To the north of Beiliang lay Beiman, where the land was desolate, but the hearts of men remained warm.
In recent years, the war between Beiliang and Beiman had not seen grand battles, mostly just skirmishes between small cavalry units. Thus, the You Nu cavalry of Beiliang became the most coveted military unit. A soldier who could return to camp with a few enemy heads tied to his saddle would earn even the seasoned veterans’ envy, not to mention the fresh recruits filled with Passion. These were true merits, impossible to fake. In the eastern borderlands, some spoiled sons might still commit the vile act of killing civilians and claiming them as Beiman warriors, but under Beiliang’s strict military law, such atrocities were unthinkable.
One day, a unit of Beiliang’s You Nu riders ventured deep into Ma’ao, only to encounter more than twenty agile Lanzi riders from Beiman’s Gu Sai region. A fierce battle ensued, both sides suffering losses. Upon inspecting the corpses afterward, they discovered these were Wu Ya Lanzi riders under the command of Dong Zhuo. Li Hanlin, a common You Nu rider with blood smeared across his face, felt exhilarated but also a bit fearful. In Beiliang’s military system, a unit of fifty men formed a Biao. To become a Biao Commander was a position more prestigious than that of a regular officer. Li Hanlin’s Biao Commander was a steady and burly man, skilled in horsemanship, possessing the strength to draw a bow of three dan, and even capable of shooting with both hands. Yet, his only flaw was that upon seeing Beiman soldiers, his eyes would turn red with rage, repeatedly violating military discipline and getting demoted multiple times—otherwise, he would have long been a general. He was a man of few words, but whenever his subordinates mentioned the time the Grand General personally whipped him, the middle-aged man would crack a smile.
Li Hanlin, his arm slashed open to the bone, rode with a Beiman Lanzi head hanging beside his saddle, blood dripping from the horse’s side. In this small battle, their side had lost three men, but they completely annihilated the enemy. The three fallen comrades’ bodies were each tied to the horses of the Biao Commander and his two deputies. This was an unshakable iron law in the army: in the Beiliang battlefield, the fallen must return home wrapped in horsehide. The word “return” bore the greatest weight. As long as there was breath in the living, they must bring their fallen comrades back, unless urgent military affairs prevented it. Li Hanlin glanced at the new recruit beside him, regarding him with newfound respect. The recruit was named Lu Dou, a man with an unusual double-pupiled gaze. He had joined this Biao not long ago, yet he now had three Wu Ya Lanzi heads hanging from his saddle, clearly a fearsome fighter. Initially, Li Hanlin and the other You Nu riders disliked this hot-tempered recruit. But after fighting shoulder to shoulder in this battle, even Li Shiyue—who had previously scolded and beaten Lu Dou—awkwardly admitted his mistake. Li Shiyue’s father was a third-grade military officer in Beiliang, a man who could practically strut freely across the entire region without fear of offending any first-rate noble family. His entire family, including parents, uncles, and even the older generation, were illiterate. When he was born, the family had a hard time choosing a name. Despite consulting numerous scholars and literati, none of the names satisfied them—they all sounded awkward. Finally, the old patriarch slapped his thigh and declared, “Since he was born in October, just call him Shiyue!” Thus, the entire illiterate family reached an agreement, leaving the scholars who helped choose the name secretly disgruntled.
Li Hanlin’s Biao was mostly composed of sons of military families like Li Shiyue, though most were not as prominent. Yet, they never boasted about their family backgrounds, making Li Shiyue an odd one out and rather unpopular. When Lu Dou, a commoner with a strange temper, joined the Biao, he immediately clashed with Li Shiyue. At the time, Li Hanlin and the others watched coldly, taking no sides. Seeing Lu Dou’s cowardly demeanor—neither fighting back nor retorting—they all rolled their eyes, thinking, “Even if you’re not great, at least show some backbone to be a You Nu rider.” But no one expected that in a real fight against the notorious Wu Ya Lanzi, this silent Lu Dou would kill three enemies and even block a treacherous arrow aimed at Li Shiyue. Li Shiyue, a spoiled noble with not much malice in his heart, finally acknowledged Lu Dou’s worth. As a result, Li Hanlin also gained more respect for Li Shiyue. Though the guy still carried some noble habits, they weren’t excessive. Compared to those cowardly offspring of Beiliang generals who didn’t even dare to join the army, let alone become You Nu riders, Li Shiyue was a thousand times better. At this moment, Li Shiyue was joking with the You Nu riders, saying how as a child he always fought with his brothers. His father, upon hearing the saying “many hands make light work,” tried to teach him by making him break chopsticks. But Li Shiyue, strong-willed, broke a dozen chopsticks at once, leaving his father—who hadn’t even had the chance to explain the lesson—fuming with anger. In a fit of rage, he hired a genuine martial arts instructor instead of having him study literature. “Thank the heavens above,” Li Shiyue exclaimed, “for sparing me from becoming a scholar!”
