After Retiring to the Countryside, I Was Recruited as a Matrilocal Husband - Chapter 4

Terrified that a delay in delivering the coins would invite swift retaliation or difficult demands from the local garrison troops, Nanny Du moved with remarkable speed. She finalized the logistics of the rewards on the very next day after Cui Jun issued the directive.

To properly satisfy the ravenous appetite of a garrison detachment, a mere ten thousand copper coins was entirely out of the question. Ultimately, she drew fifty thousand coins and ten shi of millet from the estate’s primary operating fund ensuring that when the assets were uniformly distributed, each private soldier would extract one dou of millet along with five hundred copper coins.

Completing her uniform count of the assets, Cui Jun prompted, “The Vice Commander polices a detachment of one hundred soldiers. Nanny Du has factored all of them into the ledger, but what of the Vice Commander’s individual allocation?”

Nanny Du’s features rigidified instantly. “Draw it straight from this allocation?” she muttered.

“If Nanny Du genuinely believes a Vice Commander would be content to receive the exact same share as a common foot soldier, what internal narrative do you think will run through her mind?”

Thoroughly reluctant and disgruntled, Nanny Du had no choice but to dig into the primary operating fund once more, drawing an additional two thousand copper coins along with two dou of millet. Terrified that Cui Jun might claim the value remained insufficient, she hurriedly ordered the servants to load the assets onto the transport wagons.

Cui Jun smoothly turned to brief Qingxi: “Last night, I ordered Xilan to prepare a separate allocation of five thousand copper coins along with one shi of millet from my personal dowry reserves. Take charge of it and present it to Vice Commander Zhang.”

Qingxi felt a trace of bewilderment. “Since Nanny Du has already mobilized a substantial reward from the primary fund, why must Young Mistress extract a secondary portion from your private treasury?”

“Vice Commander Zhang still answers to a Sergeant who operates above her track,” Cui Jun stated, letting the point settle contextually without further elaboration.

A realization hit Qingxi, and he nodded. “Should Vice Commander Zhang raise a query regarding the source…”

“If she prompts, disclose the narrative. If she desists from asking, there is zero need to volunteer details.”

Qingxi bowed, sprinting toward the rear wagon to track the convoy Nanny Du led, driving straight toward the fortified compound where the local garrison troops anchored their operations.

Approaching the military perimeter, Nanny Du caught sight of the twenty-odd outlaws’ corpses swaying lazily from the high ledger of the gatehouse from a substantial distance. A heavy gust of wind carried the metallic stench of decay straight to her nose, turning her complexion as pale as ash. She clamped a hand over her mouth to suppress a violent wave of nausea, her footing stumbling heavily as she descended from her carriage.

Qingxi likewise sucked in a sharp breath of chilly air, though he successfully anchored his baseline composure.

Announcing their professional intent to the sentries policing the main gates, a young officer with an remarkably pale, clean countenance swiftly emerged from the barracks, leading a small crew of subordinates to receive them.

Nanny Du and Qingxi were currently locked in a state of absolute bewilderment over why an imperial military compound would harbor a woman, only to be hit by the revelation that this exact pale-faced officer was none other than the Vice Commander they had marched down to seek Zhang Zhaoge.

“Your logistics mobilized with impressive speed,” Zhang Zhaoge remarked, a half-smile detailing her features, leaving it ambiguous whether she was voicing genuine surprise or dry sarcasm.

Qingxi advanced to step into the space, replying, “An absolute debt of salvation cannot be treated with casual neglect. To project our gratitude, we naturally had to race against the clock.”

Nanny Du thoroughly despised the submissive, overly eager posture Qingxi projected. The Cui Clan belonged to the absolute pinnacle of the elite aristocracy; although they operated merely as hereditary servants, their every word and gesture reflected the public honor of the Cui house. How on earth could he discard the towering pride of the gentry so easily?

Furthermore, because Zhang Zhaoge’s features lacked an imposing, terrifying edge and she projected a highly conversational, approachable charm, Nanny Du swiftly cast aside the terror she had felt upon mapping the carpet of corpses earlier. Pushing Qingxi out of the slot, she announced, “This old servant operates under the primary house of the Cui Clan of Boling specifically the estate of the Vice County Magistrate of Nanyang in Dengzhou. We offer our professional gratitude to your ranks for salvaging the Seventh Young Mistress of the Cui lineage. Presented here are the rewards: a total of fifty-two thousand copper coins along with ten shi and two dou of millet.”

