Hearing the sound, Zhao Feng did not think much about it. He slowly stood up, feeling refreshed, and walked out of the tent.
Outside the tent, Zhang Han, with a respectful expression, bowed to him.
After yesterday's events, the five men had pledged their allegiance to Zhao Feng, establishing a clear master-servant relationship.
"Do you know what this is about?" Zhao Feng waved his hand and asked.
"Du Wei," Zhang Han replied with excitement. "It seems someone from Xianyang has arrived. It's clear that the Duke's enfeoffment is coming."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Feng's face revealed a look of interest.
"Come with me," Zhao Feng instructed.
He then led the group of generals into the military camp.
At that moment, within the military camp, a hundred thousand soldiers were gathered. In the center, on the generals' platform, Wang Jian stood in his battle armor, exuding an imposing presence, with General Wang Ben standing beside him.
"Where are the elite soldiers of Qin?" Wang Jian drew his sword and shouted in a mighty voice.
"Wind! Wind! Wind!"
Thousands of soldiers raised their weapons high, their loud shouts echoing through the camp.
"Silence!" Wang Jian shouted again, raising his hand.
The roar of the soldiers gradually subsided.
"We have gathered the army today for one reason," Wang Jian said loudly. "To bring good news to all the elite soldiers!"
"Han has fallen! The King of Han has been captured by our Great Qin!"
"The eastern road for our Great Qin has been opened!"
"The King's edict is here. Our army is to return to camp in Lantian," Wang Jian announced loudly.
Upon hearing this news, the entire army erupted in cheers.
"Wind! Wind! Wind!"
"Long live the Great Qin! Long live the King!"
The sound of the cheers, along with the war cry of "Long live the Qin," resounded across the military camp.
To every soldier and the whole nation of Qin, this was truly a cause for celebration.
"At this moment," Wang Jian continued, "The King's edict has arrived to reward those who have made contributions."
"Please, the royal envoy, read the King's edict," Wang Jian turned and spoke again.
At this, a figure slowly ascended to the generals' platform. Wearing the robes of a Qin civilian official, he was not in armor.
It was Meng Yi, a member of the Meng family, which, like the Wang family, had a military background. However, unlike the Wang family, Meng Yi was a civilian official, serving in the court, while his older brother, Meng Tian, served as a general in the northern border.
Perhaps this was the wisdom of the Meng family one in the military, the other in the government to ensure the prosperity and honor of their family.
"Meng Yi, presenting the King's edict!" Meng Yi walked onto the generals' platform, holding the royal edict in his hands.
Upon hearing this, all the elite soldiers in the camp bowed in unison.
"We listen to the King's edict!" they all proclaimed.
"The edict of the King of Qin!" Meng Yi began reading aloud. "Our Great Qin's army began the campaign six months ago, led by the valiant soldiers of Lantian. After fierce battles, we broke through the gates of the enemy nation, and eventually, Han was conquered, bringing the mission to a successful end."
"The soldiers of Lantian, who fought bravely in this campaign, are all deserving of great reward."
"All those who have contributed shall be rewarded."
"Soldiers guarding the borders and defending against foreign nations shall be honored upon their return, with a banquet and a three-day rest to reward their efforts."
"Those who fought in the campaign shall be rewarded based on their merit, with promotions and titles."
"Those who were wounded in the service of the country shall be taken care of by the local government, which will provide support for their families."
"Any soldier who dies in battle shall have their family supported by the local government, with three times their annual salary given to their family."
"The Great Qin will never forget the contributions of its soldiers!"
Meng Yi read the royal edict aloud, his voice strong and steady, clearly conveying the King's benevolence.
Upon hearing this, Wang Jian immediately said, "The King's benevolent edict. Let the whole army recite it!"
As his words fell, the entire military camp echoed with the voices of soldiers reciting the royal edict. The sound spread across the entire training ground.
In the vast army of a hundred thousand, only by having all the soldiers recite the edict could the message be truly spread.
Standing below the generals' platform, Zhao Feng listened to the royal edict and was slightly surprised. "I originally thought that Qin's rewards for fallen soldiers weren't particularly high, but now I see I underestimated them."
"Looking at the whole world, Qin must be the nation that offers the greatest support for its military."
"Perhaps every soldier fights to the death because they have no worries about their families."
"With such national strength, a military state unified under one banner, how could they not dominate?"
Zhao Feng had only been in the army for ten months, and this was his first time hearing about such rewards. It was also the first time he truly understood Qin's military care.
"This military merit system of Qin," Zhao Feng thought, "for the other nations, it's an unsolvable problem."
"They might wish to implement something similar, but for their aristocrats, it would be like cutting off their flesh impossible."
"The military merit system has propelled Qin to become the strongest. With the fierce will of the sixth generation, the nation was unified. But this system can also lead to Qin's downfall. Once Qin has unified the world, the military merit system will become the biggest problem an empire built on military power, unable to be sustained once the emperor is gone."
"Internal troubles are just too big."
But at this moment, Zhao Feng had already seen the future downfall of Qin due to its military merit system. While this system was beneficial for unification, it would become a burden in the future.
"General, please accept the royal edict," Meng Yi turned and said to Wang Jian.
Wang Jian, with great respect, bowed deeply and took the royal edict with both hands. "I, Wang Jian, accept the royal edict on behalf of the soldiers of Lantian."
"The King's edict is as follows," Meng Yi continued solemnly. "On the day the edict arrives, General Wang Jian is to lead his troops back to camp in Xianyang."
"I accept the edict," Wang Jian immediately nodded.
"At this time, I bring three copies of the royal edict. One for General Wang Jian, one for General Li Teng in the main battle camp, and one for the one who contributed the most to the defeat of Han the one who captured the King of Han," Meng Yi said.
"Is General Zhao Feng present in the camp?" Meng Yi asked, looking around.
"General Zhao Feng, please come to the platform!" Wang Ben immediately called out.
"General Zhao, it's your turn," Zhang Han, Wei Quan, and the others looked at Zhao Feng with anticipation.
At this moment, Zhao Feng, still referred to as "General," stepped forward, slightly nervous but mostly excited.
For Zhao Feng, the royal edict was not just a promotion; it also meant a treasure chest.
Under the gaze of countless eyes, Zhao Feng walked toward the generals' platform with steady steps, calm and collected.
The entire camp was filled with curiosity toward Zhao Feng. Within Lantian's military camp, Zhao Feng's reputation for defeating Han's generals, breaking their capital, and capturing the King of Han had spread far and wide. His fame was growing rapidly.
"He is as young as the rumors say," some of the soldiers whispered.
"Yes," another responded, "To have accomplished such a great feat at such a young age."
"After this enfeoffment, General Zhao Feng will likely become the youngest general in Lantian."
-support me in Patreon for more chapter, 220+ chapters
patreon.com/LordoftheReader