Chapter 98

Chapter 99: A Messy Day (Part 1)

"Everyone, this is our squad's dormitory. Come on in!" Zhao Zhong led his soldiers to the southernmost room on the east side of the courtyard, pushed the door open, and said. The young men, each carrying a large bag, rushed in, almost knocking him over.

"Oh, this room is so nice!" Although they had already been surprised many times today, the young men couldn't help but exclaim when they stepped into their new room. The room was warm, and no one could see a stove, indicating that it was heated by a ground heating system. The freshly painted walls were snow-white, and the floor was covered with large blue bricks, swept spotlessly clean. On the right side, ten beds were lined up, with five cabinets inside and a row of shelves on the outside. In the middle of the aisle were two long tables, with two candle holders on each and several high-legged stools underneath. The room was not at all cramped for the ten of them. There were several sheets of paper hanging on the wall, covered in writing, but most of it was unfamiliar, and they had no idea what it meant.

"Now, I'll assign the beds!" Zhao Zhong smiled and said, "Li Lei, you get bed number one, Zhang Pu, you get bed number two, and Xu Biao, you get bed number three." Each person, upon hearing their name called, found their assigned bed and piled their belongings on it, rummaging through the large bags to see what they contained.

"Oh, this is a water flask, and it's made of cowhide. It can probably hold two pounds of water!"

"Hey, I have several sets of clothes in my bag. This must be winter clothing, so light and warm, definitely padded with silk. Only the wealthy in my hometown have such clothes, and I never thought I'd wear them too!"

"There are three sets of single-layer clothes. Why are two of them made of coarse cloth? Is yours the same?"

"This basin is made of brass. In my hometown, we use wooden basins, and brass basins are too expensive for us to afford!"

"Don't put things everywhere. First, sort out the items you brought that you don't need, and we'll store them in the warehouse later. Now, listen to me!" Zhao Zhong frowned at the chaotic scene but still managed to smile.

"Captain, is that your bed? How neatly the quilt is folded!"

"Really? Let me see!"

"Is there something inside making it so neat? Let me check."

"Everyone, stand still and listen to me!" Zhao Zhong looked at his neatly made bed, now a mess, and his face turned serious. The young men, startled by the captain's shout, turned around and focused their attention on his face.

"Now, listen to me. First, organize your belongings. Li Lei, the first cabinet is yours for storing your clothes and personal items. Only quilts and pillows are allowed on the beds; no other items, and no sitting or lying down without permission. The toiletries and towels issued to you should be placed neatly on the shelves." Zhao Zhong looked at his nine soldiers and forced a smile.

After a long while, Zhao Zhong's voice was hoarse, and the items were finally in place. Everyone had changed into new clothes, and the unused items were packed away. They were now admiring each other. "Oh my, how will we live like this in the future?" They had arrived here about ten days ago, and the prince had trained them, preparing to select the best to be squad leaders. Zhao Zhong had been delighted at the time, but now he was starting to regret taking on this role.

In his squad, including himself, there were ten people. Three were familiar from the inner courtyard, and the other six were new house servants who had only recently joined. He and the inner courtyard boys were considered close to the prince, but they never associated with each other. The new arrivals probably didn't even know who he was, so how could they respect his authority?

"Everyone, take your belongings and follow me to the warehouse. I'll also show you the layout of the courtyard. There are some areas you are not allowed to enter!" Zhao Zhong thought about what the prince had said and realized he still had tasks to complete. He mustered his strength and stood up. As soon as he stepped out, he saw people from other squads also moving items to the warehouse. The squad leaders either had dark faces or were sighing, indicating they were having similar problems.

After touring the entire compound and understanding the purpose of each room, the squad leaders were all exhausted and frustrated. It was time for lunch, so they sent their "soldiers" to the cafeteria and then went to the front yard to wait for the food delivery.

"Brother Li, how are your soldiers? Are they easy to manage?" Zhao Zhong leaned against the door and asked Zhao Li, the squad leader of Squad B.

"Don't even mention it. I want to kick them. The ones from the inner courtyard know some rules, but those new guys are driving me crazy. They're curious about everything and know nothing!" Zhao Li shook his head and sighed.

"Brother Li, with your good temper, you're thinking of hitting them. You must be really angry!" Zhao Yong, the squad leader of Squad C, said with a smile.

"Ah, the prince is hiding somewhere to avoid the chaos. If I have to manage them for another day, I'll go crazy!" Zhao Lian, the squad leader of Squad D, squatted by the wall, scratching his head.

