On the very day of her transmigration, Su He was about to be sent off to become a military prostitute.
…
Liaodong border, on the training grounds.
Located in a bitterly cold region, this place bordered the Beidi grasslands to the north and the Donghu tribes to the east, serving as the first line of defense against foreign invaders.
The scorching midday sun baked the cracked earth. Waves of heat shimmered upward, and even the air tasted of burning and anxiety.
In the center of the training grounds stood eighteen women dressed in coarse, worn-out prisoner garbs. Their hair was disheveled, their faces pale and defeated. Shivering, they crowded together like a flock of sheep waiting for the slaughter.
Up on the high platform, a Battalion Commander armored in iron stood with a cold, stern face as he read the imperial decree.
“The Minister of officials has been found guilty of bribery and corruption… The maids of his household are hereby stripped of their status and confiscated as slaves. They are to be bestowed as wives to the soldiers who meritorious deeds during this city defense, and shall be registered under the military census. Those chosen will be wedded as wives; those left unpicked will be sent to the rear camp for labor and are forbidden to leave without authorization!”
The moment the words “rear camp” left his mouth, the slave girls turned deathly pale.
The rear camp?!
That was no good place.
In name, it meant washing clothes, cooking, and mending, but in reality, it was no different from being a military prostitute.
These single, rough men who guarded the border year-round were filled with pent-up aggression. Each was like a starving wolf; how could they possibly show tenderness or care whether a criminal slave lived or died?
Most wouldn’t survive a year before being tormented to death.
But marrying a soldier was different.
Even though they were from military households, they would at least be properly wedded wives with an official status and protection. If their husbands achieved military merits and promotions in the future, they might even have a chance to escape their slave status and completely turn their lives around.
But if they went to the rear camp, they would have to serve countless soldiers, facing humiliation, being trampled upon, with life and death out of their own hands.
Two paths, yet two completely different fates!
The slave girls’ breathing instantly grew ragged. Their eyes, filled with panic and desperation, swept toward the front of the platform, where twelve military men who had just been promoted for their merits stood.
Yet at this moment, they could do nothing but wait to be chosen.
Among the slave girls, one woman slightly raised her eyes to scan the scene.
Her lowered eyes were delicate and clean, and her demeanor was too calm for a criminal slave, showing not a single trace of panic.
Having transmigrated from the post-apocalyptic era, she had opened her eyes to find herself in a border military camp, about to be assigned away.
In just two short hours, Su He had already calmly accepted reality.
She was originally a logistics officer at an apocalyptic base. Due to a sudden explosion during a mission, she woke up this morning reborn in this body.
It was a pity, really. The original owner of the body had been a first-class maid in the Minister’s manor. After the master’s household was seized for rebellion, she had endured a grueling journey all the way to the border, only to suddenly catch a cold and ultimately succumb to the high fever.
This allowed Su He’s soul from another world to take advantage of the situation, gaining the opportunity to live a second life.
However, waking up as a criminal slave exiled to the border was undoubtedly a hell-mode start!
But since heaven had given her a chance at rebirth, no matter how treacherous the path ahead or how dire the situation, she was bound to change her fate against all odds and firmly grasp her own lifeline!
Su He’s peripheral vision swept over the military men in front. The apocalypse had taught her two hard truths:
First, survival depends on strength!
Second, to live, you must follow the right person!
Soon, her gaze locked onto the man in the very front row who was built like a mountain.
He stood half a head taller than the others, about 1.9 meters tall. His bronzed face was cold, sharp, and chiseled, with broad shoulders, a thick back, and a powerful, robust frame.
Su He narrowed her eyes, evaluating the man through the lens of someone from the apocalypse.
A blood-soaked cloth was still tied around his left arm, indicating he had recently been in battle. There were also several scars on his forearms, shoulders, and neck, showing that he made a living on the edge of a knife year-round.
Yet his stance was steady, his breathing deep and composed, showing none of the weakness that follows a severe injury. His entire being exuded a raw, fierce aura of someone unafraid of death.
This clearly indicated he had excellent recovery capabilities and a superb physique.
