Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 36 The Emperor's kindness is higher than the sky and deeper than the sea; it can never be repaid in a lifetime!
The entire training ground seemed to freeze in that instant, even the sound of the wind seemed to stop.

Sun Yingyuan was stunned. The fervor and expectation on his face froze, replaced by bewilderment and deep confusion.

Kill the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty?

Why kill your own people?
Zhang Weixian's heart pounded wildly. He subconsciously glanced around. Fortunately, the emperor's voice was not loud, and only some of the nearby guards and officers heard it.

Even so, it's still terrifying enough.

Send a new army to slaughter the border troops.

This is... a mutiny!

Throughout history, the most taboo thing for an army is internal strife, which not only undermines morale but also deals a devastating blow to the entire country's defenses.

What exactly does the emperor want to do?
Sun Yingyuan's reaction, however, was beyond everyone's expectations.

The moment he heard the emperor's command, his body jolted violently.

His burly body seemed to have been struck by an invisible lightning bolt, freezing him in place, his pupils contracting sharply in shock.

Sun Yingyuan never imagined it.

He never dreamed that His Majesty the Emperor's first military order from the Imperial Guard would be such an absurd command.

To send him to kill his comrades-in-arms, who were also soldiers of the Ming Dynasty?
This……

The shock was brief, lasting only a moment.

Immediately afterwards, an emotion ten thousand times stronger than shock erupted from the depths of his heart like a volcanic eruption!

An indescribable excitement, the ecstasy of being chosen and entrusted with supreme trust!

Sun Yingyuan understood!

At that moment, he understood everything!
Why doesn't His Majesty the Emperor allow them to kill the Jurchens?

Because killing the Jurchens was an official matter, any Ming army could go.

Killing Ming border soldiers, regardless of what these people did, is treason—it's defying the emperor! Killing these scoundrels is a family matter!

This is the emperor cleaning house!
The task of cleaning house can only be entrusted to the most trusted, closest, and least likely to betray one's own people!
The emperor regarded them as the sharpest and most private knife in his hand!

The Emperor's Blade!

What kind of trust is this?

What an honor this is!

Compared to this trust, what does killing a few traitors from the border army matter?
Let alone killing the rebellious border troops, even if the emperor ordered him to take up his sword and storm into the Wenhua Hall to kill those troublesome Grand Secretaries, Sun Yingyuan would not even flinch!
"Pfft!"

Sun Yingyuan's towering body slammed heavily onto one knee, his hard kneecaps creating a shallow crater in the ground.

He raised his head, and his tiger-like eyes were no longer filled with confusion, but only with burning fervor and loyalty.

He roared with all his might, his voice hoarse but filled with unwavering determination.

"Where Your Majesty's sword is pointed!"

"This humble general is willing to die a thousand deaths!"

These eight words struck Zhang Weixian's heart like eight heavy hammer blows.

He looked at Sun Yingyuan kneeling on the ground, at his face flushed red with extreme excitement, and at the genuine fervor in his eyes.

Zhang Weixian finally understood completely.

The emperor's true purpose in training this new army.

It is not a national defense force dedicated to protecting the country at all.

Or rather, protecting the country is only its most superficial and insignificant function.

Its true purpose is to be a weapon that belongs solely to the emperor!
A blade that was personally nurtured and sharpened by the emperor, and that obeys only the emperor's commands!

A sword hanging over the heads of all arrogant and unruly generals, all lawless officials, and all potential enemies!
Today, this knife can be used to kill traitorous border troops.

What about tomorrow?

Tomorrow, could it be used to kill those disobedient civil officials? To kill those troublesome nobles?

Zhang Weixian dared not think any further.

He felt a bone-chilling cold rise from the soles of his feet, making even this seasoned general, who had seen countless life and death, shiver involuntarily.

Looking at the excessively young emperor before him, he once again felt fear from the bottom of his heart.

This was no ordinary monarch.

This is a lone wolf who is willing to pay any price and break all rules to achieve his goals!

……

Zhu Youjian was very satisfied with Sun Yingyuan's reaction.

What he wanted was a knife that would only carry out orders and would never have any personal will or absolute loyalty!

He personally stepped forward and helped Sun Yingyuan up from the ground.

This simple action made Sun Yingyuan tremble with excitement.

"Good." Zhu Youjian's voice carried a hint of approval. "I was right about you."

