Chapter 53 - 52: Drawing a Ghost Salary

Chapter 53: Chapter 52: Drawing a Ghost Salary

Outside the military tent.

One Vice Captain, four Crew Leaders, and twenty-one Decurions gathered here, waiting for Zheng Jun to put on his Official Robe.

Regarding Zheng Jun being "parachuted" in to serve as Captain, everyone had their own speculations, unsure of how things would proceed from here. The four Crew Leaders, in particular, wore varying expressions. Meanwhile, Vice Captain Yang Jun appeared much more composed.

He was older, already forty-three, and a Martial Artist of the Qi Storage Realm. His Qi and Blood had long stagnated due to hidden injuries, making it difficult to circulate his True Qi. He was a veteran cavalryman who had retired from Yunzhou in the north. Coming to Black Mountain County this time was merely to retire in peace and enjoy a leisurely life.

The situation in Yunzhou was far more complex than in Bozhou. The Yan Mountain range lay within Yunzhou’s borders. Eight hundred years ago, during a time of great chaos across the land, a Great Demon had established the Northern Demon Court within the Yan Mountain range, raising numerous Demon Soldiers and Demon Generals.

Aside from this Northern Demon Court, the lands north of Yunzhou were the territory of the Rongdi beyond the Great Wall. The Rongdi rode freely on horseback and frequently rode south to pillage and plunder. Because of this, Yunzhou was in a constant state of turmoil. The Court massed heavy troops there; three Generals of the Duke rank alone were stationed in the region, commanding no fewer than three hundred thousand troops. Furthermore, the reigning Emperor had enfeoffed his fourth son, King Yan Li Gao, in Yunzhou, having him oversee the region in his capacity as a Prince.

To be able to retire from Yunzhou as a veteran soldier proved that Yang Jun was a man who had experienced countless battles. He felt that his life would remain as it was. He did not seek promotion; he simply wanted to coast through his days and save up some silver taels to support the younger generations back in his hometown so they could practice Martial Arts. Whoever became the Captain had nothing to do with him. The Crew Leaders, however, had much more on their minds.

Right at that moment, a figure suddenly stepped out from the military tent, instantly drawing the eyes of everyone present. It was Zheng Jun, who had already changed into his brand-new black Official Robe, striding out of the tent.

The Official Robe Zheng Jun wore was divided into two layers. The outer layer was a greatcoat that draped like a cape, featuring wide, billowing sleeves. The inner layer was a martial outfit with tightened cuffs fastened by laces. At any time, he could take off the cape-like outer layer and switch to armor. A beautifully woven rank badge was stitched onto the chest, embroidered with a ferocious rhinoceros to indicate his status as an Eighth Grade Military Officer of the Great Zhou.

On his head rested a Military Hat, which could be easily removed and replaced with a helmet during battle. Normally, a Longsword was to be worn at the waist. However, in addition to the standard Longsword, Zheng Jun also had a Ceremonial Saber hanging from his belt. The matching saber and sword made him look incredibly majestic—a stark contrast to his past image of wearing only a thin, black Official’s Uniform.

He didn’t look like an Eighth Grade Military Officer Captain at all. Instead, he possessed the bearing of a Grand Commander of the March who served as the Governor of state military affairs, a First Grade Grand General, or an Upper Pillar of the state!

Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse. The Crew Leaders and Decurions standing outside the tent couldn’t help but stare at Zheng Jun in dumbfounded awe.

Everyone had seen the same attire on the previous Captain Wang, but they hadn’t felt anything special back then. Now, worn by Captain Zheng, he looked truly vibrant, radiating the aura of a legendary, illustrious general! Seeing this, Vice Captain Yang Jun couldn’t help but step forward to offer a bow. "Captain, you look extraordinary and mighty," he said. "You are truly an Innate General Talent!"

"Captain Yang praises me too highly. You have endured countless Battle Arrays, whereas I have just arrived. Naturally, I will have to rely on you to manage the troops."

Zheng Jun acted very modestly. After exchanging pleasantries with Yang Jun, he looked toward the Decurions and immediately ordered, "You all don’t need to mind me here. Return to your respective squads! As for the Crew Leaders, follow me into the tent to discuss matters."

With that, Zheng Jun turned and walked back inside the tent.

Although nominally called a military tent, it was actually a room functioning much like an office. Calling it a tent was simply a matter of adhering to tradition. Hearing his orders, the four Crew Leaders and Vice Captain Yang Jun followed him inside.

