Chapter 71 A Lunar New Year's Greetings Will Bring a Good Harvest
At the beginning of the morning, the sky was still shrouded in a dark blue, but torches were already lit up in rows at the North Gate drill ground.
The orange light illuminated the sky, and the imperial guards stood in their armor. It was cold, and the horses pawed incessantly. Although no one spoke, the soft creaking, the rubbing of armor, and the neighing of the horses mingled together, creating a particularly noisy cacophony in the quiet night.
It was already the twelfth lunar month, and the frost was heavier than iron. The flags around the drill ground were frozen and drooping, with only the scarlet red on the flags still showing a bit of life.
Meng Yan turned her back, using Hu Yanhe's shoulder as a cover, and quietly yawned.
Hu Yanhe glanced at him and, seeing him yawning repeatedly, couldn't help but ask, "What did you do last night? You're so sleepy."
Meng Yan wiped away the tears squeezed from the corner of her eye with a finger and murmured softly, "What can I do? I sleep later than a dog and get up earlier than a rooster."
Hu Yanhe chuckled helplessly, "You love to sleep, but you always come up with so many excuses." He then gestured for Meng Yan to look towards Zuo Wei, "Look at him, can you be more tired than him?"
Figures moved about in the Left Guard's military column. Meng Yan shook his head, feeling ashamed of himself: "If it were me, I would resign rather than put up with that kind of nonsense."
Yue Shanling was inspecting the soldiers' horses and weapons one by one. This was his first formal military exercise since taking over the Left Guard. He was not seeking merit but only avoiding mistakes.
He raised his hand and patted a soldier's quiver. In the dead of winter, the soldiers were all wearing robes. This soldier had probably dressed in a hurry, as the quiver was caught on the lining of the robe and hung at his waist, about to fall off as the fabric loosened.
The soldier looked down and saw this, then quickly removed the quiver and reattached it.
After patrolling the area, Yue Shanling then walked down from the high platform.
As dawn broke, the golden armor of the generals gleamed conspicuously. Yue Shanling could see General Zheng Zhai of the Right Valiant Guard looking in his direction from afar. His face was obscured by his helmet in the dim light, but Yue Shanling sensed that General Zheng might be smiling at him, so he smiled back in response.
When he reached the foot of the platform, Li Xin moved a few steps to the side to make room for him.
The generals and grand generals of the guards stepped forward one after another, and the emperor's gaze swept around and landed on Yue Shanling.
Duke Wei caught a cold and stayed home to recuperate, so he was unable to participate in the winter training. Only two generals from the Left Guard, Yue Shanling and Li Tan, came.
A few days ago, the emperor reviewed the training records of the various guards. The records of the Left Guard were more detailed and clear than those when Yuan Shenquan was in power. Yue Shanling also made some adjustments to the training methods based on the experience of the border areas.
Judging from the results, it did have some effect. In the few small-scale drills recorded in the log, the left guard's combat coordination was slightly better than that of the other guards.
The emperor was quite satisfied with the record. He had personally brought back Yue Shanling, as he did not want the Left Guard to perform poorly during the winter training.
"The capital is quite different from the border regions. You've been back in the capital for almost a year now. Have you encountered any difficulties adjusting?" the emperor asked with a smile.
Yue Shanling cautiously bowed his head and replied, "I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's concern and will do my utmost. Your Majesty governs the army with great skill, and the discipline within the palace is impeccable. All officers and generals are diligent in their duties. Although I was hastily appointed, the troops are well-organized and orders are strictly followed, just as they always have been. Therefore, I have acted in accordance with the established order and have not acted in any way that would cause any trouble."
The emperor pointed with his hand and joked with a smile, "How did Shuhe become so slick?"
"While there is a hint of flattery, it is also the truth. With the emperor in power, military preparedness has gradually improved both inside and outside the pass, the laws and regulations in the army are strict, and the young men's martial spirit is stronger than ever before. This is all because the emperor has achieved both civil and military success, which has brought about this peaceful atmosphere."
The speaker was General Wen of the Left Guard. General Wen was also a veteran general, and his son was the designated consort of the eldest princess. Therefore, he spoke more intimately with the emperor.
