Chapter 10: Distribution of Silver

Han Chao and Han Zhong also chose a full set of leather armor and a warhorse, while Gao Shiyin and Qi Tianliang similarly selected their mounts and armor. The others set aside their cotton armor, which was studded with copper nails, for the time being. As for the weapons, this matter could be postponed; having grown accustomed to their current weapons, it would not be wise to hastily switch to a different one.

Gao Shiyin was somewhat displeased and exclaimed angrily, "Why does Wang the Fool get four hundred taels while I only receive one hundred and fifty taels? I have also worked hard!"

Listening to the low cries of the women behind him, Wang Dou remained silent for a long time. He inquired about the plans of these women. The local women from Baoyanzhou all wished to return home. It was already daytime, the Tartar soldiers had been killed, and the road was presumably safe. Eager to return, they expressed their desire to go back.

These women were all captured by the Later Jin army. Seeing the example of Xu Yue'e from Xinzhuang, even if they were rescued and returned, Wang Dou could imagine their future fate. With these silver and grain, perhaps their future lives would be somewhat better.

The remaining head is allocated to account for the four fallen soldiers, and the heads are distributed in this manner

Finally, the distribution of silver was conducted, totaling over 1,346 taels of silver.

Finally, Wang Dou stretched lazily and shouted loudly, "Let's go, we are going home!"

Gao Shiyin's flabby cheeks trembled continuously as he reached out with trembling hands to touch the silver in the box, tears already welling up in his eyes. Qi Tianliang, hearing the commotion, rushed over without caring to comfort the women. Upon seeing so much silver, he was also taken aback and broke into a silly grin.

After a brief discussion among the individuals, Wang Dou was the first to select a chestnut-colored warhorse and a fine suit of iron armor. The mount and silver-white armor of the Later Jin can be seen to be of exceptional craftsmanship. Although there was a hole shot by Wang Dou at the shoulder area, it was of little concern, as it could simply be replaced with a new piece of armor plate later.

After distributing the silver, everyone was delighted. Gao Shiyin even took a piece of cloth, carefully and meticulously wrapped the more than one hundred taels of heavy silver, and tied it around his waist, covering it with his outer garment. He was already planning in his mind how to use this silver to indulge in fine food and drink.

The head of the group is Wang Dou, who is considered a level 5. Han Chao, Han Zhong, and Gao Shiyin are each considered level 1. No one had any objections, as the actual situation of the battle was indeed like this. Unexpectedly, Wang Dou proposed that Qi Tianliang should also be awarded a head, which made Qi Tianliang very happy, and his gaze towards Wang Dou was filled with gratitude

Finally, after counting the materials, there were more than ten pieces of armor, including iron armor, cotton armor, and leather armor, as well as over thirty various weapons such as long-handled spears, fine iron sickles, tiger guns, and sabers. All these armors and weapons were made of high-quality fine iron. In addition, there were twenty-three excellent warhorses, seven tents, several flags of different colors, and some grain and livestock such as chickens and sheep that had been seized from the Tartars.

The five individuals looked at each other, staring wide-eyed for quite some time, and then, as if on cue, burst into laughter. Eventually, they laughed so hard that tears streamed down their faces. A desperate attempt, seemingly impossible, ultimately succeeded.

Han Zhong and others were all cheering and shouting, and even the faces of those few women showed smiles

Upon a brief glance, there were tents left by the Later Jin army, various armors and weapons, as well as numerous horses and other materials, each of which brought great joy to the crowd. Suddenly, Han Zhong shouted, "Ah, silver, it is silver! Hahaha, so much silver and books."

There are nine hundred and forty-six taels of silver remaining; how should it be divided? Everyone's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Grief is inevitable; life is so fragile and unpredictable. Yesterday, they were familiar faces, and today they have become a cold corpse. How can this not evoke feelings of sorrow and reflection?

Finally, the five individuals discussed the distribution of the head and the allocation of gold and silver

Like Wang Dou, Han Chao also laughed heartily, and Han Zhong was even more animated, dancing with joy and exclaiming: "I've struck it rich, haha, I really have struck it rich!"

First, count the number of people. Our side has sent out 9 individuals, with 4 casualties. They are Ma Ming from Jingbiandun, Tan Jinrong from Julu Dun, and Zhang Ruchun and Qi Bing from Dakang Dun. Among the remaining 5, each one is also injured.

Wang Dou lay comfortably on the ground, completely unbothered by the cold surface beneath him. After this battle, he felt an indescribable joy in his heart, as the pent-up frustration that had lingered within him was entirely gone. Furthermore, through this combat, he gained immense confidence in his own skills and martial prowess.

Wang Douwen said gently: "You all may rise now, as the Tartars have all been defeated, and you are safe."

The spoils were loaded onto the horses, and facing the rising sun, the crowd rode forth singing joyfully.

This deeply moved both the Han and Chao brothers, while only Gao Shiyin felt a quiet jealousy.

Han Zhong exclaimed: "Gao Manzi, one should not be too greedy. If it weren't for Brother Wang today, how could this life-and-death struggle have gone so smoothly? Everyone can share over 100 taels of silver, so you should be content with that!"

At present, each person is distributing the silver, which has all been plundered by the Later Jin army from various regions of the Ming Dynasty. In addition to scattered silver and copper coins, there are also many large ingots of both civilian and official silver, all of which bear inscriptions and stamps. When it comes time to spend it, one will have to go through some maneuvering.

