Chapter Fourteen: Giving Gifts

  October 8th, as soon as the sky brightened, a bugle call was heard from the Changsheng camp. The soldiers quickly got up from their beds, dressed neatly and formed small squares in the camp, starting their daily training exercises. Li Qing was no exception, wearing his short uniform, holding a long knife, practicing his strength in the camp, looking at the already well-trained soldiers, he couldn't help but feel secretly delighted, this is what a real army looks like!

  When the short whistle sounded for the third time, the sky had already brightened up. Li Qing, like everyone else, was drenched in sweat. It was time to have breakfast. Li Qing picked up his long knife and returned to the camp tent. Tang Hu had already prepared hot water for him to take a bath. Yang Yidao had taken bowls and chopsticks and gone to the kitchen to line up for breakfast. Lining up for meals was a new rule set by Li Qing, regardless of one's rank, everyone had to line up, although he had his personal soldiers lining up for him. Wang Qiniang and others, who had risen from ordinary soldiers to officers in just over a month, didn't have much official airs about them, and they lined up with the soldiers without feeling like they were losing face.

  Just as Yang Yidao brought the meal, Li Qing had not eaten a few mouthfuls, when suddenly there was a commotion outside. Before Li Qing could figure out what was happening, Wang Qiniang rushed in rolling and crawling: "Sir, outside, many people have come, it's the Xuanfeng Camp, Xuanfeng Camp Lieutenant General Lü Daibing is here!"

  "Ah!" Li Qing was also surprised, "Lu Dabing Zhang Jiang, what is he doing here?" As soon as he thought of going to the Fēng Yíng camp to recruit soldiers, the other side's nose wasn't a nose and eyes weren't eyes. He felt angry, not only did he humiliate himself, but in the end, he even gave him 300 wounded soldiers, which was really infuriating.

  "I don't know, Lü Shen brought several hundred people, didn't he? Is he going to capture us?" Wang Qiniang's face turned pale.

  "Fart!" Li Qing shouted: "I have no grudges or grievances with him, what is he looking for trouble for no reason?" While saying this, his heart was also racing, there's no good excuse for fighting in the army. "Is it one of your men who went out and caused some trouble, and now they're coming to our door?"

  "Heavens, we're being wronged to death!" Wang Qinyan's beard was trembling with rage. "Sir, you've been drilling us all day until we're exhausted, who has the energy to sneak out of camp and cause trouble? If I had that kind of free time, I'd rather take a nap!" Looking at Wang Qinyan's panda-like eyes, Li Qing also thought he made sense. These days, these guys were training during the day and being forced to study at night, and also learning some military tactics, they didn't have any spare time to cause trouble outside.

  "Go and take a look!" Li Qing put on his clothes. He didn't believe that the other party came for nothing, so he went to take a look.

  "Ah, Li Qing brother, it's been a while since we last met, and you look even more spirited!" As soon as Li Qing walked out of the camp gate, Lü Dabing came up with a spring breeze on his face, and familiarly patted Li Qing's chest several times, just like an old brother. Li Qing was caught off guard by these few pats and almost choked on his breath, coughing violently several times. He couldn't understand why Lü Dabing had suddenly become so affectionate towards him, and he had even been promoted to being his brother. The other party was a participant in the competition, and was actually two levels higher than himself. His brother was the main general of the First Legion, the deputy general of the Dingzhou Army.

  "General Lü Shan, I have shown respect!" Li Qing made a strict military salute, he didn't want to give the other side any excuse.

  "Hey, Brother Li, so formal?" Lü Dabing said with a big laugh, grasping Li Qing's arm.

  "General Lü Shen," Li Qing asked tentatively, "today is..."

  "Ah!" Lü Dabing took a glance at the sea of soldiers behind him, as if he had just realized something. "Haha, brother misunderstood me, I'm here to deliver something to Brother Li."

  "Send someone?" Li Qing was perplexed.

  Lv Dabing explained: "It's like this, didn't Li brother come to me the other day asking for people? At that time, his Vanguard Regiment was also in its infancy and lacked everything. Now, after sorting things out, I thought of Li brother's place which is still empty, lacking several hundred people, so I sent them over to you. You originally had around 300 people here, and I brought another 700 people, now your Left Wing of the Vanguard Regiment is full, haha!"

