(Extra Story) The Grand General 04

"Report!" someone hurried into the main tent. "General, today's patrol still found no trace of the Wild Harriers."

The Wild Harriers were the border army's name for the northern grassland tribes, or more precisely, for those barbarian horsemen who raided border villagers in units of a hundred. They would hit and run, killing the men and taking the women.

Over the past few decades, Fang Zhiyi's father had fought them several times, but had never managed to wipe them out.

"By my reckoning, this is the best time of year for grazing on the grasslands," Wang Hui said, his eyes shifting. "General, how about... we take a trip into town? We haven't been in a long while."

The town he meant was Linnan, the nearest one, which was far livelier than the border outpost. It also had certain entertainments, and quite a few border commanders would drop in from time to time.

But Fang Zhiyi frowned: "Absolutely not! I am the Grand General of the Border—how could I leave camp without authorization!"

Wang Hui felt a pang of consternation. You weren't like this before!

"We hold the emperor's silver, we're here to guard the frontier, and we must be loyal to His Majesty and loyal to Great Jin! If you want to go, you go—I can't leave!"

When Fang Zhiyi said this, he almost seemed to glow.

Wang Hui's consternation only deepened.

General, the court from top to bottom is waiting to catch you in a mistake, and you suddenly pull this act? What am I supposed to do?

It used to be that Jin officers like Yilibu, Fu Sanshan, and Ana would come by to make snide remarks now and then, but now Fang Zhiyi was more patient than a turtle, and these people had no idea how to handle it.

Wang Hui's secret letters to the emperor had run out of material. He certainly couldn't write: "Today Fang Zhiyi was insulted, and he smiled and invited the man to tea."

Fang Zhiyi watched the constipated look on Wang Hui's face and knew the moment was right.

He turned his back to Wang Hui and stood at the tent entrance, facing outward. The light streaming past him was almost blinding.

"Tell me," he said, "these grassland tribes come raiding when they're not grazing, and stay put when they are. That means we're always on the defensive, isn't that too passive? We're taking the court's military pay, and I feel uneasy about it."

Wang Hui instinctively muttered a few words of agreement, then suddenly clicked.

Fang Zhiyi's words...

Nowadays, everyone was hoping Fang Zhiyi would do something, rather than nothing at all.

"Our border troops haven't drilled in a long while, have we? What if I write a memorial to the emperor and propose a full-army grand competition? That would boost morale and show off Great Jin's might!"

Wang Hui breathed a sigh of relief. Good—Fang Zhiyi was still the same old Fang Zhiyi. He really couldn't sit still.

Fang Zhiyi's eyes lit up. "What do you think: I hold a whole-army martial contest, pick out some soldiers, and then lead them out to hit those barbarians? It trains the troops and repays His Majesty's grace!"

Fang Zhiyi looked like he'd found some treasure: "Yes, exactly like that! I'll go write the memorial right now!"

Strictly speaking, as a grand general, Fang Zhiyi could have done all this on his own authority, but he deliberately put it out in the open.

Fang Zhiyi's memorial and the spies' secret letters arrived in the capital almost at the same moment.

The Minister of War nearly laughed his teeth out.

Taking a handful of soldiers into the grasslands to destroy those tribes? Forget how strong they might be—that grassland is vast. The late emperor once led a five-hundred-thousand-strong army and came back with nothing, and later Fang Zhiyi's father went into the grasslands a few times too, slinking back in defeat. Is Fang Zhiyi out of his mind?

Amusing as it was, if this had happened before, plenty of people would have thrown obstacles in his way. But this time, all he did was submit a memorial, and it sailed through with no trouble. Even the troops stationed in Yongning and Wuwei—normally rival garrisons—showed their support instead of opposing him, which was highly unusual.

Everyone at court knew what the emperor wanted. But Fang Zhiyi's sudden change left them all scrambling, though since he was handing the handle to them himself, they had no one to blame but him if they used it.

Mobilizing troops, wasting money, achieving nothing—that would be more than enough to have Fang Zhiyi recalled to the capital to report, then kicked out of his post. By all reason and propriety, there was nothing wrong with that plan.

Fang Zhiyi even set up a proper training ground and announced the rules.

The rules stated that the competition would test the skills of ordinary soldiers, that he himself would serve as examiner, and that those who performed well would be personally rewarded by him!

But the rule that followed left many soldiers dumbfounded.

"One winner per five hundred men?"

"Is he breeding demons or what?"

Still, when Fang Zhiyi walked up to give his speech, he gripped the soldiers' emotions.

"Why are you soldiers? To die? Obviously not. You're here to protect your homes, to rise in rank, to get rich and make something of yourselves! Think of your kin, your wives and children! Do you really want to sit on a few coins of silver and just pass the time?"

As Fang Zhiyi called out, the soldiers fixed their eyes on him.

"This is an age full of opportunity!" Fang Zhiyi pointed out beyond the camp. "Out there is a bigger territory, a nation that's been fighting us for centuries! When they're busy grazing, they leave us alone. When they're idle, they raid our borders, murder the innocent, plunder, and defile!"

"Tell me—is that what you want to see?"

One hand behind his back moved slightly. Wang Hui saw it, hesitated for a moment, then shouted loudly: "No!"

The soldiers below followed: "No! We don't want it!"

"Good!" Fang Zhiyi motioned with both hands for quiet. "In the past, we've always been on the defensive. But who says defense is all we can do? That's why I'm holding this full-army competition! The winners join my vanguard camp—becoming the top battalion officer isn't a dream! If you're willing to fight, if you win, then you'll be the ones going out to strike! Half of all spoils go to the vanguard camp to divide among yourselves!"

The visiting commanders stood with folded arms and sneered.

The Fang family used to be called the gods of war, but this Fang Zhiyi was going to throw them all away.

Setting his hopes on a mob of ragtag soldiers? He might as well dream of flying.

But no matter what they thought, the full-army competition got underway all the same: horsemanship, hand-to-hand combat, archery... A normal army competition would require passing every standard, but Fang Zhiyi broke the events all apart, looking every bit the complete amateur.

His methods fully dispelled the doubts of the high commands.

He's doing what? If he accomplishes anything like this, I'll wash the Forbidden City with my tongue!

And because the higher officers still shunned Fang Zhiyi, those who took part were almost all ordinary infantry, not a single one fit to lead. When word of all this reached Marquis Ding'an Wei An, he even started preparing to take over Fang Zhiyi's post.

He simply had to become a great hero in the eyes of He Yinqing.