I am not a seventh-generation descendant of Lord Wu'an from the Qin Dynasty.

Bai Qi's voice choked with emotion, almost breaking into tears.

Someone, impatient, immediately pressed on, "What happened to that old scoundrel Lü Buwei? Oh, tell me quickly!"

Bai Qi said angrily, "Lu Buwei, using the excuse that the King is young, not only harshly demanded money and provisions from my Shanglin Garden, but also..."

"They even took the opportunity to deceive the king, signing a contract stipulating that if the war against Korea ended badly, he would not be allowed to rule personally for ten years and could only watch him manage state affairs..."

"Lu Buwei, I'll trouble you to hold on a little longer. You've got plenty of lice on your head, you're not afraid of being bitten."

Sure enough, before Bai Qi finished speaking, sporadic curses rang out from all around.

Being in the same group, and at the age when they were young and full of righteousness, the people of Shanglin Garden had an overwhelming fondness for Qin Wang Zheng, who was willing to condescend to wrestle with them on the same training ground.

Whether one speaks of loyalty or righteousness, or even is driven by self-interest, one cannot help but feel indignant.

"Hmph, that old thief deserves to die!"

"Lü Buwei deserves to die!"

"We, the people of Qin, must prove our king worthy!"

"Victory is assured in the conquest of Korea!"

……

soon.

Amidst the clamor and excitement at the Yongcheng training ground, none of the 1,918 young elites from Shanglinyuan who had passed the Qin Army's basic physical fitness test for new recruits escaped.

Among them were people like Zhang Han who lied about their younger age, and naturally there were also those who were so audacious as to lie about their older age.

Anyway, as long as you dare to come, Bai Qi will accept you based on your fearless courage.

Eight hundred regular soldiers from Shanglin Garden were the first to be formed, and the left and right auxiliary guards returned to their posts one after another.

Although the martial arts demonstration on the training ground was held back, there were still dozens of people with broken tendons and bones.

Fortunately, with the King in charge, no one dared to cause any deaths.

Each of the three battalions had 800 men, totaling 2400 new recruits and elite soldiers of the Shanglin Army. Ultimately, 482 men were still short.

After Bai Qi reported to King Zheng of Qin, he quickly selected a group of young and talented men from the remote civil and military officers of Qin who could not make it in time, and held a supplementary military examination.

Even in the end, even Zhao Ji, Han Ji, Queen of Chu, Empress Dowager Huayang, and Empress Dowager Xia Ji;

Even the states of Wei, Qi, and Yan, which had kinship ties with Qin, sent letters recommending their young men to Qin.

Anyway, the most basic standards for Qin Ruishi are there; whoever can break through depends on their own abilities.

The gate to heaven has been opened, and the message has been delivered. Whether or not they can seize the opportunity is no longer a question for Bai Qi and the others to consider.

The Eight Schools of Shanglin and the Left and Right Auxiliary Guards were officially formed on the first day of the new year in the fourth year of King Zheng of Qin.

The daily training at Shanglin Garden had actually begun long before the trial ended.

I run 50 miles in the morning, cross the road with a weight, and do 300 drills with a spear and shield at noon. In the evening, I practice sword fighting for 100 rounds.

Moreover, under the strong demands of Meng Tian and others who were eager to make progress, even the Qin elite soldiers began to cooperate in a seemingly proper manner in the later stages of multi-unit tactical coordination.

For them, the squad leader and platoon leader assessment at the second checkpoint of Shanglin Garden was not a big deal at all.

The advantages of scions of military families and the pride of a poor warrior relying solely on his courage and valor are utterly shattered by reality.

Even the most stubborn troublemaker, after losing in private, in public, and even in skill competitions, has no choice but to lower his head and humbly learn.

At the same time, Bai Qi's establishment of the "Three Highs" standard for the eight specialized schools in Shanglin is also quietly influencing everyone.

Without even comparing himself to the center, the word to describe him is "all-around" or "all-powerful".

The Tiger Warriors required both men and horses to be fully armored, and this single new term made Wang Li and Wang Wei's eyes blaze with anger.

Bai Qi's ultimate goal is to build a Qin Dynasty version of the pinnacle Xuanjia Army based on the current bronze alloy technology.

This is difficult, but the armor-making blacksmiths, symbolizing the highest level of craftsmanship in the Qin Dynasty, are about to arrive.

Needless to say, the Yue cavalry had to cover 300 li a day, with the rider covering half the distance and the horse covering the other half. They also needed to be skilled in archery and horsemanship. Without horseshoes and saddles, they would be half-ruined.

Infantry armor is the simplest yet most demanding. It completely abandons the all-around requirements of the current Qin elite soldiers, focusing only on armor, increasing physical fitness, and training for charging and breaking through enemy lines.

To master archery, one must first acquire a three-stone bow, capable of shooting through a willow branch from 150 paces away, firing three arrows in quick succession, and drawing the bow with both hands.

Above that is Bai Qi's pinnacle skill, the rapid-fire shooting of seven arrows from both sides, which he publicly demonstrated.

The standard is there; never say you can't do it, but rather ask yourself if you've tried your best!

For a moment, all the proud young men who stepped into Shanglin Garden were filled with mixed emotions.

