After a moment of silence, Zhao, the Emperor, sitting upright, continued without expression:

"Today, I am speaking frankly with you all. Whatever can be done for you here, I will do my best..."

"If you want rewards, I can empty the Imperial Treasury to give them to you. Those who feel injustice for Liu Guangshi will also receive their due punishment with military batons. Even if you ask for palace women as wives, it's not impossible, but realistically, there aren't any."

"But besides these, there are some things I am powerless to do... For example, the longing for home. I empathize with you, but what can I do? Don't you need to work together with me if you want to go home?! As for those who want to leave the army, I have made some preparations!"

"How about this? Those who are preparing to leave the army and settle in the South should wait here. All the rest should leave the tent and receive their rewards from Chancellor Lü, or find Vice Commander Zhang outside for their military batons... The Jin are right on the north bank, let's not waste any time!"

The tent was silent again for a while. After a brief pause, under Zhao Jiu's piercing gaze, the Zhang surnamed officer, realizing he was left with no choice, stood up and cupped his fist in acknowledgment. "Your Majesty's meaning is clear, the rewards and punishments are understood. I... this subject has nothing to say!"

As he spoke, he turned to leave the tent, but couldn't help muttering at the tent door: "Ten military batons won't even redden the skin!"

Zhang Jun and Lü Haowen hesitated for a moment, but ultimately, urged by Zhao Jiu, they led their respective staff and hurried out to handle the matter.

With the three of them gone, the rest of the people in the tent exchanged glances, then stood up in a rush and followed them out... In an instant, only twelve or thirteen people were left.

Yang Yizhong, who had been standing beside Zhao Jiu, instantly breathed a sigh of relief and loosened his grip on his saber.

"Are you all really going to leave?" Zhao Jiu pointed at them, his expression still numb. "No more consideration?"

"Your Majesty!" Someone couldn't help but stand up. "Just one question, Your Majesty. If you separate us, does that mean we won't get any rewards if we leave?"

"That is the meaning... no rewards!" Zhao Jiu replied softly, but he remembered the man's name, Hou Dan, a squad leader, a typical low-level officer.

"Then I won't leave!" The man stood up through gritted teeth. "I don't know what else I can do outside the army!"

"Then go and receive your reward." Zhao Jiu continued softly, but couldn't help but ask again. "Since you were prepared to leave the army because you were afraid of being chased by the Jin, why are you staying now? Aren't you afraid of the Jin attacking?"

"I think, since Commander Liu is dead, and it looks like we'll be following Your Majesty's retinue soon, I'll just follow Your Majesty all the way." The man wore a cunning look. "If Your Majesty retreats, I'll naturally be safe following Your Majesty. If Your Majesty dares to cross the river and fight to the death, why should we fear for our lives?"

Zhao Jiu chuckled speechlessly and waved his hand repeatedly, signaling the man to leave.

As Hou Dan left, he took two or three others with him. When Zhao Jiu looked again, he saw that there were only eight or nine people left in the tent.

"Are you eight or nine really determined to leave?" Zhao Jiu asked again.

This time, someone still dared to answer boldly: "Your Majesty, we are definitely leaving... but can we receive a few military batons in exchange for a reward? Without rewards, how are we supposed to live in the South? Are you forcing us to become thieves?"

"I understand." Zhao Jiu chuckled again. "But you are only a mere eight or nine people, so I won't trouble Chancellor Lü and Vice Commander Zhang again. I will personally fetch some easy-to-carry gold and jewels from the forbidden palace for you to secretly divide among yourselves, and then leave!"

The few people exchanged glances, their faces filled with anticipation. Zhao Jiu, ignoring everything else, stood up and left the tent directly, Yang Yizhong hurrying after him.

Coming out of the tent, the small mountain stronghold was bustling with activity, with those receiving rewards and those receiving military batons working diligently, much more efficient than the area halfway up the mountain... which seemed to still be in turmoil. Zhao, the Emperor, hurried back to the north peak stronghold, entered his own tent, startling Yang Yizhong who thought the Emperor was really going to take his personal wealth, and quickly followed him in.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Yang Sheren entered the imperial tent, he saw Zhao, the Emperor, taking off his clothes, with several eunuchs panicking and rushing forward to help.

