Chapter 22 The Second Believer
Below the long steps outside the Fengtian Hall, the officials gradually walked away into the distance.
Chu Jiubian looked at Xiao Huaiguan, but couldn't discern any emotion in the other's cloudy eyes.
"Why isn't Minister Xiao leaving?" he asked.
Xiao Huaiguan's gentle smile remained unchanged. He took another step to catch up with Chu Jiubian and said, "I'm getting old and my legs aren't good. I'm sorry to have made the Grand Tutor laugh at me."
In just a few words, his address to Chu Jiubian changed from "Ninth Young Master" to "Grand Tutor".
If he was still acting like an elder, showing kindness and gentleness, now he has completely placed himself on an equal footing with Chu Jiubian.
They were not high-ranking officials or retainers who needed to be recruited; they were all powerful ministers of the first rank who held significant influence in the court.
Sensing the change in the other party's attitude, Chu Jiubian smiled faintly and said, "It's not that you're old, sir, but that you're experienced and have a thorough understanding of people's hearts. I still have a lot to ask you."
"Lord Chu is a young and talented man with a clear understanding of things. On the contrary, I am old and blind, and I should ask for your guidance."
Chu Jiubian: "You're too kind, sir."
The two spoke with hidden meanings, their expressions relaxed and familiar, making them seem to outsiders as if they were having a very pleasant conversation.
But only they themselves know what's really going on inside.
Chu Jiubian walked slowly in sync with Xiao Huaiguan's steps, his eyelids slightly lowered.
It seems he guessed correctly; the mastermind behind yesterday's events was none other than Minister Xiao.
The other party, being the Minister of Personnel, was Zhao Qianhe's immediate superior and the person he had the most frequent contact with.
Chu Jiubian knew that this man was extremely good at disguising himself after exchanging only these two sentences with him.
He is adept at using his age to lower his guard, then using his gentle and kind appearance to deceive his target, supplementing it with some superficial acts of care for the younger generation, and finally guiding and using the target to seek benefits for his own family.
Zhao Qianhe was not a particularly cautious or intelligent person, otherwise he wouldn't have given others so much leverage against him.
So, as time went by, fearing that he would be crushed into dust in the power struggles, he began to consider siding with a certain force.
With Xiao Huaiguan's family among them, the Xiao family clearly became his best choice.
He had done a lot for the Xiao family and wanted to gain their protection, but he was trying to get something from them. In the end, he would only hurt himself.
While he was pondering, he had already arrived at Shenwu Gate with Xiao Huaiguan.
Through the wide-open palace gates, Chu Jiubian saw several sedan chairs outside, with servants and sedan chair bearers standing quietly to one side with their heads bowed.
Not far away, several officials dressed in scarlet or navy blue robes were talking.
One of the men Chu Jiubian recognized was Qi Zhili, the Imperial Censor who had previously rebuked the Prince of Huguang and the Prince of Pingxi in court.
“This Vice Minister Qi is quite a figure,” Xiao Huaiguan said.
Chu Jiubian turned his head to look at him: "What do you mean?"
"Lord Chu, you may not know this, but the Qi family was the richest family in Jiangnan during the reign of Emperor Wuzong. When Emperor Wuzong was conquering the world, it was the Qi family that provided money and supplies behind the scenes, which enabled Emperor Wuzong to conquer such a vast empire."
Chu Jiubian had heard Xiao Xiangzi talk about the Wuzong era a couple of days ago. An emperor who could use "Wu" as his title must have been very capable.
It is said that in the past, the southern Xinjiang region and Sichuan region were ceded to several Tatar tribes. After Emperor Taizu overthrew the tyrannical rule of the previous dynasty, he was determined to reclaim the lost territories.
It wasn't until Emperor Wuzong ascended the throne that he recovered the lost territory with his outstanding military capabilities, and the territory of Daming expanded by nearly one-third.
