An army of soldiers that disregard their personal life and death can erupt with frightening strength that even allows infantries to stop cavalries.
Such incidence occurred before Gu Nan at Chang Ping when the wounded but still ferocious Zhao army put a halt to the Qin’s cavalries.
That gives the reason for Gu Nan to summon three hundred death row inmates when the king only asked for any three hundred convicts.
When confronting mortal danger, one will fight desperately to live. The inmates here were already on death row, back against the wall, and hence can go no other direction but only forward.
However, being fearless is still not sufficient.
The Zhao army was fearless of their miserable end, thus able to fight to their best knowing that there is no worse outcome than death.
However, should the Zhao army more organized instead of fighting each one’s own battle, they could cause more trouble to the Qin army.
Yet, it is easier said than done since the army is composed of hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and to require everyone to only act upon orders is nearly impossible in the ancient time.
Luckily, Gu Nan commands only three hundred men.
Even so, she has to drive chi to amplify her voice allowing everyone to hear her.
“The forbidden army is no regular troop. We answer to the king of Qin only.”
“Individual prowess is necessary, yet you should also know that one at his best can only defend against less than a hundred men, but a battalion of three hundred well trained soldiers can best tens of thousands.”
“We understand what the general wants of us; we need to be these two types of men.”
One of the three hundred responds.
“Indeed.” Gu Nan stares at the three hundred men, indecipherable sentiment in her eyes, and raises her brow.
“Even though you may no longer be on death row, you will be part of the forbidden army that fights the deadliest battles.”
“You may never come back alive.”
She signs upon saying so.
“This is my last warning: if you want a quick death, go back to your cell blocks and wait for execution.”
“Here, staying alive will not feel any better than dropping dead.”
It will not be a big deal if the three hundred inmates fail the training.
However, should they eventually become forbidden guards, it is only imaginable of what perilous use they will be put into.
Gu Nan was not exaggerating. The fate of a forbidden guard may be worse than a death row inmate.
It might be a living hell waiting for them.
However, the three hundred soldiers only stare at Gu Nan until one of them breaks the silence with a laughter.
“Hahaha, general, you should not take us too lightly.” It is a bulky man who laughs, his voice plain and calm. “We are already men on the road to death, so what’s there for us to fear?”
“At worst, it is but death.”
Hearing so, the rest of the men roars valiantly.
“True. At worst, it is but death!”
Her eyes shut, Gu Nan chuckles alongside the soldiers. “Then I, Gu Nan, promise you of what I said earlier. As long as you can achieve military merit, I will help you recover your identities as free men, giving you the chance to see your families.”
However, everybody is aware that when the time comes, they may never have the chance to leave the barracks for good.
Even though the life ahead of them may be worse than death, most people only want to earn a chance to pay their home a visit, to see if their families are still there and well.
“Good. Thank you, general!”
“Be faster! What are you retching for there?! Did I not feed you earlier? Get up and run!”
Bamboo slips in her hands, Gu Nan sits with crossed legs on a big rock and supervises the soldiers running their lungs out.
In this era, there is not many forms of entertainment other than reading or martial arts, and hence Gu Nan always carries a book with her.
Every soldier after crossing the finish line falls flat on the ground, tongues sticking out, grasping for air.
“Take a look at your weak selves; how can people with such demeanor be forbidden troops?”
Gu Nan shakes her head while folding the slips into a roll, obvious dissatisfaction noticeable on her expression.
“It takes you almost two hours to run merely thirty laps.”
Everyone fallen on the ground are busy catching their breathes; no one has any left to respond to Gu Nan.
One of them notices the bamboo slips in her hands and asks: “General, you can read?”
“Naturally yes. What’s the problem?” Gu Nan feels confused at the question, as in her imagination, all generals are supposed to be educated and thus literate.
However, in reality, many generals do not read or write. The briefings and reports are mostly written by civil officials among their entourages.
Afterall, very few people of the time have the chance to receive education.
The soldier swallows hard and tilts his head aside, smiling. “It is nothing. I was just thinking that the general is the greatest woman I have ever seen, both a valiant fighter and a scholar.”
“Truly hard to find one like her.”
“What do you mean by hard? There is no other one in Qin as good as the general.”
…
“Alright, that is it.” Gu Nan shuts their flattery in her way with a gloomy expression. “You can spend the energy to babble instead on catching your breath.”
The soldiers smile lying on the ground. The one who initially threw the question asks cheerfully: “General, can you please tell us what is in that book of yours?”
Many cast their sights this way upon hearing the request. Apparently, in an era when knowledge is but a privilege to the elites, many people never had the chance to read a single book their entire life.
“Fine.” Gu Nan rubs her nose and lowers her sight on the book in her hands. “This one is rather boring. How about this, let me tell you a better story.”
“That would be great.”
“Wonderful, wonderful.”
Smiling at the boisterous crowd in front of her, Gu Nan claps her hand with the bamboo slips.
A general like a taleteller sits in front of a group of soldiers lying all across the ground.
“The story goes that there used to be a country called the Great Ming, in which there is a department that directly answers to the king, named Jin Yiwei…”
An army of soldiers that disregard their personal life and death can erupt with frightening strength that even allows infantries to stop cavalries.