Furthermore, with his stature, broad shoulders, and defined muscle lines, he radiated pure strength and a sense of security.
In the apocalypse, this was undoubtedly the highest quality of a partner.
Not bad, he’s the one!!
As for whether he was handsome? Or whether he knew how to whisper sweet nothings?
Su He scoffed in her heart. Could those things put food on the table? Could they block a blade? Could they shield her behind his back when a wild beast pounced?
She simply liked large, fierce men!
This soldier was exactly to her liking.
At this moment, in front of the high platform.
Xiao Zheng stood in the front row, his brow furrowed. As his gaze swept across the huddled criminal slaves, there was not a hint of interest in his eyes; instead, they showed clear disgust.
Every single one of them was as skinny as a toothpick, looking like they would topple over in a gust of wind.
Expect them to do labor? They probably couldn’t even hold a hoe steady.
Expect them to manage a household? His own family could barely keep food on the table. Adding another mouth to feed meant the whole family might go hungry.
Moreover, with the grain shortage at the border, even military pay wasn’t distributed in full. He couldn’t even fill his own stomach, so where would he get extra rations to support a wife?
Standing beside Xiao Zheng, Shen Feng was also sizing up the criminal slaves ahead, a look of shrewd calculation flashing in his eyes.
In this city defense battle, he ranked second in military merit, while Xiao Zheng ranked first.
In terms of ferocity, he was indeed no match for Xiao Zheng; that guy fought like a lunatic who valued his life not at all. But when it came to brains, Xiao Zheng was far inferior to him.
Shen Feng’s gaze locked onto the most gorgeous slave girl in the crowd. At a glance, she looked meticulously brought up.
Although these women were exiled criminal slaves, they came from a high-ranking official’s estate, which meant they must have been carefully cultivated by their masters.
As the saying goes, “Better to marry a maid from a great household than a daughter from a small family.”
Bringing a woman like this home meant she could keep up appearances and manage domestic affairs well. Most importantly, this was a reward from the imperial court, equivalent to a decree-bestowed marriage, which counted as a form of honor.
It was much less troublesome than marrying a coarse, ignorant military family’s daughter or a merchant’s daughter.
However, since Xiao Zheng placed first this time, if he also took a liking to her…
Shen Feng’s eyes darted around as a scheme came to mind.
At this moment, Battalion Commander Li on the high platform gave the order.
“A total of twelve men from the front camp achieved merits and promotions this time: ten newly promoted Company Commanders and two Platoon Leaders. The twelve of you will choose your wives in order of your military merits!”
The moment he finished speaking, Shen Feng suddenly stepped forward half a pace. With a smile, he brought Xiao Zheng’s thoughts out into the open, intentionally raising his voice.
“Old Xiao, since you have no interest in this, how about I go first and set an example for you?”
As soon as these words came out, the surrounding officers and soldiers all looked over. Seeing Xiao Zheng’s indifferent expression, did he look like someone with any interest in picking a wife?
Was he really not interested??
What a blockhead, not even showing enthusiasm for choosing a wife!
Battalion Commander Li looked at Xiao Zheng, “Xiao Zheng, what say you?”
“Doesn’t matter. Let him.”
Xiao Zheng was expressionless, seemingly not minding at all that someone was stepping ahead of him to pick.
He had only one thought right now: keep his family fed, then achieve military success to completely break the Xiao family out of their low-class military registry!
In his eyes, women were fragile, troublesome, and wasted rations; they were far less practical than a reward of silver and grain.
He couldn’t even be bothered to argue over Shen Feng’s petty calculations.
“…” Shen Feng felt a wave of relief, a flash of smugness crossing his eyes.
As expected, this brute only knew how to fight. How could he understand the importance of a capable wife?
At this time, the slave girls looked over with desperation, wishing they could throw themselves forward right away to secure protection.
However, when their eyes swept past Xiao Zheng, they quickly retracted their gazes in terror.
This man was way too fierce! He looked downright terrifying.
With that hulking frame of his, he could probably snap their necks with one hand, couldn’t he?