Daqin Zhentiansi

Chapter 602 It seems that you ministers have great confidence in Marquis Qingyang?

Outside Yunming City, the scorching sun turned the 100,000 crimson tents into a raging inferno.

"Damn it, this millet porridge is so thick you could stick a chopstick in it and it wouldn't fall over!" A burly man with a full beard squatted beside a wooden stake, holding an earthenware bowl. Oil dripped from his cracked lips onto his patched clothes. "Back when I was building the city walls in Linyang County, this porridge was so thin you could see a ghost in it—"

"Shh!" The skinny young man next to him suddenly tugged at his sleeve, his rice-grain-covered fingertips pointing to the ten-foot-high bluestone platform at the gate. "See that? The reviewing stand that the Marquis's personal guards just erected this morning. I heard they're going to use the Spring Thunder Drum on the day of the training!"

As the smoke from the cooking fires, carrying the aroma of braised meat, drifted across the drill ground, seventeen or eighteen new recruits were gathered around an iron pot, counting chunks of meat.

The boy in the coarse cloth shirt suddenly cried out, "Ouch!" His fingertips, red from the scalding broth, trembled as he pointed to the bottom of the pot: "Three, three fingers thick pieces of fat! Even butchers wouldn't cut it this thick for the New Year!"

In the shadows at the base of the camp wall, a one-armed man wearing a straw hat was huddled up, hugging his knees.

He lifted his straw hat, revealing half of his burned face. His cloudy eyes reflected rows of leather combat boots in the distance, military supplies that had just been transported from the Jiuchuan Alliance the day before.

"Damn it, these boot soles are thicker than the straw mat on my kang (heated brick bed)." The scarred man squatting behind the haystack was wrapping his newly issued leggings around his open-toed straw sandals when he was suddenly bumped into by a boy who darted out from behind him. "What are you running for! In such a hurry to be reborn?"

"Uncle Wang! They're distributing cotton mattresses over at the workers' shed!" The boy's dirty face glowed red, and cotton wadding leaked from his tattered coat as he ran. "The old man in charge of the granary said that the Marquis specifically instructed that extra blankets be given to the brothers from Beijiang!"

Suddenly, a burst of laughter erupted in the southeast corner of the drill ground as more than thirty strong men surrounded a fat man in a silk shirt and jeered at him.

The burly man leading the group stepped onto the stone lock, his muscles straining against his short shirt as if it were about to burst: "Master Zhao, you're here to mooch off the army's rations too? Your body is enough to feed our entire village for three days!"

The fat man, his face flushed, gripped his jade-inlaid belt tightly: "What do you know! The Marquis of Qingyang's conscription order says that if a merchant's son joins the army, his family's taxes will be reduced by 30%—"

He suddenly lowered his voice, "Besides, if the Marquis can keep the price of salt down to fifty coins, who knows when he might also lower the price of grain..."

Whispers drifted into the mess hall on the evening breeze, when the old cook suddenly slammed his ladle down with a clang: "Shut the hell up! The Marquis's Donghan Merchant Alliance just opened yesterday, and wheat prices are already 20% lower than in the neighboring prefecture! If you keep gossiping, the whole camp will be drinking porridge tomorrow!"

Suddenly, a horn blared in the distance, and the dark-skinned man who was feeding his son looked up abruptly.

He pressed his rough palm against the polished woodcutter's knife at his waist. It was the only item that hadn't been confiscated when he entered the camp, and the red cloth strip wrapped around the handle was something his wife had tied for him when he left home.

"Dad, meat!" The five-year-old boy, his mouth glistening with oil, raised a wooden spoon.

The man swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing, but his gaze remained fixed on the azure sky.

A column of red smoke was rising into the air from there.

"Lord Qingyang has arrived—"

With a long shout, the earth and sky trembled for miles around, and the once noisy camp fell silent instantly.

At the Eastern Frontier Camp, as the torrent of black armor rolled in from the horizon, the nine layers of clouds were torn into fissures shaped like crimson dragons.

One hundred thousand black cavalrymen parted the battle formation like waves, revealing a red camp stretching for hundreds of miles behind them.

The blood and energy of a million new soldiers coalesced into a hundred-mile-long red glow, turning the midday sun into a twilight sunset.

Although the blood energy was faint, it was incredibly powerful.

"hold head high--"

Eighty tall bull horns roared, and every soldier blowing the horns was at the Innate Realm.

The surging sound waves shook the camp gate, causing it to resonate and startle the turbid waves of the Jiuchuan River.

"The Marquis has arrived—"

The instant Zhang Yuan's black cloak swept past the camp gate, 100,000 heavily armored soldiers knelt down with a "crack," the sound of their iron scales clashing more violent than thunder.

"Greetings, Marquis Qingyang!"

