Liubai Camp: Remnants of the army attack northward

Chapter 17 Liubai Camp

There were more than ninety people standing outside the camp.

They dragged their legs, wore tattered clothes, but their formation remained intact.

The leader was a thin man in his thirties, with a knife hanging from his waist, walking at the front. When they reached the camp gate, he raised his hands and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Young Master Shen. My name is Chen Wu. I am a remnant soldier of the Liubai Camp."

Shen Bai stood at the camp gate, looking at him.

"Liubai Camp?"

"The White-Clad Camp. The remaining three hundred men were the ones who fought them."

Chen Wu handed over a form.

"Lord Chen sent us with twenty tents, sixty spears, forty knives, four bags of salt, and two jars of wine."

Shen Bai took the order and glanced at it.

"What about Lord Chen?"

Chen Wu remained silent for a while.

He looked at Shen Bai, his eyes holding something indescribable. It wasn't fear, nor awe, but rather a calmness that only someone who had experienced it could possess.

"Lord Chen said—"

He paused.

"In the eyes of the big shots, we're just a bunch of crippled soldiers."

The wind blew in from the open space.

No one spoke.

Shen Bai put the order away.

"Come in and eat."

---

After finishing their meal, everyone gathered in the center of the camp.

More than a hundred people were standing haphazardly. There were over ninety newcomers and over forty veterans. Some were squatting, some were standing, some were scratching themselves, and some were looking at the sky.

Shen Bai stood on a rock.

look at them.

long time.

Then he spoke.

"Our camp is called the Liubai Camp."

Some people below were stunned.

Liubai Camp.

Zhou Lie's camp.

Shen Bai looked at these people.

"Zhou Lie used three hundred men to hold them off for two days. He stood at the very front and never retreated a single step."

Shen Bai paused. A breeze blew by, and no one spoke.

"He took a knife for me."

"We'll start with a hundred people. We'll train here for the next three months."

He paused.

"If you're still in this terrible state three months from now, get out of here."

No one spoke.

Chen Wu was the first to kneel down.

Kneel on one knee, clasp your hands in a fist, and bow your head.

Then it's Lao Zhao's turn.

Then came the iron shield.

One by one, they knelt down.

Veterans kneel, and new recruits kneel too.

Some people knelt down smoothly, while others knelt awkwardly, but they all knelt down.

The wind is blowing.

Shen Bai stood on the rock, looking at them.

"Disband."

---

The next morning, Shen Bai stood in the center of the cleared training ground.

Ten students per class.

Someone below moved slightly, but I didn't hear it.

"Three shifts, one row."

Still no response.

"Three platoons in one company."

Iron Shield winked beside him.

"What?"

Shen Bai ignored him.

"The squad leader is in charge of training, discipline, and meals."

He pointed at Old Zhao.

"Old Zhao, squad leader."

Old Zhao was taken aback.

"I?"

"you."

He pointed at Chen Wu.

"Second Squad Leader."

Shen Bai looked at the remaining people.

"The rest of you form your own groups. Group members choose a class leader, and the class leader chooses group members. If you don't know how, ask the class leader. If the class leader doesn't know, ask me."

pause.

"If you ask me and I still don't know, I'll go hungry."

Iron Shield wanted to ask more, but Shen Bai had already left.

---

Old Zhao called Chen Qingzhi over.

Shen Bai looked at him.

"Can you do accounting?"

"meeting."

Shen Bai pointed to the pile of things. Grain, weapons, silver, tents, all piled up in the corner, messy and disorderly.

"That's none of your business."

Chen Qingzhi was taken aback.

"I didn't come here to..."

"That's it now."

Shen Bai turned and left.

Chen Qingzhi stood there, looking at the pile of things.

He squatted down, took out a pen and ink, and drew a table on the paper.

The column lists the names, the food, the weapons, the silver, and the tents.

Copy it line by line.

He would make a note of whenever someone came to collect their meal.

He would also make a note of when someone came to collect a weapon.

No one asked him why he kept the accounts.

Because of what Shen Bai said.

---

It was early morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Shen Bai stood in front of the open space.

More than 120 people stood opposite him, some yawning, some rubbing their eyes, and some still fastening their belts.

"run."

Nobody moved.

Shen Bai ran ahead of him.

