The staff should shut up.
Gu Mochen stood up, walked to the edge of the platform, and called out to those below.
" Zhi Tianfeng!"
In a corner of the training ground, Zhi Tianfeng was supporting his back as he slowly walked this way.
He dislocated his spine after being thrown during a human pyramid exercise. He was able to stand up with difficulty this morning, but he still walks with a limp.
Hearing Gu Mochen call his name, he gritted his teeth, quickened his pace, walked to the foot of the platform, and clasped his hands in a salute.
"Your subordinate is here."
Gu Mochen looked at him, his expression serious.
Why can't I master the Human Pyramid Formation?
Zhi Tianfeng lowered his head, his fingers clenched tightly.
"Your Highness, this humble general... this humble general believes that this formation is not very suitable for actual combat."
Gu Mochen was taken aback.
"Unsuitable for real combat? Who said this is for real combat?"
Zhi Tianfeng looked up, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.
"Then why did His Highness have us practice this...?"
Gu Mochen said matter-of-factly.
"Of course, it's to let the people have a good time and to bring the military and civilians closer together."
Zhi Tianfeng clenched his fists even tighter.
He rose through the ranks from a common soldier to a deputy general, experiencing bloody battles on the border, witnessing his comrades die in battle, and seeing the scenes of people crying and fleeing for their lives after the city fell.
He joined the army to protect his country.
It's not about being a clown in the training ground.
But he dared not say it.
He could only lower his head, grit his teeth, and force out a sentence.
"This subordinate understands."
Gu Mochen nodded in satisfaction, turned around and returned to the couch to continue flipping through the booklet.
"Keep practicing, practice until you can stack eight people on top of each other."
Zhi Tianfeng responded and turned to walk back.
He walked very slowly, each step difficult.
It's not just back pain, it's heartache.
On the high platform, the staff member picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip.
The group of soldiers below the platform.
They were all veterans of the army, each capable and hardworking, and were the backbone of the Anyang Army.
But now, they are forced to practice acrobatics, to the point of broken backs and legs, and their morale is low.
The aide put down his teacup and said in a low voice.
"Your Highness, the news coming from Yi Prefecture may not all be true."
Gu Mochen looked up and glanced at him.
You mean Chen Qing?
The aide nodded.
"Although Chen Qing is loyal, his judgment of the situation... is probably flawed."
Gu Mochen shook his head and smiled.
"You don't understand. I personally trained Chen Qing; he wouldn't be mistaken."
The advisor tried to persuade him again, but Gu Mochen raised his hand to interrupt him.
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore."
He turned his head and looked outside the training ground.
A gray homing pigeon flew in from a distance and landed on the edge of the platform.
Gu Mochen's eyes lit up, and he immediately stood up, walked over, caught the carrier pigeon, and untied the bamboo tube from its leg.
He unscrewed the lid, pulled out the paper inside, and unfolded it to read.
The paper was covered with dense writing.
Gu Mochen watched from beginning to end, his smile growing ever wider.
After reading the last line, he clapped his hands and laughed.
"Hahaha! Excellent! What a fine piece of Chen Qing!"
The aide stood beside him, his brow furrowed.
"Your Highness, what did the letter say?"
Gu Mochen handed him the letter.
"See for yourself."
The aide took it and looked down at it.
The letter contained Chen Qing's second "in-depth analysis" of the situation in Yi Prefecture.
In his letter, he described in detail how Gu Moran carried out large-scale construction on Ten-Li Slope in order to allow the six ladies to take warm baths, forcibly conscripting the people to do hard labor, and causing them to wail in agony all night in the pit.
He also emphasized that because of his outstanding performance, he had been entrusted with an important task and had successfully taken control of the custody of these laborers, and was only one step away from completely undermining Prince Yi.
Prince Yi was absurd and incompetent, obsessed with women, and only knew how to use storybooks to build his reputation.
At the end of the letter, Chen Qing wrote in an extremely impassioned tone:
"My lord, you are wise! Prince Yi is dissolute and extravagant, wasting the people's wealth and resources. His downfall is only a matter of time! Your subordinate will do everything in his power to help you achieve your great cause!"
The staff member remained silent for a long time after reading it.
He folded the letter and handed it back to Gu Mochen.
"Your Highness... what's written in this letter is probably somewhat exaggerated."
Gu Mochen shook his head, laughing even more heartily.
"Exaggeration? You don't understand. Chen Qing may be a bit impulsive at times, but his judgment of the situation is never wrong."
He tucked the letter into his pocket, turned around, walked back to the folding chair, sat down, and crossed his legs.
"Look at my third brother, Gu Moran, he's a good-for-nothing. What can he do besides rely on six women to keep things going?"
He paused, his tone full of disdain.
"Building bathhouses, publishing storybooks, selling milk tea—what kind of nonsense is this? It might fool the common people, but it's utterly incompetent at governing a region."
The staff member lowered his head and didn't reply.
Gu Mochen continued.
"I'm different from him. I know how to win people's hearts and minds and gain their support. Look, I had the soldiers practice human pyramids just to entertain the people and strengthen the bond between the military and the people."
He raised his hand and pointed down towards the training ground.
"Once this formation is mastered, I will open the training ground to the public so that everyone can come and watch. At that time, the people of Anyang City will all say that His Prince An loves his people like his own children."
The aide looked up at Gu Mochen.
He wanted to say, "Your Highness, your approach is likely to backfire."
But he dared not.
He could only whisper.
"Your Highness is wise."
Gu Mochen nodded in satisfaction and waved.
"Go ahead, let the people below continue practicing."
The staff member acknowledged and withdrew.
As he stepped off the platform, he turned and glanced back at Gu Mochen.
His Highness sat on the couch, holding the letter in his hand, his smile as bright as a fool's.
The aide sighed and turned to leave.
A corner of the training ground.
Zhi Tianfeng stood under an old tree, supporting his back.
Several other wounded soldiers stood beside him, their faces grim.
One of the younger soldiers gritted his teeth and whispered.
"Deputy General Zhi, are we... are we really going to continue practicing this?"
Zhi Tianfeng remained silent.
Another soldier wiped the dirt off his face, his voice muffled.
"I served in the military for six years, fought in three tough battles, and never felt ashamed of myself."
He paused, his eyes slightly red.
"But now... I don't even dare to tell my mother what I'm doing when I get home."
Zhi Tianfeng looked up at Gu Mochen on the high platform in the distance.
His Highness was laughing heartily.
Zhi Tianfeng's Adam's apple bobbed.
He recalled that when he first joined the army, he was also training with his former commander on this very training ground.
Back then, we practiced real combat skills, the ability to survive on the battlefield.
But now...
He looked down at the calluses on his hands.
These hands have wielded knives, killed enemies, and saved comrades.
However, in the past few days, he was forced to form a human pyramid and nearly dislocated his back.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Practice."
His voice was low, but deep.
"If Your Highness commands us to practice, then we will practice."
The young soldier was stunned.
"But Vice General Zhi..."
Zhi Tianfeng opened his eyes and turned to look at him.
"Military orders are absolute; there are no 'buts'."
After he finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the center of the training ground.
He took two steps, then stopped and looked back at the soldiers.
"But remember, you are soldiers, not circuses."
Several soldiers stood frozen in place.
Zhi Tianfeng didn't say anything more and continued walking forward.
His back was straight, but his steps were slow.
Every step felt like walking on a knife's edge.