Chapter 944: The Prince’s Banner Musters the Army!

Qin Dayong was sharpening his saber in the courtyard at home.

His two younger brothers sat nearby watching him with faces full of envy.

One was a year younger than him.

The other was three years younger.

Old Qin had never attended a private school.

Go back three generations and the family had still been peasants with dirt under their fingernails.

Years ago, Old Qin had been a slave in the household of a large landowner.

The master’s family constantly cursed him as “dog-dragged trash.”

Later, the Savages came through the pass.

The master’s entire household was slaughtered.

Old Qin took his wife and three children and hid in the nearby mountains.

At the time, large numbers of displaced commoners fled into those same woods.

After a long period of wandering and hardship...

Yan defeated the Savages.

Yan cavalry came to guide the hidden refugees toward Snow Sea Pass.

Old Qin brought his wife and children with them.

When names were registered and households entered into the rolls, Old Qin scratched his head.

He genuinely did not know his own given name.

He did not even know his surname.

All he could say, somewhat stupidly, was that the master’s household had always called him “dog-dragged.”

Fortunately, the clerk handling registration had a kind heart.

He did not simply write down some ridiculous name on the spot.

Instead, he gave the man the surname Qin.

And so... the three sons who had once been called “Dog-Dragged’s Eldest,” “Dog-Dragged’s Second,” and “Dog-Dragged’s Youngest”... received proper names from that same clerk:

Qin Dayong.

Qin Eryong.

Qin Xiaoyong.

Old Qin spent several years living with his family at Snow Sea Pass.

He was dull and inarticulate, but exceptionally good at farming.

He had once participated in cultivating potatoes and was personally singled out for praise by a blind gentleman.

After that, he was granted Standard-Household status.

All three sons attended the community schools at Snow Sea Pass as well.

Once the boys had received an education... the Qin family began visiting the clerk much more often.

Especially the three sons.

At New Year and other festivals, they always carried something from home to visit him.

Before they learned to read and understand the world, they had never thought much about it.

Afterward... they were frightened whenever they remembered.

If that clerk had not possessed a kind heart, Heaven only knew what names their own biological father might have saddled the three brothers with for the rest of their lives.

Later, the clerk accepted all three boys as godsons.

He even betrothed his own daughter to Qin Dayong.

The main reason was that Old Qin himself had already obtained Standard-Household status, so the two households could now be considered properly matched.

More than that, once the three Qin sons had been placed upon the right road, none of them were likely to turn out badly.

Later still...

Prince Pingxi Residence moved into Fengxin City.

The Qin family did not move into Fengxin itself.

Instead, they were resettled at Jin’an Fort, southwest of the city.

Eastern Jin’s development over these years had been organized as a spreading zone centered upon Fengxin City.

A so-called “fort” functioned almost like a township.

It could also be understood as a military-agricultural settlement.

A single fort might contain only a dozen or twenty regular soldiers.

But beneath them there were at least four or five hundred farming households.

That meant the actual population easily climbed into the thousands.

At fixed intervals, the soldiers stationed in the fort led the able-bodied men among the farming households through drills.

Generally speaking, only settlements where Standard Households were concentrated organized true cavalry archery, battle formations, and other regular military exercises.

Most other agricultural settlements performed only token drills.

One group served as the reserve pool for actual combat soldiers.

The other was more like a reserve for auxiliary troops and laborers.

Naturally, the amount of effort invested in training them differed.

A standard agricultural settlement had four “officials.”

First came the Fort Lieutenant.

He handled defense and trained the laborers.

Because he answered directly to Fengxin City, his status stood somewhat above the others.

Second came the Settlement Head.

He functioned much like a village head and also supervised the local relay station.

Third came the Agricultural Head.

This office was usually held by an experienced old farmer.

He taught the residents how to cultivate the land, introduced newly developed seed strains, supervised fertilizer production, and handled similar matters.

Technical farmers like this had to be sent all the way down to the grassroots.

Old Qin held this office.

He also had to travel back and forth to Fengxin City frequently for meetings, absorbing new experience and summarizing lessons learned.

In truth, schools of agricultural thought had existed since ancient times.

Food was the foundation of the people, after all.

Every state emphasized farming.

But Prince Pingxi Residence was the first to organize such work into a complete and standardized system.

The last official was the Scribe Officer.

He read aloud proclamations issued by the Residence.

He read speeches from the Prince to his people.

He also received traveling performances similar to village operas.

In other places, he would have been roughly comparable to an instructor from an official school.

Although Great Yan had begun selecting officials through the imperial examinations during the late Emperor’s reign, eastern Jin had never cared much for the Four Books and Five Classics.

Every year, a few scholars still left eastern Jin and traveled to Yingdu to sit for the examinations and seek formal degrees.

