latelenovela Chapter 737 Military Discipline
Chapter 737 Military Discipline
From July of the tenth year of the Chongzhen reign (1637), Bofu Port was always busy.
Besides the normal arrival of merchant ships to pay taxes at customs, a large number of troop transport ships docked one after another, and groups of soldiers disembarked and went ashore in an endless stream. Every day, several ships came to Bofu from Shandong and Taiwan. Young people speaking with Guanzhong accents discussed this new city that was changing their worldview, excitedly pointing at the bustling docks and the orderly cement buildings and roads. The beautiful horse-drawn carriages amazed them even more—this comfortable mode of transportation was, in their eyes, no less than when people in later generations saw the subway for the first time.
Amidst the chorus of Guanzhong accents, Xiang Yu was an outlier. He was from Changping, a true native of the capital. The majority of this group were from Shaanxi, making him and a few others from the surrounding area a minority. A fearless individual, he held his own even against the tightly knit group of Shaanxi natives, and after more than half a year of hard work, he made it onto the first list of reserve officers to be sent to Lingao for training.
Xiang Yu looked around at everything he saw after getting ashore, feeling incredibly fortunate: he had been so focused on escaping, thankfully he hadn't. Brother Zhu was right, joining the Qionghai Army was a decision that could change his destiny.
Since going to that large island called Taiwan, his life has undergone a complete transformation. Before, in Changping, he cultivated a few acres of irrigated land. Although there hadn't been any major disasters in recent years and the harvests were decent, the government's taxes were heavy and relentless, making life unbearable. After being captured by the Tartars, he was plunged into an abyss of despair. He thought being sent to Taiwan would only worsen his situation, but unexpectedly, it was the beginning of a wonderful life. For the first time in his life, Xiang Yu had a full stomach, and he never imagined that being a soldier would earn him silver—it was the first time in his life he had seen gleaming silver; he had never even seen strings of copper coins before. When he arrived at Qiongzhou Prefecture, which Brother Zhu had mentioned, its prosperity and bustling atmosphere exceeded his expectations.
"I'm afraid even the capital city where the emperor lives isn't this nice," Xiang Yu thought enviously.
As instructed by their superior, these reserve officers were supposed to be picked up after disembarking and simply waited where they were. However, several Shaanxi men with Xiang Yu, seeing the bustling activity along the streets of the dock, couldn't resist and encouraged each other to stroll along the streets.
With someone taking the lead, everyone seemed to have found an excuse and reason to rush onto the street. Xiang Yu hadn't intended to push forward, but was pushed along by the people behind her, heading inland along the street.
The shops along the way were filled with all kinds of goods, a dazzling array that captivated these country bumpkins. How could those who had been fighting in northern Shaanxi for years have ever seen such rare things? Although Xiang Yu grew up near the capital, he had never been to the capital, and Changping at this time was just a remote county. In terms of knowledge, he was not much better than these people.
After passing several shops, a shop with the sign "Cuiyunlou" caught everyone's attention: several brightly dressed young women leaned against the window on the second floor, their faces painted with rouge, smiling at them. Downstairs, a middle-aged woman with a lingering charm greeted them with a smile: "Sir, you look like you've just returned from the sea. You must be tired from your journey. Why don't you come in for a drink, listen to some music, and relax..." Xiang Yu and his group were in reserve and were not wearing military uniforms, only short gray-brown clothes. They looked much like the crew members returning from the sea on the merchant ship, so it was no wonder the madam had misjudged them.
The group of men stared wide-eyed at the girl upstairs, almost drooling. Xiang Yu wasn't much better off; he'd never been so close to a young woman before. The scent of perfume wafting in the air, the sweet voices of women—his face flushed, and he swallowed hard, feeling a burning desire within him. Nearly twenty years of being a bachelor had left him utterly defenseless against the opposite sex. Let alone the young woman upstairs, even this middle-aged woman before him could stir his wild fantasies.
Some of the more knowledgeable people realized what was happening and exclaimed in a low voice, "Could this be a brothel?"
It's no wonder they were slow to react. A group of poor people who couldn't even afford to eat six months ago, how could they possibly have the opportunity to come into contact with this kind of service industry? Most of them didn't even know about it.
But knowing this is one thing, how could a hot-blooded young man resist a gentle offensive? The girls called out a few times, the madam tugged at them a few times, and many of them followed her inside, half-heartedly. They had been laborers for more than half a year and received their wages, so they still had some money in their hands. Visiting a brothel didn't seem like a big deal.
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed down the street. A group of soldiers in uniform jogged over, and the officer at the head of the group, after glancing around and locking onto Xiang Yu and the others, charged straight at them.
The madam watched suspiciously as the officer led his men rushing over. Once she confirmed that her target was her "Cuiyun Tower," she quickly put on a humble smile and asked, "What are your orders, sir?"
The officer waved his hand: "This is none of your business. Go back to your business. But these people are from the Qionghai Navy and can't go in. I have to take them away!"
The madam was shocked: "So these are all your men, sir! We were truly blind to your greatness and almost offended you..."
Just a step away lay a paradise of pleasure, yet they were abruptly stopped, feeling as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over their heads. The leaders were quite displeased, glaring at the officer and asking, "Who are you? Why are you blocking us from going in to enjoy ourselves?"
Xiang Yu, with her sharp eyes, recognized Zhu Jinhu, the man who had persuaded her to join the Qionghai Army. She quickly greeted him, "Brother Zhu, it's been a long time! I'm Xiang Yu from Changping!"
Zhu Jinhu glanced at him and laughed, "You're hanging out with these guys too? Hurry up and get out!"
After Xiang Yu awkwardly broke away from the "brothel-hopping army" and retreated to the street, Zhu Jinhu looked at the few people who were staring at him with a half-smile and replied, "I am an instructor of the first class of the ninth grade of the Ma Niao Army Branch School. Together with the other twelve instructors, I am responsible for the training of your batch of students. During the school period, the words of the instructors are orders, so I naturally have the right to stop you from going in."
The crowd gasped, shrinking back and daring not to utter a word. The ringleaders, feeling humiliated, continued shouting, "We're local garrison soldiers from Tainan City, originally from northern Shaanxi. It's none of your business to boss us around. If you piss us off, we'll be back in northern Shaanxi..."
Zhu Jinhu's smile vanished, replaced by a cold expression. "Once you're in the army and receiving your pay, you must abide by the rules. The Qionghai Navy isn't a place you can come and go as you please. Today, I'll show you the Qionghai Navy's discipline—consider it your first lesson at the military academy." He waved to the soldiers behind him. "Enforcing military discipline: unauthorized entry into a brothel, ten strokes of the cane; disobeying orders, ten strokes of the cane. These loudmouths, twenty strokes each, then drag them back to the academy!"