Zhang Zhaoge’s brows drew together slightly. Was she operating under a hyper-sensitive psychological reflex? Why on earth did this elderly aunt’s tone read exactly like she was distributing alms to the destitute?

“Ah, you are far too courteous, aren’t you? Eradicating local bandits falls squarely under our professional mandates to begin with. However, since it would be unseemly to decline such boundless hospitality, I shall accept the assets.” Zhang Zhaoge gave a casual wave of her hand, ordering her troops to haul the coin and grain into the storehouses.

The corner of Nanny Du’s mouth twitched violently. Since you explicitly state it falls under your professional mandate, how on earth do you possess the sheer audacity to accept these commodities with such a straight face?

Likely well aware of the insatiable greed governing local garrison troops, Nanny Du was terrified of being permanently anchored by their demands. The exact second the transactions were finalized, her steps caught the wind, and she executed a swift departure from the grounds.

Catching sight of Qingxi, who had desisted from tracking her exit, Zhang Zhaoge prompted, “Do you require something further?”

“Your servant operates under the direct command of my private Young Mistress, tasked with presenting a secondary allocation of rewards to Vice Commander Zhang,” Qingxi stated.

Zhang Zhaoge raised an eyebrow, the underlying mechanics of the situation clicking in her mind instantly. That elderly aunt had explicitly coded herself as an asset belonging to the primary branch of the Nanyang Magistrate, whereas this young man explicitly invoked the name of his private Young Mistress. It appeared the two servants answered to entirely different masters!

Amused by the internal friction, she asked, “And what scale of reward did your private Young Mistress dispatch?”

“Five thousand copper coins along with one shi of millet.”

She probed further, “Is this intended to be uniformly distributed among the entire detachment, or is it earmarked for a specific individual?”

“The logistics remain entirely at Vice Commander Zhang’s absolute discretion.”

Meaning whether she chose to secretly pocket the wealth or distribute it directly to her troops was entirely up to her whims. Yet, Zhang Zhaoge did not believe for a fraction of a second that Seventh Young Mistress Cui had appended this extra allocation merely to project a superficial display of exceptionalism.

Zhang Zhaoge’s expression turned distinctly complex as she pressed, “Did your private Young Mistress genuinely refrain from delivering a single accompanying note?”

Only then did Qingxi voice the narrative with a trace of hesitation: “The Young Mistress stated, ‘Vice Commander Zhang still answers to a Sergeant who operates above her track. Should Vice Commander Zhang and her troops extract a massive windfall of wealth without allocating a proper portion to the Sergeant, I am terrified the commander will harbor a profound resentment. Naturally, this is merely my narrow, unrefined mind misjudging the honor of a true leader. Let alone the reality that the Sergeant is bound to possess a vast, magnanimous character, Vice Commander Zhang herself would absolutely never lose sight of her superior. However, should Vice Commander Zhang carve out a portion of her private share to present to her shàngfēng, her individual yield would downsize significantly. Refusing to let Vice Commander Zhang suffer an unfair economic grievance, I have appended this extra asset.’“

The exact moment Qingxi invoked the title of the Sergeant, Zhang Zhaoge decoded Cui Jun’s true intent flawlessly. As for the surrounding prose, it was nothing more than an elegant, face-saving veneer designed to preserve their mutual dignity.

The Seventh Young Mistress Cui was remarkably young in years, yet her capacity for calculation and strategic empathy was so thoroughly seamless and sophisticated it left her a corporate slave who had survived twenty-three years in her past life feeling profoundly outclassed!

“I shall anchor my gratitude for your Young Mistress’s exceptional goodwill right here,” she murmured.

Qingxi delivered the grain and coin, turning back to execute his return journey to report his success.

Uniformly detailing every single line of his interaction with Zhang Zhaoge before his mistress, Qingxi murmured with a trace of lingering dissatisfaction, “Young Mistress went to such lengths to calculate the parameters for her benefit, yet she failed to deliver a single expression of mutual alignment.”

Cui Jun replied mildly, “What scale of alignment did you expect her to manifest? Do you genuinely assume five thousand copper coins and a single shi of grain possess the operational leverage to command her services, forcing her to wade into the murky currents of the Cui family’s internal war? The fact that she refrained from making an overt display is precisely what sets my mind at ease. Had she aggressively assumed credit, claiming I could approach her kit for assistance whenever an operational hurdle surfaced, it would simply prove her to be a ravenous operator entirely devoid of a moral baseline. Navigating transactions with an individual lacking a baseline means facing a permanent threat of a lethal backstabs.”

