Chapter 1 The Decree

Meng Shou took up his brush and wrote down the passage, then handed it to the servant beside him.

At that moment, a knight outside came to report that the Chu people had arrived to pick up Meng Shou’s entourage.

As the compiler of the history books of the Four Kingdoms, Meng Shou’s reputation and status were beyond question. Each country hoped to have such a “treasure,” even the Yan Kingdom, which was generally regarded as not valuing education, secretly hoped to keep him.

However, the saying "fallen leaves return to their roots" was simply too weighty, so weighty that even the Yan Emperor could not forcibly stop him from leaving.

"Teacher."

"Sit for a while longer. Let them wait a little longer, and give them a chance to spy on the realities of your Yan army."

Tian Wujing nodded.

Of course, that was a joke.

The real reason was that Meng Shou himself knew that he did not have much time left. This departure might be the true, eternal separation of master and disciple.

"Disciple, I have spent my life compiling history. Do you know what I have learned the most?"

"Please enlighten me, Teacher."

"History is written for those who came before, but it is used by those of us in the present.

When I compiled the *Chu History*, because most of the great aristocratic families that had been passed down from that time still existed, people often came to my door, seeking a kind word, seeking praise for their achievements, and seeking to cover up their faults.

When I compiled the *Jin History*, I unfortunately lived in the Wen family's residence. Whenever I mentioned matters concerning the Wen family, I was often restricted. The world knows that I left the words 'The Three Families Divide Jin,' and was imprisoned by the Wen family for three years.

But misfortune was also great fortune, because I was in the Wen family, so the Situ family and the Helian family, including the Jin Emperor in the capital, when I mentioned them, I could discuss matters as they were, without concealment or beautification, and I was able to do it in a straightforward manner.

When I compiled the *Qian History*, although I left behind the statement that the Taizu Emperor 'seized' the world, from the disastrous defeat of the Taizong Emperor's Northern Expedition, the absurdity of the Zhenzong Emperor seeking gods and asking questions, and the seemingly benevolent but actually mediocre Ren Emperor, these things were recorded in writing, but had to be restrained. I did not seek true solutions, but only aimed for neutrality.

When I compiled the *Yan History*, in the early years, I was also troubled by the various aristocratic families. But after His Majesty the Yan Emperor trampled down the aristocratic families, it was magnificent and smooth, like flowing water.

Now, if I were to refine the *Jin History* again, it would also be extremely smooth.

Furthermore, look at the *Xia History*. The *Xia History* compiled by various countries all say that in the first half of the Xia Dynasty, all the emperors were wise and martial; while in the latter half, the Xia Dynasty was plagued by fatuous rulers, treacherous officials, and the people lived in poverty.

The reason for this is that the founding emperors of Yan, Jin, and Chu were all vassals of the Great Xia Emperor. Therefore, the first half of Xia must be glorified. Afterwards, when the three lords established their kingdoms and ascended the throne as emperors, in order to legitimize their rule, they needed to paint the latter half of Xia as chaotic and depraved as possible, so that the establishment of the three kingdoms would be more in line with the will of Heaven.

More than eight hundred years ago, when the Great Xia collapsed, Yan, Jin, and Chu certainly did not have the situation they have today, and were still facing threats from barbarians, savages, and the Shan Yue people. But when the capital of the Great Xia Dynasty was in turmoil, why did none of the three kingdoms come to the rescue?

The history of this period has always been vague.

Disciple, I have said so much. Do you know what I mean?"

Tian Wujing nodded, then shook his head.

He nodded because he understood, and shook his head because he didn't care.

Meng Shou suddenly became furious.

He said:

"My original intention was to remind you that what goes around comes around, what is wise and martial, without descendants to help you embellish and promote, even if you have heaven-defying achievements, they can still be deleted and tampered with until you are left tattered!

What is infamous for eternity, what is昏聩无能 *hun kui wu neng* (muddled and incompetent), if your descendants still occupy high positions in the world, the historical pen is like a knife, it speaks of the historians. The historians may not be afraid of death, but the historian's family will be afraid of death. The historians may be poor, but the historian's family must also eat!

