Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

To the west were Chen An's infantry.

The thousand men were divided into twenty teams and were practicing formations and sword and shield techniques.

Compared to the cavalry's thunderous hooves and overwhelming momentum, the infantry seemed to be struggling.

The formation was sometimes scattered, the shields were held up unevenly, and the force and angle of the horizontal slashes were also unsatisfactory.

Chen An moved between the teams, stopping occasionally to correct their mistakes personally. His expression showed a hint of helplessness, but he was not impatient.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Li Cenji emerged from the shade of the tree and walked towards the center of the training ground.

Zhou Ping, with his sharp eyes, was the first to spot him. He quickly dismounted, trotted over, and clasped his hands in greeting:

"Capital School!"

Li Cenji nodded and said:

"Summon Chen An here as well; I have some questions for you."

Zhou Ping responded and turned to run to call for help.

Before long, Chen An arrived with him.

The old soldier, in his early forties, had beads of sweat on his forehead and dust on his armor, indicating that he had just personally demonstrated the technique.

The two approached Li Cenji and clasped their hands in greeting:

"Capital school."

Li Cenji skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point:

"How is the training progressing? Each of you, please report back."

Zhou Ping and Chen An exchanged a glance.

Zhou Ping spoke first, and immediately said:

"Reporting to the Commander, regarding the cavalry, I dare not say they are perfect, but they are already showing some promise. The five hundred new cavalrymen we recruited already had a background in cavalry, they weren't greenhorns trained from scratch, and with a group of veteran Imperial Guards leading them, after a month of training, their formations, horsemanship, and mounted thrusting have all improved."

He paused, a smug look appearing on his face, and said:

"I am not boasting, but in two more months, I will be able to lead this thousand cavalry out to fight Huang Chao's cavalry head-on, and we will not be at a disadvantage."

Li Cenji nodded, somewhat satisfied, and turned to Chen An:

"What about the infantry?"

Chen An sighed, a troubled look on his face, and said:

"The infantry... are not very satisfactory."

He gestured towards the west side of the training ground and said:

"As you can see, there are 1,500 men, 1,000 of whom are newly recruited defeated soldiers. Their foundation isn't bad; they've all been on the battlefield and seen blood. But precisely because of this, they each have their own habits and ways of doing things. To unify these messy habits into one is no easy task. In addition, they've suffered several major defeats in succession, and now they're probably trembling at the sound of drums or the sight of rebels. What's more, there are 500 good men mixed in with them..."

Zhou Ping interjected:

"Old Chen, just tell me, how long will it take?"

Chen An pondered for a moment, then held up three fingers and said:

"If they want to go out into the field for battle, they will need at least three or four months of training and integration. If they can train for half a year, I am confident that I can train them into an infantry force that can fight tough battles and never retreat."

"Six months?"

Zhou Ping smacked his lips.

"The daylily buds are all cold now."

Chen An glared at him but didn't refute him. He just looked at Li Cenji and waited for him to speak.

Li Cenji remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking:

"Half a year is too long."

Li Cenji's gaze swept over the soldiers sweating profusely on the training ground:

"I don't have six months to give you, and three or four months would be a stretch. Two months, at most two months, and then these two thousand men will have to be deployed to the battlefield."

Upon hearing this, both Chen An and Zhou Ping's expressions changed.

Zhou Ping said anxiously:

"Commander, two months? The cavalry can manage, they can grit their teeth and hold on. But the infantry—"

Chen An also said:

"Commander, it's not that I'm making excuses, but to train these defeated soldiers into infantry capable of fighting in two months, we would have to train them to the point of exhaustion, making one day count as three. But if we did that, I'm afraid some of them wouldn't be able to keep up."

Li Cenji looked at him and said:

"They have to persevere, even if they can't! Every drop of sweat they shed now will save them from bleeding later. They'll understand this sooner or later."

Zhou Ping scratched his head and couldn't help but ask:

"Commander, what happened? Why the sudden rush?"

Li Cenji glanced at him.

He couldn't repeat Zheng Tian's words from last night exactly as they were said.

Those thoughts about the military governors, the hidden worries about Zheng Tian's health, and his own precarious situation in Fengxiang City.

These matters could only remain buried in his own mind, so he could only use the war as a pretext. According to the historical timeline in Li Cenji's memory, the war with Huang Chao was indeed just two months away.

He said calmly:

"A premonition."

"A premonition?"

Zhou Ping's eyes widened.

"Yes, I had a feeling."

Li Cenji remained expressionless.

"I have a feeling that this battle is not far off. Huang Chao has occupied Chang'an for nearly two months, and he cannot remain inactive indefinitely. The imperial army is gathering in Guanzhong to defend the emperor, and once the troops are all assembled, a major battle will ensue. If our troops are not yet trained by then, they will be sent to their deaths on the battlefield."

