The Empress' Livestream

Chapter 552: Beat the Dog Before the Lion (III)

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“Have they been flogged?” With a somewhat indifferent look in her eyes, Jiang Pengji asked the guard who was kneeling on the ground before her.

The guard answered, “Yes. The punishment has been carried out.”

“Okay. You can leave.” Jiang Pengji sighed and felt that she might have to reinforce the ideological teaching among the female troops. She originally intended to influence their thinking subtly, but the current situation did not allow her to do so. She had to use some violence. “Get the female troops in the government office to write out the causes and effects of this incident and post it on the city walls. Try to describe it from a fair point of view. Do not interject personal emotions and opinions.”

Since she was going to beat the dog before the lion, she could not easily let go of this opportunity. She also had to publicize the news so that those who had similar sinister thoughts would drop the idea. She did not want to receive similar news the next day or the day after next. It was simply annoying.

Soldiers were a country’s useful weapon. One should put the interests of the whole above everything else and behave according to the military rules once he or she entered the military camp.

However, the ties between the members of a clan was the most important thing in society today. The nation could even be ignored. The audience in the streaming room felt that it was too funny for the commoners to drag their daughters home to marry them off. In fact, it was very normal. They treated their daughters as their private possessions, so the parents had the rights to freely handle their children.

Could one not see that selling one’s children was normal practice? It was illegal for parents to sell their children even in the society the viewers of the streaming room were in, let alone in her society. However, in this society, everything which the parents did to their children was allowable and legal. It could not be considered as a crime at all. It was not even wrong.

“Huaiyu, help me to write a notice...” Jiang Pengji said.

Feng Jin asked, “Is it regarding the household registration of the female troops?”

“Yes, it’s indeed about that. I was oblivious not to think about every aspect. The female troops are naturally more willing to believe in their families, compared with the promises that I’ve made. Otherwise, the female trooper just now wouldn’t have been so easily persuaded. Marriage is still early, but having an independent household registration could be put on the agenda. Let them see my determination at least, lest they worry and imagine things.”

She did not have to check to know that there were definitely a lot of distractions which shook the troops’ morale within the female battalion these days.

It was actually a good thing that the family came to raise a rumpus. It was a ready-made material which could be used to beat the lion before the dog.

Jiang Pengji could use it as an excuse to knock some sense into those who were perfidious, as well as to appease the hearts of the troops within the female battalion.

If the troops’ morale was divided, it would be difficult to lead the army.

Feng Jin was startled. He immediately nodded and responded, “I’ll do it right away.”

Jiang Pengji replied, “Thanks a lot.”

In the past, Feng Jin obviously did not support women to be in the female battalion and politics. Otherwise, they would not remain purely as friends at the beginning. Had it not been for the earthquake in Dongqing, Feng Jin might not be willing to help her sincerely. Why was she a woman?

Feng Jin suddenly smiled. “You’re welcome.”

The news about the sisters soon spread out. Many people who did not get to act unreasonably and make a scene were all dead silent. If they had acted quicker, they would be the ones who were flogged if they wanted to drag their daughters away from the female battalion and sell them.

It was a total of 100 rounds of flogging. There were many people in the family, so they would not be flogged to death by sharing out the punishment. However, would those who had few people in their family not die? Some considered themselves lucky, some ridiculed the family and some took pleasure in the family’s misfortune.

The incident about the sisters alerted the troops in the female battalion. It was also a warning for their families.

Upon entering the military camp, the female troops could not get married and be pregnant until they reached the age of 24. Violators would have to bear the punishment of being flogged 100 times and a fine of varying amounts. When Jiang Pengji clarified this regulation clearly, no one would dare to create trouble.

She knew about the ‘carrot after stick’ principle well. In order to appease the hearts of the female troops, she announced that she was working on the matter regarding the female troops having an independent household registration. In this era, the troops were a class lower than the commoners. Women born in noble families were not willing to marry the troops.

However, the military household established by Jiang Pengji was different. The compensation and various arrangements made for the orphans and family members who were left behind after war were perfect. Troops of different ranks could receive different amounts of silver and could even have a certain preferential treatment when purchasing farmlands and houses.

If the troops unfortunately died in the war, their family members and the orphans could receive proper living arrangements. If the troops became disabled due to the war, the government would arrange a position for them to make a living. If they were severely injured and could not do physical work, the government would allocate a certain minimum living allowance to guarantee their standards of living. For such families, the family members could get extra care, such as a certain discount for children to go to school or a reduction in the farmland tax...

Jiang Pengji listed all the things she could think of. Then she asked the people in the government office to amend and improve the regulations.

Feng Jin zoned out for quite a long time upon seeing the regulations.

Wei Jingxian was carrying Changsheng while feeding her when he returned home. Seeing the look of shame on her husband’s face, she could not help but ask a few questions out of concern.

Feng Jin said, “I’m just ashamed. Lanting’s boldness and ambition indeed make one feel so embarrassed to show one’s face.”

There was very little mention of post-war compensation throughout history. There was nothing for the soldiers to rely on when they went to war. Otherwise, why would people be jittery and look like beasts when conscription was mentioned?

After all, those who made contributions were just the minority. The majority still either died in obscurity or were left with a lifelong disability. There was no one to take care of them. Those who had some conscience would give out some money as compensation, but it would always be exploited at various tiers and only a few copper coins were left to be distributed in the end. Those without conscience would not give anything. Children who had been raised with difficulty for more than 10 years died just like that.

This gave rise to a slang saying good men would not become soldiers and good women would not marry soldiers.

Wei Jingxian listened to Feng Jin. She only murmured after a while, “This is a huge expense. Can Lanting pull through?”

Feng Jin shook his head. “She said that she has to pull through even if she has to scrimp on food and clothing. She said that she shouldn’t let the warriors cry after war when they’ve already bled on the battlefield. What Lanting said may sound unrefined, but it’s true. If it can be implemented for real, she can have complete possession of the troops’ morale and build an elite army with which no one in the world could compete. Everyone knows the principle, but she’s the only one who’s really bold enough to do it.”

Jiang Pengji did not have a vast territory now and she had some money in her secret stash. These benefits were nothing, but when she started to conquer the world in the future and when her territory and army grew bigger and bigger day by day, the burden would be heavy. Post-war compensation was not a one-time solution.

One or two days was nothing, but what about a few years or even decades? How great would the burden be? She had the guts to come up with this. By looking at the detailed regulations, it obviously was not just a spur of the moment thing. It should be an outcome which she had contemplated for a long time.

Wei Jingxian sighed and suddenly lowered her head to tease Changsheng who was looking at them anxiously.

She teased, “Lanting, Lanting... Even though I know that she’s a woman, I still feel somewhat attracted to her...”

Feng Jin looked grave. Jealousy was bubbling inside his heart. “Honey!”

Wei Jingxian chuckled. Changsheng giggled too. The mother and daughter smiled like blooming flowers, making Feng Jin be at a loss as whether to cry or to laugh.

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