Chapter 218

Da Wang handed over the 180 ways to eat milk to the cooks for research; after dodging for two days, he finally had to return to the Academy to attend school.

You can't just stay home waiting for missions; with current transportation, it takes a while for news to reach elsewhere.

The clever Prince You himself packed his schoolbag, tossed out the useless stuff, and wrapped some of the Prince You Mansion's new specialty milk skin inside.

His pasture base buff, stacked like the garden base, is impressive—not only do animals breed quickly, but yields of wool and milk are far higher than outside.

Zhu Ti's wool-spinning workshop has already hired a hundred female workers; if the pasture weren't mainly for raising warhorses, all the women of You Prefecture could probably make a living from that little pasture.

Da Wang rushed to Class Jia, but his seat was already full, and as soon as he entered everyone turned to look at him.

Da Wang glanced and indeed there were two more people.

Da Wang reached into his bag, pulled out his new snack, and started handing it out to everyone from the door.

The dried milk skin baked with almonds and white sugar, wrapped in a layer of rice paper, Da Wang enthusiastically shoved into his classmates' hands: "Our cook's new invention, it smells great~ but if you have a weak stomach, eat less~".

Someone immediately stuffed it into their mouth; after trying it, everyone was delighted and said it was sweet and delicious.

Da Wang's unlucky homework subordinate also got a copy; Zhang Qi flipped through it and wondered, "Da Wang's family cook?"

Isn't that the cook brought out from the prince's palace? All right, this time I really get to taste the snack made by the Imperial Chef.

The last ones to receive them were Lu Xin and Fang Chao; Da Wang's attitude was completely natural, with no trace of the embarrassment he'd just shouted about.

"Wow, there's a new classmate! Senior Brother Lu, long time no see, you're here too? There's also a freshman; I'm Wei Tai Ping—what should I call you?"

Fang Chao: …"You don't look like you personally ordered me thrown off the mountain a few days ago."

"Hello, I'm Fang Chao." Though he was under the eaves, his sliding kneel was extremely smooth.

Da Wang nodded seriously: "Good name, I hope you'll give me plenty of guidance, classmate Fang. You don't look like someone from the north—where are you from?"

Xie Yuan entered and saw that Da Wang, who had just stirred up a bloody storm in the Academy, was affectionately hanging out at little disciple Fang Chao's desk, chatting with him……

Has this person forgotten that just a few days ago he personally tossed that guy and his luggage down the mountain?

Now he's again all smiles, playing by someone's desk…… Has Bai Li Jing never learned the word 'embarrassment'?

Right now he's again smiling, hanging out playing at someone's table… Has Bai Li Jing never learned the word 'embarrassed'?

Xie Yuan coughed, and Da Wang finally shifted his gaze a bit: "Wei Tai Ping, you came again to study despite your busy schedule? Truly not easy. Let me think… the last time you came was four days ago; that day… I recall I left an essay. Come, hand it over, I'll take a look."

Da Wang stared blankly, "Huh?" He shuffled with tiny steps back to his seat~

Xie Yuan: "Huh? What huh? Hand it over!"

Da Wang returned to his seat and kept glancing at Zhang Qi beside him; Zhang Qi instantly didn't know where to put his hands or feet.

Still, Xie Yuan rescued him: "Don't look at Zhang Qi—this time he definitely didn't write it for you."

Or it was Xie Yuan who saved him: "Don't bother with Zhang Qi; this time he definitely didn't write anything for you."

Da Wang: ……

After school, Ling Yin and Wei Ni met a listless Da Wang, which made Wei Ni keep staring at him, wondering if he was unhappy because someone stole his snacks.

Ling Yin finally managed to say: "My lord, do you seem unhappy?"

Da Wang looked up at the sky and sighed: "Who could be happy after writing two sour essays in one night?"

The king gazed up at the sky, sighing, "Ah! Who could feel happy after writing two sour articles in one night?"

Da Wang then actively asked: "Can't you comfort me?"

Ling Yin: "I can't write to help my lord. But let's hurry back to the prince's mansion; the officials of the previous dynasty probably haven't left office yet."

Ling Yin: "I can't write to help the lord. But let's hurry back to the prince's residence; the officials of the former dynasty probably haven't left office yet."

The next day, Xie Yuan discovered that Da Wang's essay was finally not written by Zhang Qi; he had switched to two other scribes and didn't even copy it over once.