A sudden realization hit Qingxi. He then forwarded the data he had gathered from the garrison troops concerning Zhang Zhaoge’s history to Cui Jun: “According to the soldiers’ accounts, this Vice Commander Zhang only reported to the compound two months ago. Originally, she served as a member of the elite Shock Guards (Zhai nei tu jiang) within the Huaining Army—”

The exact instant the words Huaining Army hit her ears, Cui Jun’s hand instinctively clenched into a tight fist, a sharp, lethal intensity invading her eyes.

Qingxi was well aware that their late master had perished directly at the hands of the Huaining military tracks—in fact, the absolute ruin of their mistress’s household and the loss of her family empire stemmed entirely from that ferocious, unprincipled army. Catching her reaction, a wave of apprehension hit him, and he hesitated to press further down the script.

“Continue your narrative.”

Backed into an absolute corner, Qingxi could only brace himself and plow forward: “To deliver the data with absolute precision, she operated as a member of the elite Shock Guards attached directly to the private estate of General Chen Xian.”

General Chen Xian had originally served as a trusted lieutenant within the inner gates of the late rebel leader Li operating as a core confidant. Yet, the rebel leader could have never anticipated that he would ultimately be poisoned to death by his own trusted lieutenant.

On the second day of the fourth lunar month, Chen Xian had assassinated the rebel leader, surrendering his forces to the imperial court to assume the post of Jiedushi of Huaixi, even extracting an imperial title as a Prince. Yet, before three months could elapse on the calendar, another of the late rebel’s confidants a man named Wu Cheng had executed an assassination against Chen Xian under the banner of extracting vengeance for his former master.

Seeing their commander perish, and terrified that Wu Cheng would execute a thorough purge of the ranks, Chen Xian’s inner circle had mobilized five hundred elite guards to march toward Luoyang, seeking refuge under the banner of the Eastern Capital Defense Commander, General Jia. The imperial court subsequently granted Chen Xian a posthumous high title, yet remaining deeply anxious that allowing such an undisciplined, elite force to remain concentrated would compromise their control parameters, they broke up the five hundred guards, scattering them across the various county garrison tracks of Ruzhou.

Zhang Zhaoge had operated as a subordinate within that specific lineage. Given that her former track was an elite Shock Guard (a specialized, premier tier among the regular military), there was zero operational logic in reducing her to a common foot soldier upon her redeployment. Consequently, she had been directly elevated to the rank of Vice Commander.

“No wonder she recognizes my cousin,” Cui Jun murmured, her emotions turning distinctly complex.

On one hand, the reality that Dou Ying had commissioned Zhang Zhaoge to seek out her location demonstrated that the officer’s moral caliber wasn’t entirely low-profile, successfully unlocking Dou Ying’s trust. On the other hand, she harbored a deep psychological barrier against Zhang Zhaoge’s history with the Huaining Army there remained an absolute possibility that the officer had been a member of the exact unit that slaughtered her father and plundered the Zhaoping villa years ago.

Yet, remembering that the officer shared an established thread of connection with Dou Ying, Cui Jun ultimately suppressed the aversion generated by her internal friction.

Meanwhile, inside the military barracks, Zhang Zhaoge was entirely oblivious to the reality that she had just been thoroughly disliked. The garrison troops who had extracted their bonuses, however, adored their commander to absolute pieces especially since she had cleanly waived her private share, distributing the coin uniformly into their kits.

One of the squad leaders prompted her, “Eldest Young Master, are you seriously refraining from retaining a single coin for yourself?”

Zhang Zhaoge replied evenly, “Rest assured, all of you will be returning it to my pockets in short order anyway.”

Recalling the staggering quantities of coin she routinely stripped from their kits whenever they sat at the card table, the squad leader was instantly left without a single word of retort.

After a long pause, he offered a laugh. “Eldest Young Master merely possesses a soft heart. Although you crush the ranks on the tables every single time, you always deploy a multitude of strategic rewards and bonuses to return the fortune back into our hands post-game.”

Gambling was a rampant baseline culture inside the military compound. Zhang Zhaoge harbored zero innate passion for card games, yet there was never a drought of short-sighted soldiers looking to challenge her mechanics on the felt only to be completely annihilated by her execution without exception.

