When Zhang Fei heard this, his face darkened, and he pouted.
He didn't expect to be left to guard the military camp, so he grumbled a few words, expressing his dissatisfaction, but still nodded.
Since it was Liu Jin's command, he would naturally obey.
Guan Yu and Zhao Ergou burst into laughter, seeing Zhang Fei's pouting expression.
Even Liu Jin couldn't help but smile; it seemed Zhang Fei was quite adorable when he grumbled.
Soon, a lively atmosphere filled the camp, with good wine and meat covering the tables, and all the soldiers began to devour their food.
After marching for several days and nights, only eating dry rations to stave off hunger, and having slain so many bandits, they were already famished, with no thought for manners.
Inside the main tent of the camp!
Liu Jin picked up a piece of meat and began to gnaw on it, his mouth glistening with oil.
He then raised his wine cup and took a small sip, feeling boundless joy.
Although there were some seasonings in this era, they were extremely expensive, and few could afford them, so the main seasoning was basically salt, but when extremely hungry, it tasted incredibly delicious.
Especially Zhang Fei, who picked up a jar of wine and began to gulp it down.
Even the usually refined Guan Yu couldn't help himself at this moment; his eyes widened slightly, and he immediately spoke!
"Third Brother, how can you drink like that?"
"There's so little wine left in the camp; if you drink it all, what will Big Brother, I, and Fourth Brother do?"
After saying this, Guan Yu reached out, intending to snatch the jar of fine wine.
Zhang Fei ignored him completely, continuing to hug the wine jar and gulp it down, clearly intending to monopolize it.
Zhao Ergou, seeing this, not to be outdone, joined the fray, trying to snatch the wine jar.
Liu Jin looked at the few men before him and grinned, not expecting three grown men to start fighting over wine.
The brothers chatted and ate delicious food in the main tent, looking very harmonious.
The next day at noon!
Liu Jin slowly awoke from his sleep, rubbed his forehead, and cleared his head a bit.
He couldn't help but smile wryly, seeing several burly men still lying on the bed.
Ever since arriving at the military camp, whenever they drank, the men would lie down together and fall asleep.
It wasn't some strange habit, but rather that after drinking, they were all quite intoxicated, their tongues thick, and they would start chatting. As they chatted, everyone would fall into a deep sleep.
Liu Jin pushed away the large foot pressing on him, straightened his clothes, and walked out of the main tent. The bright sunlight shone down, warming him.
There were only a few soldiers in the camp; the rest were probably still fast asleep.
After all, the previous night the entire army had been rewarded, allowing everyone to eat and drink their fill and rest for a day, so a considerable number were still sleeping soundly.
He saw a familiar figure in the distance, none other than Wu Xing, whom he had recruited earlier, holding a long spear and practicing martial arts.
When Liu Jin came closer, he asked with a smile!
"You have a few days off, why aren't you resting? Why are you still practicing martial arts on the training ground?"
Wu Xing heard the voice, quickly stopped his spear practice, bowed immediately, and said politely!
"Tuncun, I am accustomed to early rising and early sleeping. Even when resting, I will get up and exercise to maintain my condition."
Liu Jin nodded, still very satisfied with Wu Xing's disciplined character, truly a man destined for great things.
The two chatted for a moment, and as Liu Jin prepared to leave, Wu Xing suddenly asked!
"Tuncun, I wonder if the military camp is recruiting soldiers? Many young men from my Wu Family Village want to join the army and serve the Tuncun."
Liu Jin was stunned by the question, thought for a moment, and then said with a smile!
"We should still be recruiting soldiers, but it will have to wait for a while."
Wu Xing's face lit up with excitement upon hearing this. If he could get the young men from his village into the army for a position, it would be quite good.
At the very least, they could support their families, and if they could earn merit, or even become court officials, they could also provide a good life for their families, which was the best path for common people like them.
Liu Jin looked at the excited Wu Xing and walked towards the main tent of the camp, thinking to himself!
If all went well, he would be promoted one rank, and then he could recruit young men from several nearby villages to replenish the troop numbers.
After all, these young men were the village's guard team, and they had dealt with bandits many times. They were strong and much better than ordinary people in terms of fighting.
Furthermore, he had pacified the mountain bandits and solved the problems of their villages, so he was considered their benefactor, and they would be easier to manage.
After three days of rest, the military camp returned to normal, and training began, with constant noise.
On the official road leading to the Commandery City, Liu Jin, Guan Yu, and Zhao Ergou led dozens of soldiers.
They were escorting the captives and transporting the heads, which were covered with some quicklime to prevent decay, heading towards Zhuo Commandery City.
Liu Jin, riding a black horse, pondered. Upon entering the Commandery City, he would first have to pay his respects to the Prefect, as he commanded all the troops in the entire commandery, a position second only to the Grand Administrator.
In times of turmoil, holding military power was paramount, and his position was no less important than that of the Grand Administrator.
He learned from Zhao Ergou that this man's name was Zheng Qian, from a relatively humble background, just a small family in Zhuo Commandery.
He had joined the army years ago, earned considerable military merit, and by fawning and bribing officials at the court, he had managed to secure the position of Prefect, a two-thousand-stone official.
However, this man was inherently greedy and very fond of money. In the few years he had served as Prefect, he had amassed a great fortune.
For Liu Jin, this was good news; as long as he was greedy, that was fine. What he feared was someone who was incorruptible, leaving him with no way to proceed.
And so, after two days of marching, the group finally arrived outside Zhuo Commandery City.
Dozens of soldiers escorting the captives still attracted a lot of attention.
The surrounding common people pointed and whispered, especially when they saw the heads on the carriage, which made them tremble with fear, and the timid ones began to scream.
Seeing this, Liu Jin immediately ordered!
"Yun Chang, you lead these men and wait outside the city first."
"Zhao Ergou and I will enter the city first to report this matter to the Prefect."
Guan Yu nodded and immediately said!
"Big Brother, don't worry, I'm here."
Liu Jin nodded, then rode his black horse with Zhao Ergou towards the city.
Outside the Prefect's mansion, several soldiers armed with long spears and wearing armor stood guard, their sharp gazes scanning the surroundings.
Passing common people were all intimidated and dared not linger there. The owner of this mansion was the second most important figure in Zhuo Commandery, the Prefect, who could stand on equal footing with the Grand Administrator.
Two fast horses galloped towards the mansion, then pulled on their reins and stopped there.
The soldiers guarding the mansion saw someone approaching and immediately looked over, noticing that the leader was wearing a Tuncun's military robe.
Their wary expressions slowly faded, though the leader's face remained calm.
Although a Tuncun held a respectable rank in the commandery, he was not intimidated, as he was, after all, a trusted subordinate of the Prefect.
He asked indifferently!
"Who goes there?"