Chapter 100

"Brother Duan, I may have been a bit too harsh with my words today, but it was a necessary move. You know, these soldiers need to be kept in line. After all, His Majesty has entrusted this task to us. If we don't achieve something, not only will we disappoint His Majesty, but we'll also lose face in front of others, right?" As soon as he entered the tent, Xia Hongsheng immediately changed his demeanor completely, stepped forward, and clasped his hands at Duan Zan, saying, "I've heard about Brother Duan's reputation at the Hongwen Pavilion. Since Brother Duan was busy with official duties, you didn't join us on the last hunting trip, so we haven't met yet. But I'm sure that Brother Ye Xu and the others didn't forget to include you in the barbecue, ha ha. I hope you won't take offense at my harsh words today!"

Duan Zan was taken aback by Xia Hongsheng's sudden change, and it took him a while to react. He clasped his hands and said, "I dare not."

"Hey, no need for such formalities. I'm on good terms with Brother Ye Xu and Brother Chu Liang, and we call each other brothers. Since you're also a brother to them, you and I are brothers too. The 'general' and 'soldier' titles are just for outside use," Xia Hongsheng said with a smile. "By the way, Brother Duan, everyone agreed yesterday to gather at my place this afternoon. I'm sure you have nothing to do today, so why don't you join us? Prince Ke, Brother Ye Xu, and Brother Chu Liang will all be there. They specifically asked me to invite you, saying it's been a while since we all had a good time together."

Duan Zan was stunned by Xia Hongsheng's words and nodded involuntarily.

Xia Hongsheng pulled Duan Zan to sit down and continued, "Brother Duan, you may know that His Majesty sent me here, but you might not know why. Hehe, let me tell you, if we succeed in this task, it will be a great achievement. Without mentioning anything else, I can guarantee that your rank will be promoted."

"Oh?" Duan Zan's eyes widened in curiosity. The mention of a promotion made his eyes shine. Although his father was the Duke of Bao and the Commander of the Imperial Guard, Duan Zan had risen through the ranks on his own merit. He disliked studying and, after learning to read, refused to continue his education, instead joining the military.

"Brother Duan, have you heard of Liang Shidu's forces?" Xia Hongsheng lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "Next year, His Majesty will launch a campaign against Liang Shidu. Our task is to train a group of spies to infiltrate the areas controlled by Liang Shidu, spread rumors that harm Liang Shidu, disrupt his troops' morale, sow discord among his soldiers, and win the hearts of the people in the areas he controls, so that when the imperial army advances, Liang Shidu's troops will have no will to fight."

"Spies and sowing discord are common in the military, but they don't count as great achievements," Duan Zan shook his head. "Ultimately, the army will have to suppress the rebellion. Unfortunately, we are the Imperial Guard, and His Majesty won't let us participate in this campaign."

Xia Hongsheng smiled and shook his head, his expression enigmatic. "Not so, not so! Brother Duan, it's true that His Majesty won't send us to the front lines. But have you heard of the saying, 'Plan within the tent, win a thousand miles away'? Brother Duan, if we can incite Liang Shidu's soldiers to rebel against him and cut off his head to surrender before His Majesty sends the army, we will have both defeated Liang Shidu and avoided a bloody conflict. Wouldn't that be a great achievement?"

Duan Zan's eyes lit up, and he looked at Xia Hongsheng in surprise. "If we can really do that, it will indeed be a great achievement! But can Liang Shidu's men be so easily turned?"

"That depends on what we do!" Xia Hongsheng said to Duan Zan. "Brother Duan, Liang Shidu's men can be turned. Think about it, who doesn't know that His Majesty will target Liang Shidu? His soldiers are well aware that our Tang army is strong and that they have no chance against us. Liang Shidu relies on the Turkic Khan, but the Turkic Khan is facing internal instability, and the conflict between the Khan and the Tuli Khan is intensifying. They have no time to help Liang Shidu. The soldiers under Liang Shidu must know this. Therefore, in my opinion, they are already considering surrendering, but they just lack a way to do so. This is very convenient for our task. I have confidence in this, and I just need Brother Duan's support."

Duan Zan frowned, clenched his teeth, and stood up, clasping his hands. "Alright! Whatever the Captain orders, I will fully cooperate!"

