Chapter 5 Spring Dawn (Part 1)

  The training ground of the Fei Long Imperial Guard is located at Baima Fort, ten miles south of the city. It's more like a small town than a military camp. Since the eleventh year of the Kaiyuan era, His Majesty the Emperor has adopted the suggestion of Prime Minister Zhang Yue and gradually replaced the Fubing system with the Mubing system. This place has become the inspection and training ground for new recruits of the Imperial Guard. The people of Tang Dynasty are still proud of their military tradition, and young men often consider it an honor to fight for the country. Therefore, the selection criteria for the Imperial Guard have been raised again and again. In addition to physical health, they also require a strong family background, many brothers, bravery, and good moral character. As a result, those who can join the Imperial Guard are not short of money, and it's common for them to take leave after training to buy wine and meat in the surrounding area. The locals see an opportunity and spontaneously form a market to sell daily necessities and snacks to earn copper coins from the soldiers. Soon, the first batch of people who did business with the Imperial Guard became rich. The reputation of the Imperial Guard being "wealthy and foolish" quickly spread, and various businessmen gathered around Baima Fort. Over time, tea houses, wine shops, and brothels were established near the military camp, and the area was bustling with activity day and night, almost surpassing the famous Pingkangli in the city.

  But today, the atmosphere of Baima Castle seems a bit desolate. The sun has risen high, but the shops near the barracks are still tightly closed. There is no one around the stall that used to sell mutton soup, and under the large pot that three people could barely hold together, there is only a pile of white ash. Occasionally, when the wind blows by, the completely weightless ash flies up, making the surrounding scenery even more bleak.

  More than two months ago, Wang Xuan had been dragged by Yuwen Zhi and others to Baima Fort for a feast. The most memorable thing in his memory was this huge iron pot near the military camp. Seeing the desolate scene before him, he couldn't help but pause for a moment, rein in his horse, raise his head and look around.

  After a glance, he was even more shocked. The memory of the bustling scene where people came and went freely with all four gates open had long since disappeared. In its place was a heavily guarded military stronghold with sentry posts everywhere. At the main gate, several sons of officials from the capital who had arrived early were ordered to dismount and line up in a row. All the large and small packages they carried were thrown aside, and some servants volunteered to pick them up, only to be beaten by the military officers.

  "Grandma's, did you think this was a sightseeing trip to play in the mountains and waters? And yet you're carrying so many things." A man with a huge scar on his face yelled while whipping around with a leather whip. "Look at your bear-like appearance, how dare you say you've come to serve as imperial guards! If something happens, will His Majesty protect you or will you protect His Majesty? Put down your hands and straighten your waist. Haven't eaten breakfast yet? Go back home and eat first, then come back!"

  Wang Jun's heart "thumped" as his beautiful imagination about the Fei Long Forbidden Army was swept away. Among the people queuing up to be scolded, there were several familiar faces. They were all evil young masters who walked horizontally in the capital, and usually wouldn't even give way to the official sedan chair of the Imperial Censor-in-Chief. Now, they were stuffed into the military camp gate by their parents, but were being scolded like a grandson by a seventh-rank deputy captain - the scene was as ridiculous as it could be.

  At this moment, a large group of Feilong Jinjun officers and men ran past him from behind, each with their helmets askew and sweat dripping from their brows. Seeing the new recruit being scolded at the gate, everyone's face revealed an obvious expression of schadenfreude. "Someone else has come to get scolded again, what a rare treat this year!" "Isn't this just asking for trouble? Heh heh, good days are not meant to be wasted, yet they want to be treated like donkeys!"

  "Come on, you few, hurry up!" Another officer in a military uniform rode over, waving a white wax stick in his hand and hitting the backs of several people at the edge of the team with a "slap". "Don't block here, either report to the camp gate or go home quickly!" The officer turned his head, shouting angrily at Wang Xun and his servant beside him, then rode off rapidly.

  "Virtue! Isn't it just killing a few big cannibals? What's there to brag about?" A battered Flying Dragon Guard spat at the officer's back and cursed in a low voice.

  "It's just that we won't have a chance to go. Otherwise, how would those country bumpkins from Anxi County get the opportunity to show off!" Another Flying Dragon Guard stretched out his tongue and panted heavily while quietly agreeing.

  Wang Xuan nudged his horse away, trying to distance himself from the soldiers returning from their morning exercise. It was clear that the Flying Dragon Guards had been worn out by the officials brought by Feng Changqing. Thinking that he would soon become one of them, Wang Xuan couldn't help but hesitate again. The Flying Dragon Guards were indeed a good place to avoid trouble, but to exhaust himself in the army camp for a calamity that had not yet occurred, this price might be too high.

  Just as he was hesitating whether to go home and think about it or to take a deep breath and rush in, a familiar voice suddenly came from beside his ear, extremely low, as if coming out of the ground. "Second brother, you're here too, hurry up and send your servants back home. Let them bring things back, except for a few changes of clothes, don't bring anything else!"

  "Shou zhi?" Wang Jun heard the voice and turned his head, behind his own horse's buttocks, he found his good friend Ma Fang, who was wearing a small soldier's uniform. "What's with this outfit? When did you arrive? Didn't you just report for duty today?"