Moreover, since the collapse of the Great Xia, the historians who were originally hereditary in the Great Xia Dynasty have been changed to real official positions in various countries. In name, the monarch selects those with both virtue and talent to take office, but is there any assessment for those with virtue and talent? Is there any measure? All of this is at the whim of the monarch.

Disciple, I know the bitterness in your heart, and I also know that you no longer care about these so-called names before and after your death;

But, you can not care,

But then,

What about them?"

Meng Shou pointed to the knights responsible for guarding outside the pavilion.

"History books are thin, but they need to record thousands of years. Most of them are destined to be nameless and faceless in the history books. Therefore, their reputation after death is actually on you.

Disciple, if you don't think about yourself, that's your own business. Can't you think about them?"

Tian Wujing's eyes were calm, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"What I'm saying is not for you, Tian Wujing, to rebel. The world is surprised why the Northern and Southern Marquis of Great Yan do not rebel, but I know that you have already boarded the ship and cannot rebel!

What I mean,

Is to let you leave behind a descendant.

You, Tian Wujing,

Whether your merits or demerits in this life can be left for others to talk about a thousand years later;

But you can be carefree, you can be carefree,

But what about these fierce warriors who have followed you in the southern and northern battles?

They,

Shouldn't they have a guarantee?

The best guarantee,

Is in the history books,

If they are well spoken of in the history books, then they will not be too bad when they are alive."

"Teacher, I understand."

"Don't blame me for being long-winded. This time I return to Chu, I will become a Chu person again. You are a Yan person. I won't say nonsense like our master-disciple relationship is severed, but before I die, I still don't want to see you."

"Then I will try my best to disappoint you, Teacher."

"Heh heh, by the way, in the *Yan History*, I not only established a *benji* (biography of emperors) for you and Li Liangting, but also created a *liezhuan* (biography of others) for that Lord Pingye, but *liezhuan* is just a *liezhuan* after all, not as stable as that of a noble family."

Tian Wujing didn't speak, but his eyes were looking far away.

"I have compiled history all my life. The history books are mottled, but there is always a bit of truth to them, just like the twenty-four solar terms used by old farmers for farming. In fact, after seeing too much, it's just four words—repetition and beginning again.

Lord Pingye has always been valued by you. I observe this person's actions, and he can't be considered a good person."

"Yes."

"But throughout history, how many truly good people have been able to leave their names in the history books? On the contrary, those truly emotional bad people are more endearing."

"Xuehai Pass is not far from here. If Teacher wants to add a stroke to Zheng Fan's life, I can send a team of cavalry to escort Teacher there."

Meng Shou heard this,

And hesitated.

It could be seen that he was tempted.

"Huff..."

Taking a deep breath, Meng Shou said:

"The East Sea is滔滔 *tao tao* (surging), the front wave is a tide, the back wave is a tide, but the blue waves are vast. Throughout one's life, the most difficult thing to understand is still the present.

Forget it, forget it, I won't go to Xuehai Pass. First of all, this old skeleton is already scattered. It's not easy to barely make it from Yanjing to here;

Secondly, being a person and compiling history is the same principle. You can't be too greedy. If you are greedy as a person, you will easily die without satisfaction. If you are greedy in compiling history, you will find too many things that have already died without proof.

Even if I can compile the history books of the Four Kingdoms and the eight hundred years from the Great Xia to the present, I can't compile the one day after my death!

Since it can't be perfect in the end, why bother to toss about for nothing?

Return, return;

I have wandered outside for most of my life. I haven't earned anything else, but I have earned some fame. This time, when I go back, the Chen family will probably cry and shout for me to recognize my ancestors and return to the clan.

Disciple, do you think I should recognize them or not?

If I recognize them, I can enter the ancestral tomb, and my mother's grave can also be moved into the Chen family's ancestral tomb."

"Disciple thinks that these should be considered by Teacher himself, but..."

"But what?"

"Teacher has spent his life compiling history. When future generations read it, it will be as if Teacher is standing in front of them and telling them the story. Since Teacher is already living in history, why bother about such mundane matters?"

"That's right, but the reason why I don't want to recognize my ancestors and return to the clan is not because of this. I just think that the name Chen Shou is not very nice."

