Jiang Pengji knew her positions well in both worlds .
She used to be the pillar of Corps Seven, the last resort of the soldiers, and the strongest faith they had in the unit . In other words, she was the mascot in peace and the alpha wolf in war .
She handled all the matters pertaining to battles, but her subordinates took care of all the internal and external affairs . She did not pretend to be interested in other issues apart from fighting, which was her only strength .
She had given Xu Ke a similar role to her subordinates, and she planned to leave everything to him until he encountered a problem that he could not handle .
The two had designed a detailed program with specific flows and stages of training in order to maximize utility and add challenges for the servants . They would start with a shorter training time and simple exercise . Then they would demand harder tasks after the initial transitional period . When they were not training, the servants would assist the farmers in cultivating the land and growing crops .
To increase their incentive, five servants would form a team led by a lance corporal, who would be chosen every month by the unit . The monthly wages of lance corporals would be five percent higher than the others .
Additionally, they would hold contests between the teams, and the winning unit would receive an extra five percent in their monthly salaries .
But Jiang Pengji still focused more on punishment than rewards .
All of the teams' progress would be inspected every month . Members of the worst team would have ten percent of their salary deducted, and their workload during the following two weeks would be ten percent more than the other teams . The punishment would be the same for the unit with the lowest overall rating .
The lance corporals would be responsible for their men and would be punished alongside any of their members who breached the rules . If any lance corporal violated the rules, all of the teams would be punished .
That way, lance corporals would be incentivized to monitor each other and their own team members . Though the lance corporals would hold more power than the members, they would also have to bear a larger share of the responsibilities . All soldiers, therefore, would be closely related as one large unit .
As for the wages, Jiang Pengji and Xu Ke agreed on the amounts after considering factors like their overall expenditure .
Soon, the housekeeper brought the young men in front of the them . They were in better spirits than they had been at the slave market .
"I did not purchase you to lead an easy life . Let us be straightforward–from now on, you must listen to Xu Ke before you act . Anyone who causes trouble will receive severe punishment . "
Xu Ke? The servants knew who that was . Some of them secretly glanced at the teenager curiously . Xu Ke's situation had been the worst among all of them . But after a few days, he had reappeared in decent clothing . His spirit seemed to have been lifted, and his figure was not as weak as it had been before .
This roused envy in some of the men and hope in others .
However, their daydream did not last long before Jiang Pengji extinguished the fire in their hearts .
Xu Ke's hands were trembling because of nervousness, gratefulness, and excitement . This was the beginning of his new life! But he concealed his emotions .
"I am a sensible master and will listen to reasonable voices . But if you know your words are not convincing, you better shut up before I tell you to . " Jiang Pengji looked at every one of them with intimidating coldness in her eyes .
She cued Xu Ke to explain the training plan .
The servants were all joyous about the news that they would receive monthly wages, sufficient garments, and food .
Life in Dongqing was difficult . Natural disasters and human error were forcing commoners into desperation . Although Hejian was prosperous, the roads of other poorer counties were full of people who died of hunger . Rampant bandits were also compelling commoners to migrate, resulting in empty residences in those areas .
The servants had feared that Xu Ke's escape would bring them all punishment, and they assumed that he would be beaten to death once he got caught . However, as they saw him standing in front of them in a better condition, they felt relieved to know that the Langjun was not as cruel as they had assumed .
As for the training… it would be nothing more than common exercise, right?
Jiang Pengji perceived their thoughts and smiled coolly . "Do you think our family will pay for useless guards? I have higher expectations than you think . "
Jiang Pengji's voice was not like other teenagers' . It seemed to freeze the air and send chills all the way from the people's feet up to their brains . Cold sweat soaked their backs, and dread occupied their minds .
"Wealthy places like Hejian are surrounded by outlaws in the nearby mountains . They rob households, and they will be your enemies when your training is over . You can spare effort in the coming months and be content with the outcome, but the bandits will not pity you for your weakness!"
Xu Ke looked up at her . That was not what they had planned to say, but the thin, young boy standing in front of him seemed to shine under the sun .
He was not the only one dazzled by the sight . Jiang Pengji's fans in the channel began giving out presents ceaselessly .
Toudu Feiqiu: "Ahhhh! The host is my love!"
Pindaokanni Juhuayoudu: "I want to have the host over me… Oh, push harder…"
Qi'e Niang: "Stop it before the children learn from you!"
The System could not help but smirk . The rewards cleared away its discontent . Although it had a strange host, the content pleased the audience and attracted generous rewards . It guessed that it should not complain as long as the channel was gaining popularity .
The servants were shocked by Jiang Pengji's speech . Then she warned scornfully, "Neither my family nor I need worthless creatures at our place . You decide who survives three months later–you or the bandits . "
Jiang Pengji knew that wolves that had never killed could be more fragile than lambs that were used to attacks . She wanted an army of bloodthirsty wolves, not sheep that played simple tricks .
She folded her arms, lifted her chin, and cast an eye on her people . "Alright, are there any questions?"