Chapter 20: When I was young and full of vigor

Chapter 20: When I was young and full of vigor

Chapter 20: When I was young and full of vigor

When Lu Yunyi left, the military tent suddenly became quiet, with only the cold wind blowing gently outside the tent making a low hum.

After a while, heavy footsteps sounded outside the military tent.
A tall figure walked in. It was Shi Zhengyu who had been waiting outside.

"General." Shi Zhengyu looked solemn and bowed.

"Well, tell me what you think of Lu Yunyi. Tell me everything you know."

Lan Yu sat at the top with a calm expression, holding a cup of tea in one hand and carefully checking a military newspaper document in the other.

Shi Zhengyu whispered "yes", pondered for a moment, and slowly spoke:
"Lu Yunyi is well-known among the thousand households of Qingzhou Guard.
When we left, most of the soldiers in the camp came out to see us off.
Seeing their looks, I felt very sad.
There is one thing worth pondering. The captain Yan San has not shown up, and the relationship between the two may not be good.

On the way back, we did not take the safe route that we had explored.
Instead, they crossed several mountains and depressions. During this period, his subordinates lost their way several times, but Lu Yunyi did not.

After returning to the military camp, he looked around as he walked along.

When my subordinates asked him, he said he was learning how to deploy a military camp, and he also believed that both offense and defense were indispensable.

At this point, Lan Yu paused, slowly raised his head, and looked thoughtful.
Shi Zhengyu continued to talk:
"I noticed that although this person appears respectful and modest on the outside, he is actually a fearless person.

A local soldier dared to look around when he first entered the Northern Expedition Camp.
He was not afraid of the soldiers staring at him, and even glared back at them a few times, which shows that he was very courageous.
And also"

Shi Zhengyu frowned, as if he didn't know how to express himself.
After a long while, he raised his head and looked at the general sitting at the top, and said thoughtfully:
"And this boy gives me the feeling of a great general."

"Hmm? Like me?" Lan Yu raised his head slightly, with some surprise on his face.

Shi Zhengyu frowned more and more, thought for a while and said:
"I beg you to forgive me, General. I must speak frankly."

"Go on, mother-in-law."

"Yes, the general is thoughtful, but he acts arrogantly.
Lu Yunyi is cautious and meticulous in his actions, but he is domineering in his heart.
Although he seems to be enthusiastic in dealing with people and things, his subordinates can feel the alienation.

And I can also feel the arrogance of the general from him. Yes, arrogance."

Shi Zhengyu had a look of deep confusion on his face. He didn't know why he could have such a feeling towards a local centurion.
Is he arrogant because of his talent? Or is he just arrogant from the beginning?

Shi Zhengyu didn't know, but the general had given the order, so he had to tell everything, not daring to hide anything.

Lan Yu just nodded slightly after hearing this, and after a long while, a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth:

"To be proud, you must have ability. It seems that Lu Yunyi thinks he is capable."

"Compared to the general, he is still far behind. I made a mistake in my words."

Lan Yu didn't care at all. He looked away and picked up the horseshoe on the table.

"Do you know what this thing is?"

Shi Zhengyu slowly raised his head, took a look and said:

"Reporting to the general, it is a horseshoe."

"Yes, this thing was improved by Lu Yunyi. I ordered someone to try it yesterday. It is indeed effective. If you are traveling long distances, it can save 10% of the loss of war horses."

For some reason, the smile on Lan Yu's mouth widened little by little.

Shi Zhengyu suddenly looked up, widened his eyes, and glanced at the horseshoe again.

"It's a 10% loss. This thing is worthless in Qingzhouwei, but if it is placed in the entire Ming Dynasty, I don't know how much money it can save every year.

Those good-for-nothings in the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works spend a lot of money every year and research for several years, but they are still not as good as a local soldier. It's really ridiculous!"

Lan Yu's face darkened and he felt somewhat dissatisfied with the people in the capital.

Shi Zhengyu then said: "General, is there any defect in this thing?
I still don't believe that he can outperform the craftsmen in the Ministry of Works.

I have seen those craftsmen. Although they are sloppy and arrogant, they do have some skills.”

Lan Yu stared at the extra nail on the horseshoe and nodded:

"You are right. This thing does have flaws. He couldn't find iron that was hard enough.

But that was only for him, and it was nothing to the court.
As long as we send this to the Ministry of Industry, we can make stronger horseshoes that day, saving our Ming Dynasty a lot of money."

Shi Zhengyu had a strange look on his face, which once again proved that his feeling was correct. Lu Yunyi was just arrogant because of his talent.

"Then didn't Lu Yunyi make a great contribution?"

