The drumbeats ceased, and looking down at the soldiers below, standing tall and straight, their morale high, perfectly aligned, Guo Xiaoke was astonished. Although the Yuan Cong Imperial Guards were elite, they weren't much stronger than the Left Valiant Guard. How could they have changed so much in just over a month?
"Wow! Swift as the wind, silent as the forest, fierce as fire, immovable as a mountain, unfathomable as the shadows, and powerful as thunder. Huai Dao has indeed grasped the essence of Sun Tzu's Art of War! In just sixty breaths, the soldiers have assembled!" Cheng Zhijie exclaimed in amazement as he watched his son giving orders.
"General, do you mean this was trained by Huai Dao?" Guo Xiaoke asked in surprise.
"I heard from Huai Mo that Huai Dao set the training methods and requirements," Cheng Zhijie said without turning his head, watching the soldiers training according to the commands.
"No way! He knows how to train troops? He's not a military strategist!" Li Chongyi said with a doubt in his eyes.
“All training methods were personally led by Huai Dao!” Princess Changning said, somewhat displeased with his tone, giving Li Chongyi a cold look.
"It's incredible! Even the Xuanjia Army can't match this in terms of sheer presence!" Guo Xiaoke exclaimed.
"General Guo! Please inspect!" Cheng Huaimo ran up to Guo Xiaoke, clasped his hands in a fist and said loudly.
Seeing Cheng Huaimo's serious face, Guo Xiaoke returned the salute with clasped hands, and then walked carefully toward the square formation where the soldiers were standing.
Upon entering, Guo Xiaoke was even more astonished. All the soldiers kept their eyes fixed straight ahead, not distracted in the slightest by the arrival of this general and chief clerk. His arms, clad in short sleeves, were muscular and clearly brimming with explosive power.
Guo Xiaoke was well aware of this situation. Many martial artists, because they lacked methods of body tempering, found it difficult to refine their qi and blood, resulting in bulging muscles that made them appear very powerful.
This situation isn't necessarily bad; it just means they can't cultivate to a high level. There's nothing that can be done about it, because they come from poor backgrounds, haven't laid a good foundation, and lack proper cultivation methods.
Guo Xiaoke couldn't understand how Qin Mu had trained these soldiers to be like this, considering there were over five hundred of them. In other armies, only a very small number of personal guards were trained to this extent.
If Guo Xiaoke were to ask Qin Mu, Qin Mu would tell him that the main reason was insufficient nutrition. Wealthy families have good cultivation methods and money to prepare tonics, so this situation wouldn't occur; while poor families would be even less likely to experience it, because they wouldn't have enough nutrition.
The more than 500 men from the Six Doors, along with the craftsmen, were provided with fish head soup and bone broth at every meal, even if they didn't have lavish feasts. Qin Mu also had tonics added; even if they weren't high-grade, they were enough to replenish the soldiers' strength.
Of course! There's another reason Qin Mu didn't know: his training methods were pieced together from various sources, including some gym training methods that essentially turned people into muscle bulges. So, what appeared before Guo Xiaoke were over five hundred burly, muscular men. Regardless of their actual strength, their appearance alone was top-notch.
After walking through the motionless soldiers, Guo Xiaoke's face was filled with shock and excitement. Upon returning, he repeatedly exclaimed, "They are truly amazing! I can't believe that they were trained in just over a month."
"It's all thanks to their strong foundation; otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy!" Qin Mu instructed Cheng Huaimo to disband the soldiers, and then explained to Guo Xiaoke.
"Even so! It's still too rare! If it weren't for them... I really wanted to go to the Left Guard!" Guo Xiaoke exclaimed.
Upon hearing Guo Xiaoke's words, Cheng Zhijie's eyes lit up, and then he chuckled, stretching out his thick arm to put his arm around Qin Mu.
"Uncle Cheng! Tell me what's wrong. Your smile is making me uneasy!" Qin Mu asked, his body trembling.
"Huai Dao! Uncle Cheng has always treated you well, hasn't he?" Cheng Zhijie asked Qin Mu with a serious expression.