Furthermore, in order to better deter the menacing Jurchen tribes, Emperor Wuzong moved the capital from Southern Zhili to present-day Northern Zhili, creating a situation similar to "the emperor guarding the country's gate."
It was around that time that the four great families flocked from their ancestral homes to the new capital, all in order to be closer to the center of power.
Xiao Huaiguan seemed to have gotten into the conversation, so he said a few more words: "The Qi family has made contributions, so Emperor Wuzong set a precedent for their clan members, allowing them to enter officialdom as merchants. After that, through the Qi family's efforts, many of their members entered the officialdom."
Of all those who have risen to the center of power over the years, only Qi Zhili has achieved this.
“Then this Vice Minister Qi must be exceptionally capable.” Chu Jiubian looked at Qi Zhili and saw that he had already bid farewell to his two colleagues and boarded a sedan chair.
“Indeed outstanding.” Xiao Huaiguan’s eyes darkened. “But what he relies on is not only his own talent and ability, but also his cousin.”
Cousin?
Chu Jiubian's mind stirred slightly.
"Lord Chu," Xiao Huaiguan said, bowing slightly, "I still have some matters to attend to, so I won't be going to the Ministry of Personnel for the time being. Once you arrive at your destination, I'll have Physician Wang show you around."
Chu Jiubian returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Please take care, Lord Xiao."
Xiao Huaiguan turned around with a smile, his back slightly hunched as he walked out of Shenwu Gate.
Outside Shenwu Gate, the Xiao family's sedan chair was already waiting. Upon seeing him, the servant immediately stepped forward to help him and carefully helped him into the sedan chair.
Xiao Xiangzi, who had been waiting on one side of the door, finally dared to run over, cupped his hands in greeting to Chu Jiubian, and smiled broadly, "Congratulations, young master, on getting another good job."
"You're certainly well-informed," Chu Jiubian said, somewhat amused.
"I overheard some other officials talking about it while I was standing here just now," Xiao Xiangzi said, scratching his head sheepishly. "Young master, last night the officials ordered me to prepare a sedan chair for you. The sedan chair bearers were found by General An. They are strong and skilled in martial arts, which will make it safer for you to go on duty in and out of the palace."
Chu Jiubian had just seen the sedan chair.
The sturdy wooden materials, the dark embroidered curtains, and the bright yellow tassels along the edges of the sedan chair all exude exquisite craftsmanship, making it even better than the one Xiao Huaiguan had just worn.
Just as Xiao Xiangzi had said, the sedan chair carriers were four strong young men.
Qin Xiao is as considerate as ever in this kind of matter.
The sedan chair had been prepared yesterday and was waiting at the palace gate today.
This Qin Xiao must have known yesterday that Chu Jiubian would voluntarily take on the concurrent post of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.
...That's really impressive.
Chu Jiubian boarded the sedan chair, but Xiao Xiangzi did not follow him out of the palace. He remained inside the Shenwu Gate and watched him leave from afar.
There are three main streets outside Shenwu Gate. The one heading south is Shenwu Avenue, which leads through the second and third ring roads of Beijing. These streets are mostly residential, and the residents are mostly high-ranking officials and nobles of the capital.
The mansions of the four great families are all on this street, but they are not adjacent to each other; they are far apart.
Further along the road, beyond the Third Ring Road, lies the home of ordinary people.
However, the people were divided into rich and poor. With Shenwu Street as the center line, the west side was basically inhabited by wealthy families. The busiest market in the city, the West Market, was located there. Previously, Jinxiufang, which sold ice, and Chaqing Street, where Zhenbaoge was located, were both located in the West Market.
The people living to the east were mostly ordinary people, and the shops and stalls in the East Market sold cheaper and simpler goods.
This is Shenwu Avenue, which extends southward. After exiting Shenwu Gate, there are also long streets to the west and east.
The East Street was named Chang'an Street, and the six ministries were located here.
West Street was named Changning Street, and other government offices besides the Six Ministries, such as the Court of Judicial Review and the Censorate, were located here.
