Green Mountain

Evening.

The Yulin Army training ground was empty and deserted, with no one in training.

Chen Ji was in the stables, grooming warhorses alongside humble soldiers. The hard bristles of the brush scraped over the horse’s body, leaving a fine layer of loose hair.

From the covered building behind him in the Governor Mansion came the indistinct sounds of betting and shouting, with Qi Zhenzhuo’s voice the loudest: "Come, come, place your bets, no more bets!"

Lin Yanchu looked at Chen Ji: "Mr. Chen, things can’t go on like this. The Left Brave Guard has no Commander, the Right Brave Guard’s Commander is utterly useless, and the governor is hiding in the barracks, asleep..."

Chen Ji shook his head: "They’ve all been spoiled at home, thinking that as long as they throw a tantrum, someone will come and placate them. It’s nothing, they’ll be fine in a few days."

Lin Yanchu sighed: "I understand them. Cooped up in this Governor Mansion, they long to go out and accomplish great deeds. It’s normal to feel disheartened when they’re so close to success only to be obstructed by their own family. You’ve only been in the Yulin Army for a short time, so maybe you haven’t felt the frustration here yet."

Chen Ji lowered his head and blew at the horse hair tangled in the brush: "Do you want to go to Korea too?"

Lin Yanchu hesitated for a moment: "I do."

Chen Ji casually asked, "Why? People die on the battlefield."

Lin Yanchu thought for a moment and said, "Sir, my family put in all their savings and borrowed some silver to buy an official gateway, hoping I could bring honor to the family. Instead, I’m stuck in this Yulin Army government office, scraping by until I’m thirty-something and ordered to retire. Then I’d have to seek a job as a caretaker for some official families and be subservient to them. Moreover, the Yulin Army’s pay is too low; only by going to war can I earn money to repay the family’s debts."