Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

Upon hearing this, Li Cenji stopped holding the steamed bun in mid-air and looked up to ask:

"What time is it now?"

"Just past the hour of You (5-7 PM)."

Old Fireman's Army,

"You slept for a whole day and night; today is the eighth day of the month."

Li Cenji was stunned for a moment.

He remembered that it was the seventh day of the third month when he lined up on the high hill of Longweibei, and it was also the seventh day when he charged into the enemy lines and killed Shang Rang. Now, he woke up to find that it was already the evening of the eighth day.

So, he hadn't eaten a single grain of rice from the morning of the seventh day to the evening of the eighth, and he slept all day, no wonder his stomach was so empty.

He shook his head, stuffed the remaining half of the steamed bun into his mouth, chewed slowly, and a thought suddenly popped into his mind.

Only after fighting this battle did he truly understand why those heroes who could "fight for three hundred rounds" only existed in fictional stories.

How much effort would it take for people like them to fight a war?

For example, him:

From his struggle with Shi Meng on the high hill of Longweipo, to his three charges to assassinate Shang Rang, and finally to his joining forces with Cheng Zongchu to wipe out the remaining enemies, he fought no less than ten battles in one day, each one a real life-or-death struggle.

This is only one day.

If the war drags on for ten days or half a month, or even lasts for years like the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty, can my body really withstand it?

He looked down at himself.

Since transmigrating, he has been training every day. Although his strength has increased day by day and his physique has become much thicker than before, he is still lean and wiry. He has broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and not an ounce of fat on his abdomen.

Such a physique would be extremely attractive in peaceful times, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it "wasp waist and mantis legs." However, it wouldn't withstand the rigors of military campaigns.

People say "the fat can endure hardship," and in the portraits of those famous generals of ancient times, which one didn't have a potbelly?

The portraits of meritorious officials in the Lingyan Pavilion in the past, such as Qin Shubao and Yuchi Jingde, all featured burly men.

Even Guo Linggong during the reigns of Emperor Xuanzong and Emperor Suzong was said to have a belly as big as a drum, and could eat several kilograms of meat in one meal.

Warfare is about physical strength, but even more so about endurance.

Without a few pounds of lard in their stomachs, they wouldn't be able to survive three to five days without food.

Thinking of this, he looked down at his flat stomach, took another bite of the steamed bun, and secretly plotted:

Should I eat more and gain some weight in the future?

In this world, military generals don't care about physique; the bigger the belly, the more imposing they appear.

After a few more battles, I should be like Cheng Zongchu, with a face like a red date and a belly as big as a drum. When I stand in front of the battle, I'll be half a door panel. That would be truly awe-inspiring.

The thought flashed through his mind for a moment, then he couldn't help but chuckle and quickly dismissed it.

Being strong is only temporary, but being handsome is for a lifetime.

Although he wasn't particularly handsome in his previous life, he had been influenced by the aesthetics of later generations and was averse to things like "beer bellies" and "pot bellies."

Even if I were to travel back to the late Tang Dynasty now, I cannot easily abandon this bottom line.

Moreover, with a large belly, it's inconvenient to mount and dismount a horse, and the armor would have to be specially made in a wide style, which not only wastes more fabric but is also cumbersome when running.

The ancients said, "A waist circumference of ten spans" was used to describe the imposing stature of a valiant general, not the bloated appearance of a glutton.

Having lived two lives, how could Li Cenji possibly eat himself into a barrel-shaped waist just to endure a few more meals of hunger?

He swallowed the last bite of the steamed bun, picked up the soup bowl and drank the remaining soup in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and stood up.

With my stomach full, my mind started working again. Forget about a potbelly; let's get this battle off the ground first.

Just as he was about to return the bowls and plates to the old cook, he heard hurried footsteps outside the kitchen.

The tent flap was suddenly pulled open from the outside, and a round head poked in—it was Xu Tai.

The brute had changed into a clean set of black clothes today, and a scab had formed on his face from a stray arrow wound. He looked more energetic than yesterday.

Upon seeing Li Cenji, he shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Commander! You're finally awake! I've come three or four times, and every time I lifted the curtain, you were sleeping like a dead man, not even thunder could wake you! Commander Chen even scolded me, telling me not to disturb your rest—"

The old cook was clearing away the dishes when Xu Tai's shout startled him, and he almost dropped the rough pottery bowl in his hand.

The cooks, who were already sprawled out on the floor in the kitchen, were also awakened. Some rubbed their eyes and sat up, while others, still dazed, reached for the fire pokers beside them, thinking that the fire had started.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the person who came was Xu Tai.

A younger cook muttered:

"Commander Xu, your voice is too loud! It scared me so much I thought the rebels had sneaked into the camp."

Xu Tai laughed:

"Rebels? Our colonels have long since terrified the rebels; who would dare to raid our camp?"

Only then did the cooks notice that there was another person standing in front of Xu Tai.

The man was quite tall, with broad shoulders and a wide back. The dim light reflected off his face, which, though covered in dried bloodstains, could not conceal his handsome features.

