Chapter Thirty-Eight: Daily Training

After breakfast, some soldiers went off to rest, while others gathered in small groups, chatting and laughing, discussing Yang Yaozong’s unusual training methods.

At that moment, Yang Yaozong handed a brass gong to Qin Haizhou, saying, “Brother Qin, strike this gong with all your might. From now on, whenever this gong sounds, it will be their signal to rise and assemble for training.”

Qin Haizhou nodded and replied, “Haha, as expected from Brother Yang, this is a fine idea. No need to go around waking these little rascals one by one in the morning. They sleep like dead pigs, and it takes ages to get a response.” With that, he went out to beat the gong, shouting as he did so, “Everyone, assemble now! Assemble!”

Qin Haizhou had found Yang Yaozong’s training methods peculiar from the start. His curiosity was piqued, and he remained spirited and eager throughout, further increasing Yang Yaozong’s admiration for him.

Once the soldiers had assembled, Yang Yaozong frowned, his expression stern and eyes blazing with anger as he strode to the front of the ranks. “General Qin tells me that you are the elite, chosen from tens of thousands, here to receive special training, destined for great deeds. Yet look at how you stand now—slouched, twisted, hunched, lacking all form. You don’t even know how to stand properly. How can you expect to undergo any further training?”

He had been amiable with the soldiers the previous day, and now, suddenly severe, his demeanor bewildered them. This was intentional; Yang Yaozong wanted them to come to admire and respect him after the training.

“To stand like a soldier, you must stand tall as a pine. Both feet straight, positioned as mine are. Hands naturally at your sides, pressed close. Stomach in, chest out, head up, eyes forward, shoulders back.” He demonstrated as he spoke, Qin Haizhou following his lead, and the soldiers imitating as well. Whenever he spotted any incorrect posture, Yang Yaozong stepped forward to correct them.

“Yes, that’s right. Chest out a bit more. Feet together—no, not fully, just a bit apart. Yes, just like that! Head up! Legs together!”

With a branch in hand, Yang Yaozong tapped at the soldiers’ incorrect postures, correcting their errors.

Once all were properly aligned, he stood at the front in the standard military stance, severe expression and piercing gaze upon the soldiers. “This is called military posture. Remember how you stand now—this is how a soldier must stand! If you’re to be a soldier, you must carry yourself as one. Show your spirit—head up, chest out! From now on, when you hear the gong struck three times, you must all come out and assemble. Your formation must be orderly—companies as companies, squads as squads! Whoever fails will be punished or left hungry! From today forward, every morning, I will train with you. I train, you train; I rest, only then do you rest. We’ll start with military boxing, then running, then standing in military posture, then physical training, and more—some exercises you can’t even imagine! Except for meals, from morning till night, it will be all training. If anyone feels they cannot endure, or has already lost heart, step forward now! I, Yang, will not keep the weak and incapable. I want men of strength, ability, and perseverance—men who can carry out tough tasks alone, who will one day lead troops and fight on the battlefield, who will become pillars of the Great Zhou!”

At those words, the soldiers’ chests seemed to rise even higher, yet not a single man stepped forward. Their eyes burned with resolve, all focused on Yang Yaozong, this mysterious Master Yang. His words had inspired them. Every one of these elite soldiers harbored dreams of becoming a general, though the path seemed distant; Yang Yaozong had given them hope. His speech had stirred their spirits, and the previous lax atmosphere was replaced by seriousness and vigor.

Yang Yaozong nodded approvingly. “Good! Since none of you wished to quit when given the chance, from today on, from now on, if anyone tries to give up or evade training, don’t blame me for being merciless!”

In the days that followed, Yang Yaozong and Qin Haizhou trained alongside the soldiers. Yang Yaozong even joined them in chopping wood and constructing balance beams, upright obstacles, and other combined training apparatus. All necessary tools and supplies were delivered to the mountain by the princess. Yang Yaozong, recognizing her exceptional martial skills, showed no special courtesy, treating her solely as a means of transport. The two hardly spoke—Yang Yaozong simply listed the needed items on a sheet of paper and left it on the newly built table in the tent. When Jing Yijun brought food in the morning, she would collect the note and deliver the requested items. The lack of conversation made Yang Yaozong feel relaxed and happy; otherwise, facing the princess’s cold demeanor every time, no matter her peerless beauty, would ruin his mood.

