Chapter 179 Verification
Zhao Ziyuan was pondering the current power distribution in the martial arts world, wondering if he should send someone to investigate.
Meanwhile, Mr. Wu was quietly leading Xiao Qing closer to Phoenix Perch Gorge.
Feng Zhengmin was, after all, an inexperienced civil official.
When night fell and all was quiet, Feng Zhengmin finally couldn't stay awake any longer and went to sleep.
Before going to sleep, he instructed his subordinates to keep an eye on the opposite tent and wake him up immediately if they noticed anything unusual.
Even so, Mr. Wu and Xiao Qing still managed to sneak into Zhao Ziyuan's tent.
Unlike Feng Zhengmin, Zhao Ziyuan was sitting behind the table, looking very proper, but with her eyes closed.
He is resting with his eyes closed.
Mr. Wu and Xiao Qing quietly slipped the curtains open from behind and went inside. Zhao Ziyuan woke up immediately.
To make it easier for someone to find him, he deliberately arranged for the people guarding the tent to be in front, facing Feng Zhengmin, so that they could monitor him, while leaving his back exposed.
Mr. Wu and Xiao Qing did indeed enter from the back.
Xiao Qing walked to the table, while Mr. Wu waited in the shadows.
Zhao Ziyuan looked up and saw... Fu Qingran.
Without saying a word, he stepped out from behind the table and gave a deep bow. Although he didn't know how to address him, he thought that this person must be the emperor's envoy.
"I am guilty, please forgive me, Your Majesty." He bowed his head honestly to admit his guilt and presented the dragon tally with both hands.
Xiao Qing raised an eyebrow, feeling a sense of relief.
The fact that an emperor of a country would appear in this place is such a bizarre event that no one would dare to believe it.
His use of the sir/madam indicates that he doesn't know who she is.
Very good, very good.
Xiao Qing stood with his hands behind his back, looking inscrutable.
Do you know why I'm here?
Zhao Ziyuan nodded, "Your subordinate is already prepared. This way, sir."
Xiao Qing thought Zhao Ziyuan was really clever; before she even explained her purpose, the other party had already found the way for her.
Zhao Ziyuan walked to the back of the tent first, and suddenly saw Mr. Wu hiding in the shadows. He paused and bowed to him.
Then he saw the cut marks behind the tent.
His lips twitched almost imperceptibly, then he turned and walked towards the front door again.
He whispered a few words to the person at the door, then turned back and said to Xiao Qing and Mr. Wu, "This way, gentlemen."
As he spoke, he led them out through the gap they had made, without changing his expression.
They tiptoed to the edge of the cliff, where a suspension bridge was already prepared about ten meters below.
Zhao Ziyuan whispered, "Because we didn't know when the two of you would arrive, I instructed the drawbridge to be raised a little each day, so as not to disturb Lord Feng."
He paused, "I was very rude last time, please forgive me, sir."
He looked at Xiao Qing, but no longer as if he were looking at a talent who could be included in Phoenix Perch Gorge; his gaze became much more restrained.
Xiao Qing nodded indifferently, and then saw Zhao Ziyuan slide down the suspension bridge, then turn around to look at them, gesturing for them to come down.
Mr. Wu and Xiao Qing used their lightness skills to descend together, without making a sound throughout the entire process.
Zhao Ziyuan thought to herself: What a graceful movement!
But he dared not entertain any other thoughts.
The three of them crossed the bridge quietly, and Zhao Ziyuan then led them down the mountain path.
"In the past two years, I have stationed three hundred soldiers here. Although the number is not large, these three hundred men are all elite soldiers who can fight ten men each. If they are properly trained and well-equipped, it is not impossible for them to fight a hundred men each."
As he walked, he gave a brief introduction. "These people were originally prepared for His Majesty. If we go to war with those barbarians in the future, these people will be more useful in Nanhua than the Imperial Guards."
Xiao Qing's curiosity was piqued.
"Zhao Youchen is very skilled at training troops. In the past three years, the military affairs of Nanhua have been well organized, and no other state army can match the combat power of the Imperial Guard."
Zhao Ziyuan scoffed.
“My nephew is good at leading troops into battle, but he’s not very quick-witted.”
At this point, Zhao Ziyuan's tone revealed a hint of barely perceptible smugness.
"The use of troops is based on deception."
He gestured with his hands. "The reason why the Great Xiao lost cities and territories to the Northern Barbarians was certainly because the army was disorganized, but there was another important reason: the troops were of a single type, the training was insufficient, and the tactics were inadequate."
As he pondered how to choose his words, his brows slowly furrowed.
He had read books, but mostly military texts. He wanted to express his thoughts in elegant language, but after much thought, he felt it was too difficult.
It's truly a helpless situation that I wasn't born with the mind of a scholar.
This was the first time Xiao Qing had heard such a theory.
"Let me give you an example," Zhao Ziyuan said, feeling that it was simpler to give examples than to spend time and energy searching for flowery phrases.
"What did you think of Zhao Yong the other day, sir?"
"Incredibly strong, um..." Xiao Qing couldn't think of a way to describe it for a moment.
This man is not just physically strong. Because of his early years of wandering the martial arts world, he knows things that ordinary soldiers don't.
However, it's hard to say whether these are actually useful on the battlefield.
Fu Mingyi once said that while those things might be exciting to watch, they ultimately lacked practicality on the battlefield.
Zhao Ziyuan probably realized that Xiao Qing just couldn't find the right words, so she didn't force him and laughed to herself.
"In a battle between two armies, some are skilled with swords, some are skilled with arrows, some are willing to fight to the death, while others are cowardly and retreat constantly. It is impossible to generalize."
They walked and talked, and soon they reached the mountainside.
"But not all of these people have to be used on the battlefield."
A few fires flickered in the dense forest on the mountainside; they were not bright, but enough to guide the way.
Zhao Ziyuan said, "Come out, everyone."
As soon as he finished speaking, a number of people appeared in the woods with a rustling sound.
They were all dressed in black, seemingly hidden in the woods. If one didn't look closely, Xiao Qing felt they had completely disappeared.
Zhao Ziyuan said, “In the past, I always told you that I was a trainer, not your general or your master. Today, your master has sent someone to inspect your true abilities.”
He stood with his hands behind his back, his expression solemn.
"You've been training your troops for a thousand days, only to use them for one. Most of you are homeless. Although the training has been tough these past few years, your lives have been relatively stable. Don't forget the kindness of a single meal."
"Yes!" the people in the forest replied in unison, their voices full of energy.
Zhao Ziyuan raised her hands, palms down, making a gesture of quiet.
Then he turned around and said to Xiao Qing and Mr. Wu, "Please inspect this, gentlemen."
After he finished, he took a few steps back, until he was behind Xiao Qing and Mr. Wu.
The people in the forest came out one by one and lined up neatly in front of them.
Xiao Qing noticed that these people had different builds and temperaments, and he vaguely understood what was going on.
Mr. Wu narrowed his eyes, a strange light flashing in them.
At this time, Zhao Ziyuan was unaware that the significance of these people to Xiao Qing in the future would far exceed his imagination.
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