"This Helian Chen is quite capable."
Dugu Xiong observed silently, and upon returning to the general's mansion, he spoke these words to his two sons.
"They do have some tricks up their sleeves!"
Dugu Dalang nodded approvingly, "In just half a month, he has won over the hearts of 30,000 soldiers!"
"Hmph! What's the big deal? They're giving us money and meat. What do those low-ranking thugs know? They'll just go for whoever feeds them."
Dugu Erlang disagreed. He wasn't deliberately picking a fight; he just didn't like Helian Chen.
The little wolf cub, his own beautiful little sister, was snatched away by him.
As someone who dotes on his sister, Dugu Erlang was naturally unhappy.
"Whoever feeds me is my mother? What do you know?!"
Dugu Xiong glared at his second son.
For ordinary soldiers, a good general is one who is well-fed and receives his full pay.
And such generals are willing to risk their lives!
Helian Chen's methods may be a bit straightforward, but they are the most effective.
This is also his secret weapon for winning over the troops in the shortest amount of time.
Those soldiers were uneducated and didn't understand anything about loyalty to the emperor or patriotism.
They have only one belief: whoever makes their lives good is a good boss.
They don't care about other grand principles.
Helian Chen didn't need the soldiers' loyalty; he just wanted them to obey him!
Moreover, Helian Chen not only rallied 30,000 men, but also caused the morale of the rest of the Northwest Army to waver.
They were all once the same lowly soldiers, but those 30,000 men were able to eat meat and receive money simply because they were assigned to the command of the emperor's confidants.
Will the remaining 70,000 people be content with this?
It's not scarcity that's the problem, but inequality.
With just a few copper coins, Helian Chen completely dismantled the Northwest Army!
"What's so bad about them! They're just a bunch of uneducated, crude soldiers. But those captains and lieutenants still obey the orders of our Dugu family!"
Dugu Erlang was still somewhat unconvinced after being scolded by Dugu Xiong.
Dugu Xiong: ...I'm so angry at this stupid son!
yes!
Those mid- to high-ranking military officers were indeed all trained by him over the years.
But if there are only military generals and no soldiers, wouldn't that be like a commander without troops?
In the end, the main force in war is still the lowest-ranking soldiers.
Generals are important, but soldiers are equally important.
Otherwise, Dugu Xiong wouldn't have gone to such lengths to subsidize his troops all these years, all in an effort to win over the hearts and minds of his soldiers.
As a result, decades of effort were easily undone by Helian Chen in just a few moves.
People are most afraid of comparison.
If all crows were equally black, no one would have any objections.
But the truth is, while our side is withholding military pay, and the soldiers don't get to eat meat all year round, the neighboring side is paying their full military pay and eating big chunks of meat!
Who could accept this?
Alas, the 100,000-strong Northwest Army, they really will have to change their surname from now on.
"Fortunately, Helian Chen is not an outsider!"
Dugu Dalang also realized this, so he could only "find joy in hardship" and seek a stroke of luck in misfortune.
"Yes! It was precisely because I considered his relationship with Azhi that I didn't interfere!"
Dugu Xiong spoke magnanimously, but the problem was that he didn't have a good way to stop Helian Chen.
Unless he really wants to break ties with the sage and directly raise the flag of rebellion!
"Forget it! The Emperor has left us room to maneuver. Let's hand over the Northwest Army to Helian Chen."
At least no outsiders benefited, which gave Dugu Xiong some consolation.
However, Dugu Xiong was unwilling to give up, and fearing that Helian Chen would abandon him after using him, he summoned Dugu Zhi again:
“Ah Zhi, your father has checked it for you. Helian Chen is indeed a talented commander.”
"He is a confidant of the emperor, and his future will only be brighter!"
"You must seize this opportunity, don't miss it—"
Dugu Xiong wanted his daughter to hold onto Helian Chen and not to act arrogantly towards him just because he liked her.
Dugu Zhi misunderstood, thinking that Dugu Xiong recognized Helian Chen's talent and was willing to return military power to the emperor.
"That's for the best! The Sage and Father will not turn against each other because of the Northwest Army."
"I can't be caught in the middle between my lover and my family."
As for Helian Chen, Dugu Zhi expressed great satisfaction, saying, "He is indeed capable, a loyal and useful dog!"
During this time, Helian Chen treated Dugu Zhi as the Empress, showing her the utmost respect and deference.
Helian Chen's "humility" completely captivated Dugu Zhi.
She increasingly felt that she was Helian Chen's future mistress.
Hmm, it should be soon.
The sage's campaign to attack the Turkic royal court went smoothly, and he would likely return victorious in less than half a month.
The military command of the Northwest Army was also successfully transferred.
The sage's journey was truly fruitful.
And Dugu Zhi was the greatest contributor.
First achievement: finding the Turkic royal court;
His second achievement was helping Helian Chen gain military power in the Northwest.
Either of these two points is enough to solidify Dugu Zhi's status as a follower of the goddess.
If I get along well with Helian Jue, it shouldn't be too difficult for me to obtain the rank of Imperial Concubine.
"No! No way!"
"My goal is to become the Empress!"
"Moreover, I am a believer of the Goddess, and even if Helian Jue were to do so out of respect for the 'Goddess,' he would not dare to treat me lightly."
"Oh, right, and the earthquake in the southwest! I actually 'predicted' the earthquake in the southwest!"
"Saving countless people and preventing the saint from being impeached by the officials is an absolutely great achievement!"
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