Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Military Discipline

With snow falling for three or four days in a row, Xiao Chiye became even more indolent and visited the training ground less frequently. Recently, he had made friends with a few Longyou merchants and acquired some valuable items, such as pearls from Yongquan Harbor and jade from Hezhou, all exquisite trinkets.

Li Jianheng was now diligent, attending court every day regardless of the cold weather. He would ask Hai Liangyi to tutor him daily. Seeing Xiao Chiye’s negligence in his duties, he would also offer a word or two of advice, as if he had genuinely changed his ways.

Xiao Chiye was pleased with this development. He hunted two deer on Fengshan and presented them to the palace. After the last incident with the roasted donkey, Li Jianheng was wary of wild game and instead gave the deer to Hai Liangyi.

As the New Year approached, rituals and feasts for the officials were major events. The six ministries and the twenty-four imperial departments were swamped with work. With vacancies at the Office of Ceremonies, many matters were uncertain, and they had to consult Li Jianheng. Li Jianheng himself was perplexed by these issues and had to trouble Hai Liangyi and the Ministry of Rites to make decisions.

Qui Prefecture became busy, and seeing that Xiao Chiye had nothing to do, Li Jianheng entrusted him with an important task: reviewing the rosters of the Eight Great Camps. As a result, the security of Qui Prefecture was entirely in Xiao Chiye's hands.

Xiao Chiye could not decline and was forced to plunge into a whirlwind of activity.

Following Xiao Chiye around, Shen Zechuan inevitably encountered the imperial guards.

One day, after completing his patrol, Tan Taihu had yet to remove his sword when he returned to the guard office and saw Shen Zechuan standing outside. Rubbing his frozen scarred face, he strode over.

Shen Zechuan turned his head, watching as Tan Taihu approached with a menacing air.

"Tan Taihu?" The man paused and addressed Shen Zechuan with a cold tone, "Is Shen Wei your father?"

Shen Zechuan replied, "Are you looking for my father or me?"

"Of course, I'm here to see you. Shen Wei has long been reduced to ashes," Tan Taihu circled around Shen Zechuan, remarking, "Life in Qu Du is indeed comfortable. Just look at that figure, it could rival the courtesans on East Dragon Street, all pampered and indulged."

Shen Zechuan sensed from the tone that the visitor had ill intentions. Chen Yang remained silent beside him, while the palace guards in the courtyard peered curiously.

Tan Taihu continued, "With that pert bottom, slender waist, peach blossom cheeks, and fox-like eyes, you'd be a top-class courtesan in Xiang Yun's brothel. Why would you choose a life of hardship, following our governor through wind and snow?"

Tan Taihu stood firm, his gaze sharp as a knife as he continued, "Five years ago, Shen Wei licked the hooves of the Iron Riders of Libei to prevent Zhongbo's Six Provinces from becoming a manure pit for the Bordering Sands' twelve tribes. Now, you're following in your father's footsteps, ready to lick which part of our Governor? Courtesans in those pleasure houses hide behind their curtains, each skilled in their own specialty. What abilities do you possess to stand alongside battle-hardened soldiers today?"

J Shen Zechuan chuckled and replied, "I am unworthy. Does Assistant Magistrate wish to revoke my badge and expel me from the premises?"

"why bother with such trouble," Tan Taihu said. "You're just a dog guarding our imperial army's gate. A kick from anyone is already an honor for you. Grandfather is speaking to you today out of respect for the Governor. Since you've become someone's 'possession,' you should have the self-awareness of not being human."

"I wear the badge of the Imperial Guards by the Emperor's command, serving the public interest, not belonging to anyone's 'possession,'" Shen Zechuan countered. "If I'm a dog at the army gate, then soldiers are not much different. We all receive the emperor's provisions and move about in Qidu. Our realization of self-worth should be shared among us all."

Tan Taihu grasped his twin blades, his eyes widening in anger. "You dare compare yourself to us? Impudent dog Shen! Back then, I was the commanding officer of Zhongbo's Dengzhou garrison." He took a menacing step forward, his voice filled with resentment. "When the Tea Stone River battle was lost, my own flesh and blood were in that Tea Stone Pit! Do you understand the horror? People were impaled alive like hedgehogs! Four thousand souls buried in a crater! Four thousand!"

