Chapter 316: Changing Bones
The Fanyang Army’s five hundred soldiers’ suffering was deeply felt by the Liaoxi Army soldiers.
Before the Fanyang Army arrived, the Liaoxi Army had already been taken over and trained by Pei Qinghe for two months. They had endured it day by day, all of it blood and tears.
During this time, inevitably some couldn’t endure it and secretly fled the barracks as deserters.
The Pei Family Army’s handling of deserters was extremely strict. Not a single deserter was spared, even if it meant sending several hundred men to catch them. After catching them, the deserters were hung on wooden stakes on the empty ground beside the training ground. Even after they stopped breathing, their corpses were not collected, just left swaying in the wind day and night. Only after they completely rotted were the corpses buried.
Twenty wooden stakes were buried in the empty ground, and at the peak, most of them were used.
This iron-blooded ruthlessness completely deterred the undisciplined Liaoxi Army. The recruited new recruits were also quickly adapting to life in the barracks.
Describing the current Liaoxi Army as having undergone a complete transformation was not an exaggeration.
The Liaoxi Army soldiers who had been through the heavy rain were very happy to watch the Fanyang Army soldiers’ spectacle. This kind of “I’ve suffered, and you won’t escape it either” joy was truly addictive.
Even Li Chi couldn’t help but look at Lu Erlang with sympathetic eyes: “If you really can’t hold on, I’ll go to the general and put in a good word for you, brother. Everyone knows what the Fanyang Army was like before. Still, please ask the general to relax the requirements for you all a bit.”
Lu Erlang was quite angry and sneered back: “The pot calling the kettle black. The Fanyang Army wasn’t as good as the Liaoxi Army in battle before, but in terms of military discipline, they were much stronger than you all.”
“I heard that before, they caught deserters every day, and the wooden stakes were never idle.”
“The men I brought, at least none have fled the barracks.”
Li Chi: “…”
Lu Erlang wagged his tail in front of Pei Xuan like a dog of several months. This also created an illusion among the crowd that Lu Erlang was weak and easy to bully. Who would have thought his mouth was so sharp.
Li Chi forced a smile: “I’m doing this out of good intentions, if you don’t appreciate it, fine. In a few days, it will be the monthly martial arts competition assessment in the army. Then our men can have a real showdown.”
Private fights were strictly forbidden in the Pei Family Army.
On the day of the martial arts competition assessment, if they “happened” to meet, they could fight openly and honorably.
Lu Erlang showed no weakness, puffing out his chest and saying: “Then I’ll wait for General Li.”
The two men’s conversation reached Pei Qinghe’s ears.
Pei Qinghe twitched the corner of her mouth and said to Shi Yan: “Li Chi is full of wits, Lu Erlang is still too green compared to him.”
Li Chi acting like this was to show her that he absolutely would not collude privately with the Lu brothers.
Lu Erlang didn’t see this layer at all and was rubbing his fists eagerly waiting for a big fight with Li Chi!
Thinking of Lu Erlang’s eager appearance, Shi Yan also laughed: “Lu Erlang is still young, lacking experience, how could he outmatch Li Chi.”
Li Chi entered the barracks at twelve and rolled in the battlefield for over a decade, ruthless with a black heart, thick skin, and heavy hands. Not to mention Lu Erlang, even if Lu Feng came, he wouldn’t be enough against Li Chi.
Pei Qinghe raised her eyebrow with a smile: “This matter isn’t up to those two, it depends on drawing lots. Only if they draw each other can they fight. According to the Pei Family Army’s custom, with hundreds as one camp, over a hundred camps drawing lots, it’s not easy to draw each other.”
Drawing lots has always been fair and just. The only one who could do anything about it was Pei Qinghe herself.
So, whether Li Chi and Lu Erlang would meet depended on Pei Qinghe’s intention.
How to train troops, rally morale, and command subordinates, Pei Qinghe always had it all figured out. Shi Yan never said much, just chatted idly a bit, then washed up and went to sleep.
With someone to accompany and embrace into sleep, the winter night’s chill was completely blocked out.
…
The next day, training as usual.
The Pei Family Army didn’t need much attention, Pei Qinghe walked to Li Chi’s side.
Li Chi reflexively stood straight, his commanding voice suddenly much louder. All the soldiers straightened up, afraid to show any laziness in front of the general.
Pei Qinghe watched for a moment, pointed out a few shortcomings, and Li Chi corrected them on the spot.
Pei Qinghe then went to the Fanyang Army side. The Fanyang Army heroes, who were called five hundred elite soldiers, had been repeatedly frustrated, and in the evenings still had to undergo another baptism of reading and writing. After a few days, they were much more dispirited.
As soon as Pei Qinghe arrived, all soldiers perked up their spirits and trained extra hard.
During the rest break, Pei Qinghe praised Lu Erlang for training troops well in front of everyone, and praised the soldiers for their rapid progress: “Everyone has trained hard, today at noon there will be meat to eat.”
This reward was the most tangible. The soldiers joyfully shouted together.
At noon, brown rice, baby fist-sized pieces of meat stewed tender, two pieces per person. They could also pour a spoonful of oily meat broth. Winter vegetables were scarce, and there were many in the army; supplying enough vegetables was harder than meat. Today’s braised pork had some radish. There was also one bowl of dried vegetable soup per person.
After eating their fill, there was still a surprise.
General Pei personally came to distribute new military uniforms and shoes to the soldiers.
The soldiers happily received the brand-new clothes and shoes and socks, and changed into them that afternoon.
What more was there to say?
Training no longer felt tiring, and even looking at the large characters like ghost drawings in the evening seemed more pleasing.
The several soldiers who recited the military regulations completely were heavily rewarded by the general, each getting a new knife.
This made the soldiers extremely envious. The enthusiasm for reciting military regulations suddenly surged.
Lu Erlang also realized it and privately sighed to his personal soldier: “Before, brother praised the Pei Family Army endlessly, I half-believed half-doubted, always thinking brother was exaggerating. Our Fanyang Army also has good men, how could we be so much worse than the Pei Family Army. Now I know, he understated it too much.”
“Such a bunch of lazy and lax soldiers, in just half a month, trained by General Pei to be proper, with morale far surpassing before. Given time, they will surely become elite soldiers.”
The personal soldier reminded in a low voice: “Don’t mention Fanyang Army anymore. We’ve changed the military banner, and we’ve joined the Pei Family Army. We probably won’t go back.”
Lu Erlang sighed: “You’re right. We can’t go back.”
The personal soldier coughed: “Although it’s much harder, I’d rather stay here. We eat our fill, wear warm clothes, follow our general to fight Xiongnu barbarians and protect the common people. Before, we were notorious, the common people wished to avoid us. Now wherever we go, they look at us differently. This feeling is pretty good.”
Lu Erlang: “…”
Lu Erlang looked at the personal soldier in shock, trying to find a familiar feeling on that rough face full of stubble: “You really think that?”
The personal soldier chuckled a few times: “To be honest, young master, I used to muddle through without thinking much. Now reciting military regulations every day, reading and writing every night, I’ve learned basketfuls of big characters, and suddenly my brain has some new thoughts.”
“What did I join the army for? Besides food, drink, and military pay, shouldn’t there be something else?”
What’s the use of reading?
Why does General Pei want all soldiers to be literate?
Looking at the personal soldier’s bright eyes, Lu Erlang fell silent.
