Chapter 243 Military Discipline
Ru Mo's sacrificial robes were delivered directly to the Longwu Army by palace servants.
It happened to be the time when they were off duty, and a group of mid-level officers saw the palace servants holding a gilded brocade box and assumed it was some great reward.
One by one, they gathered around, craning their necks and refusing to leave, determined to see what was going on.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the palace attendants slowly opened the brocade box, revealing a purple robe and red skirt in a sacrificial garment.
The magnificent setup not only stunned the female soldiers in the front row, but also left the male soldiers in the back speechless, their eyes filled with amazement and envy.
After a while, a lieutenant general surnamed Wang came to his senses and muttered, "General Ru is really favored by His Highness the Crown Prince. This vanguard officer position is an immense honor. We have been in the army for more than ten years and never even dared to dream of it."
A person next to him immediately chimed in quietly, his tone tinged with sarcasm.
"It's all thanks to good luck. He's served His Highness the Crown Prince since he was a child, and he was promoted to general in less than a year. Unlike us, we spent three years eating sand on the frontier before being transferred back to the capital, and we got nothing..."
The other female warriors couldn't wait to squeeze forward and carefully reached out to touch the fabric of the sacrificial robes.
"My goodness, is this brocade from Sichuan? It feels so smooth to the touch!"
"The white ze patterns are so beautiful, they look so lifelike!"
"I've never seen General Ru wear a skirt before, I'm so excited!"
Ru Mo accepted the brocade box expressionlessly and said in a deep voice to the crowd who were still peeking around, "Disperse, those who should go back to camp, and those who should stand guard."
Then, the group left the house in twos and threes.
As soon as the male officers in front stepped out of the room, Lieutenant General Wang rubbed his hands and suggested, "Let's go to Pingkangfang for a couple of drinks? There's a new restaurant called Zuichunlou that just opened, and I heard they have a lot of good wine."
Pingkangfang was the most famous tavern street in the capital, just one street away from Longwu Gate, where the Longwu Army was stationed. In the past, officers on duty here were almost regulars.
Upon hearing this, the person next to him quickly nudged him with his elbow and glanced rapidly into the room.
General Wang suddenly remembered something and hurriedly shut his mouth.
Longwu Army had always been under the command of Feng Deshun, who was a heavy drinker and womanizer who always turned a blind eye to military discipline.
After their shifts ended, most officers would either head straight to the restaurants in Pingkangfang or return to their quarters in the camp to pool their money to buy some wine and meat to have a drink with their comrades.
After drinking, everyone started gambling. Gambling was rampant in the military, and fights caused by it were commonplace.
In the ten days since Ru Mo took over the Longwu Army, he has dealt with four fights caused by gambling disputes.
She immediately issued a strict order: no one is allowed to drink alcohol or gamble after their shifts; violators will be punished with twenty strokes of the cane, and repeat offenders will be directly demoted to guard the border.
Even though the order has been issued, people only comply with it on the surface. How easy is it to change their bad habits in private?
Just like now, Lieutenant General Wang only stopped talking when someone reminded him.
After walking more than a hundred paces and making sure Ru Mo couldn't hear him anymore, he complained indignantly, "When General Feng was around, he never cared about us. Everyone would go to Pingkang Lane to have fun after their shift. Unlike now, we can't even enjoy a drink!"
“Who says otherwise?” someone chimed in. “What does she know about leading troops? She’s just relying on His Highness the Crown Prince’s influence! If it really comes down to the battlefield, we’ll have to rely on our brothers who have fought our way up in the ranks…”
"Hmph, what ban? I think it's just a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for us!" Lieutenant General Wang suddenly glared, his tone full of indignation. "She won't let us go, but I'm going anyway!"
As he spoke, he turned and walked towards the camp gate, not forgetting to turn back and call out to everyone, "Let's go! Let's go to Zuichunlou, it's on me!"
The others hesitated, "This... if it gets reported to General Ru, I'm afraid it won't be good?"
"So what if we bumped into each other? Who in the entire Dragon Martial Army doesn't know the rules when General Feng was in charge? She's just a newcomer, what can she do to cause trouble?" Lieutenant General Wang patted his chest and assured him, "I'll take responsibility if anything happens! Let's go, or all the good spots will be taken!"
Others were persuaded and followed in his footsteps.
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