76: Chapter 0076 Ring Toss

On the road as they marched out of the city in a grand procession, the soldiers couldn't help but chat about everything they had seen and heard.

"Hey! Have you heard? The garrison in Baishui Prefecture gets 300 wen in military pay per month!"

"Really? Ours has been cut to 150 wen, and it's often in arrears!"

"Why would I lie to you? They were owed three months of pay before, but when Commander Lin arrived, he paid it all off directly and even added fifty percent!"

"I also heard that even if they aren't on the battlefield, they can still get paid just by helping the villagers dig irrigation ditches and clear wasteland!"

"Where does Commander Lin get so much money?"

"That's where you don't understand. Commander Lin knows how to win battles! The supplies seized from the barbarians alone are enough to last a whole year!"

"I'm not kidding, we get two steamed buns for breakfast here; back where we came from... we wouldn't even dare to dream of that!"

The soldiers were deeply moved, and before they knew it, they arrived at a vast training ground.

Flags bearing the character "Mu" were fluttering in the wind.

Several huge notice boards stood there, with "Golden Scale Ranking" prominently displayed on them!

A good show was unfolding on the training ground right now.

Two cavalrymen from Baishui were competing in mounted archery.

In a flash, after the ten arrows were fired, someone immediately went up to tally the results.

"The winner is Xu Zheng!! Reward: 1000 wen!!"

The winning cavalryman cheered happily and then rode his horse under one of the notice boards.

A member of the Mu Family Golden Scale Guard handed a string of cash to Xu Zheng.

At the same time, Xu Zheng's name was written on the "Mounted Archery" Golden Scale Ranking list.

Seeing this scene, the soldiers of the Cangzhou Army were energized. What was going on? They could earn so much money just by riding horses and shooting arrows!?

"General Wu, what just happened?"

Wei Dongxue and several other officers naturally had to ask General Wu Jinzhe, who was leading the group today.

General Wu Jinzhe smiled and said, "This is the 'Golden Scale Ranking' system established by our Commander Lin and the Mu Family Golden Scale Guard."

"Currently, it is divided into three rankings: mounted archery, weaponry, and wrestling. I heard that more categories will be added in the future."

"All soldiers, as long as they do not violate military discipline, can sign up."

"Every seven days, if you make it into the top ten of the rankings, you can receive a reward."

After listening, Wei Dongxue frowned and asked, "Then what if someone is exceptionally good at mounted archery and dominates the rankings all the time?"

"That won't happen," General Wu Jinzhe shook his head. "Every month, there will be a final for those on the rankings. The winners can challenge the Golden Scale Guard through a lottery system."

"Once they successfully challenge them, they can join the Golden Scale Guard, and their military pay and benefits will be significantly improved!"

"Besides, there are limits; each person can only receive the ranking reward up to three times a year."

The Cangzhou Army soldiers suddenly understood. The Golden Scale Guard! That was one of the Five Great Iron Cavalries, the ace troops that once guarded the capital!

Being able to become a member was indeed a huge honor!

"Don't think that just because you become a member of the Golden Scale Guard, you can rest easy!"

General Wu Jinzhe sighed, "Commander Lin's requirements are very strict. If a member of the Golden Scale Guard fails to accept a challenge three times in a row, they will be demoted."

"That's why our brothers in the Golden Scale Guard have been training very hard recently, fearing they will be surpassed."

"Getting less military pay is secondary; the key is that we can't afford to lose face!"

The Cangzhou Army soldiers laughed heartily. It was true; if you lost three matches in a row, you wouldn't even have the face to stay in the Golden Scale Guard, let alone be demoted!

"Then... if we join Commander Lin's command, can we also compete for this Golden Scale Ranking?"

"If we make the list, can we also get 1000 wen?"

A few bold soldiers asked.

"Of course. The Golden Scale Ranking treats the entire army equally. As long as you can pass the basic assessment, you can enter the elimination round."

"For example, for mounted archery, if you hit eight out of ten arrows within the time limit, you can compete for a spot on the ranking."

General Wu Jinzhe explained the rules to everyone one by one.

"Eight out of ten? I can do that!"

"I feel like I can do it too! General, let us try it too!"

Soon, people were eager to try!

After all, there was no loss if they failed, and they could get money if they succeeded!

"Alright, but this elimination round has already ended."

"If you can pass the basic assessment, I, as the General, will take charge and give you a reward of 100 wen!"

The Cangzhou Army soldiers were disappointed for a moment, but then they thought about it—100 wen was not a small amount; it was basically free money!

Soon, the entire training ground became busy.

Wei Dongxue looked at the highly enthusiastic soldiers, feeling deeply moved.

"What people pursue is nothing more than fame and fortune, and soldiers are no different."

"With such a system, soldiers will indeed train extra hard, and it will also allow for the selection of talented individuals."

General Wu Jinzhe also nodded repeatedly on the side.

"Many people think that Commander Lin is just highly skilled in martial arts, but in my opinion, his intelligence is even more unfathomable!"

By nightfall, the Golden Scale Ranking themed group tour had finally ended.

Several thousand soldiers received the basic 100 wen reward and were in high spirits on the way back.

Those who didn't get it sighed, learned from their mistakes, and secretly made up their minds to train harder.

Mu Wanying had been quietly watching from the shadows for a long time. When she returned home from the training ground, she arrived just in time for a meal.

"Husband, you are truly amazing. You only spent a few hundred taels of silver in total, and these twenty thousand Cangzhou Army soldiers are already fighting tooth and nail!"

"Many people are already waiting for the next elimination round, just thinking about earning that 1000 wen!"

Mu Wanying was thoroughly impressed by her husband's strategy.

With an investment of less than one thousand taels, he had attracted over twenty thousand soldiers; this deal was too cost-effective!

Lin Xiao fiddled with a newly acquired crossbow in his hand and said with a smile:

"If I just gave them money directly, even if I gave them 300 wen each, they would think I was just trying to buy them off."

"If you let them compete for it themselves, even if they only get 100 wen, they will treat it like a treasure."

"People are just cheap like that; often, the money isn't important, what's important is bringing them emotional value."

This was the trick of ring toss and balloon popping at street stalls; people were willing to spend dozens of yuan to try and win things they might not even want if they were given away for free!

Mu Wanying seemed to half-understand and said, "Husband, do you mean that people only crave more what they cannot easily obtain?"

"Pretty much."

Xiao Qingxuan was also on the side with an expression of having learned something new, though she was almost used to it—her husband had too many clever ideas!

"Husband, this crossbow is very strange. Did you ask Old Yu to forge it?"

Lin Xiao nodded: "That's right. I gave him the blueprints for a bow, but he thought a crossbow was more practical. After making improvements, it is indeed easier to use."

It had to be said, the legendary trait of Supernatural Craftsmanship was truly awesome!

"This crossbow looks so strange, does it have any special features?" Mu Wanying asked curiously.

"Hehe... you'll know tomorrow."

The group tour reached its final day.

After the experience of the past two days, the Cangzhou Army soldiers were too excited to sleep.

Early in the morning, General Zhao Kuan and Qin He led the team, bringing over twenty thousand people in a grand procession to a village by the river.

As soon as they arrived at the village, the soldiers discovered that it was completely different from an ordinary village!