But the numbers were tiny.

Almost negligible.

The main reason was simple.

Students graduating from eastern Jin’s community schools had better options.

The first choice was employment in the Residence’s yamens or entry into the army.

Beyond that, there were workshops and production compounds.

Standard-Household status could also be granted as a reward.

People who wanted to rise possessed plenty of roads forward.

They did not need to draw their sword, look around, and find their hearts lost in confusion.

In truth, not only did very few people leave eastern Jin for the examinations... every year, large numbers of educated men voluntarily entered eastern Jin instead.

Compared with wasting years on the imperial-examination single-plank bridge, a stable livelihood and a place where one’s abilities could actually be used tasted far sweeter.

Creak...

The courtyard gate opened.

Old Qin entered with a dark expression.

Qin Dayong continued sharpening his saber.

Eryong and Xiaoyong immediately knelt before their father.

Yesterday, the Fort Lieutenant had compiled a new register.

Every Full Household had to provide one male.

This happened every year as part of routine preparations, much like the regular drills.

But yesterday’s atmosphere had clearly been different.

Some old men had already sensed it... war was probably coming.

A Full Household meant a family with at least two adult males.

In eastern Jin... a male was considered an adult at fourteen.

That ensured that even after one male was drawn away, at least one would remain at home to maintain production.

The Qin family was a Standard Household.

Eastern Jin law was explicit:

When the Prince issues a decree, every Standard Household must provide a man.

And here, “man” meant a combat soldier.

Under the existing training and allocation system, even a soldier’s branch of service had usually been determined long beforehand.

He was also expected to provide his own armor, weapon... and warhorse.

By customary rule, he prepared part of his own dry rations as well.

From the founding of the Standard-Household system at Snow Sea Pass until the present day, Standard-Household soldiers had become genuine combat power under Prince Pingxi Residence.

Every field force was built around a core of such men.

In peacetime, they enjoyed benefits and treatment that made others envious.

Once real war arrived... they naturally armored themselves and charged at the front.

Qin Dayong had registered.

Then Eryong and Xiaoyong registered too.

Neither younger brother believed he would actually be selected.

Their father was, after all, someone of standing inside Jin’an Fort.

The Fort Lieutenant would certainly consult him.

Old Qin’s face remained dark.

Inside the house, the boys’ mother sat quietly.

She had never possessed much temper.

Years ago, when her husband had been weak and useless, people had called her “the wife of Dog-Dragged.”

Now her husband was no longer weak.

Her own personality had still not changed.

Matters between father and sons were theirs to handle.

She leaned beside the window and continued stitching soles for her eldest boy.

Qin Dayong finished sharpening the saber and blew across the blade.

He knew his two younger brothers desperately wanted to accompany him.

In truth, every young man in eastern Jin had been longing painfully for such an opportunity.

But he was the eldest son.

If he marched to war while two younger brothers remained at home, he could worry far less.

So he did not plead on their behalf.

At that moment, an ox cart arrived outside the gate.

A soldier from the fort drove it.

Old Qin turned and walked out.

He tried to press silver into the soldier’s hand.

“Sir, sir. Our Lieutenant said to put it on the account. Just put it on the account.”

“No, no. That won’t do. How could I steal the Prince’s things? How could I steal the Prince’s things!”

Old Qin shook his head like a rattle drum.

Prince Pingxi Residence controlled far too many industries in eastern Jin.

So within eastern Jin, public property was commonly called “the Prince’s property.”

“Sir, this isn’t stealing. We’ll simply charge it to your two sons’ accounts later. That’s how it should be. Our Lieutenant also said he admires you. And he asked you not to worry.”

Only after hearing that did Old Qin release a long breath and nod.

He walked to the cart.

Picked up two sabers.

Then lifted two sets of leather armor.

As he turned back toward the house and stepped over the threshold, the load proved too heavy.

Thud!

Old Qin fell flat on his face.

The equipment scattered everywhere.

His sons immediately rushed over and helped their father up.

Old Qin had split his lip.

Blood ran down from it.

He did not care.

He merely pointed toward the sabers and leather armor on the ground.

“When I went to Fengxin City for meetings a while ago, I already guessed they were preparing for war. Good. Good. Your father spent more than half his life as dog-dragged trash. Truthfully, I got used to it. Never even thought there was anything wrong with it. It’s all that damned Prince’s fault. All our Prince’s fault. He let us live like human beings all these years. Heh. Can’t go back now.”

Old Qin looked at his three sons standing before him.

“Officer Xu can speak far better than your father. I’m stupid with words. Can’t explain any grand principles...”

Officer Xu was what Old Qin called the Scribe Officer of Jin’an Fort.

“But in the old days, even when two villages fought over one well, people still helped their own kin whether they were right or wrong. So whoever the Prince wants to fight... we help the Prince fight them. Beat those dog-dragged bastards to death!”

