Chapter 77: The Boar-Rush Braves

That day, after Diwu Lun finished a Versailles-style complaint about "only commanding a thousand men," he received a rare knuckle-rapping from the old man, followed by a thorough scolding.

"You little whelp, to command troops for the first time as a Major, leading a thousand men, is already excellent. Have you stopped to think — if they made you a Colonel or a General right now, with thousands or tens of thousands, could you really control them?"

As for the Xin Dynasty's military system, there's no need to guess — it was definitely Wang Mang's original creation after he abolished the Han Dynasty's buqu system. Above the squads of five and ten, the most basic officer was the "sergeant," equivalent to the Han-era Platoon Commander, leading fifty men.

Above that were the Centurion and the Company Commander, leading one hundred and five hundred men respectively.

Only then came the Major — in Diwu Ba's eyes, his grandson's current ability could handle at most that many men; any more was absolutely out of the question.

A Major's superior was the Colonel, and further up were ranks like Assistant General and Deputy General.

In his memorial, Diwu Lun had expressed a wish to serve as a Centurion or Company Commander. What he got now exceeded his expectations and was already quite good — this was largely thanks to his previous official status; he had served as a Palace Gentleman and a bureau clerk, so his starting point was naturally higher than an ordinary man's.

But comparing yourself to others only breeds resentment. Yesterday at Xinfeng, Diwu Lun saw that Ju Wuba from Donglai, a commoner with no rank, had suddenly been made a Colonel, while he himself was a rank lower, and suddenly it didn't feel so gratifying anymore.

Now, that knock from Diwu Ba had jolted him awake. Enlightenment dawned in his heart: "Right — the reason I wanted to worm my way into the army, aside from using advance as retreat to protect myself and controlling an armed force, was to learn the ways of the ranks and military formations, to prepare for future undertakings. A prime minister must rise from the provinces; a fierce general must emerge from the ranks. How could I resent a small post instead?"

Diwu Lun immediately admitted his fault to his grandfather. Since Diwu Ba was an old campaigner who had marched to the Western Regions and fought battles ten thousand li away, he humbly sought advice on all manner of military common knowledge and the tricks of managing soldiers. Diwu Ba, in turn, taught him everything he still remembered, and by the way, closely supervised Diwu Lun as he practiced hand-to-hand combat techniques.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye. As the twelfth month drew to a close, Diwu Lun donned his full kit, hung his seal and cord at his waist, and took a dozen-odd private followers to report to the Hongmen encampment, seventeen li east of Xinfeng.

Hongmen was the site of the famous Feast at Hongmen, looking south to Mount Li and bordering the Xi River to the east.

It was said that during the Chu-Han conflict, Xiang Yu had once garrisoned four hundred thousand troops here. Now, with a canal added to the north and the land filled in by a growing population and expanding fields, the area was not as spacious as before. But it could certainly accommodate the tens of thousands of Boar-Rush Braves gathered from east and west of the Passes.

General of Renewal Lian Dan had already shifted his camp here, and from afar one could see the banners fluttering. This general was an exceedingly busy man; a mere Major like Diwu Lun did not even get to see his face this time. It was still that subordinate clerk Feng Yan who guided him, arriving before the encampment of the Six Commandants' Boar-Rush Braves.

Though Lian Dan's ability in battle was questionable, he was after all a bona fide great general of the Xin Dynasty, said to be a descendant of the famous Zhao general Lian Po, and his camp fortifications were built rather well.

The enormous camp was enclosed by wooden stakes, with tall watchtowers erected, upon which stood soldiers holding crossbows. But their bows and crossbows were not aimed outward — they were aimed inward. Clearly, these camp walls and watchtowers were not meant to guard against outside enemies, but to keep a close eye on the Boar-Rush Braves and prevent them from fleeing.

After entering the camp, everywhere Diwu Lun looked, there were low, crude shacks, appearing somewhat disorderly. Occasionally, halberd-wielding soldiers on patrol passed by outside the outer gate. Each small camp was crammed with men, and the tattooed characters on their faces reminded Diwu Lun not to forget — this was an army made up of slaves.

Once he ducked into the spacious tent of the Colonel, under Feng Yan's introduction, Diwu Lun met his superior, the Colonel of the Six Commandants' Braves, Liangqiu Ci.

Liangqiu was also a two-character surname. This Colonel, whose given name was simply Ci, was no capable military officer, but rather pot-bellied, so much so that even bending over was difficult. When Diwu Lun paid his respects, he did not even stand, merely saying lazily:

"I am a man of Rao'an County in Guangwei Commandery. While in Chang'an, I heard quite a bit of the reputation of the Filial and Righteous Diwu Lun. Last winter, my servants even bought a coal stove and dog-head charcoal briquettes made by your family — they were very useful."

Diwu Lun immediately responded: "The winter days drag on; who knows how long we'll be stationed at Hongmen. The barracks are cold. If the Colonel does not disdain it, my family can send more charcoal, so that the Colonel and my fellow Majors can keep warm."

Liangqiu Ci narrowed his small eyes and smiled: "Those famed for filial piety and righteousness are often rigid, dull, and ignorant of human feeling. I thought Boyu would be the same; I never expected you to be so reasonable and understanding…"

He patted his large belly and said: "Though charcoal is good, it's really just a cheap commodity. That other enterprise of your family, however — the clamshell-lime mortar that can level the ground — that is rather fine."

Diwu Lun understood instantly: "My family's business always offers discounts to friends and relatives."

Liangqiu Ci nodded, thoroughly satisfied. After this first meeting, he felt he already knew what kind of man Diwu Lun was, so he set his mind at ease and stopped rambling, merely handing over the prepared thin roster and the military tally.

