Diqin Designer

Chapter 447 The First Batch of National Team Athletes of the Great Qin Dynasty

Meng Yi eventually led Zhang Shiyi and the others to a training ground. A young man was standing on the training ground, surrounded by several armored guards. Needless to say, this young man was the legendary Young Master Li Nian.

Zhang Shiyi and the others were immediately excited. They had actually seen Young Master Li Nian with their own eyes. In the future, when they chatted with others, they would have something to boast about: "We saw Young Master Li Nian with our own eyes back then. Young Master Li Nian even waited for us personally. Have you ever seen Young Master Li Nian? Have you ever been waited for by Young Master Li Nian?"
Of course, Zhang Shiyi and the others had no such thoughts at the moment; they were filled with excitement and joy: Father, Mother, we really met Young Master Li Nian!

Before they even got close, Zhang Shiyi and the others knelt down in unison and bowed deeply to Li Nian: "This humble citizen Zhang Shiyi (Qin Xin...) greets Young Master!"

Their voices were filled with excitement and joy. They were not bowing to Li Nian because of his status as a young master; they were bowing to him from the bottom of their hearts. If it weren't for Young Master Li Nian, they wouldn't be where they are today.

Many people in the public privately regret that Prince Li Nian is not a real prince. If Prince Li Nian were His Majesty's biological son, he would be the most suitable candidate to become the Crown Prince of Qin. Under Prince Li Nian's rule, how prosperous and powerful Qin would be, and how much better their lives would be.

I can’t even think about it!

Unfortunately, Prince Li Nian is only His Majesty's son-in-law, not his biological son, and therefore cannot become the next Emperor of Qin.

Although the eldest son of Fusu is quite good and has a good reputation, he still seems to fall short compared to the young master of Li Nian.

The common people's regret that they were not the First Emperor's biological son was known to the First Emperor, Fusu, and Li Nian. Fusu even chatted with Li Nian about this matter.

It's fortunate that this era was relatively good, and Li Nian genuinely showed little interest in the throne. Otherwise, if it were a dynasty after Sima Yi's oath at Luoshui, given Li Nian's reputation among the common people, he might be sentenced to death the moment he stepped out the door with his left foot.

It's impossible for him to have no interest in the throne at all, but he knows his own limitations. He knows he can't manage all aspects of things like the First Emperor, nor does he like playing games with people. Even if he were to ascend the throne, he wouldn't be able to handle it.

As it is now, he offers advice and suggestions, and the specific implementation is left to the First Emperor and others to arrange. This is quite good. Moreover, his golden finger is not suitable for becoming an emperor. If he were an emperor, he would be busy dealing with government affairs every day. How would he have time to transfer the knowledge and technology of the later generations to this era?

However, there is one downside to not becoming an emperor: one's life or death depends on the emperor's will. Although the First Emperor intended to make him famous throughout the world and use his reputation among the people as a shield, in an imperial society, this might not be effective. If the emperor really wanted to kill him, no matter how high his prestige among the people was, it would be useless.

This is also one of the most disgusting aspects of feudal imperial society: imperial power is above all else, and in the face of imperial power, life and dignity are hard to guarantee.

Many people in later generations want to travel back to ancient times because they believe that if they did, they could become emperors, noblemen, or young ladies.

A female professor from a certain university once said, "If I could time travel, I would definitely go to the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties." She said that in that era, she could see handsome men and become a leading lady.

This is the kind of thinking that if you traveled back to the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, you could become a young lady of a noble family. Little do they know that the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties were both absurd and wonderful. Men were steamed, women were stir-fried, and the old and young were barbecued. If you traveled back there, you would probably be a slave to people at night and food during the day.

Seeing these people bowing deeply to greet him, Li Nian waved his hand and said, "There's no need for such a grand ceremony. Please rise!"

After Zhang Shiyi and the others stood up, Li Nian smiled and said, "First of all, congratulations on passing the final selection. Passing the final selection is enough to prove your talents!"

Hearing Li Nian praise them, Zhang Shi and the others smiled. Although people often praised them for jumping far, running fast, and being strong, it was different now that Young Master Li Nian was praising them to their faces!
Li Nian continued, "I presume General Meng Yi has already informed you of the reason for summoning you all here today? If he hasn't, that's alright. You will be staying at the Six Heroes Palace for a period of time to train until the end of the sports meet."

