Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

Zhou Ping is alright; Ma Jun has a good foundation, so a little more training won't hurt.

Chen An secretly groaned. His infantrymen were already clumsy and unsteady, and with this extra training, they would probably suffer even more.

But Li Cenji's next words stunned both of them.

"Today I will train with you. In the morning I will train with the cavalry, and in the afternoon I will train with the infantry. Whatever the soldiers train, I will train with."

Chen An opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but was stopped by a look from Li Cenji.

The drumming stopped.

The soldiers, led by their respective squad leaders, lined up in formation on the training ground.

The torchlight illuminated sleepy faces; some were secretly yawning, while others were quietly stretching their limbs while adjusting their armor.

As soon as the morning breeze blew, some people shrank their necks and pulled their hands even further into their sleeves.

Li Cenji's gaze swept across these faces, taking in all their weariness, exhaustion, and reluctance.

He didn't spout any long-winded theories.

Those morale-boosting words had been repeated countless times by Chen An and Zhou Ping during previous drills.

What he needs to do today is not to repeat himself, but to show them.

"Ma Jun mounts his horse."

He only said those four words.

The sound wasn't loud, but it steadily suppressed the howling of the morning wind, clearly reaching everyone's ears.

Zhou Ping was the first to mount his horse.

Five hundred veteran Imperial Guards followed closely behind, their movements perfectly synchronized.

The five hundred new riders also mounted their horses one after another. Although they were not as well-organized as the veterans, they were already showing some promise...

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

In the days that followed, the intensity of the drills increased day by day.

Just as he had said that day, Li Cenji spent every morning with the cavalry and every afternoon with the infantry, spending the whole day on the drill ground.

The undergarment beneath the bright armor was wet and dried repeatedly, forming a layer of white salt frost.

Some people even made bets about it in private.

Initially, a few veteran soldiers of the Imperial Guards were resting and getting bored. One of them whispered:

"Commander Du has been crawling and fighting with us every day, and I think his legs are practically not his own anymore. How many more days do you think he can last?"

These words immediately sparked great interest.

"I bet ten days! In the past few months in Fengxiang, the commanders have had their share of training, but nothing compares to the intensity of this! These are members of the imperial clan, with their delicate skin; how can they withstand this kind of torment?"

"Fifteen days! If it's less than one day, I'll owe you ten coins!"

Somehow, word of the betting game reached Zhou Ping's ears.

Instead of stopping him, the cavalry commander chuckled and pulled out twenty coins from his sleeve, placing them on the bet that "the commander can hold out until the end of the month."

Upon learning this, Chen An simply shook his head and did not participate.

But he privately told Zhou Ping:

"I bet the school won't miss a single day."

Zhou Ping asked him why he didn't place a bet, and Chen An simply said:

"I won't gamble with the capital's headquarters."

These things did reach Li Cenji's ears, after all, there was a big mouth in the camp, Xu Tai, who was so sharp-tongued, how could he let go of this opportunity to jump around in front of Li Cenji?

Li Cenji was not angry, he just glanced at him and said:

"What's there to be angry about? The training is boring and tedious. It's good to have something to distract these guys."

Xu Tai stopped teasing and scratched his head, seemingly understanding but not quite.

Li Cenji then said:

"Go and bet fifty coins for me. Bet that I can hold on."

Xu Tai's eyes widened.

Li Cenji had already driven the person out.

When the news reached the drill ground, the soldiers were in an uproar, followed by bursts of laughter.

The gambling became increasingly popular, with everyone placing bets.

Some were detained for five days, some for ten days, and some for fifteen days.

Few people bet on "keep going," because no one believed that this young military officer from the royal family could really endure the same hardships as them, the common folk.

However, five days passed, ten days passed, fifteen days passed, and a month passed.

Li Cenji still appeared on the training ground every day.

They spent the mornings bouncing on horseback and the afternoons crawling through the dust, never missing a day.

Those who participated in the gambling game dejectedly handed over their copper coins.

Li Cenji, who bet fifty coins, made a fortune, earning a full two strings of cash.

He didn't take the money; instead, he had people take it to the city to buy raw meat for the soldiers' extra meal.

What truly changed the soldiers' minds was the daily lunch with added oil and fat.

Every day at noon, those large pots would be carried into the drill ground on time.

As soon as the pot lid was lifted, the aroma of meat filled the air.

Sometimes it's mutton soup poured over millet rice, sometimes it's steamed bread soaked in a thick broth made from pork bones, and sometimes it's chicken eggs stir-fried with wild rice, all glistening with oil, making your mouth water at just a glance.

