On the day a new general takes office, he is required to review his troops and inspect his generals; this is a rule for major campaigns.
“Good! Today is the day for our Tiger Legion to spar with our troops. Now that you are the deputy captain of our army, why don’t you join us after the troop review?”
After saying this, a barely perceptible glint of malice flashed in Wei Zhong'e's eyes.
Sun Jian nodded in agreement, "Alright, I will follow your advice, elder brother."
"Alright, my brother is indeed quick-witted. Without further ado, shall we head to the martial arts training ground?"
"Yes, sir!"
Sun Jian clasped his hands in a fist salute and acknowledged the order.
Thus, led by Wei Zhong'e, Sun Jian, along with Gu Hu and three centurions, left the central army camp.
As soon as he arrived at the entrance, Wei Zhong'e saw the three hundred armored soldiers brought by Sun Jian and frowned.
It is easy to tell from their armor that they are soldiers of the Kyoto Left Guard Army.
"Brother, are these the people you brought?"
Sun Jian nodded. "Yes, His Majesty has ordered that I command one thousand armored soldiers of the Left Guard Army. These men are now under the command of my personal guards."
"I see."
A sinister glint flashed in Wei Zhong'e's eyes, but it vanished in an instant.
“Since these armored soldiers are your subordinates, why not take them with you to the training ground? After the training, I can settle them in.”
"Respect is not as good as obedience."
Sun Jian cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.
Led by Wei Zhong'e, everyone headed towards the martial arts training ground.
On the way, Wei Zhongbao whispered in Wei Zhonge's ear, "Brother, the burly man behind Sun Jian is named Gu Hu."
"Gu Hu?"
Wei Zhong'e frowned. Having served in the military for many years, he felt that the name was quite familiar.
"Could the man surnamed Gu be one of Gu Yongchang's men?"
Wei Zhongbao immediately nodded and whispered, "Yes, he is a remnant of the Gu family. He escaped when the Gu family was wiped out. I know him; he is a captain in the Left Guard Army."
"Okay, I understand."
Wei Zhong'e nodded, his eyes turning sinister: "Today at the martial arts training ground, everything will proceed according to plan. I want Sun Jian to lose prestige within the Tiger Legion on his very first day!"
"Here you go!"
The two walked ahead, their conversation and expressions unheard by Sun Jian behind them.
Soon, the group arrived at the Tiger Legion's training ground.
This martial arts training ground was enormous, roughly the size of four football fields in later generations.
When the troops are mustered, this place can accommodate 40,000 to 50,000 people.
The training ground has high platforms on all four sides, and in the middle there are many war drums, barricades and weapon racks.
There weren't many soldiers on the training ground, only about three thousand.
The group was practicing sword and shield attacks and defenses in unison, with Liu Shiyun in command.
From afar, Sun Jian saw that Liu Shiyun was imposing, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, distinct facial features, and a height of seven feet. He was wearing silver armor and holding a fine iron spear with a red tassel. Although he was not particularly muscular, he had a similar appearance to Zhao Zilong of Changshan in the Three Kingdoms period.
At first glance, Sun Jian knew that Liu Shiyun was a rare and formidable general.
If we compare him to Gu Hu, then Gu Hu is indeed much more robust in physique. Gu Hu's image is more like Zhang Fei without his beard.
Seeing Wei Zhong'e arrive with his men, followed by three hundred Left Guard soldiers, Liu Shiyun immediately understood the situation.
Before Wei Zhong'e could introduce him, Liu Shiyun strode forward and knelt on one knee: "This humble general Liu Shiyun greets Commander-in-Chief Wei and Deputy Commander-in-Chief Sun."
This scene stunned the three Wei brothers for a moment, but they quickly came to their senses.
Wei Zhong'e glanced at Liu Shiyun with disdain and said irritably, "General Liu, there's no need for such formalities."
"Here you go!"
After Liu Shiyun stood up, he didn't even look at Wei Zhong'e, but instead cast an admiring and grateful look at Sun Jian.
He knew in his heart that once Sun Jian arrived, his days of being marginalized and ostracized in the Tiger Warriors would come to an end.
Although his mentor Yao Tianzheng did not exchange letters with him during this period, he knew that Sun Jian and Yao Tianzheng were acquainted.
The rumors surrounding Sun Jian, Yao Tianzheng, and Magistrate Wang were no secret.
Not only is there a rumor that he saved Madam Wang, but the poem "Shuidiao Getou" was also written by Sun Jian and Yao Tianzheng when they were drinking and having fun.
He was well aware of the confrontation between the court and Wei Xian, as well as his appointment as deputy commander of the Tiger Warriors.
Before Sun and Liu could speak, Wei Zhong'e spoke first: "General Liu, didn't I send you and your men yesterday to escort the newly issued military flags and armor from the imperial court? What are you doing here?"
Liu Shiyun replied calmly, "Reporting to the Commandant, as soon as I received your military order yesterday, I did not delay and immediately led my troops to set off on horseback. We returned to camp at the hour of Chou today."
Wei Zhong'e sneered, "Oh? General Liu's speed has taken this captain by surprise."
Liu Shiyun calmly replied, "Speed is of the essence in warfare; a good general is one who acts swiftly. Thank you for your praise, Commander-in-Chief."
"Oh……"
Wei Zhong'e snorted coldly and said nothing more.
He originally intended to send Liu Shiyun away, as he calculated that Liu Shiyun would not be able to return to camp until this afternoon at the earliest. He did not expect that this guy would arrive in the early morning.
Moreover, he stayed up all night waiting for Sun Jian.
How interesting... Since he wants to rely on Sun Jian, then let him see for himself how Sun Jian loses his prestige today.
Liu Shiyun wasn't thinking too much about it at the moment. The reason he was rushing to complete the mission was because he knew that Sun Jian would return to camp today.
"Since you all know each other, then I won't introduce you."
“Brother, come with me.”
After Wei Zhong'e finished speaking, he strode towards the central command platform, with Sun Jian following closely behind.
Liu Shiyun gathered all the generals and soldiers together to wait for Sun Jian to speak.
The soldiers were all very excited when they saw Sun Jian, after all, Sun Jian had recently become a very popular figure, and everyone in the streets and alleys was talking about him.
Without hesitation, Wei Zhong'e ordered his brothers, Wei Zhonghu and Wei Zhongbao, to summon all the officers, big and small, of the Tiger Warriors and have them recognize Sun Jian one by one.
At the same time, Wei Zhonghu and Wei Zhongbao each brought three thousand of their own men.
Like Liu Shiyun, they each had three thousand people.
In a short time, nearly 10,000 people gathered in the martial arts arena. After Wei Zhong'e's introduction, Sun Jian also began a brief speech.
After finishing his speech, Wei Zhong'e didn't forget to flatter Sun Jian to the point of undermining him.
Then he said to Sun Jian, "Brother, the troop review and inspection are complete. Today is the training day, so shall we begin the troop deployment and formation drills?"
"OK."
Sun Jian nodded, looked around at the many captains, clerks, and adjutants around him, and then turned to ask Wei Zhong'e, "I am new to the military camp and do not know the specifics of this so-called troop deployment exercise?"
Upon hearing this, Wei Zhong'e's lips curled into a smile. "That's exactly what I wanted. If you knew, how would we manipulate you? How would we embarrass you?"
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