I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 153 Weapons

When they arrived at the Northwest Army's camp, torches were already lit everywhere.

Upon receiving the scouts' report, King Xuan personally went to the camp gate to greet them. Looking at the vast procession of tens of thousands of sheep and horses, he laughed heartily, "Zhao Zhao is indeed a lucky star for the people and soldiers of the Northwest!"

"Father!" Tang Zhao jumped off his horse and skipped forward. "We're having roast whole lamb tonight!"

"Alright! We'll listen to Zhaozhao!" King Xuan waved his hand, and the soldiers stepped forward to lead away the sheep and horses. Those who were to go to the stables went to the stables, those who were to go to the kitchen went to the kitchen, and those who were to be cooked went to the kitchen.

The soldiers, who had been training all day, were immediately excited when they heard that they would be having roasted whole lamb that night. They quickly gathered in small groups to build a campfire.

The cook sharpened his knife to a gleaming shine, and with a swift movement, a sheep fell silent.

While the sheep were being slaughtered, Tang Zhao followed King Xuan to the workshop where thousands of iron-smelting furnaces burned day and night, and blacksmiths swung their hammers and pounded the iron down.

Tang Zhao had only been there for a short while when the sound of metal objects clashing made his ears ring.

She quickly walked out of the workshop and found a quiet place to calm down for a long time before the buzzing in her ears slowly subsided.

Gu Ci frowned slightly. "Are you alright?"

"I'm never coming to the workshop again. The noise pollution is just too bad," Tang Zhao said, picking at his ear. "Could you help me get my things out?"

"Alright," Gu Ci left the court guards behind and went to the weapon-making workshop himself to give Tang Zhao the newly forged longswords, spears, and bows and arrows.

Tang Zhao personally tested the bow, slowly drawing the bowstring to its fullest extent. "A one-stone bow, isn't it a bit too light?"

Gu Ci shook his head, "Ordinary soldiers all use seven-dou bows; this is already the standard for the archery battalion."

"The archer battalion only draws such light bows? Can they even kill the enemy?"
Chao Yi couldn't help but interject, "Princess, a one-stone bow is no light weight; half the soldiers in the army can't even pull it."

Tang Zhao was stunned. "Huh?"

Seeing Tang Zhao's genuine confusion, Gu Ci also became puzzled, "Haven't you noticed that your strength is extraordinary?"

"Really?" Tang Zhao asked, even more puzzled. "I know I'm stronger than the average woman, but isn't that because I eat a lot?"

Gu Ci took the bow from her hand. "General Song can draw a four-stone bow."

"Genetics!" Tang Zhao suddenly realized, then felt a pang of disappointment. The original owner had such good genes, yet he was kept at home and tormented by his stepmother for so many years. It was truly hard to judge.

"Princess, you are naturally strong, how come you are still trapped on the estate?"

Tang Zhao turned his head, narrowed his eyes, and glared unfriendly at Chao Yi, who was deliberately bringing up the most sensitive topic.

Chao Yi was terrified by the stare and kept swallowing. Just before he could beg for mercy, Tang Zhao finally spoke up, "Because we're not getting enough to eat."

Gu Ci pursed his lips and said, "Is the An family skimping on your meals?"

"Well," Tang Zhao searched the original owner's memories, "I'll give him some rice when I remember, and nothing when I don't."

Thanks to the fact that Granny Song had hidden some loose silver and copper coins, and that she and Chunfeng and the others earned some money by washing and mending clothes, they were able to barely make ends meet.

The cold aura emanating from Gu Ci made Chao Yi lower her head, trying her best to minimize her presence: Is Master going to kill someone?

Tang Zhao didn't think anything of it, after all, she wasn't the one suffering.

Gu Ci stared at Tang Zhao for a long time, seeing that she showed no sadness on her face, like an outsider. Speechless yet relieved, he calmed down and continued to accompany her to appraise the knives and guns.

Tang Zhao picked up the longsword and examined it closely. The blade was five feet long, with a four-foot-long edge. The back of the blade was thick, and the edge was sharp; a light flick of the finger produced a crisp sound. "Not bad!" Tang Zhao raised the sword and said to Gu Ci, "Shall we exchange a few blows?"

