Chapter Eleven: Muster on the Battlefield!

At that moment, outside the gates of the Fish Drum Camp, a sudden commotion arose.

It was the soldiers cheering enthusiastically.

“The Young Marshal is back!”

“The Young Marshal is back!”

Upon hearing this, Wei Ji immediately strode out of his tent and grabbed a soldier by the collar. “Which Young Marshal has returned?”

Of course, there were two who bore that title.

One was Lin Qian, deeply beloved by the troops; the other was Sun Feng, the current heir to the Prince of the West’s mansion.

By both sentiment and propriety, this Deputy General of the Central Army naturally had to address Sun Feng as “Young Marshal” as well.

The soldier looked at Wei Ji without any trace of fear despite the man’s absolute authority in the Fish Drum Camp.

He smirked slightly. “Who else could it be? Of course, it’s Lin Qian!”

The fact that Sun Qian had changed his name to Lin Qian was well known throughout the camp ever since three years ago when the old Prince Sun Ye reclaimed Sun Qian’s original surname. Everyone in the Fish Drum Camp knew this.

Before Wei Ji could react, a black-maned steed charged through the central army’s main gate.

All the captains and deputy commanders hurried out from their tents.

“Hail the Young Marshal!”

“Welcome back, Young Marshal!”

“Let us go to the Prince’s Mansion with you and help reclaim your rightful position as heir!”

The soldiers’ goodwill and their straightforward, heartfelt loyalty stirred something deeply within Lin Qian.

He had tasted the full spectrum of the world’s coldness and warmth.

Only the bond of comrades-in-arms had never betrayed him.

“Young Marshal, just say the word, and we brothers will go see the old prince right now—even if it means remonstrating with the army!”

Before Lin Qian could speak, Wei Ji emerged from the central tent and bowed with a fist clasp. “Young Marshal, what brings you to the camp today?”

Though he still addressed him as “Young Marshal,” a wary and indifferent expression shadowed his brow, keeping people at arm’s length.

Seeing his former deputy from the central army, Lin Qian smiled faintly.

“Wei Ji, today I intend to take thirteen men with me.”

“What did you say?”

Wei Ji was dumbfounded.

This was the old Fish Drum Camp—the main encampment of the Prince of the West’s mansion on the outskirts of the capital.

Every man here had battlefield merits.

How could Lin Qian, in his current position, simply take men as he pleased?

Wei Ji narrowed his eyes, his throat moving as he said, “Young Marshal! Forgive me for speaking bluntly, but are you currently the heir to the Prince of the West’s mansion?”

“Do you have the token of authority from the Prince of the West’s mansion?”

“Have you been granted imperial authority over the mansion’s military affairs?”

Lin Qian replied directly, “No.”

Upon hearing this, Wei Ji relaxed a little.

He bowed again. “Then I’m sorry. Young Marshal, you’re welcome to visit your old comrades in the camp, but if you want to take any soldier from this camp, I absolutely cannot allow it!”

Lin Qian couldn’t help but laugh coldly.

Very well, just as expected.

Three years ago, after being sent to the Imperial Stud and stripped of all ranks, the position of Deputy General of the Central Army had fallen to Wei Ji.

In fact, Wei Ji was once his discerning protégé.

Yet now, he was so loyal to the Prince of the West’s mansion that he refused even to listen to the former Young Marshal.

Wei Ji’s words immediately stirred Lin Qian’s followers within the camp.

These men had fought and bled alongside Lin Qian in countless battles; what did it matter that Wei Ji was the Central Army’s Deputy General?

“I’m going with the Young Marshal, so what?”

“Wei Ji! You might command me inside the camp, but what authority do you have outside?”

With a sharp clack, one of Lin Qian’s former personal guards suddenly drew his sword and removed the military token of the Prince of the West’s mansion from his wrist, dropping both onto the ground.

“Today, I, Qin Yong, will follow the Young Marshal wherever he goes. Let’s see who dares stop me!”

Though Qin Yong was Lin Qian’s personal guard, he was a seasoned centurion with proven merit—a veteran of countless battles.

“I’m going with the Young Marshal!”

“Me too! Don’t forget me!”

Several of Lin Qian’s former guards, scattered across various camps since his departure, all stood before him.

Seeing these familiar faces, Lin Qian’s heart softened.

He couldn’t help but call out their names: “Qin Yong, Zhang Meng… Zhao Erhe…”

“Ying Zhao, Sun Chi…”

Just as Lin Qian was deeply moved, a loud, resonant voice rang out.

“Young Marshal, you’re so biased, only taking your old personal guards and leaving me, your escort captain, behind?”

From afar, a towering, iron-boned man carrying a cavalry lance slowly approached Lin Qian.

Wei Ji’s face darkened with anger. He pointed sharply. “Li Yuanying! Are you even a soldier? Have you forgotten the camp rule that forbids wearing armor inside?”

Li Yuanying, as imposing as a tower, didn’t even glance at Wei Ji.

He calmly removed his iron arm guard, letting it drop to the ground, then clicked his tongue.

“Tell me, Wei Ji, are you blind? Can’t you see the thirteen suits of armor and the black-maned steed behind the Young Marshal?”

“That armor is Mingguang armor—only a general of irregular rank could wear it. How could I wear that general’s armor without first taking off the token of the Prince of the West’s mansion?”

“Besides, I’m a man who values only four things: wine, women, wealth, and pleasure! Here, I’m just a captain, but with the Young Marshal, I could be a general, couldn’t I?”

Only then did everyone realize.

The thirteen suits of Mingguang armor Lin Qian brought today were for thirteen generals he intended to take with him!

At the very least, these had to be men as formidable as Li Yuanying among the deputy captains.

The earlier personal guards looked dimly at one another—they were not yet qualified.

But Li Yuanying’s thunderous voice rang out again.

“What’s the rush? Would you be a lone general without your brothers at your side?”

“The Emperor has allowed the Young Marshal to bring armor, so he must tacitly permit him to select his own troops from the Fish Drum Camp!”

At this, hope flared anew in everyone’s eyes.

Wei Ji’s face twitched uncontrollably with rage.

Was this a move to cut the ground from under his feet?

“Lin Qian! What exactly are you planning?”

With tension mounting, Wei Ji no longer cared about titles and addressed him directly.

Lin Qian clicked his tongue and cast a deep look at Wei Ji and Li Yuanying.

He spoke calmly, “What he says is true. The Emperor appointed me Vice Commander of the Longwu Army, responsible for defending Chunping City in Youzhou. I have been granted blank official papers from the Ministry of Personnel and thirteen suits of armor. I may select generals below the third rank at will—thirteen commanders in total, with their attendants chosen as I see fit.”

“How many attendants does a military commissioner command? You should know that well enough.”

Hearing this, Wei Ji’s mouth twitched uncontrollably, as if struck by sudden toothache.

According to the Great Qian’s official regulations, a military commissioner commands three thousand personal troops.

Could it be that he intended to take three thousand men from the Prince of the West’s Fish Drum Camp?!