Chapter 21: Undercurrents

  Later, those who had sneaked out of the camp that night to cover for them were also sent to the middle camp to do hard labor. Then someone from the old emperor's place impeached me for being cruel and abusing my power by using corporal punishment on my subordinates. I was summoned for questioning, but I argued eloquently, saying that they were too idle and bored, and even had the nerve to flirt with women while escaping, so severe punishment was necessary to maintain order in the army where many women were present. And so the matter was dropped. (Who let the emperor bring the most women around him)

  The woman was brought back by someone, and she became my private property. She begged me to take her in, but at that time, her face was covered with dust and dirt, so I couldn't see what she looked like. It was obvious that she had disguised herself for safety reasons. Unfortunately, she couldn't escape the evil gaze of humans.

  I wasn't interested in her because I had seen many beautiful women around the emperor every day. I only asked her name, which was Chū Qíng, and then sent her to take care of Yǔ ér. Unexpectedly, soon after she left, someone accused me of secretly hiding a woman (according to the Tang Dynasty law, privately bringing a woman into the army is a serious crime). In the end, no evidence was found, and the accuser was reprimanded.

  Now that I think about it, both incidents are related. Someone must have arranged for Chū Qíng to be sent to my tent in the military camp, and someone must have hinted to her that staying by my side would be the safest option. It's clear that those people from the Northern Army were involved.

  All of the above, whether I like it or not, has led to an inevitable confrontation with the Northern Army's Five Tigers. It's a done deal now. In the past, I've read many stories that follow a similar pattern, where the main character possesses incredible powers or obtains extraordinary abilities, but is manipulated by mediocre people and shallow schemers, often leading to their downfall or even destruction of their family. These supposedly invincible heroes are then outsmarted by childish and shallow plots, or they naively let go of despicable villains with powerful backgrounds, allowing them to gather followers and create endless trouble and setbacks for themselves. Later, after reaching a dead end, they suddenly rise to power and become a dominant force, accumulating immense strength over the years, only to exact revenge in a grandiose and convoluted manner, becoming laughable and pathetic heroes who claim that their growth came at a great cost, or those who are self-exiled and self-destructive due to trivial emotional issues. There are many more examples like this, which make my blood boil with rage. (That's why I prefer reading history, the kind that weaves together chance and necessity, reality and cruelty.)

  I'm not a fool to make the same mistake, I've seen how those in power struggle and scheme against each other in history books. Since they're called the Five Tigers, they must have more than just some second-rate tricks up their sleeves. The future is bound to be even more exciting. Of course, I'm not afraid of trouble (I'm just a bit lazy at times). With my new title as a Scatter Cavalry Attendant, accompanying the emperor isn't just about being a simple bodyguard, but also participating in governance (although I don't have much influence yet). Those who want to impeach me won't find it so easy; even if they try to secretly undermine me, they'll have to think twice. If necessary, I can use those eunuchs to my advantage. There's no need to be polite with them; as long as they keep a close eye on me, the moment something happens, it'll be their turn to worry about having a hard time. Thinking of this, my mood suddenly lifted.

  He then beckoned to a young soldier, "Get me Old Cheng", Xi Si was a regular soldier and there were some things that weren't convenient for him to do. Old Cheng was different, his full name was Cheng Shili, the little girl called him Da Tou (Big Head).

  Cheng Shili's subordinates were a motley crew, with five colors and eight banners, who stood out in our army for their gaudy appearance. Even their armor and clothes were looted from the bodies of pursuing soldiers. Cheng himself was one of those men who looked robust and majestic at first glance, but had a cruel face that didn't look like he was any good. After becoming an official military officer for a few days, he turned into this kind of person.

  Four days and six hours ago, I was still leading a group of over 40 brothers in a penniless business. Unfortunately, the unscrupulous person who didn't see us as a group of people running ahead, thought we were a super fat sheep that suddenly fell from the sky after months of dull business, and saw the luxurious clothes of the little girl riding a horse with over ten guards following her, thinking of making a big profit. Unexpectedly, these fat sheep that should have been scared out of their wits didn't show any fear or surprise, but instead showed strange expressions like excitement, astonishment, and frenzy as if they had taken the wrong medicine. The little girl who seemed to be the weakest and most timid clapped her hands and shouted a sentence that made many people want to bang their heads against the wall: "Great, finally saw the mountain bandits!" The shout to leave behind valuables was stuck in her throat, and then she was chased by our group of people who were sweating profusely, almost driving them crazy. Just as they were about to be surrounded by a large group of imperial guards, not one of them escaped.

  I said they were just thieves who didn't harm people, so I let my subordinates spare their lives. As a result, they were moved to tears, saying that no one had ever treated them so well before. The government and those heroes would only shout and curse at them, but now they were kneeling down and hugging my legs, begging to follow me through thick and thin to repay the kindness of not killing them. Originally, I could have killed all these annoying guys, but thinking that someone was willing to be a meat shield for me and die in vain, it would be better to let them live. After taking over their mountain stronghold and confiscating their wealth, which would greatly benefit us, I gave them the title of temporary bodyguards. Anyway, now that I'm a general, I can form my own personal bodyguards, even though many people have objections. But these guys do have some bravery and martial arts skills, and although they are not well-behaved, they fight very hard (because I let them develop their self-reliance and hard work spirit, which means they need to solve the problem of equipment by themselves). Gradually, they gained recognition among the lower-level soldiers in the army who valued strength. Now it's time for him to show off his skills.

  I didn't find him for anything, and I didn't do anything. It's just that I happened to hear some officials' names from Gao Lixi, so I asked Cheng Datou to pay a visit to their families. Don't get me wrong, I would never do something as despicable as threatening or intimidating people. I really was just letting him kindly ask about the well-being of those people's families, nothing more.

  Of course, someone with a rough and menacing appearance, who not long ago was still in the business of killing and robbing, now suddenly appears before you, forcing a smile and asking about your family's well-being, if they're eating and sleeping well, if everything is safe on their journey, hinting at whether they need special care from our superiors... such words of concern, do they have credibility or persuasive power? What kind of associations will they produce in people's minds? That's not my problem.