"If Teacher thinks it's not nice, then it's probably really not nice."

"You, ah, you, alright, call someone to pick me up."

"Yes, Teacher."

The Chu people's team arrived, not wearing armor, but it could be seen that they were a group of guards from the army. At the same time, there was also a very spacious and exquisite carriage.

Meng Shou got into the carriage, but didn't rush in. Instead, he was supported by his servant with one hand, while the other hand grabbed the wall of the carriage, looking at Tian Wujing standing in front of him.

He laughed;

"Yao Zizhan once said that I am compiling history for future generations, but I have always disagreed. Even if everyone in later generations can read, they will never all read history;

Compared to history books, what people like more is often romance and anecdotes.

I compile history, compile it for myself, and for future generations, for those who share the same path;

My path is destined to be lonely, but I don't feel lonely.

If the people of this world don't understand me, then someone in later generations will understand me. If the people of later generations don't understand me, there will definitely be someone in the generations after that who can understand me.

Wujing, my disciple,

This,

I share with you."

Tian Wujing saluted:

"Thank you, Teacher."

Meng Shou left in the carriage under the escort of the Chu people.

Tian Wujing stood there for a long time.

That night,

Fengxin City, messengers rode out;

The clouds of war,

Completely shrouded the land:

"The Jingnan King has ordered that all troops, all laborers, and all grain transportation must arrive on schedule. Those who are delayed will be beheaded!"

………

Guo Dong, sixteen years old this year, is from Gu County.

Gu County is located in the eastern part of the Yan Kingdom, adjacent to Matiping Mountain. When the Jin Kingdom was still around, its geographical location was equivalent to that of虎头城 *Hu Tou Cheng* (Tiger Head City) to the Northern Feng Prefecture.

Three years ago, when the Jin army attacked Yan, a Helian family army attacked Gu County for two months. Half of the men in Gu County died in battle, holding out until the day when the Jingnan Marquis and the Zhenbei Marquis led their troops into the South Gate Pass and defeated the Jin army.

Gu County was preserved.

More than three years have passed quickly.

Three years ago, Guo Dong was still young. When the Jin army attacked the city, he and his mother were at home, and his father took his two older brothers to the city wall.

The eldest brother died in battle, and the second brother was disabled.

After the war,

The father was promoted by the county magistrate to the captain of the Gu County Mountain Camp.

The mountain camp meant militia, not part of the imperial court's ranks, but they could receive a fixed amount of grain and rice from the county government every once in a while.

Guo Dong only remembered that night, his father drank a lot of wine and argued with his mother in the house. His mother cried very sadly.

Afterwards,

The father walked out of the house, with clear scratch marks left by the mother on his face.

The father, Guo Dayong, asked Guo Dong:

"Can you hold a knife? Follow your father, let’s kill the Chu slaves!"

Guo Dong replied:

"I'm not going."

Then,

The father, who didn't dare to fight back against his mother, gave Guo Dong a severe beating.

The next day,

The bruised and swollen Guo Dong was dragged by his father to the Gu County government office.

In the courtyard of the county government office, there were hundreds of people standing, and outside the county government office, there were even more people, but mainly women and old people.

The county magistrate wore an official robe and held a roll in his hand that was gleaming brightly.

Guo Dong thought it was an imperial edict.

Most of the people present had the same idea as Guo Dong.

Later, after joining the army and seeing many military orders, Guo Dong realized that how could His Majesty possibly issue an imperial edict to a small county government office like Gu County? That was, at most, a dispatch document from the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of War.

The county magistrate read the "imperial edict" in a literary manner.

Most of the beginning part, in fact, everyone didn't understand, but they understood the main content at the end.

His Majesty,

Is going to start a war against the Chu slaves!

In the county government office, everyone cheered immediately.

Guo Dong looked at the cheering crowd, and at his extremely excited father, he was a little confused. The last time he saw everyone so happy was three years ago, when the people guarding the city saw the figures of their own black-armored cavalry in the distance.

He didn't know why everyone was so happy. Was war something to be happy about?

Guo Dong didn't like war, because every day he looked at his disabled second brother, he was very afraid of the weapons in his house. Looking at them was no different from looking at the graves in the barren graveyard outside the city.

