popped a peanut into his mouth. He said, "All of you, cheer up! Your most important task now is to take good care of those two people. If anything goes wrong, none of your heads will be safe."The man,...Chapter 312: Provocation
Zhao Xuance, seeing that the attempt to sow discord had failed, smiled faintly and didn't take it to heart.
Sowing discord rarely works by just a few words or incidents.
Most things come to fruition over time.
Li Chen's identity destined him to guard against everyone under his command, whether loyal or disloyal. Imperial power is inherently lonely; how could there possibly be truly trustworthy subordinates
Not to mention, it's the subordinate of the Su family who holds all military power.
As long as he could leave some trace, day by day, Zhao Xuanji was confident that he could draw a line between Li Chen and Su Zhetong.
Li Chen glanced at Zhao Xuanji, a flash of sinister intent in his eyes that disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
This campaign requires approximately 30,000 troops. Of these, the Five Armies Directorate will dispatch a force of 3,000 veteran soldiers from the capital city. Additionally, 15,000 soldiers will be drawn from the local defense garrisons in Liaodong. The most challenging aspect is extracting 12,000 cavalry from the Liaodong army.
Li Chen frowned slightly and said to Su Zhetong, "The Liaodong Army was established independently to defend the Liaodong region. Its commander-in-chief was your father's deputy back then. You should be able to contact him, right"
Su Zhen Ting leaned close to Li Chen and whispered, "The commander of the Liaodong Army, Hu Shifan, is a relatively upright person. Moreover, my father had shown him kindness in the past and promoted him, so he remembers favors. This time, when he was asked to mobilize troops, he didn't say anything. However, he did mention that as he gets older, the Liaodong Army today is not like it used to be. Many things need to be arranged quickly if they are to be done."
Knowing the meaning behind the music, Li Chen nodded thoughtfully and said: “When Su Pingbei arrives in Liaodong, let him have a good chat with Hu Shifan.”
"Understood." Su Zhen'ting replied, understanding Li Chen's meaning immediately.
At this moment, firm and powerful footsteps approached, and Su Pingbei in military uniform walked up to Li Chen.
Su Pingbei clasped his hands together, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head as he spoke in a clear voice: “Reporting to His Highness the Prince, all preparations for the oath-taking ceremony are complete and ready to begin at any time.”
Li Chen nodded and said, "Let's begin."
"Right!"
Su Pingbei responded loudly, then stood up, raised his right hand high, and shouted across the entire venue, "By order of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the mobilization meeting, begins!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, on top of Yuanyuan Gate stood a soldier with incredibly powerful lungs. He held aloft a horn that was almost half his height. Puffing out his cheeks and widening his eyes, his dark face turned beet red as he blew with all his might, forcing every ounce of air from his lungs into the horn.
"Awww~~"
A vast and resonant horn blared, its low voice silencing all the noise in the place.
Then, the flag bearers began to wave their flags rhythmically and in a set pattern, catching the wind and rustling ominously.
The entire atmosphere of the parade ground became instantly solemn. Three thousand soldiers stood tall with chests puffed out and heads held high, their eyes burning like torches, sending shivers down one's spine and stirring a boiling fervor within.
When the trumpet sounded, three thousand soldiers looked up at Li Chen on the reviewing stand. Su Pingbei roared, "Kneel!"
With a thunderous roar, three thousand soldiers knelt in unison.
At this moment, everyone around Li Chen had retreated to the sides. Between heaven and earth, only Li Chen stood alone.
The entire playground was filled with thousands of people, yet there was absolute silence. The only sound that could be heard was the rustling of flags being whipped by the strong wind.
Li Chen's voice came at this moment.
"My lads! You are the most elite soldiers of Qin! And the finest sons of Qin!"
"Today, you are about to set out on a campaign, marching far to Liaodong Xianchao, to display the valor of the mighty Qin!" Changshou's side. He glanced at Cai He, whose breaths were shallow and weak, then crouched down beside her. His gaze fell upon Cai He's dimming eyes, and he asked in a hushed voice, "Can you still s...