Qin Mu had already realized what Cheng Zhijie meant, and nodded with a smile, saying, "Uncle Cheng is naturally very good to me."
"Could you do Uncle Cheng a small favor?"
"Uncle Cheng, please speak!"
"Help me train the Left Guard. The requirements aren't high; just like they were just now will do!" Cheng Zhijie said, pointing to the training ground.
"That's no problem, but I must remind Uncle Cheng that training soldiers is no cheap business!"
"Cost? What else do you need?" Cheng Zhijie asked blankly.
"Uncle Cheng, you're also a martial artist, so of course you know the consequences for cultivators without plenty of meat and tonics!"
Cheng Zhijie understood that without medicinal supplements, most people wouldn't live long, and he immediately lost interest. If there really were medicinal herbs, he could train a group of experts.
“However, it’s not impossible. My training method, while useless against experts, isn’t expensive. The entire Zuotun Guard definitely can’t manage it, but if it’s just one or two thousand people, I believe the Zuotun Guard can afford it.” Seeing Cheng Zhijie’s disappointment, Qin Mu tried to persuade him instead.
"Oh! Tell me quickly, what do you want to do?"
"That's easy. Just select the people and hand them over to me. Also, you need to get an imperial decree from His Majesty, otherwise how can I mobilize them?" Qin Mu said, raising his hand.
“Alright! Leave this to me. Where do you want to transfer the soldiers?” Cheng Zhijie asked.
"Qinling Mountains!"
Qin Mu only recently learned that not only the snowy mountains in the northwest and the Kunlun Mountains are dangerous, but the Qinling Mountains in Guanzhong are also extremely dangerous. Most hunters only dare to hunt in the outer mountains of the Qinling Mountains, such as Taibai, Lishan, Huashan, and Zhongnanshan, and very few people venture deep into the Qinling Mountains.
One of the main responsibilities of the Twelve Guards of Guanzhong is to guard these places, and Zhong Nanshan, Taibai Mountain, Huashan Mountain, and aristocratic families and sects are stationed there.
"You want to hunt the ferocious beasts of the Qinling Mountains?" Cheng Zhijie guessed his intention.
“That’s right! The ferocious beasts and medicinal herbs of the Qinling Mountains are all things I value.” Qin Mu nodded.
Even if Cheng Zhijie hadn't said anything, he would have taken the people from the Six Doors out for training. As the training progressed, without some supplementary training, it would be difficult to make further progress.
"Do you know how dangerous the Qinling Mountains are? If it triggers a wild animal uprising, that would be disastrous!" Cheng Zhijie said seriously.
"Uncle Cheng, don't worry, I know how dangerous the wilderness is. I'm just taking them hunting on the outskirts!"
"Alright then! I agree!"
"Hey! Hey! What about me! Huai Dao, since you're helping the Left Guard train, why not help the Left Valiant Guard train some people too!" Guo Xiaoke hurriedly said.
"No problem, as long as His Majesty agrees."
"Okay! Don't worry! It's just a matter of moving a few thousand people, no problem."
"But I have one condition! After the training is over, I want to select two hundred people to join the Six Doors!"
"No way! I'm entrusting you with the most elite troops of the Left Guard. If you choose the best ones, wouldn't I be at a huge loss?" Guo Xiaoke hurriedly shook his head.
"Don't worry, I definitely won't choose the top two hundred people!"
"Really?" Guo Xiaoke asked with some doubt.
"Absolutely true! Not only the Left Valiant Guard, but I also need two hundred men from the Left Garrison Guard!" Qin Mu assured him!
"What! Huai Dao, you brat, you even dare to mess with my Zuotunwei!" Cheng Zhijie shouted.
"Uncle Cheng, please help your nephew out. You know, the Six Doors need a thousand people, but His Majesty only gave us a little over five hundred. Hmm, given the current situation of the Six Doors, it's not convenient to recruit people from outside. That's why I'm asking you for them! But don't worry, I mean what I say, I definitely won't take the two hundred most capable people." Qin Mu patted his chest and promised.
"Okay! As long as you can train people to look like they did before, I agree!" Cheng Zhijie nodded, rubbing his big head.
