Chapter Three Attending the Banquet

  Long Chen entered the house and sat down on the bed, while Hu Meng stood far away, looking like a scolded little daughter-in-law, with a cautious expression.

  Long Chen couldn't help but smile wryly, thinking that he might have indeed overdone it a bit earlier. After all, someone had carried him back on their own accord; otherwise, who knows what kind of accident might have occurred while he was unconscious? Maybe he would have crossed over to another world without even getting a glimpse of this one.

  "Come sit down, I have something to talk to you about." Since he had confirmed that he had come to a different era, he had to grasp the basic information of this era.

  "Alas." Hu Meng walked over with a pained expression and carefully sat down on the edge of the bed.

  "Do you know what year it is now?" Since it's the Ming Dynasty, let's ask which emperor first.

  "This is now the seventh year of Tianqi Emperor."

  Long Chen nodded, this year was the seventh year of Tianqi, and it would also be the first year of Chongzhen. The Tianqi Emperor was about to pass away, Zhu Youjian would change from King Xian to Emperor, and the Ming dynasty would begin its 17-year countdown to destruction.

  "You said earlier that we are from Tieshan Department of Dongjiang Town. Then our commander-in-chief is Mao Wenlong?" Long Chen was very interested in this point.

  "How can you so casually mention Chairman Mao's name, we are indeed following Chairman Mao." Hu Meng was frightened by Long Chen's casual mention of their leader's name.

  "Haha, so this Iron Mountain, is it in North Korea?"

  "It's not like that, is it? Most of the soldiers are from Liaodong who escaped and fled here, they were oppressed by the heavenly dynasty to the point where they had no way out, so they came to Korea to join General Mao. Following General Mao at least they can get a meal."

  Long Chen finally understood why less than half of the soldiers outside were wearing armor. This kind of army is estimated to be similar in nature to a guerrilla force, and its numbers and equipment are fundamentally out of sync. Thinking back to history, when Mao Wenlong asked the Ming court for supplies, he first claimed to have 100,000 men, then was cut down to 50,000, and finally the Ming court determined that he had only 20,000 soldiers. For this kind of guerrilla force, the actual number of people is often greatly exaggerated, because some people think that a man with a knife in his hand is already a soldier, while others believe that only those who wear armor and have received training can be called soldiers.

  "What's your position?" In Long Chen's view, Hu Meng was more or less a small leader.

  "I'm just a little flag, little flag, hehe."

  "There must be at least ten people under Little Flag's command?"

  "It's not like that, but in this era, there isn't a single unit with a full roster, let alone us who are stationed abroad. You can't use the Koreans, and if you get an escapee, as long as they're Han people, everyone will fight to take them in, scrambling to squeeze them into their own troops. Look, with you added to my team now, we have five people, which is actually a lot here."

  Long Chen nodded, if you weren't in a hurry to catch Zhuang Ding, I guess you wouldn't have carried me back either.

  "What's the story behind Liu's flag?"

  "Speaking of him, his background is quite impressive. It's said that back in the day, he was one of Chairman Mao's personal bodyguards and had been through thick and thin with him. Chairman Mao, remembering old times, demoted him to be a general flag, in charge of the law enforcement team. The several hundred officials in the camp would also show respect when they saw General Liu, no one dared to show any disrespect."

  "General Mao?"

  "We are all from the Iron Mountain Division, and our commander is the great-grandson of Chairman Mao."

  "Right, what should soldiers do when they're not at war?" Long Chen really didn't know what soldiers did in ancient times.

  "Every month I go out on patrol three times, and for the rest of the time if there's no fighting then basically there's nothing to do."

  "Alright, I understand." Long Chen waved his hand, indicating he had finished asking questions.

  Hu Meng stood up, "Alright, you rest first, call me if you need anything." He said, turning to leave without looking back.

  "Wait a minute."

  Alas, ancestors, what else can you do?

  Hu Meng slowly turned his head and said, "What else?"

  "Thank you for saving me."

  Hu Meng was stunned for a moment, then shook his head, "It's nothing, we're all Han people, if someone is in trouble, how can you not lend a hand? No need to mention thanks, I'll go first."

  ……

  Life in the barracks was dull and tasteless, but it was Long Chen's collection of Hu Meng and later Liu Zong's flag that became a topic of conversation for everyone to savor repeatedly.

  Unlike the troops of later dynasties, where every day was filled with drills and political education, making life very fulfilling. In ancient times, there weren't so many activities, and when military discipline was lax, even training was neglected. A large group of old masters had no way to vent their energy, so they would fight. Generally, the superior officers would turn a blind eye as long as it didn't cause too much commotion.

  But like Long Chen's previous challenge of one against several, it was clear that he had already crossed the high-pressure line and exceeded that degree, at which point the law enforcement team would have to intervene.

  Now everyone knows that the new little white face has good kung fu, so naturally no one dares to provoke him. When taking rice and food, those with good eyesight see Dragon Chen coming from afar and shout: "Ah, Dragon Brother is here to take rice, come stand in front of your brother."

  As for his own small flag officer Hu Meng and four other colleagues, when they saw Long Chen, they were like mice seeing a cat, hastily fleeing. This made Long Chen feel as if he was not in the military camp, but had run to the prison to become a prison tyrant.

  However, I finally have something to do tonight. Liu Zongqi, who was knocked down by me last time, invited me to drink tonight. Actually, he should have invited me a few days ago, but Liu Zongqi underestimated the power of Long Chen's slap and his neck was twisted like a crick in the neck for a while before recovering.

