Chapter 78: The Night Before The Decisive Battle
The Nian Battalion’s campsite still reeked, but it was better than yesterday.
Perhaps Xiao Yi had grown accustomed to the smell.
He put down the box of reward money and went outside to fetch cold water to quickly wipe himself down.
He felt his developing back muscles, satisfied with his progress; in spearplay and archery, he lacked no skill, but his strength and back had much room for improvement.
“To charge into the camp without me, you’re really not being fair,” Guo Xin hurried over, asking indignantly, “Why didn’t you take me?”
“I was originally planning and copying, and Liu Tingrang took me away.”
“Do you think I’m stupid? I might not like to use my brain, but I’m not brainless.”
“Alright, to tell you the truth, your skill level isn’t enough; mounted archery, martial arts, and adaptability haven’t met the standards for scouts.”
“Alas, don’t speak the truth, it’s annoying.”
Xiao Yi smiled, casually threw on his robe, and said, “My Lord has acknowledged my merit, so we can likely hold onto the Nian Battalion’s flag.”
“Ah, you don’t know yet?”
“How so?”
“Chen Guang Sui, that old monkey, found over two hundred men from somewhere and filled up almost the entire first, second, and fourth commanderies.”
Xiao Yi’s smile faded, and he asked, “Where did he get the troops and horses? We are cavalry.”
Guo Xin looked dejected. “Presumably, he pulled troops from Chan Prefecture when crossing the river. Who in Chan Prefecture wouldn’t want to join Grandpa? Wang Yin didn’t stop him. I suspect if he hadn’t intentionally tried to make us look bad, he could have filled the entire commandery.”
Xiao Yi glanced back and said, “It’s fine; at least the Nian Battalion’s flag is still here.”
“That’s true, alas, let me show you, come.”
They hadn’t walked far when they saw a large banner planted in front of a camp. The jujube wood flagpole was wrapped in black leather, and the banner was the deep indigo color of the Tianxiong Army. The words “Twenty Commandery of the Horse Army’s Left Wing” were embroidered in gold thread, looking quite imposing.
“Doesn’t that make you angry?”
Guo Xin stared at the flag, spat on the snowy ground, and cursed, “Chen Guang Sui, that old hag, her embroidery skill isn’t bad.”
“San Lang, why curse people behind their backs?”
Xiao Yi turned around and happened to see Chen Guang Sui striding forward. He saluted Guo Xin and said amiably, “If San Lang is dissatisfied with your subordinate, please speak your mind.”
“No, I’m praising your embroiderer’s skill. It must have cost a lot of money.”
“I am the main general of the Twentieth Commandery, so I should naturally be diligent.”
After Chen Guang Sui spoke, he turned to Xiao Yi and said frankly, “I know the Marshal appreciates you and will eventually transfer you to another commandery to be promoted. From now on, we’ll go our separate ways.”
Xiao Yi said, “The one who should be promoted is Commander Chen. I have little experience and plan to hone my skills further in the Nian Battalion.”
“Still stubborn.” Chen Guang Sui huffed indignantly through his nose. “There’s no one else around right now, so to speak frankly, there’s no insurmountable obstacle between gentlemen. But it’s different in front of the brothers. If I back down, how can I face them? You’ll definitely push me out!”
“It’s all about skill!” Guo Xin shouted. “Later, we’ll have to thank you for the heads you’ve taken and the flags you’ve embroidered.”
The boast was made, but as soon as he turned, Guo Xin lost his confidence, sighing dejectedly.
“Damn it, two hundred men will surely capture more heads than forty. What should we do? Should I beg Grandpa?”
“It doesn’t matter, troops are about quality, not quantity.”
“But we’re not quality either; the new recruits are just silly idiots.”
“Don’t say things that dampen morale. How was the training today?”
“We trained very well. I had many ideas, had them play a name-guessing game, it was fun, and we sang songs…”
“Did you practice standing at attention and obeying commands?”
“Ah, we did, we did.”
Suddenly, a thunderous roar of cheers erupted from the large camp. The soldiers shouted “Ten thousand victories,” their voices shaking the surroundings.
Xiao Yi and Guo Xin exchanged glances, both puzzled.
They hurried for a while and saw Hua Nong and Old Pan standing, looking at each other in bewilderment, having just finished speaking with a captain in front of a camp.
“What happened?”
“Commander, the army is saying that after we break Kaifeng, the soldiers will be allowed to plunder. Didn’t you say Marshal Guo was different from others? This…”
“How is that possible? My Grandpa committed no wrongdoing in pacifying the three towns; which scoundrel is spreading rumors?!”