The sedan chair bearers carried the sedan chair towards Chang'an Avenue, their steps steady with almost no bumps.
They were fast on their feet, and before long the sedan chair had been carried to the entrance of the Ministry of Personnel.
After Chu Jiubian alighted from the sedan chair, the servant on duty at the yamen greeted him and then led the sedan chair bearers to a designated resting place, so that they could be summoned whenever Chu Jiubian needed a sedan chair.
"Where is Physician Wang?" Chu Jiu asked another servant.
The servant hurriedly replied, "Sir, I just received Lord Xiao's letter and sent someone to invite Lord Wang. He should be arriving soon."
Sure enough, not long after he finished speaking, a middle-aged man in a scarlet official robe walked out from the inner courtyard, his steps hurried.
Upon seeing Chu Jiubian from afar, the other party's expression became even more anxious. However, even so, he did not lose his composure and remained steady and dignified.
This is how the Wang family members behave; they must always maintain proper decorum, no matter when they are out in public.
Chu Jiubian strode toward the other party. As he approached, the physician Wang immediately bowed and apologized: "I rushed here as soon as I received the news, but I was too late. Please forgive me, sir."
"It's alright."
It was also because his four sedan chair carriers were walking too fast.
"Thank you, sir." Doctor Wang bowed again. "Please come in, sir."
Chu Jiubian followed him into the courtyard where the government office was located. The courtyard had six sections and was nearly five times larger than his residence, Yaotai Residence.
"My lord, our Ministry of Personnel has four departments," Wang Langzhong explained. "These four courtyards in front are the Department of Personnel Selection, the Department of Performance Evaluation, the Department of Verification and Conferment, and the Department of Merit Evaluation. Each department has one Langzhong (official in charge), two Yuanwailang (assistant officials), and about twenty other subordinate officials."
A glance across the courtyard revealed numerous officials of varying ranks carrying bamboo slips back and forth.
Everyone knew Wang Langzhong's identity. Seeing how respectfully he treated Chu Jiubian, they knew that Chu Jiubian was their superior. Therefore, when officials met him, they would bow to him.
After passing through the first four courtyards, you will arrive at the fifth courtyard.
This place was much quieter than the previous courtyards, with only a few servants and officials scattered around.
“The innermost courtyard is the official residence of the Minister, and no one usually goes there,” said Physician Wang.
This refers to the sixth courtyard.
Chu Jiubian nodded.
The general manager's office, I suppose.
The physician Wang gave him a detailed tour of the fifth courtyard, as this would be where Chu Jiubian would work from now on.
In the Great Ning Dynasty, each ministry had only one vice minister, so Chu Jiubian was undoubtedly the second-in-command of the Ministry of Personnel.
He had a separate room for his office, which was the east side hall in the courtyard.
It also has a layout of two rooms, an outer room for a study and an inner room for a bed and the like. If he works late or gets busy, he can stay here.
Besides his house, the main building in the courtyard was the archives room.
Inside, rows of wooden shelves were piled with countless bamboo slips, and you could smell their unique aroma as you passed by the door.
The west side hall was a meeting room-like space where the ministers and vice ministers would call their subordinates to discuss matters.
Chu Jiubian walked around once and then went into the cabinet storehouse.
"Most of the official documents in the warehouse are here, arranged on different shelves according to the prefecture, from top to bottom, with the most recent documents placed further down," said Physician Wang.
Chu Jiubian nodded. The arrangement was similar to that of a library, clear and easy to understand. However, these bamboo slips were tiring to look at and took up a lot of space. It would be better if they were replaced with paper versions.
"Is there a roster of officials?" Chu Jiubian asked.
"Yes, I will have someone send it to you shortly."
Chu Jiubian had a good impression of this Physician Wang; he was truly polite and courteous, completely unlike the head of the Wang family, Wang Huanzhi.
"Okay, go ahead and get busy."
"Yes." Without saying anything more, Doctor Wang left obediently.
