Chapter 1047: Bestowing the Banner and Reviewing the Troops

"Father, I'm not going to Shandong to rebel. You don't need to be so frightened and worried." Chen Sheng replied, rather helplessly. These words only made his father, Chen Wu, weep even more uncontrollably. The old man choked out, "Dasheng, with your whole unit heading to Shandong like this, you say you won't rebel — who else would believe that? Dasheng, I never dared to speak plainly before, but now I'm truly afraid. If this path is walked poorly, it's a dead end. Your father is old, but you and your brother are still young. If it truly comes to that..."

Watching his father's face stream with tears, Chen Sheng was silent for a moment, then spoke. "Father, as long as we don't openly declare it, the government troops will have to hold their noses and accept it. Right now, it's not that we don't want a big fight — it's that the court and the local authorities don't dare to have one."

After saying this, Chen Sheng paused, then continued. "Father, never mind that your sons are walking this path very well. Our family can't turn back now. Do you think we could just leave and wash our hands of this? If it truly comes to that final step and the Zhao family runs into trouble, our Chen family won't escape either. Father, you've worked in the yamen for so long — can't you understand this logic?"

"... You... you few sworn brothers — I fear not a single one of you could escape..." Chen Wu froze for a moment, then spoke with immense bitterness. As he spoke, he covered his face with his hands. After a long silence, he let out a deep sigh. "If something really happened to you and Erhong, how could I face your grandfather? How could I explain it to your mother?"

"Grandfather said it long ago: in times like these, the blade in your hand is the most reliable thing!" Chen Sheng replied sullenly.

The conversation between father and son was very brief. Chen Wu didn't even eat at Chen Sheng's house. He left Chen Sheng's residence and went directly to find Zhao Jin's father, Zhao Zhentang. Only after arriving was he told that Zhao Zhentang had already returned to Xuzhou City on his own. Hearing this news, Chen Wu suddenly understood a few things. He simply hurried straight back to Xuzhou City. Outsiders all knew that Old Master Chen and Old Master Zhao had shared a drink together, both getting thoroughly drunk. Everyone understood — the two old masters were simply happy.

As for what outsiders thought, it was completely different from what the family worried about. Aside from the intentions of the Zhao Battalion, everyone felt that Zhao Jin's arrangement was improper. Given the current strength of the Zhao Battalion's various regiments and units, Chen Sheng's First Brigade was far too large — a tail too big to wag, an internal imbalance. These were all major taboos. Had Zhao Jin become arrogant after capturing Yanzhou Prefecture, to make such an arrangement? Almost no one noticed that the two Regiment-Drill Logistics Companies were not under Chen Sheng's direct command. In peacetime, those two companies were under the jurisdiction of the Trade Office's Jining Branch.

Most people held their breath, or rather, waited with bated breath for the Zhao Battalion's next move. Everyone felt that, given how thorough and meticulous Zhao Jin was in his conduct, he wouldn't make a careless arrangement. There had to be a follow-up. Once they saw the full picture, it wouldn't be too late to pass judgment.

During this period, the cavalry units, patrol officers, militia, and various scouts were all extraordinarily active, both openly and covertly. The commercial and residential areas appeared perfectly normal, but any place involving the encampments of the Zhao Battalion's various household-troop units, as well as workshops and warehouses, was strictly cordoned off and inspected. Unauthorized personnel were strictly forbidden from approaching. Moreover, Zhao Jin was now only returning to He Village once every few days. No one could figure out what they were doing — there wasn't even a basis to guess.

In a manor thirty li from He Village, a banner-bestowal ceremony was held. Very few people knew of this ceremony. Before the newly formed First Brigade marched out, they all assembled in this manor. The newly appointed regiment commanders, deputy regiment commanders, company commanders, deputy company commanders, and so on made contact with the household troops they were about to lead, drew their equipment, conducted drills here, and began their initial integration.

By the time Zhao Jin arrived with his men, the First Brigade was already fully equipped and ready to march. When Zhao Jin arrived, Chen Sheng had already led the household troops of the First Brigade to form ranks and wait.

Four regiments, plus the cavalry unit and artillery company, were arrayed in the manor in four large and two small square formations. Every man was in full battle gear; iron armor and weapons were polished as brightly as possible. Each man had groomed his appearance to be neat and clean. From the very beginning, the Zhao Battalion had been extremely strict about appearance. The household troops didn't understand it, and outsiders even mocked it, saying, "This is bloody warfare — why bother tidying up like women?" But now, from the household troops to the regiment-drills, everyone had grown accustomed to it all. Every man felt that with a neat and clean military bearing and appearance, they felt full of energy in their work and in battle. Even walking down the street, they looked dignified. Civil pursuits were esteemed and martial ones despised; people looked down on common soldiers, yet everyone considered being a household trooper an honor.

It was now autumn, the most comfortable and cool season in Xuzhou. The sky was clear, and sunlight reflected off armor and weapons in brilliant rays. Every man stood at attention, chest out and head up, awaiting Zhao Jin's arrival. Each man felt honored, felt his entire body brimming with strength. The household troops no longer felt like individuals; they felt like a single whole with their comrades. Ten men, a hundred men, a thousand men fused into one — like a giant!

At this moment, none of them were thinking much. They knew they were household troops. They didn't know what they would do in the future. Though each could vaguely guess something, none were willing to dwell on it. But as long as someone led them to act, they would all follow without the slightest hesitation.

"Master Jin has arrived!" someone shouted. From regiment commanders down to the most junior squad deputies, everyone inspected the household troops under their command, checking for any flaw in appearance or formation, then urged them in low voices to present their best bearing. Every man instinctively straightened his back ramrod-stiff and looked toward the wooden platform ahead. Everyone knew that Master Jin would stand up there and review them all.

