Yang Ling chuckled as he pulled back his outstretched hand. Step by step, he walked towards General Bao without any trace of anger on his face. Having been teased by Bao Jinchen just now, Yang Ling was both embarrassed and angry. However, he also understood that it was easy for airborne troops to attract opposition from the original troops. Moreover, if Yang Ling did not see eye to eye with the Hongzhi Emperor, he would not have shot up to this general's head like a rocket.
Thinking of this, Yang Ling calmed down. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pity for this tower-like general's hostile actions. He walked forward with a smile and helped General Bao up. Holding his arm, he slowly walked towards the stage. As they walked, he said to Deputy General Zhang: "Daren, you can't blame General Bao for misunderstanding. His Majesty favors him, so there are many words of praise. Yang Ling is still young and his bearing cannot compare to General Bao, who has spent half his life in the military."
Zhang Chun saw that he intended to reconcile and secretly let out a sigh of relief. He glared at Bao Jinchen, then turned to Yang Ling and laughed dryly. He said: "This fellow is a rash person. He is a good man when it comes to charging and breaking through enemy lines, but he does not have a good eye for people. That's why he made a joke out of mistaking Feng Jing for Ma Liang. General Yang will be his comrade in the future. Please forgive him."
Bao Jinchen saw that Yang Ling had no way to deal with his teasing and was feeling very pleased. Hearing Deputy General Zhang's words, he was extremely displeased. He had always thought highly of himself. Although he knew that Deputy General Zhang had good intentions in helping him, he still couldn't help but snort coldly. With a shake of his shoulder, he shook off Yang Ling's hand.
Zhang Chun saw that Bao Jinchen was blinded by his official position and was being unreasonable. His expression changed and some anger appeared on his face. Yang Ling saw that this General Bao did not know how to appreciate kindness and once again made him lose face in front of everyone. He was somewhat angry. He flung his sleeve and snorted coldly. He turned and walked towards Deputy General Zhang, standing shoulder to shoulder with him. As a result, Bao Jinchen stood alone three paces behind him, fully armed. He stood there in a daze, as if he had become his personal guard.
Yang Ling cupped his hands towards Deputy General Zhang and then looked down the stage. Below the stage, five thousand soldiers in bright armor stood solemnly and silently. Only the sound of the wind could be heard as the banners and flags fluttered in the wind. Yang Ling's gaze swept across, only to feel that although these soldiers were lined up neatly, wore bright armor, and looked incomparably mighty, they seemed to lack an imposing manner.
He suddenly thought of the border army stationed at the Chicken Cry Inn. Although those people were ruffians, once they lined up for battle, their killing intent soared to the heavens. That kind of unhindered, disdainful grandeur was cultivated from the battlefield. Although these people stood ramrod straight and incomparably orderly, they clearly lacked that kind of vigor.
Yang Ling smiled slightly, his gaze casually sweeping across Liu Biao. He said, "Liu Biao, Yang Yiqing, listen to my order in front of the stage!"
Yang Yiqing hurriedly threw the reins of his horse to Deputy General Zhang's personal guard and hurriedly walked to the front of the stage. Together with Liu Biao, he knelt down on one knee. Yang Ling said, "The two of you were originally my personal guards. From today onwards, I will assume the position of the commander of the left sentry army of the Shenji Battalion. From today onwards, the two of you will also enter the army and be my personal guards!"
The two cupped their fists in salute and said, "Your subordinates obey the orders of the general!" Yang Ling nodded his head and took a step forward. Facing the soldiers, he did not call for them to rise.
Just now, Bao Jinchen had deliberately pretended to recognize the wrong person and led the entire army to pay their respects to Liu Biao, using this opportunity to fiercely humiliate Yang Ling. But at this time, the thousands of people in the drill ground were solemnly standing, and the person he had just paid his respects to was kneeling in front of Yang Ling without moving. Seeing this, Bao Jinchen was both embarrassed and angry. He felt that Yang Ling was intentionally humiliating him. He couldn't help but clench his fists and fiercely glare at Yang Ling.
Yang Ling brushed his long gown and stood with his hands behind his back. Raising his voice, he said in a clear voice, "Brothers of the left sentry army, this general has just arrived and isn't familiar with everyone yet. What should I say? Hmm … if I insist on standing here and pretending to be friendly and chatting with everyone, Yang will be acting a bit like a wolf with a big tail. "
The soldiers below the stage did not expect this general, who came from a scholarly background, to open with such a few words. They couldn't help but burst into laughter. The tense atmosphere caused by the restraints of the generals was instantly swept away.
Yang Ling stood there with a smile. When the noise gradually died down, he raised his hands and pressed them down. He continued to say, "To have the entire army make such a big move is to welcome this general to my post. Yang is overwhelmed by the favor. Speaking of which, it's nothing more than getting to know each other. Then let me introduce myself here. My surname is Yang Ling. I was once the deputy of Jiming County and a study attendant of Jameson Province. Now, everyone knows that I am the general of the left sentry army of the Shen Ji. This is the first time we have met. Yang greets all the officers and soldiers! "
As Yang Ling spoke, he clasped his hands together and bowed. When the five thousand soldiers below the stage saw the general salute, their armor clanked and they all knelt down. They all said, "We pay our respects to General General!"
