Chinese New Year

Chapter 1411 Combat Power and Naming
On the 20th, after their final military drill, the Shangfan army held a grand feast, received their rewards, and prepared to disband.

Wherever Shao Xunxing went, he personally distributed rewards to the first and second battalions.

"Are you from Ruyang Defense? What's your name?" Hearing this name, Shao Xun felt a sense of familiarity, because this defense was located on the southern edge of Guangchengze, which could be considered the "place where the dragon rose".

"Wang Er".

"how old are you?"

"I'm thirty-three."

Looking at his face, Shao Xun thought he was well over forty, so he asked, "A second-generation soldier?"

"Yes. My father couldn't keep up with the pace seven or eight years ago. He had too many injuries and retired to stay home and recuperate."

"still there?"

He passed away five years ago at the age of forty-nine.

"You enlisted in the military eight years ago?"

"Yes."

"How is your skill?"

"Your Majesty, please look—" the man pointed to a warhorse beside him and said, "The equipment is all here."

Shao Xun went over to take a look and saw an unstrung bow tip, a ring-pommel sword, and an iron mace inserted in the saddle sheath.

A large shield for infantry combat was hanging on one side of the saddle, and three quivers were on the other side.

One of the quivers was rather old-fashioned, perhaps passed down from his father. It contained thirty arrows with bamboo shafts and slender, light arrowheads, clearly intended for mounted archery.

The other two quivers are newer and even have some patterns carved on them for decoration. One quiver contains twenty armor-piercing arrows, which are prepared for penetrating armor in field battles. The other quiver contains twenty long-range arrows, which can even be used to shoot upwards at the city walls. Both have willow shafts.

Shao Xun examined the arrow feathers more closely and found that they were from eagles. Although they weren't the best feathers, they were still quite good, much better than the goose feathers used by many others.

Looking behind this man, there was another servant dressed in hemp clothing, leading a mule, leaning on a long-handled axe, with a heavy sword slung across his back.

The guard, Wang Er, was wearing a pair of iron armor with bamboo sleeves, probably passed down from his father. The repair marks were very obvious, and he was holding a horse spear.

These are the main "military assets," and there are many other miscellaneous items, but none are as valuable as these.

Therefore, at the end of a dynasty, when chaos ensued, peasant uprisings and religious rebellions were utterly helpless against them. It was quite normal for tens of thousands of people to be chased and slaughtered by hundreds.

Dressed in a single layer of clothing, armed with a wooden spear, he only knew how to farm, couldn't distinguish flags, and had no knowledge of killing techniques, relying solely on instinct to blindly slash with his gun and bayonet...

Shao Xun didn't know how to evaluate the government troops that were so badly defeated by the rebels.
"Did you borrow money to buy this outfit?" Shao Xun asked.

“No.” Wang Er shook his head: “When we were fighting in Liaodong, I broke a ring-pommel sword and my armor was also damaged. When we retreated, a bran bag was torn, but I patched it all up when I got home.”

"How was it repaired?"

"There is an elm tree in front of the door. We cut it down and sold it to craftsmen to make calf cart materials."

"They actually want to cut down the trees?" Shao Xun's face darkened.

"No, I want to replace the elm trees with jujube trees, since they'll have to be cut down sooner or later anyway," Wang Er said hastily, startled.

Shao Xun's expression softened slightly, and he pressed on, "How much rent and tax did Xiangcheng County collect from your family for each mu of land?"

"Three households and ninety mu of land."

"Have you and your family ever been conscripted for labor?"

"Never."

"After the conquest of Liao, all soldiers of the Left and Right Valiant Cavalry Guards and the Left and Right Flying Dragon Guards were given a horse. Did you receive yours?"

"I've got it!" Wang Er said happily. "It's a mare too."

"How old are you?"

Three years old.

"Do you usually feed the horses enough hay?"

"We feed them a mixture of straw, bran, chaff, and beans, and occasionally let them roam freely. That should be enough."

"How many people are in the family?"

"His mother is still alive, he has one wife and one concubine, and four children."

How are you doing?

"The eldest daughter is married to a man from the Li family's defense force, who is also a soldier in the local government. The second daughter is engaged to the son of Cheng Niu, a blacksmith from the same village. The third son is eleven years old and is practicing martial arts at home. The fourth son is still young and helps the family herd horses and sheep, doing odd jobs."

How much land does your family own?

