Chapter 260

First Volume, Chapter 260: Professional Soldier

This place is, after all, Tianzi Jiaoxia.

Even common folk have seen countless grand occasions.

Such grand occasions are either imperial sacrifices or the funerals of generals and high ministers.

It's not that others lack money for a Military Funeral, but every rank has strictly regulated funeral scale, as defined by the Ministry of Rites.

A mere few Tianji Camp Guards receiving a funeral comparable to a general's—call it excessive flaunting if you speak lightly, or treason if you speak seriously.

Yet the crowd on-site immediately spotted the Ministry of Rites' carriage.

Rather than investigate, the Ministry of Rites actively participated in this "rank-overstepping" funeral.

This is bizarre!

And the literati of Jingdu naturally didn't miss it, gathering to point and whisper at the funeral site; some even excitedly embellished this rare spectacle in letters sent to distant friends.

Of course, these were merely Folk actions; under the Ministry of Rites' instruction, certain clerks directly recorded this funeral in official registers, euphemistically calling it: The Sage loves soldiers as his own children, holding a public memorial for fallen Guards—though their lives were as light as goose feathers, their glory reached the heavens, their fate as weighty as Taishan. All who died for the nation are eternally remembered by the Sage.

And they did all this right in front of Qin Feng.

Watching the clerks' smug faces, Qin Feng wanted to slap them hard—what a case of crow occupying a magpie's nest.

This funeral, meant by Qin Feng to honor the fallen Guards, had become a gift to the Liang Emperor, transformed into a "cultural propaganda" act to win hearts.

With the arrival of the Liang Emperor and the two Princes, the already grand funeral spiraled completely out of control.

The onlookers, come purely for spectacle, burst into exclamations.

"Even the Son of Heaven has come! My heavens!"

"Even if these Guards played an indispensable role in killing Zhong Ling, surely they don't merit the Son of Heaven attending their funeral? If I'd known this, I'd have become a Guard myself!"

"You know nothing! Guards come in many kinds—serving Qin Feng is entirely different from serving in the City Patrol Bureau. Do you think the Son of Heaven came for the Guards? He came for Qin Feng's sake."

"Pfft, only you know! The Shedynasty bears the Li surname, not Qin's! Even if Qin Feng's influence is great, can he make the Son of Heaven show up? Watch—this funeral will spread across all of Shedynasty soon, and all soldiers under Heaven will be moved by the Emperor's boundless grace. Especially for the Northern Border Border Army, whose military morale is already shaky, this is a powerful medicine."

After this explanation from the "informed," the crowd finally understood.

The Liang Emperor attended this funeral not for anyone's face, but solely to soothe military morale.

According to Qin Feng's original plan, the funeral would conclude by Nightfall, leaving only the widows and families to keep vigil.

But plans never keep pace with change.

And now that the Liang Emperor had come, he had no intention of leaving quickly—he seemed determined to use this opportunity to properly inspect Tianji Camp. After all, the Liang Emperor dwells deep within the Imperial Palace, with few chances to travel outside; though he often heard Black Guard's reports on Tianji Camp's details, nothing compares to seeing it with his own eyes.

Accompanied by four Palace Guards and sixteen Imperial Guards, the Liang Emperor approached Qin Feng, a deep smile in his brow: "Qin Feng, your care for your soldiers brings me great comfort. I won't steal your credit—so regarding compensation for the fallen Guards and the resettlement of their families, I entrust it entirely to you."

This way, you get all the glory, and all the spending falls on me.

Liang Emperor, you old fox!

Qin Feng cursed inwardly but plastered on a smile, flattering: "Your Majesty is wise!"

The Liang Emperor stood with hands behind his back, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. Before the Manchu Civil and Military and the curious onlookers, he loudly asked: "Qin Feng, how do you plan to compensate the fallen Guards?"

At these words, Qin Feng's heart sank halfway—he knew the old fox was up to something again!

Too bad he had no choice—who was he to defy the Son of Heaven?

Qin Feng had no choice but to steel himself and feign seriousness: "The Guards died for the nation—they must receive a Military Funeral and be buried with honor in the Tianji Camp Public Cemetery, honored by generations of Tianji Camp. When their names are spoken, all shall know they are fine sons of Shedynasty—we shall not let heroes die nameless."

"As for the Guards' widows, provide Silver Compensation of five hundred taels, and, in the name of Tianji Camp, purchase a Residential Compound to house their close kin. If they have children, enroll them in the Tianji Camp Public School. If they have aging parents, Tianji Camp shall pay a Monthly Stipend of one liang of Silver to support their twilight years."

"The children of fallen Guards shall be given priority if they later seek to join Tianji Camp as Guards."

"Finally, Guards over forty will be reassessed and likely reassigned to the Tianji Camp Officer Corps, removed from frontline duty to manage Logistics. After sixty, they will retire with full merit, still receiving a Monthly Stipend of ten taels of Silver—this is the 'Pension,' to honor Guards who devoted their prime years to Shedynasty's national defense."

Upon hearing this, not only the widows and families of the fallen Guards, but even the living Guards themselves were stunned with joy, gazing at Qin Feng as if he were their reborn parents.

After all, soldiers fear not dying on the battlefield, but worry that their families will be left destitute after death.

Qin Feng's actions fully resolved the Guards' posthumous anxieties, turning them into Professional Soldiers.

And that "Pension" alone sent blood racing.

One could say, joining Tianji Camp as a Guard meant securing a Golden Bowl—once one rises, even dogs and chickens ascend.

This speech startled even the Liang Emperor.

One doesn't know the cost of rice and firewood until one runs a household.

Such generous benefits seemed unreal—and even if implemented only in one Camp, the expenditure would be astronomical.

But the Liang Emperor reacted swiftly, shifting tone: "You just said you'll continue recruiting Guards? If I recall correctly, I originally granted you only three hundred Guards—I never gave you authority to expand."

Qin Feng snorted inwardly—old bastard, pretending ignorance while knowing full well.

If you're going to act, act fully.

Qin Feng had no choice but to continue playing along: "I would never dare expand without authorization. The so-called expansion is merely replenishment—limited to ten slots per year."

The Liang Emperor feigned surprise: "Oh?" Then waved his hand grandly: "If only ten, that's acceptable. But these ten slots won't be decided by you—they belong to the entire army. I hereby establish Tianji Camp as the standard. Among all soldiers under Heaven, only the elite among elites, or those who've achieved extraordinary merit, may compete for Tianji Camp Guard positions."

As expected, the crowd erupted.

Especially the military officers present, who had long been desperate to get their sons into Tianji Camp.