In the seventeenth year of the Kaihuang era, I wrote my will in the examination hall.

Qin Qiong straightened up, his expression solemn as if facing a formidable enemy: "Please give your instructions, Your Highness."

Yang Yan held up one finger: "First, there is the 'Crown Prince's Thousand Ox Guard.' This is a sixth-rank military post, carrying a Thousand Ox Blade, standing in the court, protecting me. This position is prestigious and stable. As long as I don't make any major mistakes, I can be appointed as a prefect or a military commander in the future."

Qin Qiong frowned slightly but remained silent.

This was indeed a coveted job, a "golden rice bowl" that countless people would dream of. But to Qin Qiong, it always felt like something was missing. He was a fierce tiger, not a hunting dog kept within palace walls as a guard dog.

Yang Yan observed his expression, secretly praising him, and then extended his second finger. His voice suddenly turned cold, carrying a murderous aura.

"Secondly, I hereby appoint you as the 'Commander-in-Chief of the Crown Prince's Right Guard (or Left Guard of the Crown Prince)'. This position is not of high rank, but it is a crucial role for the Crown Prince. On this trip to Lingnan, you will be the commander of my personal guard, leading a team of elite soldiers, and in charge of reconnaissance, vigilance, and on-the-spot decision-making. This road is treacherous, but it is a shortcut to military merit."

"This position is not of high rank, but it is a key position in the Crown Prince's inner circle."

Yang Yan stared into Qin Qiong's eyes and said, word by word, "I will not hide from you the truth, the court is about to launch a major campaign against Lingnan. You will be my personal guard commander, leading a team of elite soldiers, with the authority to spy, guard, and make on-the-spot decisions. This path is treacherous, but it is a shortcut to military merit. I need the sharpest sword to cleave a path for myself and for the world. Are you willing to be the one to wield this sword? When the southern border is pacified and the world is at peace, your name will be at the top of the monument of merit."

"But if you choose this path, you will bleed, you will be injured, and you may even die in a foreign land. But if you succeed..."

Yang Yan stood up, walked to the window, and opened it.

Outside the window, a cold moon hangs high, illuminating the seemingly prosperous but actually perilous city of Daxing.

"If you succeed, your name, Qin Qiong, will be 'honored in the Hall of Heroes and enshrined in the Cloud Terrace,' shining brightly in history and admired by future generations!"

"I want this blade, one that can cut through all obstacles."

"Qin Shubao, do you dare to accept?"

The study was deathly silent, save for the howling wind outside the window.

Qin Qiong sat there, like a stone sculpture.

He looked at the young figure with his back to him, listening to those words that made his blood boil.

Stable? Refined and elegant?

To hell with peace and tranquility!

Qin Qiong practiced martial arts for twenty years, enduring the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer. Was he just to become a clay or wooden sculpture at the entrance of the main hall?

A great man is born between heaven and earth; if he cannot accomplish something spectacular, what difference is there between him and grass and trees?

"Splash!"

Qin Qiong suddenly stood up, knocking over the stool behind him.

He strode up behind Yang Yan, pushed aside the mountain of gold and the jade pillar, knelt on one knee, and raised his hands in a fist above his head.

This time, his voice was no longer respectful, but filled with a fierce and resolute air of battle.

"Your Highness!"

"A true man is born between heaven and earth, seeking nothing more than to achieve great deeds, establish a career, and secure a good reputation for his wife and children! Qin Qiong does not seek a stable life, but only that his martial arts skills will not be buried!"

"Since Your Highness dares to entrust your back to me, then my life will be Your Highness's sharpest blade!"

"Even if Lingnan is a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire, wherever Your Highness's sword points, Qin Qiong will be the first to charge into battle, even unto death!"

"Your Highness, please grant my request!"

Yang Yan turned around and looked at the imposing figure kneeling in the moonlight: "Qin Shubao, do you think Lingnan is the end? No, that's just the beginning."

He slowly turned around, his gaze passing over Qin Qiong's shoulder, as if piercing through the layers of palaces of the Eastern Palace and looking towards the distant northern grasslands.

