The next morning, before the sky was fully bright, slivers of grayish-white light struggled to squeeze in through the window, casting a cold, iron-like hue over the desolate border camp.
Standing in the secret chamber of the General's Mansion, Xiao Che experienced for the first time what "dressing" truly meant. In the past, even the simplest everyday clothes were carefully arranged by palace servants, every inch of the fabric smooth and silky, perfectly pressed. But now, he was struggling to squeeze himself into a set of stiff, coarse cloth armor.
The lining of the armor rubbed against his skin, causing it to itch slightly. The leather seams emitted a strange odor, a mixture of sweat and mildew, completely clashing with the scent of ambergris that had permeated his body for decades. Meng Wei stood to the side, his face filled with worry and reluctance, yet he dared not say more, only whispering, "Your Majesty, this... this is the newest armor in the recruit camp. I'm sorry to have to make do with it."
"It's alright." Xiao Che's voice was unreadable. He stretched his limbs, feeling the restraint of the cheap equipment, and a cryptic smile appeared on his lips. "Since I'm going to be a 'new recruit,' I should naturally look like one."
He looked down at his hands. These hands had once held a vermilion brush to review memorials from across the land, had once strolled through the imperial garden hand in hand with the empress, and had once cradled the infant crown prince in their arms; they had never been tainted by the real world. From this day forward, perhaps they would have to learn to grasp something else entirely.
Meng Wei personally escorted Xiao Che to the entrance of a secluded camp and whispered a few words to the officer guarding the gate. The officer bowed and scraped, then led Xiao Che and, under the guise of "Xiao Shisan, a distant cousin of the general," placed him in the third squad of the fifth battalion.
Before leaving, Meng Wei glanced at Xiao Che with a complicated expression. He knew that this group was the one in the entire Zhenbeiguan region most notorious for embezzlement and corruption, a "comfort zone" specially arranged by Military Advisor Qian for his cronies and cronies. Sending His Majesty here was tantamount to throwing a tiger into a pigsty; he just wondered if the pigs in that pigsty knew what they were about to face.
Xiao Che, or "Xiao Shisan," carrying a simple bundle, stepped expressionlessly into the large dormitory room belonging to the new recruits.
A strong, indescribable odor instantly assaulted his nostrils. The smells of sweat, feet, spoiled food, moldy wood, and a faint trace of urine mingled together, creating a powerful wave of stench that nearly made him stop breathing on the spot.
The emperor, who would frown at the slightest smell of cooking oil in the imperial kitchen, merely trembled his eyelashes almost imperceptibly before regaining his composure.
The barracks were dimly lit, and dozens of new recruits lay or sat haphazardly on the long, communal sleeping platform. Most of them looked pale and listless, their armor even more worn than Xiao Che's. When they saw new recruits enter, they merely raised their eyelids lazily before losing interest again.
Here, no one cares where you come from, because everyone's destination seems to be the same—being worn down and stripped of all their edges and sharpness by the daily oppression and exploitation.
Xiao Che found a corner and was just about to put down his bundle when a sarcastic voice rang out from the doorway.
"Oh, another new person?"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young military officer, not particularly tall but with a very capable appearance, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed. He was wearing the uniform of a squad leader, and a haughty and sarcastic smile was on his face. His small eyes darted around, revealing a shrewdness and calculation.
He was Zhang San, the captain of the third team, and also the cousin of Qian Canjun, the quartermaster.
The atmosphere in the previously lifeless barracks instantly became tense. The new recruits all lowered their heads, avoiding his gaze, as if he were some kind of ferocious beast that would devour people.
Zhang San clearly enjoyed the atmosphere of complete silence. He walked slowly to Xiao Che, as if he were sizing up a beast of burden.
"What's your name?" He gestured with his chin towards Xiao Che.
“Xiao Shisan,” Xiao Che replied calmly.
"Xiao Shisan?" Zhang San sneered, circled around him, and scanned him up and down before finally settling on Xiao Che's long, fair hands, which still looked slender even in coarse cloth clothes.
"Tsk tsk tsk," Zhang San stretched out his rough fingers, about to touch the back of Xiao Che's hand. Xiao Che's eyes sharpened, and he subtly withdrew his hand behind his back.