“It’s true,” Old Pan said. “The supervisor’s exact words were, ‘With the Duke’s approval, after capturing the capital, ten days of plundering will be permitted.'”
“Wang Jun?”
A chill ran down Xiao Yi’s spine, and he immediately understood why Wang Jun had given him an unfriendly look during the military council. Since he advocated for letting the soldiers plunder, and hearing about his killing of Xu Sheng, he naturally found him displeasing.
Conversely, he also disliked Wang Jun now.
However, the crux of the matter lay with Guo Wei’s attitude.
“I’m going to see my Lord.”
Xiao Yi quickly hurried towards the main camp tent.
Guo Xin followed without hesitation. “I’ll go with you!”
For a moment, many thoughts flashed through Xiao Yi’s mind: why would Wang Jun do this? What was Guo Wei’s attitude?
After venturing into the enemy camp today and seeing the Southern Army’s morale far inferior to the Northern Army’s, this battle was almost certain to be won. Why would this unnecessary step be taken? It seemed Wang Jun didn’t trust him at all, believing Guo Chongwei had instructed him and Liu Tingrang to pick the favorable options; Wang Jun was intimidated by the Son of Heaven’s personal expedition, believing this gamble, which staked their entire families’ lives, absolutely couldn’t be lost, and victory had to be guaranteed.
The scoundrel cared about his wealth and life, and the over two hundred thousand men, women, and children in Kaifeng City were just pawns.
As he thought further, Xiao Yi’s face darkened.
“That old Wang Jun looks sinister and detestable. Coming up with such a terrible idea, he’s ruining my Grandpa’s reputation,” Guo Xin grumbled. “Just you wait, I won’t let him off…”
“You two, stop!”
Before they reached the main camp’s encampment, two people approached side-by-side from nearby and shouted.
Xiao Yi turned his head and saw Wang Yin and Guo Chongwei. He quickly cupped his fists.
“Look at your stiff face.”
Wang Yin stepped forward, patted the snow off Xiao Yi’s shoulder, and said in a low voice, “A man of integrity remains calm even when Mount Tai collapses before him. If you want to achieve something, learn to hide your emotions.”
“Yes.”
Xiao Yi took a deep breath, his expression softened slightly, but his eyes became even more resolute.
Guo Xin asked, “Wang Jun said Grandpa allowed the soldiers ten days of plundering. Is that true or false?”
“General Guo and I are precisely here to dissuade this matter. You two go back first.”
Xiao Yi said, “I can guarantee this battle will be won. There’s no need for this. Now, revoke the order…”
“Who dares to guarantee victory? In the Battle of Fei River, Fu Jian was confident of victory; was it certain?” Wang Yin said, “I will advise Marshal Guo to restrain the troops, but it’s not appropriate to pour cold water on the soldiers now. We must wait until Liu Zibei defeats the Southern Army and rewards the soldiers before announcing it, understand?”
“Alright,” Xiao Yi still had a question. “I wonder if this was Wang Jun’s arbitrary decision, or if he truly received the Duke’s orders?”
Wang Yin sighed, “At this point, does it still matter?”
Xiao Yi was silent for a moment. “I’d like to go with you two to see my Lord.”
“No need. You are too young, and your words carry little weight. Go back with peace of mind. Old me and General Guo will handle it.”
“But…”
Before Xiao Yi could say more, Guo Chongwei strode forward, pushed him on the shoulder armor, and ordered in a deep voice.
“Go back and rest!”
“Yes.”
Xiao Yi watched Wang Yin and Guo Chongwei’s receding figures enter the main camp, feeling his blood run half cold.
The enthusiasm he had for following Guo Wei in service also cooled down.
“Let’s go.”
“Just like that?” Guo Xin said. “Let’s go ask Wang Jun directly.”
“What’s the use? Let’s trust Generals Wang and Guo for now and talk after the decisive battle.”
“Oh.”
Returning to the Nian Battalion’s campsite, compared to the high morale of other camps, everyone’s mood was noticeably lower.
The reason they followed Xiao Yi, apart from his personal charisma, was partly their belief that Guo Wei’s unblemished record in pacifying the three towns would become the norm.
This was also the source of the conflict between Xiao Yi and Chen Guang Sui.
Before Xiao Yi could enter, Hua Nong pulled him aside.
“Commander.”
“What is it?”
“Those civilians in the market stalls… General Guo has been stationed here for several days, and they were safe and sound. But as soon as Wang Jun’s troops arrived, they all…”
Xiao Yi’s gaze fell, and he saw two tears rolling down Hua Nong’s eyes.