"This world is vast, far beyond your imagination. The Turks in the north, though divided, still command a million archers, eyeing our Central Plains with predatory intent—a sword hanging over our heads; the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions, with their trade routes blocked, are a bleeding wound for the empire; and then there's Goguryeo in Liaodong, fickle and treacherous, harboring wolfish ambitions!"

Yang Yan took a step closer, and his scarlet robes seemed to be stained with blood in the candlelight.

"Grandfather, you have brought this land of China, which has been in turmoil for hundreds of years, back to unity. What we, your descendants, must do is carry on this legacy and build this empire into a golden age where all nations pay tribute and peace reigns for millennia! In this process, there will be bloodshed and sacrifice, and even more so, there will be those who will expand our territory and achieve great things!"

"In the past, Emperor Wu of Han had Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, whose horses trampled the Xiongnu and drank from the vast sea. Now, the Sui Dynasty's ambition spans thousands of miles; surely it cannot produce a Wei Qing or Huo Qubing of its own?"

Qin Qiong's breathing instantly became heavy.

Wei Qing? Huo Qubing?

That is an insurmountable mountain in the hearts of all martial artists, the ultimate glory they dream of.

"What I want is not merely a sword to kill. A sword, though sharp, can only slay enemies before it. What I want is a general, a commander. Do you understand?"

Qin Qiong suddenly raised his head, and a flame suddenly ignited on his face, which had been somewhat dull due to years of weathering.

He was no longer the cautious and meticulous Qizhou bandit-catching captain, nor was he the loyal warrior who only sought to repay a debt of gratitude.

He straightened his back, and the pride hidden deep in his bones finally broke through the soil.

"Reporting back to Your Highness!"

Qin Qiong's voice was powerful and resonant, with a metallic quality.

"Although I come from humble beginnings, I am not an illiterate brute! While my family may not possess a vast collection of books, I have studied military classics such as 'Sun Tzu' and 'Wu Zi' during my years in the army. I have also dabbled in the art of troop deployment, encampment, and the interplay of orthodox and unorthodox tactics. I am not merely a reckless warrior!"

He paused, his eyes flashing with a sharp light: "If Your Highness is willing to give me the chance, Qin Qiong is willing to be Your Highness's spear, not only to slay generals and seize flags, but also to pacify the barbarians and become the Wei Qing and Huo Qubing of the Great Sui!"

"good!"

Yang Yan slammed his hand on the desk, causing the wolf-hair brush on the brush holder to tremble violently.

"In that case, let's skip the formalities. I trust you, and I trust my own judgment."

Yang Yan strode up to Qin Qiong, patted his broad shoulder heavily, and looked at him with admiration in his eyes.

"Rest well tonight. Tomorrow morning, come with me to the Daxingyuan training ground. Talk is cheap; I want to see just how capable you, this future great general, really are!"

……

As dawn broke and the street drums of Daxing City began to sound, the side gate of the Changning Prince's Mansion slowly opened.

Yang Yan was dressed in a tight-fitting dark outfit, with a rhinoceros horn leather belt around his waist. The warhorse he rode was pure white, without a single blemish. It was the "Jade Lion Shining at Night," a fine steed from Ferghana, which was presented as tribute from the Western Regions. At this moment, it was snorting impatiently, and its four hooves made crisp sounds on the bluestone slabs.

Halfway up his horse, Qin Qiong had already changed into a standard set of Mingguang armor.

He rode a chestnut horse, holding a ten-foot-long lance horizontally in his hand. His posture was as still as a deep pool and as imposing as a mountain. With just a casual rein in of his horse, a chilling aura of menace swept over him.

The two rode side by side, their horses' hooves pounding through the thin layer of frost on the early autumn morning, heading towards Daxing Garden.

"Uncle Bao, before we head to Lingnan, there's a competition you have to win for me."

Yang Yan stared ahead, his voice mingling with the howling wind, sounding somewhat ethereal yet resolute.

"A contest?" Qin Qiong raised an eyebrow, his hand unconsciously tightening the reins. "Your Highness, please advise: shall it be a military formation exercise or a duel between generals on the battlefield?"