Chapter 27

Li Jinglong looked around at the formidable troops he had trained, feeling quite pleased with himself. Over five hundred men were divided into five armies: front, back, center, left, and right. Each army, except for the center, consisted of exactly one hundred men. They stood in formation, as immovable as nails, demonstrating their strict training and high morale.

Like a miniature version of the Ming army, the divisions were clearly defined, with a full range of weapons including swords, spears, staffs, halberds, axes, and shields. Of course, they were all made of wood, and there was no artillery like in the Ming army.

Li Jinglong's father died early. He was the nephew and adopted son of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, the famous Ming general Li Wenzhong, one of the few royal relatives of the Zhu family. Li Wenzhong passed away when Li Jinglong was only fourteen.

As a child, Duke of Cao, Li Wenzhong, was very strict with his son. Having suffered greatly in his youth, Li Wenzhong knew the hardships of establishing an empire and the difficulty of achieving wealth and status.

Most of Zhu Yuanzhang's generals were uneducated and rough, but Li Wenzhong was one of the few who had some education. After following Zhu Yuanzhang in battles, he was constantly honed in military leadership and soon became a highly valued general for his comprehensive talents in both literature and martial arts.

With a mountain-like fatherly love, Li Jinglong read many military books and practiced martial arts diligently in his youth, laying a solid foundation. However, after his father's death, Li Jinglong inherited the title of Duke of Cao. Without his parents' discipline, his frivolous nature began to show. He became fond of women, enjoyed socializing, and although he still read military books, he no longer sought deep understanding. His martial skills gradually deteriorated, and he preferred to engage in empty debates about military strategy.

Zhu Yuanzhang liked the talented Li Jinglong and sent him to train troops in various places to hone his skills. As a man of high status, Li Jinglong strictly trained the soldiers wherever he went, and the local generals dared not disobey.

Praise poured in, and Li Jinglong's confidence soared. In his free time, he gathered the young nobles of the capital under his command, discussing military strategy and training their household troops, which further enhanced his reputation.

Today was a rare opportunity, as he was facing a member of the prestigious Xu family of the same generation. If he could win, who among the younger generation could rival him?

With this thought, Li Jinglong felt extremely confident. At just twenty-four, he had always lacked the chance to lead troops in battle. Although this was purely a matter of youthful rivalry, he decided to crush his opponent with overwhelming force.

In contrast, the Xu family's side was somewhat lax, a stark contrast to their imposing presence the previous day. Xu Jingzhi, Xu Wen, and Xu Song had waited for most of the night, lacking sleep, and were yawning and standing unsteadily.

Many civilians gathered around the training ground, but the solemn atmosphere made them less enthusiastic than the day before.

Suddenly, a steward from the Xu family's camp ran over, jogging to the opposite side. Li Jinglong, mounted on his horse, waved his hand to let him through.

The steward, a middle-aged man, bowed and smiled, saying, "Greetings, Duke of Cao. I have been sent by our two commanders to ask a few questions."

Li Jinglong looked at the bright banners on the opposite side and smiled, "Let me guess, one commander is the heir of the Yan王府, and the other is your family's eldest son, Xu Jingqin, right?"

"Exactly, exactly," the steward nodded, flattery in his voice, "Your Excellency is truly wise, you guessed it right away."

Li Jinglong smiled faintly, then his expression turned serious, "Enough talk. What does your young master want to say?"

The steward smiled, "He wants to know if we are to have a literary or martial competition."

Hearing this, the young Lord Cao, who had suffered a great loss the previous day, shouted, "Enough nonsense! Go back and tell them to come out and face their doom. I want to avenge yesterday's humiliation."

Li Jinglong was displeased and frowned, "If you want to take revenge, do it yourself. I will not accompany you."

The eldest son of the Dingyuan Marquis, Wang Tong, quickly intervened, "Young Lord Cao, be quiet. We brothers have chosen Li as our commander, and we must obey his orders. No one can speak without the commander's permission."

"It was my mistake, Brother Li, please don't be angry," the aggressive young Lord Cao immediately apologized.

"No problem, we are all brothers," Li Jinglong, feeling satisfied, turned his anger into joy and asked, "What about a literary competition, and what about a martial one?"

The steward smiled, "A literary competition involves each side sending five people to fight one-on-one. The first to win three out of five battles wins. The losing side must bow and apologize to the winning side."

"Hmph!" Li Jinglong, without even looking at the eager faces around him, immediately rejected the idea. What nonsense! He had brought so many people from afar, just to watch a show? Besides, what era were they in to play such childish games?

The steward, reading the mood, quickly added, "A martial competition simulates a real battlefield, a true test of manhood."

Li Jinglong, hearing this, found it quite novel, though the terms "simulation" and "confrontation" were unfamiliar. However, it suited his purpose. If they fought like street thugs, even a victory would be dishonorable. He wanted a proper battle, showcasing his leadership skills.

"Exactly, go on," Li Jinglong, feeling satisfied, smiled.

"However," the steward bowed, "I am just a messenger. My lord said that if it's a martial competition, the rules need to be carefully discussed and agreed upon."

"Indeed, otherwise it would just be a chaotic fight," Li Jinglong thought for a moment and nodded, "Go back and tell them that I agree to a martial competition. Each side will send three people to the middle of the field to discuss the rules."

"As you command," the steward quickly knelt, bowed, and ran back.

Li Jinglong looked around and saw that many of his brothers were puzzled. He smiled calmly, "We train for a thousand days to use in one. The Xu family must have the same plan, which is why they chose a martial competition. I said before, we cannot come here to seek personal revenge. Such a large-scale private fight would invite too much criticism. Besides, we are descendants of illustrious generals. We should engage in a proper military confrontation, allowing our elders to see our prowess. Mutual learning and improvement among peers is a good thing."

"Right, right, we are here to learn military strategy from the Xu family. It's a great thing," Wang Tong, quick to understand, loudly agreed.

The others immediately caught on and laughed, agreeing with Li. Indeed, as Li had said, the number of people involved was too large. Without a good excuse, who would dare to fight freely? They didn't want to be reported by meddlesome censors and officials afterward.

"Very well, since you all respect me, I will not be shy and will take on the responsibilities of the commander," Li Jinglong bowed to the group.

"We will follow your orders, my lord," everyone responded in unison, seeing that Li was taking on the role of the commander, they quickly followed suit.

Li Jinglong felt greatly satisfied by the unanimous response. It had always felt like a game, but now he was finally on the stage.

He smiled modestly and then ordered sternly, "Wang Tong, go and discuss the rules. In my opinion, regardless of the rules, we will need a camp." He pointed to the distance, "That area is high ground. Everyone, go and set up camp there immediately."

With Li Jinglong's command, the drums sounded, and over five hundred men marched to a small hill half a mile from the training ground, maintaining perfect formation.

Watching from the hill, Zhu Di laughed, "He has fallen for the trap! It seems Li Jinglong is all show and no substance, treating a game as a real battle. Ha ha!"

"Knowing the enemy and knowing yourself, anticipating the enemy's moves. With the enemy outnumbering us, this is a good start, indeed!" The old man also smiled, looking pleased.

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