“At noon, I went to buy needlework. Miss Xing gave me a bowl of hot soup, saying General Guo and our army had strict discipline. Her child is only four years old and kept pestering me to teach him the character ‘Guo.’ She said, ‘From now on, I won’t be afraid when I see this flag anymore.’ Her words still echo in my ears, they still echo…”
At this point, Hua Nong choked back a sob, fell to the ground, and punched the ground heavily, his hands bloody and bruised.
“Fuck!”
Xiao Yi squatted down, used clean snow to wipe the dirt from his wound, and asked, “Do you still trust me?”
“After serving in the army for over ten years, I’ve grown numb. If it weren’t for the hope you gave me, I wouldn’t be this heartbroken. But this hope… is Guo Wei really different? Can chaotic times truly end?”
“The change in the world isn’t achieved overnight; it’s a collection of small changes that converge into a big change. This is called ‘quantitative change leading to qualitative change.’ As more generals like us, Wang Yin, and Guo Chongwei appear in the army, we will eventually sweep away the atmosphere of the Five Dynasties.”
“Quantitative change, qualitative change. Young Master uses precise words. What are the Five Dynasties? Does Young Master believe there are five dynasties of chaotic times?”
“Don’t rush. As long as we are doing something, we can change things. The premise is that you can’t fall apart. If you fall apart, what about the soldiers?”
“…”
When the two returned to the campsite, they saw Guo Xin and Zhang Mantun reprimanding some soldiers.
“What is it?”
“These three cowards wanted to run off to find Chen Guang Sui… What else did they want to say? Shut up.”
Xiao Yi said, “Zhang Biao, speak your mind.”
“Alright, Commander Xiao said I could say this. Commander Chen is the main general, and it’s not wrong to follow him. Besides, after breaking Kaifeng, Commander Xiao will definitely restrict us, and our earnings will be much less. I’ve calculated it; we’ll rob a few wealthy families and take some beautiful women…”
“Speak! Damn it, keep talking, you useless piece of shit! Believing that old scoundrel Wang Jun’s nonsense, would my Grandpa let him cause trouble?”
Guo Xin cursed and lunged forward, kicking Zhang Biao down and stomping on his face five or six times. He resentfully said, “You donkey-brained fool! I hate double-dealers the most. If you dare to leave today, I’ll beat you every time I see you from now on.”
“Let him go.”
Xiao Yi said with a cold face, “Those who want to leave can. Don’t ever come back. Let me be clear upfront: I have already asked, and my Lord does not permit plundering Kaifeng. If I catch you raping and plundering, don’t blame me for being ruthless! Those who stay, think carefully. From now on, fight and earn merit through your own abilities, and abandon the idea of getting rich by swinging your swords at women and children.”
After speaking, he snatched the knife from Zhang Mantun and cut off a corner of the table with one stroke.
“The Nian Battalion’s rule is death for those who abuse civilians. We mean what we say!”
“I’m leaving.”
Zhang Biao stood up and hastily walked out.
Guo Xin wanted to stop him, but Xiao Yi raised his hand to stop him and said, “After the wavering and weak-willed ones leave, we’ll talk about our matters.”
He lifted the wooden box that Guo Wei had bestowed upon him after his meritorious service that day, revealing glittering ingots of silver inside.
“I also said that the Nian Battalion does not deduct pay. The reward money will only be more generous. My word is my bond. For this decisive battle at Liu Zibei, anyone under my command who fights bravely will receive extra rewards in addition to the military regulations. The distribution can be discussed by the brothers to establish a charter.”
Zhang Biao walked to the door, paused, and turned his head, his eyes fixed on the box full of silver, momentarily forgetting to move.
The two soldiers who were about to follow him immediately lowered their raised buttocks.
The news of plundering Kaifeng might be true or false; even if true, they would have to compete with fifty thousand comrades. This large box of silver was genuinely for everyone to share.
“You idiot, get lost!”
Guo Xin saw Zhang Biao hesitating and kicked him out.
“The Nian Battalion only wants brothers who are loyal and righteous.”
It seemed as if with this declaration, the somewhat depressed atmosphere in the Nian Battalion was dispelled, and a bit of righteousness and chivalry emerged.
Tang Jin had not yet returned from the straight guard. He sat there, his feet smelling, glancing at Xiao Yi and Guo Xin, then at the box of silver, his eyes darting around, calculating something unknown.
With the expectation of earning merit and sharing rewards, everyone slept with their weapons ready. They all rose as soon as the military drum sounded at Mao hour and rushed towards Liu Zibei.
