Chapter 44 - Building An Army (1)
Original by Bro Got a Gun, Translated by James
Kaiyang to Xiapi was over five hundred li, from Xiapi to Shouchun was another five hundred li, if they were to pass through Runan, that’s another thousand and five hundred li. Although the Lu Bu army was mostly cavalries, their horses would still get exhausted from the distance. Furthermore,it was difficult for the carriages carrying Lu Bu’s family to expedite their speed.
Chen Deng had removed everything of worth from Guangling, everything else that cannot be moved like houses and lands were turned into foodstuffs, golds and war supplies. Thus, in addition to the four thousand war horses Liu Mang brought over, Chen Deng had also brought with him two thousand war horses to the Lu Bu army. As for the soldiers, Chen Deng have brought with him all those that are loyal to the Chen family that didn’t have their own families or was willing to abandon their families to repay the kindness of the Chen family - over twenty thousand soldiers.
After Lu Bu took out the the old, sick or disabled, there’s still fifteen thousand strong and healthy men.
Lu Bu turned the five thousand old, sick or disabled into supply troops and transferred two thousand strong and robust soldiers that knew how to ride horses from the fifteen thousand healthy soldiers to the Bing Province Wolf Cavalry that was left with less than a thousand strong after the battle of Xu Province. The only reason they were able to best the Cao troops and display their might on horses in the battle of Kaiyang was because of the soldiers from the Formation Breaker and the Xu Province soldiers. Only with those troops did the leadership from the Bing Province Wolf Cavalry managed to bring out the strength of the cavalry.
There were five thousand robust individuals amongst the fifteen thousand strong and healthy men, two thousand of them was taken to become cavalries, of the remaining three thousand, two thousand men were taken by Gao Shun to become new soldiers of the Formation Breaker. His Formation Breaker was badly damaged and even nearly annihilated from the previous battles; it needed to be reestablished and replenish the lost soldiers. As for why the originally eight hundred strong Formation Breaker needed two thousand soldiers, that’s because Liu Mang brought back with him five thousand large shields, enough to allow Gao Shun to produce five thousand Formation Breaker troops. Had it not been for the lack of heavy armors, then Gao Shun might’ve really asked for five thousand new troops.
“What? You’re giving me a thousand robust men to construct a new battalion?!” Liu Mang had just woken up and was still a bit muddle minded, however, Chen Gong have already came bringing with him the orders from Lu Bu.
“What’s with that?!” Liu Mang didn’t come to this world in order to become a general, had it not been for the existence of Lu Bu and his transfer cd, Liu Mang perhaps would’ve already left this world. While Liu Mang had brought to Lu Bu countless war-horses and armors, that was all for Boss Lu to fight in the frontline with. He planned to only follow Lu Bu and live comfortably from behind the frontline. In the situation that it would help, he’ll use his knowledge of the two thousand year old history of the Three Kingdoms to help Lu Bu. And if he can’t then so be it, he’ll just stick around and go with the flow.
And now, Boss Lu wanted me to construct a battalion and join the frontline? What the heck is with this? With my fighting strength of five, how could I possibly do anything other than being killed right away?
“You’re pushing me to do something way beyond my ability!” Said Liu Mang powerlessly. It wasn’t as if the Lu Bu army didn’t have generals; aren’t Gao Shun and Zhang Liao generals?
“Generals Gao Shun and Zhang Liao needed to reconstruct their respective troops, they are currently busy!” Said Chen Gong smiling.
“Then what about Chen Deng?!” Liu Mang remembered that even though Chen Deng was just a scholar, his marital strength was no weaker than a second rated general, he could be considered as a scholar-general.
“Oh, Yuanlong? He is busy commanding the remaining ten thousand soldiers!” Chen Gong continued to answer Liu Mang.
“Don’t he also have two familial generals?!” Liu Mang remembered that amongst the soldiers and horses that Chen Deng brought over, there was two familial generals.
“That’s right, one of the two familial generals were commanding five thousand spearmen and the other five thousand shielded blade soldiers!” explained Chen Gong.
“You really want me to command them?! Can’t you find someone else?!” complained Liu Mang.
“This was my lord’s intention, if you want to decline then please speak with him yourself!” Said Chen Gong, holding back his laughter.
“Talk with Boss Lu myself?!” Had it been a day ago, Liu Mang was daring enough to do such a thing. However now, he wants to flee whenever he sees Lu Bu. Why? That’s because Boss Lu have started to taken the role of the father-in-law more and more. Whenever Liu Mang met him, he would lecture him on everything from how to command soldiers to how to act with one’s family and then to everything else. It was as if Lu Bu was trying to teach Liu Mang everything that he know.
“In that case, I shall take my leave! Your thousand troops are located in the main barracks.”
“Don’t… don’t! Old man Chen Gong!” Before Liu Mang was able to respond, Chen Gong had already left.
“Fuck!” Liu Mang doesn’t even have the strength to curse anymore, he have to immediately rush to the thousand troops located in the main barracks. Lu Bu had already given the orders, if he were not to go to the main barracks, he shall be punished according to the martial law.