  "Never mind!" Ma Fang, who was as tall as two wax candles, looked around and hid behind Wang Xun's horse, "My father dislikes me at home, so he sent me here early yesterday. He's afraid I'll die too slowly, so he told General Feng to be strict with me. And now, with a wave of General Feng's hand, I've been demoted from an officer to a soldier! Don't ask me about it, just do as I say quickly. Quickly, quickly!"

  He finished speaking, turned around and ran towards a team that had just returned from exercise not far away, afraid of being seen by the officer in charge and getting a whipping.

  "Grandma's, it's either good fortune or bad luck, but bad luck can't be avoided!" It was said that Old Man Ma personally sent his son to be taught a lesson by Feng Changqing. Wang Xun suddenly became furious in his heart. He had never believed that Old Man Ma would really harm his own flesh and blood. The conflicts between Ma Fang and his father were usually more like a kind of alternative affection. One side was very stubborn, so he hardened his heart to be a strict father. The other side would do the opposite of what his father said, in order to show that he had already grown up.

  For Wang Jun, a child who lost his parents at a young age, wanting a father like Ma Lao Ye was also a luxury. As if someone was watching him from behind, he smiled and instructed the two servants, Wang Ji and Wang Xiang, who had followed him to report to the military camp, "Leave the package with my spare clothes, take everything else back! Tell Cloud Aunt not to worry about me!"

  "Master Hou!?" Wang Ji loudly protested, "This is the purple orchid that was collected for you over three days. If you..."

  "Didn't you see what's going on over there?" Wang Xuan pointed with his whip towards the entrance of the camp, reminding him in a bad mood. Those who had reported earlier had already entered the camp one after another, and their luggage was all thrown outside the camp gate. The servants couldn't get their masters' orders, nor did they dare to go back and report, so they stood by the luggage, at a loss for what to do.

  "Go back and tell Yuniang clearly, it's a military camp requirement. General Feng governs the army with strictness, we can't give him trouble!" Looking at Wang Ji and Wang Xiang's pitiful appearance, Wang Xun smiled again and slowed down his tone. "Anyway, this place is not far from our home. After a few days when the camp is not strictly managed, I'll ask someone to send you a message, and you can secretly bring me the things. Isn't that a win-win situation? Why do you need to follow me now? The things can't enter the camp gate, and it will also drag me down to be whipped for nothing?"

  Wang Ji and Wang Xiang thought for a moment, also understanding that the Fei Long Forbidden Army camp was different from before. They could only nod their heads, pick out a package of clothes from Wang Xun's luggage, re-load the other luggage onto the horseback, and leave dejectedly.

  He saw them off into the distance in the autumn wind, Wang Xun took a deep breath, pulled his horse and a small dry package, and walked towards the military camp.

  He had just seen clearly from a distance that the officer on duty had already looked at him. At this moment, seeing that he could disperse his servants and refuse extra luggage, he couldn't help but have a good impression of him in his heart. The scar-faced officer in charge of arranging new recruits to enter the camp smiled rarely, and asked in a relatively gentle tone: "What's your name? What's your age? Where do you live? And what are your credentials for entering the camp?"

  "My name is Wang Xuan, courtesy name Mingyun, I'm seventeen this year, from Chongren Fang in my hometown. My recommender is General Feng Changqing, here's my token!" Wang Xuan stood up straight with his legs together, respectfully reported his name and handed over his token.

  "What?" The surrounding officers were shocked when they heard the three words "Feng Changqing". The team leader, a scar-faced man, stood up straight and took the token from Wang Chun's hands, flipping it over several times before smiling and nodding his head. He handed the token back to Wang Chun, saying, "No mistake, this is indeed the token sent out by General Feng. Since you've caught General Feng's eye, you must be quite capable. Do a good job and don't embarrass our general!"

  Having said that, he patted Wang Yong's shoulder forcefully and called over a few soldiers to lead him directly into the depths of the military camp.

  It wasn't until Wang Xuan led the horse away that the other officers, who were also responsible for arranging the new recruits, came back to their senses. They pulled at Scarface and asked in a flurry of questions: "Old Zhou, you didn't make a mistake, did you? This is just a half-grown kid? General Feng will personally be his guarantor?"

  "Is that so? The fur hasn't even grown yet? It can't be a waistband bought with money from elsewhere. This capital city is not like Anxi, I've heard that as long as you have money, anything can be bought!"

  "Shut your stinking mouths!" The officer with the surname Zhou glared, his long scar twitching as he spoke. "What nonsense are you spouting? Can our great general be bribed with money? He's taken a liking to someone who's just a half-grown kid, but who says that a half-grown kid can't do anything? Ambition isn't limited by age. Think back to when our great Tang Taizong Emperor followed his grandfather in rising up in arms - he was only in his early twenties too. Yet he still managed to defeat all the heroes of the land and leave them scrambling to pick up their teeth..."

  When he mentioned the war of founding the Great Tang, all the military officers smiled and closed their mouths. Yes, what can age explain? Our Great Tang looks at people, looking at their abilities. Li Xiaogong, Xu Shi, Luo Shixin, and even Emperor Taizong himself back then, who wasn't leading an army alone when they were young and making achievements?

  Our great Tang Dynasty, from generation to generation, has produced heroes and outstanding figures, making the four barbarians submit and the eight directions tremble with awe.

  Note 1: The Tang Six Codes records, "All the prefectures in the country who recruit soldiers and select households with many people, talented and brave individuals, choose those who have previously held official positions or have military merit, are partially strong and wise, and can command and control, promote them to the rank of commander-in-chief to lead them."