Walk around the open space, once.

Iron Shield cursed under his breath and followed.

The others followed.

Some people get out of breath after running a few steps, some run fast, and some fall down but get up and keep running.

Shen Bai kept going.

One lap, two laps, three laps.

On the eighth lap, someone collapsed.

He was a new recruit, skin and bones. He ran for a while and then collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

Someone nearby wanted to help.

Shen Bai: "Help him up and stand by and watch."

Keep running.

By the tenth lap, several more had collapsed.

Shen Bai stopped.

"Practice the horse stance."

Iron Shield: "Huh?"

Shen Bai did not answer.

He squatted down. His legs were shoulder-width apart, his knees bent, and he just squatted like that. His arms were behind his back, his shoulders level.

Iron Shield grumbled and squatted down.

The others also squatted down.

Someone lost their balance while squatting, wobbled, and fell.

Shen Bai glanced at it.

"Get up and continue."

I squatted there for fifteen minutes.

Someone's legs were shaking, shaking violently, but no one made a sound.

Shen Bai stood up.

"Have a meal."

gone.

---

In the afternoon, we had drill training.

More than 120 people stood in a row on the open ground.

They stood crookedly, like a group of farmers just pulled out of the fields.

"stand at attention."

The person didn't move.

Shen Bai walked over and kicked someone's ankle.

"Heels together."

The person stood up straight, for reasons unknown, but they did.

Shen Bai kicks the next one.

"Shoulders open."

Kick the next one.

"Keep your eyes forward, don't look around."

When the kick landed on Zhao Si, Zhao Si straightened up on his own, looking straight ahead, and remained motionless.

Shen Bai glanced at him.

"Um."

Nobody asked why.

Shen Bai didn't explain.

After completing one lap, he returned to the front.

"Stand for another fifteen minutes."

If someone is standing crooked, give them a kick.

If someone can't stand up, give them a kick.

Nobody asked why.

---

It was already dark when we ate.

Tie Dun, holding a bowl, sat down next to Shen Bai.

"Who taught you this training method?"

Shen Bai remained silent.

"Where did that stuff in your head come from?"

Shen Bai glanced at him.

"Have a meal."

Iron Shield stopped asking.

He held the bowl and looked into the distance.

Those soldiers stopped arguing when it was time to eat.

Zhao Si was teaching Zhang Tie how to squat in a horse stance, but Zhang Tie squatted crookedly. Zhao Si kicked him, and he squatted again.

Someone laughed.

Iron Shield smiled as well.

---

Jiankang, Ministry of War.

Wang Dechang sat behind his desk, clutching a document in his hand. The paper was crumpled, with the edges curled up.

He read it once. Then he read it again.

Then he slammed the document on the table.

"Smack."

The voice wasn't loud, but the constable next to him trembled in fright.

"go out."

The bailiff left. The door closed.

Wang Dechang sat there, staring at the document.

Nanshan Village. Over a hundred bandits. Wu Er was beheaded.

Chen Bai.

He took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

Then he stood up, straightened his collar, picked up the documents, pushed open the door, and walked towards Chen Tingyu's signing room.

Chen Tingyu was reading official documents.

"My lord," Wang Dechang stood at the door, "have you heard about Shen Bai's matter?"

Chen Tingyu looked up. "What is it?"

Wang Dechang went in and handed over the documents.

"He led his troops away from their garrison without authorization and attacked Nanshan Village. He acted without an order from the Ministry of War or by requesting permission."

Chen Tingyu took the document, glanced at it, and frowned slightly.

"Suppressing bandits?"

"Yes. But the proper procedures weren't followed."

Chen Tingyu put down the documents and looked at Wang Dechang.

"What do you want to do?"

Wang Dechang's voice was flat, as if he were talking about official business.

"He is, after all, redeeming himself through meritorious service. But rules cannot be broken. Leading troops out of the country without authorization is punishable by law. Call him back, ask him what happened, punish him if he deserves it, and reprimand him if he deserves it."

Chen Tingyu remained silent for a while.

"Alright. Send two people to bring him back for questioning."

Wang Dechang nodded. "I'll make the arrangements."

He turned and walked out.

He paused for a moment as he reached the door.

Then he went out.

(End of Chapter Seventeen)