The spring of the tenth year came in to the southern command at the small specific accumulating shape of a rebellion's accumulating *real* spring.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past two months' accumulating preparation, Bing Yuanzhen at the small specific accumulating southern command laid in the small specific accumulating spring's small specific accumulating engagements: three small specific accumulating *take-the-village* operations against the small specific accumulating Sui-loyal lower-country villages at the small specific eastern fold; two small specific accumulating *cut-the-supply-line* operations against the small specific accumulating Sui patrols' accumulating supply-routes; one small specific accumulating *raid-the-grain* operation against the small specific accumulating magistracy granary at the small specific lower-country town of Yangzhuang.
By the small specific accumulating arrangement, the brothers' small specific *seven-man-unit* was — at each of the small specific accumulating engagements — at the small specific accumulating *flank-and-side-eye* position they had been at the small specific narrow place at the seventh moon of the ninth year. At each of the engagements, the brothers were at the small specific accumulating *side-eye* of the southern command's accumulating main column, with the small specific accumulating *moment*-teaching on the small specific accumulating *side-flanks* of the engagement.
By the small specific reading at the dusk of the eleventh day of the third moon of the tenth year — the small specific *take-the-village* engagement at the small accumulating eastern fold — the brothers had, at the small specific accumulating *side-flank*, taken perhaps eight of the small accumulating Sui-loyal village's small specific accumulating defenders. By the small specific reading at the dusk — the southern command had taken the village.
By the small specific reading at the dusk of the third day of the fourth moon of the tenth year — the small specific *cut-the-supply-line* engagement against a small specific accumulating Sui patrol's accumulating wagon-train — the brothers had, at the small specific accumulating *flank's flank*, taken perhaps eleven of the small specific accumulating Sui patrol's accumulating wagon-train guards. By the small specific reading at the dusk — the southern command had taken the wagons. The wagons had, by the small specific accumulating reading, given the southern command perhaps two months of the small specific accumulating supplies.
By the small specific reading at the dusk of the seventh day of the fifth moon of the tenth year — the small specific *raid-the-grain* engagement at Yangzhuang — the brothers had, at the small specific accumulating *flank-and-side-eye*, taken perhaps fifteen of the small specific accumulating magistracy granary's accumulating defenders. The southern command had taken the granary. By the small specific accumulating reading at the small specific reading of the magistracy's small specific accumulating *failure* at Yangzhuang — Wang Shichong had, by the small specific accumulating reading of one of the captured magistracy clerks at the dusk, been moved by the small specific accumulating Sui main court to a different small specific lower-country position at the small specific accumulating four months ago. The accumulating *most capable* opponent was no longer at Yangzhuang.
By the small specific reading at the small specific accumulating *raid-the-grain*'s engagement, the small specific *seven-man-unit*'s small specific accumulating *moment*-teaching at the southern command's accumulating veterans had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past six months — laid in the small specific accumulating *moment* in the hands of perhaps sixty of the southern command's accumulating veteran-officers and recruits.
The small specific accumulating *moment*-teaching had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the eighth day of the fifth moon — become a small specific accumulating *Wagang technique*.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the first day of the sixth moon of the tenth year, Bing Yuanzhen at the small specific accumulating *southern command's small specific accumulating dusks* said to Heizi at the small banked fire: *brother.*
"Yes, brother."
"By the small specific accumulating reading at the past two months' three engagements — the seven of you have, at the small specific accumulating *flank-and-side-eye*, accumulated perhaps thirty-four of the small specific accumulating Sui-and-magistracy's accumulating dead. The seven of you are uninjured. The southern command has, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two months, taken three small specific accumulating *real* gains."
He paused.
"By the small specific accumulating reading at the past two months — Li Mi has heard."
"Yes, brother."
"Li Mi has — by the small specific accumulating reading at a runner from the main stronghold three days ago — sent a small specific accumulating second letter."
He took out a small folded paper.
He laid it on the small wooden bench.
He said: *brother. The small specific accumulating second letter is — by the small specific reading at the past three days — at the small specific accumulating *patient* shape Li Mi has, by the small specific accumulating reading at his accumulating *interest*, decided to lay. The small specific accumulating letter does not, by the small specific accumulating reading at the small specific saying, ask the seven of you to come at the small specific accumulating *now*. The letter asks instead the small specific accumulating *position*: the small specific accumulating *shape* of a small specific *officer-in-formation* at the southern command's accumulating *staff*.*
He paused.