"Endure it. When we first entered this courtyard, we were just like them. I wonder how the prince managed for those ten days. Was it the same as now?" Zhao Chi, the squad leader of Squad E, said with a laugh.

"Ha, the prince must feel the same as us. I wonder how he managed." Zhao Zhong said slowly, and everyone laughed.

"Are you all hiding here to badmouth the prince? Afraid of getting beaten?" The door to the front yard suddenly opened, and Jian Xi walked in with a stern face.

"Sir Jian, we wouldn't dare. We're just frustrated by the new arrivals." Everyone quickly stood up and bowed, and Zhao Li explained with a smile.

"Hmph, if your butts are itchy, come to me, and I'll scratch them!" Jian Xi said coldly.

"No, no!" Everyone hurriedly replied. They knew that if they offended the prince, they might get a scolding, but if they offended Sir Jian, they would have a miserable time, with no end to the torment.

"Good to know. The prince favors you, but you must also follow the rules. While the prince is here, you must serve him carefully. If I hear you talking behind his back again, watch out!" Jian Xi waved his hand, and several people pushed in a cart with large wooden buckets containing their lunch.

"Yes, we will take good care of the prince and never neglect our duties!" Zhao Zhong quickly took the cart. Jian Xi glanced at everyone and retreated, locking the door behind him.

"Let's go. Don't provoke him now. If Sir Jian trains these guys, they'll be tamed in two days!" Zhao Yong whispered, and everyone pushed the cart away from this "troubled place."

"Hmph, brats, you know your place!" Jian Xi, who had been listening behind the door, didn't leave. He hadn't seen the prince for five days and felt a void in his heart. Since arriving at the prince's residence, they had never been apart for so long. Although the prince hadn't forbidden him from entering the courtyard, Jian Xi knew the prince was planning something important and restrained himself. He looked at the high walls, sighed, and left. To others, Jian Xi, the second-in-command of the prince's residence, still personally delivered meals three times a day, which seemed a bit demeaning, but Jian Xi didn't mind. He just wanted to hear that the prince was well and to know his instructions early, which gave him peace of mind and a good night's sleep.

When Zhao Zhong and the others returned to the cafeteria, they heard a commotion inside. Upon entering, they saw the neatly arranged tables and chairs had been moved, and the young men, who had been sitting in their assigned groups, were now mingling and chatting as if they were at home.

"Several of you, come out and move the lunch inside!" Zhao Zhong called out to his squad members.

"Captain, what's for lunch today? We're starving!" Li Lei, from Shaanxi, grinned and said playfully. In his hometown, he drank cold water, slept on a cold bed, and was often beaten by his parents. Now, he found the living conditions here much better, and the supervisors were kind, never shouting at him. His naturally outgoing personality made him even more unrestrained.

"Looking at you, you still want to eat? Eat your head off!" Zhao Lian couldn't hold back his anger and shouted.

"Wow, our prince's residence is great, even this dish is here!" Li Lei said "surprised," but his words were like salt in oil, pushing the cafeteria's atmosphere to a climax.

"Shut up, no laughing!" Zhao Lian shouted, but his voice was drowned out by the laughter, and no one paid attention. Li Lei stuck out his tongue, made a face at him, and lifted the lid of the food bucket. "Brothers, today we have braised pork ribs and white rice!"

Li Lei's words were more effective than Zhao Zhong's. The hungry young men immediately rushed out, and without waiting for orders, they moved the food into the cafeteria, some even grabbing it with their hands.

"Stop, the prince hasn't arrived yet, you can't eat first!" The squad leaders rushed forward to protect the food buckets, engaging in a "battle" with the young men. But the young men, like wolves seeing blood, couldn't resist the temptation of the food and, using their numbers, pushed their squad leaders out of the way.

"What day is it? Is it market day or lunchtime?" Just as the "battle" reached its peak, the door opened again, and several people walked in.

"Stop fighting, the prince is here!" The inner courtyard boys, who had been joining in the chaos, suddenly heard a familiar voice and realized the prince had arrived.

"Whoever comes, we need to eat. Even the emperor doesn't starve his soldiers!" Some, in the noise, didn't hear clearly and continued to grab food without looking back.

"You're really not shy. You've just arrived and already treat the prince like a brother!" Zhao Cheng knocked on the door hard and said. An inner courtyard boy, seeing the prince still smiling, suddenly realized something was off. The smile seemed too much like his superior, Sir Jian.

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