Chapter Twenty-Six: The Training Continues

If Yang Xi had received no welcome from any general upon his initial arrival at Tongguan, by now he had earned the respect of most commanders. There were many reasons for this: his heroic rush to the aid of Tongguan, personally slaying Huo Ba Guiren and rescuing Geshu Han; the killing of the supervising eunuch Bian Lingcheng; his commendable performance in the defense of Tongguan; and his intercession on behalf of various generals at court after the battle.

Moreover, Yang Xi’s selection of outstanding soldiers for special training astonished all the generals. Each had witnessed firsthand the rigorous conditions of these special training camps and were quite surprised. Though some generals harbored doubts about Yang Xi’s abilities, their respect grew with his achievements. Now, with Yang Xi personally crafting telescopes capable of bringing distant objects closer and promising to equip every general with one, their admiration deepened further.

The allure of new inventions is always compelling.

In the eyes of many commanders, Yang Xi had become an entirely different person, unrelated to the treacherous Chancellor Yang Guozhong. His recent actions showed no hint of self-interest; all were aimed at preventing the loss of Tongguan and serving the greater good. His personal integrity caused many to feel ashamed in comparison.

Yang Xi’s influence was gradually increasing, a fact he himself was increasingly aware of. Yet he was not content. He aspired to become an absolute authority, to have all generals wholeheartedly obey his commands without question.

Achieving this would not be easy; the path was long and arduous. But Yang Xi believed that with effort, success was inevitable.

“I will make a competent commander!” he encouraged himself.

The telescopes he made worked superbly and would be invaluable during marches and battles. Using this invention, Yang Xi once again impressed the generals, accomplishing multiple feats at once. He immediately wrote to his father in Chang’an, Yang Guozhong, instructing him to personally oversee the armory’s production of large quantities of these telescopes based on his designs. He had sketched several models resembling future telescopes—both monocular and binocular—and hoped to produce binocular telescopes with equal zoom capability. Confident in current manufacturing capabilities, he believed practical binocular telescopes were achievable.

He had already explained the principles of the telescope’s construction in detail to two of his smartest bodyguards, instructing them to return to Tongguan, relay the knowledge to Yang Guozhong, and participate in the armory’s manufacturing process to ensure the craftsmen understood the concept.

In this era, many were clever; once the principles were explained, they should be able to improve upon the designs with their ingenuity.

——

Yang Guozhong sent a secret letter reporting that the supervising eunuch Li Jingzhong had embarked and was preparing to arrive at Tongguan for his post.

——

Li Jingzhong’s arrival at Tongguan would not be as swift as Yang Xi’s, who had traveled by relay horses. He rode slowly on horseback, a journey of at least three or four days. Yang Xi paid little attention to this middle-aged eunuch’s arrival, for he was fully occupied, his enthusiasm wholly engaged in the strenuous physical training of the eight hundred newly recruited soldiers.

Other generals were also busy training their troops. Under the scorching sun, inside and outside Tongguan’s walls, the figures of soldiers laboring in drills were everywhere.

After more than ten days of training, five of the carefully selected eight hundred soldiers had voluntarily dropped out due to the intensity of the regimen; ten others were eliminated due to injury or physical incapacity. The majority, however, persevered.

Those who remained unaware that even harsher training awaited them, and that most would eventually be culled.

Nighttime emergency assemblies did not occur every night, but sometimes several times in one night. Their unpredictability kept the soldiers on edge, unable to rest fully. Yet this heightened their vigilance; at any disturbance, they would awaken instantly. The extreme exhaustion from training caused them to fall asleep quickly, improving the quality of their rest.

It was no joke—without good sleep, physical strength could not be restored efficiently, making it impossible to endure the subsequent training.

One training event was nearly constant: long-distance cross-country running at dawn. The shortest was five li (approximately two and a half miles), usually ranging from ten to fifteen li, eventually evolving into weighted runs, each soldier carrying their weapon.

Often, they returned before dawn, only to find the kitchen already steaming with hot buns and porridge. Food was not evenly distributed but given on a first-come, first-served basis. Those who lagged far behind risked finding the soup entirely gone.

Poor performance in these runs almost guaranteed elimination. Hundreds of soldiers sought to return within a similar timeframe, fiercely motivated by the precious meals awaiting them. No one wanted to fall behind and go hungry.

Training while hungry was nearly impossible; failing to persevere meant expulsion—a great embarrassment.

This created a terrifying cycle: every man pushed himself to avoid falling behind, lest he be branded a failure.

Gradually, the troops adapted to emergency assemblies, no longer panicking as they had during the first few occurrences.

Some even developed and spread the quickest procedure for assembling during emergencies.

No matter the circumstance, panic was forbidden. Every action had to be orderly: get up, put on pants first, then boots, then don the shirt, grab weapons and gear, and tidy the uniform en route to the training camp.

Yang Xi had specially designed the soldiers’ attire, inspired by future military uniforms, favoring ease of wear and training.

As routines were established, assembly speed improved.

Those who could not grasp the procedures were gradually eliminated.

Every soldier’s training results were meticulously recorded, with the performance of each training squad leader attracting the most attention.

Squad leaders were not permanent; they were frequently rotated. Poor performers were relieved of command, replaced by soldiers who excelled during training.

Among those selected, not all held the ranks of captain, brigade commander, or officer; ordinary soldiers could also earn leadership opportunities.

Of the initial twenty squad leaders, eight had already been replaced. The remaining leaders were acutely aware of the threat to their positions and strove to excel in both training and troop management to avoid disgrace.

On the first day of training, Li Han and Chen Feng had performed exceptionally well when paired against Yang Xi, surpassing ordinary soldiers. They were appointed leaders of the first and second training squads, respectively.

Perhaps fate had smiled upon them, earning the favor of Marshal Yang Xi. The honor of facing him spurred them never to slacken, their enthusiasm burning fiercely, always striving to outperform others. Their naturally excellent skills made their outstanding results unsurprising.

After ten days of training, Yang Xi personally oversaw the first physical fitness evaluation. Sixty soldiers failed and were eliminated, reducing the training squad to about seven hundred.

It was at this time that Li Jingzhong also arrived at Tongguan.

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