Chu Jiubian returned to the left hall, where everything was complete and looked brand new, without a trace of Zhao Qianhe's use.
It seems that as soon as news of the other party's downfall reached them, the servants of the Ministry of Personnel cleared this place out.
Chu Jiubian sat down in a chair and looked at the clean and tidy room.
After eleven years in office, it only takes a quarter of an hour to erase all traces of his past.
Before long, someone delivered a paper copy of the roster to Chu Jiubian.
It seems that only materials that require integrating a lot of information are made into paper versions.
Chu Jiubian opened it and looked at it one by one.
The booklet contains records of officials who are currently in office.
From a high-ranking official in the capital to a local official, from a first-rank minister to a low-ranking official in the local government.
Chu Jiubian glanced through the section on Beijing officials and quickly grasped the power structure of the current heads of the six ministries.
Apart from Su Sheng, the Minister of Revenue, and Jian Hongzhuo, the Minister of Works, the other ministers of the four ministries of Personnel, Rites, War, and Justice were respectively occupied by the four powerful families of Lin'an Xiao, Langya Wang, Wuwei Lu, and Yanmen Qiu.
With the addition of the vice ministers and senior officials of various departments, the power disparity among the aristocratic families was almost equal.
But upon closer examination, it becomes clear that, with the addition of the Empress Dowager and the Prince of Jiannan in the palace, the Xiao family actually wields even greater influence.
And then there's Xiao Yao, the head of the Xiao family, who's also incredibly cunning. Chu Jiubian instinctively felt that he was even more difficult to deal with than Xiao Huaiguan.
The Four Great Families.
These people brazenly control the court, and Qin Xiao's statement that he has no capable subordinates is not an understatement.
So how did he manage to lead Baili Hong out of the encirclement under such circumstances in the original novel?
Chu Jiubian is becoming increasingly curious about Qin Xiao's abilities and methods.
He wondered if it was just his imagination, but he always felt that Qin Xiao's methods were somewhat mild, as if he was always wary of something.
That thing made him timid and hesitant, and if this continued, he would always be led by the nose.
Chu Jiubian couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried, so he gave up on himself.
He continued to carefully peruse the roster and soon confirmed his guess.
That Qi Zhongcheng is Jiang Shuoye's direct cousin!
Jiang Shuoye commands 80,000 troops from the northern desert and is a top-notch military general. No wonder Qi Zhili speaks so sharply in court; he truly has someone backing him up.
Thinking of Jiang Shuoye, Chu Jiubian's thoughts drifted.
Several days have passed since he handed over the blueprints for the stirrups and saddle; he wonders if they've been made yet.
He first contacted Jiang Shuoye while the other was taking a nap, so he must have a habit of taking naps.
After returning to the palace at noon, I should send someone to the Divine Realm to inquire about the current situation.
Chu Jiubian now has enough faith points to invite another believer. He was planning to go back at noon to draw a card anyway, so he contacted Jiang Shuoye again, just for the sake of it.
All government offices in the imperial court would close at noon, around 11:30 a.m., and would resume work around 2 p.m.
However, this applies to ordinary officials. People like Chu Jiubian, who is a first-rank Grand Tutor and temporarily serves as a second-rank Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, do not need to come to work every day.
After court, Minister Xiao would go directly elsewhere, and no one would say anything.
There are always plenty of people in the government office, and when it really comes down to him having to resolve the issue, someone will go and inform them.
Chu Jiubian thought that after the morning court session, he would come to the yamen for a stroll and then return to the palace.
Qin Xiao and Baili Hong were both in the palace, and all the important memorials were sent to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. So rather than staying in the government office doing nothing, it would be better for Qin Xiao to stay by Baili Hong's side as Grand Tutor, so that he could get closer to and faster access to important memorials and news.
Recently, there have been few transfers of officials, and it's not yet the time to review the merits and demerits of officials at the end of the year, so the Ministry of Personnel is not very busy.
There were even fewer documents that Chu Jiubian, the Vice Minister, needed to handle; he could finish them all in a morning.
