True to his word, Zhu Ping’an immediately ordered Liu Dadao and others to deliver the five hundred spare cotton armors to the wolf soldiers.
Touching the brand-new, finely crafted armor, Cen Da Lu still couldn’t believe it. *Are these amazing armors really for us?!*
Genuine materials!
Lined with iron plates, they were not only imposing but offered exceptional defense!
Such high-quality armor, in such quantities, and this Central Plains lord, whom they’d only just met, was truly giving it to them!
“You foolish boy, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and thank Lord Zhu with me!” Madam Wa Shi, seeing Cen Da Lu grinning傻傻地 at the armor, gave him a smack on the back of his head, scolding him.
“Oh, oh! Thank you, Lord Zhu! Thank you, Lord Zhu!”
Cen Da Lu snapped out of it, finally grasping that these incredible armors really belonged to their wolf soldiers.
At that moment, tears welled up in his eyes.
Their wolf soldiers had been summoned by a single order from Grand Coordinator Zhang Jing, traveling from Guangxi to Jiangnan to help the Central Plains people fight Japanese pirates. When they left Tianzhou, the local authorities hadn’t provided a single grain of rice, arrow, or horse!
The wolf soldiers had to supply their own rations, weapons, and horses, enduring a grueling journey from Wuzhou through Nanxiong in Guangdong, crossing Dayu Ridge, then sailing to Nanchang in Jiangxi, before reaching their first stop in Jiangnan—Danyang, Jiangsu.
But the moment they disembarked onto Jiangnan soil, the wolf soldiers were doused with cold water.
Exhausted, they longed for a hot bowl of soup and a good night’s sleep before continuing their march.
Cen Da Lu still remembered the scene when they first arrived.
“Hey, we’re here to help the Jiangnan Central Plains people fight pirates. We’re their reinforcements! Won’t they welcome us with food and wine?”
“Haha, exactly! Remember when Tianzhou was in chaos, and the Guishun Prefecture wolf soldiers came to help? We treated them to roasted pigs, sheep, chickens, and ducks dripping with oil. I’ve heard Central Plains food is so delicious it’ll make you swallow your tongue…”
“Heh, I’m still a bachelor. What if a Central Plains girl, bringing us food and wine, falls for me?”
“Keep dreaming, Da Chong. With your ugly mug, those fair-skinned, beautiful Central Plains girls wouldn’t give you a second glance.”
“Hahaha…”
The wolf soldiers, fresh off the boat and stepping onto Danyang soil, were elated. After the cramped, damp, swaying journey, they were finally on solid ground, eagerly anticipating a warm welcome.
But of all the scenarios they imagined, they never expected Danyang’s magistrate to hide from them, nor that the city’s residents would shut their doors, refusing to receive them!
*What?!*
*We’ve traveled thousands of miles to help you fight pirates, and this is how you treat us?! Forget food and wine—not even a bowl of hot soup or a sip of cold water? You avoid us like we’re venomous snakes?!*
*We’re here to help you fight pirates! We’re your reinforcements!*
This was beyond disheartening.
In the end, they abandoned hopes of rest and dragged their exhausted bodies onward.
“Pfft! And they call themselves Danyang people? Shame on them! In Emperor Wu of Han’s time, Li Ling led five thousand Danyang infantry against eighty thousand Xiongnu cavalry, fighting for eight days and nights. Though defeated, they earned glory and fame! In the Three Kingdoms era, Danyang soldiers were renowned, recruited by Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sun Ce to conquer the realm! But look at them now—pathetic!”
The wolf soldiers grumbled their way to their second stop—Suzhou!
“Danyang’s a small place, too spineless to let us in. But Suzhou’s a famed metropolis. They won’t be so petty.”
“Exactly, big cities are generous.”
The wolf soldiers, dragging their utterly exhausted bodies, arrived at Suzhou with high hopes.
But!
Suzhou’s magistrate ordered the gates sealed, barring the wolf soldiers from entering and forcing them to pitch tents outside.
*Damn it!*
In the dead of winter, with howling winds and swirling snow, they were told to camp outside! *This is your hospitality?!*
“Lord Magistrate, we humble southwesterners have long admired the splendor of Suzhou and Songjiang. We’ve traveled thousands of miles to aid the imperial army against the pirates. We’re weary, our men and horses exhausted. All we seek is a place to shelter from the wind and snow for one night’s rest,” Madam Wa Shi said, clasping her fists.
“Please rest assured, Lord Magistrate. We’ll commit no offenses and disturb not a single citizen.”
“By ancestral precedent, wolf soldiers passing through are not permitted to enter cities!” the Suzhou magistrate insisted.
“What kind of precedent is this?! A rule specifically targeting our wolf soldiers? What about other guest troops? We heard you welcomed the Shandong spearmen with open arms!”
“Outrageous! Are we not your invited reinforcements?! Is this how you treat your saviors?!”
“We’re done! If you don’t welcome us, why should we grovel to risk our lives for you? We’re going home! Did you think we were desperate to fight your pirates?!”
The wolf soldiers broke down, their bodies cold, tired, and disheartened, their hearts burning with anger and grievance. In their fury, they shouted to return home.
Some even brandished weapons, clamoring to storm Suzhou’s gates. *You won’t let us in? We’ll force our way in!*
“How dare you! Think Suzhou is easy to bully? Let me tell you, forty thousand pirates lie dead beneath our walls. Want to join them?!”
Suzhou’s garrison, hearing the wolf soldiers’ uproar, brandished their weapons from the walls, boasting of Suzhou’s record of slaying forty thousand pirates to quash the wolf soldiers’ spirit.
“Pfft! It was the Zhejiang army that killed those pirates, and you’re taking credit?! Without them, Suzhou would’ve fallen like Jiaxing!”
On their journey, the wolf soldiers had heard of the Suzhou battle, knowing the Zhejiang army was the true hero. Without them, Suzhou would’ve been overrun, yet the locals had the gall to brag.
In the end, Madam Wa Shi’s authority calmed the distraught and rebellious wolf soldiers. Zhang Jing’s envoy arrived, persuading Suzhou’s magistrate to open the gates, allowing the wolf soldiers into the city—but only within the confines of the military camp.
Along their journey, they endured countless slights and cold shoulders.
Jiangnan’s locals even mocked them, saying their black and white headscarves looked like mourning bands for the dead…
Zhu Ping’an’s generosity and kindness were the first they’d encountered.
“Lord Zhu, you’re the first person I, Cen Da Lu, have truly admired since coming to the Central Plains. Before, I judged your noble heart with my petty mind. I was naive, blind to greatness. I apologize again. I’m a barbarian, not good with words, but I swear to the heavens: whatever you command, whether it’s climbing a mountain of blades or diving into a sea of fire, I, Cen Da Lu, will obey without hesitation. If I break this oath, may I be pierced by ten thousand arrows and die a wretched death!”
Cen Da Lu’s eyes reddened as he clasped his fists, knelt on one knee, and fully submitted to Zhu Ping’an.
