Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

Li Cenji nodded and said:

"All twenty-one of your brothers can ride horses?"

Shi Chong was kind and honest.

"They are all cavalrymen, skilled in horsemanship, archery, and mounted combat."

Li Cenji then asked:

"You just said you're the team leader? How many men did you originally have under your command?"

Shi Chong was kind and honest.

"Originally there were fifty people. Most of them died or were lost when Guan Po broke through the encirclement that day, and now only twenty-one people remain."

Li Cenji then had Shi Chonghou's soldiers mount their horses one by one for practice. While they weren't exactly skilled in archery and horsemanship, they all had some basic cavalry experience. He then said:

"Very well. I will take your entire group. You will continue to lead them and temporarily serve as the brigade commander. You will be formally promoted after you have rendered meritorious service."

Upon hearing this, a hint of relaxation finally flashed in Shi Chonghou's eyes, which were made even more fierce by the scars.

Ignoring the weight of his armor, he knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

"Thank you, Commander!"

Li Cenji waved his hand and said:

"No need to thank me. I use you because you can protect your brothers. A man who can protect his brothers is worthy of my use. Get up and bring your men here."

Shi Chong responded emphatically, stood up, and led the twenty-one men to stand on the left side of the earthen platform.

Although these people all looked pale and were dressed in rags, they still retained some of the tough and valiant spirit honed in the military.

They lined up in two rows behind Shi Chonghou. Although no one gave them any commands, they straightened their backs and looked much more energetic than when they were sitting scattered on the ground.

With Shi Chonghou taking the lead, the more capable soldiers among the defeated troops also became bolder.

One by one, fifty or sixty people stepped forward. Some claimed to be cavalrymen from Binning Town, some said they were cavalrymen from the Jinshang Road, and a few were imperial guards archers who had escaped from Chang'an.

Li Cenji had Chen An and Zhou Ping examine each person, testing their horsemanship and archery skills. They weeded out most of the unqualified individuals and accepted the rest.

After seven or eight days of this process, more defeated soldiers were brought in one after another, and the surrounding military camps were set up, gathering nearly five thousand people.

Li Cenji selected more than four hundred men from this group of defeated soldiers.

While they couldn't be said to all have cavalry experience, at least everyone could ride a horse and urge it to go a few steps, which already meant they were carefully selected.

Adding Shi Chonghou's twenty-one men and Zhang Yansi's brigade of garrison soldiers, they barely made up the total of five hundred.

That was the skeleton of his army.

In the following days, Li Cenji entrusted the selection of infantrymen entirely to Chen An.

This veteran brigade commander, in his early forties, has served in the military for over twenty years. What kind of soldiers hasn't he seen?

Li Cenji had complete peace of mind entrusting this matter to him.

Early that morning, before dawn, Chen An led his brigade to the old training ground where the defeated soldiers were being housed.

The old training ground still reeks of a sour, musty smell.

The defeated soldiers sat scattered in twos and threes, some still fast asleep, others already awake, their eyes glazed over as they stared blankly at the first hint of dawn on the horizon.

Chen An stood on the earthen platform, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic crowd below.

He recalled what Li Cenji had said to him yesterday.

"Chen An, I'm leaving the selection of the infantry entirely to you. I have only one request: don't choose those slick, blustering old soldiers."

Chen An was somewhat puzzled at the time and asked:

"Commander, these veterans may be a bit cunning, but they've been in the military for many years, have rich battlefield experience, and are capable of fighting on the edge. Wouldn't it be a waste to reject them all?"

Li Cenji shook his head and said:

"You don't understand. These old soldiers may have some experience and fighting ability, but their backbone has been broken by Huang Chao's rebel army."

He paused, his voice turning somber:

"Think about it, Tongguan is a natural fortress, a place where one man can hold off ten thousand. Did they manage to defend it? No. They fled without even fighting a single battle, fleeing again and again, from Tongguan to Chang'an, and from Chang'an to Fengxiang. People like that have lost their courage and fighting spirit. They're fine as part of the army to make up the numbers and to fight when things are going well, but once the battle suffers a slight setback, they'll abandon their armor and weapons and be driven back to attack their own lines."

Upon hearing this, Chen An remained silent for a moment, then pondered it carefully and was suddenly startled.

He recalled all the defeats he had witnessed during his more than twenty years in the army, and how many of them had not been like this?

Once the formation faltered, those veteran soldiers ran faster than anyone else. Instead of helping to stabilize the situation, they pushed and shoved their comrades in front of them, causing them to flee in disarray and turning the previously manageable situation into a complete mess.