"You take it off too!" Zhao Jiu looked around for something, and not finding it, he glanced at Yang Yizhong, whose figure was not too different from his own, and gave a cold order. "Take off your armor and give it to me!"

Yang Yizhong was stunned for a moment, then instantly understood, and was greatly alarmed.

"If you dare say a word of nonsense, get out of the camp today and become a village head in Niujia Village in Hangzhou!" Zhao Jiu sternly reprimanded, then instructed the eunuchs in the imperial tent. "Quickly remove Yang Sheren's armor!"

Yang Yizhong's mind was blank, he opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. He could only let the eunuchs remove his armor, and then tremblingly exchange it with the Emperor.

A moment later, Zhao Jiu came out of the tent, and in front of the curtain before the imperial tent, he summoned several squads of Imperial Guards whom he had just personally given rewards to, and fully armed, he took the bow and arrow he had taken from the tent and strode towards the small stronghold on the mountain top with a fierce aura.

After a while, Yang Yizhong, in the shocked gazes of Lan Gui, Hu Yin, and others who had heard the news and rushed over, emerged in a disheveled state, having only temporarily put on a piece of hard armor!

However, it was already too late.

Zhao Jiu took the lead, returned to the small mountain stronghold, and no one around him reacted. Even those clever people who did react only thought that Yang Yizhong had returned to 'handle things'!

Our Zhao, the Emperor, drove straight in, personally stepped into the tent, and then raised his hand and shot an arrow directly at the man who had threatened him with being a thief to demand rewards!

The small mountain stronghold's main tent was specifically set up for military affairs and was a proper central army tent, which could hold hundreds of people. But even so, its size was limited, and what's more, those people were already wandering near the tent door waiting for rewards? Therefore, Zhao Jiu's arrow shot out as easily as shooting a target in the Mingdao Palace, directly hitting the man and knocking him down.

The tent was in chaos for a moment. It wasn't that no one thought of fighting back, but the Imperial Guards who saw the Emperor shooting arrows himself were even more anxious than them, so how could they dare to be perfunctory? They rushed in in a panic, with the first few people blocking in front of Zhao Jiu as human shields, and the people behind them quickly drew their swords and began to indiscriminately slash and kill in the tent, using their numbers to their advantage!

After a short while, the tent was quiet and silent. Zhao Jiu, having thrown down his helmet, came out of the tent, actually holding a head in his hand.

In the small stronghold, Lü Haowen, Zhang Jun and below, including Yang Yizhong, Lan Gui, Hu Yin, and others who had rushed over, as well as the original Imperial Guards in the small stronghold, and the dozens of Western Army officers who had just been receiving rewards and military batons on both sides of the small stronghold, all looked on in horror, but were so shocked that they were speechless... Chancellor Lü almost fainted.

Zhao Jiu looked around, and in front of the many people who were already stunned, he gritted his teeth and said loudly: "Don't you feel uneasy because you lost Commander Liu and no longer have a backer? I will tell you today that I, the former Grand Marshal, personally command this group of three thousand useless soldiers! And these heads are the first rule of the army from now on... those who are in the military but dare not fight are guilty of the same crime as Liu Guangshi! As for you, don't just stand there, all of you who have received your military batons and rewards, come with me to the halfway point of the mountain. That's the second rule. From now on, I will personally control the rewards and punishments in the army, and all rewards and punishments will be decided before my eyes!"

After saying a bunch of nonsense, watching those preparatory generals and squad leaders panic, and hastily forming ranks, Zhao Jiu was stunned for a moment and felt that something was wrong, until he met Yang Yizhong's gaze, and then he realized, and quickly slammed the head in his hand to the ground!

However, no one cared about it anymore at this point.

ps: When reason fails, words fail. I wish you all a Happy New Year and great wealth!!!! The new year has arrived!!!!