Yang Ling clasped his hands together, his cold gaze slowly sweeping across the faces of the city heads. When the City Head saw the pockmarked Lian Delu, he couldn't help but lower his body and kneel down. The stocky and fat City Head Peng was still looking around. When he saw Lian Delu kneel down, he hurriedly knelt down as well. He clasped his hands together and said, "This general pays his respects to General Yang!"
City Head Liu saw that the two of them had knelt down and hesitantly glanced at General Bao before also kneeling down. When the three city heads bowed, the generals behind them didn't dare to be negligent and all knelt down. Zhang Chun stood next to Yang Ling and glared coldly at General Bao. Even though Bao Jinchen dared to take advantage of his seniority and feign ignorance to tease Yang Ling, he could still use this as an excuse to admit that he had mistaken him for someone else. Right now, under the gaze of everyone and with two deputy generals present, he didn't dare to brazenly disobey orders. After a moment of hesitation, Bao Jinchen could only grit his teeth and kneel down without a word.
Yang Ling acted as if he didn't see the commotion behind him. He took a deep breath and said in a loud voice, "As a general, I have to lead and train my troops. The word 'lead' means that when an order comes out of a school, the order is like a mountain. This training in calligraphy requires training in archery and horsemanship, as well as military discipline and orders. This is the order that I will first give to the entire army when I take office! "He paused and then loudly said," Where are the generals of the Left Sentinel Camp's third division? "
Even the city head felt that this scholar of the Eastern Palace had a decisive tone and didn't seem like a bookworm who only knew how to read. He felt a sense of fear and quickly said, "First Division of the Left Sentinel Camp, Lian Delu, listen up!"
The other generals also reported their official titles and names. After hearing this, Yang Ling waved his hand and yelled, "City Heads, take command of your own troops. Tomorrow, three quarters past seven in the morning, gather at the drill ground. This general will be here to count the troops! The middle-ranking officer will stay. The rest of you can disperse now! "
City Head Liu hesitantly glanced at the platform. General Bao was kneeling on the ground with cupped fists. It was impossible to see his expression. The three city heads glanced at each other and could only retreat. They each led their own troops out of the drill ground. For a moment, the place was empty. General Bao had originally wanted to gather all his troops and show Yang Ling his strength. He hadn't expected Yang Ling to set a trap. He had him kneel here and sent everyone away with just a few words. For a moment, he gritted his teeth and his face darkened with anger.
Yang Ling turned around, as if he had just seen Zhang Chun. He hurriedly helped Zhang Chun up, beaming with joy as he instructed the officers in the army to prepare a banquet. He wanted to entertain Sir Zhang Chun and Sir Liu Shaotang together with the Deputy Staff General, as a host. When Bao Jinchen heard this, he could no longer hold back. He angrily cupped his hands and loudly said, "Sirs, this lowly officer is not feeling well. Today, General Yang is taking up his post, so this lowly officer has no choice but to welcome him with illness. I won't be able to enjoy this banquet, so this lowly officer will take his leave first. My apologies!"
After saying this, he didn't wait for Yang Ling to reply. He cupped his hands and retreated three steps, then suddenly turned around and stomped off the stage. Zhang Chun gazed at his back and slightly shook his head. "General Yang Ling was personally appointed by the Emperor. His future prospects will definitely not be limited to that of a general. If you don't even have this little bit of insight, you still want to sit in the position of commanding general?
It's just that … Bao Jinchen is very experienced in the army and has many subordinates who listen to his orders. If I really want to harden my heart and fight against Yang Ling, one of them is an old general in the army with great expectations, while the other is a new favorite of the Emperor. I can't offend either of them. If I get caught in the middle, I'll have a headache in the future. "
When he thought of this, he couldn't help but look worriedly at Liu Shaotang. He saw that the second deputy general was also looking at him with a bitter face. Their gazes met and sighed, shaking their heads at the same time.
※ ※ ※
At a quarter past seven in the morning, Yang Ling, with the help of Liu Biao, put on his helmet and armor, and hung a sword under his ribs, walked out of the general's tent.
Yang Ling had heard Qian Ning say that these years, the country had been stable. Other than the northern frontier, there were not many battles. The three camps in the capital had almost no place to use their skills, so military discipline was lax. If the family of the general of the capital camp was in the capital, there was no need for them to be stationed in the camp for long. In any case, the distance between the city and the Southern Courtyard by horse was not far. He had originally wanted to go home for the night, but when he entered the camp today, General Bao gave him a show of strength, so Yang Ling didn't want to leave. So last night, he sent Liu Yiqing back to the city to inform Young-niang that he was stationed in the camp.