The roar of a million able-bodied men stirred up a fierce wind that tore the thunderclouds that lingered above the camp into pieces.

As the warhorse stepped onto the high platform, Zhang Yuan's gaze swept over everyone below, and he raised his hand and waved.

The armor clanged as soldiers stood up straight.

The 100,000 troops led by Zhang Yuan included Black Cavalry, border troops, and imperial guards drawn from the capital.

These 100,000 people will serve as the backbone of the new army's training and will be the core of the new army's formation.

As for the newly recruited million soldiers, according to the strict orders of Marquis Qingyang, 90% of them will be eliminated.

One hundred thousand armored soldiers stood solemnly, their imposing aura as deep as an abyss, causing the surrounding million new recruits to show expressions of shock and longing.

They also wished they could be like these people.

Armored and armed.

Protect the land and rivers of Qin.

Zhang Yuan pressed one hand on the hilt of the Autumn Cold Blade at his waist, while his warhorse stirred restlessly, its four hooves kicking.

"Gentlemen, of the million soldiers here, only 100,000 will remain after three months."

"If you fail my test, you are not qualified to stay in the army." Zhang Yuan's voice echoed in the camp like a thunderclap.

The harsh elimination rate of one in ten made all the new recruits, who had only had enough to eat for three days, look nervous.

"Most of you come from poor backgrounds, but you have a burning desire to serve your country."

“In the past, serving in the army and receiving pay was mostly a matter for martial artists from sects and scions of aristocratic families, and it had little to do with you.”

"Do you know why I am now recruiting sons from ordinary families into the army?"

Why recruit poor children into the army?

The million-strong army remained silent.

No one can explain why the Marquis of Qingyang conscripted poor men into the army.

Is it because Marquis Qingyang himself came from a humble background?

Is it because the people of the Eastern Territory are poor, and Marquis Qingyang wants to fight for a better future for them?
"Xu Jiyang, step forward."

At Zhang Yuan's shout, a neatly dressed young man strode out from among the million-strong new army.

"Xu Jiyang of Yunming Prefecture pays his respects to the Marquis."

The young man had a fair complexion and an upright posture, clearly indicating that he was not from an ordinary background.

"Xu Jiyang, you are a member of the Xu family, a local aristocratic family. Later, you will find thirty other aristocratic family members to form a team and train them for three days."

Zhang Yuan's voice rang out.

"Always stepping out of the ranks."

As Zhang Yuan finished speaking, a young man dressed in black martial arts uniform stepped forward quickly, bowed, and clasped his hands in greeting: "Chang Gu from Liuyang Prefecture greets Your Excellency."

"Chang Gu, you come from the martial arts world. Later, you should also find thirty martial artists to form a team."

Zhang Yuan turned his gaze to the side: "Chen Wu, select thirty ordinary people from common families to form a team and train them for three days."

Zhang Yuan's gaze swept across the audience below the stage, and he shouted loudly, "Gentlemen, in three days, let's see which of the three teams will emerge victorious."

After Zhang Yuan finished speaking, his warhorses galloped away, and the 100,000-strong army roared as they marched on.

In the camp, everyone's eyes followed the departing army, and then slowly turned to the three people Zhang Yuan had named on the platform.

"Brother Chang, I am willing to follow you in your training—"

"Young Master Jiyang, count me in."

"Lord Chen, I may not have any other skills, but I do have some strength..."

A commotion erupted in front of the platform, with shouts rising from the crowd.

Outside the main camp, pigeons and messages soared into the sky.

"The Marquis of Qingyang has formed three teams, consisting of scions of noble families, martial artists, and ordinary people, and the final battle will be decided in three days."

The news spread throughout Donghan County and the entire eastern region overnight.

Imperial City.

In the Qianyang Palace, Emperor Yuankang held a jade pendant in his hand, chuckled, and shook his head.

"Duke Cao, what do you think of Marquis Qingyang's actions?"

Emperor Yuankang looked at the middle-aged man with short beard and black armor standing bowing in the main hall.

Cao Guogong rises.

Upon hearing Emperor Yuankang's words, Duke Cao bowed and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, the Marquis of Qingyang's victory was not honorable."

Several decorated military officers on the side nodded in agreement.

"Victory?" Emperor Yuankang's smile remained unchanged as he spoke, "It seems my esteemed ministers have great confidence in Marquis Qingyang?"

The Duke of Cao, with a solemn expression, said loudly, "Your Majesty, it is not that we have confidence in the Marquis of Qingyang."

“If soldiers who have received military training cannot deal with the same number of martial arts practitioners and scions of noble families, then all the military achievements of the Great Qin over the past 100,000 years will be nullified.”

"All 1.83 million military merits and titles of the Great Qin Dynasty must commit suicide to atone for their sins."

"Lord Qingyang cannot possibly lose."

(End of this chapter)