The sun is now high in the sky, and it's almost time to go home.
Chu Jiubian put the roster in the drawer, intending to look at it again when he came tomorrow, and then went out.
The servant had gone ahead to call the sedan chair bearers, and Chu Jiubian got into the sedan chair as soon as he left the yamen and headed to the palace.
Not everyone in the palace could use a sedan chair, so not long after entering the Shenwu Gate, Chu Jiubian got off the sedan chair and headed towards Yaotai Residence with familiarity with the place.
It was a bit hot today, and Chu Jiubian broke out in a light sweat from walking all the way.
The courtyard was bustling with activity.
Xiao Xiangzi said to everyone, "Young Master is on duty for the first time today. He should have a good meal to nourish himself when he comes back at noon. The two sisters should go to the kitchen and keep an eye on things. It's very hot today. Young Master will feel more comfortable after washing up. Xiao Jinzi and Xiao Yinzi, keep an eye on the hot water. Young Master will need it when he comes back."
They all agreed.
After giving these instructions, Xiao Xiangzi walked out of the courtyard. It was almost time for the young master to finish his shift, and he was going to wait at the palace gate.
Unexpectedly, he saw Chu Jiubian as soon as he stepped out the door.
"Young Master?" He was surprised for a moment, then hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Why are you back so early? This servant was just about to go to the palace gate to meet you."
"I came back first since there was nothing else," Chu Jiu said. "I can come back by myself from now on, you don't need to pick me up."
"Yes," Xiao Xiangzi replied. "Would you like to wash up now, young master? Lunch is being prepared; it's your favorite egg drop soup and stew."
It wasn't that Chu Jiubian liked these two things, but compared to the strange-tasting minced meat and the odd soups, these two were acceptable.
"Get me some hot water first," Chu Jiu argued.
"Okay."
Chu Jiubian went into the inner room, and Xiao Jinzi and Xiao Yinzi quickly brought in a basin of water and two large buckets of hot water. They also took clean undergarments and a brand-new pure white robe and placed them on the clothes rack before leaving the outer room.
Chu Jiubian glanced at the new robe.
In the past few days, Qin Xiao has had countless sets of inner garments and outer garments delivered to him, each one made of excellent materials and with superb workmanship.
It can be said that the other party never shortchanged him in terms of food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.
Is this what they call treating scholars with respect and courtesy?
Qin Xiao's work was indeed flawless.
Chu Jiubian took off his outer robe and inner garment, leaving only a pair of trousers.
When he was wearing his coat, he looked thin and frail, but after taking off his coat, you could see that he actually had a thin layer of muscle on his body.
He casually tossed his official robe onto a chair and walked to the basin of water.
The mid-length shorts hung loosely on the hips, revealing the V-line beneath the fabric, creating a mysterious and sexy look.
But what's most striking isn't that, but the numerous scars, big and small, on his body.
Those scars, scattered and intertwined, "cut" apart what should have been flawless and smooth skin.
Chu Jiubian wet a cloth and wiped himself clean from head to toe.
He walked to the clothes rack, picked up his undergarment, and caught a glimpse of his blurry reflection in the bronze mirror.
He paused for a moment, then turned around and walked to the mirror to examine himself closely.
After a while.
He raised his hand, his pale fingertips gently pressing against the faint marks on his chest.
......
After tidying up the house, Xiao Jinzi and the others knew that Chu Jiubian wouldn't be on duty in the afternoon, so they took the official robes they had changed out of to wash.
"Young master, the Imperial Wardrobe is currently sewing the second set of official robes. Once they're finished, it will be convenient for you to change into them," said Xiao Xiangzi.
Chu Jiubian replied, "I'm not hungry right now. I'll take a nap first and then we'll talk."
"Then this servant will bring the ice in for you." Xiao Xiangzi carried a large basin of ice from the outer room and placed it two or three meters away from the bed.
After Xiao Xiangzi left, Chu Jiubian lay down on the bed wearing a pure white undergarment.