His bright armor was splattered with dark red bloodstains, and bits of flesh of unknown origin were embedded in the gaps between the armor plates. A strong stench of blood and sweat wafted out.

There was no one else in the entire camp dressed like that.

"It's Commander Li!"

A young cook blurted out.

The group hurriedly turned over and knelt down, offering their greetings in a flurry of voices.

The young cook who had just touched the fire poker saluted, then couldn't help but raise his head, his eyes filled with reverence, and boldly asked:

"Commander, I heard that yesterday you led a hundred cavalrymen into the rebel army's ranks and pierced through the Grand Commandant of the puppet Qi regime with a single spear thrust. Is that true?"

Another cook chimed in:

"Commander, I heard you also beheaded Huang Chao's nephew? And that guy named Shi Meng, I heard he's over eight feet tall and wields a pair of golden maces, how did you manage to subdue him?"

Another person chimed in:

"Commander, is your lance really eighty-eight jin? Isn't that heavier than Guan Yu's Green Dragon Crescent Blade?"

As soon as he said this, a fellow soldier beside him rebuked him:

"Where is it eighty-eight jin? It's clearly one hundred and eight jin! I heard from Ma Jun's brothers that when the commander wields that spear, no one in the rebel army can stop him—"

The kitchen was filled with chatter as the young cooks chattered amongst themselves, like a flock of sparrows that had just seen something new and exciting.

Although these people were menial laborers, most of them came from good families in Guanzhong. They were only assigned to work in the kitchen because they were slightly weaker and less skilled in martial arts.

Having heard so many stories of battles fought by officers on the front lines, I have always longed for the brave warriors who charge into battle.

Now that the protagonist who will slay the enemy general and seize the flag is standing right in front of us, how can we possibly hold back?

Li Cenji was somewhat stunned by the barrage of questions from everyone.

He had been fearless in the battle yesterday, but now, facing several cooks who looked at him with utmost respect, he was at a loss for words.

He opened his mouth, considering how to answer, when Xu Tai strode forward, spread his arms, and pushed the cooks aside, laughing and scolding:

"Get out of here! The Commander has just woken up and hasn't even eaten a few bites of food, and you're already interrogating him! There's plenty of time to talk about these things later. Right now, the Commander has matters to attend to; don't waste time!"

He was clearly familiar with these cooks, and the young cooks didn't get angry when he shoved them; they just laughed and backed away.

The old cook chimed in:

"The captain is right, Commander, you should go quickly. Things over there are urgent. I'll teach those brats a lesson for you later."

Xu Tai stopped arguing with them and pulled Li Cenji by the sleeve to walk outside.

The cooks behind them were still chattering away. One of them glanced at the earthenware pot containing the stewed flatbread and immediately exclaimed in surprise:

"Good heavens! No wonder the Commander can wield a 108-pound spear with such speed! Look—he's eaten this whole pot of stewed flatbread!"

Upon hearing the sound, Li Cenji, who was walking ahead, stumbled and quickly quickened his pace.

Stepping out of the kitchen, the night wind rushed towards me, carrying a hint of spring night chill, but also dispelling the lingering smell of cooking.

Li Cenji finally breathed a sigh of relief. Xu Tai turned around, glanced at him, and smiled:

"Commander, what's wrong with you? You were so brave during the charge yesterday, yet even a few cooks couldn't answer your questions?"

Li Cenji shook his head and said:

"The questions they asked sounded like they were talking about other people. What about Shi Meng, who was over eight feet tall, or someone who pierced the Grand Commandant with a spear... I was only focused on killing my way forward, so I didn't remember them that clearly."

Xu Tai clicked his tongue repeatedly and said:

"The commander may not remember, but I remember it very clearly. When that spear pierced Shang Rang's chest and then lifted him up, I was only ten steps behind you, and blood splattered all over your face."

He patted his cheeks, his face glowing, his eyes shining.

"Commander, you don't know yet, do you? The news spread throughout the camp last night. A hundred riders charged into the enemy lines and killed the enemy commander amidst ten thousand soldiers. Such a thing has not happened in Fengxiang, let alone in the entire Tang Dynasty for many years. The brothers all say that your skill is only slightly inferior to that of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu."

Upon hearing the words "Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu," Li Cenji suddenly recalled how he himself had lamented his inferiority to Xiang Yu on the battlefield the previous day. He couldn't help but chuckle, patted Xu Tai on the shoulder, and said:

"Stop talking nonsense. Xiang Yu was a peerless general throughout history. My meager skills are not even worthy of carrying his shoes. You can say these words to me, but don't spread them around. If others hear them, they'll think I'm just ignorant and arrogant."

Xu Tai chuckled, patted the shoulder where he had been patted, and said:

"Rest assured, Commander, I know what I'm doing. But these words weren't spoken by me first; they were said by Commander Cheng himself yesterday on the battlefield. Commander Cheng said that you are 'the Hegemon-King of Chu and Liu Yu of Song,' and this saying has already spread."

Upon hearing this, Li Cenji paused, but said nothing more.

He knew in his heart that if Cheng Zongchu said these words, then it was no longer praise, but rather an attempt to make him famous.

