In the later stages of the war, Chen Jie mobilized all three of his army corps and one patrol brigade to carry out a fierce crackdown on Xu Shouhui's army.

Meanwhile, Chen Jie set up a temporary command post on the city wall.

At this moment, Hu Weiyong and Sixi climbed onto the city wall and saw that most of the high-ranking officials of Huangzhou Prefecture had arrived.

At this moment, Hu Weiyong and Sixi looked at Chen Xiaohu standing there and clasped their hands in greeting, saying, "Commander Hu, are we late?"

Chen Xiaohu turned around and saw Hu Weiyong, and said with a smile, "Old Hu, it's not late, it's not late, we've been waiting for you!"

Hu Weiyong immediately said, "I am ashamed, I am ashamed. Our martial skills are not good enough to fight on the front lines. We only arrived now."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaohu looked at Hu Weiyong and said, "Old Hu, what are you doing killing enemies as a civil official? If all you civil officials are killing enemies, what are we military generals for? Alright, come on over, we've been waiting for you for ages."

Hu Weiyong immediately agreed. Although Hu Weiyong was autocratic, he knew that there were some people he could not afford to offend, such as Chen Xiaohu, the Tiger Commander, who was actually the number one person in the military. He looked reckless, but he was actually shrewd and meticulous. Moreover, he was the city lord's cousin and a confidant among confidants.

With such a person around, he dared not act presumptuously and could only remain humble.

Moreover, Huangzhou Prefecture is full of talented people. Not to mention Chen Xiaohu, there are many others like Zhao Ya and Ni Wenjun who are both capable and trusted confidants of the city lord.

Therefore, Hu Weiyong was still very honest.

Hu Weiyong's personality is similar to that of Wei Yan during the Three Kingdoms period. As long as someone can subdue his local people, he will be the most loyal and useful villain. However, if these capable people fall, he may start causing trouble.

This was driven by ambition, and Huangzhou Prefecture was teeming with experts and powerful individuals. The few mentioned above were enough for Hu Weiyong to be modest, not to mention the incredibly strange city lord above them.

That Chen Jiu Si, who is both literate and martial, has a unique vision, and possesses extraordinary strength.

At this moment, Hu Weiyong and Sixi immediately arrived at the pavilion on the city wall. Tables and chairs had already been set up inside the pavilion, but because the space was a bit cramped, everyone was sitting in a somewhat crowded manner.

At this time, Chen Jie was already seated in the main seat, Ni Wenjun was sitting on his left, and Zhao Ya was sitting in the first seat on his right.

Next to Ni Wenjun sat Chen Xiaohu and Zhou Chu, followed by the commanders of the Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird armies on his right. The second and third seats were vacant, and Bai Wenjing sat in the fourth seat, with Tao Guangyi, the president of the Academy of Sciences, sitting below her.

Upon seeing Hu Weiyong enter, Chen Jie immediately greeted him, "Old Hu, Sixi, you're here! Come and sit down!"

At this moment, Chen Jie immediately invited the two to sit down. Hu Weiyong and Sixi clasped their fists together and then sat down. After they sat down, Chen Jie said, "Alright, everyone is almost here."

"Everyone should know why this meeting is for. Now, each of you should report on your combat situation and data."

Hearing this, Chen Jie said, "Chen Xiaohu, you go first!"

"Reporting to the city lord, our White Tiger Army suffered more than a quarter of its casualties in this battle, totaling 6,372 casualties, including 1,200 seriously wounded and 5,172 dead. There were no minor injuries!"

Five thousand one hundred and seventy-two people died. This number made Chen Jiexin's heart clench. You must know that these five thousand men were all from his Mianshui County, and many of them were members of his Chen clan. These five thousand men were all his soldiers!

Thinking of this, Chen Jie sighed, "Well, let's report our battle achievements!"

Chen Xiaohu said, "Yes, our White Tiger Army has killed more than 13,000 enemies, captured 8,000 alive, and seized more than 1,000 supplies and horses."

Chen Jie nodded slightly and said, "Okay."

Chen Jie then looked at Jin Yanzi, the commander of the Azure Dragon Army, and asked, "Jin Yanzi, how is your Azure Dragon Army?"