When he opened his eyes again, he had arrived in the misty divine realm and was sitting on the wide white jade chair placed high up. Behind him, a huge phantom like himself had also appeared.
The occasional dragon roars and surging black shadows emanating from the white mist added to the mystery.
If someone were to accidentally stumble upon this place, they would surely think it might be the realm of immortals.
Chu Jiubian got straight to the point: "System, I want to draw a card."
[Okay, host. The system has detected that you have enough points and has prepared a keyword card for you. Please draw one.]
Six blank cards reappeared before my eyes, including the "Armed" card that I had drawn before.
In other words, Chu Jiubian might draw another weapon card this time, but he doesn't want armed forces for the time being. He just wants to get the things in his mind out and make a big profit from it.
Chu Jiubian has never had much luck, but he didn't hesitate and drew a card based on his intuition.
After the other five cards disappeared, the card revealed two words: "Wealth".
He got what he wanted! Chu Jiubian was genuinely pleasantly surprised.
Judging from Jiang Shuoye's previous use of the keyword "armed," the person behind this "wealth" must be either very wealthy or have business acumen.
Chu Jiubian has many things that can be monetized, but he has no subordinates and can't keep cooperating with Qin Xiao forever.
After all, they might face each other head-on in the future, and he would suffer a great loss if his entire territory was exposed to the other side.
Chu Jiubian will definitely want to develop his own power, but in the future, whether he wants Jiang Shuo to raise more soldiers or to train civil and military officials, he will need a certain amount of financial resources.
This "wealth card" came at just the right time.
He was in a good mood and urged the system to select suitable personnel.
About half a minute later, the system spoke: [A suitable follower card has been selected for the host. Please select to summon.]
There are only three potential believers this time, one less than last time.
Chu Jiubian glanced around and his gaze settled on the familiar identity card on the far right.
[Prince Ning, Qin Xiao, 25 years old. Above-average wealth, excellent earning ability. (Not recommended!)]
Chu Jiu Bian; "..."
Why is it him again?
And what's wrong with the system? Why does it keep pulling people out every time even though it's not recommended? Is there some kind of bug?
[Host, please rest assured, this system is functioning well.]
The semi-intelligent thing has become quite clever now.
Chu Jiubian decisively ignored Qin Xiao and looked at the other two cards.
Qi Zhili, male, 31 years old, Imperial Censor, head of the Qi family. High wealth, below-average earning ability.
[Situ Zhaoling, female, 16 years old, Princess of Southern Xinjiang, legitimate daughter of the King of Southern Xinjiang. Above-average wealth, excellent earning ability. (Special surprise included)]
Chu Jiubian had just heard that the Qi family was wealthy this morning, and now he's already brought them out.
However, Qi Zhili and Jiang Shuoye are cousins, so it seems that even if Chu Jiubian doesn't transfer people over, he can still benefit from the Qi family's influence through Jiang Shuoye's connections later.
Moreover, this person's earning ability is mediocre, which doesn't quite fit Chu Jiubian's subsequent money-making plan.
That leaves only one—Situ Zhaoling, the princess of Southern Xinjiang.
"System, what's the special surprise that comes with it?" Chu Jiu asked.
[Host, are you sure you want to select this Follower card? Yes/No]
Chu Jiubian pondered for a moment, thinking that since it was a surprise, it couldn't be anything bad, after all, the system had never tricked him from the beginning until now.
So he said, "This one."
【Okay.】After a brief, celebratory background sound, the system voice returned to its calm tone.
[Congratulations, host, for drawing a special card. Your follower information has been updated.]
The original cards have been completely revamped, with two additional paragraphs added to the original text.
Princess Situ Zhaoling of Southern Xinjiang has a special identity, and she also has a follower.
Situ Zhaoyao, male, 16 years old, the young prince of Southern Xinjiang, the legitimate son of the King of Southern Xinjiang, and the twin brother of Situ Zhaoling. Special ability: Invention and creation.
