dognovel Chapter 1067 Shuqing Competition (Part 1)
Chapter 1067 Shuqing Competition (Part 1)
Li Che looked at the group of Shu generals, his tone still gentle: "It seems that you generals can only hear General Luo's orders, but not my decrees?"
As Li Che's voice fell, the air inside the tent froze completely.
After an awkward silence, the man standing at the front of the generals suddenly stepped forward.
"Your Majesty! It is not that we disobey your orders, but that Your Majesty does not regard us as your soldiers!"
When these words were spoken, everyone in the tent was shocked.
Luo Yueniang's expression changed drastically, and she shouted sharply, "Yu Daliang! How dare you! What nonsense are you spouting?! Get out of here!"
Li Che raised his hand again, stopping Luo Yueniang from saying anything more.
He adjusted his posture, appearing quite interested: "Oh? Interesting, Yu Daliang, is that right? Go on, I'm listening."
Yu Daliang felt that the emperor's gaze, though seemingly gentle, was more piercing than the cold wind, as if it could penetrate his skin and see right into his heart.
Cold sweat began to seep from his back, his inner shirt clinging tightly to his skin.
But having already spoken, he stubbornly continued, "Does Your Majesty intend to merge the Shu army into the Qing army?"
“That’s right,” Li Che replied crisply.
"Then why!" Yu Daliang's voice rose slightly, "Why are we Shu soldiers forced to camp in the wilderness, while the Qing army is allowed to occupy key passes within the city?"
"Why are there so many sentries and checkpoints around the Shu army camp, both overt and covert, constantly spying and monitoring us? Isn't this a sign of their suspicion and distrust of us?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the other generals nodded in agreement.
His question clearly represented the sentiments of many Shu generals in the tent.
For a moment, many eyes were fixed intently on Li Che.
Upon hearing this, Li Che not only did not get angry, but instead chuckled.
Compared to the roundabout way of the civil officials in the imperial court, he appreciated Yu Daliang's straightforward approach much more.
However, Li Che was pleased that this guy was so straightforward.
But Li Che didn't like the tone of his voice when he spoke to him.
"That's a good question."
Li Che leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table, and looked at the group of Shu generals:
"The reason I have ordered you to remain stationed outside the city without changing your organizational structure is because I promised General Luo that the Shu army's organizational structure would be temporarily preserved until the court's takeover of Shu was completed, in order to reassure the troops."
"Isn't this one of the things you asked for when you first submitted to us?"
Yu Daliang was momentarily speechless, but immediately retorted, "Times have changed! Your Majesty, the entire Shu army is not one to seek comfort! We only demand justice!"
"Since we're going to merge them into the Qing Army, why can't my Shu Army be preserved as a separate unit within the Qing Army?"
"We are familiar with the Shu region, and we can better exert our combat power when we are together!"
The smile on Li Che's face faded, and he shook his head: "There is no precedent for this in the Qing Army, nor is there any reason for it."
His gaze swept over the generals: "The soldiers of the Qing Army's divisions and regiments come from all over the country, including men from beyond the Great Wall, sons of the Central Plains, lads from the Jiangnan water towns, and even warriors from the Guihua Mohe and Goryeo."
"They speak different dialects and have different habits and customs, but once they enter the Qing army camp and put on the same battle robes, they become comrades-in-arms who entrust their lives to each other!"
"They can be so united, why can't your Shu army do the same?"
Yu Daliang was taken aback, not expecting the emperor to oppose him so directly.
He opened his mouth, arguing, "That's different! We Sichuan people have always been united, with deep ties between fellow villagers. When we come together, we have a natural understanding and our fighting strength is naturally higher!"
Li Che rebuked, "The soldiers of the Qing Army do not need to rely on kinship to maintain their fighting strength and courage!"
"We rely on strict military discipline, shared beliefs, and tactical coordination honed through countless trials."
"General Yu, if you rely solely on hometown ties to maintain your fighting strength, it just shows that you are still far behind the Qing Army."
"This shouldn't be your confidence; it's cowardice!"
"Does Your Majesty look down on the fighting strength of my Shu army?!" Yu Daliang was so provoked that his face turned red, his eyes widened, and his voice became louder.
"No." Li Che slowly shook his head, his tone becoming calm again. "On the contrary, I have great confidence in the Shu army."
"The people of Shu are brave, fierce, hardworking, and have the natural talent to be good soldiers. With a little training, they will surely become a formidable force."
He changed the subject: "But as things stand, without the tempering of the Qing Army system, you are indeed far inferior to the Qing Army. This is a fact, not a denigration."
"Your Majesty's words are baseless!" Yu Daliang retorted, his face turning purple. "This humble general is not convinced!"
"Words are meaningless?" Li Che finally laughed again, as if he had been waiting for this for a long time. "The principles in the army are the simplest. No matter how much you talk, it's better to see the results with your own hands."
"Since General Yu is not convinced, how about we have a contest?"
Li Che knew perfectly well that no amount of reasoning would be of any use to these proud and fierce soldiers who had risen from the ashes.
It's better to deliver a punch or a kick; if you don't hurt them, you can still subdue them. That bit of respect will ultimately remain superficial.
Sure enough, a strong fighting spirit instantly ignited in Yu Daliang's eyes.
He immediately clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I will obey Your Majesty's orders. What shall we compete in?!"
Li Che leaned back in his chair with a leisurely air, lightly tapping the armrest with his fingertip: "Military skills, in the final analysis, are nothing more than personal martial prowess and archery. Let's compete in these two areas, shall we?"
Yu Daliang straightened his chest, showing no fear: "As Your Majesty would!"
Most of the other Shu generals in the tent also showed eager expressions. The unease they had felt earlier because of their disobedience to the emperor had been greatly diminished by the upcoming contest.
A contest to establish authority and gain the respect of the masses is now inevitable.
"Good!" Li Che clapped his hands, his gaze sweeping over the eager Shu generals in the tent. "Since this is a contest of individual martial prowess, you shall each nominate one person to represent the Shu army in battle."
"On my side, Yueyun will accompany you all for a brief exchange."
Upon seeing Yue Yun stand out from the crowd in his white robes, all the Shu generals showed solemn expressions.
Clearly, they had also heard of the famous white-robed general who had sealed the wolf's lair.
Upon hearing this, Yu Daliang immediately whispered a few words to the general beside him, his eyes searching through the crowd.
Soon, all the generals' eyes were focused on a giant man.
The man was nearly nine feet tall, with broad shoulders and a thick waist. Standing there, he was like an iron tower, almost touching the roof of the military tent.
His face was rugged, his beard bushy, and his eyes held a restrained glint. He simply clasped his hands in a fist and stepped forward, yet he exuded a heavy sense of oppression.
He wasn't fully armored; his bare arms were muscular and scarred, clearly the work of a battle-hardened veteran.
"Your Majesty, this is Xiong Tai, the captain of the vanguard battalion of our Shu army," Yu Daliang introduced. "He possesses superhuman strength and is skilled with an iron halberd. He has never been defeated in battle, slaying generals and capturing flags!"
Xiong Tai didn't say much, but simply clasped his hands in a fist salute towards Li Che and said in a voice like muffled thunder, "This humble general Xiong Tai greets Your Majesty."