His entire family perished in battle; he rose from the ashes to conquer the world.

Mu Yuan felt a sense of comfort, and the gloom on his face disappeared, replaced by a look of enjoyment.

If it weren't for the fear of frightening Qin Hongxiu, Mu Yuan would have wanted to shout from the bottom of his heart, "Awesome!"

Qin Hongxiu's meticulous massage was something he had been doing lately.

A rare moment of tranquility.

However, this pleasant moment was shattered by a messenger who suddenly barged in.

The messenger saw Qin Hongxiu massaging Mu Yuan's head, and the latter looked quite pleased. Realizing he had arrived at an inopportune time, he quickly said:

"General and General Qin, please continue. I didn't see anything. I'll come back later."

The appearance of the messenger made Qin Hongxiu feel as if she had done something wrong, and she panicked. She quickly withdrew her hands, and in an instant, her beautiful face was flushed.

In contrast, Mu Yuan remained much calmer.

His face showed no sign of panic; instead, he calmly asked the messenger:

"Speak, what is it?"

"Reporting back to the Commander-in-Chief, Miao Hengping's wife and children are outside the camp, crying and begging to see you."

Mu Yuan didn't think much of it and nodded.

"Bring them in."

With Mu Yuan's consent, the messenger turned and left.

Before long, the messenger entered with a woman dressed in a flamboyant manner.

The glamorous woman was flanked by two young children, around seven or eight years old.

"General, the person has been brought here."

Mu Yuan waved his hand to the messenger, signaling, "You may leave now."

As soon as the messenger left, the alluring woman burst into tears, crying, "General, my husband died mysteriously in the military camp. He died so tragically, leaving us, a widow and orphan, how are we supposed to live now!"

Faced with the glamorous woman's loud cries and shouts, how could Mu Yuan not understand her thoughts? He slowly said:

"Don't worry, Madam Miao, your husband's pension will definitely not be less."

Upon hearing this, the glamorous woman immediately stopped crying and asked like a greedy man, "General, how much compensation will my husband receive?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Hongxiu frowned, her expression turning somewhat unpleasant.

Even though her husband had just died, she rushed to the military camp with her child in a great hurry.

The cause of death was not inquired about.

They place particular emphasis on death benefits.

Especially when she heard that the compensation would be substantial, she immediately stopped crying; it was obvious that her crying was just an act for show.

Mu Yuan also knew that Madam Miao didn't care how Miao Hengping died. Considering that she was with two young children, he pondered for a moment and said:

"Miao Hengping's ancestors for three generations had been horse breeders for the Western Army, and they had made great contributions. He was given a pension of three hundred taels of silver."

The Miao family has been raising horses in Xifu Army for three generations.

He was deeply trusted by the Mu family.

Thanks to this connection, the Miao family opened a horse farm in the area and became wealthy and well-known.

Of course, according to the rules, only those who die in battle are entitled to a pension.

Considering the Miao family's contributions, Mu Yuan not only agreed to pay the compensation but also increased the amount to three hundred taels.

"Three hundred taels?"

Madam Miao's face immediately darkened, her eyes filled with disdain: "My husband's family had been raising horses in the Western Army for three generations, and now he has hanged himself in the army, yet the commander-in-chief only gives him three hundred taels?"

"What do you mean by that? You think it's not enough?"

Qin Hongxiu couldn't stand it anymore: "If your husband had died on the battlefield, he would naturally receive a pension. But your husband hanged himself at the horse ranch. If it weren't for the fact that the Miao family has been raising horses for the Western Army for three generations, would they have allowed you to act so recklessly and demand a pension?"

Lady Miao, having been exposed, was furious:

"What do you know? I'm doing this for the children. Old Miao is dead, the family has lost its pillar. Can't I, a mere woman, ask for more compensation?"

"You..." Qin Hongxiu had never met such a shameless person before, and for a moment, she didn't know what to do.

Mu Yuan raised his hand to signal Qin Hongxiu not to interfere, and then looked at Madam Miao:

"Madam Miao, how much do you think you should be given?"

Madam Miao gestured: "At least three thousand taels!"

"Three thousand taels?"

Mu Yuan was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Seeing her make such an outrageous demand, Qin Hongxiu angrily retorted, "You really dare to ask for that? Aren't you afraid of hurting your teeth?"

"Since we don't have three thousand taels, my child and I will stay outside the camp every day."

Madam Miao threatened.

Before Mu Yuan could vote, Qin Hongxiu slammed her hand on the table and roared, "You're dreaming!!!"

"Fine, you said it yourself, so don't blame me."

Madam Miao uttered a harsh remark and led her two children out of the barracks.

A moment later.

Heart-wrenching cries came from outside:

"Is there no justice in this world? My husband died tragically in the army, leaving behind these two children. I never expected that a commander-in-chief of an army would not even give me a pension."

Hearing the sounds coming from outside, Qin Hongxiu's chest heaved with anger, and she gritted her teeth and cursed:

"Shameless!!!!"

At this moment, outside the barracks, Madam Miao's cries attracted many soldiers from the Western Prefecture. They gathered around, all very curious, wanting to see what had happened.

"You're just going to let this shrew run wild here?" Qin Hongxiu looked at Mu Yuan.

Mu Yuan looked thoughtful.

He was not so angered by Madam Miao's nonsense that he lost his composure.

In order to demand compensation, Madam Miao went so far as to cause trouble in the military camp. While it seemed like she was asking for an exorbitant amount, there was actually another ulterior motive behind it.

They were clearly targeting him.

To be precise, they came for the Mu family.

Outside the barracks.

"Aren't you Miao Hengping's wife? What's wrong? Why are you so out of sorts?"

"Madam Miao, this is a military camp. No fooling around here."

Many generals were also drawn by Lady Miao's cries. They recognized her, some out of curiosity, others offering kind words of advice.

"My lords, surely you all know my husband? He has died tragically in the army, leaving me and two children behind. I came here today hoping for some compensation to support my children, but alas..."

Lady Miao, with tears streaming down her face, complained to the group of generals, making no mention of her exorbitant demands.

"The Miao family has raised horses for the Western Army for three generations, so it is reasonable for them to ask for compensation."

"What kind of talk is that? Miao Hengping didn't die in battle, so why would he receive a pension? Isn't this breaking the rules?"

"Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. If we follow the rules exactly the time, wouldn't that seem inhumane?"

"Stop arguing! Whether or not to provide compensation is the commander's decision!"

The matter of the compensation was hotly debated.

Just then.

Mu Yuan led Qin Hongxiu out.

The crowd, who had been arguing heatedly, suddenly fell silent.

"Madam Miao, you are a respectable person, why bother with this?" Mu Yuan said with a faint smile.

"General, although my husband did not die on the battlefield and is not eligible for compensation, I only want to support our two children, so I have no choice but to swallow my pride and come here to ask for it."

At this moment, Madam Miao was no longer the shrew who had made outrageous demands in the barracks; she had completely changed her demeanor.