She won the coin cleanly, and the troops lacked any logical leverage to harbor resentment. Furthermore, within a matter of days, she would leverage the banner of distributing performance bonuses to return the won coin straight back into their kits.

The troops who extracted these rewards bound their loyalty even closer to her banner, firmly believing their commander possessed a thoroughly magnanimous, legendary character completely blind to the reality that Zhang Zhaoge hadn’t actually drawn a single copper coin from her private treasury.

Yet, even if they decoded the mechanics, what of it? Zhang Zhaoge won the coin fair and square. Those who had previously assumed her generous bonuses signaled a soft, easily exploitable vulnerability and attempted to ride over her authority had long since seen the grass over their graves grow three inches high.

Deploying a flawless synchronization of iron discipline and material incentives, she had completely broken in and tamed one hundred rough garrison troops within a mere two-month calendar window.

The exact second her subordinates exited the study, Zhang Zhaoge instantly clutched her chest in pure, agonizing financial heartbreak: Granny’s teeth! Insisting on playing the role of a magnanimous leader let’s see how on earth you avoid eating dirt by the end of the month!

Fortunately, operating as a transmigrated individual, she possessed her own cheat system (Wai gua). While the interface lacked the capability to shower her with towering luxury or mountains of gold and silver, maintaining her baseline warm clothing and full rations was completely within its operational limits.

Remembering that she still had to deliver the extra grain and money that Seventh Miss Cui had provided to her superior, she hurried off., Sergeant Zheng, Zhang Zhaoge felt a wave of anxiety: Presenting gifts to this boss is an exceptionally tricky task. Delivering the commodities directly would make her look like an absolute sycophant, and Sergeant Zheng might refuse to acknowledge the favor.

Yet, failing to deliver the share was an absolute impossibility. She had entered the compound via a high-level corporate transfer, and Sergeant Zheng had never coded her as an asset belonging to his inner circle. Had it been otherwise, he wouldn’t have aggressively ordered her detachment to scour the ridges during the outlaws’ previous campaigns of plunder along the pass, Sergeant Zheng had consistently deployed the other two camps to intercept them, only for their operations to strike empty air every single time.

The outlaws had grown exceptionally flagrant, eventually drawing the intense focus of the higher commands. To demonstrate a superficial display of professional dedication, Sergeant Zheng had simply ordered her camp to scour the wilderness.

Had she failed to secure a target, she would have been cleanly pushed out by Sergeant Zheng to shoulder the entire corporate blame.

Now, pocketing the rewards delivered by the Cui family would undoubtedly trigger the small-minded, vindictive mechanics of Sergeant Zheng’s personality, and he might even order the other two camps to violently divide the medals her detachment had gathered from the bandit eradication.

Sure enough, the exact moment Zhang Zhaoge reported to his chambers, he launched into a comprehensive campaign of passive-aggressive critique stating with immense righteousness that imperial warriors should never extract material compensation from common civilians, before pivoting the topic to condemn her for tolerating gambling inside her barracks.

Zhang Zhaoge thought to herself: I wonder which exact commander lost his shirt on the tables last night until his eyes turned blood-red.

Allowing the words to enter her left ear and exit her right, Zhang Zhaoge submissively conceded her errors: “Sergeant’s critiques strike at the absolute truth. Your subordinate shall execute a campaign of profound self-reflection and police their boundaries with extreme rigor!”

Just then, a garrison soldier stepped into the chambers, murmuring a succession of whispers directly beside Sergeant Zheng’s ear. Sergeant Zheng’s face shifted instantly, and he hurriedly exited the encampment. Returning a long moment later, he fixed Zhang Zhaoge with an remarkably profound look. Patting her shoulder with absolute weight, his voice dropped into a protective, deeply supportive register:

“Ah, Zhaoge, my boy! As long as you possess the maturity to execute self-reflection, all is well. Let us treat this as an absolute exception, never to be repeated…”

The Vice Commanders of the other two camps had been eagerly waiting outside to witness a spectacular corporate execution. Instead, they watched as Sergeant Zheng personally escorted Zhang Zhaoge out of the chambers, loudly praising “him” as a phenomenally talented young leader and urging “him” to maintain his brilliant momentum.

Not only did he execute a completely light, face-saving pass regarding Zhang Zhaoge’s toleration of Yezi Xi, but before their very eyes, he completely ceased to mention his former thesis that the bandit eradication should be processed as a collective achievement shared by the entire county garrison.

The two camp commanders: “???”

What on earth just transpired behind closed doors?!