Recently, the events that happened in the capital had already been transmitted over.

The Chu people sent assassins to assassinate His Majesty. The Third Prince sacrificed himself to save his father, and His Majesty was safe and sound.

Guo Dong remembered that his father was very angry that day. When eating at home, he scolded the Chu slaves for being ungrateful and courting death for a full hour!

But,

Guo Dong knew that his father had actually never been to the Chu Kingdom in his life.

Guo Dong didn't feel angry about this, because he heard others say that three years ago on the city wall, his eldest brother died under the Jin people's knife in order to save his father.

Now, he had gotten used to the days of losing his eldest brother, so Guo Dong felt that His Majesty should also get used to the days of losing the Third Prince.

Guo Dong had never told anyone this idea, not even his own father. He didn't dare, because he knew that his idea was somewhat rebellious.

In the county government office, the county magistrate kept shouting, telling everyone about the situation that the Great Yan Kingdom was about to face.

The Chu people and the Qian people had agreed to attack Great Yan together in a few years.

Therefore, we are now going to attack the Chu Kingdom!

Guo Dong had contacted some merchant caravans that came and went to Gu County. He knew one thing: the Qian Kingdom was not far from Gu County. After crossing the Silver Wave Prefecture, he could enter the Qian Kingdom.

And the Chu Kingdom was very, very far from Gu County, and he had to cross the entire Jin Kingdom.

Guo Dong really wanted to ask the county magistrate why His Majesty didn't attack the Qian Kingdom but wanted to attack the Chu Kingdom, but he still didn't dare.

A long time ago, his father had said that he was different from his two older brothers, that he was too timid and too cowardly.

After the county magistrate finished speaking,

Guo Dong saw his father, Guo Dayong, walk forward, facing everyone,

His father shouted:

"Fellow villagers!"

Everyone around Guo Dong shouted;

"We're here!"

Guo Dong also shouted along. He always felt that when his father was facing everyone, his eyes would pay special attention to him, so he didn't dare not shout.

"Have you lost the ability to kill Jin dogs that you had three years ago!"

"We haven't!"

"We haven't!"

"Have you forgotten the bloody nature of the Gu County people!"

"We haven't forgotten!"

"We haven't forgotten!"

"His Majesty's decree has been issued: kill the Chu slaves to avenge the Third Prince and avenge His Majesty!"

"Avenge!"

"Avenge!"

Guo Dong didn't know why the villagers were stirred up by his father's few words.

He didn't want to leave home, he didn't want to leave his mother, and he didn't want to leave Miss A'shui, from across the street, whose marriage was almost settled.

Originally, Miss A'shui's family was very well-off. Her father ran a cloth shop in the city. When the Jin people invaded three years ago, her father, who was delivering goods outside, was killed by the Jin people. When the people died, the goods were gone, and A'shui's family declined.

Because his father became the captain of the Mountain Camp, the two families, who originally had no hope, actually had hope of getting married.

Miss A'shui was very beautiful and different from ordinary girls.

Every night,

Guo Dong lay in bed, feeling itchy in his heart, and would occasionally pat the emptiness beside him, revealing a silly smile.

He didn't want to go to war!

But his father put the set of patched leather armor that his eldest brother had left behind on him.

The patched place was the wound where his eldest brother was stabbed to death.

In this way,

Led by the Gu County military commander, a total of 1,500 young men from Gu County and the surrounding villages set off.

Although his father, Guo Dayong, was still just a captain, he was valued by the county lieutenant, and he was above the 1,500 people second only to the county lieutenant in the team.

After crossing the Matiping Mountain range,

Entering the Jin territory,

The team began to merge with other teams, and the scale was getting bigger and bigger.

When they arrived near Li Tian City, Jin people began to join in, some were laborers, and some were auxiliary soldiers.

Guo Dong didn't know whether the troops of Gu County where he was belonged to auxiliary soldiers or laborers. He didn't ask his father, because it was very likely that his father didn't know either.

But the Jin territory was really big, and he walked for a long time.

………

Yingdu, outside the city.

Xu An lost his parents in the 野人 *ye ren* (barbarian) rebellion two years ago and became an orphan.