They're twins, no wonder they're giving away one free with every draw.
However, for Chu Jiubian, this was also a huge surprise.
In this era, exceptionally talented individuals who can invent and create are hard to find.
With him, Chu Jiubian didn't need to think about many things himself. He only needed to teach the other party the blueprints and principles, and the other party could apply what he learned to other situations.
Moreover, this princess from the southern border region is incredibly good at making money, which is fantastic.
With the siblings working together, Chu Jiubian seemed to already see a steady stream of income coming in.
[Friendly Reminder: Entering the Divine Realm requires deducting 200 Faith Points from the host. Do you wish to activate this service?]
Chu Jiubian: "..."
Here we go again.
"No," he said decisively.
Having Situ Zhaoling is enough. At worst, we can just give her any blueprints or other materials we need and have her pass them on to our younger brother.
"Can we summon her in now?" Chu Jiu asked.
He still wanted to meet his second believer and hand over the matter of accumulating wealth as soon as possible.
[Host, the follower you selected is not in a dormant state and cannot be summoned.]
Chu Jiubian wasn't surprised; not everyone takes a nap at this time, so he'd wait until tonight.
"Summon Jiang Shuoye."
[Host, this follower is no longer in a dormant state.]
"Then let's see what he's doing."
If a believer who hasn't yet entered the Divine Realm isn't in a state of preparing to sleep, then the card viewing function won't work. For example, Chu Jiubian can't see cards like Situ Zhaoling's.
But Jiang Shuoye had already been inside, so Chu Jiubian could see him at any time.
Jiang Shuoye's card appeared, zoomed in, the image moved slightly, and then the boundless Gobi Desert appeared.
As the sandstorm raged, Chu Jiubian saw a ten-by-ten cavalry formation.
These cavalrymen were part of the previously scattered group of soldiers, but unlike before, they were now equipped with stirrups and saddles, and sat high on their horses.
Each of them stood ramrod straight, holding reins and spears, exuding a powerful aura, completely different from before!
After Jiang Shuoye received the blueprints, he immediately asked his deputy to find more than a dozen familiar blacksmiths.
These blacksmiths have been forging weapons for them for a long time and can be trusted.
Those in the know can see the details. The blacksmiths only studied it briefly before they knew how to make it and guessed how fierce the cavalry would be equipped with these weapons.
They were immediately filled with excitement and earnestly requested that the equipment crew also come and see the cavalrymen's heroic bearing on that day.
Jiang Shuoye readily agreed to such a small matter.
The blacksmiths worked even harder, almost day and night, and finally finished making a hundred sets of equipment this morning, which were just equipped on the cavalry.
Jiang Shuoye had just tried it himself and knew it was useful, but he was a little apprehensive about how other soldiers would use it.
Seeing that the cavalrymen were standing firmly and not swaying like before, he was somewhat relieved.
Now let's see how well they run.
He tensed up, preparing to give orders, but then sensed a subtle, almost imperceptible, probing presence.
He immediately looked in that direction, but it was empty, with only swirling yellow sand.
He didn't know what it was before, but now he understands.
That was the High Priest's method. Since the other party was a god, he naturally had ways to see him in reality across mountains, rivers, lakes, and even across heaven and earth.
The high priest hadn't entered his dreams in the past few days, and he hadn't felt any such prying.
But now that he has just equipped the cavalrymen, the high priest has come to see them. The other side must have timed it perfectly!
Although he knew the High Priest's abilities, Jiang Shuoye still felt a surge of excitement in his heart at this moment.
That was the shock that welled up from the bottom of a mortal’s heart after glimpsing a miracle, and the awe for the unknown.
At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
If his cavalrymen don't perform well, wouldn't that be very embarrassing?
He suppressed his complicated emotions and nodded to the centurion.
At the centurion's command, the hundred cavalrymen roared and galloped forward, their hooves kicking up yellow sand and whistling in the wind, their momentum as powerful as a rainbow!
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