Lan Yu smiled and nodded slightly:
"Yes, it is a great achievement that he could not imagine. I plan to keep this matter secret until the war is over and I return to the capital before handing it over to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

The lines on Lan Yu's face gradually softened, and a hint of tenderness appeared in her eyes:
"The Third Master is already ten years old. I, his uncle, am away from home all day and rarely see him. This is a gift to make Your Majesty happy."

Shi Zhengyu's face suddenly became serious, and he said in a deep voice:

“If this thing is really so important, it will be the key to his future advancement. I’m afraid Lu Yunyi won’t let it go easily.”

The warmth on Lan Yu's face disappeared instantly, and she frowned and stared at Shi Zhengyu:
"The credit belongs to whoever it belongs to. If everyone tries to take credit for it, everyone will become disloyal and lose loyalty. How can the Ming Dynasty survive?"

"I was bewildered and I know I was wrong." Shi Zhengyu knelt down with a plop.

"I see that you have been living in peace for a long time and are used to a good life. You just want to take the food that is given to you out of pity.
This world belongs to your Majesty, the prince, and the future belongs to the Third Master.
As long as I am still alive, I will not tolerate anyone doing whatever they want, especially in the army!

I tell you, this thing was made by Lu Yunyi, so the credit belongs to him.

Even if he died in the Northern Frontier, the credit would not fall into the hands of others.

Not only that, his name will be known to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and will be presented to His Majesty."

Lan Yu's eyes were filled with fierceness. He sat at the head of the table and looked at Shi Zhengyu quietly:
"You need to keep an eye on the soldiers in the army. If anyone has any bad intentions in this matter, arrest them all without hesitation!"

Despite the cold weather, Shi Zhengyu was sweating profusely. His back was soaked with sweat. He said quickly:
"I know I was wrong, and I will not allow anyone to do anything wrong in the military."

Lan Yu didn't say anything, just waved his hand.
Shi Zhengyu let out a long sigh, slowly stood up and left.

After he left, Lan Yu looked at the horseshoe from time to time, his eyes full of coldness and a murderous aura all over his body.

After a long time, his hoarse voice finally rang out in the military tent:
"Keep a close eye on Lu Yunyi, and don't let anyone do anything bad to him."

On one side of the military tent, behind the huge map, a skinny figure quietly walked out and answered in the same hoarse voice:

"Yes."

Lan Yu sat down quietly, his face calm, as if he had thought of something, and sighed softly:

"Your Majesty has been in good health over the years, but he is getting old.
Some people have evil thoughts and want to live the lawless life of the rich in the previous dynasty.

They used tricks to steal military merits, manipulated people, and suppressed talented people.

Along the way, I have learned that more than ten people have been deliberately suppressed, their military merits have been divided up, and they are not allowed to be promoted. How can the Ming Dynasty be good in the long run?
If we don't take care of it, won't the country we fought so hard for be destroyed?"

The thin figure had a mutilated face and spoke lightly:
"His Royal Highness sent me here for this matter. My Lord, you must suppress your anger. If you act aggressively, you will end up in a disadvantageous position.
Now I am in the light, and the enemy is in the dark.

We have to wait until the northern border is pacified and His Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince focus their attention on the country."

Lan Yu stood up suddenly, with his hands on his hips, furious, and his voice was a little excited:
"Wait, wait, what are you waiting for? The imperial examination is already rotten, do we have to wait for the military to rot too?"

"My Lord, calm down. The rebels have been punished, and the imperial examination will gradually improve.
Military affairs are of great importance. You must wait until the battle is over before you act.
Although you found more than ten people suppressed along the way, you also protected many people, and they will remember the goodness of the Marquis." The thin man spoke calmly, neither hurried nor slow.

"What the hell, they're all just dogs that can't stop eating shit. If they stay quiet for a few years, they'll stir up trouble again. It's better to kill them all and put an end to it all!"

Lan Yu held his waist and cursed angrily, picked up the teapot and drank it all in one gulp, then walked straight out of the tent!
Outside the military camp, Liu Heiying and a group of soldiers were waiting at the gate, looking anxiously at the main road to the military camp.
Finally, Liu Heiying saw a familiar figure, and his eyes suddenly lit up.
So he immediately stood on tiptoe and waved his hands vigorously:
"Brother Yun'er! Here!"

Lu Yunyi, who was walking in the military camp and looking around, shuddered and looked in the direction of the sound. His face suddenly turned black.
He quickly walked out of the camp and asked: "What are you doing here?"

"Wait for Brother Yun'er, we don't know where to go." Liu Heiying's facial features were squeezed together, and he smiled like Maitreya Buddha.

"Okay, everyone go home. We will join the front army tomorrow, and from now on we will be the front army scouts."

Lu Yunyi waved his hand, but the crowd did not disperse. Instead, they stared with their eyes wide open.
"Really?"

Liu Heiying was a little excited. This way, not only would he have the opportunity to make meritorious service, but he could also get rid of Yan San.

