Chapter Six: Skillfully Establishing Military Orders to Show Off One's Edge
The sun shone over the eaves, and a red horse swept across the sky like the morning glow. Yang Xiao turned his horse around in front of the drill platform, picked up his rifle, dismounted, and strode towards the platform.
A murmur rippled through the audience. Several soldiers in the back row pointed at Yang Xiao and whispered amongst themselves.
Hearing a commotion around him, Zhang Ping frowned, closed his eyes, and sighed impatiently.
Before long, the imposing Yang Xiao stood in front of the drill platform.
"Gentlemen!" She looked around at the crowd below the stage, and with a "bang," she planted her gun beside her. "I have been appointed by my lord as the General of the Eagle Army. However, before I take office, I have a question for you all."
The noise from below the stage gradually quieted down. Yang Xiao turned her head to look at the crowd. "You are all highly skilled warriors from your respective camps. So..." she paused, "Why did you all join the army? And why are you so courageous and eager to earn merit?"
"It's all for the sake of peace and stability, so why ask?" A burly man, holding a ring-pommel sword, looked at Yang Xiao with disdain. "Anyway, it's not about following a snot-nosed little girl to the battlefield to throw your life away."
The soldier next to him hurriedly tugged at his sleeve, but he frowned and shook him off.
"Giving away one's life for nothing..." Yang Xiao's grip on the gun barrel tightened unconsciously, and the silver gun planted on the ground trembled slightly.
Yang Xiao closed her eyes, suppressed her anger, and took a deep breath. Then she looked solemnly at the big man from before. "Whether I am a woman or a novice, it is inevitable that you all have doubts about me. But I would never treat war as a game, and I would never treat anyone's life as a game."
She slung her spear behind her back and walked step by step down from the stage. "If someone has to die first, then that person will surely be me. I bear the hatred of my family and country, and have honed my skills over countless journeys, all for the sake of pointing my sword at Chang'an and eradicating this chaotic world. How could I despise the lives of others and seek only to live a life of ignominy on the battlefield?"
Zhang Ping opened his eyes and stared intently at Yang Xiao.
"This is our first meeting, and you may all doubt my strategies and martial arts. However, when it comes to my unwavering loyalty to the country, the people, and my lord, I am certainly no less than anyone else here." She stood at the front of the formation, looking at the burly man. "You are working for the peace of the world, and so are you all working for the peace of the world, and so am I?"
Yang Xiao brandished his gun, turned around and walked towards the stage, his voice undiminished, still as imposing as ever, "We are all the sharpest weapons under our lord's command, so why should we harbor resentment because of unfounded suspicions? If soldiers and officers distrust each other and have no trust, how can we possibly win any battles in the future?"
She frowned and looked solemnly at the soldiers below the stage, her tone becoming increasingly indignant, "Such a loosely organized army, arrayed before the enemy lines, will only be defeated without a fight, collapsing at the first touch. If that's the case, how can we talk about 500 elite soldiers? What kind of 'Swift Eagle Army' is this?"
"Great!" Following Yang Xiao's momentum, Mu Fei couldn't help but lead the cheers and applaud.
"Little brat, don't make a fuss!" The burly man frowned and glanced at Mu Fei, then looked at Yang Xiao. "Even if what you say comes from the bottom of your heart, leading troops into battle requires great talent and exceptional martial arts skills. You are so young, and a girl at that, how can you shoulder such a heavy responsibility?"
“Brave man, do not underestimate someone because of your youth.” Yang Xiao looked at the burly man and couldn’t help but chuckle. “You are so arrogant. May I ask, sir, how do you compare yourself to Zhongli Shuo?”
"General Yude's courage and swiftness are extraordinary; how could ordinary people compare to him?"
"What if I said that I had the upper hand when I fought him?"
"This..." Another uproar erupted from the audience.
The burly man was taken aback for a moment, then frowned and looked at Yang Xiao seriously, asking, "Can you really defeat General Yude?"
Yang Xiao sighed softly, her eyes as calm as a deep pool as she looked at the burly man. "A general must possess exceptional martial arts skills and outstanding talent. Although I am quite confident, I also know that there are always people more capable than me. If anyone here can surpass me, I am willing to personally hand over this general's position to him. If not, then you must strictly follow military orders and must not harbor any disloyalty or desert in the face of battle."
"Yes!" No one in the soldiers below the stage dared to say anything more, but they looked at Yang Xiao solemnly and echoed her.
Yang Xiao glanced at the crowd below the stage, then turned and stepped onto the stairs. The high-hanging sun shone on her bright red cloak, and the sunlight fell on the tip of her spear, reflecting a soft, warm glow.
"Now that Xiao Yan has usurped power, the world is in chaos. No one is not driven by profit and power. In this chaotic world, our lord is sincere and has the ambition to conquer the world. You and I are also determined to bring peace to the people and the world, and to show our life's knowledge on the battlefield."
Yang Xiao turned around and gazed at the soldiers standing guard below the stage, letting the sunlight fall through his hair, embroidering a golden edge on his figure. "As a general, you have the responsibility to lead your troops into battle and to make contributions for your lord. If you do not have this ability, you are not worthy of the title of general."
