"Your Majesty, the soldiers have already eaten breakfast and rested for a while. They can now compete," Qiao Lian'er said.
The emperor nodded: "How will this competition be conducted?"
Qiu Wutong said: "Every year in the written test, the groups are drawn by lot. The two groups with the same number compete in a best-of-five elimination system. Those who advance then compete in a best-of-five series."
The emperor raised his hand, indicating that it was time to begin.
Before it began, each state sent a representative to draw lots from a box, and then they held up the lot they had drawn.
As luck would have it, Tianhe Prefecture and Long Prefecture were drawn into the same group, and their competition order was second.
The Qiu brothers laughed. To them, Tianhe Prefecture was a weakling, and Long Prefecture was easy to defeat. They didn't have to exert much effort and could conserve their energy for the next match. This was truly the best arrangement from heaven.
“Brother, although it will be easy for us to win against Tianhe Prefecture, with the Emperor above us, we still need to put in more effort and utterly defeat Tianhe Prefecture to demonstrate Longzhou’s strength,” Qiu Deyi said.
Qiu Dezhong thought the same way. Preserving strength was important, but it was also necessary to give Tianhe Prefecture a good beating.
Qiao Lian'er's lips curled up into a smile.
It would be really fun and interesting if Longzhou lost in the first round of elimination, which is exactly the situation she wants to see.
The emperor was also very interested: "Longzhou has a strong military, and Tianhezhou is your fiefdom. You have been strengthening your training these past few months, so I believe the competition will be very exciting."
Qiao Lian'er said, "Even if Tianhe Prefecture loses, it will not be discouraged. Instead, it will strengthen its training and strive to become a good teacher as soon as possible so as to better serve Daze Kingdom."
The emperor looked on with admiration: "That's the kind of ambition and drive we should have."
Seeing that Longzhou had drawn Tianhezhou, Qiu Wutong felt much more relaxed.
However, judging from Princess Zhenguo's calm demeanor, he couldn't tell whether it was because she was always composed and didn't care about winning or losing, or because she was quite confident in winning against Longzhou.
Even with his many years of military achievements, Qiu Wutong still felt uneasy when he encountered the Princess Zhenguo.
Hopefully, he's overthinking it.
The first match has begun, with Huizhou and Liangzhou facing off.
First, as is customary, the competition rules were read out: no bloodshed, no injuries, and no deaths.
Upon receiving the order to attack, soldiers from both sides charged into each other's ranks with their weapons. On the vast, seemingly endless training ground, shouts of battle erupted, and yellow sand billowed.
The two states are evenly matched. If you win this game, I'll win the next. The outcome of one game determines the winner, and the next game will be played by a different team.
The soldiers used all their skills and formations, switching formations on the battlefield with fierce yet orderly movements, which was quite exciting.
The emperor took a sip of the fine wine and watched with great enjoyment.
"This trip was worthwhile, especially seeing my soldiers all full of morale and highly skilled, which puts my mind at ease."
After more than half an hour, Huizhou achieved final victory and successfully advanced to the next round.
"Very well, take these snacks away and reward them to the victorious generals." The emperor clapped his hands and laughed.
The generals of Bingzhou quickly expressed their gratitude and received the emperor's commendation, an honor that would last a lifetime.
Next up is the competition between Longzhou and Tianhezhou.
The soldiers in Tianhe Prefecture looked solemn, while those in Long Prefecture were more relaxed.
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