Chapter 54: Great Ming’s Brave Man

After passing through Chang’an Left Gate, Yang Xin finally spotted Fang Tinglan again among the waiting crowd…

Even though she was quite far away.

Yang Xin waved to her, and, of course, to everyone else as well, just like a general returning in triumph. Indeed, he received cheers fitting for a victor, even though most people here didn’t know him. But as a commoner, he had fiercely fought dozens of Imperial College Students, beaten up a City Patrol Censor, and injured officers from the Five Wards Military Office. No matter who he was, that was enough for the common folk to admire him. In their eyes, each of these deeds was a thrilling and heroic act.

In these times, officials and commoners were two completely opposed groups.

Anyone who dared to strike an official was a hero of the people.

“Respected elders and brothers, I am about to head to Liaodong to kill Jiannu,” he said, cupping his hands together. “Let those Jiannu see the brave men of our Great Ming! If I return alive, I shall drink a victory toast with you all!”

A wave of enthusiastic cheers rose before him.

“You should just behave yourself!” Chen Yujie said helplessly.

“Brother Yang, this horse is yours,” Xu Xianchun said, handing him the reins of his own horse. “Ride it to Liaodong. Kill a few extra Jiannu for me!”

“Thank you, Brother Xu!” Yang Xin replied cheerfully, taking the reins.

He then mounted the horse amidst the cheers. Like an illustration of the Dashing King entering Beijing, he cupped his hands in acknowledgment to those on both sides as he proudly headed towards Mingshi Quarter. Not far away, Fang Tinglan immediately entered her sedan chair. Then, little sister He Xiang squeezed through the crowd and silently handed him a Silver Note. Yang Xin didn’t stand on ceremony and calmly accepted it, giving Fang Tinglan a smile.

She sadly lowered the sedan chair curtain.

Then the sedan chair was lifted and went straight on its way.

This woman was quite rational. She had probably already decided to end their relationship, since in the eyes of others, his trip to Liaodong was extremely dangerous, with little chance of returning safely. This Silver Note carried that meaning—it was the Fang family’s way of thanking him. Because of presenting the Great Ming Universal Instrument, Fang Congzhe had received praise from Emperor Wanli. Even Fang Tinglan had received a reward from Consort Zheng for her part in the effort. While everyone understood this was just Consort Zheng strengthening her alliance with Fang Congzhe, it all stemmed from Yang Xin. By accepting the Silver Note, Yang Xin was helping her sever those lingering ties. After all, they were ultimately from different worlds…

“One thousand taels!” Chen Yujie said meaningfully from the side.

“For the debt!” Yang Xin said, casually stuffing it into Chen Yujie’s clothes.

“That’s no fun!” Chen Yujie said, pulling out the Silver Note.

“Then just hold it for me for now. Give it to Huang Ying when she arrives in the Capital City,” Yang Xin said.

“Earlier, when Xiong Tingbi came out, I already agreed to go to Liaodong with him. He will also petition His Majesty to get me a position as a Court of Imperial Sacrifices Academician. So, it would be better for you to give this Silver Note to your uncle!” Chen Yujie said.

“Give it to your uncle. My uncle is not a good man!” Yang Xin said.

This was a full one thousand taels. In the Capital City, it was enough to buy a real mansion—like the ones Nine Thousand Years Old rented out, you could buy over ten! If given to Nine Thousand Years Old, he’d probably really consider the situation. If Yang Xin died in Liaodong, Nine Thousand Years Old would likely just pocket it. After all, Nine Thousand Years Old at this time wasn’t a wealthy man. One thousand taels was a tempting fortune for him. And judging purely by character, Nine Thousand Years Old was quite different from Chen Yujie. So, giving the Silver Note to Xu Guangqi was safer.

Chen Yujie didn’t say more and promptly put the Silver Note away for Yang Xin.

“I still need to buy equipment, right?” Yang Xin suddenly remembered a problem.

“Does the official army warehouse lack anything? Just ask Xiong Tingbi for a set,” Chen Yujie said.

“You mean that junk that can’t even stop arrows? Do you want me to be the next Du Song?” Yang Xin said.

Poor Du Song, a great general of the Ming Army, was actually done in by a shoddy helmet.

“That’s true too. Making your own isn’t expensive either. The best Su Steel is just a little over three cents of silver per catty. A full suit of armor is at most fifty catties. Including craftsmen fees, it would cost less than ten taels. Weapons are even cheaper. However, our court’s bows are inferior to the Jiannu’s; it’s better to just seize theirs later. But the problem is we don’t have time. Xiong Tingbi departs the day after tomorrow; we have less than two days left. There’s no way to make a suit of armor in that time. Still, the official army isn’t without good armor. In the Wanggong Armory warehouses, there should still be a small number of Full Iron Armors. Their protection is sufficient, weighing less than forty catties, and they come with face and throat protection. But you’d still need to ask Xiong Tingbi for that,” Chen Yujie said.

“Ask the Imperial Eldest Grandson. He still needs me as his tutor tonight. Tell him to bring those as gifts. Get a few sets. What’s the use of less than forty catties? We need at least two layers of iron plates,” Yang Xin said.

“Daring to boss the Imperial Eldest Grandson around like this, you really are recklessly bold!” Chen Yujie sighed.

As they talked, the two entered Mingshi Quarter.

“Why are you still following?” Yang Xin asked Wang Wang, who was behind them, puzzled.

“I… I came to see you off!” Wang Wang said, her gaze shifting evasively.

“Ah, you want a Rubik’s Cube too. Go back and wait. When it’s made, you’ll get one. We’re going back to drink. You hurry home now!” Yang Xin said.