“One hundred and eighty-eight acres and forty steps.”

"Your father didn't get any land?"

“I only have two younger brothers,” Wang Er said. “My second brother went to Gaoliu Town many years ago and we haven’t heard from him for a long time. My third brother became a son-in-law in a neighboring county.”

"Your father was truly a model father," Shao Xun remarked. "Does the family have any food stored up?"

“Yes,” Wang Er nodded. “My son loves javelins. A while ago, I was planning to give him some grain and meat as a gift and asked my comrades to teach him. I don’t know how to javelin, otherwise I would have saved the money.” Shao Xun’s face relaxed.

Xu Xuan, the chief clerk of the Left Cavalry Guard who was standing next to him, was sweating profusely as he listened.

He had only taken office a few months ago. If this soldier were to say something that would embarrass him, he would be the one to take the blame, which would be a great injustice.

Furthermore, the emperor asked far too many detailed questions!
Of course, Xu Xuan felt that the emperor's greatest strength was that he knew what to ask; he was knowledgeable in the field. If the crown prince were here, he might not be able to get these things out.

Perhaps the Crown Prince knows more; if he were the third emperor, it's questionable whether this exchange would have happened today.

"The Left Valiant Cavalry Guard is still capable of fighting!" Shao Xun laughed, then waved his hand and said, "The Ministry of Revenue will bestow two bolts of silk, and the Imperial Household Department will add two bolts as a reward."

"Thank you for your generous gift, Your Majesty," Wang Er said excitedly.

"You deserve it." Shao Xun smiled, then patted him on the shoulder and repeated, "You deserve it."

After Wang Er, Shao Xun personally distributed rewards to more than twenty people, all of whom were soldiers of the Left Valiant Cavalry Guard Shiqiao Defense Prefecture.

After distributing this, they went to the front of the Left Feathered Forest Guard's Yanjin Longxiang Mansion formation and distributed more than twenty people, then stopped.

The fact that the Fubing soldiers have a well-established lineage and are still capable of fighting is excellent.

If we trace the origins of the Left Valiant Cavalry Guards back to their predecessors, they have existed for thirty years, longer than a generation. However, their fighting strength has not declined, which makes Shao Xun very happy, because he has been trying every means to prolong the lives of the guards over the years.

In fact, even if he did nothing, the Liang Dynasty's military system would still last longer than that of the Tang Dynasty. The reason is not complicated. Yang Jian realized this in history: "At that time, the population of the country was increasing every year. In the capital and the Three Rivers region, the land was scarce and the population was large, and food and clothing were insufficient... In the narrow villages, each adult had only twenty mu of land, and the old and young were even fewer."

The foundation of the Great Liang Dynasty was in Henan, which was incomparable to Guanzhong, which was inherently lacking in land. Moreover, the number of soldiers in Guanzhong was not as many as 600,000. According to Shao Xun's standards, Guanzhong was only suitable for accommodating 50,000 soldiers at most, which was exactly the number of soldiers in the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Any more would lead to corruption.

In medieval times, wars didn't really require that many men. One hundred thousand elite soldiers were enough to protect the dynasty, and two hundred thousand elite soldiers would provide ample room for error.

The remaining soldiers of the garrison were also excellent reserve soldiers, and they had no problem defending the city and suppressing local strife.

They have one last chance to make a contribution.

Before his departure, Shao Xun summoned the envoy of the Later Cheshi Kingdom for the second time and said, "I wish to recruit three thousand people to settle and cultivate land within your territory. What do you think?"

The envoy looked at the soldiers of the various garrisons who were disbanding in formation, bowed slightly, and said, "Your servant...I will return to the country as soon as possible to report."

"What do you think?" Shao Xun asked.

"This is an old system from the Han Dynasty, and it can also protect our country from the disturbances of bandits. It is excellent."

"You'd better think that way." Shao Xun nodded, then said in an unquestionable tone, "I only want the fertile fields at the foot of the snow-capped mountains. You can keep the dry fields for yourselves."

After speaking, he paused for a moment, then continued, "Stockpile as much grain, equipment, draft animals, and vehicles as possible, and be ready to obey the imperial court's orders at any time."

"Yes." The messenger bowed even lower.

******
After returning to the palace, Shao Xun fell into a state of recuperation, spending most of the winter month in the Taiji Hall and Jiafu Hall.

