Just as everyone was scrambling for food, a team of imposing knights clad in bright armor entered the Left Military Guard camp, passing through layers of tents to arrive at the edge of the drill ground, waiting to be summoned by the Great General.
These cavalrymen from the Crown Prince’s Right Guard in the capital looked around the camp and happened to see over a hundred mud-people fighting over food. Especially seeing Liu Family’s third son holding up a soup jar to drink the dregs looked rather comical, and they immediately burst into roaring laughter.
The soldiers eating under the wooden shed all glared angrily. These fellows seemed to have nothing to fear and continued laughing uproariously, even pointing at the mud and dirt on everyone’s bodies and faces. Especially seeing Li Huairen, the second son of Li Xiaogong, whose hair had been burned off while crawling under the fire net a few days ago, they laughed so hard they couldn’t straighten their backs.
They had always been the ones laughing at others—where was the logic in being laughed at by others? Li Huairen grabbed his bowl and with a flick of his hand smashed it onto the face of the fellow laughing most exaggeratedly. Immediately that fellow, his face covered in blood, howled and rushed forward, still shouting: “A bunch of mud-legs dare to hit your grandfather? Do you know who your grandfather is?”
Now things had gone bad. Everyone here was the offspring of meritorious families, sons of prominent households. Upon hearing these fellows calling themselves “grandfather,” how could anyone endure it? Thus bowls and dishes flew through the air. Someone shouted: “Fuck them up!” They surged forward in a mass, fists and feet flying, screams continuous. Fortunately, everyone knew that fighting with weapons in the army was a capital offense, so they all threw down their weapons. Two hundred people brawled against five hundred. The Left Military Guard formed groups of five in arrow formations driving straight into the Crown Prince’s Right Guard. The tips of the arrows were all strong and robust men, their movements bold and sweeping, only charging forward. The two people on the left and right closely followed the lead person, forming a local advantage of many against few in small ranges. The rear two faced sideways, protecting the backs of the front three, giving the enemy no opportunity for sneak attacks.
For a time, dust flew on the drill ground, shouts of battle unceasing. Yun Ye hid behind Cheng Chumo, occasionally launching sneak attacks on the enemy’s lower regions. He had secretly hidden a small bone-knocking hammer earlier—the one-pound hammer, no matter where it struck, caused enemies to fall and scream. Moreover, Yun Ye mainly focused on the area between the legs. Those hit would clutch their crotches, tears and snot flowing freely, their screams continuous and prolonged. Watching from behind, Pei Family’s youngest, fighting with the enemy, unconsciously tightened his legs and vowed never to fight Yun Ye one-on-one in the future—too dangerous!
The battle lasted only half an hour. Nearly five hundred officers and soldiers of the Crown Prince’s Right Guard lay on the ground groaning incessantly. Several screamed even louder than others, making witnesses sad and listeners tearful. The Left Military Guard’s two hundred elite soldiers also had many wounded, but they were supported by comrades and refused to fall, biting their teeth without making a sound. Seeing the battle was decided, Yun Ye immediately threw the small iron hammer into a water pit to destroy all evidence.
At the edge of the field, Cheng Yaojin, Niu Jinda, and a crowd of old generals surrounded an eleven or twelve-year-old youth watching the battle. The youth wore a purple-gold crown, yellow robes, and deerskin combat boots. Old Cheng seemed extremely respectful toward the youth, bending down to explain the changing battle situation in a low voice. The youth also kept nodding in acknowledgment.
Seeing the battle subside, Niu Jinda glared with ox eyes from the front of the formation to the rear, making appreciative clicking sounds with his mouth—whether in praise or mockery was unclear. Everyone’s hearts pounded like startled deer under Niu Mowang’s gaze, not knowing how Niu Mowang would punish them.
“Promising! Two hundred against five hundred! Tsk tsk. Fist to flesh, foot to blood. You hit your own people with such force—wonder if you’ll shit yourselves when fighting the Turks in the future? Who started it? Cheng Chumo? Yun Ye? Li Huairen? Or Liu Jinwu? Tell this old man—only that one person will be punished. If you don’t tell, then everyone gets punished. This time this old man has thought up a new method—no beating, no scolding, just locking you alone in a small dark room. Not long—three days is enough. How about it? Isn’t this old man merciful? Stop calling this old man Niu Mowang behind my back—this is for you little brats’ consideration, afraid of hurting your bones and muscles. Come, tell this old man.”
Others didn’t know the severity of solitary confinement, but how could Yun Ye not know? Anyone who could crawl out on their own after three days was a real hero!
