Chapter 58: The Ninth Winter of Jiwei

  Zhang Long was one of the earliest veterans to follow Zhou Zhiyuan. In those years, when Liu Ren'gong was still a border general of Lulong Military Prefecture, the two had already met in Liu Ren'gong's army, and Zhang Long had been following Zhou Zhiyuan ever since.

  Afterwards, Liu Ren'gong ascended to the position of Jiedushi and reached a tacit understanding with Zhao Yuan'de, the military commissioner of Lu'tai. Zhao Yuan'de retreated behind the scenes, but his former control over the Baodu cavalry was taken over by Liu Ren'gong, who also expanded the Baodu cavalry and placed many people in it. Zhou Zhi'yü was transferred from the Yanei army to the Baodu cavalry, where he held a position as commander of one of its divisions.

  Years ago, the Jiedushi Fu planned to conquer Weibo in the south. In order to expand the military power of the southern expedition, more than 10,000 new recruits were enlisted. Zhou Zhiyu was promoted again and transferred from Baodu Riding to Jianzu Camp. He was ordered to establish the vanguard of Jianzu Camp. After the victory at Beizhou, he was promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the Five Jianzu Camps due to his great contribution in breaking through the city.

  Further back, the Lulong Army underwent a large-scale reorganization. Zhou Zhongyu volunteered to be stationed on the border and was appointed as the Military Commissioner of Pingzhou and the Guard Commander of Yuguanguan, eventually becoming one of the newly rising military leaders of the Lulong Army.

  Throughout Zhou Zhiyu's entire military career, Zhang Long followed closely behind him. Although he was originally of average talent, under Zhou Zhiyu's care, he gradually rose through the ranks, from being a lowly foot soldier to becoming a benevolent and brave captain, with a rank of ninth grade upper class.

  Zhang Long can also be considered a veteran of many battles. In this life, he followed Zhou Zhiyu and fought in countless battles. When stationed on the border, he fought against the Hu barbarians outside the pass. When suppressing the original Lulong Jiedushi Li Kuangchao, he clashed with Li Kuangchao's army. Later, he resisted the invasion of the Hedong Army, attacked and plundered the three states of Yichang Jiedushi, surrendered to the Chengde Army, and launched a southern expedition against Weibo... In countless battles, Zhang Long participated directly or indirectly, making him rich in experience and deep in seniority.

  Zhou Zhiyu handed over the recruitment of Pingzhou Army to Zhang Long, who naturally understood what it meant. This was a sign that Zhou Zhiyu was going to make great use of him. At thirty-six years old, Zhang Long had gone through countless battles and had long lost the recklessness and excitement of youth when encountering high positions. He was now more cautious, with every move as if walking on thin ice.

  Although he had never served as a military officer above the rank of squad leader and had never actually commanded soldiers in battle, after experiencing so many battles and always being by Zhou Zhiyu's side, he had gained some insights through osmosis. As a result, the entire recruitment process went extremely smoothly, completing the recruitment quota within the time limit set by Zhou Zhiyu. Recruitment is not a simple matter, involving all aspects of affairs: recruiting young refugees, issuing recruitment expenses, preparing military equipment and armor, assigning and settling new soldiers, managing new soldiers' food, drink, sleep, and initial military law education...

  However, Zhang Long deeply knew that preparing for conscription and commanding battles were two different things. As for whether he could truly command the battle in the future, he was still uneasy in his heart. He did not envy Li Chengzhong, who had just entered the army during the southern expedition against Wei Bo, but had risen to fame in the Pingzhou Army in less than half a year. In just over a month, Li Chengzhong had jumped several ranks, from being an accompanying soldier to a deputy officer, and his official position had also changed from a partner to a team leader, and then to a commander; he was now in charge of a single unit. He did not envy Zhao Zaili, who was also a member of the imperial guard but had much less seniority than himself, yet was now leading an army to defend Yu Pass on his own. On the contrary, Zhang Long was delighted to see the gradual growth and development of young officers under the command of Zhou Zhiyuan, the leader of their team.

  Li Chengzhong, with his newly recruited army that had not undergone any training, was able to win consecutive victories against the Khitans at Yu Guan and Bai Lang Mountain. This ability made Zhang Long feel far inferior. Zhao Zilai, although born into a humble family, came from a prominent lineage that was beyond Zhang Long's reach as a third-generation farmer. Moreover, Zhao Zilai was well-read, which earned Zhang Long's admiration. As for what the future held for these two young men, Zhang Long couldn't quite grasp it, but he had a general feeling that they wouldn't end up in lowly positions.

  For the above reasons, when Zhang Long received the appointment letter issued by Zhou Zhiyu, he felt very frightened. This letter appointed Zhang Long as Pingzhou Military and Martial Marquis, ranked as Yuqiu School Lieutenant, from the eighth product, in addition to formally granting him a real official title, his rank was promoted by two levels.

  When Zhou Zhiyu saw Zhang Long receiving the imperial edict, he seemed a bit distracted and couldn't help but wonder: "Quanhe, do you have something on your mind?" Zhang Long's courtesy name was Quanhe, which was given to him by Zhou Zhiyu when they were studying together. This was also a direct manifestation of their close relationship.

  Zhang Long thought for a moment and asked in a low voice: "I wonder about Li Chengzhong and Gan Chen, younger brother..." but he didn't continue, he really didn't know what to say.

  Zhou Zhiyu couldn't help but laugh when he heard this. He was very familiar with Zhang Long's temperament and knew that the other party wasn't trying to curry favor with Li Chengzhong or Zhao Zaili, but rather was uneasy about his own sudden promotion. So he said in a warm tone: "Quanhe, you've also followed him for many years..."