Only through taking an immense amount of effort did Liu Mang managed to put the Aries Gold Cloth on. One cannot go to the main barracks wearing regular outfit, even scholars must wear their side sword when going to the main barracks. Failure to do so signify a lack of respect toward the soldiers and once the hearts of the soldiers were swayed, then there would be immense consequences.
“These are my soldiers?!” When Liu Mang arrived at the main barracks, he started to mumble to himself. It wasn’t as if he had never led soldiers before. Back in the Battle of Xiapi, he had led three hundred soldiers to rescue Lu Bu. However, that was an emergency situation and the amount of soldiers were also small, thus Liu Mang was able to lead them. However, what currently stood in front of him was a thousand soldiers. Heh!
The only thing Liu Mang could do was chuckle. That was because standing in front of him was a thousand heads staring at him.
“Your Highness, you have arrived!” Liu Mang saw someone that he know, wasn’t this person who is holding his fist out in respect toward me Cheng Yu? Chengg Yu have survived both the Battle of Xiapi and the Battle of kaiyang and was thus dispatched by Lu Bu to become Liu Mang’s assistant.
“Good! Very good!” Liu Mang didn’t know how to speak. Standing behind Cheng Yu was eighty five individuals. Liu Mang was familiar with all of them, they were the survivors of the troops that he led in Xiapi. Standing in front of him was a thousand pairs of eyes. Their stares had caused Liu Mang to be completely flustered. The only thing Liu Mang thought of was to imitate the ways the boss in TV shows address their underlings.
“Your highness is overpraising us!” Liu Mang was the successor of Lu Bu, the young master of the Lu Bu army. Thus, being praised by Liu Mang had caused Cheng Yu to be very happy. Without mentioning anything else, just by Liu Mang’s title of the Prince of Shu had caused all these soldiers to greatly revere him.
Liu Mang took a deep breath. What stood before him was a thousand pairs of eyes and also a thousand lives. Liu Mang had thought that because he had experienced a couple large battles, his heart would’ve grew cold. However, upon seeing those simple and honest eyes, he had once again grew softhearted.
The soldiers that Chen Deng have brought with him were likely former peasants, farmers, and other common people. They did not seek much, all they sought was an acknowledged place in the warring era, a place where they would not starve, a place where they could live.
The incompetence of a general would cause the death of the whole army! These thousand soldiers have now all become his subordinates, he is now responsible for all their futures, all their lives.
After taking the another slow and deep breath, Liu Mang said. “Soldiers, perhaps you know me, perhaps you don’t, however I must tell you all today: I, Liu Mang, from today henceforth, am your general! I will be bringing you all to the battlefield! Perhaps the smiles that you saw today will be forever gone! Perhaps in a single battle, the arms or legs that have been with your all your life would suddenly disappear! However, what I want to tell you all was that I, Liu Mang, am unable to promise that you will survive in the battlefield, but I could tell you clearly: As long as you’re alive, I will never forsake you! Together, we live or die; together, we share riches and honor!”
“Together, we live or die; together, we share riches and honor!?” Standing at a side, Cheng Yu was dumbstruck. He was a Prince, he was the Prince of Shu, he was the successor of Lu Bu, he actually shouted ‘together, we live or die; together, we share riches and honor’? One must know that what stood in front of him was a group of common soldiers, they were only a group of ordinary people.
“Shit!” Liu Mang also became aware of the mistakes in his words, ‘together, we live or die; together, we share riches and honor’, only two things could cause someone to say that. One, during the time one swore brotherhood and two, during the time of a rebellion. If you want someone to risk their lives for you, then you would have to say those words, otherwise, who would bother risking their lives for you? However, how many actually shared the riches and honor that they obtained? It was possible to die together, however sharing riches and honor was hard to accomplish.
Neither Liu Mang nor Cheng Yu was able to anticipate that once Liu Mang said those words, the soldiers were immediately stirred up. They were shouting loudly: “We pledge our lives to follow the general till death! We pledge our lives to follow the general till death!” How many generals was able to say ‘together, we live or die; together, we share riches and honor’? In a general’s eye, the soldiers might just be capitals to promote their positions or capitals to show their strength.
Let wrong be wrong! Liu Mang steadied himself and shouted. “Together, we live or die; together, we share riches and honor! Together, we live or die; together, we share riches and honor!”
“Together, we live or die; together, we share riches and honor! Together, we live or die; together, we share riches and honor!” Perhaps Liu Mang’s speech had influenced these soldiers, they also started shouting after Liu Mang.
Their voice was heard throughout the main barracks.
Lu Bu was looking at the map in the main tent. As the commander of the army, he naturally had to be certain of the routes. Suddenly, he heard the shouts that could even shake the heavens. Immediately, he called for some soldiers to inquire them about what happened.
“Hanyang?!” Soon, Lu Bu found out the source of the noise. With his eyes flickering, Lu Bu mumbled. “Together, we live or die; together, we share riches and honor!?” Oh Hanyang, exactly how big was your ambition?
All the other generals had also heard the noise. Each and every one of them had a complicated expression. No one knew what they were thinking.
The army of the Great Han actually shouted the slogan of rebels.