Moma Liangshan

Chapter 214 Honoring Veterans and Their Families, Donning Armor at the Imperial Palace

Although Wang Hao's recruitment of soldiers in the Liao Kingdom referenced the later model of mercenary organization, the stark reality also revealed the various drawbacks of the "mercenary" model. He added, "All soldiers who pass the Hungry Wolf Legion's assessment will enjoy the same treatment as the Han soldiers of Jiaozhou. In addition, they can send one of their relatives to settle in Jiaozhou. Those under the age of fourteen can attend school, and those over the age of fourteen can work in workshops. After enlisting, for every enemy killed, they can obtain another spot!" Upon hearing this, Lin Chong immediately said, "The Liao Kingdom is engulfed in war, while the Song Dynasty is peaceful and prosperous. Moreover, Jiaozhou is the wealthiest place in the world. Your decision will surely make the Hungry Wolf Legion loyal and fearless!" Wang Hao pondered for a moment and said, "Before the formal recruitment, we should meet with the Princess of Shu and the Emperor of Liao one more time. You take out two hundred sets of armor, eighty sets for the Princess of Shu, and one hundred and twenty sets for the Emperor of Liao!" Although Lin Chong looked reluctant to accept Wang Hao's decision, he still complied.

When the eighty sets of armor were presented to the Shu princess, she asked, "Is this also from Jiaozhou?" Wang Hao nodded and replied, "Indeed!" The Shu princess looked at Xiao Shanbie and asked, "What do you think of the quality of these armors?" Xiao Shanbie picked up a set of armor, his face showing shock, and said, "It's nearly twenty pounds lighter than the Song Dynasty's infantry armor!" The Shu princess asked again, "How is the defense?" Xiao Shanbie drew a short sword and thrust it fiercely at the armor. With a clang, the tip of the sword got stuck in the clasp and couldn't go any further. Xiao Shanbie flipped up the clasp, revealing about half a finger of the sword tip, and said, "My force just now was equivalent to an arrow shot from five paces away, but in terms of damage, unless it hit the seam of the clasp, it wouldn't be enough to cause fatal damage!"

The princess of Shu unconsciously leaned closer for a closer look. Seeing that it was indeed so, she said, "If all our soldiers wore this kind of armor, wouldn't they be invulnerable to swords and spears?" Wang Hao shook his head and said, "This new type of armor is too complex to be used by hundreds of thousands of troops!" The princess of Shu was not easily convinced and said, "But you've ordered two hundred sets at once. Knowing you, your army probably has even more in stock, right?" Wang Hao immediately said, "Princess, please look. These armor plates are all forged, and one set of armor requires nearly two thousand plates. More than two thousand craftsmen at the Jiaozhou Ironworks spent three months forging a mere six hundred sets!" The princess of Shu was not easily fooled and said, "You've gone to all this trouble just to tell me that your armor cannot be traded with the Liao Dynasty?"

Wang Hao could only laugh awkwardly and said, "I truly lack the capacity to mass-produce this type of armor!" The Princess of Shu was not a greedy person, and besides, she knew Wang Hao's style of doing things very well. She said, "In any case, I still want to thank you for the armor you gifted. However, the situation in the capital is more complicated than the military camps outside the city. Please give all two hundred sets of armor to my father!" Wang Hao didn't care how the Liao army would distribute them, and said, "It's entirely up to the princess!" Then he continued, "This is my soldier Lin Chong. He will become the commander of the Hungry Wolf Legion!" The Princess of Shu was somewhat puzzled and asked, "The Hungry Wolf Legion?" Wang Hao explained, "Your father allowed me to recruit soldiers and choose my own banner. The Hungry Wolf Legion is the banner I chose!" The Princess of Shu chuckled and said, "Your Hungry Wolf Legion sounds quite intimidating, but I wonder how it will perform on the ground?" Wang Hao smiled slightly and said, "Then let's wait and see!" The Princess of Shu replied, "Alright!" Then she asked, "Why have you given such a generous gift?"

Wang Hao replied, "The Hungry Wolf Legion will begin recruiting in three days. In three days, I should still arrange for Lin Chong to meet your father, the Emperor, so that we can proceed accordingly!" The Shu princess said, "If it were just a regular audience with the Emperor, you wouldn't be spending so much, would you?" His thoughts exposed, Wang Hao smiled helplessly and said, "I hope the Hungry Wolf Legion exists only as my private army. We are free to choose whether to obey or refuse your father's orders!" Xiao Shan was furious upon hearing this and shouted, "You're being insolent!" He even seemed to draw his sword. Lin Chong stepped in front of Wang Hao without hesitation, gripping the hilt of his sword. The Shu princess, enraged, shouted, "All of you, step back!" She then approached Wang Hao and said, "You should understand that some things are best left unsaid. Speaking them aloud would damage the reputation of the Liao Dynasty!" Wang Hao not only didn't back down but stepped forward, saying, "Once the Hungry Wolf Legion is formed, it will become my brothers. I cannot leave ambiguous instructions for them to risk their lives to prove!" The Shu princess forced herself to hold her breath and slowly said, "In the end, you still don't believe the Liao Dynasty can be revived!" Wang Hao, unwilling to continue the argument, said, "Then prove it to me, and convince me wholeheartedly!"

The Shu princess gritted her teeth and said, "Fine, I agree to take you to see the Emperor. I hope you won't regret your arrogance one day!" Wang Hao could only smile slightly and say, "Thank you, Your Highness!" In the palace, Emperor Tianzuo, wearing the armor Wang Hao had given him, moved with imposing force. After a few rounds, he suddenly threw a steel sword at Wang Hao and shouted, "Do you dare to cut me?" The Shu princess looked at Wang Hao warily, her eyes full of warning. Wang Hao grabbed the steel sword with one hand and said awkwardly, "I dare not!" Emperor Tianzuo, however, was not uninterested and said, "Why wouldn't you dare?" Wang Hao had no choice but to say, "Your Majesty is of noble birth. Swords have no eyes; it's best not to take the risk!" Emperor Tianzuo suddenly changed his tone and said, "Please, Duke of Bohai, put on your armor!" Wang Hao frowned slightly and had no choice but to comply. Princess Shu seemed to be just figuring out what Emperor Tianzuo was going to do next, so she stepped forward herself to help Wang Hao put on his armor. At the same time, she looked at Emperor Tianzuo, as if to tell her father, "Wang Hao is the man I have chosen!"

After donning his armor, Emperor Tianzuo picked up a sword and said, "Do you dare to challenge me?" Wang Hao replied again, "I dare not!" Emperor Tianzuo laughed and said, "If you lose, I will exchange ten thousand taels of gold for a thousand sets of armor; if you win, I will give you one hundred thousand taels of gold!" This was a gamble that seemed like a sure win, but Wang Hao couldn't believe Emperor Tianzuo would be so generous. He said, "There's no way I can produce a thousand sets of the new armor within three months, so I absolutely dare not accept this challenge!" Emperor Tianzuo had intended to lure Wang Hao into submission with such a large reward, but Wang Hao didn't fall for it, sticking to his old excuse of "insufficient production of the new armor!"