Li Hanlin chuckled as he listened to Li Shiyue’s words: “For me, reading is more painful than being stabbed.” He could deeply relate, and his mood grew even lighter. Back then, Feng Ge had urged him to join the army, and it turned out to be a wise decision. Though the noble Prince Feng probably never imagined that his dear friend would become a You Nu rider.
Li Shiyue rode up from behind, grinning: “Brother Hanlin, when we enter the city, can I borrow one of those Barbariczi heads? Just to show off a bit.”
Li Hanlin laughed mockingly: “Go ask Lu Dou. He’s got three. I only have one. If I lend it to you, what’ll I do?”
Li Shiyue sighed: “I just apologized to him, so I don’t have the face to ask. Besides, we’re both surnamed Li. Five hundred years ago, we were family!”
Li Hanlin shooed him away, then shouted toward Lu Dou: “Hey Lu Dou, Li Shiyue wants to borrow one of those Barbariczi heads to show off. Will you lend him one?”
Lu Dou replied calmly: “Not one.”
Li Shiyue’s face fell, while even the Biao Commander and deputies burst into laughter.
Lu Dou tugged his lips slightly and added: “But I’ll lend you two.”
Li Shiyue spurred his horse back, nearly wanting to hug the cold-faced yet warm-hearted man: “Lu Dou, from now on, you’re my older brother! When we get to Lingzhou, I’ll take you to every brothel in town!”
Li Hanlin teased: “Brothels? That’s nothing. Didn’t you always boast about your sister being as beautiful as a fallen goose? Why not just make Lu Dou your future brother-in-law? Then not only could he lend you two Barbariczi heads, but two hundred would be justified!”
Li Shiyue roared: “Deal! Lu Dou, let’s just settle it like this!”
Lu Dou shot him a cold glare: “Go to hell! With your ugly face, how beautiful could your sister possibly be?”
Li Shiyue, whose appearance was actually quite handsome, was instantly furious, prompting another round of hearty laughter.
The Biao Commander finally spoke: “You little bastards still have the energy to joke around like this? Why don’t you save that energy for the women’s bellies later? I see you all did well on this mission. When we return to the city, I’ll ask General Zhao for a leave of absence. You can enjoy yourselves, but only for a day or two. Anyone who dares to be late for duty, I’ll personally whip them myself!”
Li Hanlin approached the Biao Commander quietly: “Commander, Hong Jin and I have already discussed it. We want to give our military merits from these Barbariczi heads to the three fallen brothers. As for the reward silver, it’ll all go to their families.”
The Biao Commander frowned: “Arbitrarily transferring military merits is a grave crime. Li Hanlin, I know your background isn’t ordinary, and your family status is no worse than Li Shiyue’s. But if the superiors find out, the military law is as heavy as a mountain. What should be a celebration could turn into a disaster. Are you really daring enough to do this?”
Li Hanlin grinned: “Back then, you dared to stab a Beiman general who surrendered after defeat. How heroic was that? We few are all your soldiers. Why shouldn’t we dare?”
The Biao Commander spat his usual curse, “Go to hell!” but smiled with satisfaction: “You kids don’t get involved. I and the two deputy commanders have already decided. This matter has nothing to do with you. You just focus on fighting and earning merits. Once you’re in this Biao, I and the two deputies won’t let any brother go unrewarded.”
In the Beiliang army,
A comrade-in-arms for one day,
A brother for a lifetime.
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