The sage waved his hand: "It's just that we're guarding the legacy of our ancestors and dare not slacken. Let's not talk about that. Let's get started quickly and disperse so you can all go back and rest."
Laughter and expressions of gratitude rose and fell as the emperor ascended the high platform with several generals. The sound of horns signaled the official start of winter training, marking the end of this year's drills.
The winter training review focuses on formations and mounted archery, with mounted archery being the first competition, followed by formation and charging into battle.
The Imperial Guards did not have the large number of troops as the border troops. Apart from volley fire, they mostly competed in groups of ten.
Horseback archery was part of the daily training for the guards of the capital; they could shoot blindfolded without going too far off target. After several rounds of horseback archery competition, apart from a few outstanding performers, the others were all of similar ability, and no major mistakes occurred.
The emperor ordered that the soldiers be rewarded, the targets be removed, the horns be sounded again, and the guards, armed with spears and shields, stood ready for battle.
Meng Yan and the others were below the high platform. Thinking that the sage probably wouldn't look down at them, he changed from standing to a more comfortable straddling position, put his hands on his belt, and his expression relaxed.
The formation test during winter training is the simplest; you just need to change it step by step.
The capital city was a maze of streets and houses, with hardly any space for a large army to form long lines. Only the North Gate drill ground allowed the capital's guards to experience an open-field charge. The North Gate garrison was skilled at forming and charging in formation, while the Southern Garrison Army was nothing more than a showpiece.
Now that the archery competition has been over, the generals of each guard have no ill feelings on their faces, but they all breathe a sigh of relief in their hearts.
However, the seemingly foolproof charge took an unexpected turn. During the charge, a horse suddenly fell off one of the left flank's men. Those behind couldn't dodge in time and were kicked in the front hoof by the horse's rearing leg, falling off their horses as well.
A cacophony of high-pitched neighing filled the air, forcing the others to rein in their horses and come to an abrupt halt to avoid trampling their companions. Some who were too close to stop simply turned their horses and charged to one side.
The ice on the training ground had not yet melted, and the horses, turning sharply, could not keep their feet firmly on the ground, causing several horses to fall down in quick succession.
"Oh no!" Meng Yan exclaimed in a low voice.
Looking around, the left guard post was already covered with fallen soldiers, and the men and horses behind were crammed together. The soldiers were trying to scramble their horses to separate them, and there was no formation left at all.
Yue Shanling acted decisively, kneeling down facing the high platform. He was clad in armor, making kneeling difficult; the hard armor pressed against his abdomen and chest, causing his skin to ache.
He forced back the armor plates that were pressing against his bones and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I failed in my training, which led to a mistake in the formation. I am to blame and beg Your Majesty to punish me!"
The emperor frowned, his fingers slowly stroking the armrest of the chair.
He did not speak immediately, nor did he pay attention to Yue Shanling kneeling below the stage. Instead, he gazed at the men and horses still struggling to get up on the ground, his expression unreadable.
Seeing this, Meng Yan wanted to plead for Yue Shanling. But when he looked up and saw General Awusiji standing next to the emperor looking down at him, he put his foot back down.
Before Meng Yan could even stand up straight, an unexpected person stepped forward.
"Your Majesty," General Zheng bowed and said, "I have something to say."
Regardless of his personal feelings, the emperor treated the maternal families of his concubines with considerable courtesy. He asked in a gentle tone, "What does Minister Zheng have to say?"
"Your Majesty, the snow and ice on the training ground have not yet melted, and the road surface is slippery. This must be why you fell off your horse." General Zheng's voice was not loud, but it was very clear, and everyone on and off the stage could hear it.
Ice on the ground is no excuse. Does that mean the army can't advance in winter? And why didn't other guards fall off their horses at the same training ground?
Those present were all veterans, and they all knew that this reason was not convincing.
"Moreover, General Yue has been stationed on the border for many years and is accustomed to the border troops' combat methods. He lacks understanding of the combat coordination commonly used by the capital guards, so this unexpected incident is understandable."
Meng Yan gritted his teeth as he listened. Was General Zheng pleading for mercy or adding fuel to the fire? If Yue Shanling had been in office for a year and still couldn't figure out how the Imperial Guard was managed, wouldn't that be even more dereliction of duty?
