Compensation
Niu Zhuang didn't remember how he left the alley.
He walked aimlessly, and Wu Shuan's dark and honest face kept flashing before his eyes.
But now, he is back, but Wu Shuan stays in Xinjiang forever.
Leaving behind his elderly mother, his hard-working wife and young children, Niu Zhuang wore the uniform of a fifth-rank official and lived in great glory; while Wu Shuan's family, in that dilapidated courtyard, wept in despair at the bad news.
This isn't right. This isn't how it should be.
An inexplicable emotion was surging in his chest. He had to do something, he had to figure it out.
He paused, looked up, and found that he had unknowingly walked to the front of the Mingzhou government office.
Yes, the government! The court should have an explanation for the casualties!
He took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and stepped forward.
"I'm sorry to inform you that General Dingyuan Niu Zhuang requests an audience with the prefect."
The identity of a fifth-rank military officer was of sufficient weight in Mingzhou. Soon, Niu Zhuang was led to the flower hall in the back hall. The new prefect of Mingzhou was named Liu, a middle-aged civil servant with a gaunt face. He had already received the news and came out to greet him politely.
"General Niu has returned triumphantly. I am so sorry for not coming to greet him." Liu Zhizhou greeted him with a bow, looking curious.
Why is this newly promoted general rushing to the government office instead of enjoying the glory at home?
Niu Zhuang, unconcerned with politeness, stated his purpose directly, "Sir Liu, I'm sorry to bother you. I returned today and was deeply saddened to hear that one of my former comrades had tragically died in battle. I've come to ask you, sir, what are the court's regulations for providing compensation for fallen soldiers?"
Upon hearing this, the polite smile on Liu Zhizhou's face disappeared, revealing a hint of solemnity.
He led Niu Zhuang to a seat, ordered someone to serve tea, then took out a roll of official documents from the bookshelf behind him and gently pushed it in front of Niu Zhuang.
"The general values loyalty and righteousness, and is considerate of his comrades. This is truly admirable." Liu Zhizhou sighed. "The court does have established rules for this. Here are the rules. Please see."
Niu Zhuang took the document and his fingers tightened a little.
He unfolded it and took a closer look. The terms and conditions were clearly written on it.
The Southern Dynasties' example of military service pensions for those killed in action: If a military officer died in action and his descendants were still young, he would receive his full salary until they reached adulthood. If he had no children but his parents or wife were still alive, he would receive his full salary for three years, and the government would cover the funeral arrangements, along with a lump sum of ten taels of silver.
Seeing this, Niu Zhuang's heart sank a little.
Three years of full salary, ten taels of funeral expenses... Wu Shuan was just a low-ranking military officer, and his salary was not high. How long could this amount of money support a family that had lost its pillar?
Prefect Liu observed his expression and continued, "Your Majesty is benevolent and knows that the old rules are insufficient to appease the loyal and brave. Therefore, he has issued a special decree. For every soldier killed in action, each household will be awarded an additional ten acres of land and exempted from taxes for ten years. For military officers killed in action, additional rewards will be given according to their rank."
"Wu Shuan, how much can the family of Wu Shuan, an eighth-rank military officer, get?" Niu Zhuang asked.
Liu Zhizhou thought for a moment and replied, "According to Wu Shuan's rank, his family will be granted 20 mu of land and be exempt from taxes for 20 years. In addition, they will receive an annual pension of 20 taels of silver for ten consecutive years."
Twenty acres of land, ten years, twenty taels per year.
Niu Zhuang was calculating quickly in his mind.
The land price in Mingzhou is about 20 taels per mu of medium-sized paddy field, so 20 mu of land is 400 taels, plus 200 taels of pension, for a total of 600 taels.
"Is that all?" he murmured, with a hint of reluctance.
Six hundred taels is a huge sum of money for an ordinary farmer, enough to buy a family business and live a stable life. But it was paid for with a life! A man's life!
Prefect Liu smiled wryly and lowered his voice, "General Niu, it's not that the court is stingy. You know, in Mingzhou alone, we've suffered over 2,000 casualties in this northern and western expedition. Looking across the country, the total number of casualties is no less than 50,000!"
He extended his finger, dipped it in the tea, and scratched it across the table. "Even if we only count the ten mu of land awarded to each household, with fifty thousand people, that's five hundred thousand mu of fertile farmland! This doesn't even include the increased share for military officers based on their rank, or the annual pension. The national treasury... the national treasury is struggling too."
