novelAbuy Chapter 44 The stage is already set! [Requesting monthly votes!]
Chapter 44 The stage is already set! [Requesting monthly votes!]
The devil is in the details—this was a creed etched into his very being.
Soon, he sifted out a few unusual grains of "sand".
On the left flank, a Xuanjia Imperial Guard who had been "struck" down by a wooden sword quietly got up amidst the dust and instantly rejoined the energetic charging ranks on the right flank.
"resurrection?"
The same "resurrection" drama unfolded in the second and third places...
In contrast, the soldiers' movements were so fluid and almost rehearsed that they "fell to the ground after being hit."
A conclusion so absurd it sent chills down his spine took shape in his mind: in this "war scene" filled with shouts of battle and billowing dust, each soldier in the Fubing only "died" once, while the Imperial Guards seemed to have countless "lives"!
The deafening shouts now sounded like precise lines of dialogue.
The dust flying everywhere looked like smeared paint.
This is hardly a battle on the training ground.
This is clearly a stage called "Strong Army" built to please a specific audience!
Cold sweat silently soaked Yang Yan's back.
What's even more unsettling than the stark score of 4,000 to 600 is the naked set of rules behind this contest.
Here, victory or defeat has nothing to do with strength or formation, but only with the script.
The role of the garrison soldiers was "defeat," a backdrop, a vessel for the collective humiliation used to cast the molten bronze that gave the six hundred "elite warriors" their supreme glory.
If the empire's military might needs to be maintained through endless repetitive drama, then when the real thunder roars, will this sophisticated yet deceptive machine unleash the power to defend the land, or will it collapse with a crash at the first real shout?
Yang Yan had no idea. He slowly turned his head and looked at Li Mi beside him.
This future tyrant who would shake the world was now tightly pursing his lips, his profile as hard as if carved by a knife, and his eyes reflected not the brilliance of victory, but an unfathomable melancholy.
He understood it too, but that understanding itself was a kind of pain.
"when--!"
A deep, resounding gong pierced through the lingering shouts and dust above the training ground, bringing an end to the "fierce battle" that had lasted for nearly an hour.
The clamor receded like the tide.
Those soldiers who had just "died" on the ground seemed to have received a unified command, and one by one they climbed up from the frozen ground.
They brushed the dust off their coarse military uniforms, their faces showing no humiliation or resentment at defeat, only a weariness after a heavy burden had been lifted, and a deeper numbness.
The task is complete, that's all.
On the other side, the six hundred elite Imperial Guards had re-formed into a neat square formation, their armor gleaming with a cold metallic sheen in the thin winter sunlight.
They silently accepted the general's inspection, their postures as straight as spears, yet their faces showed little sign of triumphant joy.
Everything seemed perfectly natural, as if the script had already been written and they were simply executing their part perfectly.
"What a show."
Yang Yan's voice was very soft, like a whisper, yet it was like a silver needle quenched in ice, precisely piercing the veil of unspoken understanding between the two.
Li Mi turned his head, and his gaze met Yang Yan's calm eyes.
Those eyes, usually as calm as a still pool, were now churning with an unbelievable surge of emotion.
He originally thought that this prince could at most see the difference in combat strength, but he never expected that the other party could see through the essence of "acting" under the name of "real combat".
Yang Yong, beaming with pride and high spirits, patted Yang Yan's shoulder heavily and said in a booming voice, "Yan'er, do you see this? These are the elite warriors of my Great Sui!"
"Six hundred defeated four thousand! How magnificent! With such a mighty army, how can we fear that the Turks will not be destroyed, or that Goguryeo will not be at peace!"
Yang Yan bowed slightly, but there was no joy on his face.
"Father is right. With our great Sui Dynasty's civil and military achievements, we will surely be invincible."
"You brat, you should be saying that to your imperial grandfather."
"Someone just informed me that there may be an urgent matter at the Crown Prince's Palace, and I must leave. You can take another look."
"Here you are."
Having said that, he left satisfied, surrounded by a group of guards.
In the blink of an eye, only Yang Yan and Li Mi remained below the platform.
Yang Yan did not look at Li Mi, his gaze remaining fixed on the dispersing army formation in the distance.
He spoke calmly, his voice not loud: "Is this combat training a daily occurrence, or is it because my father is here?"
Li Mi's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and he remained silent for a moment.
Finally, he simply exhaled a breath of stale air: "Your Highness, the daily drills are conducted in the same manner."
This answer is tantamount to admitting everything.
Yang Yan nodded, seemingly unsurprised by the answer. He simply watched the Imperial Guards still "fighting" and asked softly, "Why is there such a huge difference in equipment between the two sides? Although our Sui Dynasty's soldiers are required to provide their own armor and weapons, they must still follow the regulations of the military government. Why is it that today, less than one in ten soldiers are still wearing armor?"
Yang Yan turned his head, and his gaze finally landed on Li Mi's face.
It was a young face, yet it carried an undue melancholy.
"If this is combat training, it should be treated like real combat!"
Upon hearing this, Li Mi finally shifted his gaze completely away from the battlefield.
