mtlumby2d Chapter 1346 We'll talk about it after you become a general
Chapter 1346 We'll talk about it after you become a general
Patrolling in the snow is inherently a painful task.
The snow was particularly heavy, not only obstructing visibility but also stinging the face, forcing patrolmen to constantly wipe their faces to maintain a clear view.
But the moment they looked up, snowflakes, carried by the cold wind, blew into their necks, forcing them to pull their heads back in.
"Damn it, is the North really that cold?"
Yue Fei and Yang Zaixing gritted their teeth, because although the soldiers around them also looked unwell, none of them shouted, so the two of them did not want to lose to anyone.
"You're from the South, aren't you? That's how it is in the North. You'll get used to it after a while."
The patrol team leader's surname was Wang, and he was a veteran in his forties.
"Brother Wang, how long have you been here?"
Yang Zaixing asked with some curiosity.
“I was already in the army when this place was still in Liao hands.”
Old Wang squinted, took out a hairy water pouch from his pocket, and took a small sip.
"Is this... wine?"
Yue Fei had a very keen sense of smell and immediately detected the aroma.
"Brother Wang, we're on patrol, isn't it inappropriate for you to be drinking at this time?"
Yue Fei was somewhat puzzled. Could this wine be drunk casually? And was it really that strong?
"Would you like a bite?"
Old Wang handed the water bag to Yue Fei, but Yue Fei didn't take it. Instead, he frowned and continued:
“Old Wang, what you’re doing is wrong. Military law clearly states that drinking alcohol is prohibited…”
"Take a sip and you'll see. This military law doesn't apply to soldiers guarding the northern border throughout history. As long as they're not drunk, they can drink."
"The North is really like this?"
Yue Fei was somewhat incredulous. He took the water pouch, then put it to his lips and took a small sip.
"It's so hot!"
With just a small sip, Yue Fei felt a surge of heat in his mouth. He couldn't help but swallow, and felt the heat churn in his stomach! His whole body seemed to heat up!
"Isn't it cold anymore?"
Yue Fei was very surprised. What kind of wine is this?
"This is the rule for the northern border guards. This wine is specially issued to the northern soldiers in winter. When it's cold, just take a sip; there's no need to drink too much."
Old Wang put the water bag back and carefully placed it back in his pocket.
"Brother Wang, how many years did you serve in the army in Dayi?"
Yue Fei was somewhat surprised. Judging from his tone, it seemed like he had been in the Dayi Army for a long time.
"It's only been a few months. When the army came, I surrendered voluntarily. After all, who would want to be a dog for a foreign race when they could serve their own people?"
Old Wang said that although he had been a soldier for a long time, he had only been a soldier in Yiguo for a short time.
"Then you should do a good job. In our Dayi, putting aside everything else, as long as you do a good job, you will definitely be given an important position."
"Me? I'm different from you."
Old Wang glanced at Yue Fei, then shook his head.
“You are young and have an extraordinary demeanor. You are not ordinary people at all. You seem to be the juniors of those important figures. I guess you came to my patrol team to gain experience.”
Old Wang truly lives up to his reputation as a veteran; his eyes are incredibly sharp. When Yue Fei and Yang Zaixing came to report for duty, they hadn't had any contact with Sun An whatsoever, yet he still managed to see through it.
"You might be given important positions, but me? I'm just a lowly patrol squad leader. How could I possibly be remembered?"
"We're really not any big shots, but we're here for training, that's for sure."
In the army, it is taboo to hide anything. When Yue Fei saw that Lao Wang had figured it out, he didn't pretend anymore and showed that he was indeed there to gain experience.
“That’s it. You’re here for training, which can last from a year to a few months. After the training, you can openly and legitimately obtain a military rank. These are the old rules, I understand.”
Old Wang said that after so many years in the army, he knew the ropes.
"Brother Wang, you're wrong about that."
Yue Fei shook his head; he wanted to correct Old Wang's idea.
“You’re talking about the past, the former Song and Liao dynasties. But in my Dayi, that doesn’t apply.”
"Although we are here to gain experience, the basic requirement is that we are exactly the same as everyone else. Whatever you do, we will do; whatever you eat, we will eat."
"And I can tell you that this time I am here, I have no right to make any contributions, all opportunities to make contributions have nothing to do with me, my contributions are everyone's contributions."
Yue Fei was indeed frank, and he directly revealed a lot of information.
"What about him?"
Old Wang pointed to Yang Zaixing standing to the side.
"He's just like me."
"Tsk, then I'm even more certain that you two have unusual identities."
Old Wang looked up into the distance. Although everything there was white, his eyes seemed to hold many stories.
"I'm only this strict because I see you as the future pillars of society. You two must be relatives of some general."
"It's okay, I know the rules, I won't tell anyone."
As Old Wang spoke, he waved his hand and gestured for himself to shut up.
“Brother Wang, you really have to trust our military law department. Our Dayi is different from other places. With your keen observation skills, as long as you can make meritorious contributions, you will definitely be promoted in the future.”
Yang Zaixing also spoke up at this time. He felt that these newly recruited soldiers of Dayi should not be allowed to think that the Dayi Army was the same as the previous army.
"It's difficult. I know the prince is a good person, and I know all the generals are good people."
Old Wang looked at Yue Fei and Yang Zaixing, two young men, without much emotion in his eyes.
"However, the rules have been in place for many years, and this is not something that one or two people can change. I once heard a scholar say something like, 'No, we are not worried about scarcity, but... but what was it again?'"
"It's not scarcity we worry about, but inequality?"
"Yes, that's it. See? You still say you're not ordinary people?"
Old Wang said, "Don't hide it from me, I know everything."
"This has always been the case in the military. Everyone wants military merit, but it's impossible to fight every day. There will always be people who need more military merit. So what can we do? We can only let ordinary people hand over their merits."
“Your Highness has already done a good job. At least you have replenished our food and supplies. Back in Liao, we not only had no merit, but we were also often short of food. We made a fuss about these things, but it was no use.”
"My only hope now is to save up some capital before I leave the military completely, and then go home and start a small business."
"Old Wang! The soldiers of Dayi are definitely different from those before!"
Yue Fei came out and solemnly assured Old Wang.
"No matter what happened in the past, the soldiers of the Dayi Army will never be treated unfairly in this matter!"
“Child, it’s good that you have this intention, but these things can’t be changed by a single decree from the prince. The more people there are, the harder it is to change. There are nearly 200,000 people in Beiye. With so many people all at once, the prince can’t manage them all, nor can he change them.”
"But the harder it is to change, the more we must change it! We can't just give up because it's difficult!"
Yue Fei said it with unwavering conviction, his tone revealing an undeniable seriousness.
Old Wang paused for a moment, then looked at Yue Fei's serious expression and suddenly smiled.
"Young man, you have ambition. I don't care which great man you are descended from, I admire you for those words alone. However, you will only be qualified to say such things after you become a great general."
"Alright! Old Wang! You wait, wait until the day I become a great general! I'll show you if I can change these bad habits!"
……