Chapter 568: The King Has Something to Say

……The great undertaking is unfinished, the chaotic age not yet pacified; our North Border's resources are meager, today's rewards are modest, but I will remember every merit of the North Border army, and when Great Jin is unified we will award according to merit. Today, I have obtained a batch of precious blades, both practical and valuable. It's just a shame they're too expensive, too expensive, so the quota is limited. Officers of commandant rank and above do not take part in the ranking; only the enlisted men receive them. In a moment I will have the clerk read out the names of the top two hundred in military achievement; each of you will receive one blade.

The king clapped his hands, and two personal guards came forward carrying two trays.

The two of them walked while eyeing the modest outdoor knives on the trays; even if the Owl Riders had seen fine things, they usually kept more killing tools in their boots than others, but everything the king produced was top‑grade, and their eyes almost glazed over, not knowing whether they'd get a share.

The drill field exploded!

The officers complained that the king was playing favorites, but their wails were drowned out by the cheers of tens of thousands. The king smiled broadly; spending little to achieve much, the soldiers seemed even happier.

The clerk took the little bee and read out the list of awardees loudly.

With each name called, cheers erupted around that person, and the two hundred blades sent the victory banquet soaring to its climax.

This list wasn't simply based on headcount; it was based on overall merit and contribution. After deliberately balancing it, about half still went to the Owl Riders and the Snow Riders.

The two hundred stood in a row below the stage, and the king personally handed each a blade; the atmosphere was lively and joyous.

Several young officers, led by Wei Shen, followed the king at the rear just to liven things up, and these few greedy ones had red eyes.

Sour remarks spilled out freely, and Wei Shen followed the blades, constantly asking, "Is the quantity just right? Could there be one or two more?"

Liang He, trailing behind him, wasn't shy either: "If there are two extra blades, I should get one—I'm right after you in second place!"

Their attitude made the heroes who received the king's rewards even happier; this kind of knife made of three or four blades folded together was something they'd never seen before, and these people weren't the usual buyers of the king's Swiss‑army knives—where would they have seen such a novelty? The senior officers didn't have any, only they did!

The king smiled as he handed them out one by one, exchanging a few words with familiar faces and asking the names of strangers; he also explained that those two thin sticks were fire‑starters, giving unlimited firepower outdoors. After the last one was distributed, the young officers began to wail and howl.

Really, there's not even one extra!

The king ruthlessly suppressed them: "Hold your howls, listen to what I have to say!"

When everyone had quieted down, looking at him hopefully, wondering if they'd be issued more next time, the king said slowly, "There is a way—you can save up and go buy them in Myriad Phenomena City; it's only two thousand taels."

The crowd: ……How much?

Two thousand taels for such a tiny gadget? In Youzhou you could buy a manor and still have enough left for several fields!

Wei Shen mimicked the king's catch‑phrase: "……Two thousand taels—whose dog's name is that? You just shout it out. Your Highness, you only give me twenty taels a month." He does hold a post in the army, but his stipend isn't even enough to support his few attendants.

The king said earnestly: "Aren't you sponging off your parents? And you're still relying on your stipend? Really hopeless—that's just a few coins."

Wei Shen: ……?

Things have turned upside down!

Liang He, nearest to them, patted his ears: "I must be hearing things wrong—I heard it backwards."

After the soldiers left, Wei Shen started causing trouble; his lice were many but didn't itch.

"You mean I still have to sponge off my parents and pay to fight for you, right?"

Before the king could retort, another second‑generation Liang He nearby said in all seriousness: "You might be. Those of us stationed at the border get extra subsidies." He felt that, being so close, he had heard correctly and should speak up for the king.

Wei Shen: "……Which side are you on? You've lost your second‑place spot!"

The king: "Hahaha, very good—Brother Liang, I'll have the Marquis of Eastern Capital buy it for you."

Liang He rejoiced; only in Wei Shen's wounded world was this achieved.

After the king left, the victory banquet remained unprecedentedly lively; the king's provisions of food and drink were ample, and it didn't break up until the moon was high overhead. Next door, the twenty‑two thousand disgruntled troops lodged in the barracks seethed with resentment, never to enjoy the treatment of the legitimate line in their lifetimes.

Who would have thought that the very next morning, orders came down from on high, layer by layer, that the King of the North Border was coming to inspect.

The East Great Camp sprang into action, clanging and clashing as they cleaned up.

The East Great Camp was already huge, like a mega‑village, and now there were even more people.

After they had cleaned the East Great Camp to a fresh state and the troops had trained until they were grimy, the king arrived. He brought a unit of Owl Riders and a unit of Snow Riders, their armor black and silver, alike in being polished to a shine.

The king led them in a circuit before everyone in the camp, extremely eye‑catching; this made certain that all saw his formidable elite force, and only then was an assembly ordered for an hour later, when the king had something to say.