Li Cenji then said:

"Therefore, don't choose those slippery, blustering but cowardly ones. You'd better choose those able-bodied soldiers whose homes are in Guanzhong and whose hometowns have fallen to Huang Chao. Such soldiers have hatred in their hearts and a desire to go home. Their fields have been occupied, their houses have been burned down, and they don't know if their parents, wives, and children are dead or alive. Give them a bite to eat, give them weapons and armor, and tell them to follow you to fight Huang Chao and recover their homes, and they will fight you to the death. This is the principle behind the saying that a desperate army will surely win."

Upon hearing this, Chen An suddenly understood and couldn't help but clasp his hands in a gesture of flattery:

"Commander, your insight is truly remarkable! I have served in the military for over twenty years, knowing only how to train and fight, but I never imagined that there were so many intricacies involved in selecting soldiers. Your words have truly enlightened me."

Li Cenji waved his hand and smiled:

"You don't need to flatter me. You probably understand these principles, you just haven't thought about them this way. Go, select men according to this method. The infantry is entrusted to you."

Chen An solemnly agreed and left to carry out the order.

Standing on the earthen platform of the old drill ground, looking down at the routed soldiers, he made a plan in his mind.

He could recognize those seasoned veterans at a glance:

Or they lean against the wall, close their eyes and rest, their expressions so calm that it seems they are not in defeat or exile, but rather on a picnic.

They would gather in small groups, chatting and laughing in hushed tones, their eyes occasionally glancing at the earthen platform with a scrutinizing and weighing air, clearly assessing whether the new commander was easy to fool.

Another type is those who huddle in corners, their faces ashen, their eyes vacant.

These men were not necessarily seasoned veterans, but they had been terrified by Huang Chao's army and had not yet recovered from the shadow of the fall of Chang'an and the flight of their commander.

Chen An shook his head inwardly.

He cleared his throat and, without saying a word, shouted:

"I am Chen An, Commander of the Left Wing of the Fengxiang Cavalry. I have come here to select soldiers on the orders of Minister Zheng and Commander Li. Anyone under the age of thirty, whose family is from Guanzhong, and whose family's land has been seized by Huang Chao's bandits, step forward! Assemble on the left side of the earthen platform!"

These words caused a stir among the people below.

The defeated soldiers looked at each other, wondering why this dark-faced general had specifically chosen those whose "home was in Guanzhong".

Some people began to whisper among themselves, while many others stood up, dusted off their robes, and walked toward the left side of the earthen platform.

Most of these people had a somewhat wooden expression on their faces, but their eyes were quite different from those of others; they held a suppressed hatred that could burst forth at any moment.

It's like charcoal covered in ash, unremarkable on the surface, but burning red-hot inside.

Chen An looked at these people and nodded to himself.

The principal is right.

These people's hometowns and families fell into Huang Chao's hands; their roots were uprooted, and their hopes were dashed.

Such people, if given a direction, will pounce on it like hungry wolves, fighting to the death.

He had several of his brigade commanders register the names, hometowns, and ages of these people one by one, and then tested their strength and courage.

Those who were timid and hesitant to step forward were screened out.

Those who were weak, pale and thin, and obviously sickly were also screened out.

After several days of this selection process, a total of over 800 people were chosen.

Although these men were not as skilled in battle as the veterans, they had the advantage of youth, the hatred in their hearts, and the spirit that had not been worn down by defeat.

Chen An was very satisfied with this.

He organized these eight hundred men into two battalions and temporarily housed them in a newly vacated barracks east of Luocheng. He also ordered that they be provided with armor and weapons, which, although not as fine as those of Li Cenji's cavalry, were sufficient.

As for food and provisions, Wang Chu had already prepared them and distributed them according to the number of people. Although they were not plentiful, no one went hungry.

While Chen An was busy training his infantry, Li Cenji was also not idle.

After entrusting the recruitment and training of infantry to Chen An, he devoted himself entirely to the training of cavalry.

At the same time, the warhorses that Wang Chu had promised were gradually delivered.

These horses were selected from the military horses of the Longyou pasture. Although they could not compare to the fat and strong horses of the Imperial Guard, they were still warhorses that had been carefully fed and trained.

With its robust frame and excellent stamina, it could easily carry a fully armed cavalryman into battle.

Armor and weapons were also pulled down.

As expected, Wang Chu kept his word and allocated the best quality goods from the treasury to Li Cenji.

Lamellar armor, lances, swords, bows, and shields—all were piled up in the barracks storeroom, gleaming and emitting the metallic odor of freshly quenched iron.

Li Cenji distributed the equipment one by one, and then ordered Zhou Ping, the cavalry commander, to mix the new and old soldiers.