Liu Zhizhou sighed, his tone complicated, "To be honest, General, initially there was great controversy within the court, but Your Majesty, despite all objections, insisted on providing generous compensation to the soldiers. To this end, the assets of many corrupt officials and lawless tyrants were confiscated, and only then was the land allocated for these rewards. Truly... we can't afford to give more."
Niu Zhuang was completely stunned.
He originally thought that relief was just a matter of a word from the court, and that it would require more money and land.
It was not until this moment, when he heard the huge numbers reported by Liu Zhizhou, the "500,000 acres" and "50,000 people", that he suddenly realized that this was not as simple as he had imagined.
This is not a matter of one family, but of 50,000 families and a staggering number of 500,000 acres of land!
Your Majesty took on everything, withstood the pressure, and fought for these foundations of survival for your dead brothers and their families.
"Before the Guangqi Dynasty, and even in previous dynasties," the prefect Liu's voice brought him back from shock, "when soldiers died in battle, it was considered a great favor from the superiors to have a few taels of silver for cremation and burial. Where did they get their land? Where did they get their annual pensions?"
"Your Majesty's act is a truly unprecedented grace. To be able to obtain these beneficial properties is, in fact,... an extremely rare opportunity for the families of the fallen soldiers."
Liu Zhizhou's words were tactful, but Niu Zhuang understood them.
In the past, soldiers who died in battle were dead, like weeds, and no one cared about them.
Now, Ning Lingyi has given land and annual silver. Judging from this huge amount, Your Majesty has indeed done his best and is worthy of those dead brothers.
He stood up silently and bowed to Liu Zhizhou.
Liu Zhizhou patted his shoulder in understanding: "General Niu, I'm sorry. Those who are alive must always look forward."
Niu Zhuang walked out of the government office in a daze.
The sun is still shining and the streets are still bustling.
But everything he saw was covered with a layer of gray.
He kept calculating the cost in his mind: twenty mu of land, twenty taels of silver a year. With this, the Wu Shuan family would not starve to death, and would even be able to live much better than before. In the countryside, anyone with twenty mu of good land was considered well-off.
But...but...
He thought of his family's newly purchased two-story house, which had cost him no less than eight hundred taels of silver to renovate and furnish for the wedding. He also thought of the banquet yesterday, the endless stream of gifts that filled the treasury, and how the gifts alone had cost him over two thousand taels of silver!
More than two thousand taels!
What Wu Shuan got in exchange for his life, including the discount on the land, was only six hundred taels.
But Niu Zhuang, just by coming back alive and gaining military merit, easily acquired wealth several times more than this.
The contrast was like a red-hot iron bar, burning his heart and making it sizzle.
He wiped his face hard, but he couldn't stop the surge of sadness and guilt.
He walked back home in a daze.
Yang Tiantian had been waiting at the door for a long time. Seeing that he had been gone for so long, his face looked so ugly, and his eyes were red, she was immediately startled and hurried forward: "Husband, what's wrong with you? Did you encounter anything outside?"
Niu Zhuang hugged Tiantian tightly, like a child who had suffered a great injustice outside, buried his face in her shoulder and burst into tears.
He cried so freely and without reservation, as if he wanted to cry out all the depression, grief and powerlessness in his chest.
Yang Tiantian was shocked by his behavior, but she didn't ask anything. She just patted his back gently and soothed him softly: "It's okay, it's okay, let's go home, let's go home..."
It was not until night fell that Niu Zhuang's emotions gradually calmed down.
He took Tiantian's hand and told her the whole story.
He talked about the cries of the Wu family, the huge number of casualties, the difficulties of the court in providing relief and the painstaking efforts of His Majesty, and also about his own gift of more than two thousand taels.
"Tiantian," he held his wife's hand, "I feel so upset. Wu Shuan and the others lost their lives there, and I am here today. I wear this official uniform, live in this big courtyard, and accept these gifts. I... I feel unworthy of them!"
He raised his head, his eyes gleaming with an almost stubborn glint. "I want to give away those gifts, those two thousand plus taels of silver, to the families of those brothers who followed me out but never came back! I know this won't change anything, and probably won't help many families, but... but it will make me feel better. Do you... do you agree?"
Yang Tiantian listened quietly, feeling mixed emotions.
There is heartache, relief, and also a hint of instinctive worry as a wife.
But when she saw Niu Zhuang almost crushed by guilt, she swallowed back all her words of persuasion.
