Chapter Ninety-Nine: Visitors from the Tang Family

Feng Xiaobao’s words were tremendously powerful, invigorating everyone who heard them. What could be more motivating than following such a commander and striving to keep pace with Feng Xiaobao? They needed to push themselves upward!

They knew Feng Xiaobao spoke the truth. Since the army’s founding, ordinary people could not have achieved what he had. Following Xiaobao’s lead promised a bright future.

Therefore, the establishment of the Staff Department held vast potential. To become a staff officer there was to be a pioneer.

The Staff Department’s leadership seal was held by the Chief of Staff, one of Feng Xiaobao’s future three military heroes—Jing Dongling—who now emerged into the spotlight.

Jing Dongling was a colleague of Fan Wushang, skilled in summary and calculation, managing affairs with meticulous order. Given his position, he need not have changed roles, but he disliked the dullness of military life and thus transferred to Feng Xiaobao’s ranks. Unexpectedly, Feng Xiaobao gave him a pleasant surprise!

Once a senior military clerk, Jing Dongling oversaw various divisions—the Five Departments, troops, corps names and numbers, weaponry, and vehicles. He was responsible for even the smallest details, and every autumn he assisted the Grand General with evaluations.

He was, in effect, the chief military staff officer, well-versed in intelligence and staff affairs, but Feng Xiaobao’s creation of a dedicated Staff Department was unprecedented.

Currently, he managed twenty scouts and had a small team: three staff officers who advised him and five cartographers!

The Staff Department was somewhat inverted in hierarchy, with few true staff officers.

As everyone thought, such a small force required only a handful of strategists.

Three officers plus a chief of staff—just enough to get some practice.

Feng Xiaobao, however, placed great importance on cartography. Upon arriving at any location, he immediately ordered the collection, creation, and drawing of maps of the local terrain.

“Terrain maps, from nothing to something. Even if we do not go to war, we must have excellent maps covering the major strategic directions!”

“Treat maps as a part of our soldiers’ very lives. If besieged, burn your own flags and maps. Flags and maps must never fall into enemy hands. Any commander who loses flag or map shall be severely punished; the unit that loses them shall be disbanded!”

Feng Xiaobao’s words would later become a core military regulation in the Tang Empire’s army—to cherish the flag and map as one would their own eyes.

His perseverance amazed everyone, but they all trusted him. Cheng Boxi and Yang Chengxian believed in him, knowing he was unlike others. Fan Wushang and Jing Dongling obeyed his orders, seeing no reason to quarrel over this regulation.

After a month of brief training, the Songyang County’s Zhechong Prefecture Corps undertook a long-distance cavalry drill. The First Regiment rode Hexi horses, the Second and Third Regiments each received a hundred Hexi horses, while the Fourth Regiment had ordinary horses.

Through the long march, each soldier became familiar with riding. After traveling such distances, riding became as natural as driving a small carriage—the more you did it, the faster you mastered your mount.

Sometimes they marched long distances; sometimes they charged short distances. Each company in the Fourth Regiment was led by a competent officer, and horsemanship improved swiftly. Under the guidance of veterans, even the new recruits in the First Regiment progressed remarkably.

The First Regiment was unique; every night, they were required to study literacy.

Feng Xiaobao decreed, “Officers must be literate!”

Promotion within the ranks would reward literacy with extra points and subsidies.

The dreaded “four-level” examination was introduced by Feng Xiaobao, adding new content to this era.

The four-level exam required learning 500 characters to pass Level One, 1,000 characters for Level Two, 1,500 for Level Three, and 2,000 for Level Four. Passing each level earned rewards of two, four, six, and ten strings of cash respectively.

Thus, Feng Xiaobao’s soldiers began the arduous task of studying cultural knowledge. For many, running three laps around the training ground was preferable to writing three lines of characters.

...

The long march ended at Liangzhou. They arrived in the warmth of spring, when flowers bloomed and the grasslands turned green with fresh shoots stretching endlessly, opening their hearts to vastness.

They camped beside a large lake in Liangzhou. The Tang family came upon hearing the news.

Leading the group were three young men, strikingly handsome, broad-shouldered and sturdy, with similar features—high noses and deep-set eyes—distinct from the typical Central Plains Han.

“Hybrid vigor!” Feng Xiaobao admired. He knew they were of mixed Han and Hu descent, their appearance far surpassing most men their age.

Fan Wushang and Jing Dongling frowned slightly—they were not as naive as Feng Xiaobao. From the way those three looked at them, it was clear they were sizing them up, looking for weaknesses.

Kindred spirits!

These three must have killed many people.

“Tang Zhibei, Tang Zhixi, Tang Zhinan,” Tang Tian introduced, “All my uncles and brothers!”

“Greetings!” Feng Xiaobao and his comrades greeted warmly, wondering if there was an East as well, completing the cardinal directions—East, West, South, North, and Center for fortune.

“Good, greetings!” The three Tang brothers responded cordially.

They brought another batch of four hundred Hexi horses and a thousand sheep—all gifts.

Sheep were worthless; Tang Tian said they did not count as her dowry. The Hexi horses, however, were part of her dowry, advanced beforehand. Feng Xiaobao could never afford to disappoint her—otherwise, with both men and horses pledged, where would they save face? To fail her would be a deadly grudge.

Besides the horses and sheep, fifty riders and a challenge accompanied them!

...

Tang Zhibei flexed his arm lightly; the bow naturally came into his hand, pointing at Feng Xiaobao!

Everyone froze. Tang Zhixi laughed, “Nothing to worry about. Our Tang family just wants to see if he can protect the Eleventh Lady.” (Tang Tian was the Eleventh Lady.)

Others sweat nervously—Tang Tian needed protecting? Her bow was said to be unmatched; no one could approach her easily.

...

Feng Xiaobao and Tang Zhibei rode apart, heading to opposite sides of the grassland, about a hundred paces apart. When Tang Zhibei reined in his horse, Feng Xiaobao followed suit.

Both held bows; Feng Xiaobao aimed at Tang Zhibei, pulled the string to his ear, and released with all his strength.

Whizz! Whizz!

Xiaobao’s arrow flew; Tang Zhibei shot simultaneously.

Though Tang Zhibei released slightly later, his arrow arrived first. The two arrows met fifty paces away.

Spectators saw the two arrows fly like lightning, colliding midair with perfect precision.

Crack! Feng Xiaobao’s arrow split Tang Zhibei’s arrow in two, dropping to the ground—a feat of near-miraculous skill!

The midair arrow collision was no coincidence; Tang Zhibei’s gaze was like lightning, reading Feng Xiaobao’s arrow path and destroying it with his own. Feng Xiaobao admitted he could not manage such a feat.

Moreover, Tang Zhibei’s arrow continued forward thirty paces before embedding in the earth.

Feng Xiaobao drew a deep breath, watching Tang Zhibei sheath his bow, signaling the end.

When they rode side by side, Tang Zhibei praised, “Not bad. For a novice, you’ve reached the level of a first-class archer!”

“But you’re no prodigy like the Eleventh Lady. If you want to match her skill, you must shoot more! Fight more and shoot more! Diligence makes up for lack of talent!” Tang Zhibei’s eyes blazed as he advised.

“Thank you, Brother Zhibei!” Feng Xiaobao replied with heartfelt respect.