"By the small specific accumulating reading at the past three days — Li Mi has decided that the seven of you are, by the small specific accumulating *patience* of the past six months, the small specific accumulating *kind of unit* the rebellion needs. He is — by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving — offering the lad the small specific accumulating *staff officer* position at the southern command, with the small specific accumulating *real* responsibility of perhaps fifty men under the lad's accumulating *moment*-teaching, against the small specific accumulating spring of the next year's main-force engagements."
He paused once more.
"Brother. By the small specific accumulating reading I am giving — the small specific *staff-officer* position is the small specific accumulating *correct* response to the lad's accumulating *not-yet*. The lad will, by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving, be at the small specific accumulating *first command* of the rebellion."
Heizi looked at the small folded paper.
He looked at the brothers.
The brothers were quiet.
He thought.
He thought, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past six months — at the small specific accumulating *staff-officer* position's accumulating shape — about Lao Wen's small specific accumulating saying at the small wooden table at the past five years' political philosophy: *the small specific *Mandate of Heaven* is, by the small specific accumulating reading, a small specific accumulating *condition* the country places on a leader's small specific accumulating reading of his accumulating duty.* He thought about the small specific accumulating *fifty men* and the small specific accumulating *responsibility* of a young head of household at his first command.
He thought.
He said in the small low voice: *brother. By the small specific reading I am giving at this dusk — yes. The lad will accept.*
Bing Yuanzhen nodded.
He said: *good. The lad's small specific accumulating *staff-officer* position will, by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving, take effect at the dawn of tomorrow. The lad will be at the small specific accumulating *staff-officer's tent* at the small specific accumulating eastern edge of the southern command's accumulating compound. The seven-man-unit will, by the small specific accumulating arrangement, become the small specific accumulating *core* of the lad's accumulating fifty.*
He paused.
"By the small specific accumulating reading I am giving — the lad's small specific accumulating *fifty* will, in the next two weeks, be drawn from the small specific accumulating southern command's accumulating veterans and recruits. Bing Yuanzhen will, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past six months' watching, lay the small specific accumulating *fifty* at the small specific accumulating shape of veterans and recruits the lad will, by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving, be at the small specific accumulating *real first command* of."
The next morning, at the dawn, Heizi moved to the small specific accumulating *staff-officer's tent*. The brothers — Wang Er, Tie-zhu, An Ashi, Ah Chou, Lu Jingzhi — moved with him.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the seventh day of the sixth moon of the tenth year, the small specific accumulating *fifty* had been drawn. They were — by the small specific accumulating reading at Heizi's small specific careful eye — at the small specific accumulating shape of perhaps thirty veterans (men of three or four years' service at the rebellion) and perhaps fifteen new recruits. The remaining five — at the small specific accumulating reading — were the small specific *seven-man-unit* itself, minus the small specific accumulating *staff-officer* (Heizi himself).
The small specific *fifty* had — by the small specific accumulating reading at Heizi's small specific careful introduction at the second hour of the seventh day's morning — accepted the small specific accumulating *staff-officer's* command.
Heizi was — at the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the seventh day — the small specific accumulating *staff-officer of the small specific accumulating *fifty* at the small specific southern command of the small specific accumulating Wagang Rebellion*.
He was twenty-one.
He had, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past nine years and four months on the road and at the small specific accumulating teaching of an old officer at the grove of twelve pines, become — at this dusk — the small specific accumulating *first* shape of the kind of man Lao Wen had, six years ago at the small wooden table, said the country would, by the small specific accumulating reading at the next ten years, need.
That night Heizi at his watch sat at the small banked fire of the *staff-officer's tent*.
He listened.
The shape of the silence on this watch was — by the small specific reading at this evening — the shape of a small specific *fifty* at the small specific accumulating southern command of the small specific accumulating Wagang Rebellion, with a small specific *staff-officer* at the small specific accumulating *first command* of his small specific accumulating life.
He filed it.
In the small lighter catalog of moments, beside the small specific noon of the *not-yet* reply, he set: *the small specific dawn of the seventh day of the sixth moon of the tenth year, when the small specific *fifty* accepted the lad's accumulating *staff-officer* command.*
The lighter catalog stood at perhaps fifty-six items.
The dark catalog stood at six named names plus the small specific accumulating *unnamed*.
He sat his watch through.
In the morning, at the second cock, he laid the small banked fire of the *staff-officer's tent*'s morning fire and drew the morning's water and laid the small specific accumulating noon meal's small specific *fifty-portion* arrangement at the small specific accumulating quartermaster's tent (An Ashi was, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past week, also the small specific accumulating *fifty's quartermaster*).
The work, by the small unhurried way of an accumulating rebellion's small specific accumulating *first command*, went on.
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