Just then, a troop entered the drill ground in neat, orderly ranks, with two generals riding abreast at its head. The man on the left was around forty, with a face the deep red of a ripe jujube and thick, curling whiskers covering his cheeks. He was tall and powerfully built, and even the black steed beneath him was a size larger than an ordinary horse. He cut an imposing figure, his domineering presence unmistakable. The general on his right wore no armor, only a dark blue warrior's outfit beneath a black cloak. With sword-like brows, bright eyes, a straight nose, and a square mouth, he was very handsome and looked about thirty. His appearance did not particularly stand out among this group of brawny generals, yet the moment they appeared, every gaze still settled on him.
Seeing the troop arrive, the general overseeing arrangements at the scene immediately went forward. He approached their horses, bowed, and said, "Your subordinate Liu Yuncai pays his respects to General Tang and General Li!"
The older, purple-faced general was Tang Boxi, commander of the Nanyang Water Fortress. One of Great Yong's ten fiercest generals, he had countless military exploits to his name. His achievements should have earned him a higher post, but at Emperor Xue Shengkang's birthday banquet, he had drunk too much and offended the emperor with his unruly words and conduct. In his fury, Xue Shengkang had nearly had him beheaded. Only the intercession of General Yuchi Chong and the First Prince, Xue Daohong, had saved his life. Though spared death, he could not escape punishment: he had been demoted and sent to the Nanyang Stockade to guard Great Yong's southern frontier.
Although the Yong River was strategically important, relations between the two nations had eased in recent years, and there