The battle was over.
Xue Hongqi was dead.
More than two thousand five hundred rebel bandits — all young, strong, and battle-hardened — had been captured alive. Two hours later, Shi Jian's men swept a cave several miles away, hauling out the rebels' dependents: old men, women, and children who had been hiding there.
Another three thousand people.
In total, over five thousand five hundred captives.
At Gadu Monastery, Shi Jian's unit regrouped with Governor Chen Qiyu and Vice Commander Luo Xi. The two thousand garrison troops who had earlier scattered in panic gradually slunk back as well, reforming into a combined force of roughly three thousand men.
That said, everyone present understood one thing perfectly clearly:
Those two thousand garrison soldiers were useful for little more than filling headcount.
Shi Jian spoke first.
"In my view, there's no need for those two thousand garrison troops to continue risking their lives. Let them escort the captives back first."
Chen Qiyu's expression turned… complicated.
"Yan'an Prefecture cannot possibly absorb so many surrendered rebels," he said slowly.
"My office lacks both grain and land to settle them."
Shi Jian laughed.
"Governor, there's no need to worry. Before you took office in Yansui, Governor-General Hong Chengchou handled surrendered rebels the same way every time — he handed them all over to Censor Wu Shen. After all, Master Wu has one hundred thousand taels of silver at his disposal."
Chen Qiyu's face twitched.
"Surely… that hundred thousand taels has long since been spent?"
"No problem," Shi Jian replied breezily.
"After that money was used up, the Prince of Qin's Residence, out of noble patriotic sentiment, contributed another fifty thousand taels to Master Wu."
Chen Qiyu silently sneered inwardly.
That fifty thousand taels was only coughed up because the Prince of Qin's heir made a colossal mistake, got scolded bloody by His Majesty, and needed to plug the hole fast.
What 'noble patriotic sentiment'?
He cleared his throat.
"That fifty thousand taels… I'm afraid…"
Shi Jian waved his hand dismissively.
"It's fine, it's fine. Don't worry. He still has money. Just send all the surrendered rebels to him."
Chen Qiyu immediately felt enlightened.
I don't want to deal with these people anyway.
Whether Wu Shen still has silver or not — that's his headache.
And just like that, the matter was resolved harmoniously.
Luo Xi selected a thousand-household commander, instructing him to lead the two thousand garrison troops and escort the five thousand disarmed rebels to Wu Shen's jurisdiction.
What Wu Shen did with them afterward was none of their concern.
With that burning hot potato finally thrown far away, Chen Qiyu relaxed considerably. He cupped his hands toward Shi Jian, face full of admiration.
"Commander Shi's military methods are nothing short of divine — subtle, brilliant, and terrifyingly precise. Today's battle has truly broadened my horizons."
A dignified Provincial Governor, openly praising a fifth-rank military officer.
Vice Commander Luo Xi naturally refused to be outdone.
"Commander Shi inspires awe! Truly a peerless general of our age!"
Shi Jian laughed awkwardly.
"Just average. Just average. You flatter me."
Chen Qiyu asked curiously,
"Commander Shi, how are you so familiar with the terrain here? It's as if you were fighting in your own backyard."
Shi Jian coughed lightly.
"I paid a few local herb gatherers to guide us."
Chen Qiyu froze.
"…What?"
Luo Xi blurted out,
"Uh—!"
Neither of them truly believed this explanation. But since Shi Jian had already said it aloud, neither saw any benefit in exposing the lie.
They accepted it.
Chen Qiyu then said,
"We must still rush to Yanchang County town. Though Xue Hongqi is dead, the rebel forces occupying A City and those led by King One-Character remain nearby. They could attack the county seat at any moment."
Luo Xi immediately added,
"The Governor and I will accompany Commander Shi with our personal guards."
Shi Jian didn't particularly want them along.
With such high-ranking officials present, it would be inconvenient to interact freely with Dao Xuan Tianzun, who disliked revealing himself before outsiders — especially imperial officials.
But…
There was no good reason to refuse.
"Very well," Shi Jian said.
"Let's move together."
As evening fell, the sun dipped below the horizon.
The army returned to the main road. Once darkness settled in, marching became impractical, so camp was quickly established and preparations for the evening meal began.
It was at mealtime that the disparity between units became painfully obvious.
Chen Qiyu and Luo Xi had both brought their personal guards — the true backbone of any imperial official's authority — and naturally, these men enjoyed excellent provisions.
Chen Qiyu's guards produced thick guokui flatbreads, made from fine white flour mixed with minced meat. Each bite released rich fragrance — flour and meat blending perfectly.
Luo Xi's guards fared slightly worse, but still respectable. They had fried dry noodles, similar to the instant noodles of later ages. Mixed with wild vegetables and beans, they were aromatic and filling.
These guards had been forced to follow behind Shi Jian's unit during the fighting, never truly getting to show off. Now, they displayed their food openly, hoping to reclaim some dignity.
Zheng Gouzi sniffed the air with his legendary dog-like nose and grinned.
"Brothers, see that? They're flaunting their rations, trying to make us jealous."
The men laughed.
"So they want to compete?"
"Alright, then — let's play."
"Bring out the canned luncheon meat."
"And the dried chicken and beef jerky."
"I've got dried cod fillets."
"Compressed biscuits? Too plain. Don't bother."
The Gao Family Village Militia's logistics were unmatched under heaven.
In moments, pots were set up. Gourmet dishes were cooked openly, the rich aromas deliberately drifting toward the neighboring camps.
Luo Xi's guards froze.
As if struck by acupuncture points, every one of them turned stiffly toward Shi Jian's unit, eyes filled with silent resentment.
Chen Qiyu's guards also felt their guokui suddenly lose all flavor.
Meat or not — it tasted bland. Utterly bland.
And as for asking—
"Can I have a bite?"
Not a single one of them had the face to say it.
They could only stare.
Luo Xi leaned close to Chen Qiyu and whispered,
"Governor… why is that unit so well supplied? Isn't the entire empire suffering delayed military pay? How do they afford such extravagance?"
Chen Qiyu sighed softly.
"That isn't military pay. Those supplies must come from Commander Shi himself."
"In other words," he continued,
"his army isn't composed of regular garrison soldiers at all — only private guards."
Luo Xi sucked in a sharp breath.
"A thousand private guards…?"
"That man…"
"…he's terrifyingly rich."