However, what made him luckier than most orphans was that he was already fifteen years old when he became an orphan.

So, he could still live his life, and he didn't think he was too pitiful.

During the 野人 *ye ren* (barbarian) rebellion, Yingdu gathered a lot of refugees. After the 野人 *ye ren* (barbarian) rebellion ended, the number of refugees in Yingdu actually didn't decrease.

Because Yingdu is now a transshipment point for military supplies and cargo in the entire Eastern Jin, commerce is very developed, and a lot of laborers are needed on weekdays.

Xu An recognized a foreman as his godfather and worked under his command.

By working hard every day, he could at least earn enough to eat and drink.

A few months ago, troops outside Yingdu City suddenly entered the city, killing many people and ransacking many homes. It was said that it was the Pingye伯 *bo* (earl) from the Yan people who dispatched the troops.

Xu An didn't know exactly what happened. He only knew that many of the once high and mighty adults, no, to be precise, the servants of the high and mighty adults, had begun to appear in their labor teams these days, begging for food.

The godfather sighed to Xu An, saying that people are so fake. One moment you are high above, and the next moment, you may fall down again, down into the mud.

Earlier this month,

The godfather suddenly invited himself to drink.

Xu An didn't like drinking. He preferred to eat meat.

What surprised him was that there was actually a large plate of meat on the table.

The godfather asked him to eat, saying that he had neglected to treat him well on weekdays and had made him suffer.

Xu An ate the meat in big mouthfuls.

The next day,

He was sent to the labor camp by his godfather, replacing his godfather's son and enlisting in this labor service to attack Chu.

Xu An didn't cry or make trouble, and he didn't resent his godfather. He even felt that he had earned it.

That plate of pig head meat was delicious.

Of course,

It wasn't just as simple as pig head meat. Xu An also understood the truth. No matter how fragrant the meat was, it wouldn't be as fragrant as his own life.

But how should he put it,

Xu An's family originally lived in a village near 玉盘城 *Yu Pan Cheng* (Jade Plate City). His parents were actually killed by the Chu people.

At that time, he and his father were captured to Jade Plate City to do hard labor. His mother was also captured, but he didn't know where she was taken. Later, he heard his godfather say that when the Chu people were besieged in 玉盘城 *Yu Pan Cheng* (Jade Plate City), they had no food to eat, so they ate human flesh, of course not their own, but…

A large group of people doing hard labor risked escaping. His father took him with him, and in the end, his father didn't escape, but he hugged a plank and drifted across the Wang River. Eventually, he followed the refugee队伍 *dui wu* (contingent) to the foot of Yingdu City.

So, he actually had a bloody feud with the Chu people.

He didn't have a good impression of the Yan people, because the Yan people in Yingdu had always been arrogant.

But he was willing to have the Yan people attack the Chu Kingdom. Labor service, laborers, it didn't matter.

Xu An was open-minded, really open-minded.

When the laborers crossed the Wang River, there was a problem with a boat, and it capsized.

Xu An was good at swimming and followed a group of people into the water, rescuing a person who was about the same age as him. After asking his name, he learned that the other party was called Guo Dong.

After crossing the Wang River, a school inspector from the army came to organize and assign them.

Jin people and Yan people would also be mixed together to form a队伍 *dui wu* (contingent).

Xu An knew that this was to allow the Yan people to monitor the Jin people.

His godfather would also do this. When working, he would often let the local people in Yingdu and the people who came from outside排班 *pai ban* (arrange shifts) to monitor each other, fearing that people would be dishonest.

What was fortunate was that after Xu An's队伍 *dui wu* (contingent) was reorganized, he actually found that Guo Dong was also here.

Guo Dong's father was considered an official in the labor camp, at least someone who could speak. Under his arrangement, Xu An and Guo Dong were編 *bian* (organised) into the same squad.

Xu An knew that the other party was not grateful to him, but still because he had saved his son, so he still wanted him to continue to save him.

But, being with Guo Dong, the food was much better than it was originally in the Jin camp, and Xu An was very satisfied.

The队伍 *dui wu* (contingent) continued to advance. Laborers and auxiliary soldiers from all over the Yan and Jin kingdoms gathered here in Yingdu, and then set off from Yingdu to cross the Wang River.