He looked at Yue Shanling anxiously, hoping he would say a few words in his defense, but Yue Shanling remained lying motionless on the ground.
Whether out of consideration for General Zheng or because he was persuaded by General Zheng's reasoning, the emperor's gloomy expression faded, but his tone remained dissatisfied: "Even so, such negligence is still unacceptable."
"Your Majesty is absolutely right." General Zheng pressed on, "In my opinion, the training grounds in the capital are too small, which restricts the daily drills of the Southern Guards. The training grounds at the North Gate are open and connected by mountains, making the terrain more complex and conducive to training the soldiers' adaptability. Why not let the Southern Guards train at the North Gate, so that we don't just keep running around in a tiny space every day, and we won't even know how to ride horses when we're in open ground?"
With a probing gaze, the emperor looked at General Zheng, but Zheng Zhai remained unmoved, allowing the emperor to scrutinize him.
After a moment of silence, the emperor agreed to his suggestion: "Let it be as Minister Zheng says."
Zheng Zhai was surprised by how smoothly things went. He suppressed his elation and knelt down to express his gratitude.
The emperor ordered Zheng Zhai to rise, but seeing Yue Shanling still kneeling below the platform, he then ordered him to rise as well.
Li Tan stood beside Yue Shanling. The Left Guard was in chaos. He was terrified and had not yet reacted when Yue Shanling knelt down.
He was about to kneel down and beg for forgiveness, but General Zheng suddenly spoke up, so he stopped. Now, seeing Yue Shanling kowtowing and expressing his gratitude, a bitter feeling welled up from the back of his tongue.
Training the left-back is also his responsibility, and he also provides guidance on formation changes. The mistakes in winter training should have been shared by him and Yue Shanling, but now, with just a few words, it has become Yue Shanling's responsibility alone.
He hesitated whether to thank Yue Shanling, but when he saw Yue Shanling stand back down from the stage as if nothing had happened after getting up, without even glancing at him, he swallowed back the words he had finally managed to say.
Yue Shanling was completely unaware of Li Tan's dilemma. He looked back at the spot where the Left Guard had fallen off his horse. The fallen soldiers had all gotten up, and several military horses had been pulled up and taken away. Only the horse that had fallen at the beginning was still lying on the ground, panting heavily.
He could see clearly that the horse did not slip on the ice, but that the rider was holding something and leaned down to scoop it up at the junction of the horse's belly and forelegs when the horse's hooves were raised high, which caused the horse to lose its strength and fall to the ground.
There was no blood under the horse, so it must have been struck by a blunt weapon. However, the horse's front leg ligaments were torn and its hind leg was also injured.
It's a pity, this horse is ruined.
"What are you thinking about?"
An arm wrapped around Yue Shanling, and just as Yue Shanling was about to break free, he saw who it was.
General Zheng gripped Yue Shanling's shoulder tightly, pulled him into his arms, and then patted Yue Shanling's arm soothingly: "What's done is done, so don't think about it too much."
Yue Shanling used the excuse of bowing to free his hands: "I haven't thanked the general for getting me out of trouble yet."
General Zheng chuckled and whispered affectionately to Yue Shanling: "Young people are full of energy, always thinking of solving everything on their own. I was like that when I was young too."
He pointed towards the various guards: "Your subordinates are hard to manage, aren't they? The old Marquis of Yue didn't like socializing, and the Yue family didn't have many relatives or old friends. The capital is not like the border court; the relationships within the guards are very complicated..."
He paused, looked up at Yue Shanling, and said earnestly, "A lone tree cannot support a mountain."
“No one will support you, you’ll suffer.” He put his arm around Yue Shanling’s back and pushed him forward. “Come on, take me to see the people from the Left Guard.”
Pushed along the mountain ridge, they involuntarily moved forward. Seeing the two approaching, Wang Yuanxing, the Left Guard General, stepped forward to greet them.
Zheng Zhai immediately questioned in a stern voice: "How did you train them? How could you make such a big mistake!"
Wang Yuanxing and Zheng Zhai exchanged a glance, bowed and scraped, and whispered their explanation: "It's all because the road was slippery..." Halfway through his sentence, he was glared at by General Zheng and immediately changed his words, "It was my dereliction of duty and lack of discipline."
