Chapter Nineteen

  "General, what's next?" asked Shang Zhixiao and Gao Xing in a low voice as they entered the forest.

  "Dispatch a company of scouts, in groups of ten, to closely monitor the enemy situation and report back to me at any time on Chen's military movements." Gaixing ordered.

  "Yes." Not yet abandoning his mission, he continued deeper into the forest with excitement.

  "General."

  Almost a thousand men in black clothes who were originally sitting on the ground, seeing the excitement of the arrival, quickly stood up, stood upright and saluted.

  "Everyone, no need to be polite, just sit down and continue resting. Since we secretly set out from Xuyi City, we've been circling around in a big loop, bypassing the enemy's rear, and covering nearly a thousand miles of winding roads. We haven't had a good rest yet." As he spoke, he himself plopped down on the ground with a thud.

  "General, a thousand miles is nothing compared to our daily training!" A loud and rough voice rang out, spoken by an ordinary soldier, in his early twenties, with a robust build.

  "Hey, young fellow, since you're so spirited, I'll treat you to a small feast when we return to Xuyi City. I guarantee it will be to your satisfaction!" He said with excitement and playfulness, looking at the youth.

  "Right, right, General, it should be this way."

  "The puppy is really energetic, training itself every day and often forcing itself to compete."

  "Yes, Gou Wazi has been harboring a grudge for not being selected as a special soldier. He's been shouting that he wants to compete with the special soldiers and prove himself to the general!"

  "Really?" asked excitedly and curiously, staring at the young man named Gou Wazi.

  The puppy was taken aback and didn't know how to respond, but just looked happy.

  "Doggy boy, quickly tell the general your thoughts, aren't you always trying to prove yourself?"

  "Hurry up!" The other soldiers also urged anxiously.

  The little dog's face suddenly turned bright red, his eyebrows furrowed, wanting to say something, but couldn't open his mouth. His eyes were both anxious and helpless as he looked at the crowd. Excitedly, he also noticed that in the depths of his eyes, there was a hint of fiery longing.

  "Yao Zhong!" Gao Xing suddenly shouted loudly.

  "Here!" The puppy sprang up from the ground, stood at attention, and straightened his body as straight as a javelin.

  "Speak your mind." He asked lightly, looking at him with a smile.

  "General, I..." Yao Zhong opened his mouth, but still didn't say it.

  "Ah, you think you're a soldier? Where's your military bearing? I didn't teach you to be like this! Go do some push-ups and come back when you can speak properly!"

  "Yes." Yao Zhong responded with a single word and walked over to one side to carry out the order.

  "General, the puppy's training results are all excellent. Why don't you let him join the special forces?" A soldier leaned in front of Gao Xing and asked softly, looking at Gao Xing's eyes full of admiration, but without fear.

  Yao Zhong glanced over at Wu Shao, who was still doing push-ups with great effort, and slowly said: "Wu Shao, you and your thousand brothers are all among the best of the 20,000 regular troops in Xuyi. The difference between you and those special forces is actually not that big. Don't you feel resentful towards me for not letting you join the Special Forces Battalion?"

  The man who had just spoken was Wu Shao, and he hastily shook his head and replied: "Now that we have food and clothing without worry, and can also go to battle with the general, we are already content. If it weren't for the general, we would have long since starved to death on the streets, and our gratitude wouldn't be enough, where would we dare blame you!" His eyes were filled with emotion, but in the depths of his pupils, there was a faint hint of loss.

  He looked at him deeply with a smile, then swept his gaze over the nearly thousand dull faces of the soldiers and said: "You don't have to say it, I know that everyone here is disappointed because they didn't get into the special forces. That not only represents promotion and wealth, but also means honor for soldiers. A soldier who doesn't want to be a general isn't a good soldier. I'm glad and relieved that you can make progress."

  Everyone was silent, except for the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves and a warm, pleasant voice.

  "Two months ago, I selected 1,500 people from 20,000 soldiers for special training. Two months later, 400 soldiers who failed to complete the training task were eliminated, and 100 outstanding ones entered the Special Forces Brigade. The remaining 1,000 of you have been reorganized into a cavalry regiment."

  "For two months, you have survived the strict and cruel training, passed the test of layers, in my heart, you are as good as the special forces, you are not only my best soldiers but also brothers who fight with me. You are heroes of Xuyi City, guardians of our home, and the most lovely people in this world!" The tone was excited and sincere, looking at the gaze of the soldiers were all praise.

  The soldiers were all moved in their hearts, and they looked at him excitedly with unusually hot eyes. Even Yao Zhong, who was doing push-ups, stopped for a moment before continuing.

  "You and the special forces, as well as the ordinary soldiers of Yingying City, are all soldiers. Your duties are to defend your homes and country. The difference lies only in the direction you excel in and the tasks you execute. You are my delightful troops, my pride! There is no need to worry about this matter anymore!"

  Excitement suddenly turned, with a serious tone: "This time we came to Yangping, only to relieve the difficulties of Yangping, assist General Wang Lin in resisting Chen's army. This will be your first formal battle. There will be death in war, but I hope all brothers can follow me closely and return to Xuyi City, not one less!"

  "General!" The crowd shouted emotionally, their voices choked with sobs, and the thick fraternal affection filled this small grove.

  For two months, Gaoxing lived with them, sharing meals and beds, and participating in training. During training, Gaoxing always led by example, playing a role model for them, which also enabled them to persist in the inhumanly cruel training that seemed impossible to outsiders.

  During training, Gao Xing is very serious and strict, even cold-blooded, but in private, he is warm and close, without any airs, and gets along well with everyone. Gao Xing can clearly call out each of their names and knows the details of each of their family situations.

