Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1192 The Establishment of an Army Hides a Deeper Meaning

Ma Chao's voice suddenly turned stern, his gaze sweeping over the group of youths like torches: "The name of the Young Lin Army is a matter of military discipline and honor, how can we allow frivolity? Now that we have formed an army, we must understand the orders and know when to advance and retreat. From today onwards, we will practice martial arts in the morning and study literature in the afternoon, without the slightest slackness!"

He paused, then pointed to the newly erected plaque of the military academy not far away: "That will be your classroom. Veteran generals will teach you archery and horsemanship, while civil officials will instruct you in classics and history. Ma Yue," he looked at his son, his tone heavy with weight, "you will appoint and dismiss officers and colonels, but there is one condition—only ability matters, not personal relationships. I don't want a group of spoiled brats who only rely on their fathers; I want spirited young men who can stand on their own."

Ma Yue's chest heaved with rage. He stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, his knuckles turning white from the force: "Father, rest assured! I will make the Youlin Army a truly formidable force!" He turned to look at the crowd, his gaze sweeping over his old friends from Jiangdong and then over the sons of military families in Chang'an, and announced loudly: "Gan Xiang is skilled in archery, appointed as the Colonel of Archery; Ma Guan is knowledgeable in military strategy, appointed as the Military Advisor; Dian Man is strong, appointed as the Vanguard..."

He paused, his gaze falling on Ma Xiang, his tone becoming more solemn: "Ma Xiang, you are hereby appointed as the Central Protector General, in charge of military operations. Anyone who disobeys this order may be executed first and reported later."

The boys whose names were called were taken aback at first, then straightened their chests, their casual expressions replaced by solemnity. Gan Xiang gripped his bow tightly, the bowstring vibrating slightly from the force; Ma Guan straightened his clothes and moved the military treatise on the table closer to him; Dian Man grinned, his fists clenching so tightly they cracked, clearly quite satisfied with the position of "vanguard".

Ma Xiang stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist and accepted the order: "Your subordinate will certainly live up to your trust! As the commander of the Central Guard, I will do my utmost and never allow any disobedience to violate military discipline!"

As the boys listened to their assignments to different camps and their assigned responsibilities, their initial excitement gradually turned into solemnity. Some of the boys from Jiangdong quietly tugged at their companions' sleeves, their eyes no longer filled with playful elation, but with a hint of nervous anticipation; the sons of military families from Chang'an also put away their disdain. They knew that this was an opportunity to prove themselves no less than their fathers, and more importantly, the beginning of when the name "Young Unicorn" would truly shine.

As Ma Chao watched the scene unfold before him, a slight tremor finally appeared on his tense lips. He gazed at the military flag fluttering outside the military academy; on the dark flag, a young unicorn with its scales and claws just beginning to emerge held its head high in the wind, as if it were slowly spreading its wings. He knew that these children were transitioning from being undisciplined to taking responsibility, just like he himself had shed his childishness in the flames of war.

The wind in the military academy ruffled Ma Yue's robes. Looking at the excited yet apprehensive faces below, he suddenly remembered his father's words: "Responsibility is the wind that makes wings strong."

At this moment, the young men knew that from the instant they were granted their fiefdoms, their lives had turned onto a steeper and more magnificent path. And the name "Young Lin Army" would be branded into their very bones, reminding them that even as newly awakened young lin, they too must one day possess the ambition to protect the peace of their region.

As night deepened, the lights of the Xiliang camp shone ever brighter. Ma Chao looked around the tent, where wine cups were clinking and the generals wore hearty smiles. He raised his wine bowl and laughed loudly, "Today, with everyone working together, the Young Lin Army has been formed. Let us raise a large cup!"

"Cheers!" Everyone responded in unison, the crisp sound of clinking wine bowls echoing in the tent. Although Ma Yue and Ma Xiang were still young, they were also infected by the enthusiastic atmosphere, and they imitated the adults by raising their glasses, choking and turning their faces red, which made everyone burst into laughter.