At this time, Yang Ling still didn't take General Bao's rudeness to heart. The prestige of an official existed for a long time. After all, he was the general of the army. As time passed, his prestige would naturally rise, and Bao Jinchen's influence would slowly weaken. As long as he didn't cause trouble for him now, it was better to laugh it off. The two of them were in charge of the Left Sentry Camp, so if it wasn't necessary, there was no need to be too distant with him.
At this time, on the drill ground, the First Division of Lian Delu was already lined up neatly, waiting for the general to inspect. This pockmarked man was a firm believer in friendship. No matter how high or low an official was, he would always give a gift to someone of a higher rank. For an official who was only one rank higher than him, even if he was willing to spend money, he wouldn't give his seat to him. So it was a waste of time to give him a gift. But there was no harm in selling this free friendship to him. So early in the morning, the one thousand and five hundred soldiers of the First Division were dressed neatly and waiting on the drill ground.
The Second Division's Peng Jizu's men were slowly gathering on the drill ground. A few soldiers were laughing and playing around. When they saw the general wearing a helmet and armor, leading more than forty bodyguards dressed in brass chainmail armor into the drill ground, they couldn't help but shut up and hurriedly walked into the formation.
Yang Ling stood on the stage. Coupled with this Radiant Armour, he really did add a bit of a heroic air. But this Radiant Armour, which was made up of a copper helmet, battle robe, goggles, battle skirt and battle boots, weighed more than forty kilograms. Great General Yang's might was impressive, but if it weren't for Liu Biao and Yang Yiqing supporting him, he would find it tiring to mount and dismount his horse.
Yang Ling held his sword and looked around, then raised his head to look at the sky. Turning his head to Liu Biao, he asked in a low voice: "What time is it now?"
Liu Biao replied in a low voice: "Sir, it's past two quarters in the morning. In a short while, it will be three quarters in the morning."
Yang Ling nodded his head, his gaze drifting to a corner of the drill ground. There should have been the Third Division's army there, but now it was empty without a single person. Peng Jizu and Lian Delu, who were below the stage, also noticed this situation. The two of them moved closer and whispered to each other, secretly observing Yang Ling's reaction.
Yesterday, this general had said that once an order is issued, it must be obeyed like a mountain. Now it was almost three quarters in the morning, but Liu Shiyong of the Third Division's Artillery Battalion had not even sent a single soldier. They wanted to see how this general would step down.
Yang Ling was truly angry. He tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, his eyebrows tightly knitted together. Liu Shiyong alone did not have the guts to offend him, and there was no need for him to do so. Bao Jinli was undoubtedly the mastermind. Yesterday, when he saw the behavior of the other officers present, he could already see that the relationship between City Secretary Liu and General Bao was not shallow. Who would have thought that this General Bao, who had humiliated him in front of the two Shenji Battalion deputy generals yesterday, would do the same thing again today?
Yang Ling suppressed his anger. Out of the corner of his eye, he secretly glanced at the captain of his bodyguards standing below the stage. He wondered if this person was also on General Bao's side. If in a moment, after the hour, I send him to carry out military law and capture Liu Shiyong to see me, would he obey my orders? Right now, Yang Ling was certain that the only two people he could control were Yang Ling and Liu Shiyong. Even if he wanted to raise his military might, he lacked the confidence to do so. He couldn't help but feel nervous.
After a while, Yang Yiqing quietly said: "Daren, it will be a quarter to seven in the morning soon."
Yang Ling heaved a sigh of relief, relaxing his shoulders as he looked down the stage. He saw the three thousand men of the First and Second Divisions standing solemnly, countless pairs of eyes staring at him. Yang Ling's eyelids twitched, and he slowly looked toward the gate. He was about to order the leader of his personal guards to enforce military law when he heard the shouts of people and the neighing of horses from afar. In an instant, a white horse charged into the gate, shouting loudly, "Hurry up, gather in formation immediately!"
Seeing him, Yang Ling couldn't help but be enraged. He couldn't help but yell: "Liu Shiyong, we were supposed to assemble at the drill ground at a quarter to seven in the morning. Why are you late?"
Liu Shiyong dismounted from his horse and strode to the front of the stage. Cupping his fists, he saluted: "Reporting to General Daren, Daren has ordered us to assemble at the drill ground at a quarter to seven in the morning. This lowly officer doesn't dare to delay. It is now a quarter to seven in the morning!"
Without raising his head, he said in a loud voice: "The entire Third Division has one thousand five hundred men and horses. Except for three who are sick, the rest are all here for Daren's inspection!"
The men of the First and Second Divisions were already standing quietly below the stage. As soon as the men of the Third Division arrived, people were shouting and horses neighing. Chickens were flying and dogs were jumping. Immediately, they trampled on the ground, which had not rained for half a month. Yang Ling saw some of his soldiers scurrying around, as if they couldn't find their place. He was so angry that his body trembled slightly: these officers and soldiers have to perform drills every day, how could they not find their place? Those ruffians were obviously instructed by someone to do this on purpose.
As soon as Yang Ling saw this, his countenance changed!
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
