Chapter 1549: The Farmer and the Warrior

"The Marshal speaks true," the Crown Prince replied with a smile. "Still, from this display, I can glimpse the grandeur of the Marshal commanding thousands upon thousands of troops, trampling the Jianzhou rebels."

"When it comes to grandeur, who could compare to His Majesty?" Chen Sheng also laughed. "When His Majesty led troops into battle in those years, that was the true image of a dragon!"

Though he knew full well that Marshal Chen's words were deliberately flattering, the Crown Prince still found himself lost in reverie over his father's past grandeur. When his father had swept across the realm with the great army, he had been too young to go to the battlefield and witness his father's magnificence. After he had grown up, his father had already ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, so he had never had the chance to see—and indeed had no way of knowing—just what kind of awe-inspiring presence that had been.

"Though this is only an exercise, to display such grandeur is already exceedingly rare," after watching for a long while, the Crown Prince offered his sincere congratulations to Chen Sheng. "It is clear the troops have been diligent in their drills without slackening. Marshal Chen, the Liaodong Army in your hands truly lives up to its fearsome reputation!"

"The Crown Prince flatters me. We merely do our duty with loyalty; there is nothing praiseworthy to speak of." Though his expression remained calm, a trace of pride still flickered in Chen Sheng's eyes. "The Liaodong Army receives such high pay from the state—if we did not drill earnestly, how could we face the nation? Besides, every year so many veterans retire, and if we don't seriously train the new recruits we bring in, how could they ever set foot on a battlefield?"

The Great Han treated its soldiers extremely well. Not only were the pay standards set high, but the wages were always delivered in full and on time, with never any deductions or delays—the former Ming simply could not be mentioned in the same breath. At the same time, having painfully learned the lesson of the former Ming's hereditary military household system, which reduced soldiers to low status no different from slaves, the new dynasty did not implement a hereditary military system. Instead, it adopted a recruitment system, enlisting soldiers on the premise of guaranteed good treatment, and placed no restrictions on soldiers retiring after their term of service was complete.

Every year in the Liaodong Army, soldiers and officers retired. Taking their earned merits, they either returned to their hometowns or received land directly in Liaodong. Because these retired soldiers had deeply received the state's favor and had grown accustomed to obeying orders, they became loyal supporters of the imperial court in the localities, playing a very significant role in the court's promotion of local governance.

Of course, even more people remained in the army, choosing to continue fighting bloody battles alongside their comrades. Some did so for the bonds forged through years of shared life-and-death struggles, having grown accustomed to military life and unwilling to return to being common civilians; others stayed to seize more merits and carve out a path to distinction for themselves.

Just as the Crown Prince and the Marshal were still conversing, Zhao Song also rode over on horseback from the exercise grounds. Because he had been darting back and forth directing the exercise, his face was smeared with blackish-gray soot, making him look rather comical. Even his originally brand-new uniform had become somewhat grimy from all the dust it had picked up, its former imposing look no longer visible.

Yet not a single person found his appearance amusing. The Crown Prince rode his horse forward to greet him, welcoming him with a face full of smiles. "Brigadier Zhao, as expected, every man under your command is an elite soldier and a strong officer!"

"This all relies on the court's gracious nurture and the united resolve of all the officers and men. How dare Zhao Song claim credit!" Zhao Song said as he rode up to the Crown Prince's side. "Your Highness the Crown Prince, the exercise inspection is now complete. May I ask if Your Highness has found anything unsatisfactory?"

"No, nothing at all. The officers and men advanced and retreated with perfect discipline, their movements and stillness stern and imposing—clearly a first-rate, top-tier strong army. I know nothing of military affairs, so I won't prattle on. In any case, I am very satisfied." The Crown Prince voiced his thoughts. "However, I wonder if Brigadier Zhao has decided yet—which regiment exactly will you transfer to accompany you on the expedition?"

"This matter is of great importance and brooks no negligence. One exercise cannot fully reveal the truth of things. This subject intends to observe a while longer." Zhao Song rode alongside the Crown Prince back to Chen Sheng's side. "Marshal, I have an unworthy request. During this period, might I be permitted to temporarily take charge of commanding the Third Brigade? I want to drill them properly once more, and give their bones a good loosening."

"Fine, of course you may. I could ask for nothing better." Chen Sheng immediately granted his request. "After you left, the new brigade commander was new to the post and couldn't keep the troops in line. I can see that the men of your Third Brigade have slacked off considerably. If they keep loafing about like this, how will they ever fight a war? Since you'll be leading them for this stretch, give those rascals a good sorting out—make their bones go soft!"

"Leave it to me. I'll make sure they're crying for their mothers." Zhao Song was brimming with confidence. "It works out perfectly—we'll keep them right here in Jinzhou. During this period, while training them, we'll also get them used to the water, so they won't go weak in the knees once they board the ships later."

The Liaodong Army was mostly composed of northerners, and the officers and men were generally unfamiliar with water. To help them overcome this difficulty so it wouldn't affect future operations, rigorous training was necessary to familiarize them with the water. Thus, according to Zhao Song's plan, during the time the Crown Prince was touring Liaodong, he would keep his directly subordinate units training by the seaside, ensuring they would at least not get seasick during transport.