Hooves struck the earth, armor clashed. The first to enter the field were the personal guard household troops. They took up positions between the various formations. There were especially many men over by the firelock and cannon formations; some even dismounted to inspect the firelocks and cannons. No one found this strange. The men in the gaps between formations were there to relay orders, and the inspection of the firearms was all standard procedure.

"Master Jin's tiger-might! Zhao Battalion, ten thousand victories!" Someone shouted first. Everyone knew Zhao Jin had arrived. Waves of shouting rose and fell, each man yelling with all his heart. Only by becoming a household trooper had their families and themselves found food, warmth, and dignity. Only by becoming a household trooper could they protect this land of Xuzhou. Such pride and sense of achievement were unparalleled.

Zhao Jin, escorted by Wang Zhaojing, Ji Xiang, Liu Yong, and his personal guards, rode to the edge of the wooden platform. There, he dismounted and walked onto the platform. Chen Sheng, clad in full armor with a long saber hanging at his side, stood solemnly at the front of the First Brigade's First Regiment. Once Zhao Jin stepped onto the platform, Chen Sheng raised his left arm level with his chest in salute. At his motion, every regiment and company of the First Brigade followed suit in perfect unison. Armor clashed, and the entire manor training ground resounded with a thunderous clang, then fell utterly silent.

Standing on the wooden platform, Zhao Jin narrowed his eyes, for the reflected glare from the armor and weapons below was somewhat dazzling. A forest of long spears, killing intent surging to the heavens — that was Zhao Jin's first impression. Had this been a large government army formation, one would have seen countless fluttering banners across the field. But in the Zhao Battalion, there were only regiment banners. Across the entire field, only a few banners could be seen; the rest was a dense, orderly array of long spears pointing sternly skyward.

"The household troops of the Zhao Battalion will never slacken or grow lax! The household troops of the Zhao Battalion will win a hundred battles, every one a victory! You began as the First Squad, then became the First Regiment, and now you are the First Brigade. This title of 'First' — you must firmly grasp it, and at every moment, in all things, be first!" Zhao Jin proclaimed loudly. With each sentence he spoke, his personal soldiers relayed it in succession, shouting it out so that every man below could hear clearly.

Once these words were finished, the regiments and units below fell silent for a brief moment, then a mountain-roaring, sea-howling cheer erupted anew. The household troops were all fired up with fervent passion by Zhao Jin's words. Once the mountain-roaring, sea-howling cheer subsided, Zhao Jin raised his arm, and below, silence instantly fell.

Zhao Jin looked at Chen Sheng, who stood with textbook posture, and roared at the top of his lungs: "Chen Sheng, Brigade Commander of the First Brigade, come forward! I bestow upon you the battle banner!"

The procedure for today's review had been planned and rehearsed in advance. The ordinary household troops didn't know it, but the leaders from company commander and above were all aware. Chen Sheng also knew it by heart. He strode up onto the wooden platform.

Behind Zhao Jin, five large banners were already fluttering in the wind. Zhao Jin took the tallest and largest one and shook it out against the wind. The household troops standing solemnly below all saw the design on the banner. The original single-color combination of red border on black field had changed. In the center of the banner was the figure of a tiger.

This tiger was not in the style of ordinary paintings, nor was it the common design used by the Great Ming government and its official troops. It was in the style of the Chu-Han period. Xuzhou was precisely the place where Xiang Yu and Liu Bang had risen to power. Han-dynasty tombs were quite numerous here, and Chu-Han artifacts circulating on the market were not particularly rare. The tiger on this banner was a Han-dynasty design — ancient, solemn, and imbued with a stern, murderous aura.

The design was a relatively abstract tiger form, entirely pure black, set against a scarlet-red background. To the left of the tiger figure was a vertical line of black text reading: "Zhao Battalion First Brigade."

"This is the battle banner of your First Brigade. Your First Brigade will raise this battle banner high and win a hundred battles, every one a victory!" Zhao Jin declared. With both hands, he passed the great banner to Chen Sheng.

This great banner had a thick, long pole and a broad flag that fluttered and billowed in the wind, but it was also very strenuous to hold. Fortunately, both Zhao Jin and Chen Sheng had sufficient strength. Chen Sheng received the battle banner with both hands and nodded solemnly to Zhao Jin. Wang Zhaojing and Liu Yong wore solemn expressions, while Ji Xiang, no matter how he tried, could not hide the look of envy on his face.

"Dasheng, I entrust the northern front of Xuzhou to you first. Guard it well for me, and take care of yourself!"

"Rest assured!"

After this brief exchange, Chen Sheng turned around. According to the prearranged plan, Chen Sheng was supposed to carry the great banner down from the wooden platform, then hand it to the banner officer. Next would be the bestowal of the regiment banners for the other four regiments.

Unexpectedly, Chen Sheng did not follow the rehearsal. He simply turned, planted the great banner upright with one hand, and shouted toward the men below: "It was Master Jin who let us eat our fill! It was Master Jin who let us dress warmly! It was Master Jin who let our whole families live good lives! It was Master Jin who gave us dignity!"

When the first sentence was spoken, the household troops below who relayed the shouts were momentarily taken aback, but they quickly recovered. With every sentence Chen Sheng shouted, they shouted it after him, louder and louder, with heartfelt, hoarse-throated fervor.

Thanks to old friends "In the North" and "User Cold Night" for their tips. Thanks to everyone for your subscriptions and monthly tickets. Thank you all for your support.