Chapter 101: Military Rank

"The villagers are resentful," Qian Dabin said.

"I know," Xu Wenshan replied.

Inside the White Dragon Hall, Xu Wenshan was busy sketching and writing on a map, with only Qian Dabin idling by his side.

"They are just farmers with narrow horizons. Please, don't let their attitude anger you, young commander."

"I won't."

"Although we won this battle, the villagers don't see it that way. They only care about their own losses."

"Hmm."

"They can't bear even the slightest setback or disadvantage. That’s how common folk are."

Qian Dabin kept trying to explain, but Xu Wenshan remained silent. Qian Dabin felt a growing sense of unease.

Xu Wenshan had set a plan to recruit one hundred auxiliary soldiers. Their primary duties would be digging trenches and reinforcing defensive structures. He also intended to include women to serve as "nurses" to tend to the wounded.

However, after a full day, not a single new recruit had signed up, and many existing auxiliary soldiers had come forward to submit their resignations.

Qian Dabin was terrified that Xu Wenshan might abandon Fengshi Village.

"Damn it! These farmers are truly ignorant!" Lei Laohu grumbled as he entered the tent and gave a salute to Xu Wenshan.

"Lei Laohu, what’s happened? Speak properly," Xu Wenshan said.

Lei Laohu replied, "We tried to borrow pots from the villagers to cook, but they refused! Damn them... Hmph, they are a bunch of ingrates. They don’t even stop to think about who drove the White Dragon Gang away for them!"

"A small favor breeds gratitude, but a large one breeds resentment; let’s not dwell on our contributions," Xu Wenshan said. "Have our soldiers expressed any dissatisfaction with the villagers?"

"There’s bound to be some, but our soldiers are good men; they absolutely have not bullied or harassed the villagers."

"That is good. Reiterate our Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention to them once more, and ensure they are strictly enforced."

"And about the issue of the auxiliary soldiers..."

"Let the prisoners fill the roles of auxiliary soldiers; give them a chance to turn over a new leaf," Xu Wenshan said. "Remember, we are here to bring wealth and civilization. Some will grasp the opportunity, while others won't. What else can we do?"

...

The prisoners Xu Wenshan referred to included not only those from the White Dragon Gang but also the bandits captured in yesterday’s battle.

"Auxiliary soldiers are just cannon fodder meant to die in the pits," a bald man explained to the other captives in the prisoner camp. "I was an auxiliary soldier in the State of Chen before. We were the ones carrying supplies, fixing roads, and leading the charge in battle. It was truly a life of nine deaths."

Huang Fei said, "But the young master of the Xu family said that if we become auxiliary soldiers, we don’t need to fight—only work. And after two years, we can be discharged and go home. He even promised treatment equal to that of the Luhe villagers."

Huang Fei had once been part of the White Dragon Gang, but he had only been a member for a single day before being captured, which he felt was quite unjust. The bald man, however, was a seasoned bandit who had traveled far and wide, so many people gathered around him to listen to his ramblings.

The bald man shook his head and said, "That’s all lies. I’ve served many kings and heroes in my time. They all pay lip service to treating soldiers well, but they have never considered auxiliary soldiers as human beings."

Huang Fei asked, "If that’s what you think, then you don’t intend to sign up?"

The bald man retorted, "Are you stupid? Being an auxiliary soldier is still better than rotting in here. Besides, who says you can't run away once you're an auxiliary? Look at me—I'm still here, aren't I?"

Unexpectedly, the selection process for the Luhe Guard's auxiliary troops was far stricter than the captives had imagined. The bald man was not selected, while Huang Fei was chosen.

Shortly after becoming an auxiliary, they were introduced to Xu Wenshan himself.

"I know some of you may have served as auxiliary soldiers elsewhere, but remember: the auxiliary troops in my unit are different. I prefer to call you 'engineers.' Your mission is to build fortifications and aid the wounded. You are not responsible for combat; when fighting breaks out, I would rather you hide than throw your lives away needlessly," Xu Wenshan told the recruits.

