56 Invasion 4 (1/2)
Shouts in the camp early the next morning woke Qin Feng up from his slumber before the sky was properly lit. The dark blue color made it clear that it was still too early for the usual call for the soldiers to assemble for the morning drills, but the cries of the sentries and the guards were enough to shake everyone out of their bunk-beds.
Including the Second Ducal Prince, who had appeared in front of Qin Feng's tent flap almost as soon as he clambered out of bed himself. His back was to the young man, however, and he merely gave Qin Feng a nod in greeting, before he turned back to look towards the sturdy walls of the camp itself.
”The alarm claxon is ringing. There is only one reason for that. We are being attacked. Or we are expecting one soon,” Li Changhai explained, as he peered into the distance, towards the Camp Gate.
Qin Feng realized that it was true. He could hear the clanging peals of the small military bell from the Gate once the Prince had pointed it out. So he simply sighed:
”We had best get ourselves properly dressed and ready for a fight then.”
The Second Ducal Prince looked down at Qin Feng's reminder, and chuckled when he saw that he was still clad in his undergarments. Then he sighed and waved a hand at the tent that he was sleeping in.
”Unfortunately, I thought I was only had to introduce you to my uncle, and didn't bring any extra weapons and such. I never expected that I would be needing armor for such an excursion. Perhaps we can borrow some simple pieces, you think? From the general stores?”
”You should speak to your maternal uncle about that. Or your grandmother might be able to twist the Logistics General's arm so that he hands over something suitable for you. I haven't been trained to use armor in a fight, so I guess I shall have to do without it. Besides, I still have that sword I got from Sergeant Lei Kongwei. That should suit me well enough, if there is any fighting to be done.”
Li Changhai frowned at that. And gestured at the ring that was back on Qin Feng's finger. ”I remember that there was an assortment of weapons that you were showing off last night. Why not use those, rather than that simple army sword?”
”Ah! But I haven't had a chance to familiarize myself with them yet. And it would be a little dangerous, to use an unfamiliar weapon when you are faced with someone out to kill you. I would probably take something out and use it, if I lose that sword of mine, I suppose. But I would rather rely on that if I have a choice.”
He was largely telling the truth, when he said that. Although there were one or two weapons that he had in his ring that he was a little chary of showing off. Like the black-garbed old man's sabre. That was something that would have caused a ruckus, if there were experts who could recognize it.
Like Lady Xia, for example. But she had merely sniffed, and passed it over. So he was rather certain that she wasn't going to make things difficult for him.
Then he paused, and turned to look over the Second Ducal Prince, still clad in his undergarments. ”What about you? Shouldn't you get back inside and put on something warmer? No point in wasting your zhenqi to keep you from feeling the cold, if you have something else that would do the trick. And you might want to get your hands on some weapons and armor too.”
”My uncle said that he would send some over later. Looks like I had better put on my armor first, and wait for his messenger,” sighed Li Changhai almost at once, as he took a step back towards his tent.
”I don't believe that we shall have that sort of luxury, to delay. We don't know when the enemy will be attacking, do we?”