  Li Qing was bewildered, unable to comprehend why Lü Dabing suddenly became so kind-hearted. He turned around to look at the row of sturdy men behind him, and thought to himself, "What's going on? Don't be fooled." Immediately, he put on a smile, "Ah, General Lü, I don't know what to say, thank you, thank you! Yang Yidao, quickly, set up the wine, I want to invite General Lü to have a few bowls."

  The two of them walked towards Li Qing's camp, arm in arm like old friends, leaving Wang Qi and Jiang Kui looking puzzled. They had all been present when they went to select the vanguard camp last month.

  After drinking a few bowls of wine, Lü Dabing lowered his voice and said, "Brother Li, you're really good at hiding things, it's been tough on me!"

  Li Qing asked in confusion: "I don't know what the lieutenant has deceived the general about? I am being completely honest!"

  Lü Dabing burst out laughing, "Li brother, you're from the Li family of Wing State, aren't you?"

  Li Qing's face suddenly changed, and the things that had been sealed in his mind suddenly flashed out, scene by scene, with sweetness, bitterness, sourness, and astringency. "How did General Lü know this?"

  Lv Dabing raised his head and drank a bowl of wine, laughing: "Now this Dingzhou has spread the news that Brother Li is the son of Weiyuan Hou, admirable! Admiring! I think Brother Li has such a noble status, but he concealed his identity to become a small soldier, everyone is admiring him tightly!"

  Li Qing's mood suddenly turned to the worst, and with a clang, he put down his wine bowl on the table. "Who said I'm the son of Weiyuan Hou? I don't recognize any Weiyuan Hou! Nor am I anyone from the Li family of Yizhou."

  Lü Dabing choked, and a mouthful of wine almost went down the wrong pipe. Looking at Li Qing's gloomy face, he suddenly remembered his brother Lü Dalin's words. It seemed that this Li Qing was indeed not quite right with Weiyuan Hou. But to say that he wasn't a member of the Li family... Hmph! Just look at how he treated Officer Shang; if he weren't from a wealthy and influential family, would he dare have such an attitude towards him?

  His face changed several times, and he forced a smile: "It was I, brother, who misspoke. This is Brother Li's family matter. Consider it my mistake. Come, let's drink."

  Looking at Lü Dabing, Li Qing suddenly felt that his smiling face was particularly hateful. No wonder he came early to send himself off. The source of the trouble was here after all. However, considering the several hundred mouths to feed, he had to give him some face. "Come on, let's drink, I still have to thank General Shan."

  Lü Dabing laughed and said, "What's there to thank? The troops I've brought for my brother are all fully equipped. Besides, I see that things are a bit too simple here, so next time I'll send some bows and crossbows over, at least to give you some face."

  "Thanks for the wine." Li Qing forced a smile on his face, it's always good to take advantage of something that comes easily, and he didn't want to waste this opportunity. Although he was feeling terrible, he still managed to keep a smile on his face as he clinked cups with Lü Dabing and drank cup after cup.

  "Brother, you're going to get promoted." Lü Dabing whispered into Li Qing's ear as he was about to leave, "This is what my brother told me, you're going to be the commander of the Invincible Battalion, a lieutenant general!"

  Watching Lü Dabing disappear from view with a swagger, Li Qing's mouth twitched several times. "Sir, are you really the son of the Li family of Wing State?" Wang Qinyuan excitedly approached him, "You're really going to be the commander of the Changsheng Camp and become a general?" Jiang Kui and Feng Guodong also excitedly gathered around, What kind of person is the Li family of Wing State? One door, one duke, three marquises, a prominent aristocratic family in Great Chu. Following such an aristocrat, their future prospects will be bright!

  No wonder the adults said we would become generals in the future. It turns out that the adults are from the Li family! The three of them suddenly realized.

  "What's with the Li family, get out, disappear! Don't you have anything to do? Just now those few hundred people came, go and divide them into camps, go and drill them." Li Qing suddenly flew into a rage, one foot kicked over the table, scaring the three of them to flee in a flurry.

  It's still hard to get around after all! Li Qing sighed. Li Shi, Wei Yuan Hou.