Seeing Li Huairen about to step forward, Yun Ye quietly grabbed him. Li Huairen, seeing Yun Ye shake his head at him, stopped moving forward. Among these two hundred people, only Yun Ye understood what training and punishment really meant. Niu Mowang speaking in a soft voice was not a good sign—Niu Mowang showing mercy was as likely as a sow climbing a tree. This was Yun Ye’s famous saying, repeatedly proven as gospel truth. Presumably this time was no exception.
“No one stepping forward? Does that mean you plan to accept group punishment? Just finished running ten li and two hundred people overwhelmed five hundred? Looks like your strength hasn’t been squeezed dry! Everyone, attention! Run twenty laps around the drill ground.”
Everyone weakly responded: “Yes!” Then they supported each other and stumbled to begin running.
Li Huairen moved close to Yun Ye and asked: “Little Ye, didn’t Niu Mowang say only punishment in the small dark room? If big brother takes responsibility alone, isn’t that better than everyone running laps?”
Yun Ye looked at Li Huairen with pity: “Trust little brother—you absolutely cannot endure those three days. When the time comes, you’d rather take fifty heavy strikes than sit in that dark room. You don’t know—solitary confinement exceeding seven days can kill people. Besides, we brothers all stir the ladle in the same pot. If we send you out, we’ll only be punished more heavily. An army that doesn’t protect its brothers isn’t an army—it’s a mob.”
The surrounding brothers all nodded in agreement. Only Li Huairen felt that being locked up for three days really wasn’t a big deal, and didn’t understand why Little Ye spoke of it so seriously.
Seeing the Left Military Guard people running laps, the youth stood before the Right Guard soldiers sprawled across the ground. His young face flushed red—his own force of five hundred couldn’t defeat two hundred exhausted Left Military Guard soldiers. Where could he, the dignified Crown Prince, put his face?
Looking again at the soldiers still thundering along in their run, then at the Right Guard groaning on the ground, he raised his whip and lashed down without aim. Right Guard officers also punched and kicked, barely managing to drive these wounded soldiers up from the ground to stand in formation.
“Why did you all brawl with Left Military Guard soldiers? Who started it? Stand out before me!” As soon as the words fell, a blood-faced officer crawled out rolling and stumbling.
“Crown Prince, Your Highness, you must support this subordinate! This subordinate was merely standing here and laughed a few times seeing those crude fellows scrambling for food. That bald one among them threw a bowl at this subordinate’s face and cursed at this subordinate. A mere commoner dares to be so presumptuous—please, Your Highness, execute this unruly commoner as a warning to others!”
Old Cheng on the side responded with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes: “In Old Cheng’s military camp there are only brothers, no so-called unruly commoners. Even when His Majesty commanded the Left Military Guard, he never disposed of any unruly commoner—only punished soldiers who violated military law. I wonder where this talk of unruly commoners comes from? Please, Your Highness, make a clear judgment. Martial competition within the army is commonplace, minor injuries are unavoidable. Please, Your Highness, show leniency.”
“Uncle Cheng worries too much. You are a famous general of the Great Tang, who has fought countless battles and killed innumerable enemies. How would I dare disrespect you? When I left the capital this time, Father Emperor repeatedly instructed me to consult Uncle about commanding troops. Just now, two hundred fatigued soldiers still defeated five hundred arrogant Right Guard soldiers decisively—clearly Uncle’s command consists entirely of tiger-wolf warriors. Please, Uncle, do not hesitate to teach me. As for this small conflict, the Right Guard was discourteous first. Since the Left Military Guard soldiers have already been punished, for the sake of fairness, please Uncle Niu rectify Right Guard military law.”
Niu Jinda, expressionless, came before the complaining officer and disdainfully patted his head, saying: “If you were in this old man’s army, this blockhead of yours would have long been fed to dogs. Five hundred men fighting two hundred, completely annihilated, and you still have the face to complain? In the army, the strong are honored. Even if a mess cook defeats you, that mess cook is more noble than you. The Great Tang unified the realm precisely by relying on overwhelming military force to exterminate countless petty kings—not by complaining. Moreover, the unruly commoner you keep mentioning is probably someone even His Highness the Crown Prince must call elder cousin.”
Hearing this, the Crown Prince exclaimed in surprise and looked toward Cheng Yaojin. Old Cheng explained: “That person is your Uncle Wang Li Xiaogong’s second son.”
“Doesn’t that mean Huairen elder brother?” The Crown Prince really couldn’t associate the mud-covered bald soldier he’d just seen with his usually elegant and refined cousin.
“Not just him alone—your maternal cousin Zhangsun Chong, also my son Chumo, Liu Family’s third son, Pei Family’s youngest, Baron of Ping’an County Yun Ye—you can find every prominent family name in the capital.”
The Crown Prince looked at the mud-person-like Left Military Guard soldiers, somewhat dazed.