"Without entering Xianyang, one will never know that heroes of the world are as numerous as carp crossing a river, and that the vastness of the martial world is truly like a frog in a well!"

In comparison, Changshui was rather inhumane and had the slowest recruitment and formation speed.

Bai Qi's requirements were to ride a horse and board a boat, carry a bow and crossbow, swim naked across the Wei River, make a round trip, and still have the strength to capture the enemy's city.

In short, if you have a boat, you can maneuver it; if you don't have a boat, you can ride a horse; if you don't have a horse, you can practice crossbowmanship...

The reality was that there were no large ships, no fine horses, and they had to make their own crossbows suitable for naval warfare.

In short, the Shanglin Army sought innovation, change, and new tactics that could overwhelm existing ones.

And this was also his minimum requirement for the Hundred Generals of Shanglin, also known as the Eight Colonels.

Chariots and crossbowmen go without saying, as these two are deeply tied to the yet-to-be-established artisan camps.

Soldiers only need to know how to operate chariots and crossbows, but building stronger chariots and longer-range crossbows is not something that lower-ranking soldiers need to worry about.

As a result, several third-generation Qin soldiers who originally wanted to lie down and give up have almost plucked all their eyebrows.

Just then, three thousand top-quality military horses carefully selected from Longxi arrived.

The letter from Prime Minister Lü urging King Zheng of Qin to return to Xianyang has also arrived.

It is said that the new armor of the thousand elite soldiers in Shanglin Garden has been completed, and Your Majesty is invited to return to the capital for inspection.

In reality, he was using the new armor of a thousand men in the Shanglin Garden as a pretext to urge King Zheng of Qin to return to Xianyang quickly.

During this period, the entire Qin court and the public were in turmoil due to Bai Qizi's strategy of "bringing offspring to Shanglin Park".

Everywhere in the court and across the country, people were asking, "Did your son get into the Imperial Academy? No? What a coincidence, my son did! He's ranked 163rd..."

"I really don't understand what's so great about rankings below 100?!"

When King Zheng of Qin sat in the deep palace, Lü Buwei did not think much of it, relying on the fact that with the Prime Minister in charge, everything in the Qin state was as stable as Mount Tai.

But just half a month after King Zheng of Qin started his training exercise for the Shanglin Eight Hundred New Army in Yongcheng, he felt that the position under his command was unstable.

Power always chases after people.

The power of the Qin state rested with the King of Qin, not the Prime Minister. Wherever the King of Qin was in power, that was where the power of the Qin state lay.

Lü Buwei's original intention was to use the soldiers, armor, money, and provisions of a thousand men to force King Zheng of Qin to weaken his own power.

Unexpectedly, Bai Qi and Qin Wangzheng outwardly agreed to persuade him to grant the king a crown, but then they came up with the idea of ​​taking over the entire army, including the main general, the two assistant generals, and the three battalions, and raising their own private army.

What saddened him most was that the first person to contribute money, effort, and supplies was Empress Dowager Zhao Ji.

"Are young, handsome men in their late teens really that good? You'd throw your entire fortune at them?!"

Finally, still not satisfied, they wouldn't even spare the sons of civil officials who valued martial prowess, the younger generation of officers and soldiers on the frontier, or the martial talents from the six distant states.

Helpless, he immediately sent a letter to King Zheng of Qin, urging him to return to the capital as soon as the new armor of a thousand men was completed.

Bai Qi chuckled after reading the letter, "This is because Lü Buwei is afraid we'll establish a new Qin state in Yongcheng."

During this period, King Zheng of Qin trained day and night with a group of outstanding young men from Guanzhong on the training ground. The youthful spirit between his brows was even more vigorous. He smiled when he heard this.

"Even my revered father has a day when he feels anxious and fearful?!"

Bai Qi shrugged. "The King can protect Lü Buwei and ensure his safe landing, but others cannot."

King Zheng of Qin nodded, and the youthful impatience in his heart subsided considerably.

"Let's go along with the old man one more time!"

As long as Lü Buwei remained in power in the Qin court, King Zheng of Qin could continue to act recklessly.

Otherwise, he would have to face those slippery old fogies head-on.

Clearly, the impetuous young King Zheng of Qin was not yet ready to shoulder the weight of the entire nation as an adult.

But the happy times were numbered.

Bai Qi subtly hinted, "The open power struggle between the King and Prime Minister Lü is a great boon for Qin's eastward expansion beyond Hangu Pass. Everything depends on the success of the Shanglin Army."

King Zheng of Qin tapped his fingertip lightly on the table, his expression slightly thoughtful, and asked, "How much longer?"

"These recruits have a good foundation. If we find the right opportunity," Bai Qi thought for a moment, "half a year!"

King Zheng of Qin frowned slightly. "Isn't half a year a bit too rushed? Actually, I'm not in such a hurry to assume full power. It's better to postpone the military training."

Bai Qi smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the Shanglin New Army is full of vigor, but its true strength still needs to be tested on the battlefield."

"South Korea would be a good training ground!"

King Zheng of Qin relaxed his brow slightly. "That's right. There's no reason for us to lose to a mere state like Han."

……