Shen Zechuan's expression remained unperturbed.

Tan Taihu declared, "My parents are also in Dengzhou. When the Biansha cavalry attacked, that scoundrel Shen fled, leaving behind the elderly, women, and children like my parents to face them! City after city was slaughtered. My own sister was dragged two miles by the cavalry and raped to death at the city gates! You live a carefree life with no worries about food or clothing! Bowing down to others, you can escape any punishment!

"The cold wind swept through the courtyard. Chen Yang sensed the tension escalating but it was too late to intervene.

Tan Taihu grabbed Shen Zechuan's collar, his eyes reddened with fury. "How dare you retort when I'm speaking to you today? You're all pampered aristocrats who have no idea how many lives were lost in that battle, how thousands still starve in Zhongbo! How is life in Qudu, huh? You sleep soundly and live comfortably, with your sins continually forgiven. But what about those who died in Zhongbo? What about them?!"

Shen Zechuan seized Tan Taihu's arm, violently flipping him onto the ground. The impact was earth-shattering, causing the onlookers to step back in shock.

Shen Zechuan rubbed two handfuls of snow and looked at Tan Taihu, saying, "How do we account for it? Count it against our own. The Border Sands cavalry invaded, and for an entire month from the Tea Stone River to Dingzhou, Shen Wei cowered without fighting. You men of iron should have strangled his throat and risen up to defend our land."

Shen Zechuan stood up.

"I can endure humiliation and hatred; it won't cost me a single piece of flesh. This world demands blood for blood. Killing me would be acting on behalf of heaven, appeasing the people's fury." He spat at Tan Taihu with a malicious smile. "Bullshit. It was the Border Sands cavalry who razed the city and massacred forty thousand soldiers. Before coming after me, Shen Zechuan, you'd better clean up your own mess and wash away the urine they've sprinkled over your heads. My life is cheap, and death holds no fear for me. But if I die, will that erase the debt owed by the Border Sands cavalry?"

Tan Taihu retorted, "Stop trying to shift the blame! Wasn't it your own father who let the Border Sands cavalry in?!"

"Then kill me," Shen Zechuan said, tracing his finger across his neck. "Please, do it quickly. Kill me, and the Shen traitors will be extinct."

Tan Taihu abruptly leaped to his feet, instantly drawing his dual blades as he lunged towards Shen Zechuan.

Ding Tao had just woken up and stepped through the door when he saw this, panic-stricken. He yelled, "Tiger, don't hurt him! I have to take care of him!"

Tan Taihu was beyond listening. His blades sliced through the air with a fierce gust. Ding Tao jumped high, ready to rush in, but Gu Jin grabbed him by the collar, preventing him from going.

"Back in Zhongbo, Tiger lost his entire family," Gu Jin said. "You can't ask him to spare Shen Zechuan."

Ding Tao replied, "But wasn't that all because of Shen Wei? What does it have to do with Zechuan?"

Gu Jin hesitated for a moment but didn't continue.

As Tan Taihu slashed at Shen Zechuan's face, Shen Zechuan spun around and kicked his wrist, causing him to lose his grip on the blade. With a numbing sensation in his arm, Tan Taihu threw the knife away.

The screen door of the signing room was lifted at that moment, and Yang Zongzhi, the Minister of War, watched in horror as the knife flew towards him.

Chen Yang immediately raised his arm to catch the hilt, but Xiao Chiye was faster. Swinging the scabbard, he knocked the blade into the snow.

The steel knife pierced the ground with such force that it made all the palace guards in the courtyard kneel, shouting in unison, "Please forgive us, Governor!"

Xiao Chiye paid no heed to them. He hung the saber back and lifted the curtains for Yang Zongzhi, apologetic in his smile. "I failed to discipline my subordinates properly, causing Minister Yang to be startled."

How could Yang Zongzhi dare to linger? He awkwardly echoed a few words and quickly left the courtyard, boarding his carriage without waiting for anyone to escort him. He made a hasty departure.

