Chapter 8: Inspection

A bunch of low-ranking soldiers, in just a few words, were stirred up into fervent excitement, their blood boiling, deeply ensnared in the web of persuasion without realizing it. Conversations like this in the tent were by no means the only one in the Longqi Army; there had been signs before, slowly fermenting, and with the news of Yelu Deguang proclaiming himself emperor, it began to spread on a large scale throughout the army.

Along with a burst of shrill, piercing horn blasts, the soldiers in the tent all perked up, reflexively rising to their feet, donning their armor and grasping their weapons. A gruff shout came from outside the tent: "Left Battalion, assemble!" The troops in the various tents moved at the sound, and within a short time, the entire camp was thrown into an orderly bustle.

Before long, the battalion Commander, accompanied by a few soldiers, walked into Captain Li's tent. Seeing this, Captain Li hurriedly stepped forward to greet him: "Commander Wang, what's the situation?"

"What else could it be! The 'Handsome Yama' has entered the camp for inspection!" The Commander's tone was quite "unfriendly," and he instructed Captain Li: "Don't give me any nonsense. Take your men and assemble on the parade ground!"

"Yes!" Captain Li immediately straightened his back.

With that, the Commander swept his gaze over the soldiers in the tent, raised his horsewhip, pointed it around in a circle, and shouted loudly: "All of you, perk up! Move quickly, no dawdling or delays. Same old words—First Army, Left Battalion, must be the fastest and the most orderly. If you fall behind the other battalions, just watch how I deal with you..."

In the center of the camp was a parade ground, not very large, but more than enough to accommodate the Longqi Army soldiers stationed there. On the three-tiered command platform, Liu Chengyou sat solemnly and upright, a set of scale armor strapped to his body, making him look spirited and dashing. His gaze, calm as still water, fixed on the soldiers who were arriving one after another and hastily assembling, while he silently estimated the time in his mind.

On the military table before him, a small stick of incense had already burned halfway, the flame continuously devouring the incense body. By the time it burned out, the soldiers of the various battalions had finished assembling in the center of the parade ground. The officers and men wore their sabers and held their shields, their military bearing neat and solemn, their expressions grave, eyes fixed straight ahead. The scene was utterly silent; though the number of men was not large, a sharp, imposing aura of a mighty and valiant force seemed to rise above the parade ground.

This kind of surprise attack, impromptu assembly routine was not something Liu Chengyou was doing for the first time. He was fairly satisfied with the performance of the Longqi Army soldiers in his heart; as for greater refinement and speed, he didn't have that expectation for now.

Though satisfied inwardly, he showed none of it on his face. Rising to his feet, he surveyed them from above for a while, then with a calm, indifferent expression, raised his hand and waved: "All dismissed!" He had no intention of watching the drills and exercises.

As soon as the words fell, a general behind Liu Chengyou immediately stepped forward, waved a flag, and shouted: "The Army Master has ordered—full dismissal, all return to your own camps!"

They were probably used to being put through such ordeals by now, and had no complaints, nor dared to have any. Led by their respective officers, the soldiers filed out in order. Liu Chengyou watched for a long while before, accompanied by two Longqi officers, heading toward the central army tent.

"Not bad—the officers and men haven't slacked off. With that very spirit and vigor, among all the Hedong armies, ours dares to claim first place!" As he walked, Liu Chengyou raised a finger and spoke, actually offering words of commendation to the two officers: "The two of you have done well. Hard work!"

The two officers, one older and one younger. The elder was in his thirties, with a face full of coarse flesh, looking quite fierce, sporting a bushy beard, and somewhat overweight. This man was named Zhang Yanwei, holding the posts of Hedong Army Adjutant and Chief Inspector of the Longqi Army, and was a favored general of Liu Zhiyuan.

Back when Liu Zhiyuan appointed Liu Chengyou as Chief Commander, how could he possibly have been fully at ease entrusting the weight of an entire army to such a young lad? Zhang Yanwei was the insurance Liu Zhiyuan placed on the Longqi Army, ordering him to assist Liu Chengyou in the capacity of Chief Inspector. Of course, nominally it was assistance, but in reality, it was supervision. It was just that later developments went beyond Liu Zhiyuan's expectations—Liu Chengyou, with his status, ability, and skill, subdued the entire Longqi Army, from top to bottom, including Zhang Yanwei.

Despite Zhang Yanwei's less-than-pleasant appearance, he was a clever man, very good at currying favor. Hearing Liu Chengyou say that, he immediately revealed an ugly yet natural smile and flattered: "It's all because of your excellent governance of the army, reforming all the old malpractices, that the Longqi Army is what it is today!"