"With the first battle imminent, I have no interest in competing with you all, lest it dampen our army's morale. The battles to come are far more crucial; whether I am truly deserving of my position or unworthy of it will be revealed on the battlefield." She walked to the table, surveyed the crowd, and then unfurled a silk cloth. "Before you all, I hereby pledge my military command—"
As she spoke, she picked up her brush, prepared the ink, and said, “If we fail in the first battle, I am willing to personally confess my guilt to my lord and repay him with my life, so that he may find a capable person to take my place.”
Yang Xiao wrote with flowing strokes, completing the document in one go. She then slammed the military order on the table and slammed it down with a paperweight. "The military order is here. If there is even the slightest falsehood, I am willing to offer my head." She emerged from behind the table, gun in hand, and looked at the crowd below. "Dismiss the audience!"
A gentle breeze rose with her shout, rustling the leaves on the treetops, and a figure emerged.
As the crowd dispersed, Yang Xiao tilted her head and glanced outside the training ground, then chuckled softly and walked out of the field with her gun.
-
The black horse behind the tree kept swishing its tail, which made the rider jump off the saddle and walk towards Yang Xiao.
“The 501st soldier of the Eagle Cavalry,” Yang Xiao said, twirling the gun in his hand and walking towards Zhong Lishuo with a smile, “You’ve been standing here listening for so long, what are your thoughts?”
“You’re quite something,” Zhong Lishuo nodded with a smile. “This is the first time I’ve seen someone who has just taken office and already commands respect with a military order.”
Yang Xiao gave a light "humph" and nodded at him, "Don't worry, I won't lose."
“Of course, you don’t even know who you’re going to war with.” Zhongli Shuo also raised his head. “My brother was worried that he couldn’t win against those soldiers, so he sent me here to keep things in check if necessary.” He spread his hands helplessly. “Now it seems that it was completely unnecessary.”
Yang Xiao smiled and shook her head, walking with him. "It's just a matter of reasoning with them and appealing to their emotions. They are all talented men in their respective camps, how could they not understand such a simple principle? By the way, Yude," Yang Xiao turned to Zhong Lishuo, "you have a high reputation in the army. When you first led troops, how did you persuade them?"
"Persuade me? I don't need to persuade you." Zhong Lishuo smiled at Yang Xiao upon hearing this. "If anyone is not convinced, come and fight me, then they'll be convinced."
Yang Xiao paused for two seconds, then laughed, "You really did that?"
“That’s natural.” Zhongli Shuo looked up at the sunlight, which was as intense as his eyes. “Only those who are better than me have the right to complain. If you’re not even as good as me, what right do you have to question me?”
Yang Xiao glanced at Zhong Lishuo, then followed his gaze to the rising sun, and nodded with a smile, "As expected of you."
-
Sunlight streamed through the bamboo blinds, casting golden rays across the map hanging on the Zhongli chamois. The tea on the table was still steaming, filling the room with its aroma.
Zhong Li'an stood by the table, his hands behind his back, looking up at the map covered with markings, his gaze wandering among the mountains and rivers.
After an unknown amount of time, the steam rising from the teacup gradually dissipated, and Zhong Li'an finally came to his senses. He turned around and sat down at the table, picked up the cup of warm tea, took a sip, and then gently placed the teacup aside. He pulled out a piece of silk cloth from under the desk, spread it on the table, and smoothed it down with a paperweight.
"Respectfully submitted, may you find it clear. I am pleased to receive your letter..." He prepared the brush with ointment on the inkstone and began writing lines of regular script on the silk.
Birds chirped incessantly outside the window. Suddenly, a scout knelt before the door, requesting an audience. "My lord, please forgive my intrusion. General Lingyu has placed a military order on the drill platform. Please take a look."
"Military order?" Zhong Li'an frowned, stood up and took the silk cloth from the scout's hand. He stared at the flamboyant handwriting, pondered for a while, and then couldn't help but smile.
He placed Yang Xiao's military order next to his letter, tapped Yang Xiao's signature with his fingertip, glanced at the salutation on his own letter, shook his head with a light laugh, and muttered to himself, "It would be really interesting if these two met."
The scout stood in front of the table, fearing he might witness some military secrets, and then turned to leave.
"Wait a moment." Seeing this, Zhong Li'an quickly raised his hand to stop him, took out his official seal from the table, pressed it firmly against the corner of the letter, carefully folded the letter, put it in a brocade pouch, and handed it to the scout. "Send this letter to the Bai family in Dongjun, Yuzhou. When passing through Yanzhou, be sure to disguise yourself and do not give anything away."
The scout frowned and looked at Zhongli An seriously. He took the brocade pouch with both hands, clasped his hands, and said, "Understood."
Watching the scout disappear into the sunlight, Zhong Li'an glanced at the golden light that fluttered into the room through the bamboo curtain, then sat back down and brewed a pot of fresh tea.
Perhaps in just a few days, the situation in the Central Plains will take on a new dimension.
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