pappabearbooks #139 - Chapter 139 Waist Badge as Evidence
#139 - Chapter 139 Waist Badge as Evidence
The Left Prime Minister, Cai Hongwen, remained silent, merely narrowing his eyes at Li Yuan.
At the same time, General Zheng Tianxiong, the Assistant State General on the city tower, and Wu De'an, the Chief Eunuch of the Inner Court, were also scrutinizing Li Yuan carefully.
These individuals were all influential figures in Great Liang, possessing considerable skill in assessing people.
Although this was their first meeting with Li Yuan,
they detected no trace of obsequiousness or servility in him.
The air of confidence and self-assurance he exuded was also unprecedented in their experience.
They couldn't help but marvel inwardly,
sensing that this young man was indeed extraordinary.
Li Yuan reached out and retrieved a leather pouch from the hook on the side of his warhorse.
He held it in his left hand and reached into the pouch with his right, withdrawing an object.
Li Yuan held up the object in his hand and waved it in the direction of the viewing platform.
Everyone fixed their gaze on it.
Li Yuan was holding a crude waist牌 (yāopái, waist牌/牌子, a kind of badge) made of animal bone.
The waist牌 was about three fingers wide and irregularly rectangular.
The front of the waist牌 was engraved with many tadpole-like Tiele characters, while the back was carved with a rough and simple image of a wolf.
At the top of the bone waist牌 was a drilled hole through which a leather cord was threaded.
Li Yuan held up the leather cord to show everyone, and he asked loudly to the surrounding crowd.
"Does everyone know what this is?"
None of the people had seen this thing, so naturally, they all shook their heads.
On the viewing platform, there were also a few people who recognized it, especially Li Bingxiao, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.
But he only watched with a glint in his eyes, without saying a word.
Li Yuan continued.
"This object is the waist牌 of the Tiele cavalry."
"Made from the scapula of a cow, used to prove their identity."
"Similar to the waist牌 of Great Liang."
"Everyone knows that the various Northern Barbarian tribes respect martial prowess above all else."
"Who knows if you just picked this waist牌 up on the battlefield."
Li Yuan ignored the Left Prime Minister's sarcastic remarks from the viewing platform.
Instead, he reached out again and pulled out another waist牌 from the bag.
This waist牌 was different from the crude bone waist牌 just now, it was made of red iron,
The front was still engraved with tadpole characters, but the pattern on the back of the waist牌 was a ferocious tiger head.
Li Yuan said loudly to the crowd.
"This one is the waist牌 used by the Tiele Chiliarch (Thousand-Household Leader).".
Hearing that the waist牌 belonged to a Tiele Chiliarch, both the commoners and the officials quickly quieted down.
Everyone understood that if one was lucky, there was indeed a chance to pick up a bone waist牌 of an ordinary Tiele cavalryman on the battlefield.
But the red iron waist牌 used by the Chiliarch was absolutely impossible to pick up easily.
The only way to obtain this waist牌 was to kill the other party and seize it.
Thinking of this, the crowd present were all awe-stricken.
Doesn't that mean that the rumors that this Li Yuan single-handedly killed the Tiele Bohu (搏虎, tiger-fighter) warrior are true?
Sure enough, Li Yuan continued.
"This Chiliarch's name is Chafu, and he is the personal guard captain of the Tiele commander Sangdu."
"He is also a Bohu warrior among the Tiele people."
"This person was killed by my spear!"
As soon as these words came out, the surrounding people exclaimed in surprise.
Spearing a Tiele Chiliarch and also a Bohu warrior is an indisputable great achievement in Great Liang.
Even the Left Prime Minister on the viewing platform, wanted to say a few words to ridicule Li Yuan, but after thinking about it again and again, he couldn't say it.
Looking at the Tiele Chiliarch waist牌 in Li Yuan's hand.
The Assistant State General on the city tower had an uncertain expression.
He had just thought that this Li Yuan was just an empty talker.
Until Li Yuan took out this red iron waist牌, the Assistant State General had to re-evaluate him.
Because he knew that none of his subordinates could defeat the Tiele Bohu warrior.
And Wu De'an, the Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Household, who was watching the ceremony on the second floor of the Det 승 Gate city tower, also had a glint in his eyes.
The old eunuch thought to himself.
This guy named Li Yuan is really not simple.
It seems that they must not be easily offended.
Chief Eunuch Wu knew very well the value of this Tiele Chiliarch waist牌.
Before the Great Liang Dynasty, it was not that they had not seized the red iron waist牌 of the Tiele people.
When Liang Taizu led his army on an expedition to the Northern Barbarians, he also seized three red iron waist牌 of the Tiele people.
Now, these waist牌 are enshrined in the Huguo Temple in Shangjing for people to look up to, in order to promote the national prestige of Great Liang.
But that was all old news from more than thirty years ago.