  The small soldiers in the Iron Mountain Department live in collective houses, with several people living in one house. Only those above the rank of Xia Qi have their own independent houses. However, Long Chen has now taken over Hu Meng's room, and Hu Meng doesn't dare to say much, so he just lives there and goes to squeeze with others.

  Liu Zongqi's living quarters were even more spacious than Long Chen's, divided into two rooms, one bedroom and a living room that also served as a dining room. Outside the house, a small shed was set up with a stove inside, where Liu Zongqi could cook his own meals, unlike ordinary soldiers who had to go to the communal kitchen to receive their rations. With his status, he could always find ways to get some ingredients and cook himself a few dishes, accompanied by a little wine to warm his spirits.

  Long Chen entered the door and saw that several small dishes had already been placed on the dinner table, but the most eye-catching was still that jar of old white wine.

  "Isn't drinking prohibited in the camp?" Long Chen pointed at that jar of old white liquor and smiled.

  "Yes, Prohibition, I've already reported it to the law enforcement team." Liu's expression was serious.

  Hehe, are you asking me, Director Liu, to decide whether to arrest myself?

  "Wait a moment, Brother Long, there's still one more person who hasn't arrived yet." Manager Liu apologized with a slight bow.

  "Dezong, I'm so sorry to keep you waiting. Something came up and I'm running a bit behind." A bright and cheerful voice came from outside the room.

  Long Chen's eyebrows rose slightly. This voice was high-pitched but not scattered, loud but not chaotic, indicating that the owner of this voice had cultivated internal martial arts and had already entered the gate.

  Many people think that in Kung Fu, only internal family Kung Fu is considered top-notch and more powerful than external family Kung Fu. However, this is not the case. For example, Long Chen's external family combat skills, which were roughly honed in the military, can also compete with those internal family Kung Fu masters. All roads lead to Rome; it just depends on what level you've reached in your practice.

  Liu's face lit up with joy, and he pulled at Long Chen's sleeve. "Quickly, come with me to pay respects to the general."

  Having finished speaking, Liu Dezong immediately bowed towards the person outside the door: "General Liu Dezong, reporting for duty."

  Until now, Long Chen finally saw the appearance of the person who came. He was wearing a casual robe, tall and strong, with a square face, giving people a sense of refinement and sensitivity. However, his whole body was shrouded in an aura of superiority, and although he only revealed a hint of it, it was enough to make people's hearts tremble. Behind him stood two guards, each exuding a fierce and battle-hardened air, clearly seasoned veterans.

  Long Chen is also a person who knows how to adapt, and he also learns from Liu's example to salute and pay respects.

  This man is Mao Youjun, the commander of the Iron Mountain Regiment. Commander-in-Chief Mao had taken in more than twenty adopted grandsons, and Mao Youjun was one of the most outstanding among them, deeply favored by Mao Wenlong. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been put in charge of the Iron Mountain Regiment, equivalent to a high-ranking official governing a region within Dongjiang Town.

  Mao Youjun smiled and patted Liu De's hand, "Ah, De's craftsmanship is something I've never forgotten. If you're inviting me to dinner, then I'll definitely come."

  Liu De-zong hastily said he didn't dare, but the bright color in his eyes couldn't be wiped away. As a general flag officer, he could control the Iron Mountain Department's law enforcement team and even sit on an equal footing with the hundred households, relying on Mao You-jun's support.

  "This must be Brother Long, I've been hearing a lot about you these past few days. Not bad, heroes emerge in their youth!" Mao Youjun made a gesture of putting his palm on Long Chen's shoulder to show affection.

  "In the mountains, I was used to being rough and rude, without any discipline. Now that I've entered this military camp, I didn't know how to restrain myself, and I ended up making a fool of myself, causing so many jokes. It's really embarrassing for General. Looking back on it now, I'm truly ashamed." Long Chen looked terrified.

  Mao Yu's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise. According to what he had heard before, Long Chen should be just a martial artist who was slightly better at kung fu. But the previous conversation showed that he was a person who knew how to advance and retreat, not losing his balance, obviously someone who understood how to progress and regress. It seems that hearing something a hundred times is indeed not as good as seeing it once.

  Not to mention Mao Zun, even Liu De's face showed a look of surprise. This silly boy can actually say something like that? It seems I really misjudged him.

  "Come on, come on, I'm really hungry. Everyone go inside and see what delicious food De Zong has made for us." Mao Youjun called out, leading the crowd into the house.

  As soon as he entered the house, Mao Yujun saw that there were only a few small dishes on the table, but he didn't show any disappointment. Instead, he smiled and pointed at Liu Dezong, "I've come all this way, and you're still hiding from me? Come on, I've been stuck in the mountains of Korea for too long, and my mouth is the one that's suffered the most."

  Liu De-zong rubbed his hands together, smiled and nodded, personally brought a basin of wild flavor from the small stove outside the door. The meat fragrance was overflowing, making people unable to help but move their chopsticks eagerly. Next, Liu De-zong also brought up a basin of braised miscellaneous fish, good fellow, a full big pot.

  "Haha, look, De Zong never disappoints me. Let's start eating!" Mao Youjun personally handed out bowls and chopsticks, took the lead in starting to eat, and everyone else followed closely behind. Even the two guards were no exception, also sitting down at the table to eat together. It seems they are also General Mao's trusted subordinates, with a very high status.