Chapter 139
“Hmm? Why is it like this now?”
“Sir, I won't hide it from you,” the captain said, “Three years ago, after the previous Prefecture Army captain Hu was transferred, the current Captain Hu came, who is the nephew of Magistrate Hu. Since he came, not only has he promoted his cronies, but he has also embezzled military pay every month, sold army rations privately, and even secretly sold weapons to the Nanzhao Kingdom. But for training matters, he basically just lets it slide, and over time, the Prefecture Army has become chaotic internally.”
“What did you say?” Xu Zhan glared, “He dared to sell weapons to foreign enemies? Do you know what crime that is? If you falsely accuse your superior officer recklessly, you can be beheaded for disturbing military discipline!”
“I dare not speak recklessly!” The captain had long since steeled his heart to expose this matter, “If Your Excellency does not believe me, just ask anyone in the barracks, and you will know that everything I said is true.”
Xu Zhan felt his heart turn ice-cold.
No wonder the new soldiers from Yizhou Prefecture in recent years have been so weak and useless, turns out the Prefecture Army internally has already been hollowed out by corrupt officials!
This matter must be thoroughly investigated!
But he also knew that a strong dragon cannot suppress local snakes.
Although he was the Commander-in-Chief, in charge of all the armed forces of the realm, without any troops or soldiers by his side, if he wanted to overthrow the deeply entrenched and powerful Captain Hu, that would be suicidal.
“What is your name?”
“Your subordinate is Ren Qiang.”
“Now in the military orders, how many people can you mobilize?”
“Replying to Your Excellency, there are over a thousand people left in the barracks, all soldiers who dislike Captain Hu,” Ren Qiang said, “If summoned in Your Excellency's name, they will surely pledge their lives!”
Still too few people.
“That's right, there are also two thousand new recruits.” Ren Qiang added, “Although the new recruit barracks are not here, and Captain Hu's hands have not reached the new recruits yet.”
“Good, take me to the new recruit barracks!”
...
On the drill grounds, two nimble figures with bows and arrows on their backs sprinted at extremely high speeds towards the targets ahead.
“Wang San'er, you're definitely going to lose this time!” The taller recruit reached the boundary line first, already taking the bow and arrow off his back, “Within fifty paces, I never miss!”
“That remains to be seen!”
Wang San’er followed closely behind, tumbling over to the boundary line, and actually drew his bow at the same time as the tall guy.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Almost simultaneously, two long arrows shot out, both accurately hitting the red bullseyes of the targets ahead. “Both hit the red center simultaneously!”
“You're not bad,” the tall guy put away his bow and arrow and immediately dashed off again, “But in the next cavalry battle, you're no match for me!”
How could Wang San'er concede defeat, swift as an arrow leaving its bow, he actually jumped onto his warhorse first.
Putting both feet into the stirrups, he simultaneously drew out the large iron rod from the horse's back.
“Big guy, let me show you the might of my iron rod!”
The heavy iron rod whirled with a whizzing sound, its momentum overwhelming, immediately drawing cheers from the audience.
The big guy was not to be outdone, drawing out the steel saber from his horse's back to fight back.
In an instant there was the clashing of metal on metal, and the two fought intensely as if on fire, reaching such an exciting point that it drew another round of cheers from the audience.
Watching this scene, Xu Zhan could not help but feel greatly gratified.
This was how the Yizhou Army should be!
It was a pity that if these new soldier lads continued to be led by Captain Hu, in the end they would still become dispirited and without any fighting spirit.
Clang!
Amidst the clear ringing sound, the big guy's raised steel saber broke with a snap.
“Stop fighting, stop fighting!” He quickly pulled his horse back to retreat, avoiding Wang San'er's attack, “Where did you get this iron rod, it's simply unreasonable!”
His was a hundred-times refined steel saber, the best saber in the barracks.
Yet it hadn't left so much as a shallow mark on Wang San'er's iron rod, and instead the steel saber was broken. Who could he argue reason with?
Wang San'er did not give chase either, it was just routine training, not a life-and-death battlefield after all.
But by winning this match, he could become the sergeant of the new recruits.
He had to thank his mother for all this. If not for his mother's training, how could he attain his present achievements?
Amidst the crowd's acclaim, Wang San'er happily prepared to return to the barracks to rest, when he suddenly saw a few tall figures approaching him.
From the gait of the newcomers, he knew these were veteran soldiers.
“What is your name? Where are you from?” Xu Zhan asked.
“Replying to Your Excellency, your subordinate is Wang San'er, from Baichuan County, Hewan Village.”
Baichuan County, Hewan Village?
Wasn't that Li Yao's village?
At this time he noticed that hanging from Wang San'er's saddle were two stirrups.
Although he was quite fond of the double stirrups, they were first being promoted and tested in the border armies, to be generalized only after verification.
How did this kid get them already?
“What is Li Yao to you?” Xu Zhan asked again. “Huh?” Wang San'er was puzzled, “She's my mother!”
“Hahaha... So you're Li Yao's son, no wonder.” Xu Zhan laughed, “Lad, you're not bad. This iron rod of yours must also have been forged by your mother, right?”
“That's right, how did you know?”
Xu Zhan just smiled without replying.
He had seen the earlier battle between Wang San'er and the other. Although still young, he was brave and decisive, with astonishing strength.
With that iron rod weighing at least seventy to eighty pounds, it was like a toy in his hands.
If properly nurtured, he would surely become a fierce general in the future!
“Wang San'er, are you willing to come with me?”
“Go where?” Wang San'er was utterly confused, “Also, who exactly are you?”
“Wang San'er!” The captain knew Xu Zhan wanted to recruit Wang San'er as a personal guard, and quickly reminded, “This is His Excellency Xu, the present Commander-in-Chief. Why don't you pay your respects?”
Wang San'er was even more confused: “What does a Commander-in-Chief do? How big an official is he?”
Xu the Commander-in-Chief: “...”
Everyone: “...”
“Ahem, the Commander-in-Chief is not that big an official, he just commands all the armed forces of the realm.”
Xu the Commander-in-Chief pretended to be modest.
“Oh!” Wang San'er quickly let go of the reins and came forward to salute with clasped hands, “Greetings to Commander-in-Chief!”
“So what do you think, are you willing to be my personal guard?”
“This is... I have to go back and ask my mother first.”
“You...”
Xu the Commander-in-Chief felt both amused and exasperated, but did not actually get angry.
This little guy, foolish and simple-minded, reminded him too much of his past self!
“Then come back with me now to ask your mother!”
Huh?
Wang San'er was puzzled again, was the Commander-in-Chief's authority so great that he could let him go back before provincial leave time?
Of course he soon realized he had underestimated the Commander-in-Chief, because not only him, this Xu had actually taken away the people of the entire new recruit barracks, plus over a thousand more Prefecture Army soldiers.
The procession of over three thousand people was magnificent, making Wang San'er eager and thrilled.
It was just that the marching speed was a bit slow.
“It would be great if everyone was cavalry.”