Chapter 8, The Son of the Flying General

In the customs of the Han Dynasty, when a person introduces themselves, they include their ancestral home and their father's name, which signifies a form of etiquette and an emphasis on the importance of meaningful connections.

The armor of another surviving Han soldier was considerably simpler compared to that of Li Danghu, appearing rather rough, with leather armor only fitted at various vital points.

Zuo Yan smiled indifferently, "As long as I live for another three years, Lord Ling Shi will promote me to a higher position. If I am lucky, the patrol officer in the military district (the village chief, equivalent to today's town mayor) will also build me a house. At that time, I will no longer have to go to the battlefield; I will only need to be responsible for capturing thieves in the pavilion."

My family elder is the commander of the infantry in the Right Beiping County. Given your remarkable bravery, why not enlist in the military to serve the country?

Because Lin Bin was not accustomed to the riding methods of this era, there were no so-called saddles or stirrups at that time, only bits and reins. A rider straddled the bare back of the horse, needing to grasp the reins and squeeze the horse's belly with their legs to avoid falling off while the horse galloped. It was precisely because there were no stirrups or saddles that Lin Bin had no point of support and could only hold onto the reins tightly. At times, in order to prevent his body from tilting and falling off the horse's back, he even reached out to grab the horse's mane, which caused his steed to lose control several times, veering off the path and crashing into the grass or trees by the roadside.

Lin Bin was unaware of who he had met at hetushu.com. He was weighing his options in his mind, and joining the army seemed to be an excellent choice at that moment. According to Li Danghu, if Lin Bin were to gather the warhorses left by the Wuhuan people and present the severed heads of the Wuhuan warriors, he would immediately be appointed as a squad leader in the border army. He had no concept of what a squad leader entailed, so he could only listen quietly.

Lin Bin was left speechless; these soldiers who guard the borders for the country are always so selfless and uncomplaining. Their demands are always so simple; all they seek is a house and the opportunity to marry and have children, to pass on their lineage

It turns out to be the eldest son of the Flying General! The three of them looked at each other in surprise, becoming somewhat agitated, and successively introduced their names.

Lin Bin sat on the ground, exhausted, rubbing the inner side of his thigh. At this moment, he sought neither wealth nor promotion, but only a stable place to reflect and to heal his wounds. However, during his conversation with Zuo Yan, he understood one thing: serving as a sentry at the border was an extremely dangerous task, almost a matter of life and death.

In history, after Li Danghu reached adulthood, he served in Youbeiping Commandery (now the northeastern part of Beijing and Hebei Province). He did not rely on his father's reputation but started as an ordinary foot soldier. Coming from a family of military generals, he demonstrated valor in battle and accumulated military achievements, which led to his promotion to the position of border army commander within two years. Later, during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, he was transferred to the palace to serve as a court official. On one occasion, when Han Yan (one of Liu Che's childhood companions) was playing with Emperor Wu, Han Yan behaved somewhat disrespectfully. Li Danghu, witnessing this, became very angry and drove Han Yan away, earning the appreciation of Liu Che. Within two years, he accumulated military achievements and was promoted to the position of border army commander. It was also due to this incident that Li Danghu's name was recorded in historical texts.

A group of individuals confiscated a total of thirty-two warhorses from the Wuhuan people and beheaded thirty-six Wuhuan leaders. After the tally was completed, fearing that the fleeing Wuhuan might bring pursuing troops, they set off overnight under the leadership of Li Danghu.

After a night of self-inflicted torment while riding, Lin Bin's thighs became severely swollen and red due to the intense friction with the horse's belly. By the time dawn broke, they finally emerged from the complex terrain under Li Danghu's guidance and returned to the straight path. On the rideable straight path, they galloped forward, but it wasn't long before Li Danghu ordered everyone to dismount and hide in the grass, while he continued to ride ahead alone.

Every year, a large number of "garrison soldiers" are supplemented from Guanzhong, Guandong, or the southern counties, which are newly recruited soldiers who have received basic training locally. However, the replenishment always falls short of the consumption, and very few of the new recruits from the interior manage to survive the invasions of nomadic tribes.

Lin Bin felt a bit apprehensive, and at that moment he understood why the soldiers who had served for more than three years in the frontier garrisons were automatically promoted to squad leaders. It turned out that the casualty rate at the frontier was too high, and the replenishment of junior officers could not keep up with the losses

Dou Shiyan saw Lin Bin standing still and thought he was hesitating, which made him anxious: "Elder brother, refusing the conscription is a grave offense!"