After crossing the river, they would disperse again, led by their respective school inspectors and officers, to go to the places where they should go.

The labor营 *ying* (camp) that Xu An and Guo Dong were in had about six thousand people. Their route was to travel in the due east direction.

What was different from other队伍 *dui wu* (contingent) was that when they traveled, they were just traveling. They didn't escort any food or military equipment. It was actually quite easy to just walk on foot.

Guo Dong asked Xu An, why was this?

Xu An asked him back, didn't you like to be lazy the most?

There's nothing for you to transport, your hands and feet won't be worn out, and there's no punishment for being late, isn't that good?

Guo Dong said in a serious manner: I'm worried about what we'll eat when the time comes!

These laborers and auxiliary soldiers couldn't use the military equipment. Unless there were too many people who died in battle on the front line and there was a缺口 *que kou* (gap), auxiliary soldiers would take their place.

But they definitely didn't eat as well as the regular soldiers, but at least they had something to eat!

If they went over empty-handed like this, what would everyone eat when their own food ran out?

Xu An replied that when he was a porter in Yingdu, helping to load and unload official goods and merchant convoys, he had heard people say more than once that the people at Xuehai Pass lived a very good life.

Hearing this, Guo Dong asked in surprise if they were going to Xuehai Pass? He knew about Xuehai Pass, and Lord Pingye伯 *bo* (earl) was their pride!

In the end,

The队伍 *dui wu* (contingent) would naturally not go to Xuehai Pass, but stopped in the northeast of Zhennan Pass.

Everyone was assigned tasks and began to伐 *fa* (fell) wood in the surrounding area to set up camp.

Not the camp they slept in, but the military camp.

During wartime, the energy and rest of the soldiers were very important, so these jobs were basically done by laborers and auxiliary soldiers. What the regular soldiers had to do was to conserve their energy and prepare to kill the enemy on the battlefield.

The next day, a队伍 *dui wu* (contingent) of knights from the north came here, replacing the command of the construction of the camp here, and began to require the laborers and auxiliary soldiers to build the military寨 *zhai* (village) they needed according to their requirements.

The requirements were very high, which meant that Guo Dong and Xu An had to pay twice the effort they had expected.

But when a caravan carrying food came from the north at noon the next day and began to set up stoves to cook, everyone's enthusiasm was instantly ignited, because they saw meat!

The improvement in food greatly stimulated everyone's enthusiasm for work.

Relying on his father Guo Dayong's relationship, Guo Dong could get an extra bowl of meat for each meal and share it with Xu An.

Three days later, the military寨 *zhai* (village) had been built.

Guo Dong and Xu An and others were re-assembled and marched twenty miles to the south to start building the second military寨 *zhai* (village).

When the second military寨 *zhai* (village) was halfway built, a队伍 *dui wu* (contingent) of laborers came from the north. How should I put it? In the eyes of Guo Dong and Xu An, the精气神 *jing qi shen* (spirit, energy, and vitality) of the队伍 *dui wu* (contingent) of laborers who came from the north was much higher than that of their side. When they worked, they would also sing together. Those who knew them knew that they were laborers, and those who didn't know them thought they were soldiers.

Because laborers and auxiliary soldiers did repetitive and boring physical labor every day, it was difficult to maintain high morale, but they did it.

Because of the addition of laborers from the north, the second military寨 *zhai* (village) was built quickly.

Then,

The队伍 *dui wu* (contingent) continued twenty miles south and began to build the third營 *ying* (camp).

Guo Dong naturally didn't understand the reason why he had to keep building營 *ying* (camp)s that they didn't use, and he kept getting angry and dissatisfied.

He didn't dare to vent his anger on others, so he could only vent it on Xu An.

Xu An comforted him, saying that for the sake of the food, just bear with it.

At least, Xu An was satisfied, because he was doing the same job he did in Yingdu, but the food was much better than in Yingdu.

On the day the third營 *ying* (camp) was built,

Eight hundred knights came from the north. Under their arrangement, the laborers from Yan and Jin were required to take a bath in the nearby river, and each 十 *shi* (group of ten) was given a bar of soap to use.

