Looking north towards the rivers and mountains

As Shao Shuyi approached his home, he discovered that his neighbor's house was in complete chaos again.

Upon further inquiry, it was discovered that the archers of the patrol office had launched a large-scale operation last night, surrounding the White Lotus Sect's gathering place, Yile Nunnery.

At first, the patrol officers were unable to subdue the more than two hundred White Lotus followers gathered in the temple. They had no choice but to adopt the tactic of "surrounding three sides and leaving one side open" to disperse the White Lotus followers. They killed or wounded more than ten people and captured dozens, including the old man next door.

Upon hearing this, Shao Shuyi was momentarily at a loss for words.

The Taicang Patrol Office was, after all, a regular military institution whose main task was to apprehend thieves. It had thirty archers, yet it couldn't even subdue more than two hundred men, women, and children. It seemed utterly useless.

After offering a few words of comfort, he returned home.

Coincidentally, Cheng Ji was also fiddling with a bow.

Seeing Shao Shuyi return, he nodded, handed him the calibrated bow, and said, "Take this and try it out."

When Shao Shuyi took it, his hand felt slightly heavy, so he perked up and examined it carefully.

In his previous life, he had visited the Dunhuang murals and had a rudimentary understanding of the bows and arrows of the Tang army during the late Tang and Five Dynasties period. In his view, the bow in his hand was different from that one, but not significantly so; it still fell into the category of a short-armed, long-tipped bow, only with a longer tip and a shorter arm.

"This is called the 'Kaman Great Bow,' and along with the 'Markda Great Bow' and the 'Stubborn Ram Horn Bow,' it forms the three great arrow weapons of the army," Cheng Ji said. "This bow was made by craftsmen in Hangzhou, crafted from mulberry wood, ox horn, and animal sinew, and can reach a range of two to three hundred paces. However—"

He chuckled and said, "That's just talk. The old thief two hundred paces away isn't afraid of you shooting him with a bow. It's just to scare the young men who are new to the battlefield."

"What about Baibu?" Shao Shuyi asked.

"It's difficult to hit even if you're not a master," Cheng Ji said.

Shao Shuyi understood. On the day of the escape, the soldier from Dadu Garrison shot at him with a bow, but he may have missed, since the distance was indeed more than a hundred paces. Of course, that person was not Cheng Ji; Shao Shuyi had already asked him.

After stroking the bow for a while, Shao Shuyi asked, "Can only bows be made in Hangzhou? Can't they be made in Pingjiang?"

"There are also craftsmen in Pingjiang Road, but far fewer than before," Cheng Ji said. "Anyway, most of the bows and arrows used by the Crossroads Army are supplied by the Hangzhou Military Equipment Bureau, which has bow bureaus, arrow bureaus, and string bureaus. They supply the various armies once a year."

"Is there an Armory Administration in the North?"

"Of course there are, and there are far more weapon craftsmen in the south than in the north." Cheng Ji looked at Shao Shuyi strangely, as if to say, "Do you know where the emperor and nobles live?"

Seeing Shao Shuyi nodding thoughtfully, Cheng Ji added a few more words: "The manufacture of military equipment is of utmost importance. Even the procurement of all kinds of items by the Hangzhou Military Equipment Bureau is handled by the Kheshig."

"The Kheshig?" Shao Shuyi's spirits lifted, and he asked, "Is this army capable of fighting?"

Cheng Ji hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I don't know either. According to my comrades in the army, after the reign of Emperor Chengzong, no more Han Chinese or Southern Chinese were recruited into the Kheshig. Now this army is full of opportunistic nobles and officials' sons. Fighting? I'm afraid they're no good. It's already good enough if they can guard the palace and carry the ceremonial guards. Most of them are busy with flattery and currying favor."

The Hangzhou Military Equipment Bureau alone has its own Kheshig (imperial guards) dispatched here. The arrows I brought were made with bamboo from Chuzhou for the shafts, which were procured by the Kheshig. Chuzhou dispatched laborers to cut down the bamboo and transport it to Hangzhou, but the bureau chief and the arrow makers made things difficult in every way, demanding bribes. If they didn't get them, they would return the batch of bamboo and send a new batch.

The bulk of the bribes they received went to the Kheshig (imperial guards), because they were close to the emperor and wielded immense power.

"I see." Shao Shuyi asked, "What happened next?"

"What happened next?"

"Are you still making things difficult for us?"

"Things have improved considerably," Cheng Ji said. "After Governor Li of Chuzhou took office, he wrote to the provincial government, saying that since the officials and arrow makers thought the arrows sent were unsuitable, they should be allowed to go to the mountains of Chuzhou to select their own until they were satisfied. The officials were unwilling to do this, so they informed the Kheshig (imperial guards), and the Kheshig stopped making things difficult for them."

Before Shao Shuyi could react, Wang Huadu burst into laughter, saying, "That's exactly how they should be dealt with."

Cheng Ji sighed softly and said, "It sounds like a simple favor, but over the years, only Lord Li has been willing to do this. No one wants to offend the Kheshig. Anyway, the bribe is made up by the people of the prefecture and county, so it has nothing to do with them."

Shao Shuyi remained silent.