  "Twelve years and three months." He was talking about the events of Guangqi 2, when Liu Rengong was stationed in Longmen, Yizhou, and Zhou Zhiyuan served as a partner under Liu Rengong. Zhang Long was then an old comrade-in-arms of Zhou Zhiyuan's team. Later, Zhou Zhiyuan was favored by Liu Rengong and transferred to the Imperial Guard, and through a series of efforts, he barely promoted Zhang Long to Wu Chang. From that time on, the two had formed a deep bond, which included camaraderie, brotherly affection, and also gratitude towards a mentor.

  "It's been twelve years, you've fought in countless battles big and small with me, saved my life three times, and I've saved yours twice. This bond of life and death is unique in the Pingzhou army. Over the years, I've also achieved some success, becoming one of the leaders of the Pingzhou army, but you're still my personal guard... To be honest, it's a bit hard for me to accept..."

  Zhang Long hastily said, "Old partner, what are you saying? I know my own affairs. With my abilities, it's actually not suitable for leading troops. My greatest wish is still to follow by your side, watching our Pingzhou army gradually grow stronger, and in the future, we can also make a name for ourselves in Youzhou."

  "This day is not far away...” Zhou Zhiyu looked towards the direction of Youzhou, smiled slightly and said: “Since Quanhe knows his own affairs, I will speak clearly. Li Chengzhong is someone who will be greatly used in the future. He can fight battles, take responsibility, and will become a sharp blade for our Pingzhou army. Zhao Ganmin cannot be ignored either, you also know his family background, and he will have great use for our Pingzhou army in the future. As for Quanhe, don't belittle yourself... not to mention that you've followed me for so many years, without merit but with hard work. From nothing to the current embryonic form of our Pingzhou army, you also have made great contributions. Your temperament is stable, patient and diligent, your talent lies not on the battlefield, but in managing military affairs. In my mind, you will become the steward of the entire Pingzhou army in the future. Help me take care of this family, don't let our hard-won territory collapse and disintegrate, this is your greatest responsibility.”

  Zhang Long's head was hot, and he was so moved that he didn't know what to say.

  Zhou Zhiyu took two certificates from the desk and handed them to Zhang Long: "When you go to Bailang Mountain to transport military supplies, the road is treacherous, and Quanhe must be careful. In addition, these two appointment certificates are for Gan Chen and Li Chengzhong, and you will read them on behalf of someone at that time."

  Zhang Long took it over and unfolded it for a look. Seeing the appointments of the two men and their ranks, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

  Zhou Zhiyu handed over another letter: "This is the appointment letter of Yu Guan and other military officers in Bailing Mountain, and Quan He also read it out loud. When you arrive at Bailing Mountain, if Li Chengzhong has any requirements, you can handle them on your own. If you have the authority to make decisions, do so on the spot; otherwise, come back and discuss with me."

  Zhang Long agreed and turned away. He had already formed the chariot array, and was waiting for Zhou Zhiyu's order to set off towards Mount Bailu.

  As Zhang Long was about to leave, Zhou Zhiyu called out to him again: "Li Chengzhong has been following someone for almost a year now, and yet he still doesn't know his courtesy name... Now he's also one of the top figures in our Pingzhou army..."

  Zhang Long nodded, he understood Zhou Zhiyu's meaning. All along, everyone has been addressing Li Chengzhong by his official position and rank, never having heard of him having a courtesy name. Although Zhou Zhiyu didn't finish speaking, the meaning was already very clear, he wanted to give Li Chengzhong a courtesy name.

  The courtesy name is not only a simple appellation between people, but also represents your origin, background and reliance. When a man grows up, the elders in the family will go to ask a respected elder they know to give a courtesy name to the child. This elder should be the most respectable person or the most influential person that the family knows, and the elder will not easily agree. Once agreed, it means that this elder has recognized you or your family members. In the military, many soldiers do not have courtesy names, and superiors will also give courtesy names to their favorite subordinates.

  This kind of giving of courtesy names from a superior to an inferior, or from a senior to a junior, has become a deeply ingrained habit. To put it bluntly, it is the best way to win people over. Whoever gives you a courtesy name will be considered your respected elder, and he and his backing will become your background and support. In the future, if you are bullied or treated unfairly, the person who gave you the courtesy name and their backing have an obligation to stand up for you; on the other hand, respecting and obeying the orders of the one who gave you the courtesy name, regarding them as your mentor, is also your unshakeable responsibility. This kind of relationship is like that between Liu Renkong and Zhou Zhiyu, and Zhou Zhiyu and Zhang Long.

  When Li Chengzhong was still a rookie, not having a style name was okay, but now that he has grown into a general who can hold his own, getting a style name is becoming an urgent matter. Otherwise, it would mean that he is still a "lonely and isolated person", and the issue of his humble origins will continue to hang over his head. In the entire Youzhou, he will eventually be looked down upon by others for this reason, and it will also become an invisible obstacle to his future advancement.

  Zhou Zhiyu wanted to give Li Chengzhong a courtesy name, indicating that his appreciation for Li Chengzhong had reached an extremely high level and urgently needed to win him over through this method. However, as a superior and elder, he could not say so explicitly and could only let Li Chengzhong take the initiative to propose this request. Once Li Chengzhong took the initiative to propose this request, it would be equivalent to expressing his loyalty to Zhou Zhiyu, formally entering Zhou Zhiyu's system from the surface, and becoming a core part of it.

  For Zhang Long, he also hopes to see this point. After Zhou Zhiyu gave Li Chengzhong a pen name, he and Li Chengzhong also established a stable internal connection at the same time.