The two agreed and left immediately. Li Chongyi hadn't expected Qin Mu to change so much in just two months. He stared in disbelief for a long time, finally realizing with dismay that he had become a marginal figure in the Six Doors. When he came, he had hoped to make a name for himself and, using his status, control half of the Six Doors' power. Little did he know that the Chief Secretary of the Six Doors was Princess Changning, and that one person alone could keep him completely under her thumb. The other three seemed unapproachable.
The most tragic thing was that all the soldiers were trained by Qin Mu, leaving him as a commander without any troops. His chance to gain power seemed incredibly slim, since everyone he met supported Qin Mu.
Qin Mu knew Li Chongyi quite well and didn't actually harbor much ill will towards him. After all, he was much older and more mature than Li Chongyi. Why would he stoop to the level of a teenager? Therefore, he told Li Chongyi to adjust to the situation for a few days before assigning him work.
Li Chongyi was skeptical, but had no choice but to do as he was told. Qin Mu, on the other hand, hoped for as many helpers as possible, as he already felt overwhelmed.
…………
"What do you mean?"
The next day, Qin Mu stared in astonishment at Cheng Zhijie. On the other side sat two young maids; he recognized them—they were Li Shimin's daughters, the current princesses. He truly couldn't understand why Cheng Zhijie had brought back two "ancestors" for him.
"Ahem! Huai Dao, didn't you say you were going to offer two businesses to the princess?" Cheng Zhijie said, tilting his head.
"Yes! I meant to offer two businesses, but you don't expect the princess to learn them all by herself, do you?" Qin Mu couldn't say this aloud, so he walked up to Cheng Zhijie, stared intently at him, and gestured with his eyes to the princess sitting quietly beside him, drinking iced tea.
"Well! Didn't His Majesty hear that you, Huaidao, are quite skilled at teaching your sister? So he had the princess learn from you for a while," Cheng Zhijie explained with a smile that looked particularly sincere.
Qin Mu was furious. He glared at Cheng Zhijie, his nostrils flaring. Teaching others was fine, but could he just teach a princess like that? This was a complete hot potato.
But since we're already here, what can we do? We can only accept it and provide for our needs with good food and drink.
Qin Mu frowned slightly, then smiled and said, "Uncle Cheng, I'm afraid I don't have time to teach the princess for the time being! As you know, I'm about to leave Chang'an to train soldiers."
Not pleased with Qin Mu, Cheng Zhijie waved his hand and said, "The weather is hot and the palace is stuffy, so His Majesty specially sent someone to take the princess to the foot of the Qinling Mountains to escape the heat! There are 500 Xuanjia soldiers accompanying her for protection, so you can rest assured."
"What?" Qin Mu stared blankly at Cheng Zhijie, he really didn't expect such a thing to happen.
Turning his head to look at the two princesses, Qin Mu wondered if they were Li Shimin's biological children. How could he have been entrusted with taking them out of Chang'an?
Looking at Cheng Zhijie, Qin Mu felt that something was amiss. Princess Pu'an and Princess Dongyang were only nine years old. Although they were born to Consort Fei, they were still princesses! Even if their mother was gone, Li Shimin would not abandon his children!
"Ahem! This is His Majesty's will, Huaidao, just do as He says," Cheng Zhijie reminded him.
"Alright then! We'll set off tomorrow!" Qin Mu nodded. With five hundred Xuanjia soldiers, he wasn't afraid of danger. After all, she was Li Shimin's daughter, more noble than others, and there couldn't be too much risk involved.
"Huai Dao! What's going on?" Four people, three horses, and a rhinoceros were walking on the streets of Chang'an. Cheng Huaimo turned around and asked.
Behind them were two carriages, the kind of carriages worn by princesses, very spacious, with many figures vaguely visible inside.
"Didn't your father tell you?" Qin Mu asked.
"How should I know? The old man told me to bring my two younger sisters over first thing this morning! Aren't we going to training? How come there's a princess with us?" Cheng Huaimo rolled his eyes and said, then looked at Qin Mu's mount with envy.
