Chapter One: Achieving Great Merit

  "It's flooding! It's flooding!"

  A burst of terrified screams broke the night's tranquility, followed by a cacophony of noise that echoed through the night sky. Countless armored soldiers hastily fetched water and rushed about, flames dancing on more than ten tents in the center of the military camp.

  "Do not panic, pass on my military order, only the Imperial Guard is allowed to put out the fire, the rest immediately go to defend the moat and prepare for battle with utmost vigilance." A tall and majestic general with a curly beard shouted loudly under the protection of more than a dozen armored soldiers.

  "General's order, go to the defense trench immediately and prepare for battle with strict precautions." The bearded general had just given the command when a lieutenant rushed past, repeating it loudly.

  The bearded officer was taken aback, but then he saw the school lieutenant turn around and face him, saying urgently: "Sir, the fire may have been set by Tang army assassins, you should return to your command tent immediately."

  The lieutenant spoke, taking two steps forward. The officer saw the lieutenant's thick eyebrows and big eyes, his appearance was sturdy and honest, but his gaze was unfamiliar. He immediately changed his expression, wanting to retreat, when suddenly a cold light flashed, a sharp long knife had already flown over and shot straight into his throat.

  Kill! The school lieutenant's sword succeeded in one stroke, and he let out a loud roar. As the sound fell, he leaned back on an iron plate bridge. Amidst the sound of machinery, dozens of strong crossbow arrows shot from both sides. The guards' officers were already aware of the sudden anger and swung their swords to pursue the school lieutenant, but dozens of crossbow arrows stopped them. The armored soldiers hastily retreated to rescue themselves, pulling out the crossbow arrows and dodging. The school lieutenant took advantage of the opportunity to quickly escape.

  "Kill! Kill!" The earth-shaking sound of war drums, hoofbeats and battle cries came from outside.

  The commander was killed, and the army's morale was in disarray. The lieutenant who had successfully assassinated him escaped with the help of his companions for over 20 meters before blending into the troops putting out fires. At that moment, the massive military camp of over 10,000 soldiers collapsed under the dual pressures of internal chaos and external attack, fleeing in defeat. This battle was a major engagement in the struggle between Tang and Yue states for control of Xingzhou.

  When the first light of dawn appeared, the cries of killing that had been going on for half the night finally stopped. On the hillside, on the flat ground, and in the moat, countless bodies lay still, filling the air with a thick smell of blood and the mournful sound of groaning. The victorious soldiers searched among the corpses with their long guns, and those who were too badly wounded, whether friend or foe, were put out of their misery with another shot. Their souls had been numbed by the cruel war, and they believed that it was better to die quickly than to suffer a slow and painful death, an early release from their suffering.

  Four Vietnamese soldiers with bloody wounds were escorted by fourteen Tang Dynasty soldiers. Their exhausted faces had a hint of excitement, not the fear that prisoners should have. They supported each other and stepped over the blood-soaked road, each one proudly holding their heads high.

  Inside the huge military tent, four blood-stained Wu State lieutenants took off their Wu State armor and put on Tang State armor. They knelt down on one knee in unison and said loudly: "Greetings, General of the Army, we have not failed your great trust."

  Inside the military tent, a middle-aged general with a stern face sat behind a temporary desk. He showed a warm smile to the four armored soldiers kneeling before him and nodded: "You were able to return safely, which is very comforting for me. Your merits and the sacrifice of the other six brave warriors who died for the country will certainly be reported to Commander An Hua. Please rise."

  Four men stood up, one of whom was a dark-faced man who said loudly: "Sir, in this assassination operation, Lu Qi should be the first to achieve merit. It was Lu Qi's bravery that killed the main general of Yue State."

  The red-faced officer nodded and looked at a sturdy, thick-browed and big-eyed soldier. The soldier was only in his early twenties, the youngest among them. He immediately spoke respectfully: "Lu Qi's success is all thanks to Wang Zheng's command and coordination, which allowed Lu Qi to return safely. This time, the first credit should go to Wang Zheng."

  Hong Mian nodded and glanced at the dark-faced man, saying in a harmonious tone: "Wang Yong, this time you have made significant contributions, but I hope you can let go of the first achievement."

  The dark-faced man was taken aback, then hastily bowed and said: "I am willing to yield."

  Hong Mian turned to Lu Qi again and said in a gentle tone: "Lu Qi, this time's first achievement, I originally hoped you could also let it go."

  Lu Qi was stunned and subconsciously glanced at Wang Yong, who was his superior and also looked puzzled.

  "Lu Qi, are you unwilling to let go?" The red-faced officer asked again.

  Lu Qi was shocked and hastily said: "I, Lu Qi, yield."

  The red-faced officer nodded and said in a low voice: "Listen, your merits are not small, if I report them to the superior, you will not get too much reward for the merits you fought with your lives. From now on, you must all say that it was Vice Commander Yuwen Tao who led you to carry out the task. Remember, this is a military order, and those who leak it will be beheaded."

  The four guards looked at each other in surprise, dared not disobey the order, and said in unison: "Obey General Zu's military order."

  Hong Mian nodded in satisfaction, Lu Qi hesitated for a moment and respectfully asked: "Sir, I wonder if the reward of 50 taels of gold is still available."

