"We join the army by risking our lives for money. We risk our lives for this little bit of pay."

"There's nothing we can do about it. We're already lucky to have survived."

"..."

Unbeknownst to them, their General Gu Qian was sitting silently in the tree, listening to their stories and complaints.

Hearing the constant complaints from the crowd, Gu Qian fell into a state of bitter silence.

He was powerless to help with military pay as well.

Who told them that Dongjin Kingdom was poor?

This seems to be He Lin's problem; he doesn't have the money to distribute military pay to the soldiers.

His military pay was also provided by He Lin.

Originally, everyone was listening to Qiu Dayu's incessant chatter, but before they knew it, Qiu Dayu was listening to everyone's constant complaints.

After a long while, Qiu Dayu yawned, then shook his head. "Be content. It's already good enough to have military pay. I heard that the Northern Qi army is now even exempting soldiers from pay. Their soldiers can barely get a full meal after joining the army."

Dongjin was poor, but the Northern Qi was hardly wealthy either.

War devastates more than just people's hearts.

Shields, spears, armor, swords, manpower, and materials—all of these cost money.

Qiu Dayu's words left all the generals speechless.

He's right; it's an honor for them to be citizens of Dongjin.

At the very least, they encountered a benevolent and righteous general and a benevolent and righteous emperor.

The Northern Qi soldiers are now at a disadvantage.

After chatting for a while, all the soldiers returned to their camp to rest.

After a fierce battle yesterday and a long journey today, they were exhausted.

They have now gotten used to this kind of life.

Qiu Dayu was getting bored, and then he turned his head and saw a figure in the tree.

He said goodbye to Zhao Chuan and Zhao Yi, and jogged forward.

When Zhao Chuan and Zhao Yi saw the general, they felt a little flustered, especially Zhao Chuan, who had complained the most earlier.

The two turned around and headed back to camp as fast as they could.

They dared not confront the general directly. In their hearts, the general was like a god of war, while they were just the most insignificant soldiers.

"General Gu, why don't you go and rest?" Qiu Dayu clasped his hands in a fist salute and looked at the tree branch.

A sudden voice broke Gu Qian's thoughts.

He turned his gaze to Qiu Dayu, leaped down from the tree, and then asked:

"Why did you join the army?" Gu Qian thought about the soldiers' complaints and how to make the country strong.

His daughter, Yan Yan, is the best at making money.

"Of course, it's to serve Dongjin?" In front of General Gu, Qiu Dayu naturally had to act as a good soldier.

He couldn't very well say it was to relieve his father-in-law's burden.

When he thought of his father-in-law, he thought of Zhao Yuanyuan.

"General Gu, the Spring Festival has just passed, and the Lantern Festival is just around the corner. Do you still remember last year's Lantern Festival? I still remember how you rowed your small boat and followed the pleasure boats."

"I remember." Last year, Yan Yan accompanied me on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month. This year, only this group of soldiers accompanied me.

Gu Qian still remembers that his cousin was pushed into the water by Yan Yan.

Thinking of He Lin, Gu Qian's heart tightened.

Around the end of each year, while everyone else is busy preparing for the New Year, my cousin would go out to look for his junior sister.

This cycle has repeated itself for four years.

My junior sister's death anniversary is the fourteenth day of the first lunar month.

I wonder if my cousin will bother Xiaoran again this year.

After all, he had planted 'spies' around Xiao Ran.

Wait, the Lantern Festival?

Gu Qian raised his eyes and glanced at the waning moon in the night sky.

"It's already February, the Lantern Festival has long passed."