After agreeing to Zhao Song's request, Chen Sheng immediately dictated the order to the staff officer beside him. The officer recorded the order, which would soon be issued as a formal written document. Then, feeling that the time was about right and wanting to return to handle other matters, he turned his head toward the Crown Prince and offered a polite reminder.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, are you satisfied with today's review and exercise? If there is anything unsatisfactory, please do not hesitate to tell us, and we will have the men below make improvements at once."

"Nothing at all. I am very satisfied. Next, I shall look forward to seeing how Brigadier Zhao drills them." The Crown Prince immediately replied.

"Then... does the Crown Prince have any other words of instruction for the officers and men? If so, I shall give the order to assemble the entire army. If not, then... we shall dismiss them and let the officers and men return to camp. They have drilled enough for today."

"Then let the officers and men go rest. I won't drag this out. After all, I am young and have nothing to teach them." The Crown Prince smiled. "The Duke of Ji surely still has many important military affairs to handle, so please go attend to them early. Do not let matters here delay important business on my account."

"I thank Your Highness the Crown Prince!" Chen Sheng turned to another staff officer. "Pass the word—the entire army is to form ranks and return to camp!"

The staff officer immediately spurred his horse and rode to the side, issuing orders to a group of dispatch riders. These dispatch riders then galloped off according to their assigned sectors, each heading toward the officers and soldiers still on the exercise field.

Very soon, these officers and soldiers all received the order that the review was over. Then, amid the shouts of their officers, they reformed their ranks exactly as they had been arrayed before.

Next, to the cheers of the entire army's officers and men, Chen Sheng and the Crown Prince returned to their carriage and, escorted by their personal guard cavalry, sped away in a cloud of dust. After their departure, the officers and soldiers, in neat marching columns, began making their way toward the military camp outside Jinzhou's city walls.

The sun had already shifted to the west, its light turning from white to a faint golden hue. The soldiers shouldered their rifles and marched in lockstep behind their officers. Some were silent, others sang military songs loudly, but their movements remained as precise as when they had been under review. Even while returning to camp, the military might of the Great Han was still so spirited and proud.

Just as the Great Han army was conducting its exercises with blazing intensity, a thousand li away, at the foot of the mountains in the Satsuma Domain on Japan's Kyushu Island, another group of people had gathered in the wilds, roaming about with weapons in hand.

However, compared to the tiger-like warriors of the Liaodong Army, this group was dressed far more shabbily. They wore no specially made, crisp military uniforms, but rather an assortment of varied garments. Some rode horses, wearing haori fastened with ties; others walked on foot, clad in the short, half-length tunics of commoners, looking very much like farmers.

Those on horseback bore themselves with arrogance, swords at their waists, some with bows and arrows in hand, driving the farmers beside them to search in all directions. They themselves constantly shouted and hollered—by all appearances, they were on a hunt.

Their hairstyles were also highly distinctive. The hair from the forehead back was shaved away, leaving only a crescent-moon-shaped patch of hair on the crown of the head. It looked bald and utterly bizarre. This was the "sakayaki" hairstyle that had become immensely popular among Japan's samurai and daimyo since the Warring States period.

Japan had topknot hairstyles in ancient times, but thick topknots were not very convenient when wearing a helmet. Moreover, putting on a heavy, airtight helmet made the entire head stuffy and very uncomfortable. In times of war, if one removed the helmet or opened ventilation holes in it, one was easily ambushed by the enemy. Thus, some people simply shaved off the hair from the forehead to the crown to avoid the discomfort of blood rushing to the head, while the remaining hair at the back could be tied into a topknot in normal times and also made wearing caps and headgear easier. Over time, among the samurai who frequently had to fight, the sakayaki hairstyle became very prevalent.

Now, although it was the peaceful era of the Tokugawa family's Edo Shogunate and Japan had long been at peace, the customs popularized during the preceding Warring States period had been passed down. Even the shogun, the most exalted personage of the warrior class, still wore this somewhat outlandish hairstyle.

Even stranger was that, although this group held swords and bows and looked as though they had set out for a hunt, they kept glancing left and right with rather peculiar expressions, as if their purpose was not merely hunting. Furthermore, though their formation was loose, the mounted samurai still remained on strict alert, faintly guarding a single person in their center.

This was the interior of the Satsuma Domain, near Kagoshima—the fundamental and vital territory of the Shimazu family. And this group was precisely the samurai and retainers of the Shimazu family. The person they were guarding in their midst was none other than the current lord of the Satsuma Domain and head of the Shimazu family, Shimazu Tadatsune.

He was plainly dressed, no different from those beside him, as if seeking to conceal his identity in this way. He appeared to be fifty or sixty years of age, the hair hanging behind his head already streaked with gray. Yet his figure was still vigorous and agile. As he rode his horse, looking left and right with piercing eyes, one could still discern something of the grandeur of his younger days.