Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

"I'd be happy to pay wages, but my family is starving!"

"For money, I'd go to the battlefield and fight the Tartars to the death without flinching!"

"Are they really going to pay the back wages for the first two months too? Then I'll be receiving three months' worth of pay all at once!"

"It would be even better if we could increase the soldiers' pay!"

"I swear to follow you to the death, my lord..."

According to the military pay standards of the Han Dynasty, a garrison unit like the Ba Shang camp would receive about one shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain per person per month, but no silver.

Of course, in practice, the provisions and wages were converted into silver or other goods.

Because of the continuous disasters in the past two years, grain prices have been on the rise.

According to the prices in the capital city of the Han Dynasty this year, one shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain is roughly equivalent to 1.5 taels of silver.

Therefore, ordinary soldiers in the Ba Shang camp should have received 1.5 taels of silver per month.

However, the ordinary soldiers in the main camp certainly wouldn't receive their full pay.

Every time the imperial court allocated grain and provisions, most of it would be embezzled by the officials in charge of the Ministry of War and the nobles who had helped to quell the rebellion.

When things were good, the soldiers were lucky to receive three or four bushels of rice; when things were bad, they didn't receive any pay at all.

How can we expect these soldiers to fight on the front lines and risk their lives for the country when they can't even support their own families?

Therefore, it is normal for such an army to lack combat effectiveness.

Jia Jing wanted to restore the fighting capacity of the Ba Shang camp. In addition to the necessary training and excellent weapons, the most important thing was to ensure that they received sufficient food and pay.

In this era, as long as there's money to be made, there are plenty of people willing to work themselves to the bone for it.

As Jia Jing told Emperor Jingsheng and others, as long as they were given enough money and supplies, the Han army was no worse than the Qing army.

Jia Jing calmly swept his gaze across the entire army once more. This time, the soldiers looked at Jia Jing with not only awe, but also admiration and respect.

Jia Jing nodded and spoke again:

"Not only do I pay them well, but I also ensure that they have two full meals a day in the camp, and well-trained soldiers will even get meat to eat."

"Furthermore, my military strategy boils down to four words: Might makes right! The strong rise, the weak fall."

"The officers at the lowest levels, such as squad leader, platoon leader, company commander, and captain, will all be re-selected based on your training and combat performance."

"As long as you train diligently, win battles, and achieve military merit, I can guarantee you a bright future."

"Of course, I won't be lenient with those lazy, slacking, and undisciplined soldiers either; the Marquis of Linchuan and his ilk are examples!"

"What is due to you will be given to you by this Marquis; whether you can seize the opportunity depends on your own actions!"

The soldiers on the drill ground roared with approval upon hearing this!

Especially those military officers who felt their talents were not recognized or who were suppressed by the Marquis of Linchuan and others were particularly excited and cheered.

They had never dared to dream of such a life before, where they were well paid and fed, and their credit was not stolen.

Down below the stage, Ma Guocheng was also moved, secretly thinking: "As expected of a young man who was granted a title at a young age, he won over most of the army with just a few words."

Even if some lower-ranking military officers are dissatisfied with the re-selection system, they can no longer cause any trouble in the face of the general trend!

After Jia Jing and the others finished their enthusiastic cheers, they solemnly spoke again:

"Now that I've finished talking about the good things, let me tell you something not so good!"

"I have always prioritized military law in governing my army! Because a strong army must have strict military discipline."

"The lax atmosphere of the past is gone forever from our Ba Shang camp! From now on, I will formulate new military laws and training programs."

"To be honest, military law will be very strict, and training will be extremely rigorous. It's survival of the fittest. Cowards who are afraid of death and hardship can get out of the camp as soon as possible, because I never keep cowardly, weak, or useless soldiers under my command!"

"I once heard someone say that the troops of our Great Han army are the most elite among those stationed on the nine borders! The capital garrison and the Baling garrison are just showy but useless!"

"But I intend to transform the Ba Shang camp into an army even more elite than the border troops! The first step is to strictly enforce military law!"

"Next, I will explain the military laws I enforce in the army. Don't say you weren't warned!"

Jia Jing, with a serious expression, glanced around the room and slowly began to speak:

"Those who are disloyal and unjust, who defect to the enemy and betray their country, shall be executed!"

"Those who spread rumors or disobey orders will be executed!"

"Anyone who fears the enemy and fails to advance, or who deserts in the face of battle, shall be executed!"

"Anyone who leaks military secrets or provides false military information will be executed!"

"Anyone who steals military property or steals another's military merit shall be executed!"

"Anyone who incites a disturbance and disrupts the morale of the army shall be executed!"

"Those who kill innocent people and claim credit for their crimes, who commit adultery and plunder, shall be executed!"

"I don't care what his identity is, whose connections he has, or whose power he relies on. As long as he violates my military law, he will be executed without mercy!"

These are seven mandatory execution orders formulated by Jia Jing on the Liaodong battlefield, based on later military regulations.

Unlike the "Seventeen Prohibitions and Fifty-Four Executions" of the Han Dynasty, which were too detailed and comprehensive but had low practical operability, this set of rules was not as detailed.

Many soldiers don't even know how to read, so it's unrealistic to expect them to memorize and understand so much military law.

Just like the Three Disciplines and Eight Points for Attention in later generations, they were able to be implemented effectively because they were simple, easy to understand, and easy to operate.

These seven military rules are simple and easy to remember, and they cover all the important matters, making them highly practical military rules.

Jia Jing wanted all his soldiers to be able to recite it all, and he would frequently conduct spot checks.

Jia Jing's cold words seemed to carry a chilling aura even in the wind on the training ground.

Each utterance of the word "slay" felt like a giant hammer striking the hearts of the soldiers, causing everyone present to tense up.

No one present thought Jia Jing's seven-word execution order was a joke; after all, the military governor had even killed the Marquis of Linchuan.

If these people dare to disobey military orders, how could we not kill them!

Of course, many military officers actually understand that to build a strong military, strict military law must be enforced!

Especially on the battlefield, if one cannot strictly obey military orders and advance without hesitation wherever the command flag points, even the best army will only suffer defeat!

……

Imperial City.

Qianqing Palace.

By this time, news of the Ba Shang camp had reached Emperor Jingsheng.

After hearing Xia Shouzhong's report, Emperor Jingsheng's expression changed slightly.

He didn't expect Jia Jing to act so decisively, taking action against the Marquis of Linchuan and others on his very first day at the Ba Shang camp.

He originally thought that Jia Jing would at least enter the military camp to understand the situation, collect evidence, and place people to make full preparations before making a surprise attack.

They might even inform us first so that we can mobilize the Beijing garrison to be on guard, in case the Ba Shang camp rebels and cause an unrest that would be difficult to suppress.

Unexpectedly, Jia Jing not only took direct action, but also killed the Marquis of Linchuan in the military camp!

The Marquis of Linchuan was not an incompetent ruler like the Duke of Zhao. Although the Marquis of Linchuan had become corrupt in recent years,

But he was a brave and valiant man who was ennobled for his military achievements; otherwise, he would not have become a second-class marquis, and Emperor Jingsheng would not have been wary of him for so many years.

Not to mention that the entire Ba Shang camp was composed of people from the Jingnan Wuxun lineage. Jia Jing's ability to act without hesitation amidst thousands of troops demonstrates a courage and decisiveness that is beyond the reach of ordinary people!

"Though the tiger cub is young, it already has the spirit to devour a cow!" Emperor Jingsheng thought to himself.