Chapter 71: A Chaotic Dawn

  The next day at 3 am, the night sky was still dotted with stars.

  A low, muffled drumbeat broke the stillness of the night.

  The Qin military law: Gather upon hearing the drum.

  The quiet barracks burst into life, with the awakened soldiers cursing continuously. However, almost no one got out of bed, and most of them just covered their heads with their blankets and continued to snore loudly.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Over a hundred people in black clothes held torches and stood quietly around the school field.

  On the martial arts platform stood four iron triangular frames, on which hung cauldrons filled with butter oil, and the cauldrons were burning fiercely.

  Huáng Fǔ Zhàn Wén, dressed in full armor, stood on the martial arts stage with a gloomy expression along with Qín Léi. There was only one minute left until 3 o'clock, and yet there were only a few sparse groups of people in the field, making it almost impossible to complete the assembly on time.

  Huang Pu Zhanwen felt he should say something, so he steeled himself and spoke in a low voice to Qin Lei: "Your Highness, please calm down. It's the first time we've gathered at midnight, the soldiers may not be used to it. Tomorrow will definitely be better."

  Qin Lei glanced at him and said in a low voice, "General Huangfu, if the enemy launches a night attack, will they wait for us to get up at dawn before coming?"

  Huang Pu Zhan's face turned pale upon hearing the words, and he forced a smile, saying: "This is the heartland of Great Qin, where would enemies come from? If we were on the battlefield, it wouldn't be like this. It wouldn't be like this."

  Qin Lei snorted: "Usually so lax and sloppy, what makes you think they can go to the battlefield? Just wait for the camp to be blasted."

  He saw Huangfu Zhanwen's expression was not satisfied, turned around to face him, and said seriously: "Do you know how long it took for the state army of Qi Guo with the lowest combat effectiveness to recover normally after being raided at 5 am?"

  Huang Pu Zhan Wen remained silent, he knew that Qin Lei said so, it must be to leave a deep impression on him.

  "Less than twenty breaths!" Qin Lei almost roared. Pointing at the sloppy soldiers in the field, he growled: "Take another look at our so-called number one army in the world, the Great Qin Army. Even if you didn't let you go back to inform yesterday, as soon as the third watch came, we beat the drum and gathered. Now it's already three beats of the drum. You count how many people have come!"

  Huangfu Zhan's face was filled with pain as he knelt down on both knees, knocking his head and saying: "Zhan is guilty of being remiss in his duties, I await your punishment."

  Qin Lei's tone slowed down: "I know you are the prince's guards, usually only for ceremonial purposes, and rarely have the opportunity to fight in battle. As a general, watching others fight and gain merit, but having no share of their own, it is inevitable that they will feel disheartened and lazy, so they relaxed their discipline over the soldiers somewhat. This can be understood."

  Huang Pu Zhanwen was poked to the point of pain, and he cried out in a hoarse voice: "Your Highness! This general is confused!" His head was deeply buried in his arms, and his shoulders slightly trembled.

  The scene was seen by the soldiers below, and they naturally felt uneasy. They stared at every move on stage with bated breath, afraid that some disaster would befall them.

  Qin Lei helped him up, patted the dirt off his body and said warmly: "Since the Crown Prince and I want to train a strong army, it's certainly not for show. There will be opportunities for generals to use their skills. It depends on whether you still have that ambition."

  Huang Pu Zhan wiped his eyes with the cuff of his sleeve, his face twisted in a scowl: "Since being squeezed out of the Imperial Forest Army, I've had countless dreams of returning to the battlefield. If Your Highness can give me this chance, even if it means selling my life to you, so be it!"

  "Give me your trust and you can live out the rest of your days enjoying this world," Qin Lei said with a smile.

  Huangfu Zhanwen was just about to respond when the fourth watch drum sounded, and it was already three quarters past the hour of the Tiger.

  Qin Lei waved his hand, and Zhong Likan led a team of black-clad men to seal off the main gate, blocking the soldiers who were continuously entering from outside.

  Qin Lei nodded at Huangfu Zhanwen and took a step forward, loudly commanding: "Form up!"

  The soldiers in the arena stepped forward, twenty men in a row, and formed ten rows of seventy people.

  Huangfu Shengwen's face turned iron-green as he saluted Qin Lei and said, "Reporting to Your Highness, the 5,000-strong Imperial Guard has assembled 207 people on time. Please mete out punishment." Just as he was about to kneel down, Qin Lei shook his head to stop him.

  Qin Lei stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Huang Fu Shengwen, and said loudly to the two hundred and seven people in the empty school field: "You welcomed me yesterday, I was very moved. But today, you were disturbed by me, are you resentful?"

  At this time, even those who didn't open their eyes didn't dare make a sound. So no one responded to Qin Lei.

  He let out a slight cough, thinking of the bold and daring team members in the mountains of Qi State. Qin Lei dryly laughed and pointed at a tall and robust soldier in the front row, asking: "What's your name?"

  The soldier shouted loudly: "If you want to go back to the palace, I am called Xu Shitou."

  Qin Lei didn't investigate the origin of his name and directly asked: "Xu Shitou, I've come to ask you, why aren't you late like everyone else?"

