Chapter 3

In the carriage, there were two other boys, one named Li Yu and the other named Li Shan. Both were only eleven or twelve years old, and they could go as apprentices, which naturally meant their families were wealthier than Li Yan's. There were only twelve or thirteen households in their village, so the three boys were quite familiar with each other. As the scenery along the road kept changing, the boys' moods gradually lifted, and the sense of novelty from the passing scenery replaced their initially low spirits. They began to chat, and as the scenes along the road continued to change, Li Yu and Li Shan became increasingly excited. Their moods grew as warm and fiery as the sun in the sky, and they started to look forward to the future, talking loudly and enthusiastically.

Li Yan, on the other hand, remained mostly silent, only occasionally responding or agreeing to their topics. His mind was in turmoil, filled with various thoughts. Sometimes he thought about the future, and sometimes he thought about his family. Finally, he made a silent resolve: "This time, I must work hard and earn more silver. In the future, when I return to the village, I will build two large courtyards. One will be for my third brother, so he can get married; the other will be for my parents, so they can live a good life. During the New Year and other festivals, I will also bring my three sisters back, so our family can be reunited and never separated again."

This was a manifestation of a young boy's mindset. He only thought about his third brother getting married and living with his grandparents, without considering that he would also need to start his own family. His thoughts were still in a state of confusion.

On the way, Li Guoxin found an opportunity to whisper to Li Yan, telling him to behave well after joining the army and to strive to gain the favor of the officers. This might lead to a better assignment, and there was a possibility that the Imperial Guard might be involved in defending the city, though he said it was only a possibility and unlikely to happen. He was careful not to scare Li Yan by saying too much.

Li Yan, distracted by Li Guoxin's words, became more alert and nodded in agreement, which made Li Guoxin feel a bit more at ease.

After giving Li Yan these instructions, Li Guoxin raised his voice a bit and continued, "Li Yan, if you join the Imperial Guard, you probably won't have the chance to visit home for a few years, unless you earn military merit. But the chances of that happening when you first join are very small. If you need to send messages or items back home, you can give them to Li Yu or Li Shan. People from the village often come to the city, and you can ask them to take the items back to your parents. Also, although there are other people from the village working or apprenticing in the city, they won't have time to show you the way today. However, Li Yu and Li Shan can go to their destinations first, and after they pay the fees and sign the contracts, you can follow them."

Li Yan replied, "Uncle Guoxin, if people from the village come, can't they just come to me? The barracks should be easy to find."

"You're too naive, boy. But I can't blame you. Those military camps aren't places ordinary people can just walk into. If you go there, you'll be questioned, and if you're suspected of being a spy, you could end up in jail."

"Oh, I didn't know that," Li Yan said, scratching his head in embarrassment.

"But after you've been in the army for a few years or become an officer, we can come and visit you openly. But by then, you must remember your Uncle Guoxin," Li Guoxin joked.

Before Li Yan could respond, Li Yu chimed in, "Uncle Guoxin, when I learn to cook well, I'll make you the best food for free every time you come. It will be the most delicious."

Li Shan also chimed in, "Uncle Guoxin, I'll make the best sickles, hoes, and hunting knives for your family, and for every family in the village."

"Ha, ha, good, good. In the future, our Li family village will rely on you young people. With you, we can enjoy a small pot of wine, eat wild game, and watch the sunrise and sunset on Mount Daming every day, living a carefree and happy life," Li Guoxin laughed loudly.

With the conversation started, the carriage became lively. Li Yan also joined in, sharing his aspirations and dreams.

The county town was to the south of Li family village, and the carriage traveled south from the foot of Mount Daming. Li family village was located near the main peak of Mount Daming, and the mountain range extended south and north, seemingly endless.

By noon, they found a shady spot by the road, stopped the carriage, and Li Guoxin took out food, inviting them to rest and eat. Li Yan and the others also took out their provisions, laying them on the ground to share. Although the food was simple—coarse grains, pickled vegetables, and a little preserved wild meat—they were happy as they ate and chatted.

Finally, around late afternoon, they arrived outside the county town. From a distance, they could see a vast open area with a city nestled within it, the city walls built along the mountains to the east and west. As the carriage approached, they could see that the city gates and walls were over a hundred feet high. Looking up, they could see shadows moving on the walls, likely the patrolling soldiers. A large golden flag with the character "Emperor" fluttered in the wind, and above the city gate were the three large characters "Qingshan Pass."

The three boys in the carriage stopped talking, their mouths agape, staring in amazement at the towering city gate. They had never been to such a place before, having grown up in the village and rarely venturing beyond its surroundings. The sight of such a grand and imposing structure left them in awe.

At the city gate, there were not many people coming and going, perhaps because it was late in the afternoon. Li Guoxin gently pulled the reins to slow the carriage and turned to the three boys, saying, "The county town is built along the mountains to the east and west, with only two city gates to the north and south. The northern gate is relatively relaxed in its checks, but the southern gate, which connects to the Meng Kingdom, is much stricter. The southern gate is usually only open for about three hours during the day. Although it's about ten miles from the southern gate to the Meng Kingdom border, it's a short distance for cavalry. Fortunately, the mountains to the east and west of Qingshan Pass make it difficult for the enemy to attack from any direction other than the south, making the county town easier to defend. The eastern and western sides of the mountains are steep and narrow, making it difficult for even a few people or horses to climb, and if anyone did manage to climb up, they would likely be discovered and shot down by the city's archers before they could attack."

Li Yan and the others looked up at the towering city walls, but from their position in the north, they could only see a row of dark objects pointing towards the mountains to the east and west.

Li Yan thought to himself, "Uncle Guoxin said the northern gate is more relaxed because most people coming from this direction are from our country. Those dark objects on the walls must be crossbows. The mountain ridges are so steep and narrow that only a few people can climb them at a time. I couldn't climb such a mountain, and probably only a few people from the village, like Uncle Guoxin, could manage it. If someone were to slip and fall, they would likely end up as a pile of flesh. Even if someone managed to climb the mountain and attack the walls from the top, the sound of their feet on the loose rocks would alert the soldiers below, who would shoot them down with a volley of arrows. It truly is a natural fortress."

Li Yu and Li Shan, having recovered from their shock, listened to Li Guoxin's words. Li Yu asked, "Uncle Guoxin, with such a solid city wall and soldiers guarding it, the people from the Meng Kingdom must not be able to attack, right?"

Li Guoxin's expression turned serious, and he replied, "That's not certain. I've heard that in recent years, the Meng Kingdom's troops have attacked several times. Once, they even managed to climb the city walls. Fortunately, General Hong personally led the defense, and they managed to repel the enemy. Later, I heard that the blood flowed down the city walls and covered the streets, and the walls and the area outside the city were piled high with bodies. Most of the dead were enemy soldiers, but a significant number were also from our kingdom."

Li Yu and Li Shan turned pale at this, thinking that if they were to apprentice here, they would have to live in constant fear. They looked at Li Yan with concern, thinking that if he had to fight, it would be even more dangerous.

Li Guoxin realized he had said too much and quickly changed the subject, laughing, "These are just rumors. They shouldn't be taken seriously. Otherwise, the county town wouldn't be so prosperous now."

In fact, he knew that due to the frequent wars on the borders, the imperial court had issued a decree prohibiting the relocation of local residents to show their patriotism and to ensure that they could live in peace even in the face of external threats. While he didn't know the situation in other border areas, at least Qingshan Pass had successfully defended against the enemy, ensuring the peace of the villages behind the county town.