Those who would rather offend the Kheshig "commissioner" and cut off their source of income to reduce the burden on the local people are generally not considered "smart people."

Furthermore, the Kheshig, a group that once had a distinguished military record, now appears to be nothing more than a figurehead, incapable of fighting.

This is probably the ultimate fate of all imperial guards of all dynasties: from elite troops in the early years of a dynasty to super minnows in the late years. It's just that the Yuan Dynasty's imperial guards degenerated much too quickly.

"Alright, that's enough." Cheng Ji waved his hand, looked at Shao Shuyi, and said, "It's getting late, do you still want to study?"

"I want to learn! I must learn!" Shao Shuyi said without hesitation, raising his bow. "Teach me archery now."

Cheng Ji snatched the bow away, saying, "Today we'll learn how to maintain and calibrate bows and arrows, and how to repair minor damage. You also need a set of military uniform; if you need it, I can—"

"This costs money too?" Shao Shuyi said casually.

Cheng Ji blushed and explained, "Life in the army is too tough. We can't even get enough to eat, let alone do drills. If we sell some military equipment and uniforms, the superiors will turn a blind eye. Besides, they can get a share of the money, and the Ordnance Department can make up the difference later."

Shao Shuyi's eyes were opened to a whole new world.

The Yuan Dynasty's army is truly awful. It's possible there are capable soldiers, perhaps he hasn't seen them yet, but judging from the state of the Yuan army in Jiangnan, they are utterly incompetent. Perhaps only the Yuan central army stationed near Dadu can rival them in terms of awfulness.

If the Mongol nobles wanted to suppress the world, they would probably have to rely on tribal armies or foreign mercenaries, or loosen restrictions and allow local militias to be organized. There was no other way.

"I'll buy it when I have the money," Shao Shuyi said with an embarrassed smile. "If you trust me, you can give me some equipment on credit first."

Cheng Ji remained noncommittal, saying, "Come, let me tell you about this arrow first. Our dynasty has 'three imperfections'..."

******

As the sun rose higher, the morning's classes came to an end. Shao, Wang, and Cheng hastily prepared some food, ate, and then continued their classes.

Cheng Ji didn't stop until the sun was beginning to set, still feeling unsatisfied.

It's clear that he's a pure martial artist.

He's usually not very talkative, but when he talks about drills, weapons, and tactics, he seems to be injected with energy and suddenly becomes very talkative.

According to him, among the more than 3,000 soldiers in the ten chiliarchies of the Crossroads Army, there were only a hundred or so who, like him, could still devote some of their attention to their military duties.

If they were to actually go into battle, all of their hundred-plus men would be dead, and the rest would likely scatter. Moreover, given the current situation, the number of soldiers who are starving and freezing will only increase, while the number of those capable of fighting will decrease. Ultimately, after an unexpected battle, the Crossroads will probably be wiped out.

Shao Shuyi sighed with him for a while, then had dinner with them before saying goodbye and leaving.

"There are less than two pecks of coarse rice left, enough for you to eat for a while." Before leaving, Shao Shuyi looked at Cheng Ji and said, "Five liters of rice are yours. If your family is really in financial difficulty, take more if you want, it's no trouble at all."

Cheng Ji instinctively wanted to refuse, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to say it and silently nodded.

Wang Huadu, who was fiddling with an anchor axe, laughed upon hearing this, "Little Tiger, go ahead and leave without worry. I'll look after this house for you. I won't let you eat for nothing. If you run out of rice, go do some work. If all else fails—"

He swung the anchor axe with difficulty and said, "I'm going to do business with no capital."

"Absurd!" Cheng Ji shouted, making a move to snatch back the anchor axe, saying, "You've become a thief, so I'll go and wipe you out."

"The Changqiao Navy can't even wipe out the bandits on Taihu Lake, so how much better can you be? Besides assisting the government in arresting fugitives and oppressing the good, I don't think you're of any use at all." Wang Huadu curled his lip in disdain, but in the end he still put down the anchor axe, leaned it against a tree, and said, "Little Tiger, this was given to you by someone, keep it safe."

"When did I—" Cheng Ji asked urgently.

Shao Shuyi laughed and said, "I'll be going now, and I'll be back on May 20th, how about that?"

"I should still be here on May 20th, before I had a chance to join the rebels," Wang Huadu said lazily.

Cheng Ji nodded and said, "Okay."

Shao Shuyi nodded, took a few handfuls of rice from his small cloth bag, and hurried off to catch the boat.

After he left, Wang Huadu kicked the rice bag and said, "I reckon there are still ten liters left. Take them all."

Cheng Ji didn't object, his face slightly flushed, and said, "I won't take it for nothing. The anchor axe will remain here. I'll retrieve it after I finish teaching next time."

Wang Hua picked up the pickle jar and salt and said, "Whatever. I'm going to stay at my lover's house for a few days. After eating and drinking for free for so many days, if I can't get her to see something to take back, she'll probably kick me out of bed."

Cheng Ji couldn't help but chuckle.

The setting sun cast its light on Wang Huadu, whose two large front teeth gleamed in a particularly bright smile. As he turned around, he said, "You should think more about yourself. In this world, those who are loyal to the emperor and love their country suffer the most."

Having said that, he left gracefully.