Jin Yanzi said, "Reporting to the city lord, our Azure Dragon Army has suffered more than one-fifth casualties, totaling 4,023 casualties, including 1,500 seriously wounded, 2,500 dead, and 23 lightly wounded."

"As for the battle achievements, our army killed about 10,000 enemy soldiers, captured 3,000 alive, and seized supplies, weapons and food, which have not yet been counted."

The war had just ended, and apart from high-end supplies like military horses, there wasn't enough time to inventory everything else. Chen Xiaohu had only managed to loot a thousand military horses, which is why he mentioned it briefly.

"Our Vermilion Bird Army suffered more than a quarter casualties, totaling 5,700, including 2,123 seriously wounded, 3,500 dead, and 77 lightly wounded."

"In addition, our army killed more than 9,000 enemy soldiers, captured 7,000 alive, and seized supplies, including a catapult."

"Catapult?"

Upon hearing about the catapult, Tao Guangyi, who was sitting at the end of the line, suddenly spoke up. He was quite interested in this thing. Although he was more skilled with firearms, he also had the desire to study this kind of mechanical device.

"Yes, but one of the wheels on this cart was broken, so it wasn't brought to the battlefield. We only discovered this catapult during the later stages of the chase!"

"Alright, alright, it doesn't matter if the wheel is broken, as long as the main mechanism isn't broken, my lord!"

Tao Guangyi looked at Chen Jie, who said, "Old Shi, after the meeting is over, transport the car to the Academy of Sciences."

"Yes."

The commander of the Vermilion Bird Army, Shi Gengming, should immediately be appointed.

Chen Jie nodded, then looked at Director Zhou and said, "Old Zhou, your patrol team has also made a contribution this time. Report it."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chu immediately stood up and said, "Hehe, it was just a small achievement, how dare I claim credit? I merely managed to steal a little credit when no one was looking, hehe..."

Zhou Chu said with a smile that the patrol team did indeed steal a lot of credit, mainly because they chased after the enemy after their defeat.

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie said, "Hehe, Director Zhou, you old rascal, I know that the main contribution of your patrol team is in maintaining stability on the ground, not in fighting on the front lines."

"However, I will not be short of credit for your contributions either. Tell me the specific figures."

Zhou Chu said, "Our patrol team is no match for the three major legions. We suffered a total of 78 casualties in this battle, more than 30 of whom were killed by stray arrows while helping to defend the city."

"Actually, there were forty-eight people..."

At this point, Zhou Chu hesitated for a moment, but finally he said, "The remaining forty-eight men were killed in action while pursuing the enemy. They were caught off guard by a small-scale enemy counterattack!"

Everyone understood why Zhou Chu hesitated when he said this: it was because this way of dying was too shameful. It was a typical case of trying to steal credit, which failed and led to his death!

Having figured this out, everyone saw through it but didn't say anything. Chen Jie didn't say anything either, but simply asked, "What about the spoils?"

Zhou Chu immediately laughed and said, "We captured more than two thousand prisoners, and we also have a considerable amount of supplies!"

"More than two thousand prisoners? My God, Old Zhou, you're amazing! My Qinglong Army has only captured more than three thousand prisoners in total, and your patrol team has captured two thousand prisoners. You guys are something else."

Zhou Chu chuckled and said, "Golden Swallow, don't say that. We were just lucky, really lucky!"

Upon hearing this, Golden Swallow said, "Hehe, next time something like this happens, let us have a piece of it too."

Zhou Chu laughed heartily and said, "Of course, of course."

As they were talking, Chen Jie said, "Well, the armies suffered heavy casualties in this battle, but it was also a test for our Huangzhou Prefecture army. As for the results, everyone knows what they are!"

"In short, we won this battle, and we should be rewarded for our victory."

"Ya Ya, Wu Hong didn't come today. When you have some free time, you and Wu Hong will form a military merit review team to review the military merits of this battle, prevent anyone from falsely claiming military merits or being a fraud, and punish them severely if caught."

"Furthermore, when the commanders of each army return, they must strictly implement the military industry issues without any mistakes."

