In the outskirts of the capital, the Jishan Camp was undergoing an unprecedented drill.
Since the defeat at Weishui, the Regent has ordered the training of elite and strong soldiers. The main forces guarding the capital are all here. Many of them will follow the Regent on the upcoming campaign. This drill serves two purposes: to evaluate the results of the training and to select talented individuals.
Yes, the Regent had long issued an order: heroes are not asked for their origins, the capable will take the lead. So everyone exerted their efforts, wanting to show their most vigorous side and firmly grasp this opportunity.
The early autumn sun was still intense, and many people were sweating profusely, with sweat dripping down their cheeks and into their eyes. Many had cracked lips, but they stood motionless, letting the sweat soak their clothes inside the armor.
Yuwen Chu was quite satisfied. The reason was simple: a powerful army wasn’t just about being the strongest or the best at horsemanship or combat; it should also follow orders in all actions, fearless and orderly.
Yuwen Xin was very pleased. As one of the main responsible persons for the military training, he felt that this orderly, confident, and hateful army, full of resentment towards foreign invaders and the Central Plains traitors, would be his pride. He was preparing to recommend someone to Yuwen Chu, and this person, he had sufficient reason to believe, would shine brightly in future battles and become one of the outstanding generals of the era.
For this recommendation, he arranged a special event – an archery contest. In fact, this was not a rare occurrence, as the most common killing activity in the army was shooting arrows at the enemy while riding horses. Many soldiers were skilled in this activity, but the one he wanted to recommend today was definitely outstanding.
To show that the Regent was not only close to the people but also had absolute power in the military, the first arrow of the day was shot by Yuwen Chu himself. He galloped across the wide training ground, leaving ten arrows right in the bull’s-eye. Not a single arrow missed or went astray. Even the sharpshooters in the army couldn’t guarantee such a flawless performance. Before this, no one had heard that the Regent had such a skill.
So there was thunderous applause. Yuwen Xin, however, became nervous. His elder brother was too formidable. It seemed that his carefully arranged appearance would not have much effect now. But since things had reached this point, he could only continue. He changed the order of appearance for the sharpshooters. Originally, he wanted the person he recommended to appear last, but now it seemed that he could only let that person go first to seize the opportunity.
And when this second person appeared, he unceremoniously split the arrow that the Regent had previously shot into two halves, with not a single arrow missing or going astray.
Yuwen Xin couldn’t help but hold his forehead in pain. He should have known; he should have let this person appear later, with more arrows on the target, it wouldn’t have been so obvious.
Yuwen Chu, however, smiled. “This person is interesting. What’s his name?”
None of the generals seated below spoke, all turning their gaze to Yuwen Xin. It meant, “Huayang Wang, you deal with your own mess, whether you offend the Regent or you end up making a genius person who doesn’t know the heights of heaven and earth, you deal with it.”
Yuwen Xin answered awkwardly, “Wang Cangfeng, his name is Wang Cangfeng.” Then he scolded angrily, “This d*mn fellow doesn’t know his place, dares to be so arrogant and ask for a beating. Take him down and give him a flogging!”
Yuwen Chu waved his hand. “I said heroes are not asked for their origins, the capable will take the lead. If he has this ability, he should show it. After he’s been punished, will the others still dare to do their best?” He then looked at Yuwen Xin with a smile that wasn’t a smile. “Being good at archery is not enough; I also need to see other performances.”
Yuwen Xin realized that his plan had been seen through by Yuwen Chu. He felt a bit embarrassed but also very calm. “He knocked down more than ten strong men alone before, and he’s also very skilled with a long spear. If it comes to strategy, he might not necessarily lose to anyone.”
Yuwen Chu was still considerate towards Yuwen Xin. He readily agreed to Yuwen Xin’s request, “You let him come over, and I’ll test him.”
The archery contest on the training ground continued in full swing. Not far away, in another area where soldiers were practicing paired exercises, the sounds of killing were deafening. The sunlight was still intense. Yuwen Chu, after enthusiastically discussing Wang Cangfeng’s usual deeds with Yuwen Xin, developed a strong interest in him. Yuwen Xin was right; this young man was indeed a rare talent, and his upcoming northern expedition would greatly need such a person.
The archery on the ground no longer attracted his attention. After all, the winner would be specially reported to him by those in charge. He focused on discussing some issues with Wang Cangfeng. After deciding, he would summon Wang Cangfeng again. He was very happy to find such a brave and capable young man and had no idea that the shadow of death was already closing in on him.
Beside the training ground, facing the direction of the command platform, there was an empty space with a small bed crossbow on it. The crossbow had been here for a long time. Over the years, its role had been limited to allowing soldiers to familiarize themselves with its operation and structure so that it could play a greater role in future wars. Occasionally, it would shoot terrifying crossbow bolts, but only when there were no people on the training ground, like today, it was idle and wouldn’t shoot any bolts.
But there were exceptions. The crossbow, devoid of its bolts, was just a useless machine. It stood quietly in the scorching sun, serving as a good place for several idle fire-head soldiers to watch the excitement.
Yuwen Chu, excitedly discussing Wang Cangfeng’s deeds with Yuwen Xin, stood a few feet away from Wang Cangfeng, obediently waiting for him to ask again.
No one noticed that a peculiar light was gleaming behind Wang Cangfeng’s back. This light penetrated the bustling training ground and projected directly into the eyes of a fire-head soldier named Lao Huang, sitting on the crossbow bed, watching the excitement.
He knew that it was the exact direction of the Regent’s seat. As long as the crossbow bolt was shot there, that person would never survive. Because the crossbow bolt that was about to be fired today was specially made, and it would be loaded with the latest type of gunpowder, which was not easy to obtain. This operation was also a gamble. If anyone involved failed, they would leave their lives here.
And at this moment, Ye Xiu, who had come to report at Mingzhu’s command, was stopped outside the military camp. He could hear the thunderous cries inside, but he couldn’t get in. There was no other reason than the Regent’s strict control over the military. All unauthorized people were prohibited from entering during training. Ye Xiu tried to persuade and pull strings, but no one paid him any attention. He faced a difficult choice.