The auxiliary soldiers were stirred, but Xu Wenshan’s next words shattered their perceptions even further: "Now, regarding your compensation. Your wages will be equal to those of the combat soldiers. Your term of service is two years. After that, you may choose to remain in the army or return home. Regardless of your choice, you will automatically become citizens of Luhe Gully and be assigned work by the military. I promise that every discharged auxiliary soldier will be provided with a job that can sustain them. This is my commitment."

As soon as these words were spoken, the auxiliary soldiers were on the verge of cheering.

If one could feed oneself, who would want to be a bandit? Who would want to risk their life as a hired thug?

"Because we are in a state of war, there is no time for training. Starting today, you are assigned to the Engineer Platoon. Your platoon leader is Zhang Aniu."

Zhang Aniu’s face flushed red. He was only twenty years old, and this was his first time holding such a significant position. Although he wasn't entirely sure how big a "platoon leader" really was, he knew that anything with "leader" in the title couldn't be bad.

After dismissing the auxiliary soldiers, Lei Laohu and the others, along with Zhang Aniu, stayed behind.

Lei Laohu, having the most volatile temper, spoke first: "Chief! What is this 'platoon leader'? Is it higher or lower than a squad leader?"

Xu Wenshan said, "A squad has ten to twenty men, and a platoon consists of three squads. Who do you think is higher?"

"This!" Not only did Lei Laohu’s eyes widen, but Wu Yi’s expression also soured. They had been leading troops for over a month now, and no one had mentioned rank, yet a newcomer had jumped ahead of them?

Zhang Aniu stared at Xu Wenshan, feeling nervous. He felt he couldn't compare to these veterans.

Xu Wenshan rubbed his forehead, realizing it was time to separate military rank from the organizational structure. "Zhang Aniu is a platoon leader by organizational structure; making him a leader is for the sake of management. He has over sixty men in the engineer platoon—do you expect me to cram them all into one squad? Can one person manage that? Does that make sense to you?"

The group remained silent. Xu Wenshan continued, "You are combat troops. You are small enough that my direct command is sufficient. Who else would I appoint as platoon leader?"

As they continued to stay silent, Xu Wenshan added, "What I’m about to say is the most important part. After this, you have a duty to propagate it to your soldiers. We will reward military merit by promoting rank. Those who perform exceptionally and meet the requirements will be promoted, and their benefits will increase accordingly. You are soldiers now, but future meritorious service will make you non-commissioned officers. This is called military rank. You follow whoever has the higher rank. Understood?"

Only then did the group nod. Xu Wenshan explained a bit more before dismissing them.

Qian Dabin, watching from the side, was filled with admiration, marveling at such a brilliant method of command. Leaders like the "Dragon Head" only knew how to throw money and women at people; they would never be able to conceive of something like military ranks.

Thus, Qian Dabin became even more determined to integrate himself into Xu Wenshan's inner circle.

Xu Wenshan added, "Listen well, everyone. The Engineer Platoon has a heavy task, and we must cooperate actively. The bandits will surely return. If they do, they won't attempt a frontal assault like last time. They will try to find ways to scale our fences. Tell me, what tactics might they use?"

Zhang Aniu was thrilled; he realized this was a military council, and he had not been excluded.

Lei Laohu said, "The fence is thin; if they use a battering ram, it won't hold for long."

Wu Yi remarked, "I don't think they’ll go through all that trouble. Our fence is so low that a single ladder would let them jump right over."

Only Li Dazhuang muttered, "Fire."

The group went silent. They themselves had used fire to breach Fengshi Village. Could they be about to suffer the same fate?

"We must indeed guard against fire," Xu Wenshan confirmed.

The men looked at each other. Everyone knew they needed to prevent fire, but how? Were they supposed to just keep two jars of water at the gate?