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墨書 Inktalez
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to everyone!
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The city of Jian was surrounded by heavy troops from the State of Chu ten miles outside, and those who tried to escape the city were immediately met with a rain of arrows as soon as they left. The Chu army had arrived at the foot of the city, clearly surrounding it without attacking, intending to incite panic within.
San Chun asked the guards at the gate, and one pointed in a direction. Indeed, she saw a recruitment sign standing in a secluded corner.
The guards in Jian were insufficient, and Feng Cheng should have been actively recruiting soldiers everywhere. However, judging by this sign that could only cover both eyes, his efforts were indeed limited.
San Chun adjusted her clothes and strode over, slamming her hand on the table in front of an official who was tugging at his hair and appeared bored.
"I want to enlist."
The official trembled slightly, and upon seeing her face, he felt as if he had encountered a ghost.
He jumped up with surprising speed, leaping ten meters away, shouting, "What do you want to do?"
San Chun was taken aback by his reaction; Winter Bamboo Shoot merely regarded her with mild curiosity. His response was truly pathetic.
"To join the army," she repeated.
At this time, with no battle yet underway, many people in the city were anxious, but few were eager to enlist. The Governor had only called for someone symbolically, not expecting anyone to actually come forward.
The official covered his face with his sleeve, not daring to look at her, and asked, "What is your name?"
"Chun."
A one-word name was easy to remember. He hurriedly wrote it down on a scroll and asked, "What skills do you have?"
"I can ride horses and shoot bows; I am also proficient with swords and military formations."
Such talent was rare. The official immediately perked up. "Come on, let's have you practice a bit."
San Chun, since she dared to come, was not afraid of being tested. She truly drew her sword and began to dance. Her swordsmanship was already excellent, and after receiving guidance from Qing, she swiftly displayed her skills. Her eyes sparkled like shooting stars, and her gaze followed her movements as she danced with vigor.
Her figure swayed gracefully; at times still as a crouching tiger, at times moving like a flying dragon, sometimes slow like drifting clouds, and at other times swift as lightning—both steady and elegant. The sword danced faster and faster, like a Silver Dragon soaring around the official, twisting and turning. The performance was indeed impressive; wherever the sword passed, a refreshing breeze followed. When she finished her dance, she held the sword in hand, reined in her smile, and the dazzling light of the sword suddenly vanished.
The officials were left dumbfounded, mouths agape in silence.
Unbeknownst to her, a crowd had gathered around. Those who had been watching the spectacle outside the Prefectural Office had come closer; some clapped in praise, others cheered loudly, while many discussed and complimented her without ceasing.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd called out loudly, "Such martial skills should be used to serve the country!"
San Chun turned her head to see the crowd parting as a man in his thirties stepped forward. He was handsome with a pair of mustaches that curled slightly when he spoke, making him appear quite interesting.
San Chun slightly cupped her fists in greeting. "I have met Lord Feng."
The man showed a hint of surprise. "You know me?"
"Who doesn't know of Governor's great reputation? You are extraordinary in martial prowess and have achieved numerous military successes; you are like a parent to the people."
This flattery indeed made one feel elated. The man was Feng Cheng, who couldn't help but smile upon hearing this. "May I ask what name belongs to this Hero?"
"My name is Chun; I have no surname."
Having no surname indicated lowly status, yet Feng Cheng maintained his expression without change, still smiling as if to say "you are remarkable."
He said, "If this Hero wishes to join the army, it would be my honor. Come here; let’s register your military status."
"Yes." An official responded promptly and hurriedly registered her name again, handing her a plaque engraved with an image of a round and plump pig.
Looking at the pig, San Chun couldn't help but smile. There was a story behind that pig; when she first took on military duties and had never commanded troops before, she was unfamiliar with military affairs. At that time, Pang Wan supported her. Once Pang Wan asked, "Your Highness, since you will be commanding the army in the future, your personal guards should have their own insignia; what symbol should we use?"
"Zhu..." She had originally wanted to ask where Zhu Bing had gone. Zhu Bing was her captain of guards who had always been by her side but disappeared after her death.
As soon as she opened her mouth, Pang Wan surprisingly replied, "Yes." Then she turned and walked out.
It wasn't until later that she realized Pang Wan had looked down on her at that time, deliberately pretending to mishear her to humiliate her.
Since then, her personal guards had adopted a badge named after a pig. However, she proved to the world through her actions that even with a pig on her head, she was not the "Pig" Prince, and she demonstrated that her "Pig" army was definitely braver and more formidable than any tiger or wolf army.
Unfortunately, this badge was used for only a short time. Later, she died at Horse Riding Slope, and Qi reorganized her personal guard. Only a few who had followed her back then continued to use this badge. Qi also promised to specifically form an army marked with "Pig" as their emblem, which became the five thousand defenders of the city.
Most people felt that this badge was too ugly and the name was unpleasant, so hardly anyone was willing to join the "Pig" army.
Of course, this last point was San Chun's speculation.
When she arrived at the city garrison with that official and saw many soldiers coming and going wearing the Pig Badge, she deeply realized that she had been mistaken; people's fondness for pigs far exceeded her imagination. Wasn't there a certain northern ethnic group that regarded pigs as their totem?