For the first time, he truly looked Yang Yan in the eye, and in those clear black and white eyes, a barely perceptible hint of approval and a sense of shared admiration flashed across his face.
"Does Your Highness know the market price of a set of ordinary iron armor?" Li Mi continued speaking before Yang Yan could answer.
"According to the regulations of our Great Sui Dynasty, soldiers are required to 'provide their own military equipment,' which is kept at home during peacetime and brought to the military headquarters for inspection when on duty. However, armor is precious; a single set of iron armor can exhaust the savings of a middle-class family for several years. Who would allow their iron armor, which could be exchanged for several acres of fertile land, to be carelessly bumped and worn out during drills?"
"And these on the east side..." Li Mi gestured slightly with his chin toward the imposing Imperial Guards, his tone complex, "are all battle-hardened elites, fully dedicated to guarding the capital region, the Emperor's personal army. Their armor, weapons, and horses are all manufactured by the armory to the highest standards, replaced year-round without fail. The court bears the costs of training and maintenance, therefore they have nothing to fear!"
At this point, no further explanation is needed.
One side consists of "temporary workers" who bring their own food and bear all the wear and tear on their equipment.
On one side is a "professional army" supported by the state, well-equipped, and with no worries about their future.
The outcome was already decided before they even stepped onto the training ground.
Moreover, it was just an exhibition match, so how could there possibly be any accidents?
Yang Yan remained silent.
"The training of the garrison soldiers focuses on formations and basic equipment, aiming to ensure that they can be mobilized and move quickly upon command. The training of the Imperial Guards, on the other hand, is much more complex," Li Mi paused, his tone revealing a solemn sense of pride.
"They need to practice formations and positioning every day, master horsemanship and archery skills, practice tactical coordination in joint operations, and even have strict rules for daily etiquette and guard duties! After all, they are always by the emperor's side, and they cannot lose their dignity!"
Yang Yan paused for a moment, then asked a more specific question.
"Your Highness, in your opinion, is this 'acting' trend today an isolated incident, or... has it become a precedent?"
Li Mi's throat bobbed, his voice dry: "I dare not deceive Your Highness."
"This humble general once accompanied my father on an inspection tour of the military prefectures in Hedong and Longyou... We practiced 'battle formations' to prepare for the inspection by our superiors, thus creating a false impression of peace and prosperity. This was not an isolated case."
"Therefore, this exercise is not to test combat capabilities, but to present a 'powerful' performance. It is to reassure the audience and immerse everyone in the illusion of the invincible might of our Great Sui Dynasty."
Li Mi nodded heavily, this was the sorrow that he harbored in his heart but dared not speak of.
Yang Yan gazed at the distant horizon, where low-hanging clouds hung in the sky: "In the event of minor unrest, the Imperial Guards of the capital region might be able to quell it. But in the event of a war that threatens the entire nation, requiring the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of soldiers, can we rely on this army that can't even afford to wear armor and only knows how to put on a show?"
He paused, looked at Li Mi, and asked the final question: "When real swords are at hand, will their practiced 'falling' today become a true rout on the battlefield?"
The look of horror in Li Mi's eyes deepened.
He only saw injustice and weakness, but this prince had already seen the enormous crisis that this weakness could trigger, one that could shake the very foundation of the nation!
Yang: "Crown Prince Li, what do you think is better: a 'mirror-flower blade' that will never rust and is kept hidden in a brocade box, or a blunt knife that, though flawed, can still split mountains and cleave rocks, even when it is mired in mud?"
"The Blade of the Mirror Flower" represents the Imperial Guards before us, the wealth and glory of the capital, and also an invisible shackle.
"Muddy and dull-witted soldiers" refers to the unappreciated soldiers of the local militia, representing the wildness and danger of the frontier, but also the potential to harbor true power and opportunity.
Li Mi thought that this Prince of Changning was just intelligent and precocious, able to see through appearances.
Unexpectedly, the question he asked was the very question he had asked himself countless times in the dead of night!
Should one stay in the capital, become a glamorous "mirror flower," and let one's talents be wasted in this endless political maneuvering?
Or should we go to the frontier, into the mud and fire, to become a "blunt knife" that can truly kill the enemy?
No one can answer this question, and no one dares to answer it.
"Your Highness..." Li Mi's throat bobbed, his voice dry.
Yang Yan withdrew his gaze and gave Li Mi one last look.
"A true army's sharpness should be honed on the bones of its enemies."
"Instead of relying on the tacit understanding of comrades to embellish the performance on their own training ground."
After saying that, he didn't say anything more and turned to leave.
Li Mi was left standing there, stunned.
The north wind howled, stirring up the last dust and sand, and also taking away Yang Yan's departing figure.
Li Mi stood frozen in place, like an armored statue whose soul had suddenly been taken away.
The cold wind was like a knife, slicing across his young face, piercing through his cold armor, and going straight to his bone marrow.
But he didn't feel the slightest bit of cold.
Inside my chest, a scalding, unprecedented torrent was surging and crashing wildly.