Gongsun Hong, Dou Shiyan, and Lu Wuzuo displayed expressions of surprise on their faces. Having spent a long time at the frontier, how could they be unaware of the title of 'Flying General' Li Guang? Li Guang had successively held the positions of Cavalry General and Prefect of a commandery. He was a valiant and fierce general, and wherever he was stationed, the Xiongnu dared not invade, thus earning him the title of 'Flying General'.

At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the military system inherited from the Qin Dynasty placed great emphasis on military achievements, taking pride in the number of enemies killed, and calculating military merit based on the number of enemy heads taken and spoils captured

This was also a relatively unique military system during the early Han Dynasty, designed to encourage men to serve the country at the frontier, as such benefits were not available in the interior.

At this moment, Lin Bin also came to his senses. He was greatly surprised to hear the title of 'Flying General' Li Guang. As a modern person, he had no reason to be unaware of the 'Flying General' from 'The Moon in the Qin Dynasty and the Passes of the Han Dynasty.' However, he did not know what kind of person this Li Danghu was. He merely stated his name out of politeness, and then contemplated whether to heed Li Danghu's words and enlist to serve the country.

Li Danghu, standing approximately 1.89 meters tall, is clad in the standard armor of the Han army. The armor bears a striking resemblance to the standard military armor of the Qin Dynasty: the upper body is covered by a type of armor known as 'Xuanjia,' which has a particularly unique construction. The entire armor is forged from pieces of varying shapes, giving it a notably heavy appearance. Around the waist, he wears a skirt of armor, composed of several elongated plates that encircle the waist and thigh for protection. The iron plates feature various forms of small circular holes, intricately threaded with hemp rope to connect the plates. Additionally, there are sleeves of armor protecting the wrists and backs of the hands. The color of the military uniform is red, with shades such as crimson (which correspond to different military ranks), all belonging to the red spectrum, creating a formidable appearance.

Li Danghu was quite dissatisfied with such speed, but he did not voice his reproach. Nowadays, horses are not widely available; generally, only knights in the military and horse breeders can skillfully ride. Fearing pursuit, he specifically chose a secluded path, which reduced the time spent riding and increased the time spent walking with the horse, ultimately allowing Lin Bin to breathe a sigh of relief

Li Danghu, with both hands clasped in a fist, said: "Li Danghu of Longxi has met the warrior!" After the formal greeting, he spoke in a deep voice, "My father, the 'Flying General' Li Guang, dares to ask the name of the warrior?"

Lin Bin could not refuse and had no choice but to perform the proper etiquette by clasping his fists and responding with "yes." However, this led to a humorous situation, as everyone was unsure what kind of answer this "yes" was. In Lin Bin's confusion, he saw Dou Shiyan and the other three respond with "no," and only then did he realize that subordinates should answer superiors with "no."

Zuo Yan is relatively fortunate and special. Originally, after serving as a 'border guard' for one year, he could apply to return to the mainland through the local magistrate. However, Zuo Yan chose to stay. For every additional year he served at the border, his benefits would increase. He served for four years at the border; starting from the second year, he received rations, and in the third year, regardless of military achievements, he was automatically promoted to squad leader. In the fourth year, if he had military merits, the local authorities would introduce a local woman to him as a wife. If he served at the border for more than ten years without any significant military achievements and did not die in battle, the local county would be responsible for assisting him in building a house after his retirement, and he would receive a pension every year.

Indeed, in the early Han Dynasty, in order to fend off invasions by the Hu people, a set of policies was established that was entirely different for the border counties compared to the interior. The residents of the border counties were required to unconditionally comply with the summons of officials ranked at or above the level of 200 dan or 100 dan. The county garrison commander, who was precisely at the rank of 100 dan, was an officer authorized to conscript commoners into the military during wartime

Li Danghu also stated that if Lin Bin performs exceptionally well in future battles, it will be very easy for him to achieve promotion and wealth

The two of them stood in place, covered in blood, with wounds all over their bodies; yet, amidst their stance, there was a formidable aura of military prowess.

My subordinates have all died in battle... Left Yan seemed to have grown accustomed to it, showing no signs of sadness

"The adults went to check whether our military outpost ahead is safe; I will wait here for a while." Zuo Yan is the name of that surviving Han soldier, a man of remarkable endurance. Although he is not very old, he appears quite aged. He has served as a local soldier for four years, and counting the year of training in this county, he has dedicated a total of five years to the service of the country