C654
C654
Seeing that they didn't seem to be here to interrogate him, some of the soldiers couldn't help but laugh. When they saw him smile, the entire drill grounds laughed along with him and the atmosphere immediately lightened up.
"Uncle Zhang, the head of the kitchen, should cook three meals a day. Why do you only cook two meals? How can you give our brothers the strength to train like this?"
"You can't blame me for this. Yes, Commander Xiang told me to cook only two meals. The money he gave me wasn't enough …"
"How dare you!" This matter of cooking the two meals was clearly your gift to Xiang Wei. Now that he's been captured, all of it is pushed onto him. You even dare to speak carelessly in front of the emperor.
Who would listen to her in this place? However, Huangfu City had listened to her and immediately raised their sabers when they heard her call for a cut. With a wave of their sabers, their heads fell to the ground.
The relaxed atmosphere from before vanished as everyone sucked in a breath of cold air. This empress really did dare!
"And the Yang Household, what did you do with the accounts? In September, the National Treasury specially issued a allowance of one hundred thousand taels of silver for the winter barbecue. The total amount here was five thousand soldiers, so everyone should receive twenty taels of silver.
"Even if you give more to the leader, each soldier will get at least 10 taels of silver. In the end, you didn't even give any money to the leader, so where is the 100 thousand taels of silver now?"
Roasting Fees was one of the military benefits that Dongfang Ning had set down three years ago at Heaven's End City. It had now been introduced to the entire Ann Nation realm.
Hearing her words, all of the soldiers present became excited. So much money had been deducted from the account?
The welfare of the soldiers in the Da Ann Nation was not bad, but their training was also very strict, which was also why they were in an uproar. There was no wall that was not airtight in this world, and I heard that the food and clothing of the other military camps were all better than mine, thus causing them to have the heart to investigate in private.
Despite the strict discipline of the barracks and the fact that soldiers were not allowed to leave the barracks, they managed to find something that was different from where they were.
This comparison was really made between the heavens and the earth. Today, there would be an uproar because everyone had heard that Xiang Canghai had lost the match and was going to pay everywhere to make up for the lack of money.
"Dog Officer!"
"Greedy officials!"
"He even said that the emperor transferred money from the treasury to the empress to build some peace palaces, so there's going to be a long and bitter time of it. He even said that we protected the country for nothing, so the emperor won't be able to see us …"
"That's right, General Xiang also said that he would take us to live a good life. As long as he gives the order, we can overthrow the Emperor …"
Everyone changed from whispering to cursing loudly. Dongfang Ning waited quietly for them to vent their dissatisfaction. After a long while, she continued,
Everyone, be quiet, there are good people and bad people everywhere, after all, bad people are a minority, the officials don't employ people properly, and after suffering brothers, what other clues do you guys have that can take advantage of the emperor being here, tell him to be the ruler for everyone, don't make wild guesses, harm the group and yourself, if there's anything you need to learn to report, don't disappoint yourself.
Dongfang Ning's few sentences moved the crowd, who were afraid of receiving punishment, yet unwilling to accept their decision. All of them pricked up their ears, fearing that they would miss a single word she said.
"You are the weapons of the country, the guardian of the people. Impulse is your fault. Do you recognize this?"
Her voice wasn't loud, and it carried majesty within its coldness. The moment she asked this question, the crowd below automatically parted, and over a hundred soldiers lined up in a row.
"Today's matter was something that we took the lead in instigating, but we have no regrets. If you give us another chance, we will still beat up General Headquarters once again!"
The ruffian was straightforward. Dongfang Ning was expressionless as she waited for them to finish their own words.
"He has the money to raise more than ten wives, and for the sake of Fourteenth Madam, he charged us money to buy things for her. Every time he marries a concubine, he also demands money from us. In the past three years, he's married six wives and celebrated the birthday of his four children …"
Dongfang Ning listened quietly as they talked about small matters that were of no value to her.
"I'm asking if you know your wrongs?"
"We made no mistakes, I … "I secretly wrote a petition to the military, and even brought evidence of General Officer's corruption. However, there was no response from the military. Your majesty, we were forced to do so!"
"We were forced!"
"Your majesty, if you want to be punished, then kill me. This has nothing to do with the other brothers!"
"If you want to cut it, then chop it together with us, us brothers will bear the burden together!"
Even more people stood up. It seemed like they were very disappointed with the court.
Dongfang Ning waved her hand and everyone quieted down.
"All of you are quite united, even taking responsibility for your crimes. I just don't know if you will run away together during battle, but will you listen to the commander? Do you really think that a superior officer would dare to take over a post like this? Do you guys have any military law in your eyes?"
"If I let you be the officers of this military camp, do you think your soldiers will listen to you? Who will tell me?"
No one spoke for a long time.
"Troops should prioritize their soldiers over their own country. One place isn't good enough for reporting, but another place should be. The country has over a hundred yamen authorities, don't tell me that none of them dare to receive your petition?" Could it be that you want to sue the Emperor? "
"If you encounter any unfair treatment, then all of you should be suspicious. This kind of suspicion isn't something a soldier should have. Is it right for you to hate the emperor and me just because you lose your confidence in a single yamen?"
Do you know that every yamen has its own matters to attend to? The emperor has so many affairs to attend to every day, so how can he take care of them? In the future, if you encounter this kind of thing, you can report it to the public. If each yamen is not connected to another, you can recite it in the public.
"It doesn't matter if you all die. Do you know how much my Da Ann Nation has been damaged?"
"Not only does he lose a brother that can protect his country, he also lost the will of his people. He will also be used by outsiders …" And your parents lost their sons, your children lost their fathers, and your wives lost their husbands.
"Or do you plan to go up the mountain and become a bandit, from a soldier to a bandit …"
"We were wrong!"
Over a hundred people listened attentively. What they did seemed to be completely different from what he had said. What was there to cause trouble? Wasn't it to gain understanding, to gain attention, and to capture that corrupt official?
He had been too impulsive. If he had truly been killed, what would happen to his mother, his children, and their wives? Who would take care of them?
Hundreds of people who claimed to be the leaders of the mutiny kneeled down, this time willingly.
"You don't need the Emperor in your hearts, nor do you need your superiors. You can only have training in your minds, discipline in the military! Protecting your home and country is your only goal in life.
Your lives belong to the country, not to the emperor nor to me. From the moment you entered the army, your life has been one with the country, selfish and petty.