"Order!"

"Furthermore, give the order that the troops will have a special meal today and tomorrow to celebrate, but no alcohol is allowed. The troops must also maintain their combat readiness at all times, as there are still tough battles to be fought."

"Yes!"

Chen Xiaohu and the others immediately agreed. At this moment, Chen Xiaohu looked at Chen Jie and asked, "My lord, what about the tough battle you mentioned?"

Chen Jie looked at him and said, "Xu Shouhui doesn't think he's done with it just because he ran away, does he? Let the army rest for two days. After two days, we'll set off to liberate Xiangyang City. Hubei Road should then belong to our Huangzhou Prefecture!"

"Correct!"

Upon hearing this, everyone shouted excitedly.

Xu Shouhui's attack on Huangzhou Prefecture infuriated these people. They were all yelling and venting their anger.

Upon hearing that they were going to launch a counterattack on Xiangyang, everyone was filled with high spirits and vowed to cut off Xu Shouhui's head.

Chen Jie then continued, "Also, I have some good news for you. Starting today, the Scripture Pavilion will enter war mode, and all martial arts manuals, elixirs, and weapons will be sold at a 10% discount!"

"Everyone can exchange military merits for points, which can then be used to obtain treasures from the Scripture Pavilion!"

At this point, Chen Jie looked at everyone and said, "Therefore, everyone must seize this opportunity to strengthen the army of Huangzhou Prefecture."

"In addition, any personnel shortages in the various armies can be replenished from the reserve forces. Furthermore, top graduates from the Huangzhou Military Academy will also be given priority in replenishing your troops!"

Hearing this, Chen Xiaohu and his men were excited. After this battle, they had gained a group of battle-hardened soldiers, as well as sufficient logistical support. Even martial arts, pills, and cultivation techniques were all available for exchange, which could greatly enhance the strength of their army!

The entire army was thrilled at this moment. It was fantastic! All the secret manuals, pills, and weapons in the Scripture Pavilion were discounted by 10% with points. This was an incredible deal, and it happened to coincide with the time when everyone had military merits. It was the perfect time for them to exchange them for techniques to improve their strength.

In the military, soldiers earn one point per day for training. Those holding military positions, such as sergeants, receive an additional point on top of their regular points, and can also earn bonus points through various military competitions. For example, in the weekly rotating red flag competition, the platoon that wins the rotating red flag receives three points for ordinary members and ten points for sergeants.

Don't underestimate these points; fifty points can be exchanged for a pack of medicine to help you break through to the Skin Polishing Realm.

Often, soldiers can become martial artists at the Skin-Refining Realm after only a few months of service.

However, the points earned normally are too few. The fastest way to earn points is on the battlefield. On the battlefield, killing any enemy soldier will earn you 200 points. If it is an enemy soldier of the rank of captain or higher, you can get even more points.

This battle will result in a huge increase in points for the survivors, and with the Scripture Pavilion offering discounts, is there anything better in the world?
Therefore, Chen Xiaohu was extremely excited. He could be said to have really made a fortune in this battle!
Every surviving soldier will see their strength increase by at least one level, and some powerful ones might even receive an even greater boost.

This is also what Chen Jie hoped to see: using war to sustain war!
And so the most crucial and important topic of this meeting came to an end.

Chen Jie then looked at Bai Wenjing and asked, "Master, how is your hospital doing now?"

Bai Wenjing said, "Good, good. Fortunately, we have penicillin, which has greatly reduced the risk of soldier casualties. I estimate that two-thirds of the several thousand people currently in the hospital should be able to return to the army. As for the remaining third..."

Bai Wenjing frowned slightly. Seeing this, Chen Jie looked at Bai Wenjing and asked, "Master, what do you mean?"

Bai Wenjing said, "Some people will die. Their injuries are too severe. Whether they survive or not is up to fate."

"There are also those with broken arms and legs, and even if they are healed, they will not be able to return to the army."

Chen Jie fell silent upon hearing this, then looked at Bai Wenjing and said, "Yes, Master, your hospital should do its best to treat the wounded and the dead."

Chen Jie said, "Old Hu!"

