Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

The following day, Li Cenji handled military affairs in his tent.

Chen An presented the list of casualties, which he had compiled the day before. It was a thick stack, listing the names, hometowns, and units of the casualties.

Li Cenji picked up his pen and crossed them out one by one, then wrote down the words "double the compensation". He then ordered Chen An and Zhou Ping to each select people from the soldiers and civilians who accompanied the army to fill the vacancies and to work together more.

He was busy for more than an hour, until the sun was high in the sky, before he put down his pen and rubbed his sore wrists.

It was at this moment that he learned from Chen An that Li Changfu and Zhao Shun were seriously injured.

The day before yesterday, on the high hill of Longweipo, Shi Meng ignored Li Changfu and Zhao Shun, but the old camp soldiers who followed closely behind surrounded the two of them along with more than a dozen Tang soldiers.

The two men led the dozen or so men in a desperate resistance, smashing their swords with shields when they were broken, and seizing swords when the shields shattered, holding out until "Swift Thunder General" charged in and drove back the old camp soldiers.

Zhao Shun's right arm was broken by a blunt object, and Li Changfu was stabbed five times, with his left arm being particularly badly injured. It is said that when the medical staff treated him, the wounds were so deep that the bone was visible.

Li Cenji could no longer sit still. One of these two men had been following him for almost a year, while the other was Li Changyan's younger brother, whom he had raised like a son.

He pushed the military documents aside, got up, and headed to the rear army wounded soldiers' camp.

This time he learned his lesson and didn't bring Xu Tai along. The embarrassment of being boasted about all the way last night was still fresh in his mind, and he didn't want to go through that again.

He only brought two guards with him, traveling light. He thought to himself that most of the wounded soldiers in the camp were soldiers from other towns. He was not wearing armor today, only a worn blue cloth robe, and looked no different from ordinary officers. He thought he would not be recognized.

He ultimately underestimated how quickly news of the battle the day before would spread throughout the entire camp.

As soon as he stepped through the gate of the wounded soldiers' camp, an old soldier from Jingyuan, who was squatting at the entrance basking in the sun, squinted at him and sized him up.

Li Cenji kept his eyes straight ahead and walked straight in, when he suddenly heard the old soldier behind him exclaim "Eh!" followed by a shout:

"Commander Li!"

That shout was like boiling water being poured into a pot of oil.

There are many military officers with the surname Li in the various circuits of western Beijing, but there is only one who deserves such a loud shout.

The wounded soldiers lying in the surrounding tents poked their heads out.

Some men stood up, leaning on their canes; others peered through the tent flap. A Qinzhou soldier, shirtless and with a burlap sack wrapped around his chest, stared for a moment, then suddenly shouted:

"It really is Commander Li! The one who stormed in from behind yesterday and killed Shang Rang with a single spear thrust!"

Before he finished speaking, the wounded soldiers poured out of the tents.

People with their arms in slings, their heads wrapped in cloth, and those using spears as canes quickly filled both sides of the camp's passageway.

Although these people dared not surround and block the way, they all craned their necks to look in this direction, their eyes burning as if dozens of lamps were shining at the same time.

"Commander Li! I owe you so much for yesterday! If you hadn't arrived in time, I would have lost my life on that slope!"

"Commander! I heard that when your yellow horse marches into battle, its mane stands on end, making it look just like a qilin!"

"Capital School—"

Greetings came from all directions.

Li Cenji was overwhelmed and could only nod to the left and then cup his hands to the right.

He had intended to cover his face and walk away quickly as he had the night before, but all the people in front of him were injured, and some of them had even gotten up from their beds just to catch a glimpse of him. It would be unreasonable for him to ignore them and walk straight past them.

He could only walk and laugh, bowing and nodding all the way, until his cheeks ached and his neck creaked from turning so much.

Among them, the soldiers from Jingyuan and Qinzhou were the most enthusiastic.

