Chapter 630

Chen Wuji looked at that big vat of liquor, his scalp had already started to go numb.

This bastard is trying to kill him with liquor!

Dingzhou and Hezhou aren't that far apart, and I haven't heard that people from Dingzhou can drink this much!

His condition today is poor; he must resort to some muddy-water fishing tactics, otherwise if he lets this bunch take turns toasting him, using a round-robin tactic, he'll surely collapse here.

The commander of the Three Armies, the Southern Command Governor—this bit of authority in this place must be fully exercised; drinking two bowls to give them a token gesture will do.

The banquet began, Chen Wuji said a few words, lifted a bowl, then left the rest to them to freestyle. When drinking reached the later stage and they started toasting each other, no matter who came, he would just take a sip and then simply use the kind of lines modern bosses often use.

In short, the principle is that today's liquor is limited to at most three bowls.

After a sleepless night and a day of high-intensity marching, he was still vigorous and lively at this point; Chen Wuji even wanted to give himself a badass line.

When the liquor was at its peak, some people began chatting, Chen Wuji held his drink, ready to make his move; these Dingzhou civil and military officials and wealthy gentry, he had to toast each one.

Give them face to the roof.

In this era of extremely strict hierarchy, subordinates toasting superiors is what they must do, but superiors toasting subordinates is extremely unprecedented, nearly impossible.

Not to mention toasting, even if Chen Wuji stepped down from this position and walked among them, to them that would already be giving absolute face.

"General Hu, why don't you recommend me!" Chen Wuji, having drunk until his face flushed, but his voice still steady, his steps firm and steady, Hu Bu Gui shouted over.

This guy's liquor tolerance, Chen Wuji also admires it.

Although he hadn't drunk much just now, he had been keeping an eye on these people's movements.

Hu Bu Gui this guy drank the most.

Chen Wuji now suspects that Chen Bushi and Qin Feng meeting this guy might not necessarily be able to outdrink him.

Hu Bu Gui seeing Chen Wuji's posture, couldn't help but stare for a moment, "The Military Governor is supposed to toast them… no, just clink cups with them?"

"In Dingzhou, I only know you well; now taking this opportunity, I ought to get acquainted. Liquor is secondary; the point is, I need to get to know people." Chen Wuji said.

"Here!"

Hu Bu Gui didn't dare to urge further, starting from the Negotiation Colonel, he introduced each person to Chen Wuji.

Chen Wuji implemented the three-axe policy: after the other party finished their bows, he'd take a drink; midway through speaking, he'd take another; and when leaving, he'd have another bowl.

He would just take a small sip for formality, but the other party would surely feel embarrassed and not dare to take even a sip, so they'd definitely finish the whole bowl.

Chen Wuji used this tactic to meet everyone in the hall one by one.

As for names, he only remembered three or five, but he consumed a lot of liquor.

Returning to his seat, Chen Wuji came up with another little excuse, proposing that everyone raise their cups together a few times; his bowl of liquor remained almost untouched, while the others each drank six or seven bowls.

These people were already about drunk enough; his fierce rear attack caused many to immediately slump against the tables, some even running out while vomiting, and the scene instantly fell into extreme chaos.

Only then did Chen Wuji withdraw from the banquet, satisfied.

He could go back to sleep peacefully.

Today's unfamiliar liquor banquet, he fought like a lone army, able to achieve such results; Chen Wuji expressed great satisfaction.

Leading troops outside, commanders must stay stationed in the army; Tang Yu, Xie Fengxian and others came for a bowl of liquor, ate a meal, then returned to camp.

……

The main army rested and recuperated in An Di for a day.

When the Dingzhou civil and military officials came, they also brought Dingzhou's troops.

These Bīngmǎ need to be reselected, the yellow registers compiled, then broken up and reorganized, distributed among the various units, and we also need to select surrendered troops for Feng Linchuan and Lu Chuan to form units.

Time was rather rushed, but these matters no longer required Chen Wuji to handle them personally; Chen Luozi and the others could easily arrange them, so Chen Wuji slept straight through to noon.

He finally made up for the sleep he had missed the night before last.

After waking up and having a neither early nor late lunch, Chen Wuji went outside the city.

Almost all of Dingzhou's surrendered troops and Chen Wuji's Bīngmǎ were encamped outside the city; only a small part of the central army was brought into the city.

"How are the arrangements going?" Chen Wuji, seated in the chief position, asked Chen Luozi beside him.

"Perhaps because he bears a great responsibility today, Chen Luozi, who usually lacks decorum, is unusually solemn, sitting upright and straight, bearing a hint of the aura of a high-ranking regional official."

"The screening is almost done; out of the twenty-seven thousand troops, twenty-five thousand can remain." Chen Luozi said.

Chen Wuji frowned slightly, "That many left?"

"General Hu's criteria for selecting soldiers are already strict; there are no old or weak among them." Chen Luozi said, "These two thousand people are all sick or wounded; even if we didn't screen, most of them probably could no longer cope with the battlefield."

Chen Wuji wiped his face, "Nobody wants to leave the army voluntarily?"

"There are, but only a few dozen."

"A few dozen?!"

"Hmm, so few they can be ignored!"

Chen Wuji truly couldn't understand this: "The troops of Dingzhou shouldn't possibly know our details, right? How could only so few be willing to leave the army voluntarily? They're surrendered troops—did you get something wrong?"

Chen Luozi chuckled and shook his head: "This really has nothing to do with me, and I didn't make a mistake. They ought to know, and indeed seem to know clearly; quite a few surrendered troops have come to talk with our soldiers, asking whether Military Merit truly corresponds exactly to official titles, rewards, and land."

Chen Wuji pinched his chin, remaining silent for a while.

This is the charm of valiant Lao Qin!

This variant of the Military Merit rank system was his creation, but he seems to have somewhat underestimated its power; it's truly like his mother's succubus, rendering the soldiers almost completely unable to resist.

"Where did the leak come from?" Chen Wuji muttered.

"No need to doubt? It must be General Hu Bu Gui. He's always been a lover of his troops, having surrendered himself—how could he let the soldiers miss this good opportunity?" Chen Luozi laughed.

Chen Wuji: ……

Chen Luozi continued: "Not a single one of Dingzhou's troops was forcibly conscripted; these people chose to become soldiers and fight, some for the sake of eating as soldiers, others for revenge."

"The things our soldiers enjoy are far too important to them. Just now a surrendered troop told me that our soldiers live lives practically like those of immortals."

"Dingzhou's troops are quite different from those elsewhere; when they serve as soldiers, they have already considered death, having long disregarded life and death."

Chen Wuji nodded, "Tell me in detail."

These matters, Chen Wuji had not previously examined them carefully.