xymnovel Chapter 20 The Young Master Gao Joins the Army
Chapter 20 The Young Master Gao Joins the Army
Yanzhou.
As dusk fell, the crowds in the market thinned out.
"Thump"
On the city tower, the sound of drums rang out, and after about the blink of an eye, there was another "dong".
The sound of drums resounded throughout the city, and pedestrians quickened their pace involuntarily upon hearing it.
"Young master, the evening drum has sounded; it's time to return to the manor."
According to Tang Dynasty regulations, at sunset, the drum at Shuntian Gate would be beaten 400 times and then closed. After another 600 beats, all the ward gates would be closed, prohibiting people from walking around, and the streets would be cleared. Anyone who had not yet returned to their ward was considered to be violating the night rule, and if caught by the patrolling Jinwu Guards, they would be flogged twenty times.
Yanzhou City follows the same curfew system.
"What's the rush? There's plenty of time. If we tap it slowly for six hundred times, it'll still be almost an hour before dark. We can crawl back by then."
Gao Huaide said nonchalantly, "Besides, even if the patrolling soldiers see me, what can they do to arrest me?"
"They definitely wouldn't dare."
Lu Qian smiled ingratiatingly. After nearly a month of getting to know this young master, he had roughly figured out his personality: he disliked reading, was unconcerned with details, simple and straightforward, and not too difficult to please. However, although he was honest by nature, he was by no means trustworthy, hated being bound by rules, and occasionally did things that went against the grain. (Note 1)
"These soldiers are just following the rules, and I believe the young master won't make things difficult for them."
Gao Huaide had had enough of shopping today: "That makes sense, let's go back then."
Back at the government office, a man stood anxiously at the main gate, wringing his hands as if he had been waiting for a long time. His eyes lit up when he saw the group, and he quickly went to greet them, whispering a few words in Lu Qian's ear.
Lu Qian raised an eyebrow and let out a long breath: "I knew the General would make this arrangement sooner or later, but I didn't expect it to happen so quickly."
He turned his head, a smile plastered on his face: "There's something I need to tell you, young master."
"What's wrong?"
"The commander has ordered that the troops depart for Bao'an Town early tomorrow morning, and we are to accompany the army."
"Such a good thing?"
Gao Huaide was overjoyed upon hearing this. Wasn't this the day that military families practiced martial arts and military affairs?
The only regret was that the scene wasn't impressive enough. My first battle was against a mere Bao'an Town, which was a bit embarrassing.
"My future biography must begin with a major battle."
He was still preoccupied with how future history books would record his battle history, completely unaware that Fu An had left first, and even less aware of Gao Xingzhou's good intentions.
Should we tell Sister Xuan and Brother Liang?
"As the art of war says: 'So subtle that it is invisible; so divine that it is silent; thus it can control the fate of the enemy.'"
Military strategy and tactics were the only books Gao Huaide could actually read: "Let's tell them when we get back."
Only then did he realize what preparations he needed to make for his first time going into battle with the army.
Long spears, bows and arrows, swords, armor, horses, and other weapons go without saying. What else is there?
Gao Huaide tried hard to recall the relevant records.
"Black cloth curtain, iron horse trough, cloth trough, shovel, chisel, mortar, basket, axe, pliers, saw, armor bed, sickle, as well as fire drill, breastplate, head bridle, foot tether, whetstone, large awl, felt hat, felt clothing, rattan..."
One obscure and difficult word after another popped up, and Gao Huaide knew the names of nearly half of them but had never actually seen what the objects looked like.
Lu Qian looked at the young master's excited yet slightly bewildered expression and couldn't help but smile.
"Young Master, these are the equipment carried by the Tang Dynasty's garrison soldiers during its most prosperous period. It was precisely because of loyal ministers and generals, brave soldiers, and excellent equipment that we defeated the Eastern and Western Turks, subdued the Northern Court of the Western Regions, and spread our fame far and wide."
Wake up.
Fu An was directing two soldiers to bring over a pile of equipment when he overheard this remark and couldn't help but sarcastically say, "Things from two hundred years ago are quite different now."
He pointed to his face: "Look, what are these thorns?"
On one side of Fu An's cheek, the three characters "Ding Ba Du" were deeply engraved in ink.
When he was first sent to serve, Gao Huaide asked him why.
"Back then, Liu Rengong, the military governor of Lulong, fought a major battle with Zhu Quanzhong at Cangzhou. He conscripted all men in the region aged 15 to 70 to have their faces tattooed. I was in my early twenties at the time, and these three characters have appeared on my face ever since."
"Lu Qian, why don't you show yourself to the young master?"
Lu Qian rolled up his sleeves, revealing the four characters "一心事主" (meaning "Devoted to the Master") tattooed on his wrist.
"Lu knew a few more characters, so he was able to save some face." (Note 2)
He smiled bitterly and said, "In chaotic times, life is as worthless as grass. Soldiers gradually lose their dignity and are treated like exiled criminals."
"Let's not talk about such unpleasant things. Young master, these are the things we need to take with us when we set off tomorrow."
