Chapter 45: Comrades in Arms (6)

Pu Dachui looked at Li Kuo with gratitude. The commander’s warm smile melted the ice in his heart over the years, giving him the courage to face a new life.
“Sir, rest assured. Based on what you just said, as long as I, Pu Dachui, can find a foothold, I won’t let the flag of our New Third Brigade fall!”
“Mm. Do your best. I have faith in you. Go prepare now—if you need anything, go see Captain Zhou. Our New Third Brigade won’t fail its warriors!”
Li Kuo patted Pu Dachui’s thick arm to encourage him.
Sometimes, a single glance can convey much. At that moment, Li Kuo realized that Pu Dachui would surely become a valiant soldier under his command. Years later, Pu Dachui repaid his commander with real military achievements. But that’s a story for another time.

Due to the upcoming live siege drills, Colonel Zhao of the Shence Army had been extremely busy lately. First, he directed the new recruits to buy bags of mud and sand from the Western Market, then ordered them to fight bare-chested, working alongside their comrades to build wooden stakes and scaffolds. The newly recruited soldiers, who had been bored for a long time, were clearly interested in these drills and rushed to carry the bags of mud and sand, eager to see the fortifications they built as soon as possible.

Since the bags contained wet mud and sand, each one weighed about a hundred or so pounds. Though the recruits were full of enthusiasm, most of them were wealthy young men who had never endured such hardship before. Their backs were bent like shrimp, and their legs trembled nonstop.
“Ugh, it’s damn heavy. I wonder if these drills are as fun as Deputy Captain Zhang made them sound.”
Xian Yu Cheng had only run a couple of rounds before he was exhausted, his bones feeling like they might break. He squatted by the roadside, gasping for breath, looking quite frustrated. If he hadn’t been so competitive back then, he might have already secured a lucrative position in the Ministry of Personnel. He had hoped to achieve success in the army through his own abilities, but after joining the Shence Army, he realized that without his father’s protection as an envoy to Jiannan, all he could rely on was caution and diligence.
“Heh, little brother Yu Cheng, can your little frame handle such heavy stuff?”
Pu Dachui handed Xian Yu Cheng a bag of liquor, teasing him kindly.
“Thank you, Brother Dachui!”
Xian Yu Cheng didn’t hesitate and downed half of the liquor right away. Wiping the liquor from his mouth, he smiled cheerfully, “This amount of weight won’t kill me. If others can do it, so can I.”

Pu Dachui nodded slightly and cast an appreciative glance at the young man.
“Hurry up, hurry up. If you can’t do it, go home and cool off; find someone who can. If you miss the drill, we’ll see who can take responsibility.”
Tu Laosan shouted while waving his whip, occasionally opening his mouth full of yellow teeth to spit out thick phlegm.
“Sigh, sigh.”
The scolded recruits dared not resist and could only lower their heads, shuffling forward with heavy steps, carrying their sand-filled bags toward the “fortress.”
It was noon, yet the sun seemed to be playing tricks on everyone. They carried the bags over and over again, but the sun didn’t seem to move even a little toward the west. Big drops of sweat fell from their necks, splashing on the ground made of sticky clay and forming puddles. The ground was scorching hot—so hot that it seemed capable of cooking raw eggs. Their feet, once numb, suddenly became sensitive, first feeling a dull numbness and then a burning pain as if on fire.
“Move aside, move aside! The brigade commander has brought water for everyone. Don’t fight over it—everyone gets their share, enough to satisfy them!”
Dou Qing, Li Kuo’s personal attendant, shouted loudly. Two recruits followed behind him, pushing a cart with two large water buckets on it.
The recruits carrying the bags stopped and looked back at the noise.
Feeling uncomfortable under everyone’s stares, Dou Qing cleared his throat and added, “This benefit is only for the Third Brigade. I’m sorry, soldiers from other battalions—we don’t have that much prepared.”
Dou Qing felt his cheeks burn red and quickly ordered those behind him to push the cart aside.
Soldiers from other battalions glanced at the Third Brigade soldiers with envy, but since their own brigade commander didn’t treat them as human beings, they could only curse him in their hearts and continue shuffling forward.
“What are you staring at? Haven’t you ever drunk water? A bunch of good-for-nothing losers!”
Seeing everyone’s attention drawn away, Tu Laosan grew impatient. He had really run into bad luck—his boss had assigned him to supervise the work. It was the most grueling task with no reward even if completed on time, and he would be held responsible if it was delayed.
“Long live the brigade commander!”
The recruits of the Third Brigade shouted and rushed toward the water cart. The ceramic bowls were already filled with plain water mixed with coarse salt, which now seemed like nectar to the soldiers.
“Drink slowly, drink slowly. Ma Chunqing, don’t rush—it’s very cold.”
Pu Dachui patted the young man’s back as he coughed from choking.