He noted this down, then asked:

"You came to me just to say this?"

Xu Tai slapped his forehead and said:

"I almost forgot the important matter. It was Lord Zheng who ordered that the Commander should go and find him as soon as he woke up. He gave the order last night, and I came three or four times. Every time I lifted the curtain, I saw you sleeping like a dead man. I just went again and saw that the bed was empty, so I guessed that you must have woken up hungry and come looking for food."

As he spoke, he looked Li Cenji up and down, and then said...

"Commander, you're covered in blood and sweat, shouldn't you go wash up first?"

Li Cenji looked down at himself.

The bloodstains on the Mingguang Armor had hardened into a dark red shell, and the bits of flesh embedded in the gaps between the armor plates had dried into a dark brown color. A fishy and pungent smell emanated from it, which even he found irritating.

But then he thought that if he went to wash up and change first, it would take at least half an hour, so he shook his head and said:

"No need. Since Lord Zheng has given the order, it wouldn't be good to keep him waiting. In any case, this outfit was brought back from the battlefield, so Lord Zheng won't mind."

The group then headed towards the central army.

Xu Tai walked beside Li Cenji, still muttering about the reactions of the various battalions after yesterday's battle.

Just then, several foot soldiers from Fengxiang town walked towards them, carrying spears and heading to relieve the guard.

The foot soldiers initially paid no attention when they saw someone approaching, but as they drew closer, the one in the lead suddenly widened his eyes, stopped in his tracks, and blurted out:

"Commander Li!"

The others also stopped and all looked at Li Cenji.

These people had clearly heard the rumors last night. Now that they saw the real person, their eyes were full of respect and curiosity, but they did not dare to step forward to speak. Instead, they clasped their hands and bowed, showing a respect that was more than usual.

Seeing this, Xu Tai puffed out his chest, pointed at Li Cenji, and said to the foot soldiers:

"You lot, you heard about it last night, didn't you? This is Li, the Commander who charged into the enemy ranks with a hundred horsemen and stabbed Shang Rang amidst ten thousand soldiers! I was right behind him and saw that spear with my own eyes—"

He was halfway through his sentence when Li Cenji grabbed him by the back of his collar and dragged him away.

The foot soldiers behind them murmured amongst themselves, exclaiming things like, "He's a genius!", "He looks to be only in his early twenties!", and "How much strength does he have to wield a spear weighing a hundred or eighty pounds?"

Li Cenji released Xu Tai and glared at him. Xu Tai, however, showed no shame and instead grinned, saying:

"Commander, I will make you famous."

"Make a name for yourself? If you keep talking, I'll have to find a hole to crawl into."

Li Cenji said irritably, quickening his pace.

He was really not used to being praised to his face like that.

But fate had other plans; the closer they got to the central army, the more soldiers and officers they encountered along the way.

Xu Tai, that brute, has no self-control when it comes to talking. Every time he encounters a group of people, he stops to point at Li Cenji and introduce him, looking even more proud than if he had done something meritorious himself.

Li Cenji felt extremely uncomfortable because of him, but he couldn't lash out in public. He could only cover his face repeatedly and walk as fast as he could, wishing he could take a single step to the central command tent.

When Li Cenji finally arrived at the camp where the central command tent was located, he thought he could finally have some peace and quiet. However, the "Swift Thunder Generals" guarding the gate were even more eager to see him than the foot soldiers outside.

These new recruits, who came from good families, had been trained by Li Cenji for more than two months. They both respected and feared him. Yesterday, they had personally followed him into battle. How could they not know the bravery of this captain?

Upon seeing him in person, they all stood ramrod straight with their chests puffed out and bellies tucked in, their eyes shining as if they were looking at a statue of a Heavenly King enshrined in a temple.

Li Cenji felt increasingly uncomfortable being stared at like that, and he couldn't bring himself to lower his hand that was covering his face.

He quickly addressed the goalkeeper:

"Please inform Lord Zheng that Li Cenji requests an audience."

The man responded and turned to go into the tent. A moment later, he lifted the curtain and came out, clasping his hands in a fist salute:

"Please, Commander."

Li Cenji straightened his robes...

There's really nothing to fix. The bloodstains on that armor have long since dried, and no matter how you try, you can't make it look neat.

He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and lifted the curtain to enter.

The tent was brightly lit.

Zheng Tian was sitting behind his desk, holding a document in his hand, examining it closely by candlelight.

He was not wearing official robes or armor today, but only a worn blue silk robe with a sheepskin coat over it.

A thick stack of documents was piled on the desk, and next to it was a cup of tea that had long since gone cold.

To his left sat Sun Chu, who was holding a booklet and checking the amount of grain.

Wang Chu sat to the right, with a pile of military documents spread out in front of him, and he was sketching something with a pen.

Below them were more than ten military officers, all busy with their documents.

Zheng Tian raised his head and looked at Li Cenji.

He seemed oblivious to the bloodstains on his gleaming armor, and the overwhelming stench of blood and sweat.

He studied Li Cenji for a moment, then slowly put down the document in his hand, and said with a satisfied smile:

"Jingzhi is awake? Sit down and let's talk."