Free Web NovelChapter 2340: Chapter 2315: Appreciation
The army returned, and General Guo, who had been hidden in the medical tent of the camp, was finally carried out. General Ashina glanced at him and sighed, "Prepare him for burial."
Junior General Guo was also supported out of the medical tent, only to find out then that his father had died in battle.
Though there had been quarrels between father and son, at this moment, Junior General Guo was still deeply saddened, and tears fell silently.
Bai Shan and Bai Erlang stood beside him, and seeing this, they patted his shoulder and said, "Don’t be too sad, at least the Wang City has been recaptured."
Otherwise, that would have been a grave crime.
Bai Erlang nodded repeatedly.
Bai Shan saw him crying until his face turned pale and holding his chest as if in pain, so he quickly supported him and said, "Don’t be too sad, you still have our blood in your veins. If your wound tears and you bleed out, we’ll have to transfuse you again."
Bai Erlang shivered at the thought of the blood he had drawn, "No, I think he’s gotten much better."
Liu Huan was somewhat worried, "Let Zhou Man check on him just in case. Our blood would have been wasted if anything were to happen."
Junior General Guo, listening to their chatter by his ear, suddenly felt less sad. He wiped his tears, glanced again at his father lying on the wooden plank, sniffed, and said, "I’m fine now."
General Ashina assigned some people to transport General Guo’s remains back to Xizhou while escorting Junior General Guo and a batch of wounded soldiers back first.
He said, "Once your wounds are better, set out at once. You must stabilize Xizhou."
As for Kucha, General Ashina had already chosen someone from among the relatives of the King of Kucha to inherit the throne.
He was the cousin of the King of Kucha, named Ye Hu. He was brought out of the dungeon, and upon General Ashina proposing to make him king, he immediately volunteered and killed the King of Kucha.
Thus, General Ashina gathered all the citizens of the Wang City of Kucha together, declaring the intent to redress grievances against a tyrant and publicly announced the crimes of the King of Kucha.
Meanwhile, news that the remnants fleeing from the South Gate and of the ambushed Turkic army reached the Wang City. Over eight hundred soldiers were captured. When the army escorted them into the city, the Wang City was shaken.
Ye Hu, who had just become King of Kucha, behaved more obediently. After discussing with the nobles and officials of the Wang City, they simply gathered a batch of provisions for them and sent many valuable gifts.
The two chests of gold, silver, and jewels that Bai Shan and the others brought to the palace were returned to General Ashina’s hands after making a round.
General Ashina collected the gold, silver, and jewels as war spoils and registered them, to be handed over to the national treasury upon return.
What General Li had already pocketed, he didn’t question, and he also didn’t comment on Bai Shan and the others distributing most of the spoils among the soldiers.
In his opinion, their distributing the spoils this time was different from Hou Ji, Guo Xiao, and others secretly hiding the spoils before. To boost morale, these actions were acceptable.
The Anxi soldiers, having received no reprimand from the Chief Steward, secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hid their shares even more carefully.
For those who had died, their belongings would be jointly managed by their comrades and sent back home when there was an opportunity.
Anyone could die on the battlefield at any time. These were things everyone had agreed upon early on. While the higher-ups might not mention it, no one dared to misappropriate the personal belongings among comrades.
After waiting for two days and realizing that General Ashina truly did not intend to pursue the matter, General Li took five boxes to find them and handed them over with a smile, saying, "Lord Zhou, Young Master Bai, these are for you."
Things were distributed after Bai Shan and the others had left because, after all, it was to boost morale.
At the time, General Li specifically put aside some for Bai Shan and the others. Since entering the Wang City as internal aides was the most dangerous, those who died deserved a share of the spoils, and those who lived even more so.
This time, their role in the assault was crucial, and each had a not-so-simple identity. They are sure to have boundless prospects when they return to the capital, and no one should have less than what they deserve.
Bai Shan hesitated for a moment when he saw these items, but then he accepted them.
Everyone opened them and found that both Manbao and Zhou Liru had boxes full of jewelry. It must be said, they were quite beautiful.
Bai Erlang looked joyfully too and took out a jade horse. "I must say, there’s nothing subpar from the palace."
Bai Shan examined them carefully, and after appreciating them, he reluctantly asked Daji to bring a larger box and poured the items into it.
He looked at the others, indicating for them to pour theirs in too.
Liu Huan poured his in, and Manbao quickly said, "Be gentle. What if you damage them?"
She said this as she carefully placed each item inside, her heart aching, while Bai Erlang was also reluctant, "Are we really not keeping them?"
Bai Shan brushed off his hand and directly placed all the items from the box into the larger box. He said, "If we want something in the future, we’ll earn it ourselves. Don’t take what isn’t ours to take."
Zhou Liru was the most reluctant, touching the box and asking, "Little Aunt, why can others take them, but we can’t?"
Manbao replied, "We’re different from them. They..."
Manbao paused before saying, "Their military pay is insufficient, and their provisions are often deducted. Due to the tacit rules in the larger environment, the supplies given to them by the Ministry of Revenue are never enough, so their sustenance relies entirely on the ability and conscience of their commanding officer."
"The Anxi army is quite capable and has war spoils, but General Guo rarely gave them to his men, so the Anxi army is very poor. They can take these things without guilt, but we cannot."
After saying this, Manbao no longer felt distressed when putting her items into the box. She said, "Moreover, given our identities, we cannot privately take war spoils. Look at Hou Ji; his feud with the Crown Prince reached an irreconcilable point, all because he embezzled many gold and jewels acquired from the Gaochang Kingdom."
Manbao said, "Though this is a tacitly accepted rule, there must be moderation. Guo Xiao had none, which is why the Emperor didn’t favor him. Although constantly used, he was never granted a marquis title."
General Meng at Yumen Pass, when compared, had a rank officially lower than his, yet he was ennobled much earlier. In terms of military achievements alone, Guo Xiao’s were no worse; the difference was merely the morale of his troops.
When accepted social norms become routine, they actually remain unlawful.
Thinking of Hou Ji’s downfall, Zhou Liru immediately placed the items into the box, nodding repeatedly, "You’re right, Little Aunt."
Manbao then smiled and said, "The present Emperor isn’t someone petty, and General Ashina is especially gracious. When we return to the capital, the Emperor is bound to reward us."
Bai Shan also nodded, "Isn’t it more honorable to receive something bestowed by the Emperor?"
So, they discreetly had Daji send the items to General Ashina, requesting him to register them without announcing it to the troops, to avoid unsettling the Anxi army who had already distributed the spoils.
General Ashina, regarding the poverty of the Anxi army with compassion, knew that if they were both poor and weak, it would have been bearable. But they were poor and strong, always daring in battle, making them somewhat pitiable. Hence, he quietly took them in and didn’t spread the news, though he couldn’t help but mention to the people around him, "Indeed, they are the famed young talents from the capital. The Emperor has not misjudged them."