"Brother Duan, there are only the two of us here, so no need for such formalities. We are brothers, after all," Xia Hongsheng also stood up. "Since that's the case, let's go back early this afternoon and have a good drink together. The two most important things for a soldier are obedience and discipline. Only with these can we truly unite and become a powerful force. This is the primary standard for a qualified soldier and the foundation of a elite unit. Tomorrow, I will start training the troops with new methods, and I hope Brother Duan will help me."

"Haha, Brother Xia, rest assured. I'll see who dares to disobey!" Duan Zan laughed heartily, patting his chest to guarantee.

"Since that's the case, Brother Duan, let's go see the soldier who was beaten today. I feel bad about it," Xia Hongsheng said with a smile, then stood up and walked out, with Duan Zan following him out of the tent.

Duan Zan led Xia Hongsheng to another tent. As they approached, they heard voices inside.

"Heh, that young Captain today didn't seem like someone to be messed with. Not only wasn't he scared, but he even used San'er as an example. Look at how he beat him..."

"San'er, bear with it, I'll put some medicine on you."

"That guy is too arrogant, saying our elite Imperial Guard isn't even qualified to be soldiers!"

The tent was filled with murmurs. Duan Zan's face turned red with anger, and he was about to storm in to deal with the soldiers, but Xia Hongsheng held him back.

Xia Hongsheng shook his head and walked in. The tent immediately fell silent, and the people who had been talking became tense. However, Xia Hongsheng didn't punish them. Instead, he walked over to the soldier lying on the bed, whose back was now a bloody mess.

"What's your name?" Xia Hongsheng sat down next to him and asked.

"I don't have a name, just called San'er since I was little," the man said in a gruff voice.

"San'er, do you know why I beat you today?" Xia Hongsheng looked at him and asked.

"General, you wanted to establish your authority, so I let you beat me. There's no reason for it," the man sounded defiant. Duan Zan's face turned red with embarrassment and anger, and he was about to scold the man, but Xia Hongsheng raised his hand to stop him.

Xia Hongsheng took the medicine from another soldier and turned to apply it to the man's back. The man tried to get up, but Xia Hongsheng instructed Qi Yong to hold him down. As Xia Hongsheng applied the medicine, he said, "Disrespecting a superior is one thing, but I know I'm young and haven't been in battle, so it's normal for them to look down on me. But during the drill, you pushed the person in front of you to get ahead, almost tripping him. Tell me, is that how you treat your comrades, or how you should behave in battle? Have you thought about what would happen if this were a real battle? If you pushed him and he fell, and the army charged, who would notice? He could trip others, and they could be trampled to death by their own side. Would you not feel guilty for causing their deaths? Furthermore, if you push someone and they hold a grudge, you lose a comrade. In the military, I prefer to call this relationship 'battle brothers.' We are a team, we join together, train together, and fight together. This is a bond forged in battle, a brotherhood. In battle, you can trust your back to a brother, knowing he will protect you, and he can trust his back to you. But by pushing, you break this bond. Is it worth it?"

"This... I... General, please stop. I was wrong! I accept the punishment, and I'm truly sorry!"

Xia Hongsheng smiled and said, "A man who admits his mistakes is a good man. I'll apply the medicine, and you rest and recover. When you're better, you'll still be a good soldier! I'll make a bet with you. Starting tomorrow, I will train the troops with new methods. In a month, we'll see the results. If it improves, it means I have the ability, and you should apologize for disrespecting me. If it doesn't work and we don't become an elite unit, I'll apologize to you and resign from my position. What do you say, will you take this bet?"

"General! I was wrong..." The soldier was already feeling ashamed, and Xia Hongsheng's words made him even more so.

"No, I'll make this bet with all of you. You are all brave men. Are you afraid to take the bet?" Xia Hongsheng helped the soldier put on his clothes, stood up, and smiled at the other soldiers.

"I'll take the bet!" Duan Zan clasped his hands and shouted. A Captain, and one with a noble title, personally applying medicine to a low-ranking soldier, earned Duan Zan's deep respect. He couldn't do it himself, so he decided to support Xia Hongsheng.

With Duan Zan leading the way, the others became bolder and also agreed to the bet.

Xia Hongsheng smiled. Regular training wouldn't be a challenge for these tough soldiers, but he had watched countless war movies. If regular methods didn't work, he would use special forces training. He was confident he could handle them!