She sighed, "I didn't expect so many people liked the Pig Badge."
The official glanced at her sideways, "Like it? Nonsense! If it weren't for the king's decree that the Garrison of the City must wear the Pig Badge, who would want to wear this? I don't know what that prince was thinking back then to use such a thing. Luckily it's just worn on the body; if it were made into a large flag displayed in front of the army, it would be quite a spectacle."
San Chun touched her nose and agreed with him. Fortunately, they hadn't made a pig flag back then; otherwise, during the Three Kingdoms battles, her army would surely have everyone laughing as soon as they hit the battlefield.
After receiving military uniforms and bedding at the supply depot, she was officially incorporated into this Garrison of the City and became a member of the Yan Army.
This wasn't San Chun's first time being a soldier or entering a military camp. Moving into a tent filled with the smell of sweat made her feel incredibly excited. The familiar place and atmosphere made everything feel joyful. So as soon as she entered the tent, she smiled at every soldier, showing eight white teeth. However, it was obvious these people were not impressed; someone cursed, "Where did this ugly thing come from? We're about to go into battle; we're already annoyed enough without having this one here to disgust us."
San Chun pretended not to hear; after all, it wasn't that she looked disgusting—she just dressed in an unappealing way.
With Chu Army blocking the city gates, the atmosphere in the camp was very tense. Most people were polishing their weapons and preparing for battle. The camp had also seen an increase in personnel; in the kitchen, meat was being stewed and buns steamed. Many nearby citizens had voluntarily come here to help prepare meals for those warriors getting ready for battle.
After polishing her treasured sword, San Chun casually walked around the camp and unexpectedly saw Winter Bamboo Shoot coming out with water at the kitchen door.
She was startled and quickly walked over to grab Winter Bamboo Shoot's arm. "What are you doing here?"
Winter Bamboo Shoot smiled slightly, "The girl has left, and I have no work to do. A child from a poor family must find a way to live, and they need people here, so I came."
Although the two had not spent much time together, San Chun was still worried about her. He said softly, "With the great battle approaching, the city will be in chaos for a while. It's better for you to go home and hide. As for making money, as long as you stay alive, there will always be opportunities to earn."
Winter Bamboo Shoot replied with a smile, "Don't worry about me, I'm a tough person. I've been through enough turmoil that it doesn't faze me anymore. If the city falls and the Chu Army rushes in, it won't matter where I hide; staying in the barracks is safer."
While they were talking, suddenly the door burst open, and a drunken man stumbled in. As soon as he entered, he shouted, "Where are the girls? Bring them out so I can take a look."
He caught sight of Winter Bamboo Shoot, and his large hands reached toward her face as he mumbled, "Not bad looking after all."
Winter Bamboo Shoot was so frightened that she dodged to the side and screamed.
To her surprise, the drunken man became even more excited by her scream and rubbed his hands together as he tried to grab her arm. It was like a fat old eagle trying to catch a chicken.
Just as the eagle's claws were about to touch the chicken's feathers, a sword suddenly appeared and lightly sliced through his palm.
The man cried out in pain and turned to see San Chun standing there with his sword raised high. His imposing presence sent chills down people's spines.
San Chun pointed the tip of his sword at the man's neck and coldly said, "Get lost."
The man actually obeyed and rolled out of the room.
With the great battle approaching, anxiety filled the barracks, and there were naturally those who drank and caused trouble. San Chun frowned; when did military discipline here become so chaotic?
Winter Bamboo Shoot got up from the ground, her face pale with fear as she softly called out, "Miss."
San Chun sighed, "You shouldn't come out."
"I was just worried that you wouldn't eat well."
San Chun gritted his teeth and said, "Don't call me 'Miss' anymore. Hurry up and leave this place and go home."
Pushing Winter Bamboo Shoot away, she shook her head and refused to budge, only saying that she wanted to serve her, wanted to take care of her.
Suddenly, San Chun felt a stir in her heart. Could it be that someone had placed her by her side? It wasn't impossible to think; Zhong Xue's people must have known where she would be when they brought her to the city.
"No matter whose person you are, it's important to save your own life." With that, she turned to leave. She had already done her best; whether or not she listened was up to her.
Winter Bamboo Shoot was taken aback, two clear tears sliding down her cheeks. She was originally a pitiful person, and no one had ever cared for her or thought about her like this before.
Could she really bring herself to act against her?
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The Chu Army surrounded but did not attack. It was initially thought to be a stalemate, and no one expected the battle to come so quickly. San Chun entered the military camp for the second time, and before she had time to adapt to life here, the two armies were already at war.
As the sun rose and the fog had yet to dissipate, the Chu Army, which had been silent for several days, moved out.
With one hundred thousand infantry in the center and ten thousand cavalry on each flank, a total of one hundred twenty thousand troops in red uniforms resembled a maple forest in autumn, appearing as a sea of crimson. Especially those twenty thousand cavalrymen, like two massive walls of guardianship, protected the infantry within. Those horses were clearly trained Warhorses.
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