He had seen rhinoceroses many times, and usually thought they were just a bit bigger. But now, walking together, the difference in size compared to the warhorses was immediately apparent. They looked noticeably shorter on their horses. And the warhorses were uncooperative, refusing to go first, making the three of them look like mere followers.
"Princess Pu'an and Princess Dongyang are going to the foot of the Qinling Mountains to escape the summer heat, and we're here to escort them," Qin Mu explained.
"Escape the summer heat! Is that Zhongnan Mountain? Isn't that different from the place we booked?" Cheng Huaimo asked. Zhongnan Mountain has a royal villa, so it's not surprising that they said it was for escaping the summer heat.
“No! It’s at the foot of the main Qinling Mountains, not Zhongnan Mountain!” Qin Mu replied.
Cheng Huaimo didn't understand why, but wisely he didn't ask. Anyway, his father knew about it, and there must be a reason why he didn't tell him.
This was the first time the Six Doors had appeared before the public. Their flying fish robes and embroidered spring knives made them stand out from the crowd. The cape-like cloak covered half of their heads, but the tight-fitting clothes made them look very smart.
The Six Doors are not fully equipped yet, only these two standard configurations, but that is enough to pique the curiosity of the people.
"Which army is this?" Many people asked, and of course, even more people were asking Qin Mu, who was riding a rhinoceros.
Bronze armor, bronze sword—many were curious about the face beneath the mask. To make himself look more like a general leading troops, Qin Mu specially took out the bronze armor and put it on.
Not only were the common people curious, but inside the carriage, Princess Changning rested her chin on her hands, gazing intently ahead.
"What is the princess looking at?" Cheng Ying followed Princess Changning's gaze and then asked with a smile.
"Ah! No...it's nothing!"
"Hehe! It's really nothing?" Cheng Ying said with a smile.
“It’s definitely not to see my older brother!” Cheng Lin continued.
"Of course it's not to see Yuchi Baolin!"
"It can't possibly be Li Chongyi!"
"Oh!" the two sisters exclaimed in unison, then pretended to suddenly understand, pointing at each other with smiles.
"You two brats, are you asking for a beating?!" Princess Changning felt ashamed and angry that her thoughts had been exposed, and raised her fist with a flushed face.
"I won't do it again! I won't do it again!"
"Princess, spare us! Hehe!" Cheng Ying and Cheng Lin pretended to be afraid and waved their hands repeatedly.
"Sister Ruoxi, please don't hit Sister Cheng!" Princess Puan, who was rather thin, said, looking up.
Children, especially little girls, are always so adorable that you can't help but want to protect them. Princess Changning withdrew her fist and said softly, "Sister is just playing around."
"Oh!" Princess Puan nodded, then quietly looked at her sisters. She was used to being quiet in the palace, but looking at them didn't make her feel bored; on the contrary, she found it quite lively.
"Actually, although Huai Dao is a bit younger, he's much stronger than my older brother and the others!"
"Yes! The poems she writes are so beautiful! If love between two people lasts forever, why should they be together day and night?" The two sisters started talking again, glancing at Princess Changning as they spoke.
"Ahem! I heard that Cheng Huaimo wants to marry Yuchi Ermei! I wonder if Yuchi Baolin will also want to arrange a marriage between relatives!" Princess Changning asked, feigning curiosity.
"Oh dear! Princess, you're so naughty!"
Compared to the lively atmosphere of the middle carriage, the carriage behind was equally bustling. Qin Yuling sat next to her sister, talking non-stop.
"Sister Yanran, these are pastries that my eldest brother made yesterday. He added honey, and they taste delicious! You should try some!"
"Princess sister! Do you want some?"
"Sister Yuchi, you are all so tall! Yuling wants to be as tall as you!"
…………
"Have you confirmed who's inside?" a man asked from the window of Deyuelou, watching the departing carriage.
"No results found! However, I am quite certain that there is a little girl inside, and that it is Zhai Changsun, Li Shimin's loyal dog, leading the Xuanjia Army."
"Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free! The opportunity for the Li family to leave the city is rare." The figure at the window turned around, revealing Li Chengdao's sinister smile.
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