Chapter 39: Reunion with Joy (Part 1)

Just as Jing Shiyi had finished loading another bullet, he immediately raised his head at these words. He then realized a crowd of people was staring at him intently. Looking up further, he saw that the moon had risen, and his stomach was already growling.
“What other special skills do you have?” Liu Yongfu stared at Jing Shiyi intently. “Go on, tell us.”
This was actually Jing Shiyi’s chance to show off, but being stared at by so many people made him nervous, and he blurted out, “Our commanders have the most special skills.”
Colonel Jacken also agreed in Chinese, “That’s right, Commander Liu—he knows many techniques.”
On the other side, Sima Tai also woke up and immediately bowed deeply to Liu Yongfu. “I am truly at fault for not realizing your arrival, Great Marshal.”
But Liu Yongfu kindly took his hand and said, “We’re all one family. There’s no need for such formalities. Has our commander returned?”
“He has! I’ll go inform our commander that the Great Marshal has arrived.”
Hearing the title “Great Marshal” warmed Liu Yongfu’s heart. Only provincial governors in the late Qing dynasty could be called marshals; military commanders could only be called military officials, and army commanders could only be called district commanders. By calling Sima Tai a “Great Marshal,” Liu Yongfu was placing him on par with provincial governors and military commanders who held supreme power over military and political affairs.
He smiled slightly. “I’ve thought about and longed to meet your commander every day these past few months. But because Li Yangcai started a rebellion and led troops elsewhere, I couldn’t free up time. It’s only today that I get to meet him.”
As they spoke, a young man arrived with Jiang Ningxue and several guards. Compared to Liu Suiyun and Jing Shiyi, he appeared even younger and more energetic.
The formation of the guards was the same as the one Liu Suiyun had used to escort them to the old camp, but in the eyes of Yang Zhenen and the others, this instead became a sign of the Xiliu Camp’s strength.
Just by looking at this young man, Jing Shiyi, one could see how strong the Xiliu Camp was. At such a young age, he could disassemble and reassemble rifles blindfolded, had excellent marksmanship, and could even reload Remington rifle bullets. Every aspect of him shone with talent—there was no one in the Black Flag Army who could match him in versatility.
Yet within the Xiliu Camp, everyone was used to such a talented person, which meant these skills were likely quite common there. This could be clearly seen from Sima Tai’s indifferent expression.
For such a strong camp leader to adopt a loose formation must have its reasons—this young commander must also be an exceptionally talented person.
Over there, Liu Yu pretended to be mature as he walked forward. “Who is Great Marshal Liu Yongfu?”
“I am Liu Yuanting!”
Upon seeing him, Liu Yu realized Liu Yongfu wasn’t particularly striking. If it weren’t for his own admission, it would have been hard to recognize this unremarkable man as Liu Yongfu, the leader of the Black Flag Army who left a significant mark in Qing history. “Brother Yuanting, you built a foundation for success, defeated the traitor Huang Chongying, and became famous at Zhiqiao. Liu Yu has long admired you. It’s a pity we met so late. Who are these people?”

The three things Liu Yu mentioned were all things that Liu Yongfu was extremely proud of. He established his foundation in Baosheng, then decisively defeated the Yellow Flag Army allied with France, and at Zhiqiao, he beheaded the French captain An Ye. In these three battles, he faced extremely strong opponents, yet it was the Righteous Flag Army, which stood on the side of justice, that emerged victorious. Liu Yongfu was truly excited. First, he pointed at Wu Fengdian on the left.
“Wu Fengdian, the commander of the left camp?”
“Isn’t he also Wu Yalou, the one who personally beheaded the French commander An Ye at Zhiqiao?”
Wu Fengdian’s courtesy name was Yalou. The proudest moment of his life was fighting against the French forces at Zhiqiao and beheading French Captain An Ye. You see, An Ye had dominated northern Tonkin with just 200 men, captured Hanoi, and conquered four coastal provinces without any rival—almost bringing entire northern Tonkin under French control. Yet such a formidable enemy was killed by Wu Fengdian himself.
“Excellent! Excellent! Truly outstanding!” Wu Fengdian, usually calm in temperament but highly strategic, immediately bowed and said, “It wouldn’t hurt to hand over the defense zone of Shanxi Province to the Xiliu Camp!”
“This is my adopted son, Liu Chengliang, who will command the rear camp!”
“Liu Chengliang, who achieved great feats by defeating the Yellow Flag Army!”
“That’s right! Excellent! What ambition in such a young man!”
Finally, Liu Yongfu pointed at Yang Zhenen: “This is Yang Enzhu, the commander of the right camp.”
“I’ve long heard of Yang Wujian’s reputation; indeed, it’s well-deserved.”
Liu Yongfu introduced these three commanders to Liu Yu. Each of them commanded a camp of 300 men, and together with Huang Shouzhong, they were the four strongest generals in the Righteous Flag Army. At that moment, the three commanders also exclaimed in approval, “Excellent! What an outstanding Xiliu Camp! What an amazing Liu Yu!”
They had all been frustrated in their youth. Now, seeing such spirited young men who spoke so appropriately, they couldn’t help but feel goodwill toward them, immediately setting aside any initial personal biases.
Liu Yu said solemnly, “Commander, gentlemen commanders, simple meals have been prepared. Please accept them humbly.”
But Liu Yongfu said authoritatively, “There’s still one person left unintroduced.”
“Who?”
Liu Yongfu raised his thumb and pointed at Liu Yu, saying, “I am Liu Yu, the commander of the Xiliu Camp of the Righteous Flag Army!”
“I, Liu, have been in the military for twenty years and know many people, but I’ve never seen a talent like Commander Liu! He’s not even twenty yet, yet he has conquered Haiyang and Guang’an. He can talk and laugh in front of the French and has trained such an elite army—what a truly extraordinary man in the world!”
“Excellent!” The three commanders exclaimed in unison, “Indeed, the greatest extraordinary man in the world!”
The conversation between them was harmonious, and Wu Fengdian had already decided to give up the defense zone of Shanxi Province. No matter how lucrative Shanxi might be, it paled in comparison to the benefits the Xiliu Camp would bring to the Righteous Flag Army once it joined. The addition of the Xiliu Camp wasn’t just a bonus or an enhancement—it was a true lifeline. Just the reequipping with Remington bullets alone could greatly boost the combat strength of the Righteous Flag Army.
“The greatest extraordinary man in the world!” They said this wholeheartedly.
Liu Yu simply smiled, took Jiang Ningxue’s hand, and said, “What kind of extraordinary man am I? Half of it is thanks to my wife.”

Excessive brilliance is not necessarily a good thing. Liu Yongfu, looking at Jiang Ningxue standing behind Liu Yu, believed most of it. Jiang Ningxue, following Liu Yu’s instructions, said, “My husband has already prepared a gift for all the commanders. How about delaying dinner for now?”
“Excellent!” Liu Yongfu replied. “I was just eager to see it!”