General Zheng snorted heavily: "You are all the most cunning and sly. You've become even more arrogant because you think General Yue doesn't like to punish people. Let me tell you, General Yue may spare you, but I won't. If your minds aren't on training the troops, I'll go and report to the Emperor and have him move you to another place!"
Wang Yuanxing hurriedly feigned fear, repeatedly shouting, "Your subordinate knows his mistake and will never dare to do it again."
"What's the use of telling me? What, you don't even know who your superior is?" Zheng Zhai raised his head and glanced sideways at Wang Yuanxing.
Wang Yuanxing glanced at Zheng Zhai's expression, then turned to Yue Shanling to apologize.
Yue Shanling could easily see through their subtle maneuvering. This performance was simply to tell him that if he refused to submit, things would only get more difficult for him in Weizhong.
"This is a one-time exception, and it will not happen again." Yue Shanling thus lightly "forgave" them.
After Wang Yuanxing left, Zheng Zhai continued, "You see, it's that simple."
Yue Shanling expressed his gratitude again: "Thank you for your trouble, General Zheng."
Zheng Zhai expressed his dissatisfaction in a perfectly measured way: "Don't be so formal! We're not strangers, there's no need to be so polite. Once Fourth Sister marries into the family, we'll all be one family."
Yue Shanling clenched his fists tightly at his sides, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, trembling slightly from the excessive force. In the end, he managed a forced smile and replied respectfully, "I hope General Zheng will give me more guidance in the future," without mentioning Zheng Zhai's words about "family."
Zheng Zhai was very pleased to see that Yue Shanling was "pragmatic" and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Let's drink together tonight. We're all rough men in the army, there's no grudge we can't get over. After a few more drinks, we'll all be brothers."
He still agreed after crossing the mountain ridge, and watched Zheng Zhai head towards the Right Valiant Guard.
Meng Yan had been holding back his words for a long time, and finally waited for Zheng Zhai to leave. He hurriedly grabbed Hu Yanhe and ran towards Yueshanling.
"Damn it, what a piece of trash! He's clearly doing this on purpose!" As soon as Meng Yan opened his mouth, Hu Yanhe couldn't help but smile bitterly. He really didn't know how Meng Yan had passed the imperial examination. He couldn't possibly keep writing "I am Laozi" all over his face.
Meng Yan continued to berate Wang Yuanxing, still not satisfied: "What was the Emperor thinking? He transferred Yuan Shenquan away, but why didn't he transfer all his men with him? Why did he have to leave them all behind? Who can control that? Isn't this just making things difficult for everyone?"
Hu Yanhe wished he could cover Meng Yan's mouth: "Shut up, what nonsense are you talking about!"
Meng Yan pursed his lips and muttered softly, "The sages are all gone, and they can't hear us." Seeing that Yue Shanling and Huyan He were staring at him, he covered his mouth, indicating that he would not speak.
Just as Hu Yanhe was about to offer some words of advice, Meng Yan noticed that General Awusiji was already organizing his troops to return to camp. Without waiting for Hu Yanhe to finish speaking, she threw down the words "We'll talk later" and grabbed Hu Yanhe, running wildly to catch up with General Awusiji.
Yue Shanling couldn't help but chuckle at Meng Yan's hurried back, and when he turned around, he saw Li Tan standing to the side for quite some time.
"I'll go and take stock of the troops," Li Xin offered.
“Okay,” Yue Shanling replied.
Li Tan hesitated for a few moments, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end he just nodded haphazardly toward Yue Shanling and hurriedly walked toward the Left Guard.
In the vast training ground, everyone else was in groups of three or five, but he was always alone.
After moving her legs slightly over the mountain ridge, her left knee throbbed with a dull pain. In the winter, with continuous rain and snow, it was especially cold and damp. In the past, when there was a lack of medical care and medicine in the border areas, she had gotten used to it and didn't take it seriously. But now, in the relatively warm capital city, using the excellent medicine she sent, she found it even harder to bear.
The cold wind fell on my face; it was probably going to snow again.
He looked up at the boundless sky and thought, "They say a timely snowfall promises a good harvest. Next year will be a good year, won't it?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com