Zhang San's attempt failed, and his face immediately turned ugly. He sneered, his eyes becoming even more hostile: "Kid, you're pretty tough, huh?"
He didn't dwell on the issue of the hands, but instead moved closer to examine Xiao Che's face and neck carefully.
"Look at this fair-skinned, delicate-looking guy. He doesn't look like a soldier at all. He looks more like a rich young master from the capital who's come out to experience life." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire barracks.
The new recruits didn't dare to breathe, and some of the more timid ones even shrank back into their blankets.
Xiao Che remained silent, his deep eyes as still as a deep well, watching Zhang San as if observing a clownish performance. This was not the look of a new recruit. It was the indifference and authority that came from someone who had long held a high position, looking down upon all living beings.
Zhang San felt a surge of anger rising within him from that gaze; he hated that kind of look the most!
Having served in the army for many years, what he hated most were those "connections" who got in through connections, did nothing, and always acted superior! They stole the credit from ordinary soldiers, occupied the best resources, and he had to serve them like a dog.
The "Xiao Shisan" in front of him, though dressed in rags, exuded an air of superiority and had arrogant eyes that clearly told him—this was yet another damned "nepotism hire"!
"Hmph, a relative by connections, huh?" A wicked smile appeared on Zhang San's face. "Since he's General Meng's cousin, he must be hardworking and willing to share the burdens of the brothers, right?"
He deliberately emphasized the words "cousin" with extreme sarcasm.
Xiao Che remained silent. He knew that any verbal rebuttal was pointless at this moment and would only excite the other party more. He hadn't come here to argue.
Seeing that Xiao Che didn't respond, Zhang San felt like he had punched cotton, and his anger flared even more. He decided to stop wasting words and give this arrogant newcomer a lesson he would never forget.
He whirled around, pointed to a row of foul-smelling wooden chamber pots in the corner of the barracks, and his voice rose sharply, filled with an unquestionable command:
"Did you see those?"
All eyes followed his finger, focusing on the source of the filth.
“In our Third Team, we value camaraderie the most. Newcomers always have to do something for the veterans to show their gratitude.” Zhang San’s smile turned sinister. “Today, all the toilets in this barracks are yours! Clean them thoroughly, so clean that you can see your pretty face reflected in them!”
"Whoosh—"
A collective gasp filled the large dormitory.
Scrub the toilets! Scrub everyone's toilets!
In the military camp, this is the ultimate humiliation for a new recruit! This job is usually done by prisoners who have violated military regulations. Ordinary soldiers would rather be beaten twenty times than touch this thing.
All the new recruits looked at Xiao Che with a complex mix of sympathy, pity, and a hint of schadenfreude. They knew that this seemingly unapproachable squad leader was determined to destroy this new "connected" recruit.
That's it. This kid will either explode on the spot and get beaten to a pulp, or he'll have to swallow his pride and never be able to hold his head up in the third team again.
Everyone was waiting to see Xiao Che's reaction, to see his expression of either rage or humiliation.
However, to everyone's surprise,
Xiao Che, the new recruit nicknamed "Xiao Shisan," showed no anger or resentment upon hearing this utterly humiliating order. He simply glanced at Zhang San and then nodded slightly.
"good."
One word: clear, calm, and even carrying a hint of inscrutable indifference.
After saying that, he stopped looking at Zhang San and walked straight to the row of toilets. He bent down, picked up one of the dirtiest wooden buckets and a brush without changing his expression, turned around and walked out. The whole process was smooth and effortless, without the slightest hesitation or reluctance.
The entire barracks was deathly silent.
All the humiliating words Zhang San had prepared were stuck in his throat, neither coming out nor coming down, choking him until his face turned red. He felt that his punch, which he had put all his strength into, had missed again, and this time the miss was even more complete.
The new recruits were completely dumbfounded.
Looking at the tall, upright figure carrying the toilet, their sympathy deepened. Was this "connected" person an idiot? Being bullied like this, and not daring to utter a sound? Seems like a useless pushover.
No one noticed that the moment Xiao Che turned around and picked up the toilet, a pixelated emoji that only Lin Wanwan could see slowly appeared and solidified above his head.
It was a tiny figure, smiling, writing something in a notebook, with a line of bright text beside it:
【Very good, you have successfully caught my attention.jpg】
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com