A group of women left in clusters of three to five, and in the end, about seven or eight women remained, all of whom had been abducted from other regions, and they could only think of a way to address the situation in the future

Han and Chao nodded in agreement, and Qi Tianliang also concurred. Today, he would not only receive the head but also nearly one hundred taels of silver, which made him quite content.

Wang Dou and several others dug a large pit on a hill beside the woods, tidied up the bodies of several deceased women by the river, covered them with clothing, and placed them in the pit, building a tall grave for them. Then, five soldiers from the Ming army and more than twenty abducted women together paid their respects at the grave.

At this moment, the five individuals had already taken Wang Dou as their leader, and everyone was looking to him for guidance on what to do.

Looking at these riches, Wang Dou burst into laughter. He had risked his life to change his family's fate, and he had finally succeeded! Not to mention the future military honors and rewards, even the silver before him ensured that he and his family could live a good life from now on

However, each person felt more of a sense of relief after surviving the calamity, along with the joy of successfully achieving military merit. At the same time, the eyes of several individuals looking at Wang Dou were filled with admiration; such bravery, as he single-handedly killed five soldiers of the Later Jin. If it were not for him, the situation of today's battle would have been uncertain. With such skills, it was impossible for everyone not to be in awe.

Wang Dou proposed to send one hundred taels of silver to the families of the four deceased, including Ma Ming. Although there would be some compensation for the casualties after the military achievements were reported, it would certainly not be much. With this silver, their families would have a somewhat better life in the future

At this moment, the captured women all trembled as they emerged, seeing that the Tartar soldiers had all been killed. The women wept loudly, finally having escaped from disaster. Each of them knelt before Wang Dou and the others, bowing their heads repeatedly, saying: "Thank you, military officers, for saving our lives."

By the time these matters are dealt with, the sky will already be bright.

There were about twenty women in front of him. Upon inquiry, he found that most were locals from the area of Baoganzhou, while a few had been captured from other places by the Later Jin army. Wang Dou thought for a moment and instructed Qi Tianliang to take care of them temporarily, while he and Han Chao, along with a few others, went to inspect the situation regarding the spoils.

Han Chao and the others were not much better off than Wang Dou; they were all either lying or sitting on the ground, completely exhausted, merely gasping for breath while grimacing in pain. They were no better than Wang Dou. The other four were all injured, and although they had not felt it earlier, now that the battle was over, they began to feel the pain in their bodies.

Wang Dou woke up first. He looked at the sky, which was faintly brightening. He smiled and said, "Alright, we will discuss the matter of the silver later. Let us first organize the spoils we have captured"

Observing Wang Dou's actions, Han Chao and Qi Tianliang said nothing, while only the flesh on Gao Shiyin's face twitched, thinking to himself that this Wang is quite generous

Everyone is in agreement, especially Han Chao. He invited Zhang Ruchun and Qi Bing to engage in a contest at Dakangdun, but unexpectedly, both of them died. Sending silver to their families will provide him with some comfort. Gao Shiyin and Tan Jinrong are close friends, and sending silver to his family, he certainly will not oppose.

Han Zhong stepped forward, picked up a short axe from the Later Jin, and beheaded all ten corpses of the Later Jin soldiers, hanging each head on their respective horses. The clothing of those Later Jin soldiers was also stripped clean, as these fabrics were still useful and should not be wasted. As for the headless corpses of the Later Jin soldiers, they were simply thrown on the ground, and it is believed that wild dogs would soon gnaw their flesh and blood clean. To die without a burial place is their retribution. As for the headless corpses of the Later Jin soldiers, they were simply thrown on the ground, and it is believed that wild dogs would soon gnaw their flesh and blood clean. To die without a burial place is their retribution.

Everyone is enamored with these horse armors; having grown accustomed to the tattered weapons and armors of the Ming army, who among them has ever seen such exquisite weaponry

Wang Dou pondered for a moment, opened his package, and distributed to each of these women three to five taels of small silver or copper coins, along with a piece of cloth and a small bag of grain, allowing them to return home

Han Zhongyi slapped his thigh and said: "This time, Brother Wang has contributed the most. Without him, we would not know whether we would live or die. He should take the largest share. How about this: Brother Wang will receive four hundred taels, while my brother, Gao Manzi, and I will each take one hundred and fifty taels. The remaining one hundred taels will be given to Qi Tianliang. What does everyone think?"

These women expressed their heartfelt gratitude as they departed. Before they left, Wang Dou added a remark: "If in the future your lives become difficult, feel free to come and seek refuge with us. We are all soldiers of Jingbian Dune."

Wang Doufei rushed over to take a look and indeed saw several large boxes inside a tent. The boxes were filled to the brim with gold, silver, and copper coins, estimated to be no less than 1,000 taels of silver. In addition, there were several boxes filled with fabrics, silk, and other fine materials.

Wang Dou remained silent, merely observing with a cold gaze. Gao Shiyin noticed that the three from Jingbian Dun were all strongly supporting Wang Dou, and could only let out a cold snort in agreement.

After a long while, Wang Dou got up abruptly, and Han Chao and the others also stood up. Once everyone had bandaged their wounds, they were all invigorated. The enemy soldiers had been eliminated, and it was time to tally the gains.

Wang Dou smiled and said: "As for the first rank, I will give up two ranks, adding one rank each for Brother Han Chao and Brother Han Zhong."