Hu Weiyong quickly clasped his hands and said, "My lord, rest assured, our government has already established a veterans' relief center. We will compile a complete list of all wounded veterans and distribute supplies according to the standards to ensure that their parents, wives and children are taken care of."

Chen Jie nodded and said, "Yes, Lao Hu's establishment of this consolation office is good. We can't let the soldiers bleed and cry at the same time."

"in addition!"

Chen Jie said, "For veterans who are still able to take care of themselves, could our training department make some arrangements?"

As Chen Jie spoke, he looked at a man sitting between Chen Xiaohu and Zhou Chu. This man had been silent all along. He was Wu Daojun, the military academy dean and head of the recruit training department whom Chen Jie had promoted.

This man was originally appointed by Chen Jie as the commander of the Vermilion Bird Army. It was later discovered that he was not good at being a commander of an army and lacked decisiveness. However, he was calm, composed, and not arrogant or impetuous, which made him a suitable commander for the military academy and training department that Chen Jie was preparing to establish.

Therefore, Chen Jie transferred him away and replaced him with Shi Gengming, the commander of the Vermilion Bird Army, while Wu Daojun directly became the commander of the recruit training department and the vice principal of the military academy.

The recruit training department, also known as the reserve force, has a total size of nearly 100,000 people. These are the reserve forces prepared for the Azure Dragon Army, White Tiger Army, and Vermilion Bird Army.

The training department's goal was to replenish the three main armies with manpower as quickly as possible, even if all the frontline soldiers were wiped out.

This was a very important task, so the steady and reliable Wu Daojun was chosen as the commander-in-chief to arrange everything.

At this moment, Chen Jie looked at Wu Daojun. Wu Daojun was a serious and unsmiling person. He was strict and meticulous in his work, making him very suitable as a supervisor for new recruits.

"Old Wu!"

Chen Jie looked at Wu Daojun, and Wu Daojun also looked at Chen Jie and said, "My lord."

"The veterans have already told us about their experiences. They were all wounded and killed in battle for Huangzhou Prefecture. So I was thinking, could we arrange some work for them in the training department, even something as simple as cleaning?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Daojun said, "That's not a bad idea. It just so happens that our training department is planning to recruit some more instructors. Those with rich training experience and whose disabilities don't hinder their teaching can come here to be training instructors and teach these soldiers who have never seen blood what a real battlefield is like!"

"Okay, this method is good."

Chen Jie listened to Wu Daojun's words and said, "This method is very good, let's do it according to Lao Wu's method!"

"Now that the problem of wounded soldiers has been solved, there is another problem to be solved, which is the issue of compensation for soldiers who died in battle."

"My current plan is for everyone to report the information of these soldiers, find all the bodies, and then ask their families whether they want to take the bodies with them. If they do, we won't stop them; if they don't, we'll be responsible for their burial."

Then Chen Jie said, "Let's arrange the cemetery on Turtle Mountain outside the city. As for the construction of the cemetery, Lao Hu will take care of it."

"I will immediately arrange for the Ministry of Works to do it."

Chen Jie said, "Besides the cemetery, there are two other buildings I want to see. The first is to build a Martyrs' Memorial Hall near the City Lord's Mansion, where the names of the soldiers who died in battle will be enshrined. Every year on the fifteenth of the Qingming Festival, when people need to pay their respects, I will personally lead a team to pay our respects."

"Let them be remembered in history, for future generations to pay homage to."

"At the same time, tell the soldiers that all soldiers who die in battle can be enshrined in the Martyrs' Memorial Hall for future generations to pay their respects!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaohu said, "My lord, if we do this, won't these soldiers be remembered in history?"

Chen Jie nodded and said, "That's right, I want them to be remembered in history!"

"I want to tell everyone that as long as they truly care about the good of Huangzhou Prefecture, their descendants will never forget them!"

Upon hearing Chen Jie's idea, Zhao Ya's eyes lit up. She knew many ways to win people's hearts, but Chen Jie's method was truly rare: building a shrine for the soldiers so that every generation could come and worship, ensuring the incense would burn eternally.

In other words, as long as Huangzhou Prefecture exists, these soldiers can receive incense offerings for one day.