The troops in these two towns were attacked from both sides by the rebels the day before yesterday, suffering the most severe losses and heavy casualties.

If Li Cenji hadn't led a hundred cavalrymen to charge in from the rear and killed Shang Rang with a single spear thrust, once the rebel army's central and rear armies had joined forces, these thousands of men would probably have had very few survivors.

Now that he has met his savior, how could he possibly contain himself?

An old soldier from Jingyuan with a thick beard, dragging his injured leg, squeezed to the front and was about to kneel on one knee when Li Cenji quickly supported him with both hands, saying repeatedly, "You mustn't."

The old soldier, however, stubbornly refused to get up, shouting at the top of his lungs:

"Yesterday, I was right beside Commander Cheng and witnessed with my own eyes Commander Li leading a hundred cavalrymen into the rear of the rebel army! When he swung his lance, the rebels fell like wheat being harvested! Shang Rang turned to block, but Commander Li pierced him through with a single spear thrust!"

These words caused an uproar among the wounded soldiers around them.

Someone chimed in:

"This humble general also saw it! When the commander charged into battle, a yellow dragon followed behind him!"

Someone else chimed in:

"What yellow dragon? It's clearly a golden dragon! I've heard that the Commander is a member of the imperial family; he must be protected by Emperor Taizong and guarded by a golden dragon. Otherwise, how could the Commander have defeated an army of ten thousand with only a hundred cavalry?"

For a moment, everyone was talking at once. One person said he had seen Li Cenji kill seven traitors in a row, another said he had seen Shang Rang's head being lifted into the air by a spear. The more they talked, the more mysterious it became, just like a group of storytellers arguing.

In fact, only Cheng Zongchu, Qiu Gongyu, and the dozen or so guards around them probably got a general idea yesterday.

Of the hundred or so people in front of me, probably nine and a half out of ten didn't even see Li Cenji yesterday. They were all fighting to the death with the rebels. Who had time to look at these people?

Those vivid descriptions of "first-hand observations" are either hearsay or figments of one's imagination.

Li Cenji, listening from the side, felt a chill run down his spine. Could dragons be used so casually in feudal dynasties?

Even if he did have this intention, there's no way he could have revealed it so early!

He tried to explain, but to no avail. Looking at the excited and sincere faces before him, he swallowed back the rebuke that was on the tip of his tongue.

These soldiers risked their lives fighting on the battlefield all day, barely surviving. They wanted to leave themselves a place as witnesses in the "heroic story," so why should I expose it?

He had no choice but to bow deeply to those around him and proclaim loudly:

"I am unworthy of your kind words. I have come here today to visit the wounded soldiers of my unit. I would be grateful if you could make way for me."

Upon hearing this, the bearded old soldier quickly waved his arm to clear a path for Li Cenji, sternly rebuking the wounded soldiers who still wanted to push forward.

The crowd gradually dispersed, but a few wounded soldiers still lingered at a distance, craning their necks to look at Li Cenji's back.

Li Cenji breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his brow, and whispered to the two soldiers:

"Next time we visit the wounded soldiers, we must bring Xu Tai with us."

The two soldiers exchanged a glance, then lowered their heads, suppressing their laughter.

He first went to check on the tents where the wounded soldiers of headquarters were located.

These were mostly infantrymen who followed him from Fengxiang all the way to Longweipi. They had been scolded by him during training, but had also eaten meat that he had obtained from Wang Sima during extra meals.

Now lying on the couch, some have broken legs, some have been hit by arrows, and some have had their ribs injured by blunt force.

Li Cenji looked at each of them one by one, sitting for a while by each couch, tucking the blankets around one person, handing another a bowl of water, and explaining the regulations for compensation and rewards to them one by one, such as:

The compensation for the dead will be doubled, and the wounded will receive a reward equal to the number of heads taken plus an additional month's salary. Once they recover, they may stay or leave as they wish, and there will be no coercion.