She held Niu Zhuang's rough hand tightly and nodded vigorously: "My husband, you are loyal and righteous, which is a good thing. Since I married you, I will naturally listen to you. We don't want this money, and give it to the brothers who need it more. We have hands and feet, and we have salaries from the court. Our future life will be good!"
Niu Zhuang looked at his wife, hugged Tiantian tightly again, and choked up, "Tiantian, thank you... thank you..."
Do what you say.
Starting from the next day, Niu Zhuang made a long list, which included the names and hometowns of his brothers who were unable to return.
He went door to door, some in Mingzhou City and some in the surrounding towns.
Fifty taels, one hundred taels...
The more than two thousand taels of silver were spent like water.
He personally delivered money to the bereaved families of each family. He did not dare to say that this was compensation, but only said that it was a little thought from his brothers.
The money was soon gone, but there were still many names on the list.
Looking at those families whose families had not yet received the money, Niu Zhuang once again fell into helplessness and anxiety. His salary was limited, and although his family had some savings, they also had to make a living. What should he do?
Just when he was at a loss, a man wearing a long silk gown and looking like a wealthy man came to his door.
This man's surname was Zhao. He was a well-known wealthy man in Mingzhou City. His family was in the silk business. When Niu Zhuang got married, he also gave him a generous gift.
Mr. Zhao looked at Niu Zhuang's worried look and asked with concern.
Seeing that he was sincere, Niu Zhuang told him the general reason of the matter.
After hearing this, Mr. Zhao bowed deeply to Niu Zhuang and said, "General, you are so righteous! You are so considerate of your comrades and you are willing to give away all your wealth to comfort the souls of the deceased. You are truly a hero. Although I am just a businessman, I also understand the meaning of loyalty and righteousness!"
He immediately took out a few banknotes from his sleeve and stuffed them into Niu Zhuang's hand: "Here are five thousand taels, considering my contribution! General, please do not refuse. This will give more comfort to the families of the soldiers. This money is well spent."
Niu Zhuang was shocked and refused repeatedly: "Mr. Zhao, how can this be possible! This is my personal wish, how can I let you spend money!"
Zhao Yuanwai, however, was resolute. His eyes subconsciously swept over Niu Zhuang's fifth-rank official uniform and said, "General, you are wrong! Every man is responsible for the fate of the country. The soldiers are protecting our lives and property. This small gift of silver is just a token of our gratitude! If you don't accept it, you will be looking down on my kindness!"
After repeatedly declining, Niu Zhuang, upon hearing Mr. Zhao's earnest words, felt a surge of warmth in his heart, "There are still many good people in the world." He stopped being pretentious, solemnly took the banknote, and bowed to Mr. Zhao: "So, on behalf of my deceased brothers, Niu Zhuang thanks Mr. Zhao for his great kindness!"
"I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it! It is my blessing to be able to meet a hero like the general!" Mr. Zhao hurriedly helped him up with a smile on his face.
After bidding farewell to Mr. Zhao, who expressed his gratitude profusely and called him "good brother", Niu Zhuang held the thick stack of banknotes in his hand and felt relieved.
Yang Tiantian, who was standing by, gently took his arm and said softly, "Mr. Zhao is a kind-hearted man. But... these five thousand taels are a bit too much."
She paused, but ultimately didn't utter the words "merchants are profit-oriented."
Niu Zhuang, however, didn't care at all. Instead, he comforted her, "My lady, you're worrying too much. Mr. Zhao is a sensible man. He cares about the soldiers. This is a righteous act! We can't let this heart fade away."
He weighed the banknotes in his hand and felt that they were heavy with loyalty. He never imagined that the treacherous world of officialdom and business, and the twists and turns in the human heart, were far more difficult to grasp than the flashing swords and shadows on the battlefield.
At this moment, he just felt that his urgent problem had been solved and he felt relaxed all over.
After this incident, Niu Zhuang and Zhao Yuanwai became closer and closer. Soon after, the two chose a day to burn incense and pray, and became brothers of different surnames. They agreed to visit each other frequently in the future and support each other.
With these five thousand taels of silver, Niu Zhuang finally comforted the families of his fallen brothers.
The big hole in Niu Zhuang's heart, which was corroded by guilt, seemed to be filled a little. When it was late at night and everyone was asleep, he would still think of Wu Shuan and those faces that would forever remain in the wind and sand of the western border.
Money and land can never make up for the pain of losing a loved one.
The only thing he could do was to remember them and take good care of their families.
Niu Zhuang thought that with His Majesty around, life would get better and better.
Of course.
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