Regarding military pay, if an army is stationed in one area for a long time, according to her understanding from reading historical records, they would basically have to solve their own food problems.
After all, a country cannot support so many soldiers. In addition, most of the troops are temporarily recruited. When there is war, they enlist to fight, and in peacetime they participate in local production and "land reclamation".
The so-called "military farming" meant that soldiers would set aside a fixed period each year for training, while at other times they would transform into farmers to cultivate the land, striving to be self-sufficient in food and reducing the pressure on the country.
To give a particularly typical example, during the Three Kingdoms period, Jiang Wei's garrison in Hanzhong was a typical example of a self-sufficient army.
However, the soldiers at Changxunpo Camp were somewhat different.
Firstly, they were not recruited by the state; this army was actually the private guard of the Yuwen family.
Under normal circumstances, the Yuwen family would support and pay the soldiers' salaries, but once the country was at war, or during the march, all expenses would be covered by the Prince of Ye, who would provide food and support them.
The dispatch of troops to Fuxian to guard the border is for military purposes, and this responsibility should naturally be borne by the State of Ye.
Secondly, due to the continuous drought and disasters in Fuxian County in recent years, the idea of "land reclamation" is basically impossible.
After listening to their explanation of the whole story, Zheng Quchi had a general understanding of the situation.
"Does the King of Ye intend to use military pay to control our Four Elephant Army?"
Yuwen Sheng has four army groups: Xuanwu (Xuanjia), Qinglong (Tengshe Army), Baihu, and Zhuque (Chifeng Army). Currently, the troops in the Changxunpo camp are mainly composed of Xuanjia Army, while the remaining large force has been secretly stationed in other places by Yuwen Sheng.
It can be said that the Ye Kingdom, which is inferior in every way, has been able to stand firm to this day, and Yuwen Sheng and the Four Symbols Army deserve the vast majority of the credit.
Now that Yuwen Sheng is in grave danger, the Prince of Ye naturally turned his attention to the Four Symbols Army upon receiving the news.
"yes."
Zheng Quchi lowered his eyes and said calmly, "Then he will probably be disappointed. I can support them without relying on him."
Wei Yao, Wang Zebang, and Runtu looked at her in astonishment.
"continue."
The Zheng Quchi they knew now was so unfamiliar to them; she wasn't like this at all.
It was as if some of her restlessness and contradictions had suddenly settled, and she became like an anchor sinking into water, no longer displaying a light and airy strength, drifting with the current.
There's a saying that goes like this: what ages first in a person is not their appearance, but their courage to face anything; what matures first in a person is not their body, but their demeanor and wisdom.
Zheng Quchi now seems to have matured, but she is also like a child who has suddenly lost the adults who could protect her, and is forced to learn to grow up overnight, to face and deal with those complicated things like an adult.
Wang Zebang was exhausted during this period. The wrinkles on his brows deepened, and there were dark circles under his bloodshot eyes, making him look as if he had aged several years in just a few days.
"Madam, the old patriarch of the Yuwen family has also sent someone to deliver a message, saying that upon hearing that our general has passed away, he will be in charge of handling all the inheritances of the ancestral home and the general's mansion."
"The old patriarch of the Yuwen family?" Zheng Quchi looked at Wang Zebang, his clear, bright eyes fixed on him, and said, "What right does he have to divide up Yuwen Sheng's inheritance?"
Seeing that his wife didn't understand, Wang Zebang explained to her the family governance culture regarding "ruler" and "clan head".
Every prosperous family has numerous branches and households. Under this model, the hierarchical and close relationships among the clan members are intertwined and complex, which can easily lead to conflicts and disputes.
In traditional patriarchal societies, the clan head is the leader and maintainer of the clan organization of the same surname, responsible for and in charge of all affairs within the clan, and the clan head has great power within the family.
Even those clan members who "disrespect elders, disrupt family rituals, or disregard clan authority" could have their punishments privately set up within the clan.
"But isn't there still me in the General's Mansion...?"
Wang Zebang clenched his fist, then sighed deeply, "Madam, according to the Yuwen family rules, a widow who has not given birth and has been married into the family for less than a year is not allowed to..."
Zheng Quchi was stunned when she heard this. So... the time she had been married to him was so short, not even a year.
She pursed her pale lips and calmly asked, "Anything else?"
They watched the lady's every move with great concern, and seeing that she seemed to have accepted the matter calmly, they were unsure of her true intentions.
"Finally, Princess Sheng'an disappeared near Fu County. The Prince of Ye was furious and blamed the whole thing on the general, ordering us to find her within a month or he would punish us all."
This was the first time Zheng Quchi had heard such an absurd reason for questioning someone, and she couldn't help but ask, "What is the relationship between the Prince of Ye and your general?"
Wei Yao seemed to know her doubts: "The Prince of Ye both fears and hates the general. On the one hand, he wants to tame the general and make him completely loyal to him, but on the other hand, he is very wary of the general's prestige. It can be said that he is more happy than sad about the general's accident this time."
Such an incompetent ruler! No wonder Ye Kingdom has come to this state...
Even if Zheng Quchi were someone who was not sensitive to the political situation, she would understand what it meant for the Ye Kingdom to lose Yuwen Sheng. When the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked. She also knew that throughout history, there had been countless instances of people killing meritorious officials for the reason of "overshadowing the emperor's merits".
Other monarchs at least knew to keep their murderous intent hidden until the threat was completely eliminated, but he was so foolish that the world could see through his intentions.
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