“Everyone, don’t rush. Our commander cares about everyone’s health. He specially sent someone to prepare these two barrels of salt water. Drink slowly—there will be enough for everyone!”
Dou Qing was very satisfied. At this moment, the young soldiers must be deeply grateful to their commander. As the saying goes, it’s easy to add embellishments to something already good, but hard to provide help in times of need. Under the scorching sun, what could be more appealing than a bowl of salt water? In his view, this had completed the first step of his plan. For an officer to hold a position firmly, he must have the heartfelt support of his subordinates. Since their commander’s foundation was weak and he had few connections, Dou Qing had to start planning from the ground up.
The exhausted soldiers, barely able to stand, seemed not to hear Dou Qing’s words. They rushed to pour the salt water from their bowls into their mouths. There was only so much water in the barrels, and there were over a hundred people—how could they get any if they didn’t compete? After drinking their fill, they gradually regained some energy. After cursing the cruel weather, they staggered off to carry another load of mud and sand. The whip of Tu Luosha was no joke—no one wanted to end up covered in wounds before even fighting!
The old soldiers directed the soldiers to pile up the mud and sand tightly. The framework made of wooden stakes and planks was gradually filled in with more material, taking shape into the rudimentary form of a fortification. Skilled soldiers had already been selected by the officers to apply lime and clay to the framework and arrange the large stones brought in on top. After pressing them down and giving them a gentle blow, a simple parapet was completed—only needing to dry before it could be used. Simple ladders had also been hastily made by the army’s skilled craftsmen overnight and placed next to the “commander’s platform” left empty after building the fortification. (Note 4) The soldiers who had finished carrying the materials gathered in groups in the shade, laughing and mocking those who were still carrying sacks. Seeing their comrades’ embarrassed expressions, they felt extremely pleased, unaware that just moments earlier, they too had been panting under the scorching sun, with no dignity to show.
Zhang Shouyu, who had watched from outside the training ground for a long time, shook his head and said with a bitter smile, “They treat joining the army as a way to idle away time, earning military merits as a way to rely on family connections, and seeking titles as a way to gain experience. They have no idea that military merits are earned through hard work and bloodshed. They don’t understand, they truly don’t.”
Note 1: In the Tang Dynasty, a military officer usually ranked at seventh or eighth rank, with some as low as below ninth rank, generally in charge of supplies, food, and equipment.

Note 2: This needs some explanation. The Examinations and Appointments Department of the Tang Dynasty’s Ministry of Personnel was equivalent to today’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, with considerable authority. As a result, positions in this department were highly sought after. Although the rank might not have been high, these positions controlled the political fates of many people, leading to significant illicit income.
Note 3: According to records, in the ninth year of the Tianbao era, Xianyu Zhongtong served as the military governor of Jiannan. However, at that time it was still the seventh year of Tianbao, and he was merely an inspection envoy.
Note 4: Doukou: Short, uneven walls on city walls. Additionally, the Tang Dynasty used clay and lime as building binders.