Cede Land and Pay Indemnity?

Although Dongfang Mao had already decided on the strategy of marching east, he did not immediately dispatch his troops, instead ordering the entire army to rest and reorganize for a week.

During this period, he meticulously arranged a grand ceremony to reward the troops.

On the parade ground, Dongfang Mao personally bestowed rewards upon the meritorious soldiers.

In addition to the standard provisions and coin, he even granted the mansions confiscated earlier to those who had rendered distinguished service.

While these soldiers, for whom even living in a thatched hut had once been a luxury, watched as chests of money and stacks of land deeds were handed to their comrades, the parade ground instantly erupted.

Heavy, ragged breathing rose and fell in waves, and countless bloodshot eyes stared fixedly at the platform.

It was unclear who let out the first wolf-like howl, but it triggered a response that sounded like a mountain collapsing or a sea roaring.

Dongfang Mao stood on the high platform with his hands behind his back, looking down at the fanatical scene with satisfaction.

"For those who build merit and establish a career, wealth and glory are within easy reach!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the three armies shook like thunder.

"We are willing to die for the Grand Governor!"

Their shouts shook the heavens, clearing even the clouds on the horizon.

The morale was now higher than ever before, and the smile on Dongfang Mao's face did not fade; he felt even more confident in his subsequent eastward strategy.

After rewarding the three armies, Dongfang Mao's gaze fell upon the nearly twenty thousand prisoners of war.

He had no intention of throwing these captives into labor camps.

Tsukimiura was, after all, only so large; there were not that many opportunities for labor.

Considering the upcoming eastern expedition, it was impossible for it to be as easy as capturing Tsukimiura; they would inevitably face brutal siege warfare.

As the New Martial Army was the elite force Dongfang Mao had meticulously cultivated—each one his precious treasure—they naturally could not be easily expended in siege battles.

To this end, Dongfang Mao decided to reorganize these prisoners into the "New Auxiliary Army."

These twenty thousand men were divided into eight regiments, with 2,000 men per banner.

Each regiment was divided into 5 battalions, with 400 men per battalion.

Each battalion was divided into 4 companies, with 100 men per company.

Elite soldiers were drawn from the New Martial Army to form supervisory squads, with 10 men dispatched to each company.

These 10 men would hold the power of life and death over the New Auxiliary Army and could dispose of them at will; Dongfang Mao would not ask for the reason.

They would exercise strict control over their units, strictly forbidding the private concealment of weapons, with all equipment issued uniformly during wartime.

At the same time, a "collective punishment system for cowardice" was implemented; if one person fled during battle, the entire company would be executed.

While Dongfang Mao raised the power of the supervisory squads to such a level, he also gave the New Auxiliary Army a guarantee, allowing them to earn promotions through military merit.

For example:

Those who were the first to scale the city walls or those who decapitated five enemy heads would be allowed to change their status and join the New Martial Army.

Those with special military achievements could receive additional rewards.

This system, which was harsh yet left room for promotion, not only ensured the combat effectiveness of the New Auxiliary Army but also maximized their desire to fight.

While being oppressed to the extreme by the supervisory squads, they would surely go mad with the desire to establish merit, rising from the enslaved to become those who enslaved others!

Once everything was ready, Dongfang Mao, under the presiding of Minister of Rites Luzhen, held a sacrificial ceremony at the square in the south of the city.

At the first light of dawn, the tall bronze altar was already filled with sacrificial offerings.

Dongfang Mao, dressed in a black battle robe, stepped onto the scarlet carpet and slowly ascended the altar, while twelve "New Martial" battle flags with red patterns on black backgrounds fluttered behind him.

The childishness on his face had long since faded; his handsome, flawless features, cast in iron and blood, were now sharp and cold.

Cold light flickered in his long, narrow phoenix eyes, and with every step he took, the pressure radiating from his body grew heavier, causing the officials below the altar to involuntarily hold their breath and lower their heads.

He took the bronze wine cup offered by Luzhen, flicked his wrist, and poured it onto the bluestone slabs in front of the altar.

Subsequently, the Rice Field Army commander Inoue Kojiro and his deputy generals, who were chained below the altar, were dragged onto the platform like dead dogs by personal guards using iron hooks that pierced their collarbones.

"Today, with the blood of enemy generals, I sacrifice to our eastern expedition banners!"

As Dongfang Mao raised his sword high, more than a dozen heads of the generals rolled off the altar.

Blood flowed along the grooves of the floor tiles, staining the entire altar a dark red.

At the hour of the horse, the gates of Tsukimiura were thrown wide open.

War drums sounded within the city, and the New Martial Army was the first to march out, the cold light reflected by their iron armor forming a silver torrent.

The people along the streets, whether voluntarily or coerced, gathered in large numbers, cheering and shouting the name of Grand Governor Dongfang Mao...

Land of Rice Fields, Daimyo Mansion.

"What did you say? Failed?"

The Daimyo stumbled down from his main seat, gripping the collar of the guard who had come to report, his eyes bloodshot and vicious, as if he wanted to devour someone.

Yet, beneath this ferocious mask, a deep sense of fear was hidden!

You must understand, the Land of Rice Fields has always played both sides between the two great nations, so it has never faced any real warfare and has never paid much attention to its military.

The nobles and officials, from top to bottom, would constantly embezzle military funds whenever they had the chance.

As a result, the armaments fell into disrepair, and the 30,000 troops previously dispatched already accounted for nearly half of the Land of Rice Fields' total military strength.

He had only been willing to mobilize such a massive force to save face, yet now he was being told that the entire army had been wiped out?

Inside the Daimyo Mansion of the Land of Rice Fields, the air seemed to have frozen solid.

"You... you bastards!"

This unprecedented and disastrous defeat had completely panicked the Daimyo, who spent his days wallowing in wine and women.

He abruptly released the guard's collar, staggered toward the ministers in the hall, and roared with a trembling voice.

"You bunch of trash! Why aren't you coming up with a plan for This Lord! How are we supposed to deal with those damned rebels!"

The hall fell into an instant, deathly silence.

The ministers, who had been arguing endlessly just moments ago, now hung their heads low, wishing they could bury their faces in their collars.

"Speak!"

The Daimyo's face had turned the color of a pig's liver, and the veins on his forehead were bulging.

"Usually, you lot can argue for three days and three nights over a pittance, so why have you all become mutes now?!"

Under such aggressive pressure, someone finally stepped out, trembling.

"Reporting to the Daimyo... this humble official thinks... perhaps we should send an envoy to negotiate peace with Dongfang Mao? We could cede Tsukimiura and the surrounding areas to his rule, sign a treaty, and pledge eternal friendship, agreeing never to invade each other again..."

These words voiced the inner thoughts of everyone present.

Previously, they had insisted on suppressing the rebellion only because they were reluctant to lose the annual profits sent from Tsukimiura.

Now that they had witnessed the power of the rebel army, these pampered nobles had long since lost their nerve.

Rather than engaging in a major conflict, it was better to sacrifice a small profit in exchange for peace; after all, the loss would only be the income from that border region.

Besides, their border with the Land of Fire was so long that they hardly missed a place like Tsukimiura.

The Daimyo was stunned upon hearing this, then calmed down, stroking his chin as he paced back and forth in the hall, seemingly giving the matter serious thought.

The Daimyo paced the hall, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

His inner thoughts were, in fact, not much different from those of the officials in the hall.

Giving up Tsukimiura might indeed be a decent choice.

However, the consequences of this decision were difficult for him to reconcile with.