Chapter 303: Establishing the Cavalry Battalion
Zao Ying wavered slightly.
In these years of great disaster, being a horse bandit was truly no easy task. She couldn't bring herself to rob common folk, and robbing officials was growing increasingly difficult. Just yesterday, the relentless pursuit by Hong Chengchou's household guards had genuinely put a fright in her heart. For the first time, she felt a real concern for the future of her supposedly promising profession as a bandit.
Since Old Ghost Head, Xing Honglang, and Zhao Sheng, the Lamp-Lighter, could all live happily here, perhaps she could too?
San Shier finished the tour, leaving her to consider her options, and then returned to the main fortress.
Zao Ying continued to wander through Gao Family Village alone. After a wide circuit, she found herself back in front of the barracks, where she saw the militia members tending to the five hundred warhorses they had captured the previous day.
Rain consistently fell around Gao Family Village, so the grass grew abundantly, and the horses had no shortage of food or water. They had already eaten their fill and were contentedly swishing their tails.
Gao Chuwu led a tall, sturdy horse, grinning at Zheng Daniu. "Daniu, yesterday I had to help you onto a horse. Can you get on by yourself now?"
Zheng Daniu snorted, "What's so hard about getting on a horse? Watch this."
He placed his hands on the horse's back, leaped up, and with a whoosh, he vaulted over. His movements were surprisingly agile.
He seemed to have overshot it. He vaulted up from one side of the horse's back and immediately tumbled down the other, landing with a loud thud on the ground, his large frame raising a cloud of dust.
Gao Chuwu burst out laughing. "Hahahaha! Daniu, you're such a fool!"
Zheng Daniu retorted, "I'm no fool! Watch me!"
He braced his hands on the horse's back, and with another whoosh, he vaulted up again.
This time, he finally settled into the saddle, but the warhorse seemed displeased by his rough mounting. It gave an annoyed twitch of its hindquarters. Before Zheng Daniu could even find the stirrups, he swayed and fell off with another thud.
Hahahaha!
Gao Chuwu roared with laughter beside him, practically beside himself.
Zao Ying shook her head and walked over. "Watch carefully. You mount a horse like this."
She slipped one foot into the stirrup, then gracefully swung her body up, her other leg drawing a beautiful arc in the air. She settled firmly onto the saddle, and the horse showed no resistance whatsoever. It let out a docile snort, looking perfectly ready to gallop onto the battlefield.
Gao Chuwu exclaimed, "Wow, miss, you're incredible!"
Zheng Daniu murmured, "So that's how it's done."
Cheng Xu emerged from the side. "Leader Zao, your horsemanship is truly impressive."
Zao Ying shook her head and sighed. "Compared to the Mongols and the Manchus, I'm still a long way off."
Cheng Xu said, "Let's not keep comparing ourselves to the Mongols and Manchus. Let's just consider our own people for a moment, and you can surely see how far behind my men are."
Zao Ying nodded.
Cheng Xu continued, "That's why our Gao Family Village sincerely hopes you will stay here, Leader Zao. Only then will our Gao Family Village Cavalry Battalion truly have a soul. Otherwise... relying on these few simpletons, even with horses, we won't be able to form a cavalry."
Zao Ying observed, "Your village has grand ambitions."
Cheng Xu smiled. "Both grand and not so grand."
Zao Ying asked, "What do you mean?"
Cheng Xu replied, "It's 'not so grand' because our Gao Family Village isn't plotting to conquer the world."
Zao Ying pressed, "And 'grand'?"
Cheng Xu's eyes gleamed. "It's 'grand' because we're plotting to save all the people under heaven."
Zao Ying was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure how to respond. After several seconds, she rolled her eyes. "You sound too much like an official. You spin good words and bad words with the same tongue. One moment it's all high-minded rhetoric, the next your true intentions are laid bare."
Cheng Xu laughed heartily. "I wouldn't say such things to just anyone. Only to someone like you, Leader Zao, because you'd figure it out whether I said it or not."
Zao Ying understood: These people were plotting rebellion! Yet, their method of rebellion seemed remarkably clever. They hid in this small mountain village on the border of Chengcheng County and Heyang County, building towns, cultivating farms, and accruing strength... Meanwhile, the only names heard in the martial world were Wang Er, Chuǎng Wang, Wang Jiayin, Bu Zhan Ni, and Wang Zuogua. Gao Family Village was never mentioned.
If she hadn't come here, she wouldn't have known such a formidable power was hidden away.
Someone grand had done this at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty.
High walls, abundant provisions, and slow to claim kingship.
His name was Zhu Yuanzhang!
Zao Ying said, "To be honest, I'm quite keen on joining. But I'm used to my freedom; I don't like being controlled. If I join, what rank would I be? How many people would be giving me orders?"
Cheng Xu considered the question seriously, then spread his hands. "Unfortunately, we don't have a system of 'tiered leadership' here."
Zao Ying simply offered a questioning look.
Cheng Xu chuckled. "Gao Family Village is starting from scratch, with everything needing to be rebuilt. So, every department is in the process of being established from the ground up. I can't command Xing Honglang, nor Zhao Sheng, the Lamp-Lighter, nor Manager San... and they, of course, can't command me. We all handle our own responsibilities and manage our own areas. If Leader Zao joins, you'd certainly be in charge of the Gao Family Village Cavalry Battalion, which is also an independent department. No one should be giving you orders."
Zao Ying let out a soft "Oh?" "Then who's truly in charge?"
Cheng Xu pointed to the sky. "Naturally, the Heavenly Lord is supreme!"
Zao Ying looked up. "Where is this Heavenly Lord?"
Cheng Xu explained, "The Heavenly Lord is an immortal. If he wishes to appear, he will appear. If he doesn't, then no one can see him. If Leader Zao absolutely needs someone to answer to, then from now on, it will certainly be the Heavenly Lord overseeing you."
Zao Ying tilted her head back, glancing at the sky.
The sky was vast and cloudless, a boundless blue.
Li Daoxuan had closed the diorama box lid, so the people inside couldn't see him at all, and even the small cloud that represented him had vanished.
Zao Ying couldn't help but think to herself: I've heard "Heavenly Lord" mentioned several times in this village, but I haven't seen him at all. That means, in truth, this village isn't really managed by anyone.
What a wonderfully free place!
Zao Ying declared, "Then I suppose I'll be staying here."
Cheng Xu smiled. "You are most welcome."
Zao Ying inquired, "What should I do next?"
Cheng Xu mused, "I think the first step should be establishing the cavalry battalion. Find a suitable location nearby for a horse farm, fence off the land, then find Manager San and have him dispatch laborers to construct barracks for the cavalry. If the Heavenly Lord happens to be in the mood, perhaps he'll directly bestow a set of barracks from the heavens. If not, slowly building them is also fine."
"Before the cavalry battalion is built, your people can stay here with me. After all, we're all fighting for the same cause; we're family."
Zao Ying asked, "So, next, I'll be recruiting and training troops?"
Cheng Xu nodded. "Recruiting cavalry, raising warhorses, training the riders... these are things you undoubtedly understand better than I do, so I won't waste words. All the necessary supplies can be allocated through Manager San."
Zao Ying cupped her fist in salute. "Many thanks for the guidance."
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