Veteran soldiers of the Imperial Guard led the garrison troops, and the garrison troops led the defeated soldiers, passing on their skills and knowledge layer by layer.

He would get up before dawn every day and personally go to the training ground to oversee the drills.

Practice queuing first.

Cavalry training doesn't usually need to be so meticulous, but Li Cenji insisted on being extremely strict.

In his words:

"A cavalryman is still an army, and an army must have strict rules and regulations. If they can't even stand in orderly ranks, how can they be expected to advance at the sound of the drum and halt at the sound of the gong on the battlefield?"

Practice riding horses again.

This task didn't require much of his attention. Those veteran cavalrymen were all raised on horseback, and they could control their warhorses to perform various maneuvers simply by squeezing their legs against the horse's belly.

Li Cenji then had them teach the new recruits who were not yet proficient in riding one-on-one, starting with the most basic things like mounting and dismounting, controlling the reins, and then progressing to trotting, galloping, sudden stops, and turning, practicing each skill one by one.

Then came mounted combat and archery.

This was the most dangerous case, and also the one that truly revealed the truth.

In cavalry clashes, victory or defeat often hinges on a single exchange.

Whether you can thrust with a spear accurately, slash with a sword with force, and maintain your balance and exert all your strength on a galloping horse—these skills can only be honed on horseback.

Li Cenji ordered his men to erect a row of wooden stakes about the thickness of water buckets on the edge of the training ground, and had the cavalrymen take turns charging at them, using the shafts of their spears (without the tips) to stab the stakes.

At first, hitting two or three out of ten times was considered good. As you practiced, you gradually hit five or six out of ten, and then seven or eight out of ten.

Foot combat, archery, and sword and shield fighting—none of them can be neglected.

Li Cenji himself was also busy.

He drilled with his soldiers every day, practiced martial arts with them, and endured the jolting on horseback until his thighs ached.

He didn't go back to his tent when he ate; instead, he squatted with his soldiers, holding rough earthenware bowls, and munching on steamed buns with pickled vegetables.

At night, he would summon Chen An, Zhou Ping, Xu Tai and others to discuss matters, point out the problems exposed during the day's drills, and discuss ways to improve them.

More than half a month passed, and it was January of the first year of Zhonghe. Everyone's Spring Festival was quietly spent in continuous drills, and there was no New Year atmosphere at all in Fengxiang.

Once a thousand infantrymen were gathered, they began training, and have now been training for ten days.

As for the newly recruited five hundred cavalrymen, they were led by veterans of the Imperial Guard. Although they could not yet be considered true cavalrymen, they already showed some semblance of obedience to orders.

At least when lining up on the drill ground, it was no longer a chaotic mess, and when they heard the drums or saw the command flags, they knew which direction to move in.

-----------------

Meanwhile, Zheng Tian sent his secret memorial to Shu by a trusted servant who disguised himself and took the letter with him, traveling day and night along a secluded path.

Finally, in the first month of the lunar calendar, Yu Xingyuan Prefecture caught up with the emperor's carriage.

Xingyuan Prefecture was the seat of Shannan West Circuit, and was formerly known as Hanzhong.

This place is bordered by the Qinling Mountains to the north and the Bashan Mountains to the south, with the Han River flowing through it. It has always been a vital passage connecting Guanzhong and Bashu.

Emperor Xizong's carriage was temporarily stationed in the temporary palace within the city.

It was called an imperial palace, but it was just a mansion that had been requisitioned from the richest man in the city. It was then painted and renovated overnight, and it was barely habitable.

Compared to the magnificent and ornate Daming Palace in Chang'an, this place is like a chicken coop.

However, when the emperor went on a western hunt, it was already a blessing to have a place to shelter from the wind and rain. Who would dare to complain about such things?

On this day, Emperor Xizong Li Xuan was leaning back on a soft couch in a side hall of the imperial palace, idly playing with a hollowed-out silver incense ball.

He was just over twenty years old, with fair and handsome features, but his face was excessively pale and his eyes were slightly dark, indicating that he had been traveling a long and tiring journey and his body was not able to hold on.

Ever since he left Chang'an, he has become the veritable "Polo Emperor".

The only difference is that they used to play polo on the palace field, but now they are riding horses on the road to escape.

For more than half a month, I was constantly on the bumpy road in Sichuan, unable to eat or sleep well, and with few useful people around me, I was truly feeling very frustrated.

Otherwise, why would he be willing to rest and recuperate in Xingyuan for a few days?

They would probably have to continue their southward flight to Chengdu to escape the ravages of war much sooner or later.