Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Jiang Pengji surveyed the people around her.
“The military salary is flexible, and it’s fine wherever you place it. Since you come by the army camp often and you don’t have to pay for your meals, what do you intend to do with the rations given? Send it home, give it to your family, or use the rations to exchange for money and keep it for yourself?”
They didn’t understand what she meant, but the viewers in the live streaming room understood immediately.
Laosiji Lianmeng: “Streamer, you are so bad.”
Jintian Sigengo: “Hahaha, the streamer is going to play dirty and cause division between the female soldiers and their family members.”
This batch of female soldiers were almost all enlisted unwillingly; their families viewed them as a burden, and despised them. Thus they were forcefully dragged over.
At that time, those family members thought these women were going to serve as “camp prostitutes” but they still hardened their hearts, and from that action their evil intentions could be seen.
Such heartlessness, even Jiang Pengji felt disheartened.
Thus, she wished to know what these young ladies, who underwent such tough training, would do with the fruits of their labors. Did they want to keep it for themselves, or selflessly give it away?
It was proven that Jiang Pengji’s secret influence over that period was effective. Some of them with stubborn personalities had decided to exchange the rations for copper coins to save up. Yet there were about 200 of them who chose to send their salaries home to provide for their families materially.
Her eyes lit up with interest.
“Those who chose to save up for themselves, you did well. It’s not that you’re unfilial, you just made the right choice.” Jiang Pengji added pensively, “As for those who sent your rations back to aid your families materially, you are kind-hearted. It’s unknown what good deeds your family did in their previous lives to have such good daughters. A pity they didn’t treasure you. In future, you have your own path to take. Let’s begin the training for today!”
A group of women soldiers had started the day unsettled in their hearts, but after hearing what she said, their hearts became conflicted.
When she spoke of the start of training, one by one they became mentally stressed.
Two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon were dedicated to physical training: They learned how to counter their enemy’s attacks. The remaining time would be spent learning from the doctor about emergency rescue techniques. From that month onward, they would be tested every ten days. For those who failed, some of their salary would be confiscated, while the outstanding ones will be rewarded.
With such consequences, no one dared to take their training lightly.
Clap —
The wooden spear in the female soldier’s hand dropped; her wrist was numb.
Jiang Pengji said calmly, “Pick it up, let’s continue!”
She let each female soldier fight her once. When each of them advanced, their wooden spears would be snatched from them.
She gave them pointers, and she gave suggestions very clearly. Each maiden listened attentively.
Jiang Pengji laid down one rule. Before they learned to fight, they must learn to be beaten!
Compared to training with wooden spears, Jiang Pengji taught close combat training most often. She specialized in teaching them how to counterattack even during dire circumstances. All around, those female soldiers initially felt embarrassed because the move was too cruel and despicable, but after they became familiar, it was rather exciting.
At the beginning, the constitution of women’s bodies were weaker than males. This disadvantage could not be changed overnight. Thus, it was better to choose to work on their strengths and ignore their weaknesses. Since their numbers could not be compared to their enemies, they must improve on their speed and agility.
On the battlefield, when faced with the enemy, they were always concerned with whether the enemy was dead, regardless of how they died.
The size of the women’s camp was still very small, and Jiang Pengji would not allow them to be at the forefront. She would task them to be the backup soldiers and to clean up the battleground after the battles had ended.
First, let them be exposed to the bloody scenes and train their guts. When they became physically stronger, she had other plans.
At the crux of the matter was the lowly status of women in society. Firstly, they were weaker due to their physical makeup; secondly, their manual strength and rate of productivity was less than their male counterparts.
The former’s strength or weakness would affect the latter’s rewards.
In the world she came from, there was a series specifically for women’s training. It could be called “a skill to train one’s body”.
This is what she had prepared for slowly over the years, eliminating a portion of what the present technology could not support. While increasing the other training modules, then organising them into a book, she planned to use it to train the women’s camp. The female soldiers were required to comply with the training.
If she really ascended the throne, she would promote the training regimen throughout the nation.
In that generation, the physical abilities of male and female didn’t differ that much.
So long as the training was enough, and they were given enough nutritious food, their abilities would not differ much. Jiang Pengji was still improving the techniques for farming so that less physical energy needed to be expended. Thus, the difference in physical labor and productivity would decrease some.
The only thing worth getting frustrated over was that women had their monthly period. On top of that, the gestation period spanned over ten months coupled with the recovery phase after that…
Sure, one year would pass in the blink of an eye.
On the contrary, males were free from this worry.
This was a place where Jiang Pengji had no counter strategy.
After all, the means to deliver a child in that time period depended on those at the lowest in society to produce offspring. If women delivered fewer babies, the population would not increase, thus frustrating the tenets of The Four Self-Accomplishment Classics for Women. Those who hindered widows from remarrying were fools. The Emperor of Zhongzhao’s head was surely damaged.
That dimension wasn’t like the world she came from, where both parents only needed to undergo a special operation, then go fetch their child at the allocated time.
Which woman or person dared to let a woman naturally give birth, based on federal law, this was against the rules.
Even so, most federal citizens did not like children to be born because it was too troublesome.
Seeing that the population was dwindling, the expenditure for wars were extra hefty. In order to ease the pressure exerted by the human population, the federal government had no choice but to approve a petition to start the “plan to increase the population.”
After both males and females came of age, there was a strong incentive to contribute to officials who filtered for superior genes to populate the earth with outstanding babies. The child’s identity card would clearly state the information of both parents to prevent blood relations from causing chaos. Once the baby was born, the federal government would assume all duties to raise the child.
But based on the technology in those ancient times, that kind of thing could only exist in their imaginations.
The physiological period could not be avoided because the female genes were still at an undesirable stage. There was no way to eliminate that problem, but she could think of a solution to delay the time they might get pregnant.
For example, to allow female soldiers to retire at about 20 years of age, they were not allowed to become pregnant before the stipulated time. They would have a range of incentives after retirement. Some women could even stay on at the military camp to continue to serve as coaches to groom the next generation. They didn’t have to fight during wars but were only responsible for work behind the scenes.
Under such circumstances, the female soldiers could find their partner in peace, get married and give birth to children on their own terms.
Regarding the limitation of age, she was also unsettled.
If it was too late in the eyes of the world, the people of their age could suddenly become grandmothers. Thus, the female soldiers would be considered old women by then.
If it was too early, yet their active years of service were short, wasting resources and Jiang Pengji don’t wish to let them go.
“Is it to be set at 24 years old?” Wei Ci pondered carefully. Then he said, “This age should be suitable.”
Qiguan Rang agreed. “My lord doesn’t have to be so careful. The army system is different from others, please go ahead make the decision.”
In this generation, the soldiers have their own military records. Since the female soldiers were seen equally, they also had such ranking.
Except to let the female soldiers marry at 24 years old wasn’t the same as palace women. Once those women entered the palace, they would be confined inside for the rest of their lives.
A question popped up in the honest boy, Li Yun’s, mind.
“Is it too late to get married at 24 years old? Can they still find an unmarried man?”
Jiang Pengji’s eyes narrowed, and she said coldly, “Once the enemies are defeated and the male prisoners of war will be up for grabs.”
Everyone: “…”
