Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Jiang Pengji knew her positions well in both worlds.
She used to be the pillar of Corps Seven, the last resort of the soldiers, and the strongest faith they had in the unit. In other words, she was the mascot in peace and the alpha wolf in war.
She handled all the matters pertaining to battles, but her subordinates took care of all the internal and external affairs. She did not pretend to be interested in other issues apart from fighting, which was her only strength.
She had given Xu Ke a similar role to her subordinates, and she planned to leave everything to him until he encountered a problem that he could not handle.
The two had designed a detailed program with specific flows and stages of training in order to maximize utility and add challenges for the servants. They would start with a shorter training time and simple exercise. Then they would demand harder tasks after the initial transitional period. When they were not training, the servants would assist the farmers in cultivating the land and growing crops.
To increase their incentive, five servants would form a team led by a lance corporal, who would be chosen every month by the unit. The monthly wages of lance corporals would be five percent higher than the others.
Additionally, they would hold contests between the teams, and the winning unit would receive an extra five percent in their monthly salaries.
But Jiang Pengji still focused more on punishment than rewards.
All of the teams’ progress would be inspected every month. Members of the worst team would have ten percent of their salary deducted, and their workload during the following two weeks would be ten percent more than the other teams. The punishment would be the same for the unit with the lowest overall rating.
The lance corporals would be responsible for their men and would be punished alongside any of their members who breached the rules. If any lance corporal violated the rules, all of the teams would be punished.
That way, lance corporals would be incentivized to monitor each other and their own team members. Though the lance corporals would hold more power than the members, they would also have to bear a larger share of the responsibilities. All soldiers, therefore, would be closely related as one large unit.
As for the wages, Jiang Pengji and Xu Ke agreed on the amounts after considering factors like their overall expenditure.
Soon, the housekeeper brought the young men in front of the them. They were in better spirits than they had been at the slave market.
“I did not purchase you to lead an easy life. Let us be straightforward–from now on, you must listen to Xu Ke before you act. Anyone who causes trouble will receive severe punishment.”
Xu Ke? The servants knew who that was. Some of them secretly glanced at the teenager curiously. Xu Ke’s situation had been the worst among all of them. But after a few days, he had reappeared in decent clothing. His spirit seemed to have been lifted, and his figure was not as weak as it had been before.
This roused envy in some of the men and hope in others.
However, their daydream did not last long before Jiang Pengji extinguished the fire in their hearts.
Xu Ke’s hands were trembling because of nervousness, gratefulness, and excitement. This was the beginning of his new life! But he concealed his emotions.
“I am a sensible master and will listen to reasonable voices. But if you know your words are not convincing, you better shut up before I tell you to.” Jiang Pengji looked at every one of them with intimidating coldness in her eyes.
She cued Xu Ke to explain the training plan.
The servants were all joyous about the news that they would receive monthly wages, sufficient garments, and food.
Life in Dongqing was difficult. Natural disasters and human error were forcing commoners into desperation. Although Hejian was prosperous, the roads of other poorer counties were full of people who died of hunger. Rampant bandits were also compelling commoners to migrate, resulting in empty residences in those areas.
The servants had feared that Xu Ke’s escape would bring them all punishment, and they assumed that he would be beaten to death once he got caught. However, as they saw him standing in front of them in a better condition, they felt relieved to know that the Langjun was not as cruel as they had assumed.
As for the training... it would be nothing more than common exercise, right?
Jiang Pengji perceived their thoughts and smiled coolly. “Do you think our family will pay for useless guards? I have higher expectations than you think.”
Jiang Pengji’s voice was not like other teenagers’. It seemed to freeze the air and send chills all the way from the people’s feet up to their brains. Cold sweat soaked their backs, and dread occupied their minds.
“Wealthy places like Hejian are surrounded by outlaws in the nearby mountains. They rob households, and they will be your enemies when your training is over. You can spare effort in the coming months and be content with the outcome, but the bandits will not pity you for your weakness!”
Xu Ke looked up at her. That was not what they had planned to say, but the thin, young boy standing in front of him seemed to shine under the sun.
He was not the only one dazzled by the sight. Jiang Pengji’s fans in the channel began giving out presents ceaselessly.
Toudu Feiqiu: “Ahhhh! The host is my love!”
Pindaokanni Juhuayoudu: “I want to have the host over me... Oh, push harder...”
Qi’e Niang: “Stop it before the children learn from you!”
The System could not help but smirk. The rewards cleared away its discontent. Although it had a strange host, the content pleased the audience and attracted generous rewards. It guessed that it should not complain as long as the channel was gaining popularity.
The servants were shocked by Jiang Pengji’s speech. Then she warned scornfully, “Neither my family nor I need worthless creatures at our place. You decide who survives three months later–you or the bandits.”
Jiang Pengji knew that wolves that had never killed could be more fragile than lambs that were used to attacks. She wanted an army of bloodthirsty wolves, not sheep that played simple tricks.
She folded her arms, lifted her chin, and cast an eye on her people. “Alright, are there any questions?”