Chapter 81: Exodus of Yi’ren

Breakfast hour lasts from seven to nine in the morning, and to arrive within these hours is a pass.

In two hours, three hundred people have rallied under the flag, all tottering on their feet as a result of their both mental and physical exhaustion after the night-long journey.

Their robes are completely wet soaked with sweat as if they can squeeze out a bucket of water with a twist.

They no longer have the strength to utter a word, and yet each one of them after arriving at the flag silently giggles, as they hope that all three hundred of them would make it, with none left behind.

This breakfast hour lasts abnormally long, as the last few have rushed to the flag.

However, there is one missing.

Maybe he has fled; or maybe he just could not make it.

Everyone is quiet, their head hung low. They have all become brothers who lived in the same barracks and survived the same hellish drills.

That is no more than two hundred miles. How can he not make it! (Miles as in Chinese miles: 1 mile = 0.5km)

How can he not make it!
 

Suddenly, one man falls out of the woods. It is a soldier in black armors.

And also, the last one to arrive.

Everyone watches him get up from the ground and stumble across the hundred-meter distance toward the camp flag.

Yet, the distance appears to be too much to cover for him.

He can barely move his legs as if they are filled with lead.

In dizziness, he still realizes that he is almost there, but he no longer has any strength left.

“Yan Kuan, you coward! Did you not tell us that your wife is still waiting for you! Did you not promise to see her again!”

“Is this how you fulfill your promise!”

One soldier rises from the ground and yell toward him, his eyes red.

Another one roars: “You still owe me four ring money! Don’t you remember what you bought with the money? I do! You bought a pendent and told me that you will gift it to your wife!”

“Ha, ha.”

Like a fire is burning in his chest, blood veins bulge around Yan Kuan’s neck.

“Argh!” Letting out a hysteric roar, he sprints toward the flag.

However, after a few steps, he collapses on the ground, no longer able to get up.

In silence, he tries to push himself up, but after squeezing his body dry of any strength left, he cannot get up anymore.

Blood veins visible in his eyes, he powerlessly holds a handful of soil in his hands, staring at the land in front of him.

“…”

Tears drop to the ground, as the man with an iron will sobs, under the realization of his failure.

“A man does not easily shed his tears.”

A voice comes from above head. Yan Kuan raises his head and sees Gu Nan standing in front of him.

Her hand grabs his arms tight, lifts him up and puts him on her shoulder.

“It is only a dozen more steps left.”

Yan Kuan looks at Gu Nan dumbfoundedly, his hands and face covered in dust.

“Shame on you.” Cursing, Gu Nan carries him back to where the flag is.

Yan Kuan smiles, his eyes half shut, head hung low, and utters a few words with a coarse voice.

“Thank you, General.”

Under the sun, supported by two fellow soldiers, Yan Kuan stands in the formation.

Beneath the fluttering camp flag, Gu Nan stares at the three hundred soldiers.

“Do you know what time it is now?”

The delight looks on their faces instantly vanish, replaced by a series of rigid looks, as they all realize that it has way past breakfast time.

In that case, nearly half of the men here cannot pass the examination.

“Puff.”

A smile cracks the stern expression on Gu Nan’s face, and she waves her hands: “I do not know either. Anyway, all of you have passed.”

“Hehehe…”

The three hundred men break into increasing laughters as they all realize that all those who come back will pass the examination. 

On the second day after the battalion of forbidden army was established, an edict from the king of Qin arrives, announcing the amnesty of the three hundred convicts, restoring their freemen status, and allowing them to receive salaries and military merit.

By Gu Nan’s proposition, they are granted the name: the Camp Crushers.

Meanwhile, Gu Nan is not celebrating with the soldiers in barracks. Instead, she bows her head and half kneels at the center of the palace hall.

In front of her sits the king of Qin, reading documents.

“Gua has heard of your battalion of camp crushers multiple times. That day when they set out from the palace, it must have flaunted our strength. Not bad.”        Sitting on the throne, the king smiles toward Gu Nan.

“Your highness just bestowed undeserved praise on me.”

“But, Gua is yet to see the that army for myself…”

“If your highness wants to, we can arrange an inspection.”

“Not needed.” The king closes his eyes, seemingly thinking over something and making a final decision.

“The army’s strength can only be tested by battles. There is no place in the army for your three hundred men yet, but Gua has a mission for you.”

Upon saying so, the king of Qin smiles momentarily.

“My son who was sent to Zhao as a hostage, Yi’ren, do you remember him?”

Ying Yi’ren.

Like something just occurs to her, Gu Nan nods: “I do. I was one of the guards who escorted him to the border.”

“Good.” The king of Qin picks up a report.

“This brat had quite an affair in the Zhao kingdom…”

“Now, he needs to escape from Zhao, and I order you to bring him back.”

Ying Yi’ren is about to return. During his stay in Zhao, he married a wife who gave birth to his son named Ying Zheng.

“Afterall, it is not appropriate for us to welcome him officially since he is but a hostage.”

The king heaves out a sigh, his tone somewhat casual and helpless: “Three hundred men to pick him up should be a good fit.”

“Zhao will send pursuers after him. Kill everyone who follows.”

“Gu Nan accepts your order.”

“Heheh, good.”