eurekapd Chapter 441 The Prince of Langya Assembles His Army, Xiao Hanyi Reveals the Man's True Feelings
Chapter 441 The Prince of Langya Assembles His Army, Xiao Hanyi Reveals the Man's True Feelings
North of Tianqi City, at the Xuanwu Gate training ground.
The tenth day of the fifth month, at Chen hour (7-9 AM).
Outside the Xuanwu Gate of Tianqi City, banners fluttered in the air at the drill ground.
On the command platform on the north side of the drill ground, Xiao Ruofeng, dressed in dragon-scale golden armor and with the Haoque sword at his waist, swept his gaze across the dark mass of officers below the platform with lightning speed.
Standing below the stage were 327 officers of the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Guard, and the Jinwu Guard, all of the rank of commander or above, lined up in their respective battalions, in complete silence.
The wind swept across the training ground, raising fine sand.
“From this day forward,” Xiao Ruofeng said, his voice not loud, but filled with internal energy.
Although the training ground was large, his voice could be clearly heard by everyone.
"At the Xuanwu Gate training ground, roll call is held at 5:00 AM every day, and training begins at 7:00 AM. The rosters, weaponry, and rations of each battalion must be submitted to the Ministry of War and the Prince's residence within three days."
He paused, then continued, "On the twelfth of this month, a competition will be held at the drill ground. The top fifty officers will be selected based on their individual bravery, troop deployment, and ordnance drills—"
After speaking, Xiao Ruofeng glanced at some of the officers in the ranks below the reviewing stand, whose faces were growing paler, and noticed that some of them were looking away, clearly feeling guilty.
Finally, Xiao Ruofeng lowered his voice and said, "Either demote and transfer him, or send him to guard the border!"
A buzz of excitement erupted from the audience.
Some people showed joy – these people were mostly generals from humble backgrounds who had risen through the ranks by military merit, and who were clearly skilled and hardworking.
However, because there were no officials in the army or in the court, many people could only climb to the rank of captain or commander of a thousand households in their entire lives, and it was difficult to advance further, such as to become a commander-in-chief or a lieutenant general.
Some people were pale-faced—those scions of noble families who relied on the merits and titles of their ancestors and fathers to get by in the Imperial Guard and the Golden Guard were now trembling in their legs.
"Your Highness, Prince of Langya!" A young general in the ranks suddenly spoke up, his voice tinged with displeasure, "This humble general has a question!"
Xiao Ruofeng looked at him and said, "Speak."
"Before the late emperor passed away, Your Highness was the one he valued most! All the civil and military officials thought..." The young general gritted his teeth, "...that the new emperor would be you! Why is it that it is Prince Jingyu who is sitting on the dragon throne now?"
The person who asked the question was named Diao Jingbian, who was known for his boldness and speed in the Imperial Guard, so he had a nickname in the army - Diao the Bold.
Diao Dadan's speculation about the new emperor's ascension to the throne is a crime punishable by beheading.
But these words did indeed express the sentiments of many people, and hundreds of eyes immediately turned to Xiao Ruofeng from below the stage, some with doubt, some with disappointment, and some with resentment.
Xiao Ruofeng's expression remained unchanged. He knew that Diao Jingbian was not a coward, and he had no intention of punishing him.
After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "The late emperor's edict has profound meaning. As generals, we must obey the emperor's orders and be loyal to our duties! Anyone who dares to speak ill of the new emperor again—" His voice suddenly turned cold, "will be punished according to military law!"
Diao Jingbian was clearly not satisfied and wanted to ask more questions, but his comrade beside him quickly tugged at his sleeve and whispered to stop him:
"Old Diao, don't you want your head anymore? Shut up!"
Diao Jingbian clenched his teeth, his chest felt like it was about to burst, but in the end he held back and didn't say anything more.
Xiao Ruofeng said no more, turned and walked down from the command platform. After leaving the training ground, Xiao Ruofeng rode in a palanquin to the Ye and Xun camps in the north of the city.
The commanders of these two battalions were General Ye Xiaoying, who was clad in golden armor, and Xun Yichuan, a valiant general who had followed Xiao Ruofeng for many years.
The camp was undergoing drills, with bugle calls and battle cries shaking the heavens.
Ye Xiaoying, clad in golden armor, stood on a high platform, directing the Ye-character battalion, wielding twin swords, in their formation practice.
Two thousand soldiers were divided into four groups, advancing and retreating with measured steps, their swords flashing like snow.
Xun Yichuan held the military stick upside down, supervising the soldiers of the Xun Battalion as they practiced horsemanship and marksmanship.
Upon seeing Xiao Ruofeng arrive, Ye Xiaoying leaped down from the platform, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Your Highness!"
Xun Yichuan also threw down his military baton and hurried over from a distance: "Your Highness!"
"Generals, you've worked hard." Xiao Ruofeng looked around but didn't see Lei Mengsha. He frowned slightly and asked, "Where is Lord Silver-Clad Lei Mengsha? Why can't I see him?"
Ye Xiaoying's face stiffened, and after a moment of silence, he said in a low voice, "General Lei... he hasn't left the mansion for three days since he returned from the Prince's mansion that day."
He drinks all day long and won't listen to anyone's advice. I went to see him yesterday, and even his wife couldn't get him to listen.
Xiao Ruofeng's heart sank.
He knew Lei Meng was fiercely independent and that she must have been harboring resentment when she slammed the door and left that day. But he never expected her to be so dejected.
"Xun Yichuan, Lu Dayong." Xiao Ruofeng turned to the two deputy generals behind Ye Xiaoying. "You two continue training. General Ye, come with me to Lei's residence."
"The last general takes command!"
……
Lei Mansion is located on the east side of the inner city, not far from the Imperial Guard camp.
Xiao Ruofeng arrived on horseback with only Ye Xiaoying and no attendants. As soon as they reached the gate, Li Xinyue rushed out to greet them, her eyes red and swollen.
"Your Highness!" Li Xinyue's voice was both angry and anxious, with a hint of worry on her face. "You've finally arrived... I don't know what's gotten into Lei Mengsha this time. He's locked himself in his room for three days now, just drinking all day long, and he won't even see me!"
"Sister-in-law, don't worry," Xiao Ruofeng dismounted, "Let me go and see. Right now, I'm probably the only one who can persuade my second senior brother."
The three of them walked through the front yard and arrived at the inner courtyard.
The door was tightly closed, and a strong smell of alcohol wafted from inside, along with intermittent humming, the tune off-key, and some of the seductive songs of brothels.
These are all the wild tunes that Lei Mengsha learned in the martial arts world when he was young.
Xiao Ruofeng raised his hand and knocked on the door: "Second Senior Brother, it's me."
The humming stopped abruptly.
After a long pause, a hoarse voice came from inside: "Don't bother me while I'm drinking, get out, get out..."
"Second Senior Brother, open the door." Xiao Ruofeng's voice was calm. "I have something to say to you!"
"What are you going to say? Tell me why you gave the throne to a good-for-nothing? Tell me why you led your brothers to their deaths?"
Lei Mengsha's voice was slurred with drunkenness, yet every word was like a knife, "Xiao Ruofeng, I, Lei Mengsha, have followed you for over a decade, only to discover today that I don't even know you!"
……