  Xu Shitou stood there motionless and replied: "Because Ma Liu called us to get up, he has more heart than us. We all listen to him."

  Qin Lei said in surprise: "So you're saying all of you were called up by Ma Liu?"

  Everyone nodded together.

  Qin Lei said with interest: "Ma Liu Zi, come out and stand in front."

  A sharp-mouthed, monkey-faced soldier emerged from the team, not tall, but with a clever air about him. Qin Lei thought to himself that this name was too good, 'Ma Wai' wasn't just a monkey? With a stern face, he asked: "Ma Liu, tell me what you were thinking at the time?"

  Ma Liu's son scratched his head and smiled, saying: "I don't dare say."

  Qin Lei's face was stern as he said, "I'll pardon your crime. Speak quickly."

  Ma Liu-zi then chuckled and said, "To answer Your Highness's question, in the play, when the great general first takes command of the army, there will be a scene where they strike the drum to summon the generals. If anyone fails to arrive on time, they will be beheaded. I thought to myself, 'I mustn't be beheaded,' so I shouted for my brothers to come with me."

  Qin Lei heard this and laughed scoldingly: "You little brat thinks you're a general? According to what you said, should I have killed the more than 4,000 who didn't arrive?"

  "It's not like that, I just don't want to be bullied, but I didn't mean to curse the Tang suit."

  Qin Lei deliberately put on a serious face and said: "Have you ever thought that by setting yourselves apart, won't you invite jealousy from others?"

  Ma Liu's bitter smile said: "Indeed, I have thought about it." Then the monkey face straightened up and shouted in a sharp voice: "The little man doesn't know many characters, but he also understands that evil cannot overcome justice. Just because you're afraid of this or that, you can't disobey military discipline!"

  Qin Lei applauded and said: "Good one, evil can't defeat justice! Right! Ma Liu, you're absolutely right, and you've done a great job. As long as you think it's right, you should stick to it, don't care about what others think." Turning his head to face the slightly relieved Huangfu Zhanwen, he smiled: "General Huangfu, this soldier of yours is quite good!"

  Huang Pu Zhanwen smiled and nodded in agreement: "Indeed, it makes me, Mo Jiang, feel ashamed."

  Qin Lei sank his voice and said to Huangfu Zhanwen, "Today is indeed unexpected. Originally, I wanted to proceed with the selection directly."

  Huang Pu Zhan couldn't help but smile wryly in his heart, and could only admit that he was out of luck.

  Qin Lei continued: "It seems that we must first rectify military discipline before anything else."

  Huang Pu Zhan Wen nodded and clasped his fists: "Everything depends on your orders, Your Highness."

  Qin Lei thought for a moment and said in a low voice: "I have three suggestions. First, heavily reward Ma Liu and others, the reward should be heavy. Second, punish all soldiers who did not come, but it's not suitable to be too severe. Third, start queue training from today, temporarily set for one month."

  Huang Pu Zhan thought for a moment, wanting to say something but hesitating and not daring to speak. Qin Lei knew he was intimidated by his own loudness. He chuckled softly and said: "If you want to say something, just say it, I've always been lenient with my own brothers." The last sentence was directed at Shen Qing who was standing beside him.

  Shen Qing nodded reluctantly in agreement.

  Huangfu Zhan sighed inwardly at the misfortune of meeting such a person, and said in a serious tone: "Your Highness agreed with the first two clauses, but what's the point of this last one?"

  Qin Lei smiled in his heart, thinking that it was useless. He had been trained from a small rascal to become a soldier back then. However, he couldn't explain it like this and only said vaguely: "Don't worry, Brother Huangfu, this method is specifically for treating all kinds of unruly and disobedient people. It's guaranteed to be effective."

  Huang Fu Zhan Wen didn't say anything else, nodded and said: "This general will execute it." Then he loudly declared to the soldiers below: "Today, His Highness is thinking of your loyalty and dedication, specially granting each of you 20 taels of silver, one piece of silk. Ma Liu has another reward, which will be announced later. Don't thank me yet."

  The imperial guards each received only three taels of silver as their monthly allowance, but now they were suddenly rewarded with so much more. The soldiers were overjoyed and shouted in unison: "Thank you, Your Highness, for your great kindness! Thank you, Your Highness, for your great kindness!"

  After they cheered, Huang Pu Zhan Wen asked Qin Lei if there was anything else. Qin Lei shook his head and Huang Pu Zhan Wen ordered the team to disperse.

  When he was about to leave, Qin Lei suddenly stopped him and asked: "Huangfu brother, what punishment do you want to give those soldiers?"

  Huangfu Zhenwen said with a stern expression: "According to the great Qin military law, if the drumbeat stops and you have not arrived, you will be beheaded."

  Qin Lei smiled and looked at him, knowing there was more to come.

  "However, since Your Highness has said to be lenient, then twenty military cudgels for each of them will do."

  Qin Lei bitterly smiled and said: "Huangfu big brother, are you trying to get us killed?"

  ----------------------------------------------------- Divider -----------------------------------------------------

  Went to watch the closing ceremony, today is the fourth chapter, 14,000 words already.

  Everyone continues to collect and recommend, maybe it can force out Chapter 5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~