"The recruits come from different commanderies and counties. If they can't understand each other's speech, how can you lead troops, how can you fight? I've been saving the Boar-Rush Braves of Liewei Commandery for you, Boyu."

"Many thanks, Colonel!"

Diwu Lun took the half of the wooden tiger tally with both hands, joy rising in his heart. This Liangqiu Ci had greed written all over his face; in the future, he would surely be extorted for many benefits, but it was worth it.

Diwu Lun's family roots were in Changling County, and the reputation he had built over the past year worked best among the people of Liewei Commandery. To put it in perspective, if his fame in Chang'an was "Respected," then in Liewei Commandery it was "Revered" — not far from the peak of "Worshipped."

Now, letting Diwu Lun lead men from his own commandery…

"Isn't this just a mouse tumbling into a granary?"

…

As Diwu Lun took his leave, Liangqiu Ci did not forget to ask with concern: "Did Boyu bring his own private followers and retainers?"

"I brought a dozen or so men."

Liangqiu Ci instructed him: "You cannot privately appoint anyone above Centurion, but letting them serve as sergeants and petty officers is fine. You may decide that yourself."

Of course, there were also a few men in Diwu Lun's camp whom Liangqiu Ci needed him to help "look after."

Once out of the tent, Diwu Lun immediately went to summon his private followers waiting outside and proceeded with them to his small camp.

This was something Diwu Ba had long since warned Diwu Lun about: "These days, anyone serving as a commander or officer, unless his family truly has no one left, must bring some private followers and retainers. If you take up a post alone and enter the army, you'll have to build connections and trust from scratch, with not a single man to handle affairs around you — you'll certainly be undermined by the old clerks."

So Diwu Lun followed this sound advice and selected quite a few men from his clan to bring along and help.

At their head was Diqi Biao. He had served in the ranks in his youth and was familiar with the rules here. Since Diwu Ba could not come to help him, he settled for the next best thing and pulled in Brother Biao.

Next were Diwu Pingdan, and Jiming from the First Hamlet.

Diwu Lun valued Pingdan's honesty and sincerity. At the coal kiln, he was the foreman, the most hardworking and capable. If a matter of life and death arose, Pingdan was the most trustworthy to entrust it to. His two sons had come along as well.

As for Jiming, last time during the court's property tax, he was the one who led people to block Diwu Lun and beg for relief. This man, seemingly rough, actually possessed a bit of cunning and was the type who liked to stir things up. Diwu Lun even sensed some ambition in him. Plus, with his loud voice, he would make a decent herald.

Six or seven household dependents served as retainers and enforcers, along with three servant boys for errands and odd jobs. Diwu Fu went without saying. Diwu Lun also brought along Zhang Yu, the clever imp he had picked up near the coal kiln. He was thirteen this year and had even learned some arithmetic and bookkeeping at the charity school.

These few actually had little interest in military life, even shunned it, but when Diwu Lun summoned them, they followed without the slightest hesitation.

"When we go in later, everyone must stand neat and orderly, chests thrust out fiercely, eyes sharp and menacing. The Company Commanders and Centurions must see at a glance that the clan head's private followers and retainers are not to be trifled with."

Brother Biao, as expected of a man who had been in the army, knew that in the military they bullied the weak and feared the strong. Before entering the camp, he thoroughly spruced up everyone's gear. They were already wearing uniform clothing. Although the court forbade private ownership of armor and crossbows, after receiving his military tally, Diwu Lun had obtained a few sets of armor from Liangqiu Ci and immediately had everyone don them.

The taller Jiming and Pingdan stood in the front row, the rest close behind, all bearing swords and blades. At first glance, they really did have the look of a private retinue, elite household troops.

Diqi Biao personally guarded beside Diwu Lun's horse and whispered to him: "Clan Head, if anyone fails to greet you or arrives late, don't hesitate — have us pin them down and behead them at once! That's how you establish authority! Once blood is spilled, from the junior officers down to the common soldiers, everyone will fear you!"

Diwu Lun nodded and took a deep breath. Commanding troops was no easy task; he truly had to be prepared for this. He only wondered who the unlucky one would be today.

As Jiming's loud voice called at the gate, Diwu Lun raised the wooden tiger tally high to show the soldiers guarding the entrance. The wooden gate was slowly pushed open, and just like that, they surged aggressively into the encampment.

However, contrary to the perfect script Diqi Biao had envisioned, the Boar-Rush Braves of Liewei Commandery also knew their commanding officer was taking up his post today. Hearing that it was the Filial and Righteous Diwu of the Fifth from their homeland, the officers showed a bit more enthusiasm and had long since lined up to welcome him. From Company Commanders down to Centurions, not a single one was missing, their courtesies were thorough, and no fool failed to bow in public.

"We pay our respects to Major Diwu!"

But as Diwu Lun sat on horseback and cast his gaze out, personally entering the small camp, he saw nearly a thousand soldiers inside. They were dressed in a motley assortment of clothes, their hair disheveled and faces grimy, in a chaotic mess without even a formation. They merely tucked their hands into their narrow sleeves, huddling together reluctantly in the cold winter day, shivering as they submitted to their superior's inspection.

The only uniform thing was that every man's face was filthy, as if coated in a thick layer of dust. Just like that, they raised their faces to look at Diwu Lun, their gazes cold, blank, and numb. Beneath their cracked lips was silence.

What sort of Boar-Rush Braves were these? What sort of army that could go to the front lines and fight the Xiongnu was this?

Diwu Lun could only sigh inwardly: "This is a herd of gray livestock!"

…

PS: Overslept, a bit short. The next chapter will be longer.

(Chapter 3 at 18:00.)