MLMD -Chapter 104 Our Mighty Ming (Part 1)

To the north of Yingzhou City was a training ground of roughly over three hundred acres. Though not particularly large, it was still enough to accommodate over ten thousand people for drills.

Before Yue Yang became the Military Discipline Officer, this training ground had long been half-abandoned. Weeds and shrubs sprouted everywhere, and many petty merchants had turned the place into an open-air market, openly selling vegetables, meat, and other goods daily.

A few months earlier, on his first day in office, Yue Yang had inspected this training ground. Upon arrival, he was stunned by the heaps of garbage, rotting vegetable leaves, and stagnant water everywhere. That day, Yue Yang, for the first time, deeply missed the urban management officers of centuries later, known for being the most formidable in all of China.

Yue Yang then spent half a month having the training ground thoroughly cleaned and renovated—repairing barracks, leveling the field, and so on—finally settling the several thousand troops there. Today, however, was a different purpose: Yue Yang intended to show both the people of Yingzhou City and the two influential figures, Xu Dingchen and Wei Tonghe, his presence, and, more importantly, to demonstrate his strength.

By mid-morning, crowds of citizens had gathered outside the training ground after hearing the news, while many shrewd merchants had set up stalls outside to hawk their wares.

When the old man Bai and his son arrived, gasping and carrying dozens of stools, they were dumbfounded by the sheer mass of people.

“My goodness! Why are there so many people here? Could it be that everyone in Yingzhou Prefecture has come?” Bai’s son stared in disbelief at the endless throng. In his ten-plus years of life, he had never seen such a lively scene.

Unlike his son, Bai the elder was more concerned about how to sell the stools. Seeing the uncountable crowd, he fretted aloud, “With it this crowded, how are we supposed to sell anything?”

Hearing this, his son had a sudden idea. “Father, why worry? With so many people, there must be some wealthy folks who are tired of standing but refuse to sit on the ground. Let’s just walk around and call out our wares. Once we sell them, we can push forward to watch the spectacle!”

Bai thought it over and nodded. “Fine, since we’re here, let’s give it a try.”

Thus, father and son walked around the perimeter of the training ground, calling out their wares. Unexpectedly, their voices carried exceptionally well. In less than fifteen minutes, the twenty-plus stools they had brought were sold out. Holding a small handful of silver coins, Bai the elder could barely contain his joy. Seeing that it was still early, he and his son squeezed into the crowd to watch the spectacle.

“Boom… boom… boom…”

At the fourth quarter of the hour, a sudden series of loud drumbeats erupted from the training ground, startling everyone nearby.

After a short while, the drumming ceased, and an officer in full armor, flanked by more than ten guards, walked onto the earthen platform at the center of the training ground.

The platform, about a hundred square meters in area, had a temporary canopy with several dozen small stools underneath. Local gentry, officials, and notables were seated there, with Xu Dingchen and Wei Tonghe sitting in the center.

The man who had just ascended the platform was none other than Yue Yang, the current Military Discipline Officer of Yingzhou. Today, he had dressed with particular care: a set of Gothic armor polished to a shine, a red cape draped over his back, and a Longquan sword at his waist, looking imposing and impressive.

Yue Yang approached the canopy, clasped his fists toward Xu Dingchen, and said loudly, “Your humble servant, Yue Yang, Military Discipline Officer of Yingzhou Prefecture, greets the Provincial Governor. Please forgive me for wearing armor and being unable to bow properly!”

Seeing Yue Yang in full battle attire, Xu Dingchen’s eyes reflected a glimmer of appreciation. He nodded kindly. “No matter. Today you carry a great responsibility—do your best. Do not let me or Wei Gonggong down.”

“Your servant obeys! May I ask, sir, may the drills commence?”

Xu Dingchen turned to Wei Tonghe. “Wei Gonggong, what say you?”

Wei Tonghe, also curious to see the quality of Yue Yang’s troops, smiled and nodded. “By all means, begin!”