Zhou Ping and Chen An looked at each other in bewilderment.

This sounds like a perfunctory remark, but upon closer examination, it does make some sense.

A major battle between Huang Chao and the imperial court was inevitable; this was something everyone could see clearly.

As for when this great battle will take place, no one can say for sure.

It's always better to prepare early than to cram at the last minute.

Chen An pondered for a moment, gritted his teeth, and said:

"Since the Commander has said so, I'll go all out. Two months it is. But—"

He raised his head, looking at Li Cenji with a solemn expression:

"Commander, if you're going to train like this, injuries are inevitable. What should we do if someone gets hurt?"

Li Cenji said:

"If you're injured, treat it. I'll go find Wang Sima and ask him for more medicine for bruises and sprains."

Zhou Ping then said:

"There's another issue. The soldiers' stamina isn't keeping up with the intense training. Right now, the army is eating two meals a day, which is enough to fill them up, but it's probably not enough to sustain such a high level of exertion."

Li Cenji said:

"I've thought of that too. From today onwards, the army will have three meals a day, with an additional supplementary meal at noon. The dishes will be more oily, and the meat will be doubled."

Zhou Ping's eyes lit up, and he grinned:

"Commander, are you going to bleed a lot of money?"

Li Cenji glanced at him and said:

"What blood? It's not like I'm paying out of my own pocket. Wang Sima is in charge of Fengxiang's treasury, I'll just go and ask him for it myself."

Seeing that the two men's expressions relaxed, Li Cenji continued:

"Both cavalry and infantry must train extra, an extra hour each day. Horse archery, swordsmanship, shield fighting, formations, and tactics—nothing can be neglected. Chen An, among your soldiers, whichever squad trains well will be rewarded; whichever squad slacks off will be punished. The punishment isn't a beating, it's extra training. Train until they don't even have the strength to complain anymore."

Chen An clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general obeys the order."

Zhou Ping also said, "You can rest assured about the cavalry."

Li Cenji nodded, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers sweating profusely on the training ground, and the anxiety in his heart gradually subsided.

He's the kind of person who acts on his impulses.

After returning from the drill ground, he removed his armor and strode out of the camp gate, heading straight towards the inner city.

Wang Chu's military headquarters was located within the inner city, next to the Fengxiang government office, and consisted of a two-courtyard complex.

The front room served as the office, while the back room served as the living quarters. Although it couldn't compare to the grandeur of the Marshal's Mansion, it was still neatly arranged.

When Li Cenji arrived at the gate, he asked the gatekeeper to announce his arrival.

The clerk recognized him as Zheng Gong's newly accepted disciple and newly promoted commander of the cavalry, so he dared not neglect him and rushed in to report.

Before long, Wang Chu came out from the hall to greet them.

Today he was wearing a worn-out blue robe and only had a bamboo hairpin in his hair, indicating that he was handling official business in the office.

Upon seeing Li Cenji, a hint of surprise appeared on his face. He cupped his hands and smiled, saying:

"Jingzhi, instead of training troops in the camp, what brings you here to this old man?"

Li Cenji quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said:

"Uncle, I have come here without permission because I have a difficult problem that I have to ask you for help."

When Wang Chu heard him address him as "uncle" and refer to himself as "nephew," he was slightly taken aback.

At yesterday's apprenticeship banquet, he did say that "you are like my nephew," but that was just a polite remark made in the midst of the revelry.

Li Cenji had actually taken advantage of the situation today, leaving him somewhat amused and exasperated.

However, one shouldn't hit a smiling face, especially since Li Cenji was indeed Zheng Gong's disciple, and the two had a good relationship. Calling him "uncle" wouldn't be too much of a stretch.

Wang Chu smiled and shook his head, saying:

"Alright, alright, since you've called me uncle, I can't very well send you away. Come in and sit down."

The two entered the main hall and took their seats as host and guest.

An official served tea, and Wang Chu picked up the teacup, took a sip, and looked at Li Cenji, saying:

"Speak, what is it?"

Li Cenji didn't mince words and explained in detail the need to strengthen military training, the soldiers' physical exhaustion, and the need to increase meat and medicine for wounds.

Finally, he added:

"I know this is against the rules. The treasury has a fixed amount of money, grain, and supplies, and each camp and village has its share. My request for extra money is really putting you in a difficult position, Uncle. But I have no other choice but to swallow my pride and ask you for help."

Upon hearing this, Wang Chu frowned.