Lu Yunyi nodded casually, then turned his head to face everyone and looked at the dark clouds in the sky:

"I forgot to tell you that from tomorrow I will be the commander of the army, and all of you will be under my command."

The scene suddenly became quiet, and the smile on Liu Heiying's face froze.

I stared blankly at the slightly raised profile in front of me, the mouth grew bigger and bigger, and big crystals appeared in the small eyes.

He excitedly stepped forward and hugged Lu Yunyi:
"Really?"

"You get up first." Lu Yunyi felt a chill, broke away from the hug and nodded calmly:
"Of course it's true. Tomorrow, when the new troops join the ranks, we will begin training."

After receiving Lu Yunyi's affirmative answer, the scene suddenly became lively, and the soldiers couldn't help but smile.

In today's Ming Dynasty, if their superiors are promoted, it means that they can also be promoted!
Just like Liu Heiying, he was so excited that he couldn't breathe. He was a small flag a few days ago, but now he is the general flag.

Tomorrow, I will be a hundred households!

The grievances and oppression accumulated over the years seemed to be released at this moment. They had been suppressed for so long that he wanted to cry bitterly!
But soon, the complicated expression on his face froze, and he turned back to look at Lu Yunyi.
He asked with a snort, "Brother Yun'er, I will be a centurion, right?"

There was some trepidation on his face. Although he already had a 99% answer in his mind, he still needed to confirm it again.

Lu Yunyi smiled and nodded, patting his shoulder vigorously:

"Of course, if one person gets promoted, everyone around him will get promoted. You are said to be a lackey, so how can you not get promoted? Let those new soldiers see tomorrow how powerful our Qingzhou scouts are!"

"Ah!!!! I'm a centurion!"

Liu Heiying jumped up excitedly and laughed out loud.
Lu Yunyi stood there quietly, with a smile on his face. He was in a trance for a moment. He looked at the soldiers present.
He seemed to have forgotten that these soldiers only looked mature, but were actually only in their twenties.
Laughing out loud and singing on horseback is what they should do.

An hour later, Lu Yunyi returned home. Old Zhang, who was clearing the snow at the door, was stunned.
"Master, why are you back?"

"He has been transferred back. Is father at home?" Lu Yunyi handed the reins to Lao Zhang and asked.

"The master is at home, and the lady has gone to the temple to pray for the young master."

Lu Yunyi was startled, a trace of warmth flashed across his face, and he nodded gently:

"You go ahead and do your work, don't worry about me."

"okay."

After entering the courtyard, Lu Yunyi went straight to the main house and happened to see Mr. Lu holding a book and wandering back and forth in the house with a frown on his face, as if he had encountered some difficulties.

"Father." Lu Yunyi called softly.

Lu Dangjia looked over, was startled at first, then frowned:

"Why are you back? Is there something wrong?"

Lu Yunyi nodded slightly, walked straight into the room and closed the door, placed the long knife in his hand on the table, and said concisely:
"I was transferred to the front army by Lan Yu as a scout, and was promoted to a thousand households."

"Is there such a thing? I haven't even said hello to him."

The head of the Lu family suddenly looked serious. He had just been promoted to a centurion, and in the blink of an eye he became a thousand households.

Even if there are some connections, you cannot be promoted in this way.

"It was because of my military merit in finding out the enemy's situation a few days ago that I was promoted.

In addition, he said that all his elite scouts died last year, so he asked the boy to train new troops for him. "Lu Yunyi told this story.

He was a little hesitant about being promoted to a captain so hastily.

"If you are forming a new army, that's understandable. But if you squeeze out others for no reason, you'll make enemies." Mr. Lu's expression relaxed a little.

"What about Yan San? What does Yan San say?" he asked again.

Lu Yunyi picked up the teacup on the table, one cup after another, and took the time to answer:

"What else can Yan San say about the general's order? Just take the remaining soldiers and continue the investigation."

An inexplicable smile appeared on Lu's face, "Then he will have a hard time."

Lu Yunyi also laughed and stood up:
"Then father, I will go back and prepare first. I have to go to the military camp tomorrow."

Lu nodded and said, "Go ahead. When your mother comes back, we'll have dinner together."

"it is good."

Not long after, Lu Yunyi returned to his own east wing.
I walked to the side and dipped my cheek into the basin, and the biting coldness rushed over me.

He couldn't help but shudder, and his confused mind cleared up.

Wiping his cheek casually, Lu Yunyi walked to the long table and sat down. He picked up a pen and paper and thought for a moment before starting to write.

"Cavalry scout tactics and training methods."

"The Yuan army's scout tactics and countermeasures."

“Discovery and guidance of psychological problems of soldiers.”

“Intelligence collection, analysis and summary.”

(End of this chapter)