Gu Ci smiled, tossed the bow and arrow to Chao Yi, and twirled his spear with one hand, saying, "Let's stop here."

"Who said I'd stop here!" Tang Zhao pushed off with his feet, leaped into the air, and swung his knife straight at Gu Ci's head.

Gu Ci did not move, raised his spear with his right hand to receive the blow, then changed from horizontal to vertical, thrusting the spearhead straight at Tang Zhao's face.

King Xuan, who had just stepped out of the workshop and witnessed this scene, slapped his thigh in anger, "That brat Yuan Ye, he doesn't even know how to give way to Zhao Zhao."

If Zhao Zhao gets hurt, wouldn't he be the one who feels the pain?
“Your Highness, the princess’s skills have improved considerably since she first arrived in the Northwest,” Jiang Yiming said, feeling a faint pain in his right shoulder and lower body. “If the general had held back too much, he might have been defeated by the princess.”

"Defeat is defeat," King Xuan said indifferently. "Does winning necessarily bring glory?"

Jiang Yiming looked at the two who were locked in a fierce battle and shook his head with a smile, "Of course not."

“A man should use his abilities outside the home. Showing off to the women at home is cowardly,” King Xuan said, looking at his son who had been steadily winning. “If Yuan Ye dares to win, I’ll beat him to death!”

Jiang Yiming joked, "If someone who didn't know the situation heard what Your Highness said, they would think that the princess was Your Highness's biological daughter."

King Xuan was very pleased, "Zhaozhao is my daughter."

All the children in the family combined are not as considerate as Zhaozhao!
Gu Ci, who heard everything clearly from not far away, was filled with helplessness. As he passed by Tang Zhao, he deliberately left an opening, and Tang Zhao knocked his spear away with a single stroke.

"I lost."

Even knowing that Gu Ci was deliberately letting her win, Tang Zhao was overjoyed and excitedly waved to the approaching Prince Xuan, "Father, I beat Gu Ci! Father, please make me a general!"

"Good! Zhaozhao has ambition; we must support her!" King Xuan pondered seriously, "What official position should she be given?"

"Above the General of the Cavalry is the Grand General, and above the Grand General is the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies," Jiang Yiming said, shaking his folding fan. "Since the Princess defeated the General of the Cavalry, her official rank should naturally be above his."

Tang Zhao was dumbfounded. Seeing that the Prince Xuan was really discussing with Jiang Yiming, she quickly stopped him, "Father, strategist, Zhao Zhao was just joking. How can we win people's hearts without military merit?"

Tang Zhao said earnestly, "It's not too late for Father to reward you after you have made military achievements."

King Xuan was very disappointed. He genuinely believed that with the soybean oil, tofu, and tens of thousands of warhorses that Tang Zhao had provided to the Northwest Army free of charge, appointing him as a logistics general would have been a piece of cake.

"Father, if you can't give me an official position, give me more swords, spears, bows and arrows," Tang Zhao said longingly. "We recruited more than a hundred extra soldiers for the trial training, and six hundred is not enough."

King Xuan: ...

"How about I grant you an official position?" The words rolled around in his mouth, but he swallowed them back down. King Xuan gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! I'll give you a thousand swords and spears, a thousand bows, and two thousand arrows."

"!" Tang Zhao casually tossed aside the long sword in his hand and affectionately accompanied King Xuan to eat roasted whole lamb.

Gu Ci raised his hand to take the long sword and sheathed it. Chao Yi stepped forward to take the sword and spear, and picked up the bow and arrows on the ground to return to the workshop.

Jiang Yiming closed his folding fan. "Fifth Young Master, please."

"Strategist, please," Gu Ci said, falling half a step behind Jiang Yiming, and followed the scent to the front camp.

The training ground, which used to be filled with the stench of sweat, is now filled with the aroma of roasted meat. Since alcohol is prohibited in the army, the kitchen prepares tofu soup to cleanse the palate.

After enjoying a whole roasted lamb, the soldiers felt completely refreshed and invigorated.