Gao Huaide picked up an iron bowl out of curiosity.
"Is the iron horse-feeding basin for feeding horses?"
"No, it's for storing food; it can be used to warm food during the winter months."
Lu Qian pointed to a cloth bag: "As the name suggests, a cloth trough is a horse manger, and that's what's used to feed horses."
"..."
"A shovel digs the soil, a chisel makes holes, an axe chops firewood, and a saw cuts down trees—each has its use. Why bring a sickle and a millstone? Are you going to do farm work?"
"Young Master is right. Sometimes we need to get food locally. Newly harvested rice and millet need to be husked and ground into flour before we can eat it."
"..."
"This large, crooked awl looks like an awl. What's it for?"
"It's used for untying knots, and it also has another use."
"What's it for?"
Lu Qian asked Fu An to demonstrate how to use it. Fu An reached in front of the locked cabinet and, somehow, pried it open with a soft click.
"All right."
Gao Huaide felt that something seemed wrong. He was supposed to be playing the role of a warrior, but it seemed like he was playing the role of a craftsman, a farmer, or even a thief.
Is this the true form of military campaigning?
Picking up a heavy suit of armor, he finally got the hang of it and hurriedly put it on.
The armor's lining was soft, not as cold and hard as he had imagined. It was the first time Gao Huaide had ever worn armor, and a strange feeling welled up inside him.
"The young master is still growing, so the craftsmen quickly altered the size a bit. There are some imperfections due to the haste, please forgive us."
"Really? It fits perfectly."
Gao Huaide noticed that the armor skirt was heavy, and he had to step out from the sides to walk, otherwise every step would be strenuous. No wonder the generals on the stage all walked with square steps.
"Young master, armor is only worn in battle; it's usually carried by packhorses."
Once his excitement subsided, Lu Qian explained, "Wearing armor depletes the soldiers' strength, so we only wear battle uniforms when marching."
"So, if you're ambushed or attacked, you're likely to suffer a crushing defeat, right?"
Gao Huaide squatted down, stood up, and moved freely, saying, "I don't think it's a big deal."
Seeing that he looked relaxed and not at all strained, Lu Qian praised, "Young Master, you are naturally strong; you are indeed beyond the reach of ordinary people."
He changed the subject abruptly: "We'll be checking the horses later. Your imposing attire might intimidate the servants, but it could also leak military secrets. It's best if you take it off."
After much coaxing, Gao Huaide finally disarmed him. Lu and Fu packed their equipment into two large bags, ready to set off the next morning.
"We follow the commander and don't need to be grouped with ordinary soldiers, otherwise two packhorses wouldn't be enough. In the past, it took six packhorses to carry the belongings of a group of people."
Lu Qian was reminiscing about the glorious Tang Dynasty, when the country was well-funded and the wars were fought with plenty of resources. Now, he could only get a glimpse of it from books and writings.
After the first watch of the night, a servant carrying a lantern lit the way and led Gao Huaide and the others to the stable.
The dim yellow light illuminated a building, the Jiedushi's private stable, which was 32 feet deep and 9 feet high, with eight wooden troughs. The horses ridden by Gao Xingzhou and his family were kept here, separate from the warhorses kept in the military camp.
Stepping into the stable, a mixture of damp earth, hay, and animal odors immediately hit him. Gao Huaide showed no disgust and called out softly towards a spot, "Little White, I'm here again."
In the corner, a white horse, head down eating, seemed to understand its master's thoughts, raised its head and snorted, its hooves pawing the ground lightly twice, as if greeting its owner.
As Gao Huaide approached, the servant raised the lantern higher so that he could see it clearly.
Gao Huaide placed his palm on the white horse's neck and slowly stroked it downwards, his fingertips gliding along the mane, feeling the well-proportioned and powerful muscles, the steady pulsating blood vessels, which showed a vigorous vitality.
Little White leaned closer, its warm breath brushing against the back of my hand, its large eyes blinking a few times. It was pure white, with a tuft of black hair on its forehead, and its fur was soft and smooth. It was a three-year-old stallion who had accompanied Gao Huaide since he began learning to ride in Shuozhou.
"Young Master, the saddle and bridle have been inspected. They were washed again today and fed with night grass and beans."
The groom stood behind him, reporting respectfully.
Gao Huaide was unaware that his father had given him the order to join the campaign, and his personal attendants were immediately mobilized.
First, go to the armory to collect the best weapons and armor, as well as all the necessary equipment, and urge the craftsmen to expedite the modifications; otherwise, how could everything be prepared so quickly?
He then went to the stables to inspect them, instructing the grooms to add some good feed and to select spare and pack horses for the young master.
Then he went to Gao Huaiyuan to coordinate, to designate the escort soldiers, and to greet the ten generals in charge; finally, he also had to take the time to tell his favorite maid the news, so that she could choose an opportunity to report to the lady, so that she would not complain about the general afterward for acting on his own initiative without prior notice.
When Gao Yanei joined the army for the first time, he really caused a lot of trouble for many people.