Upon hearing this, some wounded soldiers nodded silently, some thanked him with red eyes, and some gritted their teeth and said they would follow the colonel again once they recovered.

Li Cenji nodded in agreement, without saying anything grand or impassioned. He simply stood for a moment at the entrance of each tent before leaving, looking at every face inside.

Finally, he lifted the curtain and went into the innermost tent.

There were only two camp beds in the tent.

Zhao Shun lay on his left side, his right arm was fixed in a splint and hung in front of his chest, half of his face was swollen, and the bruises at the corner of his eye had not yet subsided.

Li Changfu sat on the right-hand couch, his left arm wrapped in hemp cloth from wrist to shoulder, and several scabbed knife scars crisscrossed his chest, making it almost impossible to recognize his original skin.

When the two saw Li Cenji enter, they both struggled to get up, but Li Cenji quickly stepped forward and pressed them back down with one hand each.

"With injuries like this, what are you trying to prove?"

He sat down beside Zhao Shun and looked at his severed arm.

The splint was secured fairly well, but the swelling at the broken bone site hadn't subsided, and the entire forearm was bluish-purple.

Seeing him staring at his arm, Zhao Shun grinned and said casually:

"Don't worry, Chief Physician. The medical engineer said the bone fracture is fairly neat and will heal in two or three months. It's just that you won't be able to draw a stiff bow afterward."

Li Cenji didn't reply, but simply reached out and gently patted his uninjured right shoulder twice.

Zhao Shun's throat bobbed, and he turned his head away, saying nothing more.

Li Cenji then walked over and sat down next to Li Changfu's couch.

Li Changfu forced a somewhat awkward smile and said:

"Did the Commander come to see me make a fool of myself?"

"Want to see you make a fool of yourself?"

Li Cenji shook his head.

"Xu Tai raved about you to the skies in front of me, saying that you single-handedly cut down seven or eight rebel swordsmen and shieldmen, and even Shi Meng's hammer was knocked off balance by your shield. I've known Xu Tai for so long, and this is the first time I've ever heard him praise someone like that."

Upon hearing this, Li Changfu was slightly taken aback, then said with considerable pride:

"I have been practicing martial arts diligently with my elder brother since childhood, and I cannot let my learning go to waste."

He paused, then said somewhat dejectedly,

"I never expected Shi Meng's hammer to be so heavy. One hit with the shield and my entire arm was numb for almost half an hour."

Li Cenji was silent for a moment, then said:

"Changfu, you've been on duty long enough. These injuries will probably take a while to heal. I've already arranged for a supply wagon to take you back to Fengxiang to recover. Once you're healed, if you want to come back, I'll keep your position for you."

Li Changfu did not answer, but simply lowered his head and rubbed the edge of the bed with his uninjured right hand.

After a long while, he said in a muffled voice:

"Commander, I will not leave. When I first came to serve you, I said I was willing to be just an ordinary soldier. Now, after only one battle, how can I be sent back lying down?"

Li Cenji wanted to say something, but then he saw him raise his head, his eyes filled with a stubborn and serious expression, completely different from the General Li Er who had drunkenly said he wanted to be friends with him at the apprenticeship banquet two months ago.

He ultimately didn't try to persuade him any further, but simply patted Li Changfu's uninjured shoulder and stood up.

When I stepped out of the tent, the sun was already beginning to set.

Li Cenji was standing at the tent entrance, stretching his stiff neck, when he suddenly saw someone walking towards him—it was Li Changyan.

Li Changyan was not wearing armor today, but only a black round-necked robe with a leather belt around his waist.

He had clearly come to see Li Changfu as well. Upon seeing Li Cenji, he paused, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

"Jingzhi."

Li Cenji returned the greeting.

The two stood side by side outside the tent for a moment, neither of them speaking first.

Finally, Li Changyan broke the silence. He looked at the tent flap and lowered his voice, saying:

"Jingzhi, I want to take this brat back to the garrison."

Li Cenji turned his head to look at him.

