Soon, three months had passed since Wang Han sent out the invitation. The soldiers of the rifle division were all nervously waiting for the start of the military parade. Their commander told them that today was not only a ceremony to send off the troops, but also that Marquis Dingshan had invited all the feudal lords to come and watch the ceremony. Today was also a day for them to show the spirit and momentum of the new Chinese soldiers and to awe the world.
On the city gate tower of Shangdang City, various feudal lords had arrived one after another with gifts. The uninvited foreign envoys were even more generous with their gifts, fearing that if their gifts were too meager, they would become the target of the Dingshan Marquis's army to launch a campaign against them.
"Lord Dingshan, where are you headed this time?" On the city gate tower of Shangdang, the Xiongnu envoy cautiously inquired of Wang Han, who sat in the center. They were the most likely targets of Lord Dingshan's attack. Not only did they have a past conflict, but the Xiongnu were also currently besieged by other nomadic tribes, making them the easiest to defeat. If Lord Dingshan's target was indeed them, they would be doomed. Hearing this, the others quickly fell silent and looked at Wang Han. Some of the foreign envoys were even more nervous, their palms sweating profusely. The riflemen's weapons were too powerful; they could kill from hundreds of meters away, and ordinary wooden shields couldn't stop them. The soldiers were handpicked and rigorously trained, and there were 120,000 of them. If Lord Dingshan's target was them, even if they were lucky enough to win, they would be severely weakened, and more likely, they would be annihilated.
"You'll find out soon enough," Wang Han said with a mysterious smile, brushing the question off. This made all the alien races tense up, and they became even more careful in their words and actions.
Yuan Shao asked, "Then, I wonder who Lord Marquis Dingshan intends to appoint as the Grand Marshal for this expedition?"
“Cao Cao,” Wang Han said with a smile, not keeping the matter secret. Although Cao Cao was a warlord who had surrendered to him and was also a powerful figure, he was also a rare military genius, skilled in both personnel management and warfare. Wang Han wasn't worried about Cao Cao rebelling or being turned. First, the commanders and deputy commanders of the four rifle divisions were all loyal to him, and every rifleman knew who they were loyal to and were also devoted to Wang Han. Moreover, having received cultural education, these soldiers were not easily swayed by others. Appointing Cao Cao as Grand Marshal was mainly because Cao Cao was a capable and talented commander, and he understood current affairs and was pragmatic, which was one of the reasons why Wang Han dared to do so.
"My lord," Xi Zhicai glanced at the time and, seeing that the sun had already reached noon, approached Wang Han and asked, "The auspicious time has arrived; may we begin?"
"Have all the invited people arrived?" Wang Han asked.
“Apart from Yuan Shu, all those invited have arrived, and those who did not come in person have sent envoys,” Xi Zhicai replied. “In addition, many envoys from foreign tribes have also come to observe the ceremony.”
“Yuan Shu…” Wang Han nodded and said, “Let’s begin.”
"Yes." Upon hearing this, Xi Zhicai took a step back and shouted, "Fire the salute!"
Upon hearing the salute, the feudal lords on the city gate tower, though unsure of its meaning, ceased their discussions. In front of the city gate tower, three soldiers who had been prepared beforehand took torches and lit the three earthen cannons pointing into the distance in turn.
"Bang...bang...bang..." Three loud clangs echoed through the sky. The feudal lords and foreign envoys, unaware of what it was, were also startled by the earth-shattering noise.
"Defend our China, protect our land, strengthen our nation, and safeguard our people."
After three cannon salutes, deafening cheers erupted in the distance.
The feudal lords and foreign envoys also quickly got up to look.
On the side below the city gate, soldiers of the rifle regiment, dressed in uniform, with swords and daggers at their waists, wearing light armor, iron helmets, and full belts of bullets around their waists, and carrying neat leather marching packs on their backs, marched in orderly two-hundred-man squares towards the city gate of Shangdang City. Their movements were synchronized, and even their steps were uniform.
"Such momentum!" Yuan Shao was shocked as he looked at the rifle regiments approaching from afar. After a long while, he finally said, "As expected of the new army that Marquis Dingshan has put so much effort into building, no army in the world can match its momentum."
When the soldiers of the rifle regiment reached the white line marked below the city gate, the officer at the front shouted loudly, "Defend our China, protect our land, strengthen our nation, and safeguard our people!"
"Whoosh...whoosh...whoosh..." The first formation changed their footwork, from marching in step to parade step, and the loud, uniform footsteps immediately rang out. The resounding footsteps were so synchronized, as if they were from a single person.
"Defend our China, protect our land, strengthen our nation, and safeguard our people." The soldiers in the formation shouted their unified slogan in unison, marching in perfect unison, their eyes all fixed on Wang Han, who was also looking at them from in front of the city gate. They walked past the city gate with high spirits and great confidence, each of them radiating brilliance and full of confidence, their eyes shining brightly.
"This..." The feudal lords and foreign envoys stared in disbelief at the square formation passing beneath the city gate. Their imposing aura, several times stronger than before, surged forth with each step. Their movements were so synchronized, so uniform, so perfectly coordinated. They had never seen such an army before, nor could they imagine any army in the world capable of stopping their advance. Even searching through history, they could not find one. This was the most powerful army in history, an incomparably sharp sword whose edge would inevitably annihilate everything in its path.
Wang Han watched the formation marching past the city gate, raised his hand in salute, and his voice, amplified by a power-up, resounded: "Soldiers, today, you will represent me, Marquis Dingshan, and your nation and country as you march into the grasslands to annihilate our enemies. From this day forward, you will embark on the path of war, fighting for me, for your nation, and for your country. You will all become heroes of the nation, heroes of your people..."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
