usatvline Chapter 33 Military Inspection at the Training Ground
Chapter 33 Military Inspection at the Training Ground
Guan Yu rode on Red Hare, wielding his Green Dragon Crescent Blade.
"roar!"
Thirty thousand people roared in unison, their voices like thunderclaps, shaking the very earth.
A powerful, murderous aura swept over us.
Cui Yan had never seen anything like this before. His legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground, his crotch soaked with sweat.
Zhang Fei threw him to the ground, pointed at the 30,000 fierce soldiers, and said in a gruff voice:
"Pretty boy, look closely! This is my brother's tax! If you want it, let that scoundrel Yuan Shao come and collect it!"
Cui Yan was terrified and fled the training ground in a panic. He dared not mention taxes again and fled back to Jizhou with his entourage overnight.
Li Zhao stood on the reviewing stand, watching Cui Yan's disheveled retreating figure, and sneered.
Now that we've already broken off relations, there's nothing left to hold back.
...
In late autumn, Qingzhou was bathed in clear skies and gentle breezes. Outside Linzi city, at the military academy's main training ground, banners fluttered and the sounds of battle shook the heavens.
Ever since Cui Yan was so frightened that he wet his pants and ran back to Jizhou, the training of the Qingzhou army has become even more rigorous.
Everyone knew that the day of confrontation with Yuan Shao was not far off.
However, amidst this tense atmosphere of preparation for war, a discordant voice quietly began to grow within the military.
The problem lies with Guan Yu.
As the top general of the Pingyuan Army, Guan Yu was naturally proud and could not tolerate any injustice.
He had reservations about Li Zhao's recent strategy of massively expanding the army.
"Second Brother, what's wrong? You've had a dark face all morning." Zhang Fei wiped the sweat from his forehead, moved closer to Guan Yu, and carried a jar of cloudy wine that he had just taken from the kitchen.
Guan Yu narrowed his phoenix eyes slightly, stroked his long beard, and coldly swept his gaze over the new recruits training in the drill ground.
Most of these new recruits were newly settled refugees, and many were even remnants of the Yellow Turban rebels who had been captured and scattered into their ranks. Although they had undergone several months of drill training and looked quite professional, in the eyes of an expert like Guan Yu, they still exuded a sense of "rusticness."
"Yide, look at these people." Guan Yu pointed to a formation practicing assassination, his tone tinged with disdain.
"Their steps were unsteady, their eyes unfocused, and they wielded their spears like hoes. Can such people be called soldiers?"
Zhang Fei scratched his head and took a swig of wine: "I think they're alright. Much better than the peasants I led back then. As long as they're fed, they have the strength and they're obedient."
"What's the use of being obedient? On the battlefield, we have to fight to the death!" Guan Yu emphasized. "The quality of an army is more important than its quantity. My lord is now expanding the army and recruiting these rabble. Not only is it a waste of money and supplies, but if a real battle breaks out, it will probably also drag down our elite troops."
He turned around and looked towards the central command tent, a resolute glint in his eyes.
"No, I have to go and talk to the lord about this."
"Rather than supporting these 100,000 mediocre soldiers, give me 10,000 elite troops, and I will be able to sweep across Hebei for my lord!"
……
Inside the Prime Minister's study.
After listening to Guan Yu's impassioned speech, Li Zhao did not show any displeasure on his face. Instead, he wore a slightly amused smile.
He knew Guan Yu was arrogant, and this arrogance was both his charm and his fatal weakness.
Historically, the loss of Jingzhou due to carelessness was largely due to this arrogance.
"I understand what Yun Chang means." Li Zhao put down the military treatise in his hand and stood up.
"You think these recruits are useless and will only cause trouble on the battlefield?"
Guan Yu clasped his hands, puffed out his chest, and said proudly, "Indeed! I am willing to swear a military oath: if given five thousand swordsmen, I will surely defeat these fifty thousand new recruits!"
Li Zhao smiled but did not refute. He knew that he couldn't convince this "Martial Saint" with just words.
"Very well. Since Yun Chang is in such a good mood, let's have a contest."
Li Zhao walked to the map and pointed to a place called "Xiaohuangzhuang" thirty miles west of Linzi City.
"That's our newest settlement, where 3,000 newly resettled migrants are clearing land and building houses."
"I'll give you five hundred elite swordsmen whom you've personally trained. You'll lead them to raid Xiaohuangzhuang. I'll inform the villagers there in advance that bandits are coming to steal their grain and destroy their homes."
"If you can break through the village and capture the military commander within an hour, you will win. From then on, you will be in charge of all military training; I will not interfere."
Upon hearing this, Guan Yu's phoenix eyes flashed with a sharp light, and a confident sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.
"A mere three thousand farmers? Why would it take an hour? I can finish the battle in half an hour!"
"Okay! It's a deal!"
……
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.
Guan Yu led five hundred elite swordsmen, men gagged and horses hoofed, and stealthily approached the outskirts of Xiaohuang Village.
These swordsmen were all dressed in leather armor and wielded sharp ring-pommel swords.
They were Guan Yu's most cherished possessions, the true elite of the Pingyuan Army.
In Guan Yu's view, this contest was utterly childish. Dealing with a group of farmers wielding hoes was like chopping melons and vegetables—a piece of cake.
"On my command! Charge in! A swift and decisive battle! Avoid casualties; capture the garrison commander is all that matters!"
Guan Yu let out a low shout, took the lead, and charged towards the village entrance, brandishing his unsharpened Green Dragon Crescent Blade.
"kill!"
Five hundred school swordsmen shouted in unison and pounced on Xiaohuangzhuang like tigers descending from the mountain.
However, the sight before them when they rushed into the village stunned everyone.
There was no panicked escape, no crying and begging for mercy.
They were met with a wall.
A wall made of people.
More than three thousand men, women, and children crowded the village entrance and the roads within the village. What they held in their hands were not weapons, but hoes, picks, wooden sticks, and even pitchforks and kitchen knives.
But their eyes were more terrifying than those of any elite soldier.
It was the look of a wild beast guarding its territory, protecting its last hope.
Crimson red, resolute, and disregarding everything.
Standing at the very front was an elderly farmer with gray hair. He gripped a gleaming hoe tightly in his hand, his withered hands trembling slightly from the exertion.
He stared intently at the imposing Guan Yu on horseback, and a low growl escaped his throat:
"Anyone who dares to steal our grain! I'll fight them to the death!"
That roar was like igniting a powder keg.
"Fight with all your might! Fight with all your might!"
"Kill these bandits! Defend our homeland!"
More than three thousand people roared in unison, their voices crashing against Guan Yu and his five hundred elite troops like a tidal wave.
Guan Yu was stunned by this sudden display of power. He hadn't expected that these farmers, who usually trembled at the sight of government soldiers, would dare to resist.
Immediately, a surge of anger welled up in Guan Yu's heart.
"Stubborn fools! Disperse them!"
Guan Yu was furious and swung his sword forward.
The battle erupted instantly.