Niu Mowang’s final punishment exhausted all of Yun Ye’s physical strength. His fifteen-year-old body was on the verge of collapse under high-intensity military training. How many times had he fallen and decided not to get up again, yet somehow he struggled to rise and staggered forward, his legs numb, his lower abdomen convulsing, his lungs seemingly on fire, his heart right at his throat—one open mouth and it would spill out. Did he have masochistic tendencies? Usually watching Cheng Yaojin, Niu Jinda, and the camp full of soldiers felt like playing a realistic game.
The pain from falling was real, the bleeding was real, the sweat dripping from his chin was also real. He had always hoped to strengthen his body through super-intense training and simplify his spirit, but couldn’t do it. His memories became increasingly clear—from his first remembered moment to that inappropriate reach by the water’s edge. Even his deceased father’s voice and appearance were vivid. The more he wanted to forget, the more firmly he remembered—such was life’s sorrow.
Legend has it that the departed souls of the dead must drink a bowl of Lady Meng’s soup at the Bridge of Forgetfulness to forget their past lives. Yun Ye, this wandering soul, had skipped this process, so he couldn’t eat with relish, sleep soundly, laugh heartily, or cry sorrowfully—all self-inflicted. That thieving Heaven gives you one part and must take away another part—what fairness! This was what Yun Ye pondered like a philosopher after finishing twenty laps and collapsing on the ground.
With difficulty he rolled over, gazing at the azure sky. The clouds truly were as white as cotton. If not for a young boy’s face appearing before him, Yun Ye really wanted to merge into the blue sky and white clouds.
“Yun Ye?”
“Li Chengqian?”
“You know me?”
“If you weren’t His Majesty’s son, you wouldn’t use the royal ‘we.'”
Someone got angry, but it wasn’t Li Chengqian—truly a case of the eunuchs being more anxious than the emperor. Li Chengqian seemed very excited, squatting by Yun Ye’s head to examine him carefully. Finally there was someone who spoke to him as an equal, which made him very curious.
“This military training strategy was your idea? Also the salt production, iron forging—Father Emperor has a military weapon in his hands that you also made? This time I came specifically to see that potato with a yield of fifteen dan per mu. Is it real?” This time he didn’t use the word “we.”
“I only have one breath left. Crown Prince, please do me a favor—move back a bit, don’t block me from appreciating the blue sky and white clouds.”
“Chengqian, don’t take offense—this kid’s exhausted silly.” Li Huairen, fearing the Crown Prince would blame him, quickly explained.
“Elder Brother Huairen, you’re all military officers at least—how did you train so miserably?” Li Chengqian didn’t mind Yun Ye’s attitude. Before he came, Father Emperor had repeatedly instructed him not to use his position to oppress others. Moreover, capable people could ignore the powerful and noble; only the incapable relied on flattery and bootlicking to gain promotion and wealth. Since becoming sensible, he had received this kind of education countless times.
“Your Highness, let me rest a while and then I’ll explain in detail what’s going on.” Li Huairen also had no strength for extra words. At this moment, several hundred personal guards surged forward, two per person carrying the officers to the rear tent.
Li Chengqian followed along. He saw a long row of steaming wooden tubs. The personal guards quickly stripped their masters of clothes and armor, leaving only short pants before placing them in the tubs. Immediately various strange shrieks rang out. The water was very hot, the medicinal herbs abundant. Blood-activating and stasis-removing herbs always had some irritating properties. Those with wounds on their bodies were unlucky—while being disinfected, the salt water and herbs attacked together, making those in the tubs feel like they were dying and ascending to heaven simultaneously.
Li Chengqian jumped in fright, thinking he’d entered a pig slaughterhouse. After explanations from the military doctors nearby, he understood the reason. The hopeful look in his eyes grew even more intense.
Yun Ye was in a nearby tub, sneaking glances at Li Chengqian while howling strangely. Normal males had little resistance to strongly competitive games, let alone Li Chengqian, who had grown up since childhood within high walls and large courtyards. Though he yearned for his elders’ lives of flashing blades and sword shadows, helplessly he had grown up among women, inevitably lacking in masculine vigor. Today, seeing two hundred men in a state of utter exhaustion beat his supposedly elite Right Guard of five hundred men until they fled in disgrace, he had long been drawn to it. As for the suffering in between, he turned a blind eye.
Yun Ye still understood the four great bonds between men. Since there was no possibility of visiting prostitutes together, then they’d shoulder arms together. Luring Li Chengqian to visit prostitutes would get him beheaded by his father, but luring him to participate in training—presumably His Majesty Li Er wouldn’t blame him.
“Your Highness, special forces training can be called brutally difficult—it’s a kind of sublimation of spirit and body, with the power to transform the rotten into the miraculous. Only the most tenacious, most excellent soldiers among the crowd can persist. And once someone persists, they can be called the king of soldiers in the army. Encountering attacks without disorder, handling changes without alarm, fighting fiercely when placed in mortal danger, fearless knowing certain death. They are killing machines, existing only for battlefield survival, stopping at nothing for victory. Observing Your Highness has the courage to try—this spirit can be encouraged, not deflated. Tomorrow this subject will await Crown Prince Your Highness at the drill ground.”
Li Chengqian was so excited his hands trembled slightly, completely ignoring the pitying looks from everyone around him.
Li Chengqian felt some regret, but it was somewhat too late. Niu Mowang wasn’t called that for nothing. The ten newly joined strong men from the Right Guard, plus Crown Prince Your Highness, were mixed into the main force for a weighted ten-li run. Considering the Crown Prince was young, he wasn’t given weights—his own equipment was already enough to make him drink a pot. The first part wasn’t too bad, but the last five li he practically crawled back. Fortunately Li Huairen and Zhangsun Chong, remembering their brotherhood, jogged slowly alongside him, which gave Crown Prince Your Highness some confidence.
“I can’t run anymore. Elder Cousin, Maternal Cousin—you don’t need to accompany me, or else you’ll go hungry.” Seeing others far away already eating while he was still running laps, he was still a child after all and felt some guilt.
“What are you saying? Save your energy for running—that’s what matters. You’re much better than Little Ye when he first started training. He crawled hard to the finish line. We two brothers weren’t much better than you the first time.”
The mocking voices Li Chengqian worried about didn’t materialize—only encouraging voices. Crown Prince Your Highness was training with them and was now exhausted beyond human form. Any dissatisfaction from yesterday’s fight had long since dissipated like smoke. Everyone stood by the running track cheering and encouraging the Crown Prince.
When Li Chengqian finally crawled to the finish line, he was lifted by everyone amid cheers and tossed into the air, everyone cheering together. Li Chengqian couldn’t handle this. Though he was the last one to return to the finish, after all he had completed today’s training, proving he was qualified to participate. Amid everyone’s cheering, tears and snot flowed freely. This was the first time he had gained others’ recognition through his own strength, rather than relying on his father’s prestige.
Rising and falling, he saw Cheng Yaojin, Niu Jinda, and the other generals smiling and nodding approvingly. A feeling of pride surged forth. Today I am last, but in the future I will definitely become first.
He gulped down food and dishes. The meals he normally disdained tasted exceptionally delicious today. Yun Ye had long ago instructed that protein supplementation after heavy exercise was necessary, so beef and mutton boiled until falling apart became essentials. Anyway, the captured cattle and sheep were abundant, enough for these people to eat their fill with abandon. Li Chengqian thoroughly understood why they had eaten so unattractively yesterday. He believed his current image wouldn’t be any better.
Stripped completely naked—he had no short pants—his bare bottom was soaked in the tub, and he howled miserably along with everyone else.