As soon as they entered, Zheng Jun unhesitatingly took the main seat. He then addressed the Crew Leaders, "Following Captain Wang’s unfortunate passing, how have the military affairs been handled recently? Who is in charge of logistics, and how many soldiers do we currently have in the army?"

Upon hearing Zheng Jun’s questions, the four Crew Leaders exchanged glances for a moment. Then, one of them voluntarily stepped forward and reported, "Captain, I am Wu Yunwen, the Crew Leader in charge of logistics."

Zheng Jun nodded. Before he could say anything else, Wu Yunwen discreetly took out a silver note and placed it on the large desk. "Captain Zheng takes office today," Wu Yunwen said. "Your comrades in the army have pooled together some silver to congratulate you. It’s just a small token of our appreciation; please accept it."

Hearing this, Zheng Jun glanced at the silver note.

One hundred taels.

"Hmm?"

Zheng Jun stared at the one hundred taels before shifting his sharp, cold gaze to Wu Yunwen. A chilling aura spread from his body.

"Captain."

Right at that moment, Yang Jun spoke up. "This has always been the way in Black Mountain County. If you mind it, you can investigate it strictly. If you don’t mind, there will be one hundred taels of silver every month.

"During the bandit suppression a few days ago, over seventy brothers died, including two Crew Leaders and nine Decurions. According to the Court’s roster, our guard should have two hundred and twenty-seven infantrymen and eleven cavalrymen. The reality is otherwise. Currently, we only have one hundred and thirty-nine infantrymen and ten cavalrymen."

Hearing this, Zheng Jun understood immediately.

They were embezzling phantom pay!

There were eighty-eight missing infantry spots and one missing cavalry spot. Infantrymen received an allowance of three taels of silver every month, while cavalrymen received twenty taels. Therefore, the Black Mountain Guard could embezzle two hundred and eighty-four taels of phantom pay each month. On top of that, the Court distributed one Blood Nourishing Pill to each soldier annually, and three Leopard Tendon Pills to Captains at or above the Qi Storage Realm.

Because of this, the phantom pay wasn’t just silver; it also included dozens of Great Medicines!

"If a war breaks out and we are short on men, what then?" Zheng Jun pondered for a moment before asking.

Before Yang Jun could respond, Wu Yunwen readily answered, "We just temporarily recruit from the nearby villages and have them falsely assume the names on the roster. If they die, we can claim a pension from the Court. For an infantryman, it’s usually twenty taels. When the time comes, we give ten taels to the villagers and pocket the other ten taels for ourselves."

Out of the county’s military forces, three crews were stationed inside the city at the Military Department, while another three crews, along with the cavalry, were stationed at the military camp outside the county.

Hearing Yang Jun and Wu Yunwen’s explanations, Zheng Jun suddenly felt that this was going to be a thorny issue.

Everyone was partaking in this phantom pay!

Two hundred and eighty-four taels a month amounted to three thousand, four hundred and eight taels a year. Everyone present had a share of it. Even the Decurions, Squad Leaders, and ordinary soldiers below them enjoyed much higher compensation than usual.

"Is the Captain worrying about fighting a war?" Yang Jun seemed to spot Zheng Jun’s concern. He immediately leaned in close and whispered, "It wouldn’t be our turn to fight anyway. We have Yunzhou’s three hundred thousand-strong army holding the front line. If Yunzhou falls, how could our Bozhou State Soldiers possibly fight? We’d just be there for show. As for worrying about being held accountable, Captain, you have no need to fret. All the Counties in the entire State are just like us, pocketing the Court’s phantom pay.

"Bozhou is said to have an army of a hundred thousand, but in reality, it’s no more than forty or fifty thousand. Roughly half of it is just swindling the Court out of army pay!"

Hearing Yang Jun’s words, Zheng Jun fell into deep thought.

Were the military preparations truly this lax everywhere except the front lines?

It made sense. Although the Great Zhou Dynasty had yet to change its Emperor, the dynasty had lasted for eight hundred years. Power structures across the land were deeply entrenched and intertwined, making such corruption inevitable. Zheng Jun faintly felt that as soon as the Great Zhou’s Divine Martial Emperor passed away, the Great Zhou Dynasty would more than likely descend into chaos.

Accepting the one hundred-tael silver note, Zheng Jun said in a deep voice, "I heard that a Qi Storage Pill costs one hundred taels each. There’s no need to give me silver notes in the future; just provide me with one Qi Storage Pill every month."

"Damn it. Why care so much?" he thought. "What does the Great Zhou Court have to do with me? Feeding myself first is what matters! As long as my Martial Arts Realm skyrockets, why would I need to care about any of this? My word will naturally be absolute!"