After Transmigration, I Traded a Coin for a Peerless Wife and Conquered the Chaotic World - Chapter 43:

Chapter 43: A Sudden Promotion to Centurion

Yan Nantian felt utterly speechless. This brat had completely outmaneuvered him. As the General of the North, known for strict military discipline, he now found himself at a loss. “Don’t flatter yourself! Why would I be reluctant to part with you?” He grunted. “Still, what you did wasn’t wrong. That Qin Hu kid dared to act so recklessly—his death wasn’t undeserved.”

“However, what General Pan Feng said earlier was right. You can no longer serve in the Northern Garrison.”

Hearing this, Lin Feng didn’t refute as he had before. A trace of regret did surface in his heart. Unlike the Yan Pass garrison, the Northern Garrison was a field army. Joining it would’ve given him a broader stage to earn more Slaughter Points and fulfill his ambitions. But it didn’t matter. His military career had just begun. As long as his head stayed on his shoulders, there would be countless opportunities ahead.

“What a pity. Not being able to serve under General Yan is something I’ll regret forever!” Lin Feng said, looking pitiful on purpose.

Yan Nantian almost cursed out loud seeing his shameless expression. “Didn’t you just say you didn’t care about the Northern Garrison? If you ask me, I should’ve beaten you with 300 military rods first and then talked!”

Lin Feng grinned, “General, didn’t I already say it? You couldn’t bear to do it.”

Seeing Lin Feng’s cheeky face, Yan Nantian pretended to draw his sword and slash him. Pan Feng and Xu Chong immediately played along, stepping forward to restrain him.

“General Yan, Lin Feng knows he was wrong. The defenses at Yan Pass are lacking and desperately need capable people. Why not give him a chance to make up for his mistakes?”

Yan Nantian seized the opportunity to back down and snorted, “Fine! Today, for the sake of General Pan and Deputy Xu, I’ll let you off. You better cause big trouble now—poke a hole through the sky and wait for me to patch it up!”

“General, you jest. How could I possibly do that?” Lin Feng chuckled, sensibly offering him a cup of tea. “General Yan, you’ve been shouting so much your throat’s dry. Have some tea to soothe it.”

Yan Nantian took a sip and finally calmed down. He then glanced at Pan Feng and asked, “General Pan, what post do you think suits this brat?”

Pan Feng smiled, “I just happen to be short one Deputy General. Let Lin Feng take the role and serve alongside Deputy Xu as my left and right hands.”

In truth, Pan Feng had thought of this back during the battlefield. No matter what position he held in the future, he wanted to bring Lin Feng along. With such a fierce subordinate by his side, he’d feel at ease.

Yan Nantian raised an eyebrow and sneered, “Deputy General? With his reckless temperament? What if he cuts off Magistrate Liu’s head next? How am I supposed to explain that to the court?”

Lin Feng scratched his head awkwardly. Was that really the impression he gave?

Pan Feng was momentarily speechless. Given Lin Feng’s merits and strength, making him just a Centurion felt like wasting talent.

At that moment, Yan Nantian grumbled, “I think letting this kid become a Decurion is already a blessing for him.”

To rebuild the Yan Pass garrison, Yan Nantian planned to leave a portion of the Northern Garrison behind and also approved local recruitment. Even if they couldn’t reach the previous 3,000-troop scale, they needed at least 2,000 standing soldiers.

To assign Lin Feng such a low position was ridiculous.

“General Yan, Lin Feng is a 4th rank martial artist now, and his archery is unmatched. He can shoot with pinpoint accuracy from 100 paces. Making him a mere Decurion is a waste! If he can pass his skills to the troops, the garrison’s strength could easily double!” Xu Chong spoke up on Lin Feng’s behalf. After all, if Lin Feng were just a Decurion, the burden of rebuilding the garrison would fall entirely on him.

Pan Feng chimed in too, “Lin Feng is a true talent. I’ll say this honestly—without him, we couldn’t have held Yan Pass. And everyone in the garrison knows his capabilities. If we make him a Decurion, his men won’t even accept it.”

Yan Nantian was left speechless. Only 43 people survived from the entire garrison, including injured and barely living ones. Who would even dare not accept it?

But his earlier statement about making Lin Feng a Decurion was just to humble him a bit.

“Since both General Pan and Deputy Xu speak so highly of you, then fine—you’ll be a Centurion for now. But you better remember—if you stir up trouble again, I’ll send you back to being a foot soldier!”

Lin Feng cupped his fists and smiled, “Thank you, General Yan. I will remember this.”

In truth, Lin Feng would’ve been thrilled even with a Decurion post. Being made a Centurion was a windfall. According to the Great Zhou’s military merit system, a Centurion must be a 4th rank martial artist or above, have slain at least a thousand enemies, and earned no fewer than thirty merits.

He’d only been through one major battle—he had no qualifications for Centurion. This was clearly an exception.

“Uh… General Yan, may I ask…” Lin Feng trailed off.

Yan Nantian frowned, “What now?”

“I just want to know… how much does a Centurion earn each month in silver?”

Previously, Lin Feng and the Grade C soldiers had speculated that a Grade A soldier earned 1 tael per month, and a Decurion maybe 10 taels. But the position of Centurion had been so distant, they’d never figured it out.

Xu Chong explained, “A Centurion receives 30 taels of silver monthly, along with 60 kilograms of fine rice, 180 kilograms of rough rice, and a double salary at the year’s end. Also, every Centurion is granted a separate residence by the army.”

Thirty taels a month meant 360 a year. With the year-end bonus, that was nearly 400 taels of pure silver a year. Plus food and a house. Good heavens—that was better than being a landlord!

No wonder soldiers fought so hard to become officers.

The Great Zhou Empire was founded on martial might and valued martial strength over scholarly talent. Although a Centurion was only a 9th rank military post, its pay far surpassed that of an equally ranked civil official.

Lin Feng’s heart was screaming, I’m rich! I’m rich!

Seeing Lin Feng’s face full of barely contained joy, Yan Nantian was filled with disdain.

“Enough! Get lost! Go home and let your wife know so she doesn’t worry.”

Lin Feng nodded repeatedly. He’d struck gold!

After thanking everyone profusely, he dashed out of the tent, mounted his horse, and galloped toward the village.

“Hahahaha!” Once Lin Feng had gone, Yan Nantian burst into laughter.

“Did you see that hopeless grin on his face? Give him a Centurion post, and he acts like he’s won the heavens! Earning 3 to 4 hundred taels a year, he’s grinning like he swallowed honey-coated dung—no dignity at all!”

“Pan Feng, this kid is indeed a gem. I’m leaving him to you. Train him well—he’ll be of great use in the future!”