He placed the teacup back on the table, pondered for a moment, and slowly spoke:

"Jingzhi, it's not that I don't want to help you. You just said that the grain reserves in the treasury are fixed, and each camp and village has its own quota. Although I am in charge of the allocation of money and grain, I cannot do as I please. The daily rations, meat, and vegetables for your two thousand men are already allocated according to the highest quota for cavalry, which is much more generous than other camps. Now you want more meat and more medicine for wounded soldiers, which is tantamount to taking food from other camps. If word gets out and the garrison commanders find out, how will I explain it? How will Lord Zheng explain it?"

He paused, then said:

"Besides, your soldiers number only two thousand, and even if you include the five hundred newly recruited 'Swift Thunder Generals,' it's only two thousand five hundred. But the two towns of Fengxiang and Longyou, along with the reinforcements that have been gathering to support the emperor, total fifty to sixty thousand men. If everyone were like you, training so hard that they need extra flesh and asking for medicine whenever they get injured, even if the treasury were a mountain of gold and silver, it wouldn't be able to withstand such spending."

Li Cenji found his words reasonable, but he also understood that Wang Chu's words were half true and half an excuse.

He knew the treasury's resources; the two towns of Fengxiang and Longyou had accumulated a considerable fortune over many years.

Although it is necessary to supply tens of thousands of soldiers, this amount of meat and medicine is just a drop in the ocean.

What truly troubled Wang Chu was that this matter was against the rules. If he opened this door, others might follow suit, which would make his position as the military commander difficult.

Li Cenji wasn't in a hurry to argue. He simply stood up, walked to Wang Chu, bowed deeply again, and said:

"What you say, Uncle, is absolutely right. How could I dare to put you in such a difficult position? But please forgive me, Uncle, my cavalry is weak and lacks a solid foundation. Those newly recruited defeated soldiers, though they have seen battle before, have lost their courage and are now only holding on with their fierce determination. If we don't train them, they will be sent to their deaths on the battlefield. I'm not asking for this for myself, but for those two thousand lives."

As he said this, he raised his head, looked at Wang Chu, and his eyes even reddened slightly:

"Uncle, I have no relatives or friends in Fengxiang City. Although Master Zheng is my mentor, he is extremely busy and has just recovered from a serious illness. I dare not trouble him with everything. After much thought, I realize that the only one I can rely on is you, Uncle. At the apprenticeship banquet last night, you told Registrar Sun that I was like a nephew to you two. I have taken the liberty of truly considering you as an elder in my family. If family members are in trouble, who else can they turn to but themselves?"

These words were spoken with such sincerity that Wang Chu's expression shifted repeatedly upon hearing them.

He picked up the teacup, then put it down; put it down, then picked it up again.

After repeating this process two or three times, he finally let out a long sigh.

"Never mind, never mind."

Wang Chu waved his hand, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness and indulgence.

"Since you've put it this way, it would seem unreasonable of me not to agree."

Li Cenji was overjoyed and quickly bowed again, saying:

"Thank you, Uncle!"

Wang Chu raised his hand to stop him, and said seriously:

"Don't thank me yet! Although I agreed, I can't do it openly. Here's what I'll do: starting tomorrow, I'll allocate a batch of dried pork and mutton from the treasury for you, without recording it in your accounts. I'll also allocate an extra 20% of the rations to your camp each day, as 'losses'. As for the medicine, I'll transfer a batch from the treasury for you, just saying you bought it from somewhere else. Send someone to pick it up quietly, and don't let it get out."

Upon hearing this, Li Cenji was overjoyed.

He immediately knelt down and was about to kowtow.

Wang Chu quickly reached out to support him, and said reproachfully:

"What are you doing? Get up, get up. I'm helping you because of your concern for the soldiers, not because I want your heads. If you really want to thank me, train those two thousand men to be decent, and cut off a few more enemy heads on the battlefield. That will be your way of repaying me."

Li Cenji stood up and said seriously:

"Uncle, rest assured, I will certainly live up to your expectations."

Wang Chu nodded and gave a few more instructions, nothing more than that this matter was confidential and should not be publicized.

Li Cenji agreed to everything before taking his leave.

Once outside the Sima Mansion, Li Cenji's steps became much lighter.

With meat and medicine secured, the next two months would be dedicated to grueling training without any further worries.

He was pondering how to adjust the training procedures after returning to camp when a soldier from the Imperial Guard came running up to him, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

"Commander, a guest has arrived at the camp. He says that General Li and Lieutenant Li have been waiting in the camp for almost half an hour."

Upon hearing this, Li Cenji paused in his tracks.

In Fengxiang, only those two brothers could be addressed in such a way.

Li Changyan, Li Changfu.

What brings these two brothers to our door so suddenly?