Although it is unknown whether these soldiers will receive the benefits, the surviving soldiers have hope. In the past, when soldiers died, that was it; giving them some compensation was considered a sign of conscience. But things are different now.

As long as you do something for Huangzhou Prefecture, not to mention the pension, Chen Jiu Si will make everyone remember you.

For ordinary people, it's already quite an achievement if they are remembered by their own descendants after they die. But if you make contributions to Huangzhou Prefecture, you will be remembered by everyone in Huangzhou Prefecture for generations to come. What an honor that is!

This is the effect Chen Jie needs. People must not die in vain. They must feel that they died for a worthy cause and have no worries about the future so that they can unleash their strongest power.

The Chenjie Martyrs Memorial Hall was built so that soldiers could realize their personal value. After all, who doesn't want to be remembered in history?

Secondly, there is the issue of compensation for martyrs.

Chen Jie looked at Hu Weiyong, who knew it was his turn to deal with this again.

"Reporting to my lord, I have arranged for the veterans' compensation to be handled by the Veterans' Affairs Office. The veterans' affairs office covers all aspects of the compensation, whether the soldiers are wounded or killed in action."

Chen Jie asked, "Where does the money for the veterans' welfare center come from?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong said, "The money will be directly managed by the Ministry of Revenue of Huangzhou Prefecture, and it will be directly distributed to the veterans by us. We will not allow too many people to handle the money, otherwise corruption will inevitably arise."

Chen Jie nodded slightly after hearing this and said, "Yes, that's very thoughtful."

"But that's not enough. Money is one aspect, but we also need to ensure they have a bright future for their children and grandchildren. So, let's spread the word that all the children of martyrs will enjoy preferential treatment in the imperial examinations, and they will receive an extra ten points when entering any university in Huangzhou Prefecture!"

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded slightly. At this moment, Chen Xiaohu spoke up, "My lord, our Huangzhou Prefectural University has three courses for the exam, which are worth a total of 300 points. Is adding only 10 points too little?"

Chen Jie asked, "How much more do you want to add?"

Chen Xiaohu said, "Adding thirty or fifty points would be fine."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie said, "Thirty or fifty points is a good thing for the children of martyrs, but the premise is that we cannot undermine the fundamentals of the imperial examination system in Huangzhou Prefecture. If we count half a subject's score as thirty or fifty points, wouldn't Huangzhou University only admit the children of martyrs? Is that fair to the children of ordinary people?"

"Although there is no true fairness in this world, it is essential to strike a balance. This is a very favorable policy, but at the same time, it will not significantly affect the fairness of the imperial examination system. This is a better policy!"

Upon hearing Chen Jie's words, Chen Xiaohu immediately shut up and said, "Oh, I see."

"My lord, I didn't expect that."

Chen Jie said, "What can you think of?"

As he spoke, Chen Jie looked at Hu Weiyong and asked, "What does Old Hu think?"

Hu Weiyong said, "My lord is wise."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie said, "Stop flattering me all day long. You are the Left Chancellor of Huangzhou Prefecture. You need to show some responsibility!"

"Yes, but I really couldn't find any loopholes in the lord's policies!"

Hu Weiyong said, and Chen Jie thought to himself, "That makes sense. After all, these are things that are still in use in later generations, which means they must have been considered comprehensively." Thinking this, Chen Jie said, "Then let's leave military matters as they are for now."

"Next, let's talk about the epidemic prevention work in Huangzhou Prefecture. After such a great disaster, there will inevitably be a great epidemic. Right now, there are corpses everywhere outside Huangzhou Prefecture. If the corpses are not buried in time, there will definitely be problems."

"The moat is also full of corpses, so pass on my order: reserve soldiers to clean up the battlefield and bury the corpses as quickly as possible, Master Bai."

Ok?
Bai Wenjing looked at Chen Jie.

"Your hospital, in conjunction with the municipal departments under the Ministry of Works, immediately begin city-wide disinfection. Use all available lime and sulfur. Also, issue a notice that all residents must drink boiled water for the next two days; no one is allowed to drink untreated water from the wild..."

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)