Late Han Dynasty: Did the Yellow Emperor truly descend?

Chapter 124 Stabilizing Morale

The hearts of the people in Jianling City were stabilized overnight.

After doing all this, Li Sheng immediately rewarded the entire army and comforted the soldiers.

Li Sheng always knew what power he relied on to change the world.

He went deep into the military camp, visiting each camp one by one.

At each stop, he would pause to speak with the soldiers, asking them where they were from, who their families were, and whether they had been injured in the battle.

The soldiers held Li Sheng in high esteem. At first, they were reserved, but seeing his gentle demeanor and how he even squatted on the ground to eat like them, they gradually relaxed.

Some people mentioned that their wives had just given birth, others mentioned that their elderly mothers were in poor health, and still others mentioned that the general had allocated them more than ten acres of land, and that this year's harvest should be good.

Li Sheng listened, nodding occasionally, and told them that if they had any letters to write home, they could ask the Taiping sect followers in the village to write them for them.

There were many literate Taoist followers in the army. In addition to explaining Li Sheng's new Taiping religion, they also helped soldiers write and read letters home.

Li Sheng also specifically instructed that the rewards he received this time could be sent home as well, so that his family would know that they were fighting alongside the Taiping Army and were not only alive but also sending money and food home.

"Siwu County is downstream of Jianling County, so sending letters and rewards is quite fast. It only takes half a day for the goods to arrive, and after passing through another hand, they can be delivered to your home within two days. This is much better than when we were fighting in the government army, where we couldn't get a single message back for half a year."

The soldiers' eyes lit up when they heard this.

Some people's eyes welled up with tears on the spot, saying that the general was thinking of them even for such a small matter, and that the battle was worth fighting.

Li Sheng smiled, said nothing more, picked up his water bowl and clinked it with everyone's (Li Sheng had ordered a ban on alcohol in the army, with severe punishment for violators), then got up and walked to the next tent.

After the rewards were distributed, the atmosphere in the army changed noticeably.

The newly recruited soldiers were initially somewhat apprehensive, unsure whether joining the Taiping Army was the right or wrong decision.

After all, most of them were previously tenant farmers under powerful local magnates, strictly controlled and unable to even decide what crops to grow. Although the powerful local magnates in Xiaxiang were defeated by the Taiping Army and they were given land, it was uncertain whether they would continue to win.

Now that I've received the reward and heard that the general sent a message home, my anxiety has completely dissipated.

The idea of ​​returning home seems mysterious, but it's actually quite simple.

They would follow whoever treated them well. Li Sheng understood this principle, so he never hesitated to invest effort in his soldiers.

After inspecting all the camps, it was already dark.

Li Sheng did not return to the county government office, but instead strolled through the military camp. Smoke curled from the cooking fires, and soldiers sat in small groups around the bonfires. Some held newly written letters home, turning them over and over, while others wrapped the rewarded copper coins in cloth and tucked them into their pockets, their faces beaming with smiles.

As Li Sheng walked past a group of tents, he suddenly stopped.

He saw two figures sitting opposite each other on an open space not far ahead, each holding a bowl of porridge and slowly drinking it. The two men were burly, even sitting, they were half a head taller than others, with shoulders and backs as thick as oxen, clearly indicating that they had practiced martial arts for many years.

It was Jiang Qin and Zhou Tai.

Li Sheng remembered that the two men had joined the army in Siwu County.

At the time, they were not well-known and were just ordinary soldiers. But in the battles that followed, their performance stood out. In particular, in the battle outside Xiaxiang City, Jiang Qin led a dozen men and blocked the retreat of a fleeing army, fighting until he was covered in blood but not retreating an inch; Zhou Tai was even more valiant, taking an arrow from the city wall, but he pulled it out and continued charging forward without even flinching.

Such people cannot be used as ordinary soldiers.

Li Sheng lifted his foot and walked over.

Jiang Qin was the first to notice someone approaching. He looked up and saw Li Sheng. He quickly put down his bowl of porridge and stood up. Zhou Tai also stood up shortly after. The two men moved swiftly, their eyes revealing a hint of surprise and nervousness.

"General!"

"Sit down, everyone sit down."

Li Sheng waved his hand, squatted down in front of them, picked up a piece of dry biscuit on the ground, broke off a piece and chewed on it.

"I was just inspecting the various camps when I saw you two sitting here, so I came over to sit with you. Why aren't you joining the others for some fun?"

Jiang Qin rubbed his hands together and smiled憨厚ly.

"General, we're both quiet by nature and not good at joining in the fun. Besides, we're tired from attacking the city today, so we should take a rest."

Li Sheng nodded, his gaze sweeping over the two men's faces.

Jiang Qin had a square face and high brow bones, which gave him a tough and resolute character; Zhou Tai had a broad face, a straight nose, a thick jaw, and his eyes revealed a ruthless spirit that was fearless of anything.

Over this period of time, Li Sheng had also developed a knack for judging people. He knew that these two individuals would be extraordinary no matter where they were placed.

"You two did a good job in today's siege."

Li Sheng got straight to the point.

"Looking down from the city wall, I saw Jiang Qin and his men blocking the routed soldiers, preventing a single one from escaping. Zhou Tai was hit by an arrow but still charged forward; such bravery is rare in the army."

Jiang Qin and Zhou Tai exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.

They didn't expect that while the general was fighting fiercely on the city walls, causing rivers of blood to flow, he would still have the energy to notice their performance.

"General, you flatter me..."

Jiang Qin scratched his head.

"We just followed the crowd and did nothing special."

Whether it's special or not, I can see it clearly.

Li Sheng's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable certainty.

"You two are capable of much more than this. Our Taiping Army is fair in its rewards and punishments; those who fight bravely will be richly rewarded. Have you both received your rewards today?"

Jiang Qin and Zhou Tai nodded quickly.

"We've got them all, General."

Li Sheng nodded slightly, looking at the two of them calmly.

"I know you two are both very capable. I wonder if you would be willing to become my personal guards? Although you are currently soldiers with battle merits, in my opinion, with your talents, it is a waste for you to only serve as elite soldiers charging into battle. You know the rules of the Taiping Army: promotion is not based on background, but only on merit. If you can fight and make contributions, you will be able to rise through the ranks in the future, step by step, until you have the opportunity to lead troops independently."

These words, spoken neither too lightly nor too heavily, struck Jiang Qin and Zhou Tai like a stone thrown into a still lake.

Jiang Qin and Zhou Tai felt a warmth rising in their chests as they listened.

To be able to stand on one's own.

Leading troops in one region.

These four words were something they never dared to even think about before.

Both of them came from humble backgrounds and had spent their days drifting on the water. They were already extremely grateful to Li Sheng for being able to join the Taiping Army and be allocated several dozen acres of land.

Although they had lofty ambitions, they never imagined they could become generals.

After all, they were not Li Sheng's core team, nor were they from Xiapi County, nor did they have any good backgrounds. Logically speaking, it would be almost impossible for the two of them to make a name for themselves.

But they could see the seriousness and expectation in Li Sheng's eyes, a feeling of being seen and trusted.