Chapter 75

Everyone turned their gaze in the direction of the voice. A military officer in his early twenties came into view. What surprised Yueyang the most was that while the other officers were dressed in the official robes that indicated their ranks, this officer was wearing a rather shabby pair of mandarin ducks battle robes, and his sallow complexion clearly indicated malnutrition.

Seeing this, Yueyang couldn't help but ask curiously, "Eh... Who is this..."

The moment this young officer spoke, all the officers in the garrison knew things were about to go wrong. This kid, once he opened his mouth, never said anything good. They should have left him at home. Now, they were in trouble, weren't they?

Deputy Thousand-Man Feng Xiaoyun, seeing the situation, inwardly groaned and hurriedly stepped forward with a forced smile, "Your Excellency, this kid is just a fool. He always talks nonsense and never makes sense. Please don't take his words to heart." After saying this, Feng Xiaoyun put on a stern face and shouted at the officer, "Wu Jia, what are you babbling about here? Get home quickly!"

Normally, anyone with a bit of intelligence could see that Feng Xiaoyun was trying to protect him. The sensible thing to do would be to leave immediately. But this guy refused to budge, sticking out his neck and arguing, "I won't go. I didn't say anything wrong! These cavalry are just for show, good-looking but useless!"

"Huh..."

Yueyang's face couldn't help but show a bit of displeasure. He slightly frowned and shouted at Feng Xiaoyun, "Deputy Thousand-Man Wu, who is this person, and what is his rank? You haven't answered my question yet!"

"Speak quickly!" Shunbao shouted from the side.

Shunbao, who had been holding in his anger, glared fiercely at the sallow-faced officer, gripping his saber tightly. As soon as his young master gave the order, he would immediately have this audacious kid arrested. This kid, who couldn't even afford a proper meal, dared to criticize the cavalry that his young master had trained so hard. He needed to be taught a lesson to show him the young master's authority.

"Yes, yes... I'll speak!" Seeing Yueyang's unfriendly gaze and the menacing soldiers around him, Feng Xiaoyun let out a bitter laugh and bowed, "Your Excellency, please forgive me. This man is a Hundred-Man in our garrison, his name is Wu Chengfeng. His father died in the battle of Sarhu over ten years ago. This kid grew up without a father, and he's quite pitiful. He's a bit straightforward and doesn't know how to speak properly. I beg Your Excellency to show mercy on him for his father's loyalty to the country."

"Hmm, is that so?"

Yueyang looked at the malnourished young officer with some surprise. Only then did he notice that this young man indeed stood out from the other officers. Although the life of a military household was indeed hard, it varied from person to person. While ordinary military households were poor, the officers, who had seized large amounts of land, were not exactly wealthy but could at least live comfortably. As the saying goes, "No one should go hungry, but the leaders must not go hungry." Feng Xiaoyun, with his ruddy complexion, clearly had no shortage of food, and the same went for the other Hundred-Men behind him. Only Wu Chengfeng had a sallow face. Thinking about this, Yueyang's expression softened.

He nodded slowly, "Hmm, since your father died for the country, you are indeed a loyal descendant. I will not hold you accountable for your impertinent words. However, you said that my cavalry are just for show. What do you mean by that?"

The surrounding officers, upon hearing Yueyang's words, all turned their gaze to Wu Chengfeng. They had lived in the same place for so long and were all neighbors. Naturally, they didn't want to see this kid in trouble, so their eyes were filled with sympathy and encouragement.

"Say it, then!" Wu Chengfeng, indeed, was quite stubborn. He stepped forward and loudly said, "In my humble opinion, the horses and armor of the cavalry behind Your Excellency are of the highest quality. The weapons are clearly made of fine steel. Most importantly, although I haven't seen the armor before, from its appearance, it is both well-defended and lightweight. This set of equipment is unique in our Great Ming. I estimate that it would cost at least a hundred taels of silver to obtain."

Hearing this, Shunbao and the others felt a sense of pride. Even Yueyang felt a bit smug. The weapons and armor, made with modern steel technology, were indeed far superior to those made with primitive methods in this era. However, what Wu Chengfeng said next made Shunbao and the others furious.