Wang Wang glared at him and then went back to her own home.

Yang Xin and Chen Yujie returned to the Xu Mansion. Xu Guangqi had also returned and was looking at the mess in the courtyard with melancholy. However, he had a very good temper and didn’t say much. Since things had come to this, he wasn’t exactly afraid—at most, he’d just have more people criticizing him in the future.

But that was not worth mentioning.

Tianqi arrived in the evening.

Then, following his order, Nine Thousand Years Old rushed to the Wanggong Armory and, in Tianqi’s name, acquired four sets of Full Iron Armor. Whether it followed the rules or not wasn’t worth mentioning. As the almost certain future Imperial Grandson of the Great Ming, they had to give him this face. Besides, Yang Xin was going to Liaodong by imperial decree to kill the enemy and atone for his crimes. He couldn’t very well go to kill the enemy without armor and weapons. Could they send him to the battlefield empty-handed? His Majesty the Emperor wouldn’t possibly concern himself with such things, so the Imperial Eldest Grandson took care of it for him.

In short, four sets of Full Iron Armor.

These were essentially early Ming-style plate armor.

The core of this thing was a large iron plate similar to a breastplate.

Don’t think the Great Ming didn’t use plate armor. No one wore it simply because it was too expensive. One set required a hundred catties of Min iron, which then had to be reforged and hammered into large iron plates. For one Full Iron Armor, just the charcoal needed exceeded ten dan. This item alone cost over five taels, as charcoal prices were around forty to fifty taels per ten thousand catties at this time. The arms and legs were also covered by large iron plates, but not with the relatively refined joints of European plate armor. Instead, they were laced together with ropes like lamellar armor, with several iron plates completing the covering. However, the breastplate was a single piece and even had a section that wrapped around the back. The helmet was still a phoenix-wing helmet, but with an added iron faceguard and throat protector. Also, all the edges of the armor plates were bound with canvas, with a cloth lining inside. The entire set weighed no more than forty catties as a limit.

This was inferior to European plate armor.

But currently, the Great Ming didn’t place much importance on iron armor. On the contrary, padded cloth armor was most popular. Even mountain-pattern armor was rarely worn; even high-ranking generals preferred padded armor.

In the later period, the Ming Army’s main opponents were actually Mongol nomads. The biggest characteristic of these light Cavalry was their speed. The Ming Army had to match their lightness. Thus, simple, lightweight, and especially cold-resistant padded armor was very popular in the frigid Mongolian Plateau and the northeast. No matter how good Full Iron Armor was, its weight of nearly forty catties plus cold-resistant padded clothing easily exceeded fifty catties. Add other equipment, and a single Cavalryman’s total load could reach a hundred catties, plus the soldier’s own weight…

The little Mongolian Horse would really have to cry, “This subject cannot do it!”

But this equipment system wasn’t suitable for dealing with the Eight Banners heavy infantry.

Against the Eight Banners heavy infantry, Full Iron Armor was needed instead—like Zheng Chenggong’s Iron Man Army.

Soon, Yang Xin was fully dressed. With helmet and armor donned, his demeanor transformed completely. However, a single layer of iron armor definitely wasn’t enough. He planned to add an extra layer to vital areas like his chest.

“My weapons!” Yang Xin said.

This time, it wasn’t just the Full Iron Armor. Nine Thousand Years Old had also brought a pile of various weapons. Soon, servants from the Xu family carried them over and laid them out in the courtyard for him to choose from. However, they were all cold weapons, and all heavy ones at that.

“You call this a mace?” Yang Xin said, holding a Garlic-Head Hammer that weighed less than a twelve-pound sledgehammer, looking speechless.

As he spoke, he grabbed the leather strap at the back and swung it like Mjölnir, then let it fly. It struck the courtyard wall, instantly chipping a hole in the blue brick.

“Try this one!” Tianqi said, pointing to an Iron Mace.

Yang Xin promptly picked it up…

“Still too light!” he said discontentedly.

Saying this, he casually threw the Iron Mace, which weighed over ten catties. It shot through the air with a whoosh and instantly hit the same spot in the wall, piercing the already cracked brick like a steel drill.

“It seems you truly possess the might of Li Cunxiao,” Tianqi said with a laugh.

“There really isn’t a suitable weapon for you here. For mounted combat these days, wielding a ten-plus-catty Iron Mace already qualifies one as a fierce general in the army. Although Liu Ting is called ‘Liu the Great Blade,’ he didn’t actually wield a huge blade on the battlefield. It is said he was accustomed to going into battle with a sword in one hand and gold and silver in the other. Besides, weapons aren’t necessarily better the heavier they are. Maces and similar weapons are the most suitable for mounted combat. If they’re too heavy, the horse can’t handle it. Wearing two layers of heavy armor is already quite a burden for a warhorse. If you add a forty or fifty-catty weapon, the horse won’t last long,” Chen Yujie said.

“What if I don’t ride a horse?” Yang Xin said.

“If you don’t ride a horse, the Jiannu will just trample you to death!” Chen Yujie said.

“What if I really wielded a hundred-catty great blade? Do you think a Jiannu horse could withstand that? Still want to trample me? With a hundred-catty blade swinging down from the sky, wouldn’t any horse be cut in two?” Yang Xin said with a laugh.

“Go! Borrow a hundred-catty practice great blade from the Five Military Commissions!” Tianqi said, rather excitedly.

Nine Thousand Years Old hurried out. Just as he reached the inner gate, he saw the Xu Mansion steward bringing two people in…

“Old Huang, you’ve come just at the right time!” he said in surprise.

Yang Xin quickly looked up and saw Huang Ying looking at him.