As night deepened, the tent was filled with the sounds of sound sleep. Some generals leaned against the desks, while others slumped over them. Ma Yue and Ma Xiang were huddled together on a camp couch, fast asleep. Ma Chao watched this scene with satisfaction in his eyes and quietly instructed his personal guards to add more charcoal to the fire so that no one would catch a cold.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, a commotion arose outside the camp. It turned out that news of the recruitment of the "Young Lin Army" had spread, and the orphans of those who had died in the Western Liang battles were flocking to the camp, forming long queues at the gate, each one full of enthusiasm and clamoring to sign up.

"I want to join the Young Lin Army!"

"I can ride a horse and shoot arrows, let me in!"

"I've heard you can learn real skills here, and I'm willing to endure any hardship!"

Ma Yue and Ma Xiang were awakened by the commotion. Rubbing their sleepy eyes, they stepped out of the tent and were startled by the scene before them. A chubby-faced boy approached, scratching his head, and asked, "Excuse me... which official do we need to see to register? Uncle Village Head said that following the Young Lin Army will teach us skills so we can protect our country in the future!"

Ma Yue was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Ma Xiang. The two looked at each other in bewilderment—how could they possibly know how to recruit people? Just as they were at a loss, Xu Huang walked over with a smile. He was the one who had drunk the most at the banquet last night.

"What are you standing there for?" Xu Huang patted the two men on the shoulder and laughed. "Learn something! When recruiting soldiers, you first look at their physique, then ask about their background, and finally test their qualifications. Come on, I'll teach you how to register."

Ma Yue and Ma Xiang quickly went over, one holding a pen and the other a book, imitating them quite well. When they encountered something they didn't understand, they would quickly ask Xu Huang: "Uncle Xu, this boy says he can handle a spear, should we try it out on the spot?" "Uncle Xu, he said he learned blacksmithing from a relative before, will you take him on as a student?"

Xu Huang patiently answered each question: "Having a skill is a good thing. As long as you have a good heart and are willing to work hard, we can accept you. As for your skills, we can teach you after you come in—we, the Young Lin Army, love to train unpolished talents!"

On the other side, Ma Chao, looking at the bustling scene in the camp, was discussing with several generals: "Most of these children are unpolished gems, we need to find some careful officers to mentor them."

"Don't worry, General, I'll lead a team!" Pound stepped forward, patting his chest. "I guarantee I'll train them to be quite competent!"

Not far away, Ma Yue was holding a roster and earnestly asking a boy, "What's your name? Where do you live? What skills do you have?" Ma Xiang was helping to record the information, occasionally glancing up at Captain Zhang. He would breathe a sigh of relief when the boy nodded, and quickly cross it off and ask again if he shook his head. Sunlight shone on the two boys' earnest faces, revealing a touch of childishness, yet also a tenacious spirit that refused to give up.

Inside the camp, the generals, watching this scene, couldn't help but laugh and say, "These two kids really do have some talent."

Ma Chao gazed at the busy figures, picked up his teacup, and a smile appeared on his lips—the Young Lin Army is really growing up.

The camp was no longer as quiet as before; it was bustling with activity. The boys carried their bedding to the makeshift barracks, the soldiers in charge of registration shouted to check the rosters, and the smoke from the cooks' quarters seeped out through the gaps in the tent flaps, mingling with the clanging of metal, the shouts of counting, and laughter, creating a lively and chaotic mess.

Ma Chao stood outside the tent, directing his personal guards to distribute clothes to the newly arrived children. When he saw Xu Shu and Lu Su lift the curtain and come in, he hurriedly went to greet them: "Yuanzhi and Zijing, you've finally arrived! We're really short-handed here. Most of these children are away from home for the first time, so we need to make sure they're all settled in properly before we can feel at ease."

Xu Shu rolled up his sleeves and smiled, "Don't worry, Mengqi. I've brought a few experienced people with me. Leave the registration, bookkeeping, and assigning accommodations to us." Lu Su nodded in agreement and turned to lead his men to check the list. The pen tip moved swiftly across the bamboo slips, and they quickly sorted out the information.

Everyone worked quickly and efficiently, keeping busy until the sun began to set and the sky turned a deep indigo before the camp gradually quieted down. The clever children had already been divided into teams according to age, given new team numbers, and their lodgings were all arranged, with their bedding neatly made.