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers who, too, had gone from confusion to resolve, and even begun to feel excited, because of Sun Yingyuan's statement. He knew that Sun Yingyuan's attitude reflected the attitude of this army.

"Sun Yingyuan, listen to my command!"

"The general is here!"

"I hereby order you to select 1,500 soldiers from the entire army!"

"As ordered!"

"There's no need to worry about military equipment." Zhu Youjian's lips curled into a cold smile. "A few days ago, over a thousand sets of fine armor and hundreds of well-maintained muskets were found in the armory of Duke Cheng, Zhu Chunchen's residence. I'm allocating these to you. I want your men to have the best armor and the best muskets."

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Sun Yingyuan and the soldiers around him revealed expressions of satisfaction.

Finally, Zhu Youjian patted Sun Yingyuan on the shoulder heavily.

"I will give you the best soldiers and the best armor."

"Your mission is to cooperate with the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who are about to depart, and with thunderous force, wipe out those scum of the border troops who secretly collude with Shanxi merchants and smuggle military weapons!"

“What I want is not just their lives, but also their military strongholds, their hidden wealth, and... their heads.”

"I will use their heads to show all the soldiers in the world who their masters are! What will happen if they betray me!"

……

The sun was setting behind the western mountains at that moment.

The last rays of sunlight, like congealed blood, stained the clouds on the horizon and the young, fervent faces on the training ground.

After Zhu Youjian finished speaking, he didn't look at Sun Yingyuan again and turned to walk towards the carriage.

Zhang Weixian followed silently behind him.

Behind them came the deafening shouts of Sun Yingyuan and his group of fanatical soldiers.

"Death for His Majesty!"

"To be loyal to the Ming Dynasty!"

The wind seemed to grow colder.

Zhang Weixian wrapped his cloak tighter around himself, looking at the not-so-tall but huge-shadowed figure in front of him, with only one thought left in his mind.

The world of the Ming Dynasty is truly about to change!
Because the emperor gave them everything that an ordinary soldier in this era could imagine, and even everything that they dared not even think about!
The emperor gave them food.

It wasn't the kind of stale rice mixed with sand and lime, nor was it the kind of thin porridge so clear you could see your reflection in it.

It was real, hearty white rice, and meat soup that could be enjoyed every few days. In the New Army's mess hall, there was an ironclad rule, personally set by the emperor: anyone who embezzled soldiers' food, regardless of rank, would be executed on the spot.

They were given money.

Full military pay was promptly distributed to every soldier on the first day of each month.

It is not the devalued Ming Dynasty banknotes, nor is it short-weight copper coins; it is pure, high-quality silver. Similarly, anyone who embezzles soldiers' pay, regardless of kinship or distance, will have their family property confiscated and their clan exterminated!
The emperor gave them dignity!

Here, officers are not allowed to beat or scold soldiers at will. If they make a mistake, they will be dealt with according to military law. Rewards and punishments are clear. The soldiers are no longer slaves of military households who can be bullied at will. They are the "Emperor's personal guard".

This title itself is an honor!

Most importantly, the emperor gave them a future and relieved them of any worries!

Every family of a soldier in the new army is registered with the Ministry of War. For those who die in battle, their families can receive a one-time pension of fifty taels of silver, and their children can have priority to enter the new army or government-run schools.

What does all of this mean for those who have struggled at the bottom of society for half their lives, living like dogs with nothing to eat or wear?
It means regeneration.

It signifies divine grace!

His Majesty doesn't treat them like soldiers, he treats them like human beings!

So when Sun Yingyuan told them to repay His Majesty's kindness with the most rigorous training, no one complained.

I get up at dawn every day and cross the 10-mile track with a heavy load.

In the morning, we practiced drills and assassination.

In the afternoon, we practiced new weapons and formations.

In the evenings, they also learn basic literacy and arithmetic.

The intensity of their training is ten times that of the Beijing Garrison.

The brutality of the training is enough to break any pampered person.

But they persevered.

Because they had a lot of pent-up energy in their hearts.

A surge of desire to die for the person who gave them a new life.

It is said that the six blows in one second that transform a street ruffian into a royal assassin are merely the limits of his physical abilities.

But these soldiers of the Ming Dynasty's new army had no limits to their loyalty!

They would give anything if that figure simply waved his hand.

Including their lives!

(End of this chapter)