Thus, Yang Yaozong, Qin Haizhou, and the soldiers lived, ate, and trained together. Sometimes the soldiers complained that the training was too harsh and demanding, but seeing General Qin Haizhou enduring alongside them, and even the scholarly Master Yang sharing their trials, they grit their teeth and persisted.

During rest, Yang Yaozong would teach the soldiers to sing and tell them stories. Every break saw the men seated around him, learning bold and novel songs at noon, listening to his captivating melodies.

We soldiers—what makes us different? Just that we all wear our humble uniforms.
We soldiers—what makes us different? Since leaving home, we seldom see our parents.
Truth is, there’s no real difference—we’re all young, all sons of passion.
Truth is, there’s no real difference—the same footprints linger where mountains and rivers run.

We soldiers are different, indeed—our heads rest beneath the border moon, our bodies endure rain, snow, and frost.
We soldiers are different, indeed—for the nation’s peace, we grip our rifles tight.
Truth is, there’s no real difference—we all yearn for glory, all strive for honor.
Truth is, there’s no real difference—the same brilliance soars beneath Great Zhou’s banner.
We soldiers, this is who we are.

When the song ended, the soldiers clamored, “Master Yang, sing us another!”

Yang Yaozong raised his voice and sang:

How many times have I fallen along the road?
How many times have I broken my wings?
Now, I no longer feel lost—
I want to transcend ordinary life,
I want a life that bursts forth in bloom…

The soldiers, stirred by these fresh, accessible songs, would laugh and cry, their spirits lifted. At dinner, they would crowd around Yang Yaozong, listening intently as he recounted the tales of the Heavenly Dragon.

“Master Yang, is Qiao Feng really a Khitan?”

“Master Yang, is Xu Zhu really a good monk?”

“Master Yang, who does Wang Yuyan truly love?”

“Master Yang, how many sisters does Duan Yu have?”

“Ha ha ha ha ha ha…”

“Niu Er, do you want to know how many good sisters Duan Yu has, or how many good wives?”

“Ha ha ha ha ha ha…” The group burst into laughter.

At night, when the soldiers slept, Yang Yaozong went from tent to tent, checking their wounds from training, covering them with blankets, and then returned to his own tent to carefully record each soldier’s daily training performance by name.

Finally, Yang Yaozong would examine his own injuries, apply medicine, and rest.

Once, Qin Haizhou asked Yang Yaozong, “Master Yang, your training methods are fine, but don’t singing and storytelling with the soldiers undermine your authority? How will you command their obedience?”

Yang Yaozong answered sincerely with a smile, “Brother Qin, they may be soldiers, and after training, they’ll be my subordinates. But I see them as my brothers, even as my children. I don’t want them to fear me. Making someone fear you is easy—beating, scolding, or threatening all work. What I want is their trust, their respect, their affection, their loyalty. Only then will they willingly obey me, not just on the surface but from the heart, without resistance.”

Qin Haizhou seemed half-understanding, but nodded nonetheless.

And so, Yang Yaozong, Qin Haizhou, and these soldiers continued their repetitive yet never monotonous training life.

All of Yang Yaozong’s actions were observed by one person: Princess Li Yijun.

Though she delivered food and supplies daily as Yang Yaozong requested, she was also following the emperor’s orders to monitor Yang Yaozong’s progress in establishing the Secret Investigation Bureau.

At first, she scoffed at Yang Yaozong’s training methods, finding them flashy and useless. But within just a week, she saw tremendous changes in the soldiers’ physiques, movements, and spirit.

Under Yang Yaozong’s guidance, their morale and vigor soared, their bodies grew stronger, their movements swifter. What surprised her most was Yang Yaozong himself—a frail scholar who had integrated completely with the soldiers, eating, living, and training alongside them. Sometimes he would even cook for the men, laughing heartily at their praise.

He was strict to the point of severity during training, but during breaks, the soldiers would compete to sit beside him, chatting as if he were their brother. He sang simple yet beautiful tunes, and told tales full of twists and turns. She witnessed Yang Yaozong and the soldiers sweating together under the sun and rain, saw him grow strong and robust, his complexion changing from pale to wheat-colored. She no longer looked down on him or underestimated him. She watched his training closely, listened carefully to his songs and stories, though Yang Yaozong himself remained oblivious.

Thus their days passed.