For some reason, the two horses, which had just been competing with each other, gradually became close and rode side by side. No matter how Xia Yixin tried to control them, Ta Yun would follow the wind, as if it were attracted to it.
Fortunately, they soon arrived at the camp of the Northern Martial Iron Cavalry, and Xia Yixin was also attracted by the magnificent and imposing soldiers in front of her.
The Northern Martial Cavalry truly lived up to their name.
Xia Jingfeng brought them to see only one of the four battalions from the east, west, south, and north. Tens of thousands of Northern Wu soldiers, dressed in black armor and wielding long halberds, were all dark-skinned and full of energy.
In comparison, the Imperial Guards that Xia Yixin and Qi Yu brought this time seemed rather small.
As the group reached the front, the Northern Martial Iron Cavalry saluted Qi Yu, their dark, imposing presence evident, but their gazes towards Qi Yu were not entirely subservient.
Xia Jingfeng's lips curled slightly, quite satisfied with his army; he simply wanted to give Qi Yu a taste of his power.
Unexpectedly, Qi Yu said loudly, "I have heard that every member of the Northern Martial Iron Cavalry is a brave and skilled warrior. Prime Minister, I would like to randomly select one of them for a contest. I wonder if the Prime Minister dares to give it a try?"
The young emperor actually wants to compete with the soldiers of Beiwu?!
How could someone who has only been on the throne for less than two years and who has never even received proper instruction from a teacher before entering the palace be willing to compete?
Xia Jingfeng hesitated, after all, it wouldn't be good for him if Qi Yu lost an arm or a leg, but he didn't expect Qi Yu to be so determined and even offer that "anyone who is willing to compete with him can be promoted to cavalry captain".
That's like rising to the top in one step!
Where there's a price to pay, there are bound to be brave men. Sure enough, a few people stepped forward, and in the end, Qi Yu was up against a tall, dark-skinned centurion.
The tall, strong man clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Your Majesty, I am Zhao Quan, a centurion of the vanguard of the Northern Martial Army. I humbly request Your Majesty's guidance."
Qi Yu took off his cumbersome cloak, wearing only a black dragon-embroidered robe, and walked to the opposite side of Zhao Quan, signaling him to begin.
Compared to Zhao Quan, Qi Yu was not short, but he appeared "slender and weak". Xia Yixin had never seen him actually fight before and did not know how he was.
Xia Jingfeng stroked his beard and said in a deep voice, "Zhao Quan, stop here."
His words seemed to be telling Zhao Quan to be careful, but in reality, Xia Jingfeng didn't think much of Qi Yu. He had a lot of confidence in the soldiers he brought, and he thought that a seventeen-year-old boy was probably just full of enthusiasm.
However, Xia Jingfeng was soon taken aback.
For the first five moves, Qi Yu was still adjusting his state, only defending and not attacking. But after that, Zhao Quan felt that his strength hit a ball of cotton, and he couldn't control his opponent at all.
Xia Jingfeng was an expert; he could tell at a glance that Xia Jingfeng's footwork and punches were different from all the current martial arts styles.
Xia Yixin couldn't help but chuckle. It was Tai Chi! She remembered that among the pile of martial arts manuals he had thrown at her, there was indeed Tai Chi, which uses softness to overcome hardness and combines softness and strength.
This kind of skill was perfect for dealing with Zhao Quan, who was full of brute strength. After thirty moves, Qi Yu used the opponent's force against him, and Zhao Quan was knocked back more than ten steps, almost falling to the ground.
Zhao Quan was already panting heavily, sweating profusely despite the cold winter weather. In contrast, Qi Yu was only slightly out of breath, appearing calm and collected. The outcome was clear.
"Your subordinate admits defeat!"
Qi Yu calmly helped the other up, saying, "In close combat, I may have a slight advantage, but in mounted combat, I will have to rely on the Northern Martial Iron Cavalry to protect my great land."
His words soothed the hearts of all the Northern Martial Cavalry present, including Zhao Quan.
Zhao Quan had previously looked down on this puppet emperor. The people of Beiwu admired heroes and true men. He never expected that this seemingly "thin" emperor would have such profound martial arts skills and unfathomable inner strength, not to mention what he said.
Beiwu also belongs to the Han Dynasty!
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" Zhao Quan was the first to kneel down and shout.
The remaining Northern Martial Cavalry also knelt down and shouted, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Xia Yixin was not surprised to hear the system notification: "The success rate of the side quest 'Helping Qi Yu become a qualified emperor' has soared to 85%. The host is simply amazing, cultivating a cunning and ruthless emperor!"
Xia Yixin had mixed feelings.
Xia Jingfeng's feelings were even more complicated. He originally thought that this review of the Northern Martial Army would dampen Qi Yu's arrogance, but he did not expect that this young man would not play by the rules and would successfully win over the hearts of the Northern Martial Iron Cavalry with his martial arts skills.
Moreover, Xia Jingfeng couldn't understand it at all. When he brought Qi Yu out of the Cold Palace less than two years ago, he was just a clever fifteen-year-old boy. When did he develop these unpredictable skills...
And more importantly, he didn't get a single tip-off!
Xia Jingfeng unconsciously glanced at Xia Yixin, who remained calm and composed, and gave a deep snort, "Wan'er has really grown up; she's even starting to side with outsiders."
Xia Yixin's expression froze. Oh no, her father was angry.
Just then, someone, oblivious to the fact that he had a "praise me" look on his face, walked over and called out, "Wan'er."
Xia Jingfeng became even more envious!
With a week to go before the sacrificial ceremony, Qi Yu, who had temporarily gained the respect of the Northern Martial Cavalry, seized the opportunity to reorganize the palace guards and even ostentatiously transferred some people from the Northern Martial Cavalry to become the leaders of the palace guards.
Among them was Zhao Quan, who was directly promoted to Commander of the Imperial Guards, responsible for leading the Imperial Guards to protect the safety of the palace.
Although Xia Jingfeng was an irreplaceable leader in the hearts of the Northern Martial Cavalry, people in feudal society were ingrained with something called imperial power.
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