Ma Chao was gazing absently at the lights gradually coming on outside the tent when he saw Ma Yue and Ma Xiang enter, their arms around each other's shoulders. Beads of sweat dripped from their foreheads and down their chins, their military uniforms completely soaked.

"How about it?" Ma Chao turned around, a smile playing on his lips. "Now you know what it's like to be a general, right? It's not as easy as just shouting slogans."

Just as Ma Xiang was about to reply, his stomach growled first. His face turned red, and he scratched the back of his head, complaining, "Hungry! I'm starving!" Ma Yue nodded in agreement, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, clearly unable to hold on any longer.

Ma Chao was amused and called out to his personal guards, "Quickly bring the prepared food over and fill these two lads' stomachs." Before long, several bowls of steaming brown rice, a plate of braised meat, and a large bowl of vegetable soup were placed on the table. Ma Yue and Ma Xiang didn't care that it was hot; they grabbed their chopsticks and started shoveling food into their mouths, their cheeks bulging, looking just like two little squirrels stealing food.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you." Ma Chao looked at them wolfing down their food, his eyes filled with warmth, and then asked, "Have you settled your brothers in? Have you sent them the food too?"

Ma Xiang, his mouth full of rice, mumbled, "Sent, sent... They've all eaten..." Ma Yue nodded, swallowed the rice in his mouth, wiped his mouth, and smiled, "Everything's been arranged. I just checked, and nothing's missing."

Ma Chao breathed a sigh of relief and patted the two men on the shoulders: "That's more like it. When you're in charge of a bunch of things, you have to see things through to the end. You have to make sure the brothers are well-fed and clothed, and more importantly, you have to make them feel at ease."

Ma Yue and Ma Xiang exchanged a glance, nodded vigorously, and then buried their heads in their rice—after a busy day, the food in their bowls seemed ten times more delicious than usual. A cool breeze blew in from outside the tent, flicking the candlelight on the table and casting the shadows of the three people gently swaying against the tent wall, creating a rare sense of peace.

After Ma Xiang left, exhausted, only the father and son remained in the tent, and the atmosphere suddenly became quiet.

Looking at his father's solemn profile, Ma Yue felt a sudden unease and asked in a low voice, "Father, did you specifically ask me to stay? Is there something important?"

Ma Chao turned around, his gaze fixed heavily on his son, his eyes filled with expectation, heaviness, and a hint of barely perceptible worry. He raised his hand, his rough palm gently stroking Ma Yue's head, calloused from years of holding a gun, yet surprisingly tender.

"Yue'er, do you know why your father went to such lengths to gather these half-grown children together to form the Young Lin Army?" Ma Chao's voice was low, yet carried a penetrating power. "Those second-generation generals in the military academy, those somewhat muscular youths from Xiliang—I've sifted through them all, gathering them before you. Do you think this is just for you to practice your skills?"

Ma Yue was stunned, opening his mouth but unable to utter a word. He thought his father wanted him to learn how to lead troops, but he never imagined there was a deeper reason behind it.

"The court is a treacherous place." Ma Chao spoke slowly, his tone carrying the vicissitudes of someone with experience. "I can shield you from open attacks, but I can't protect you from hidden arrows. Because having weapons alone isn't enough; you also need people who stand by your side and whom you can trust."

He paused, then gently tapped Ma Yue's chest with his fingertip: "These kids will be your right-hand men from now on. They've been with you through thick and thin in the military academy, rolling in the mud together. Anyone who wants to harm you will have to get past them first. The path I've paved for you isn't meant to be easy, but so that if you stumble, someone will help you up and shield you from both open and hidden attacks."

Ma Yue's eyes suddenly welled up with tears, his throat tightened, and he wanted to say something, but Ma Chao pressed down on his shoulder.

"Your father granted you the title of heir, not just so you could have a title." Ma Chao's gaze burned like two flames in Ma Yue's heart, "so that you can shoulder this responsibility. You must raise these children well. In the future, when you stand before others, they will be behind you. That is your true strength, more valuable than the title of heir your father gave you."

Ma Yue seemed to understand but not quite. Looking at his father, he knew his father was doing it for his own good. At this moment, there was no longer any barrier between father and son. Ma Chao smiled and said, "Go on, you don't need to understand now. Go and rest first, you will understand in time."