  Many of them have been ordinary people for generations, without culture, and most of them can't even write their own names. They were delighted to invite a teacher to teach them to read and write, satisfying the long-held desire deep in their hearts.

  He is not only their general, but also their teacher, their brother, and even more, the benefactor they worship. They respect him, admire him, thank him, can live for him, and can die for him.

  "General, I've figured it out." Just then, Yao Zhong stepped forward and said.

  "Oh? Tell me about it." said with a happy smile.

  "I used to want to be a special forces soldier, but I don't anymore," Yao Zhong replied. Gao Xing didn't say anything, he just quietly looked at him, waiting for the next part.

  "I am a soldier, my duty should be to resolutely obey the general's orders, conscientiously fulfill my own duties, and guard our homeland, rather than superficially seeking fame and fortune. I was wrong, please punish me, General." Yao Zhong stood straight, with a calm expression.

  "Alright, alright." He stood up excitedly and patted Yao Zhong's shoulder, his eyes fixed firmly on him as he said: "Yao Zhong, I believe you will be the most outstanding cavalry under my command."

  "General, Gao Zhizi will definitely not disappoint your expectations, just wait and see!" Yao Zhong said loudly, his voice full of great confidence.

  "Alright, sit down and take a rest for a while. We still have tasks to complete when the sun rises. I'm sure those annoying mosquitoes bothered you all night, and none of you got a good rest!"

  The dog-waisted kid sat down and smiled, saying: "General, it's just a mosquito, let's take it as a test of our willpower. Besides, with this robust body like an ox, plenty of blood, we can definitely withstand the mosquito!"

  Delighted, she glared at him with a smile and scolded: "You rascal, you're usually the one who talks the most, but when I asked you to speak earlier, you were so hesitant, just like a young lady. How did you suddenly come back to life? You really are full of energy! When we get back, I'll definitely give you extra training, my training methods are still plentiful, and I'll make sure you're as strong as a tiger."

  "No, no, no, General, spare me!" Yao Zhong hastily waved his hand and quickly retreated a distance. The thought of that cruel training still made him feel terrified, although they had persisted through it with great determination.

  The other soldiers all burst out laughing, startling a flock of birds resting in the woods.

  Huainan has many hills, which are mostly undeveloped at this time, making it a good place for people like Gaoxing to hide.

  Early in the morning, Gao Xing led a thousand cavalrymen along the small path, cautiously arriving at a place fifty miles away from Chen's army camp, hiding behind a moderate-sized earth slope, quietly waiting.

  The fiery red sun had already risen, although it was not yet noon, the scorching sunlight was baking the earth, and the steam was evaporating, making the air hot and humid. The thousand knights, however, seemed to be completely unaware of this, standing quietly beside their mounts, looking solemnly and vigilantly at the excitement in front of them.

  Kaixin held up a monocular telescope in his hand, observing the distance. This telescope was made by Kaixin recently, just in case of war. Due to the relatively backward craftsmanship, this telescope was still quite rough and could only see objects clearly within 500 meters.

  When Gao Zhanggong first saw the telescope, he was shocked and changed color. Even a slightly militarized person would know its role in war, let alone Gao Zhanggong who had been through many battles. Gao Zhanggong repeatedly warned and exhorted Gao Xing to keep the secret of the telescope safe.

  When Gao Changgong asked about the origin of this thing, Gao Xing only said that he had obtained it by chance, but did not say that he was a professional, and the humble telescope was nothing.

  For example, the thousand cavalrymen behind him, with their uniform high-headed horses from Khitan. It was Ye Jin who had spent a lot of effort to secretly purchase them from merchants in Yingzhou at an exorbitant price that made Gao Xing feel a sharp pain. The focus is not on the horse, nor on the tall saddle on its back, the stirrups and horseshoes on its four hooves, but on the crossbow arrows and longbows hanging on the saddle.

  Gaoxing was delighted to have improved and manufactured the Zhuge crossbow with Lu Ping, greatly increasing its range and lethality. At the same time, Gaoxing also produced a thousand composite bows, one for each of the cavalrymen, which had been used by Genghis Khan in his conquests across Eurasia.

  "Is the news reliable?" Gao Xing asked lightly.

  "Absolutely reliable, our group has been closely monitoring this area for a long time. Chen's grain transport team always passes through here. The ones being monitored are just vagrants and refugees on the road, Chen won't bother them, let alone suspect them." The speaker was a young man standing one meter behind Gang, wearing a hemp garment with many patches, disheveled hair, and bare feet covered in dirt, looking exactly like a beggar.

  If you think so, it's a big mistake. This young man is not someone else, but Zhang Shun, not only a core member of the Beggar Gang, but also the deputy leader. Three months have passed, he has grown taller by a head, his body has become much stronger, and his eyes are shining brightly, with a steady and calm breath, absolutely not an ordinary beggar.

  After defeating the landlords of Xinye County, Zhang Shun was tasked by Gao Xing to closely monitor various situations in Huainan, especially the movements of Chen's army.

  "Hmm." Gao Xing hummed softly in excitement, continuing to observe the road hundreds of meters away through his binoculars. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he whispered, "They're here."

  Everyone's spirit was tense, and they unconsciously held their breath, not even daring to breathe out. They looked intently into the distance. Sure enough, a procession of several thousand people marched forward in an endless stream, with hundreds of horse-drawn carriages among them, loaded with bulging bundles.

  "Today is your decisive battle, be careful, don't come back with a defeat before even starting, I won't have time to shed tears for you!"

  The soldiers heard the news with a tense expression, wanting to say something, but fearing that they would disturb Chen's army, so they could only hold back, but looking at the excited gaze was even more respectful and enthusiastic.