"As you all should know, this Games is the 'Games of All Nations,' meaning that not only Great Qin is participating, but also other nations. To be frank, apart from Great Qin, twenty-seven nations and tribes will come to Xianyang to participate in this Games of All Nations."

Upon hearing that twenty-seven countries and tribes would participate in the Games, Zhang Shiyi and the others became serious, as this meant they would be competing against experts from twenty different countries or tribes.

With so many countries and tribes, who knows how powerful the experts might be? They might not be able to secure the top spot for Qin.

Li Nian said, "This is the first Games of All Nations held by Great Qin. This Games must not only be well organized and recognized by the participating nations, but also must not diminish Great Qin's prestige. On the contrary, we must use this opportunity to let the nations see the strength of Great Qin! How can we let the nations see the strength of Great Qin at the Games?"

Li Nian looked at Zhang Shiyi and the others. Faced with a young master's question, the others were hesitant to answer, but Zhang Shiyi answered honestly, "Of course, I outperformed them at the sports meet, and I ran faster and was stronger than them!"

Li Nian nodded and smiled, "That's right. At the sports meet, the winners will naturally be determined by their athletic abilities. You all have passed the selection process and can be considered the fastest and strongest people in our Great Qin. However, the athletes sent by other countries are certainly also formidable and should not be underestimated!"

"In order to enable you all to surpass the best fighters from other countries and bring glory to Great Qin, I have specially requested His Majesty to summon you here for a period of training so that you can be better prepared to deal with the best fighters from other countries."

Li Nian will gather these people to the Six Heroes Palace for training. They will be taught some sports and exercise techniques from later generations. Moreover, the medical conditions at the Six Heroes Palace are the best in the Qin Dynasty, so any problems that arise during training can be resolved in a timely manner.

On the other hand, if we let them go home and then call them up to participate in the sports meet, they will not get more effective training. What if someone has an accident and it is not dealt with in time, thus delaying their participation?
Training at the Six Kingdoms Palace could not only improve their competitive level, but also reduce the possibility of accidents. If an accident does occur, it can be dealt with in a timely manner so as not to delay their participation in the competition.

After hearing Li Nian's words, Zhang Shiyi and the others looked at Li Nian and had some thoughts: Could it be that the young master is going to train them personally? But looking at him, the young master doesn't seem to be a fast runner or a strong person. Could it be that the young master is like that short guy, the type that you can't tell just by looking?
That must be it; the young master must be very fast and very strong.

"This training session will primarily focus on mutual learning. You can share why you run faster or jump farther than others, so we can all improve together. I will also be there to teach you some... techniques and points to note!"

If the young master really intends to train them personally, then can they later tell others that they have received instruction from the young master and can be considered his students? But Li Nian's next words overturned these thoughts. Li Nian continued, "Compared to you all, I cannot outrun you, jump as high as you, or be as strong as you. The techniques and precautions I teach you were given to me by others."

"Some people have used these skills to jump a distance of one zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) in the standing long jump, lifted a thousand jin (approximately 500 kilograms) of weight, and run a hundred zhang (approximately 33 meters) in just three breaths!"

Li Nian's words surprised everyone. He could jump over 10 feet in a standing long jump, lift a thousand-pound object, and move 100 feet in three breaths. Was he even human?
Zhang Shiyi and the others, who were originally proud of their speed, jumping ability, and strength, put away their arrogance. There were people in the world who were stronger than them!

These words were spoken by Li Nian, and Zhang Shiyi and the others did not question them. If the young master said that there are people who can do these things, then there must be. There is no need to doubt it.

Only Meng Yi, who was present, knew that what Li Nian was talking about was definitely a record from later generations, but in this era, there were also people with exceptional physical talents.

Like Xiang Yu, although it has been proven in later generations that the weight of the thousand-pound cauldron he lifted could not have exceeded 212 kilograms, what era did Xiang Yu live in, and what were his growth and training conditions?

If Xiang Yu had received the scientific training that weightlifters receive in later generations, he would most likely have broken the world record given his physical condition.

People in this era were not necessarily less talented than those in later generations; they were simply limited by their environment and could not achieve the same level of success.

Li Nian added, "Of course, I only know these techniques, I'm not an expert. After I teach you, you will have to judge for yourselves based on your own situation. In addition to training, there will be people to teach you to read and write!"

When Li Nian told them that someone would come to teach them to read and write, Zhang Shiyi and the others were quite happy to accept. This was not the case in later times. In later times, many people would rather not study and would skip classes to play every day. But in this era, many people wanted to learn but could not.