After seeing off the visitor, Xiao Chiye turned to look at the people kneeling in the yard.

Knowing he was at fault, Chen Yang hurriedly said, "Governor, it was my negligence in supervising them. I didn't —"

"You've watched too many dramas," Xiao Chiye interrupted, landing a firm grip on his shoulder. As he fed some white meat to the Sea Eagle, he merely stated, "Zhao Hui wouldn't do something like that."

Chen Yang's face turned ashen.

Xiao Chiye did not reprimand Chen Yang in front of others, for Chen Yang was the captain of his guards and a trusted confidant. He could not humiliate Chen Yang openly, lest the latter lose face before his peers and see his authority diminished. Yet, these words of his were the most devastating to Chen Yang's heart.

Both Chen Yang and Zhao Hui were carefully selected talents by Xiao Fangxu. Zhao Hui, with his composed demeanor, had accumulated an impressive array of battle achievements under the tutelage of Xiao Jiming, rendering him a deputy general in Qudu whom few dared to slight. Chen Yang, on the other hand, had long remained at the LiBei Princely Estate, eventually joining forces with Xiao Chiye five years ago. Known for his cautious approach, he was particularly wary of being deemed inferior to Zhao Hui—this rivalry being an inherent part of their fraternal dynamic.

Today, Xiao Chiye's words served not only as a wake-up call but also brought him immense shame.

"Five years ago, when I took charge as the Governor, everyone said the Imperial Guards were a bunch of incorrigible ruffians, with the worst discipline and least regard for their superiors." Xiao Chiye stroked his beard as he spoke. "I can't handle such soldiers. If you want to stay in the Imperial Guards, you either shape up and become a model soldier, or pack your bags and leave immediately."

Tan Taihu's chest heaved with indignation as he said, "Governor, you're right. We've always followed your lead, but who is he? Does he even count as a soldier? I'm a Commander, several ranks higher than him. Is it wrong for me to scold him a bit? I earn my living this way, but I won't kowtow to someone who sells their posterior!"

Xiao Chiye looked down at him and asked, "Do you think you were in the right?"

Tan Taihu stiffened his neck and declared, "Yes, I was!"

"Then why take any nonsense?" Xiao Chiye said. "Let's go."

Tan Taihu shot up, disbelief etched on his face. "The Governor is going to dismiss me for this man?!"

"I have no personal vendettas in the Imperial Guards. Stop trying to matchmake for me. I don't do this for anyone," Xiao Chiye growled. "I'm in charge of the Imperial Guards. If you can make your own decisions, then why address me as Governor? Strip off that armor, put away those swords, and settle any deep-seated grudges you have. If you can defeat him in three moves, I, Xiao Ce'an, will bow and apologize to you immediately. But as long as you wear that armor and bear the title of an Imperial Guard, you'll only listen to me. You all enjoyed the show today, leaping about on my face with such spirit and bravery. What's the point of military discipline then? Why not all go be bandit chieftains and live happily ever after!"

Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to say more. They glared fiercely at the pair.

Xiao Chiye said, "You usually love to call me a lascivious fool, right? Well, I'll do just that today. I'll strip Tan Taihu of his badge and send him out!"

The Imperial Guards chorused, "Governor, please calm down!"

Tan Taihu refused to admit his mistake. With trembling hands, he pulled off his badge and said, "I've been brothers with the Governor for five years, benefiting from his kindness. I would even give my life for him! But what mistake did I make today? If the Governor wants to hurt my feelings for the sake of beauty and dismiss me, fine! I, Tan Taihu, accept it!"

He set down his waist badge and helmet on the ground, then bowed thrice to Xiao Chiye with a loud thud. Rising to his feet, he stripped off his armor and, clad only in his undergarments, turned to look at Shen Zechuan.

"I serve others with my looks; let's see how long you can survive! I'll avenge my father's death from that bastard Bi Sha someday, but you won't escape either!"

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Tan Taihu wiped his eyes and saluted the surrounding men with fists clenched.

"Farewell, brothers!"

He set off, truly leaving.