...

That night, their mother did not sleep.

She spent the entire night baking flatbreads.

In truth... throughout Jin’an Fort, smoke rose from the cookfires of most households long after dark.

And similar scenes were unfolding across countless forts throughout eastern Jin.

At dawn...

Qin Dayong led his warhorse from the stable.

His own armor, together with the leather armor for both younger brothers, hung from the saddle.

Their mother’s flatbreads, pickled vegetables, clothing, and other belongings were carried by the two younger brothers.

Old Qin did not come outside to see them off.

Their mother remained beside the window, watching all three sons leave the house.

A woman who had spent her whole life timid and yielding did not dare question Old Qin about why he had allowed both younger boys to leave as well.

She could only wipe away her tears.

“What’re you crying for? Don’t cry.”

“I’m worried about the children. They’re going onto a battlefield...”

Old Qin answered with brutal simplicity.

“If they die in battle and the Residence sends our family the white mourning flower, that’s an honor too. At least they’ll have died like human beings!”

...

Qin Dayong and his two younger brothers assembled on the open drill ground outside Jin’an Fort.

More than eight hundred able-bodied men had already gathered there.

Lieutenant Zhang stood on the earthen platform with a saber at his waist.

His gaze swept across the men below.

On both sides, Scribe Officers worked through the rolls.

“Standard-Household soldiers, step out!”

Lieutenant Zhang shouted.

Qin Dayong removed his younger brothers’ leather armor from the saddle and handed the sets to them.

He was the designated combat soldier of the Qin Standard Household.

His two younger brothers had never undergone systematic training.

So they could not be counted as Standard-Household soldiers.

Barring anything unexpected, they would be assigned to the auxiliary ranks.

“Listen to your superiors. Do whatever they tell you. Military law has no mercy. Understand?”

“We understand, Elder Brother.”

“Good. Don’t be cowards. Remember this: if you die going forward, Father and Mother receive honor and the family name gains glory. If you die running backward, all you leave the family is shame. Understand?”

“Yes, Elder Brother.”

“Don’t worry, Elder Brother. We won’t be cowards.”

Once Qin Dayong finished instructing them, he led his warhorse forward and joined the forming ranks.

He understood that, barring coincidence, he would have little chance of seeing either younger brother on the battlefield again.

Standard-Household soldiers formed the main combat force.

Auxiliary soldiers could be assigned almost anywhere.

All he could do was hope that after the war... all three brothers would return home alive.

The regular soldiers from Jin’an Fort, together with nearly fifty Standard-Household soldiers, began putting on armor under the command of the Deputy Lieutenant.

Before long, this cavalry detachment departed Jin’an Fort ahead of the others and rode toward the designated Standard-Household muster point.

Lieutenant Zhang remained behind.

He would lead the remaining several hundred men as auxiliaries and laborers toward their own assembly point.

...

Once Qin Dayong put on his armor, he felt somewhat hot and stifled.

But removing armor without orders from a superior was a serious military offense.

Jin’an Fort was not a settlement where Standard Households were heavily concentrated.

Some large Standard-Household forts held six thousand households, half of them Standard Households.

Such places could field as many as five thousand Standard-Household soldiers.

Brothers often entered the ranks together.

Fathers and sons did too.

A place like that could hardly be called a fort anymore.

It felt much more like an army camp.

On the first day after leaving Jin’an Fort, Qin Dayong and the other Standard-Household soldiers traveled to a nearby large fort to assemble.

The following morning, roughly eight hundred Standard-Household soldiers had gathered.

Under a Thousand-Man Commander, the force moved toward the next muster point.

Like a snowball... the formation grew larger every time it reached another location.

By the time they arrived at a recently established county seat near Fengxin City, Qin Dayong’s formation had already expanded to three thousand men.

Every one of them cavalry.

Here... they entered a much more detailed processing system.

Army clerks carefully inspected every man’s warhorse, armor, and weapons.

They also issued standard bags of roasted rice flour and dried meat, together with medicines.

Armor or weapons that failed inspection could be replaced from the military arsenal.

An unfit warhorse could likewise be exchanged for a healthy one.

None of this was free.

The clerks recorded every replacement carefully.

After all, failing to maintain one’s equipment properly—or, as a Standard-Household soldier, failing to prepare the very tools one relied upon to survive—was itself a dereliction of duty.

The Residence would make up the deficiency.

But the cost would be deducted when military merit was calculated after the war.

If a man failed to earn enough merit to cover the loss, he might be punished.

In serious cases... his household could lose Standard-Household status entirely.

There was another old tradition of Prince Pingxi Residence.

All Standard-Household soldiers took a communal bath using soap that was extremely expensive on the open market.