Although reading and writing are good things, when they participate in the sports meet, they are competing against athletes from other countries in running, jumping, wrestling, and weightlifting. Reading and writing seem to be of little use in the sports meet.

Li Nian explained with a smile, "As athletes representing Great Qin, you represent Great Qin and His Majesty, so naturally you should also embody the spirit of Great Qin. Athletes from other countries may be illiterate, but athletes from Great Qin cannot; on the contrary, they should be even more literate."

Upon hearing this explanation, everyone immediately understood that this was to distinguish themselves from people of other countries, in order to showcase the Qin Dynasty's advancement, civilization, and power!
One of them patted his chest and assured, "Young master, please rest assured, we will study hard and never bring shame to Qin. We will make sure that people from other countries see that we represent Qin in battle, and that we not only outrun and jump them, but also excel in reading and writing!"

Li Nian's purpose in teaching them to read and write was not merely to educated them so they could showcase themselves to other countries, but also to support his future plans: these people would not be discarded after being used only once during the Games of Nations, but would be continuously employed. He wanted to use these people to lay the foundation for Qin sports and make them the pioneers of Qin sports.

In Li Nian's vision, the Great Qin would not only lead other countries in military, economic and cultural aspects, but also in sports, embodying the spirit of a civilized Great Qin and the physique of a savage Great Qin.

Li Nian continued, "During this period, you will not only have to complete your training and studies, but also abide by various regulations. The specific regulations will be explained to you later. If any of you do not wish to continue training here, you may request to withdraw now. Is there anyone who wants to withdraw?"

No one answered. This was a golden opportunity for them to climb the social ladder. They could receive guidance from Young Master Li Nian and represent Great Qin in the Games. If they could win first place for Great Qin in the Games, they would likely become famous throughout the world, and other countries would know about them.

If you miss this opportunity, you'll never get another one like it!
Li Nian said, "Since no one has withdrawn, it means that everyone agrees to train here. From now on, you are all members of the Great Qin National Team and are qualified to represent Great Qin in the Games. However, whether you can ultimately represent Great Qin on stage depends on your training results."

"I may reveal a piece of news to you all: the first gold medal of this World Games will be awarded by His Majesty himself. Would you allow this honor to be bestowed upon another country?"

The word "first" in "first" indicates its importance, and the fact that it was personally awarded by His Majesty makes the honor even more unimaginable.

Zhang Shiyi and the others immediately became incredibly excited, as if they had been injected with adrenaline. The glory of winning the first gold medal, the glory personally bestowed by His Majesty, could not be taken away by other countries. They were determined to train hard and defeat other countries at the Games.

But Li Nian continued to motivate everyone, explaining, "In this sports meet, the top three finishers will receive medals: the first place winner gets a gold medal, the second place winner gets a silver medal, and the third place winner gets a bronze medal. The first gold medal is the gold medal won in the very first event, and I, Li, hope that the first gold medal will belong to Qin!"

This is the first All-China Games held by the Great Qin, and it will surely be recorded in history. Li Nian naturally hopes that the first gold medal can belong to the Great Qin. If it is won by other countries, then no matter how many gold medals the Great Qin wins later, there will still be a regret.

"When medal winners go on stage to receive their medals, the flag of their country will be raised, and for gold medal winners, their country's national anthem will be played."

Meng Yi was also learning about this for the first time. He was deeply moved when he heard it. The honor of raising the national flag and playing the national anthem for the gold medalist was immense.

Zhang Shiyi and the others felt the same way. At this moment, they had only one thought: they must win the gold medal, strive for this glory, and let the national flag of Qin rise because of them, and let the national anthem of Qin rise because of them.

Li Nian continued, "I hope that the national flag of Great Qin can be raised frequently in this venue, and that the national anthem can be played regularly. But that depends on you all. Do you have confidence?"

Zhang Shiyi and the others replied firmly in unison, "We have confidence!"

Whether for their own sake or for the sake of Qin, they must fight with all their might. No wonder the prince mentioned "going to the Games" in his words. This is indeed a battle against another country. Although it is not a battlefield confrontation, they cannot afford to lose!
Li Nian nodded and said, "Very good! Everyone, please rest well today. Training will begin tomorrow. I'll trouble General Meng to take you to your dormitories and canteen!"

After saying this, Li Nian left, escorted by a group of guards.

(End of this chapter)