Chapter 37: New Appearance (Part 2)

When they entered the old camp, they realized this was the real tough nut to crack. They never imagined that someone would build so many defensive installations that even after breaking into the camp, they would face even fiercer attacks. Looking up or down, they could see all sorts of bunkers. Such defenses could only be broken down with dozens of cannons firing at once, but they hadn’t noticed that Liu Yu had already constructed many anti-artillery shelters.

Liu Yongfu and the others deeply felt the strong military atmosphere in the old camp. Even within their own camp, there were numerous sentry posts. This wasn’t just an old camp—it was essentially a miniature military fortress. Inside the fortress, there were countless military facilities; everything seemed to serve military purposes. Sentinels passed by from time to time, and even the few small shops sold military supplies. They even saw a small repair shop where something seemed to be carefully manufactured using machinery.

Yang Zhenen felt his words had gone too far. Was that young boy from the Xiliu Camp really a war fanatic? It was already the 27th day of the New Year, yet here, aside from the murderous atmosphere, there wasn’t a trace of festivity. Fortunately, he finally saw something that brought him comfort—the scent of books.

Along the way, he saw every free person, whether elderly people in their fifties or sixties or children in their teens, all holding books—*The Three-Character Classic*, *The Thousand-Character Text*, or other popular readings. Everyone treated their books as precious treasures as valuable as guns. Whenever they had time, they would read. Some youths held guns in one hand and books in the other, debating with each other. Some middle-aged men, perhaps their fathers, struggled to push heavy carts loaded with supplies, with large bags tied carefully around their waists.

The scent of books—Yang Zhenen couldn’t imagine how a militarized fortress could combine with such a fervent learning atmosphere. He couldn’t understand it. Yet he felt a strong affinity for it. Among the Black Flag Army, he was the only one who had achieved academic recognition, having passed the military examination. But it was common for military scholars to be illiterate, and he himself only knew a few hundred characters. Thus, Yang Zhenen had an inexplicable fondness for reading.

Liu Yongfu was no different. He was even worse off than Yang Zhenen—almost completely illiterate, relying on his aides to handle official documents. Illiteracy had been a lifelong regret for him. Seeing such a remarkable scene, how could he not feel goodwill? He even saw elders around his own age asking questions to younger generations by the roadside, which was particularly touching. He quickly turned to Liu Suiyun, who was leading the way, and asked, “Where is our commander?”

Liu Suiyun didn’t mention that Liu Yu had taken a infantry platoon out for field drills that day. He simply said, “I’ll take you to Captain Sima at the right sentry post first.”

“Captain Sima? Is it Sima Tai?”

Liu Yongfu had at least heard of Sima Tai’s name, but Sima Tai did not recognize Liu Yongfu. When they met, Sima Tai was in his plainly furnished study, reading a book and muttering to himself. When he looked up and saw Liu Suiyun, he said, “Great! I’ve learned ten more characters today. In another three or four months, I’ll be able to handle the documents at the outpost by myself. Hmm? Who are these people?” His eyes were still fixed on the book, but out of courtesy, he stood up. Liu Suiyun immediately introduced them as distinguished guests sent by the Black Flag Army. “Good! Inform the kitchen to slaughter more pigs tonight.” The way he still held the book impressed Liu Yongfu greatly. He too was somewhat illiterate; whenever it came to handling documents, he would get flustered and sometimes had to ask his aides to translate formal prose into plain language, or convert spoken words back into formal prose. This man before him seemed to be in a similar situation but was already close to being able to handle documents on his own. Seeing the neatly arranged bookshelves filled with books only increased Liu Yongfu’s admiration. “Young man, I have a question—how many characters can you read now? How much effort have you put in?” This was precisely what Sima Tai took great pride in, so he immediately boasted. Liu Yongfu found him likable as well. “Not many. I’ve been studying for just over three months, and now I can read a little over a thousand characters.” His words contained a bit of exaggeration. He could actually read two or three hundred characters already, and his progress had been rapid—making progress every day—so he claimed to know a little over a thousand characters. This progress stemmed from his tendency to boast. Initially, he wasn’t very motivated, but with a learning atmosphere throughout the camp and Liu Yujian establishing rules and standards, demanding a high level of organization from an infantry company, there was a need for many documents at the outpost. Unwilling to lose face, and with Jing Shiyi, who had always had conflicts with him, making rapid progress and ranking among the top in the camp, his competitive spirit was stirred. As a result, he overcame his initial difficulties and now found it much easier, able to understand most of the documents exchanged at the outpost. Liu Yongfu sighed, “It’s a pity I’ve been fighting all my life with no time to spare. Otherwise, I could study and learn characters alongside you.” Sima Tai smiled broadly, his face glowing like a blooming flower. “You’re too modest, brother. It’s just that the affairs at our outpost are extremely busy too. I only manage to learn a few characters in my spare time.” Several officers of the Black Flag Army shared similar struggles like Liu Yongfu—they came from poor backgrounds and didn’t have time to study when they were young. By the time they achieved success, they felt their knowledge was limited, which they regretted deeply. Yet, they couldn’t bear to admit it, nor did they have the time. Sima Tai pointed to his somewhat old bookshelves and said, “Once I know all the characters, I’ll read not only these books but also Napoleon’s History of Warfare and the History of China’s Decline that our commander has.” “Good! That’s ambitious.” As the host and guest were having a pleasant conversation, a young soldier came in from outside and said to Sima Tai, “Commander! Jing Shiyi says he wants to show off again.” In the Xiliu Camp, Sima Tai and Jing Shiyi were two people who always clashed whenever they met. Hearing this, Sima Tai sneered, “I’m well aware of his tricks. He won’t achieve anything significant.”

He turned to glance at Liu Yongfu and the others before saying, “Hey, are you interested in seeing a little trick?”