Chapter 42: Mercy (3)

It was during the actual training that these new recruits of the Shence Army realized just how easy the adaptation drills had been earlier. The enthusiasm sparked by the deputy commander had vanished in an instant upon facing the harsh realities.

“Keep your arms straight! Didn’t you get any food this morning?”
Tu Laosan pointed at Zhang Yanji with his whip and scolded angrily, “What a worthless good-for-nothing! Can’t even hold a simple spear properly. On the battlefield, he’ll only serve to help the Tibetans win.”
A stream of vicious insults poured out of Tu Laosan’s mouth, bringing him great satisfaction. “Hiss, hiss.”
A venomous tongue like that of a snake appeared, emitting a terrifying sound. He served as an inspector for the new Third Brigade, responsible for assisting the newly appointed brigade commander in training the recruits. Normally, he only had the authority to inspect and supervise, not to boss around lower-ranking officers. But since he had long-standing experience in the army, the newly appointed lower-ranking officers, lacking influence, often endured his insults. On the polo field, it had been his own carelessness that allowed this young man to take advantage. Now that he was in the Shence Army, if he didn’t discipline him properly to make him understand the complexities of military life, how could he continue to hold his position?

“Brother Tu, Yanji is new here and lacks experience. Please be lenient!”
The young man rushed over, clasping his fists toward Tu Laosan, trying to save his friend.
Tu Laosan glanced at Li Kuo and reluctantly grunted in agreement. He was roughly on equal footing with Li Kuo, so it would be improper for him to use his authority to pressure him. Besides, he had heard that this kid was actually the nephew of the army’s chief secretary, Gao. Even if he disliked this young man, he still had to show respect to Secretary Gao.

“I’ll leave this to you. But in ten days, Commander Zhang will assess the training results. You’d better be aware of that!”
Realizing his earlier attitude had been too lenient, Tu Laosan raised his voice, giving a “kind” reminder.
Only after Tu Laosan walked away did Zhang Yanji dare to breathe a sigh of relief.

“Brother Kuo, what’s there to show off about? He’s just some mediocre inspector. Acting like he’s more powerful than the commander-in-chief.”
Feeling aggrieved, Zhang Yanji kept complaining.

“You too need to endure hardships!”
Li Kuo glared at his friend angrily and warned sternly, “Even though you’re the leader of the second team, you must set a good example. If you can’t even hold a spear straight, how can you inspire others?”
Unglad, Zhang Yanji straightened the spear and fell silent.

“Sir, may I speak up, though I’m not sure if it’s appropriate?”
Dou Qing, the personal guard assigned to Li Kuo by Zhang Shouyu, bowed and asked at the right moment.

“Brother Dou, if you have anything to say, just speak it out directly.”
Li Kuo waved his hand with a smile on his face.
“Some things that are white can turn black, and some things that are black can turn white. Tu Laosan is exactly such a person who reverses right and wrong in the Hexi Army. It’s enough for you to be aware of certain things; there’s no need to worry too much.”
“Mm.”
Li Kuo nodded slightly. According to Deputy Commander Zhang, Dou Qing was a veteran soldier in the Hexi Army who had achieved military merits in the wars against the Later Turks. However, due to being ostracized by his colleagues, he could only reach the rank of platoon leader and couldn’t advance any further. After spending a few days together, Li Kuo gradually realized that Zhang Shouyu wasn’t as unruly as he appeared on the polo field. He simply valued the honor of the Hexi Army too much—in other words, it reflected a general’s absolute loyalty to his troops. Zhang Shouyu advised him to consult Dou Qing on everything, as Dou Qing’s experience in the army meant that with a little guidance, the young man could avoid many detours.
“What do you think I should do now, Brother Dou?”
To be honest, Xiao Qi knew nothing about military affairs and had no idea what to do next. Since Dou Qing hadn’t been promoted for years, he naturally placed all his hopes on him. Now, they were tied together—prosperity and adversity shared. If he became a colonel, Dou Qing could become a lieutenant; if he rose to the rank of middle colonel, Dou Qing could aspire to become a General of Dinyuan. If he were fortunate enough to reach the third-rank position of General Yunhui, then Dou Qing would surely be promoted to a real position at the level of General Xuanwei. (Note 1) So, the young man didn’t need to worry that he wouldn’t put in enough effort.
“Sir, in my humble opinion, you just need to train the new recruits of this brigade well, and you’ll gain the marshal’s appreciation. In the Hexi Army, the marshal values hardworking talents the most! As for all the other complicated matters, you don’t need to worry about them—they’re useless to think about!”
Dou Qing was very satisfied. This young man wasn’t as frivolous as he had initially imagined; he seemed quite thrifty in life. Although he still had much to improve, fortunately, he was willing to listen to advice and take others’ opinions into account.