After the grand court assembly on the first day of the twelfth lunar month, Shao Xun summoned Yuwen Xibaxiong to Jiuhua Terrace, with the Crown Prince in attendance.

"You've been in the Central Plains for quite a few years now, haven't you?" Shao Xun asked.

"I entered the service of the Celestial Dynasty and was bathed in its holy influence. I was fortunate to receive the great favor of His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince, and was able to serve in the Eastern Palace, learn the ways of the sages and observe the rituals of the imperial court. Now—" Yuwen Xibaxiong recalled for a moment and said, "It seems that I have lost track of how many years have passed."

Shao Xun smiled, finding the answer interesting, and then asked, "Do you want to return north? I can grant you a grassland and a retinue."

Yuwen Xiba Xiong was startled.

He wasn't deaf; of course he knew about the internal strife that had been raging among the Yuwen Xianbei for the past year, and he had thought about it a lot. He had even fantasized about the court letting him go back and lead a tribe, but it was just a thought; he never expected it to actually come true.

In a flash, Yuwen Xibaxiong replied, "Your subject dares not utter a single falsehood before the Emperor. Since entering the Celestial Empire, I have been protected by Your Majesty and guided and instructed by His Highness the Crown Prince. I have long regarded the Central Plains as my home and Your Majesty as my sovereign and father. Whenever I think of this, I feel only gratitude. How could I dare to harbor any thoughts of abandonment?"

After saying that, he changed the subject and said, "Your Majesty consults me on the state of the nation and entrusts me with the well-being of the people. This is an immense trust. Although I am foolish, I know that 'righteousness' is more important than 'personal feelings.' This is not a matter of my own life or death, but a plan for the nation and Your Majesty's wise decision. I will obey your command."

Shao Xun neither agreed nor disagreed, only saying, "Some people say it's like raising a hawk; when hungry, it clings to people, and when full, it flies far away. What do you think?"

"I am not an eagle, nor is Your Majesty a eagle-keeper," Yuwen Xiba Xiong replied expressionlessly.

"How so?" Shao Xun asked with great interest.

"The eagle is a bird of prey, its eyes fixed only on blood and food. When hungry, it devours people and feeds them; when full, it soars into the clouds—this is the nature of beasts," Yuwen Xibaxiong said. "I serve the Emperor as a subject, and the Crown Prince as a henchman. I have learned the ways of sages and virtuous men, and I uphold the principles of loyalty and righteousness between ruler and subject, father and son. What Your Majesty bestows upon me is not flesh and blood, but the weight of the nation, the righteousness between ruler and subject, and the distinction between Chinese and barbarians. A loyal dog, well-fed, only knows to protect its master; a fine steed, well-fed, awaits its saddle. I harbor not even a trace of the ambition of an eagle or falcon; I only wish to be Your Majesty's guard dog."

Shao Xun grunted and looked at the Crown Prince, saying, "What does my son have to say?"

Yuwen Xiba Xiong was slightly nervous.

Shao Jin glanced at him and said, “Your Majesty, the Yuwen Twelve Tribes are a complex and entangled group with long-standing grievances that are difficult for ordinary people to unravel. Minister Yuwen has long been favored by the Emperor, his mind is clear, and he is ready to serve. Perhaps we can grant him a golden seal and purple ribbon, send him back to the grasslands, and let him guard the northern border for the country.”

Shao Xun hummed in agreement and said, “My son is right. Xiba Xiong, everything you have today is thanks to me and the Crown Prince. Do not forget this. Perhaps my son may bestow a name upon you.”

Shao Jin hadn't expected this turn of events, but he wasn't intimidated. After thinking for a moment, he said, "The Book of Changes says, 'When Heaven and Earth interact, all things communicate; when superiors and inferiors interact, their wills are aligned.' This is the Tai hexagram. How about we name him 'Yuwen Tai'?"

Shao Xun remained silent for a long time.

Shao Jin felt a little uneasy, thinking to herself that her father was still clinging to the old ways of raising eagles.

So he said, “The Rites of Zhou says, ‘To assist the king,’ and Ban Gu praised, ‘To assist the work of Heaven.’ I observe that Yuwen Qing has the bearing of a soaring wind and fluttering feathers, and bestowing the name ‘Yi’ is in line with his ambition to assist the Heavenly Dynasty.”

Shao Xun laughed and said, "That's settled then."

Yuwen Xiba Xiong secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

(End of this chapter)