Following Li Cenji's instructions, Chen An would shout at the top of his lungs every time it was time to eat:

"Brothers! This meat was added to your meals by Commander Li himself, using the Emperor's reward! He said that you brothers have trained hard and shouldn't go hungry!"

In the first few times, the soldiers just buried themselves in eating and didn't think about anything else.

But as time went on, hearing these words every time we ate a meal made the experience feel different.

One afternoon, during a break in training, several veterans squatted under an old locust tree by the drill ground to rest.

One of the veterans, with a white beard, was surnamed Zhang and was the third in his family. Everyone in the camp called him Zhang Laosan (Old Zhang the Third).

Old Zhang, holding a rough earthenware bowl, took large gulps of warm water and suddenly spoke:

"What do you think is the point of going to school?"

Several soldiers around him looked at him.

Old Zhang counted on his fingers:

"He is a member of the imperial family, a great-great-grandson of the Emperor Gaozu. Even if he does nothing and just rests on his ancestors' laurels, he will never have to worry about food or clothing in this life. He is a disciple of Minister Zheng, so even if he sits in the military governor's mansion enjoying a life of leisure, who can say a word against him? He is now the commander of the cavalry, a fourth-rank official, which is more valuable than us peasants all tied together."

He paused, his cloudy old eyes sweeping over the crowd:

"But he eats the same food as us, does the same exercises, and sweats the same sweat. Tell me, what does he get out of it?"

Everyone fell silent.

After a long while, a young soldier muttered in a low voice:

"Perhaps...perhaps the commander-in-chief simply wants to train a capable army?"

Zhang Laosan glanced at him, but didn't reply. He just lowered his head, staring at the half-eaten bowl of tea, and murmured:

"I've been in the army for twenty years. What kind of officers haven't I seen? There are those who embezzle soldiers' pay, those who bleed their soldiers dry, and those who only know how to hide in their tents drinking and making merry. I thought that generals who eat and live with their soldiers only existed in novels, but I never thought I would actually meet one today."

He downed the cold tea in one gulp, stood up, and patted the dirt off his backside.

"Putting everything else aside, just for this meal, and for the fact that Commander Zhang sweated alongside us, I, Zhang Laosan, would sell my life to Commander Zhang."

These words were spoken so casually, as if they were simply saying that the weather was nice today.

But the soldiers around him all nodded in agreement.

Li Changfu sat not far away and heard every word of these words.

He didn't lean in to speak.

He just kept his head down, staring at the newly formed calluses on his palms.

Over the years, the calluses on his palms have grown from nothing to thick, and now they are no different from those of the old soldiers.

He gradually integrated into this new army.

He was parachuted in as a brigade commander, and it was rumored that he was the younger brother of Li Changyan, the Left Wing Army Commander. Naturally, he was somewhat estranged from these soldiers who were a mixed force of imperial guards and defeated troops.

But ever since that day of training, Chen An's bamboo pole struck him just as hard as anyone else's, so no one regarded him as "Li Zhenjiang's younger brother".

After the night's training, a dozen or so brigade commanders and captains would gather together for drinks, and they would invite him along.

Xu Tai, that reckless fellow, had no self-control when he drank with him for the first time and patted him on the shoulder, saying:

"Commander Li, I originally thought you were here to gain experience, but I didn't expect you to be such a hard worker."

Li Changfu was not angry at the time, he simply raised his bowl and clinked it against his, then tilted his head back and drank it all.

Now, listening to the soldiers in the barracks praising Li Cenji to the skies, they were saying he was the best in the world.

He suddenly remembered the day he came to seek refuge with Li Cenji. Although his elder brother did not say it outright, his eyes clearly showed a hint of disapproval.

In his elder brother's eyes, Li Cenji was just a lucky member of the imperial family who got his position by relying on Zheng Tian's support. He was decisive and bold, but ultimately he was not worthy of respect.

But his elder brother didn't see how Li Cenji fought alongside his soldiers every day.

I didn't see the soldiers' expressions when they talked about the commander, which were completely different from when they talked about other generals.

Li Changfu clenched his fist, then slowly loosened it.

The calluses on my palms gleamed a pale yellow in the sunlight.

And so the days passed by.

The dust on the drill ground was soaked with sweat, then dried in the sun, and then soaked again.

The soldiers' complaints gradually decreased, not because they weren't tired, but because they had gotten used to the fatigue and were too lazy to complain anymore.

Moreover, whenever the lunch break was served, the resentment in everyone's hearts would dissipate along with the aroma of the meat.

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

In mid-February, the snow in Qishan had not yet melted, but the atmosphere in Fengxiang City was already quite different from that of the dead of winter.