Now, the Dragon骧 Army has seized another one, which can indeed be regarded as a considerable military achievement.
Looking at the red iron waist牌 in Li Yuan's hand.
Left Prime Minister Cai Hongwen's heart was beating non-stop.
He really didn't expect that Marquis Long骧 and this guy named Li Yuan were not exaggerating.
The waist牌 in Li Yuan's hand was enough to prove that the Dragon骧 Army had indeed fought a bloody battle with the Tiele people.
At this time, the Left Prime Minister's eyes were rolling around.
After Li Yuan took out the Tiele waist牌, the situation had been controlled by him, which was not conducive to the Left Prime Minister himself.
The Left Prime Minister had already made up his mind to embarrass Marquis Long骧, so he had to cling to the number of heads.
So he stood on the viewing platform and coughed coldly, and then said to Li Yuan in a strange tone.
"Li Yuan, you were able to get a Tiele Chiliarch's waist牌."
"It can be considered that you have some ability."
"This official admires you."
"However, what we said before was the number of heads beheaded in this battle."
"Your Dragon骧 Army claims to have beheaded 27,000 Tiele people."
"You can seize the waist牌 of a Chiliarch, this official can at most count you as beheading a thousand Tiele people."
"But compared to the number of 27,000 heads,"
"It's not something that the Tiele Chiliarch's waist牌 in your hand can offset."
Li Yuan looked at the Left Prime Minister with a smile on his face.
"Left Prime Minister, it seems that you are going to make things difficult for our Dragon骧 Army to the end?"
The Left Prime Minister on the viewing platform narrowed his eyes as he looked at Li Yuan.
He said loudly.
"It is this Prime Minister's duty to inspect military merits for the country."
"This Vanguard Officer Li, why use the word 'make things difficult'?"
"I see that you have made contributions to the country, and this Prime Minister will not argue with you."
"Otherwise, how dare you, a small person from a military household, be presumptuous in front of this Prime Minister."
"What other evidence do you have, quickly take it out."
"Otherwise, this Prime Minister can only think that you are falsely reporting military merits!"
Looking at the Left Prime Minister in front of him, who was full of official authority.
Li Yuan didn't care at all.
He just said to the viewing platform.
"Since that's the case, then please watch carefully, Left Prime Minister."
"This is my evidence!"
After saying that, Li Yuan reached into the leather pouch.
Everyone only heard the sound of rustling in their ears.
Then they saw Li Yuan slowly taking out a large handful of red iron waist牌 of Tiele Chiliarchs from the pouch!
The number looked like there were dozens of them!
Seeing this scene, there was a moment of silence outside the North Gate.
Almost everyone was shocked by the dozens of red iron waist牌 in Li Yuan's hand.
Li Yuan said leisurely to the Left Prime Minister on the viewing platform.
"Left Prime Minister."
"The soldiers of my Dragon骧 Army fought hard on the Chishui River."
"Three major battles, countless small battles!"
"A total of 27,000 Tiele people were beheaded!"
"A total of thirty Tiele Chiliarch waist牌 were seized!"
"Left Prime Minister, do you think this evidence is enough ~~ or not enough!?"
As Li Yuan's words came out.
The air outside the North Gate seemed to be frozen.
Is this real or fake? Li Yuan really took out thirty Tiele waist牌!
If one red iron waist牌 can be considered that he picked it up.
But with thirty, no one would think that the Tiele Chiliarch would obediently hand over the waist牌 to the Dragon骧 Army.
Then there is only one possibility!
The Dragon骧 Army really wiped out 30,000 Tiele soldiers!
And the evidence is the red iron waist牌 in Li Yuan's hand!
The Left Prime Minister on the viewing platform trembled with both hands.
Pointing at Li Yuan with his hand.
But he couldn't say anything complete.
"No...impossible, this is absolutely impossible!"
But no one laughed at the Left Prime Minister.
Because even Zheng Tianxiong, the Assistant State General on the city tower, and Wu De'an, the Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Household.
Were also shocked and their expressions were unbelievable.
Thirty, a full thirty Tiele red iron waist牌.
The ordinary people watching may not understand what this represents.
But these powerful ministers and nobles knew in their hearts that the Dragon骧 Army had seized thirty red iron waist牌.
If it is true, this is the first great achievement of Great Liang in decades of conquest against the Northern Barbarians!
The merit is so great that it has surpassed Liang Taizu's expedition in those years.
But that was when the national power of Great Liang was at its peak, and the army of the whole country, 200,000, went on an expedition to the Northern Barbarians.
It was only then that three red iron waist牌 of the Tiele Chiliarch were seized.
But Marquis Long骧 only has a mere 30,000 rabble!
While everyone was shocked.
A sharp voice suddenly rose on the viewing platform.
"Fake! It must be fake!"
"Don't you dare deceive this old man, I didn't expect that you Dragon骧 Army would actually fabricate military merits in order to cheat!"