“Your servant obeys!”

Yue Yang loudly responded, then took a few steps to the side. He grabbed a megaphone from a nearby guard, looked at the dense crowd, and shouted:

“Fellow citizens, I’m sure you all remember last year’s military disaster. Over ten thousand bandits besieged Yingzhou City. The battle lasted for days. Though we ultimately drove them off, the aftermath left devastation everywhere. This proves one thing: only strong soldiers can truly defend Yingzhou, only strong troops can make enemies tremble!

For this reason, the Court appointed me as Military Discipline Officer of Yingzhou, responsible for the city’s defense. After several months of effort, I believe I have trained a competent force. How effective they are in battle, I cannot say for certain. But as the saying goes, you must see whether a horse is a horse by letting it run. Today, I will present these troops before you all, so everyone—young and old—can see what our soldiers are really like and whether they can fight! Is that agreeable?”

In any era, people are always curious about spectacle. Already impressed by the sheer volume of his voice through the megaphone, the crowd immediately erupted in cheers when Yue Yang announced he would display the troops:

“Excellent!”
“Lord Yue is right! Let’s see these troops for ourselves!”
“Hehe, this is going to be good!”

Seeing the crowd’s excitement, Yue Yang waved his hand and called out: “Good, let the drills begin!”

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

Following his command, sixteen successive cannon shots rang out across the training ground. These were the “Tiger Squat Cannons” Yue Yang had brought from the modern era. Their booming sound served as ceremonial artillery.

The nearby spectators jumped in shock, and the previously loud chatter around the training ground fell silent. Everyone focused intently on the approaching scene.

Seeing the crowd so absorbed, Xu Dingchen stroked his beard and said to Wei Tonghe with a smile, “Wei Gonggong, today is unusual. In the past, I’ve seen drills, but usually only after the troops had lined up. Rarely have I seen a display that immediately reveals a unit’s quality, as we shall today.”

Wei Tonghe nodded with a smile; indeed, this was his first chance to witness such a spectacle as well.

Soon, slow and steady footsteps echoed from afar. Dust rose gradually along the narrow road outside the training ground.

“Dum… dum… dum…” The drumbeats outside the training ground were deep and solemn. Though ordinary in themselves, today they sounded extraordinary, stirring the hearts of everyone listening.

As the soldiers approached, formations began to appear. At the front marched heavily armored soldiers in rows of ten, each holding a shield in one hand and a spear in the other, walking with slow, deliberate steps.

This was a thousand-man unit. At the very front were two officers wielding long sabers. On the far left was Feng Xiaoming, recently promoted to lead a thousand men. Gone was his usual sly expression; today he marched solemnly at the head.

Feng Xiaoming and the soldiers lifted their feet high with each step, stomping forcefully onto the ground. All behind him did the same, as if exhausting every ounce of energy with each stride.

“Boom… boom… boom…”

The heavy footsteps seemed to pound directly onto everyone’s chest. Even the most cheerful onlookers grew silent.

Among the spectators, Bai the elder whispered in awe, “Wow… these soldiers are nothing like the ones we usually see. Every one of them looks full of spirit!”

“You old man don’t understand. These soldiers are nothing like the gate guards you see in the city. Yue Lord Yue personally trained these elite troops. With just five hundred men, they drove off over ten thousand bandits! Do you understand?” A man in a clean long robe, looking scholarly, scoffed at Bai’s shabby attire.

Gradually, Feng Xiaoming led the thousand-man formation to the center of the training ground. Drawing his saber, he thrust it skyward with all his might, shouting at the top of his lungs:

“For the Great Ming!”

Immediately, the soldiers behind him shouted in unison:

“Mighty!”
“For the Great Ming!”
“Mighty!”

Few in attendance had ever heard a thousand men shout together, but today they did. The thunderous roar echoed across the entire training ground. Wei Tonghe, who had been watching from his seat, jumped in shock at the sheer volume.