After the apprenticeship banquet, those military governors rarely moved from their camp.

On this day, the hitching posts in front of the General's Mansion were already full, and warhorses of all colors snorted and pawed impatiently at the bluestone ground.

The guards, attendants, and yamen runners whispered among themselves outside the mansion gate. Some squatted against the wall eating dry biscuits, while others gathered in twos and threes to discuss things in hushed tones.

These days, more and more troops are gathering in Fengxiang City, and supplies and provisions are constantly flowing in and out. Even ordinary people who don't understand military affairs can sense that a major battle is imminent.

Li Cenji, accompanied by Xu Tai and several personal guards, rode his horse to the gate of the mansion and dismounted.

He was not wearing armor today, but only a dark blue round-necked robe, with a leather belt around his waist and a horizontal sword hanging from it.

Others are not allowed to bring weapons into the mansion, but since he is still responsible for guarding the mansion, he can bring a knife directly into the mansion.

Over the past two months, he has been working alongside his soldiers every day, and he has become even darker and stronger, with slightly protruding cheekbones and a more defined jawline.

Those eyes were brighter than before, with a sharp edge beneath their calm.

Xu Tai tossed the reins to a servant who came to greet him, then whispered in Li Cenji's ear:

"Commander, judging from today's situation, it seems they're about to get serious."

Li Cenji nodded slightly but did not answer. He straightened his robes and walked towards the mansion.

He had been to the main hall of the Marshal's Mansion many times, but he had never seen such a sight before.

Most of the original chairs and tables in the hall had been removed and replaced with two rows of long mats.

The seat at the head of the table was occupied by the military governors and regional military commissioners of the various circuits west of the capital, all of whom were old acquaintances whom I had met before.

Below them were the military commanders, officers, and yamen runners brought by various towns, all with solemn expressions.

The officers and soldiers of Fengxiang Longyou Town were instead pushed to the back.

Li Changyan, Zhao Buying, and Wang Lu, several military commanders, sat in the front positions, followed by civil officials such as Sun Chu and Wang Chu, as well as more than a dozen regional commanders and generals.

Li Cenji was seated first among the commanders, and right next to him was a commander of the infantry from Longyou Town, surnamed Ma, named Huaisu, an old general in his fifties.

The old commander had his white beard braided into several small braids, which he said he learned when he was young and fighting against the Tibetans in Hexi.

Although the hall was full of people, not a single person spoke.

Everyone was looking at the head of the table.

Zheng Tian was wearing a purple official robe today, with a gold fish pouch tied around his waist and a Jinxian hat on his head.

He sat upright in the main seat, with a map spread out on the table in front of him, its four corners weighed down by paperweights.

Compared to the apprenticeship banquet, his complexion was a little rosier, and his cheekbones were not as prominent as they were then, but there seemed to be a few more strands of white hair at his temples.

To his left stood a junior officer, holding a stack of documents.

On the right is a cup of tea. The emerald green tea in the celadon cup has lost its heat, indicating that it has been sitting untouched for a long time.

Zheng Tian's gaze slowly swept across the hall.

Cheng Zongchu, Tang Hongfu, Qiu Gongyu, Li Xiaochang, Tuoba Sigong, the military commanders and officers brought by various towns, and then the officers and soldiers of Fengxiang Longyou Town.

His gaze swept over each face, finally settling on one of the last seats.

Li Cenji was sitting there.

The young man had become darker and stronger, and the fair and delicate features of his former royal son had completely disappeared.

But with his bone structure there, high brow bones and a straight nose, even if he got tanned and muscular, he couldn't hide his innate handsomeness.

It's like a precious sword that was originally inlaid with gold and jade, but now its ostentation has been worn away, revealing the original sharpness of the refined iron.

He sat upright at the end of the table, his posture as straight as a pine tree, standing out conspicuously among the generals and officers, some mature and prudent, others with fierce faces.

A hint of approval flashed in Zheng Tian's eyes.

He didn't rush to speak, but instead raised his right hand and beckoned to Li Cenji.

"Jingzhi, stand here."

The shout, neither too loud nor too soft, startled everyone in the hall.

Li Cenji was also slightly taken aback.

His seat today is among the commanders, and according to the rules, he should only obey orders in this situation, so there is no reason for him to step forward.

But since Zheng Tian had spoken, how could he dare to be negligent, and how could he possibly be negligent?

He immediately stood up, straightened his robes, walked through the aisle between the two rows of long tables, and headed towards the head of the table.

As if drawn by a string, everyone's gaze followed his retreating figure.