After half a day of fierce competition, out of 5,000 participants, only 50 passed the final assessment.

Zhao Yun's performance was superior to others in every aspect, and he won first place without any suspense.

For a time, Zhao Yun was the center of attention.

Parents, especially those with daughters, looked at Zhao Yun with such fervor that they wished they could snatch him back.

With exceptional skills and unparalleled good looks, who wouldn't love such a young man?

Of course, Zhao Yun's exceptional talent also became a nightmare and a source of trauma for many young boys.

Deyang Palace.

"Ha! This Zhao Yun has really stolen the show this time!"

Looking at the list of assessment results sent by the Imperial Guard, Liu Hong also showed a satisfied smile.

Zhang Rang, standing to the side, also said with a smile, "Yes, Your Majesty, Young Master Zhao is exceptionally talented, and with the careful guidance of you, General Tong Yuan, General Lü Bu, and others, it is only right that he should make a name for himself."

Based on Young Master Zhao's performance, he's sure to get first place in this Imperial Guard assessment!

Liu Hong smiled and waved his hand, "That's not necessarily true. This batch of trainees is not so simple!"

Although he had great confidence in Zhao Yun, there were countless talented people in the Han Dynasty, and those who had not yet made a name for themselves should not be underestimated.

Furthermore, judging by the timeline, those famous guys are probably getting old by now.

This term of the Imperial Guard is destined to be anything but peaceful.

August 5th, Hejian.

Hejian, as Liu Hong's former territory before ascending the throne, was always regarded as his base of operations, and most of his personal guards were recruited from the people of Hejian.

The people of Hejian have always considered themselves fellow countrymen of the emperor, and their level of support and loyalty is unparalleled in the entire Han Dynasty.

Therefore, when the instructors came to Hejian to recruit Imperial Guard trainees, the whole city of Hejian was in an uproar. Every family with a son of the right age sent him over to participate in the assessment.

Zhang He, who is eleven years old this year, is also among those being assessed.

Looking at the Imperial Guard soldiers in their uniforms, Zhang He's eyes were filled with longing and determination.

He grew up in Hejian from a young age. After he became sensible, he was influenced by the deeds of the emperor. When he was five years old, he said that he wanted to be the emperor's personal guard and protect the emperor who made them live a good life.

Over the years, Zhang He has been working hard toward this goal, practicing diligently every day. Whether in martial arts or academics, he is among the best of his peers.

Now, the opportunity has come. As long as I can get into the Imperial Guard, I can become the emperor's personal guard and meet the person I have admired since childhood.

Thinking about all this, Zhang He's heart couldn't help but beat faster.

Similar to the assessment method in Luoyang, the first task was also to run ten miles with a weight on.

At the instructor's command, Zhang He and the other teenagers ran towards the finish line with all their might.

In just a few breaths, Zhang He was in the lead.

Carrying equipment weighing 60 pounds, he, like Zhao Yun, showed no signs of strain.

Soon, Zhang He crossed the finish line first, leading the second-place runner by more than 300 meters.

His performance also astonished the instructors in charge of the assessment.

The instructor looked at Zhang He and said with a smile, "You're very good. Take off your equipment and go to the other side for the archery test!"

Zhang He said firmly, "Instructor, I think I don't need to take off my equipment!"

The instructor raised an eyelid: "Oh? Why?"

“Instructor, what I’m carrying isn’t a load, it’s His Majesty testing me…” Zhang He replied loudly.

"Well said!" The instructor gave Zhang He an approving look, then his expression turned serious: "However, the first thing a soldier must do is obey orders, understand?"

Zhang He straightened up: "I know!!"

"If you know, then do as ordered!"

"yes!"

Zhang He answered loudly, quickly took off his equipment, carefully handed it to the instructor, and then ran towards the open space for the archery assessment.

Zhang He's archery skills were also extraordinary. He hit the target perfectly at distances of forty, sixty, and seventy paces. Only at the eightieth pace did one of his arrows miss by a tiny bit.

Of course, this achievement was enough to shock everyone.

In the end, Zhang He unsurprisingly won first place in the Imperial Guard recruitment assessment in the Hejian region, becoming a shadow over the local children, just like Zhao Yun.

After bidding farewell to his parents, Zhang He, filled with reverence for the emperor, and his fifty companions who had passed the test, embarked on the road to Luoyang.

A few days later, Zhang He and his party arrived in Luoyang and were temporarily housed in a separate courtyard of the Imperial Guard, awaiting the official opening of the Imperial Guard.

After moving into the separate camp, Zhang Hehe did not relax. One day, just as dawn was breaking, he got up early, went to the courtyard, picked up a wooden spear, and began to practice.

Just after Zhang He finished demonstrating his marksmanship, a figure walked over from a distance and bowed to Zhang He with clasped hands.

"Hello, I am Zhao Yun!"

"My name is Zhang He!" Zhang He returned the greeting with clasped hands.

Zhao Yun then asked, "I saw that Brother Zhang's spear technique was quite skillful just now. May I ask who your teacher is?"

Zhang He shook his head. "I only practiced under the guidance of a local martial arts master. I did not learn from anyone else. This spear technique is something I figured out on my own!"

"I never expected Brother Zhang to have created his own spear technique. Would you be willing to spar with me?"

Upon hearing Zhang He's words, Zhao Yun's eyes lit up, and he was immediately filled with excitement, wanting to spar with him.

"Of course I would be more than happy to, Brother Zhao, please!"

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