When Guo Dong saw the soap, his eyes straightened. You must know that in Gu County, soap was a precious item that could be used as a dowry. Here, they were actually given to the laborers to use?

Everyone took a bath, and their bodies smelled fragrant. Many people had never been so refreshed and fragrant in their lives.

Some people even invited others to touch themselves after taking a bath, to feel the smoothness of their bodies after using soap.

Then,

The soldiers from the north gathered everyone and restated the military discipline.

In fact, Guo Dong and Xu An had heard these things many times along the way, but here, there were two more: one was that they were not allowed to drink raw water, and the water had to be boiled, and the other was that they had to ensure the cleanliness of the營 *ying* (camp) and their own cleanliness.

After restating these things, the laborers were invited to enter several tents for inspection. Those who entered had to take off all their clothes.

After being inspected, Xu An received a wooden牌子 *pai zi* (badge).

Guo Dong came out with a sad face, and he also held a牌子 *pai zi* (badge) in his hand.

Guo Dayong came here specifically. After seeing the牌子 *pai zi* (badge) in his son's hand, he laughed happily.

It turned out that Xuehai Pass was selecting soldiers, and only those with good physical fitness could be selected.

Guo Dayong was not selected because he was too old and had old injuries, but his son was selected. As a simple and patriotic old man, he was very happy.

After Guo Dayong left, Xu An reached out and poked Guo Dong, asking:

"Why are you still looking so sad?"

Guo Dong said hatefully:

"It's okay to take off all my clothes for inspection, but there was actually a soldier inside, I'm disgusted!"

Xu An laughed.

The laborers who were issued牌子 *pai zi* (badge)s didn't have to do the work of laborers anymore. They were given leather armor and weapons and reorganized.

Since then, in the營 *ying* (camp),

The previous situation where the laborers and auxiliary soldiers were mixed together was gone. The auxiliary soldiers began to conduct daily training, while the laborers continued to be responsible for the work.

Three days later,

Suddenly,

The bugle sounded in the營 *ying* (camp),

Then,

A large black shadow appeared from the north. It was cavalry, so many cavalry.

The gate of the營 *ying* (camp) was opened,

Teams of cavalry began to enter the營 *ying* (camp) in extremely neat formations.

In fact, Guo Dong and Xu An had seen many troops along the way, even the elite iron cavalry of the Zhenbei Army and the Jingnan Army.

But absolutely none of them gave people the shock that the cavalry in front of them did!

That kind of orderliness, that kind of silence, that kind of suppression and murderous aura gave people a very strong visual impact and心灵震撼 *xin ling zhen han* (spiritual shock).

Finally,

Guo Dong and Xu An saw a general wearing golden armor and riding a Pixiu slowly entering the營 *ying* (camp) gate in the队伍 *dui wu* (contingent).

For a time,

All the laborers who came from the north all knelt down,

And shouted:

"Long live Lord Pingye伯 *bo* (earl)!"

"Long live Lord Pingye伯 *bo* (earl)!"

Under this influence, Guo Dong and Xu An and others also knelt down and began to shout.

Guo Dong didn't like war and was afraid of death, but he really admired Lord Pingye and shouted very enthusiastically.

And Zheng伯 *bo* (earl), who was riding on the back of a Pixiu and entering the營 *ying* (camp), had long been accustomed to this kind of public attention and cheering, but this scene still gave him a lot of感触 *gan chu* (feelings).

He turned his head to look at Liang Cheng and the Blind Man, who were riding side by side with him,

And said:

"Remember, more than three years ago, outside 南望城 *Nan Wang Cheng* (South Looking City), I led the soldiers of 翠柳堡 *Cui Liu Bao* (Emerald Willow Fort) on the periphery, and watched the Jingnan Marquis and the Zhenbei Marquis ride Pixius past me like this."

The Blind Man asked: "At that time, did the Master think that a man should be like this, or did he think that I could take his place?"

Zheng伯 *bo* (earl) shook his head,

And said:

"I remember very clearly, what I thought at that time was, why is the队伍 *dui wu* (contingent) so long that it hasn't finished walking yet, this sun, it's so hot."