"However, the people using these weapons and armor are not up to par. Look at those cavalry. Even though they have stopped, many of them still keep their legs tight around the horse's belly. This is an action to make the horse move, but they are also pulling the reins, which is an action to make the horse stop. This confuses the horse, and if this continues, the horse will be ruined. Moreover, the movements of these cavalry on horseback are stiff and awkward. Some of them can't even ride steadily. This is something even an eight-year-old child on the grasslands knows. I didn't expect so many of Your Excellency's subordinates to make such childish mistakes."

"I... %$#%..."

Wu Chengfeng's words left Yueyang and the others speechless. It was embarrassing, so many people being criticized by a young man. However, Yueyang wasn't too upset. After all, these cavalry were farmers just a few months ago, and it was already good that they could stay on the horses without falling off.

But his gaze shifted to Wu Chengfeng, "Hundred-Man Wu, since you speak so confidently, why don't you show us your riding skills?"

"Right, show us. Whether you're a horse or a mule, let's see what you can do. Don't just be a talker!" The cavalry behind Yueyang were also不服气 (unconvinced). Soldiers generally had short tempers and only respected those with real skills. Wu Chengfeng had criticized them harshly, and many were already furious. Hearing Yueyang's words, they immediately started shouting.

"Fine, who's afraid of who!" Wu Chengfeng, being young, couldn't stand being provoked. He put his little finger in his mouth and whistled loudly. Soon, a "didi da" sound came from the distance, and a tall red horse appeared before everyone.

"Good horse!" Seeing the tall red horse, Yueyang, who had been in contact with warhorses for some time, couldn't help but praise it softly.

Without a word, Wu Chengfeng ran over, stepped on the stirrup, and nimbly mounted the horse. He then flicked the reins, and the red warhorse galloped down the street. Wu Chengfeng drew his saber from the saddle and continuously performed various slashing movements on the horse's back, moving left and right. His movements were powerful yet flexible, making the scene both awe-inspiring and beautiful. Even those who didn't understand horse riding could see that his skills were truly remarkable.

After a while, Wu Chengfeng slowly rode back to the front of the formation. He lightly dismounted and walked up to Yueyang, asking, "Your Excellency, does my horse riding meet your standards?"

"Hmm, very good, very good indeed!" Yueyang sincerely praised him, then asked, "Hundred-Man Wu, your horse riding skills are indeed excellent. I'm curious, where did you learn these skills? As far as I know, this garrison couldn't have taught you such skills."

"This..."

Wu Chengfeng hesitated for a moment. Feng Xiaoyun quickly stepped forward to explain, "Your Excellency, Wu Chengfeng went to the border four years ago and has been serving under Lord Cheng Minghui, dealing with the Mongol Tartars. Over the years, he has fought many battles and earned many merits. However, as you know, the current times are tough. Chengfeng is not good at speaking, so despite his many merits, he has not been promoted. Recently, his mother's health has been poor, so he resigned and returned home. Moreover, his family is not wealthy. He has to buy medicine for his mother and support a large family, so..."

Hearing Feng Xiaoyun's explanation, Yueyang finally understood. This guy had actually fought real battles against the Mongols for four years. No wonder his riding and combat skills were so proficient. He was indeed a seasoned veteran. But he had spent all his rations on the horse and his mother's medical expenses, which is why he was malnourished.

Yueyang continued, "What position did you hold in the border cavalry?"

Wu Chengfeng answered in a low voice, "Your Excellency, I was a 'Night Unrecovered' in the cavalry."

"Night Unrecovered?"

Wu Chengfeng was slightly startled. The 'Night Unrecovered' was not a good position. In modern terms, it was a reconnaissance soldier, one of the most dangerous roles. The 'Night Unrecovered' often had to infiltrate enemy lines to gather intelligence and capture spies, which was extremely dangerous. Those who could survive four years in this role were all elite among elites. Thinking about this, Yueyang felt a surge of joy.

"Coming here this time was indeed the right decision! This young man is just what I need for my cavalry."

Yueyang's smile grew wider as he felt more and more pleased...