And yet this guy still looks at him with an innocent expression?

Do I look blind?!

Xie Yuan began taking deep breaths……

Bai Li Gunrou Jing didn't care in the slightest, yet another person saw through his nature.

Bai Li·Rolling Knife Meat·Jing couldn't care less that yet another person has seen through his true nature.

Da Wang loafed around the Academy for a few days, listened attentively in class, and firmly refused to do homework at home; soon three days passed, the Grand Military Competition arrived, and Da Wang openly took leave.

That day, he didn't mind the weight, pulled out his suit of armor and put it on, then sat on the high platform to watch the battle.

The opening elimination round wasn't much to see, pretty chaotic, with every training field kicking up dust. Only after the afternoon eliminations left five or six thousand did it become exciting.

These also counted as having some skill; Da Wang watched with great excitement, thinking if everyone were like those five or six thousand, going to the battlefield he could rest easy.

As night fell, the last three thousand standing on the East Division's training field automatically joined the Flying Eagle Guard, becoming, aside from the Owl Cavalry, a top-notch upper unit.

As night fell, the three thousand people who remained standing on the drill ground of the East Great Camp voluntarily joined the Flying Eagle Guard, becoming a top-tier unit second only to the Owl Cavalry.

The excited Great King wanted to go down and pat their shoulders but couldn't reach, so he could only stand on the high platform and shout his approval several times.

"From now on, you are officially the Flying Eagle Guard. Your mounts will be changed to Black Wind Horses, your stipend doubled, and you will have a chance to join the Owl Cavalry! Being a soldier, if you don't aspire to be a soldier-king or a general, you're not a good soldier. I hope you continue to work hard; here I do not care about seniority or background—as long as you have ability, you can become a commander too! Whether you are merchants or farmers, aristocrats or artisans, in my domain your starting point is the same. Train well; I await the day you pull the Owl Cavalry from their mounts! Then you too will receive high stipends, wield the finest weapons in the world, serve as my personal guard, and after retirement be supported for life by the manor."

The three thousand newly formed Flying Eagle Guard let out an earth-shaking cheer!

Most of them came from the poorest border counties of the Great Jin, having muddled through over a decade, living hand‑to‑mouth day by day; now they suddenly have a goal—a goal that can let them rise up.

A military officer is also an official; once one truly attains that rank, one has completely crossed the class divide.

The Great King smiled, painting a pie: "As long as you are willing to work hard, the next Commander Zhang and Deputy Commander Zhao will arise from among you. The times are tough, but Youzhou will still expand its forces, so there are plenty of opportunities."

Zhao Chuan patted the soldier beside him who was shouting with a loud voice and said, "I'm not dead yet; if you want to take my seat, you're still too green!"

That soldier gave a hehe laugh, turned his head, and heard the Great King call Zhao Chuan.

"Deputy Commander Zhao, the Flying Eagle Guard is temporarily under your command. You'd better work hard—I see everyone is full of confidence in replacing you!"

Zhao Chuan: "I will certainly not fail the trust placed in me by Your Highness."

The Great King then summoned Zhang Tu over and entrusted them with the task of the New Year's grand review.

To these ancient people, this was quite novel; although they usually drilled in formation, the demand to march in perfect unison with matching hand and foot movements was puzzling.

Zhao Chuan, bold as brass, asked the Great King what the necessity of this was.

The King patted his own cheek: "Yes, it's about my dignity! When the time comes, I, the King, will organize a grand military parade, and all the city's folk will come out to watch. If you lot march in a messy hodgepodge, will I look good? Will they believe that such soldiers can protect them?"

Zhao Chuan was as quiet as a chicken.

That actually makes a bit of sense?

"Actually, training to keep formations neat also cultivates the troops' bearing and demeanor, fostering good habits; this is still quite important. I, the King, have seen a troop where the angle of lifting the leg and swinging the arm was exactly the same, the rifles they held gleamed cleanly, and from the side they looked like a single line! I, the King, haven't seen them in battle, but I feel they are a disciplined, formidable army capable of fighting. Do you understand? Spread my words; the New Year is coming, after the recent martial competition everyone's relaxed, so just practice forming ranks and holding a parade."

After saying that, he turned his head to look at Zhang Tu: "This is also my recruitment publicity campaign; you must train them to look impressive and mighty… so that ordinary folks see them and want to enlist!"

Zhang Tu: ……

How is that possible!