A huge crowd of men, young and old, stood in line with their little brothers hanging out, waiting to enter and scrub themselves clean.

The sight was magnificent.

There were two reasons.

First, poor hygiene inside an army camp easily produced contagious disease and noncombat losses.

Second, officers inspecting the soldiers could use the opportunity to examine every man’s physical condition.

If someone had a genuine health problem, or had twisted an ankle or suffered a similar injury, merely showing up for the muster meant he would not be punished.

He might simply be reassigned to the auxiliary ranks.

Naturally, a man with some physical defect could still pass if his riding and archery remained sound, or if he possessed some other useful ability.

After bathing, Qin Dayong prepared to put on the underclothes he had brought from home.

Then he noticed quartermasters ahead issuing clothing.

Everyone stood there naked... little brothers bare... waiting in line one after another.

Qin Dayong received a set too.

The material felt extremely comfortable.

Soft.

Probably very breathable.

Wear it beneath armor and it would certainly be far more comfortable than what he had used before.

More importantly... if someone was wounded, this kind of fabric could easily be torn into strips for bandaging and stopping blood.

Qin Dayong put on the clothing.

Then the armor.

Then belted on his weapons and returned to formation.

Generally speaking, the File Leaders and Squad Leaders of Standard-Household soldiers came from their original forts and were not changed.

So each small group remained intact while entering a much larger formation.

After that... they ate.

Food from the army’s great communal cookpots was served.

It carried a very special smell.

To soldiers, smelling that scent meant their identity had changed once again.

Just as returning home and smelling Mother’s cooking meant one thing... this smell meant another.

The Lieutenant overseeing the formation began walking among his men, reiterating military law.

As night approached... the Assistant General addressed them.

Eastern Jin possessed standing armies.

The garrison of Fengxin City.

The troops of Snow Sea Pass.

Zhennan Pass.

Fan City.

Those forces remained permanently under arms.

But the majority of eastern Jin’s military manpower still consisted of men like Qin Dayong.

They drilled and worked in production during ordinary times.

Before war, the Residence summoned them as Standard-Household soldiers.

For men like them, the Hundred-Man Commander might remain familiar.

But the Lieutenant above him... and the officers above that... even the Assistant General... could be different every time.

Did that create problems where soldiers did not know their commanders and commanders did not know their men?

Of course.

But the problem remained manageable.

The Standard-Household system of eastern Jin was still young and vigorous.

Everyone longed to enter battle and earn merit.

Men rejoiced upon hearing of war.

That general environment meant the system possessed an unusually high floor.

In truth, another purpose of the Standard-Household system was to break apart and digest old military cliques.

Even Li Chenghui’s command, which had entered eastern Jin several years earlier, had been broken apart and absorbed through Standard-Household reorganization.

Because here... the army’s true faction... the only faction... was that one princely Residence.

The Assistant General continued his speech.

Because large-scale musters happened every year, sometimes twice a year, the men had heard similar words many times already.

There was not much novelty left in them.

Qin Dayong and the others sat cross-legged on the ground with straight backs.

Truthfully, everyone was waiting for the same thing.

Which commander would lead this muster?

Whose command banner would be raised?

At last, the Assistant General’s speech ended.

His personal guards carried a flagpole forward.

In a moment, the Assistant General would personally raise the command banner.

Then the soldiers below would understand which Grand Commander they had been assigned to... or, put differently... who would command the military operation about to begin.

The same scene would be unfolding at several other muster camps nearby.

Then... the Assistant General raised the banner.

Qin Dayong’s fists clenched instantly.

His breathing became rapid.

More accurately... every soldier present froze inwardly for one heartbeat.

Then their expressions twisted with excitement until they looked almost savage.

The Prince’s banner.

The Prince’s banner.

The Prince’s banner!

That meant... this time... the Prince himself... would lead the campaign!

The Prince was not physically present here.

Naturally, he could not appear simultaneously in so many military camps.

But within the army... seeing the Prince’s banner was the same as seeing the Prince himself.

Over the years, military ritual had already been refined step by step.

The Prince’s banner stood.

Every Lieutenant below issued the same order.

“Rise!”

The soldiers who had been sitting cross-legged listening to the speech all stood at once.

The Assistant General moved to the front of the formation.

Facing the Prince’s banner... he dropped to one knee.

“This general has obeyed the Prince’s command and assembled this force!”

Then... the Assistant General slammed one fist against the armor over his chest.

He roared:

“Sons of eastern Jin!”

Qin Dayong immediately stepped forward with his left foot.

Then dropped to one knee.

Every soldier around him performed the same motion.

All raised their fists.

All hammered them against their breastplates.

The answering roar shook Heaven and Earth.

“We are willing to die for the Prince!”

[End of Chapter 944]