Li Changyan's profile was taut, his jawline hard, but he couldn't hide the hint of heartache in his eyes.

He said:

"He's wounded like this; if he continues to fight alongside you, I fear he'll die on the battlefield sooner or later. I have no children; the Li family only has the two of us brothers—"

He didn't continue, but just sighed.

Li Cenji was silent for a moment, then said:

"General Li is Changfu's elder brother. If he wants to take his men away, how can I stop him? You should go and talk to him yourself."

Li Changyan shook his head, a bitter smile appearing on his lips:

"I told him. He wouldn't listen."

He looked up at the curtain, and could vaguely see Li Changfu's figure leaning against the couch through it.

"He said that he, Li Changfu, had never respected many people in his life, but you were at least one. Following you, he felt more at ease than when he was in the garrison."

At this point, Li Changyan sighed again, saying helplessly:

"I couldn't control this kid before, and I can't control him now."

He turned around and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Li Cenji.

"Jingzhi, I'm entrusting Changfu to you. He's stubborn, so please bear with him."

Li Cenji returned the greeting with clasped hands and said:

"General Li, rest assured."

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

The next day, before dawn, the sound of drums resounded throughout the camp.

Upon hearing the drums, the soldiers of each battalion rose up, broke camp, and formed ranks, their voices and the neighing of horses rising and falling in the morning mist.

Yesterday, the troops of Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu had already set off, and the other towns were also packing up their belongings, dismantling tents and loading them onto vehicles, filling in the stove pits, and carrying the wounded onto supply wagons.

After working for about half an hour, the entire army had been assembled.

This march was not like the previous few days, which involved stopping and starting frequently.

The Battle of Longweibei had already defeated the main force of the rebels in western Beijing. With Tang Hongfu's Shuofang troops advancing ahead from the direction of Mei County, there were no more harassments from the rebels along the way, and the army could proceed at a leisurely pace.

Banners fluttered and horses hooves thundered on the official road. The infantrymen, carrying spears and halberds, strode forward and covered forty or fifty li in a single day.

As the sun began to set, the vanguard and the central army had arrived at the city of Mei and set up a joint camp on a gentle slope outside the city.

The rear camp, along with the baggage train and wounded soldiers, are moving slower and are still lagging behind. It is estimated that it will take another day or two to catch up.

The flags on the city walls of Mei County have long been replaced.

The day before yesterday, Tang Hongfu led the Shuofang troops to the city. The rebel army left in the city numbered only a little over a thousand, and without their commander, the soldiers had no will to fight.

Tang Hongfu only launched one attack before the surrender flag was raised on the city wall. This veteran general finally won a victory this time. Although it was not as earth-shattering as the Battle of Longwei, it was enough for him to stand tall and speak before the other generals.

Tang Hongfu was quite generous. After capturing Mei County, he cleaned up the county government office in the city and allocated some of his own military rations to prepare a feast in the office. He then sent people to the camp outside the city to invite the various military commanders and regional military commissioners to come into the city to celebrate.

Zheng Tian accepted the invitation and ordered his men to send word that all the military governors and those who had made outstanding contributions should attend the banquet together.

Li Cenji's name was naturally on the list personally selected by Zheng Tian.

He single-handedly achieved three great feats: charging into battle, beheading generals, and capturing flags. If this banquet were to be held without this young commander who had broken through ten thousand troops with a hundred cavalry, Tang Hongfu would probably be the first to object.

Li Cenji accepted the order, returned to his tent, changed into a clean blue round-necked robe, and re-tied his hair, securing it with a jade hairpin.

He looked at his reflection in the basin of water inside the tent, and the basin reflected a face with distinct features and high brow bones.

He's tanned and a bit more toned, with slightly more prominent cheekbones and a more defined jawline than before, but his eyes remain calm and serene.

He patted his cheeks, lifted the curtain and stepped out of the tent, mounted his horse, and, with a few personal guards, followed Zheng Tian's carriage towards Mei County.