Such incidence occurred before Gu Nan at Chang Ping when the wounded but still ferocious Zhao army put a halt to the Qin’s cavalries.
That gives the reason for Gu Nan to summon three hundred death row inmates when the king only asked for any three hundred convicts.
When confronting mortal danger, one will fight desperately to live. The inmates here were already on death row, back against the wall, and hence can go no other direction but only forward.
However, being fearless is still not sufficient.
The Zhao army was fearless of their miserable end, thus able to fight to their best knowing that there is no worse outcome than death.
However, should the Zhao army more organized instead of fighting each one’s own battle, they could cause more trouble to the Qin army.
Yet, it is easier said than done since the army is composed of hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and to require everyone to only act upon orders is nearly impossible in the ancient time.
Luckily, Gu Nan commands only three hundred men.
Even so, she has to drive chi to amplify her voice allowing everyone to hear her.
“The forbidden army is no regular troop. We answer to the king of Qin only.”
“Individual prowess is necessary, yet you should also know that one at his best can only defend against less than a hundred men, but a battalion of three hundred well trained soldiers can best tens of thousands.”
“We understand what the general wants of us; we need to be these two types of men.”
One of the three hundred responds.
“Indeed.” Gu Nan stares at the three hundred men, indecipherable sentiment in her eyes, and raises her brow.
“Even though you may no longer be on death row, you will be part of the forbidden army that fights the deadliest battles.”
“You may never come back alive.”
She signs upon saying so.
“This is my last warning: if you want a quick death, go back to your cell blocks and wait for execution.”
“Here, staying alive will not feel any better than dropping dead.”
It will not be a big deal if the three hundred inmates fail the training.
However, should they eventually become forbidden guards, it is only imaginable of what perilous use they will be put into.
Gu Nan was not exaggerating. The fate of a forbidden guard may be worse than a death row inmate.
It might be a living hell waiting for them.
However, the three hundred soldiers only stare at Gu Nan until one of them breaks the silence with a laughter.
“Hahaha, general, you should not take us too lightly.” It is a bulky man who laughs, his voice plain and calm. “We are already men on the road to death, so what’s there for us to fear?”
“At worst, it is but death.”
Hearing so, the rest of the men roars valiantly.
“True. At worst, it is but death!”
Her eyes shut, Gu Nan chuckles alongside the soldiers. “Then I, Gu Nan, promise you of what I said earlier. As long as you can achieve military merit, I will help you recover your identities as free men, giving you the chance to see your families.”
However, everybody is aware that when the time comes, they may never have the chance to leave the barracks for good.
Even though the life ahead of them may be worse than death, most people only want to earn a chance to pay their home a visit, to see if their families are still there and well.
“Good. Thank you, general!”
“Be faster! What are you retching for there?! Did I not feed you earlier? Get up and run!”
Bamboo slips in her hands, Gu Nan sits with crossed legs on a big rock and supervises the soldiers running their lungs out.
In this era, there is not many forms of entertainment other than reading or martial arts, and hence Gu Nan always carries a book with her.
Every soldier after crossing the finish line falls flat on the ground, tongues sticking out, grasping for air.
“Take a look at your weak selves; how can people with such demeanor be forbidden troops?”
Gu Nan shakes her head while folding the slips into a roll, obvious dissatisfaction noticeable on her expression.
“It takes you almost two hours to run merely thirty laps.”
Everyone fallen on the ground are busy catching their breathes; no one has any left to respond to Gu Nan.
One of them notices the bamboo slips in her hands and asks: “General, you can read?”
“Naturally yes. What’s the problem?” Gu Nan feels confused at the question, as in her imagination, all generals are supposed to be educated and thus literate.
However, in reality, many generals do not read or write. The briefings and reports are mostly written by civil officials among their entourages.
Afterall, very few people of the time have the chance to receive education.
The soldier swallows hard and tilts his head aside, smiling. “It is nothing. I was just thinking that the general is the greatest woman I have ever seen, both a valiant fighter and a scholar.”
“Truly hard to find one like her.”
“What do you mean by hard? There is no other one in Qin as good as the general.”
…
“Alright, that is it.” Gu Nan shuts their flattery in her way with a gloomy expression. “You can spend the energy to babble instead on catching your breath.”
The soldiers smile lying on the ground. The one who initially threw the question asks cheerfully: “General, can you please tell us what is in that book of yours?”
Many cast their sights this way upon hearing the request. Apparently, in an era when knowledge is but a privilege to the elites, many people never had the chance to read a single book their entire life.
“Fine.” Gu Nan rubs her nose and lowers her sight on the book in her hands. “This one is rather boring. How about this, let me tell you a better story.”
“That would be great.”
“Wonderful, wonderful.”
Smiling at the boisterous crowd in front of her, Gu Nan claps her hand with the bamboo slips.
A general like a taleteller sits in front of a group of soldiers lying all across the ground.
“The story goes that there used to be a country called the Great Ming, in which there is a department that directly answers to the king, named Jin Yiwei…”