  The red-faced official looked at him and smiled faintly: "You want a reward."

  Lu Qi said respectfully: "Yes, we really need a reward."

  Hong Mian looked at him for a while, and said coldly: "If you take the reward, you will not be able to stay in the army and become an official in the future. You have to choose between these two options."

  Lu Qi said with respect: "Sir, my mother is weak and our family is poor. I hope to get the reward money back home to support her."

  Hong Mian nodded after a moment of hesitation, saying: "It's rare that you have a filial heart, I'm willing to help you out. If you can guarantee to keep your mouth shut after returning home, I'll try to get you a noble title as a reward."

  Lu Qi hurriedly squatted down on one knee and respectfully said: "Lu Qi guarantees he will keep his mouth shut, thank you for your kindness, Sir."

  Hong Mian turned his head and shouted: "Is there anyone else who wants to leave the army and return home?"

  The other three shook their heads, this time the great achievement was a major turning point in life, and later in the military they would all be promoted to real power leaders, at that time the benefits obtained were not just fifty taels of gold, the three people in their hearts felt regret and incomprehension towards Lu Qi's choice.

  Team leader Wang Yong respectfully said: "Sir, please introduce to me Deputy Lieutenant Yuwen Tao of the Flying Wing, so that in the future we can avoid any mistakes."

  The red-faced official hesitated for a moment, and then said in a gentle tone: "Yuwen Tao is the nephew of the current Minister of Personnel, you should also know that the five most powerful families in Tang Dynasty are the ones with the greatest influence, from the imperial court to the nine streams of society, everywhere. This time your merits are related to the Yuwen family, and it will be a great opportunity for your future prospects. After reporting back, it won't take long for the imperial court to issue a public notice to heavily reward you. Alright, just roughly understand that's all, go back and rest well."

  "Thanks for your support, sir." The four warriors thanked in unison.

  Four people returned to a military account, as soon as they entered the door, a square-faced man said angrily: "Damn it, we risked our lives to build merit, and after coming back from the dead, we were robbed of the first achievement by others, damn it, it's infuriating."

  "Wang Ping, if you want to stay alive, shut your mouth." Team leader Wang Yong coldly scolded in a low voice.

  "Wang Ping, trouble comes from the mouth. We're lucky to be alive and back. If you can't control your tongue, it's better to cut it off." Another round-faced, handsome man followed up with a cold tone, Wang Ping glared at him and fell silent.

  Wang Yong turned his head and said: "Lu Qi, why return to your hometown? Staying in the army will get you a real official position, don't you know that?"

  Lu Qi and Sheng Dao said: "Brother Wang, the real reason why I chose to return home is somewhat taboo, but all I can say is that I have no great ambitions, I just want to go back and take care of my mother and live a ordinary life."

  Wang Yong and Sheng said: "Everyone has been fighting together for three years, and they are already as close as brothers. What forbidden words have not been spoken? Is it that you brothers do not have confidence in the future of the army, so you want to return home and keep a low profile?"

  Lu Qi hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said: "Brother Wang, my late father was once a general of the Shouzhou Shenwu Army. He was wounded in the Battle of Shouzhou and before he died, he told me that the imperial court values civil officials over military officers, and is at peace in the southern regions without knowing the danger. He instructed me to try not to join the army, so I'm taking this opportunity to make a name for myself and then retire."

  Wang Yong grunted and nodded, the round-faced man suddenly turned cold and said: "At a time when the country is in danger, Brother Lu thinks he can stay out of it, but that's impossible. Even if you have the privilege of being exempt from military service as a meritorious official, this kind of privilege is useless during this period. In my opinion, Brother Lu's martial arts are strong, and General Bingma won't really let him go. After the battle in Xinfeng is over, even if Brother Lu leaves the army, he will be appointed as a Wu San Guan, it's hard to get rid of his military status, and he can be summoned back by military orders at any time."

  Lu Qiyan was stunned and nodded in agreement: "Brother Zhu is right, I also think that every day I can live a carefree life is a good day."

  A round-faced man's expression turned gentle and said: "The most important thing for a man in his life is to make achievements and have descendants. Brother Lu is still young, as an elder brother, I know that you are not yet married. This time when you return home, you must quickly take a wife and concubine and have children. As I expected, within two years, you will definitely return to the army again."

  Lu Qi was taken aback and calmly said, "Brother Zhu has hit the nail on the head. This time I gave up the promotion to official position, it's just that I want to go home to take care of my mother and get married to have children."

  The round-faced man smiled and said: "Brother's skills are obvious to everyone, and after returning to the army in the future, he will surely be reused by Lord Hu."

  Lu Qi and Sheng Dao said: "If we return to the army again, I hope brothers will continue to support me."

  Wang Yong took over the conversation with a smile: "We are good brothers, of course we will take care of each other. Alright, let's talk about future things in the future, today we're lucky to be back, now what we need to do is drink and celebrate, getting drunk is the best rest."

  Wang Ping's spirit lifted at the side, he raised his head and laughed: "Good, let's drink wine to celebrate."

  Wang Yong turned his head and laughed, saying: "You're a big drunkard." Wang Ping stretched out his hand to pat his head, grinning foolishly, the atmosphere in the military tent suddenly changed from cold and solemn to warm.