Li Kuo was shocked—Dou Qing’s words had completely awakened him. At first, he had been thinking about how to maintain relationships and build connections within the army, but now it seemed those thoughts were rather unfocused. Indeed, he was just a minor brigade commander, insignificant in the eyes of those at the rank of colonel or above. Even if they saw him as a potential future rival and tried to guard against him, as long as he didn’t deliberately provoke them or touch upon their interests, they wouldn’t rush to deal with him! The most important thing now was to train the new recruits well and leave a good impression on General Geshu Han. After all, the Hexi Army ultimately still had to obey their general. As Uncle Gao said, securing a place in his heart was more valuable than any military achievements!

Nodding at Dou Qing, the young man said kindly, “Brother Dou, please don’t call me ‘my lord’ from now on. It sounds awkward. You have more experience in the army and are older than me. If possible, just call me Xiao Qi.”

Not understanding the brigade commander’s intention, Dou Qing bowed his hands in refusal, saying, “I dare not. In our Tang army, heroes are not judged by age. As the saying goes, ambition knows no age. Back in the day, Emperor Taizong was only twenty when he joined Emperor Gaozu in rebelling against the Sui Dynasty…”

“Ah, as you wish. But I’ll need your help a lot in the future, and I really feel guilty about that.”

Xiao Qi shrugged and smiled reassuringly. “It’s no trouble, really.”

Dou Qing could see that his brigade commander truly valued him, and a sense of pride surged in him, filling him with enthusiasm. “My lord, training hinges on keeping promises and enforcing discipline. If you have no objections, let’s get started!”

“I’ll follow Brother Dou’s lead.”

Li Kuo nodded and turned to Zhang Yanji and Zhou Wucui, saying, “Captain of Team One, Zhou Wucui, and Captain of Team Two, Zhang Yanji, listen up! Formation training is over for now; from now on, focus on training in weapon usage.”

“Understood, my lord!”

No matter how close they were to Li Kuo, the two couldn’t act carefreely in front of their comrades and risk embarrassing their brigade commander.

The newly assigned martial arts instructor, Fei Lin, was skilled in using spears. At the brigade commander’s request, he immediately demonstrated his skills—sticking left, thrusting right, sweeping horizontally, and blocking vertically, looking extremely formidable. Sparks flew from his spear, rivaling even the legendary Iron Tyrant Spear of old.

“Great! Excellent performance!”

“Instructor Fei is truly magnificent!”

It seemed everyone was generous with their praise for Fei Lin’s superb skills.

Yet Fei Lin said nothing, standing aside indifferently.

“Hong Ning, stop making noise here. We’ll see if you can actually dance it!” Zhang Yanji tapped a new recruit on the head, scolding him with a smile.
“Isn’t there the team leader? If I can’t dance it, you’re still here, right?”
Hong Ning was a well-known playboy in Chang’an City, smooth-talking, yet he left himself plenty of room to maneuver.
“As the old saying goes, a knife in winter, a stick in spring—yet a spear for a lifetime. Though you’re holding just a piece of white wax now, every move you practice is the foundation of using a spear. Most of you come from wealthy families, which is why Captain Zhang asked me to teach you how to use a spear. I only hope you won’t disgrace yourselves or a fine spear!” Fei Lin clearly didn’t have much fondness for these young aristocratic recruits, his words laced with sarcasm.
Shame, resentment, indifference, disdain—various emotions flashed in everyone’s eyes.
Note 1: Langjiang refers to the Guide Langjiang, ranked below the fifth rank; Zhonglangjiang refers to the Huaihua Zhonglangjiang, ranked just below the fourth rank; Yunhui General is ranked above the third rank; Dingyuan General is ranked at the top of the fifth rank; Xuanwei General is ranked above the fourth rank.
Note 2: Refers to Luo Shixin, a famous general at the end of the Sui Dynasty, who was skilled in using the Bie Tie Ba Wang Gun.
Note 3: Generally speaking, the spear is considered the orthodox weapon. Those who use knives or sticks usually learned on their own, through unorthodox methods. The spear, however, is the true orthodox weapon. A fine spear is typically made by bonding high-quality glue, with hemp rope wrapped around it. After the rope dries, raw lacquer is applied, followed by kudzu cloth. Layers are added until, when cut with a knife, the spear shaft emits a metallic sound without breaking—only then is it considered qualified. As a result, it’s quite expensive and beyond the reach of poor families.