Liu Chengyou glanced sideways at Zhang Yanwei, his face expressionless, his gaze seeming to contain sharp blades. Zhang Yanwei's neck involuntarily shrank, and he subconsciously lowered his head, avoiding Liu Chengyou's "stern-faced" look. In his heart, he couldn't help but mutter—everyone knew the Prince of Beiping was solemn and reserved, but in comparison, this second son of the Liu family was even more intimidating...

"So all the effort I put in wasn't in vain." Only when Liu Chengyou's light, airy voice reached his ears did Zhang Yanwei breathe a sigh of relief.

"Quanyi, how is the morale of the troops?" Taking steady strides, after a brief moment of deliberation, Liu Chengyou turned his gaze to the young general on the other side.

"Morale is high—they can be put to great use!" The young general named "Quanyi" answered succinctly. This man was indeed not old in years, but he carried a strong air of military service, clearly someone who had been tempered among the ranks of soldiers for many years, and he looked very capable and sharp.

"Mm." Liu Chengyou nodded in acknowledgment, then fell silent, quickening his pace toward the central army tent.

The young general was named Ma Quanyi, a native of Youzhou, skilled in horseback archery and highly accomplished in swordsmanship. At the age of fifteen, he had followed Fan Yangguang, then Military Governor of the Tianxiong Army, in rebelling against Shi Jingtang at Ye City, fighting quite fiercely. When Fan Yangguang surrendered, he was absorbed into the imperial army of the Later Jin. But without any backing, he was quite unsuccessful in the imperial army, rarely promoted, and in his frustration, he left the camp and fled.

He hid in the countryside and farmed for two years in Heyang. But in this chaotic age, how could a young man like Ma Quanyi, with a fine set of martial skills, be content with farming? It happened that Liu Zhiyuan was recruiting troops in Taiyuan, so he decisively went to join, and was assigned to the Longqi Army. Under Liu Zhiyuan's command, life was a bit better, though he only slowly managed to earn the rank of squad leader.

It wasn't until September of last year, when thirty thousand Khitan infantry and cavalry invaded Hedong, that Liu Zhiyuan personally led the army and defeated them at Yangwu Valley, beheading seven thousand. Ma Quanyi was with the army at the time, leading his men in fearless charges, cutting down two Khitan junior officers in succession, and was promoted to Captain for his merits after the battle.

When Liu Chengyou took command of the Longqi Army, Ma Quanyi's fortunes completely turned around. During the full inspection of the army, Liu Chengyou quickly discovered Ma Quanyi's extraordinary qualities. Courage was not his only virtue; in comparison, Liu Chengyou appreciated even more his diligence and loyalty, and he also had many insights into military matters.

Taking a liking to him, he decisively promoted him. In just a few months, Liu Chengyou elevated him to Commander of the First Army of the Longqi Army, commanding a thousand soldiers. As for Ma Quanyi, beyond his surprise, there was gratitude. He worked even more diligently and seriously, to repay Liu Chengyou's kindness in recognizing his talent.

He handled the affairs of the army in perfect order, and with apparent ease, not disappointing Liu Chengyou in the slightest. Moreover, with his ability, he shattered the "idle gossip" surrounding him. He had some reputation and prestige among the lower-ranking soldiers, and he contributed greatly to Liu Chengyou's process of taking full control of the army.

Now, Ma Quanyi's promotion had become a typical example of Liu Chengyou's "promoting only the worthy," greatly inspiring those with ambition in the army.

Quickly entering the military tent, Liu Chengyou sat directly in his exclusive seat, waved his hand to dismiss his personal guards to stand watch outside the tent, took a breath, and then stared at Zhang Yanwei and Ma Quanyi standing before him: "How did the matter go?"

The two naturally knew what Liu Chengyou was referring to. Zhang Yanwei immediately clasped his hands in salute, the coarse flesh on his face trembling, his voice unable to suppress its excitement as he said: "This general has made contact with several Commanders from the Wujie and Xingjie Armies, and everyone shares the same intention. I can be certain that as long as someone takes the lead and raises the call, they will all follow with their men to lend their voices!"

Nodding slightly at this, Liu Chengyou made a small gesture with his hand, pinching the bridge of his nose, then looked at Ma Quanyi: "What about your side?"

"I have acted according to your instructions. Judging by the soldiers' reactions, the Prince of Beiping has deep support among the troops—great things are within reach." Ma Quanyi's tone also revealed a hint of anticipation.

"Good." At this, Liu Chengyou said calmly. Then he fell silent and lowered his head, as if pondering his next move.

Seeing that Liu Chengyou had been deep in thought for a long while without giving any orders, Zhang Yanwei couldn't hold back and couldn't help but suggest: "Many soldiers have already been secretly stirred up. How about this general lead some men to Jinyang to petition? If we delay, perhaps someone else will get there first!"

"No rush!" Liu Chengyou directly shook his head, and after thinking for a while longer, he finally said: "Wait a bit longer—it's not yet the right time..."