Chapter 383

The next day was the North Border's inspection day; the King, following wartime standards, went to the East and West Grand Camp in the afternoon for a stroll, giving the participating soldiers a mobilization and encouragement.

Of course, the encouragement was mixed with intimidation.

For example, whoever drops the baton will be assigned to guard the city gate for two months!

Don't underestimate guarding the gate for two months—it could delay many things, not to mention losing face when transferred to a brother unit; even just one's martial skills would be far behind those of hardworking comrades!

This time's scale was much larger than the previous haphazard one; not only did Shanyang Pass, Luoshui Pass, and Shanggu Pass send teams, but the King also organized a team for the hard-to-reach Shuofang Pass.

On inspection day, before dawn, the whole city of Youzhou woke up.

Wu Jihan and the other envoys could all attend this time; the three of them could even go up onto the Southern Splendor Gate's gate tower, which the King feared they wouldn't see clearly.

Before dawn, Liang Ben came to lead them out, saying, "You'll soon know why we set out so early; in a bit, the civilians will be allowed to pass, and we simply can't squeeze in."

The group followed Liang Ben out, and upon stepping outside they found it was still dark before dawn, the streets already packed with people.

The civilians weren't just randomly crowding; beforehand the viewing areas had been divided by wards, with several wards or a county assigned to a numbered zone of roughly equal capacity, but since the front spots offered a better view, these civilians also queued up all night.

Those who had come far from the Great Jin also had a fixed area.

Liang Ben first took the envoy group to that section, had the Youzhou Guard arrange seats for the other envoys, then brought the three representatives to the Northern Border King's Mansion.

The Northern Border King's Mansion was still in night-mode; the brightly lit mansion felt completely different from daytime, making the three feel a pang of resentment again. Bai Li Jing really isn't human—living such a godlike life yet still extorting them!

After another strict search, they entered through the side gate into the Southern Splendor Gate; Liang Ben led them up the mansion's outer wall, which resembled a city wall, where seats had been set up today.

"Three honored guests, please come this way; your seats are here, which can be called a prime central spot. Our His Highness specially changed the inspection date just to welcome you." They stood on the right side of the second floor of the main gate tower of the mansion, about ten or so meters from the King's throne—truly a central position.

Wu Jihan had long grown numb to such nonsense; he suppressed his shock and sat quietly, watching the noisy crowd of civilians file in from afar.

The sky was just beginning to lighten; one could see the dense crowds far off moving orderly toward this place.

As it turned out, even the border prefecture of Youzhou in the Great Jin had so many civilians.

When the sun's edge showed a sliver of golden light, the thousands of lamps in the Northern Border King's Mansion all went out at once, astonishing these few foreigners.

"No, no one blew them out, they just went out?"

"... or they all went out together."

"This Northern Border…"

With so much amazement left unsaid, and many soldiers standing guard nearby, they finally swallowed it down.

They also couldn't show too much weakness.

The three could see clearly in the gate tower; not a soul approached the splendid palace lamps beneath the eaves or the row of lamps on the outer wall—then, in an instant, they all went out together!

Several people's expressions grew more complicated.

The sun had not yet risen, the morning mist had not cleared; they sat on the high second-story gate tower, bathed in mist, their minds foggy…

Everything seemed to be heading in an uncontrollable direction, drifting further and further…

………………new chapter………………

………………new chapter………………

………………new chapter………………

More and more people filled the second floor of the Southern Splendor Gate, and the walls on both sides of the gate tower gradually filled with seated people.

The King really knew how to put on a show—seats were set up on the walls on both sides, inviting representatives from all walks of life. Village elders, even the petty clerks of small counties, each had a quota; in short, anyone who could be notified in time came.

As the sun rose, the spectators in the front square also stood firm; looking down from the second floor, a sea of black stretched out without end.

About fifteen minutes before the inspection began, the King appeared.

The King ascended the gate tower escorted by several armored generals; the envoys noticed he was also wearing armor today. Looking at him, he finally didn't look like a milk-fed baby, but rather a young lad.

Today the King wore armor and carried a sword; for the first time he appeared in public with the Grand Majesty.

Tang Qian, relying on his unique intuition, felt that the sword whose hilt the King occasionally gripped was no ordinary blade!

He had also seen the weapons the King personally used when leading troops to assault cities—none were anything less than divine arms; surely the sword he bore today wasn't ordinary either. He kept staring at the sword behind him, while those who didn't attend court kept staring at him.

That big-bearded man walking beside the Marquis of the Eastern Capital—could he possibly be… the Governor of Liangzhou?

There were rumors that the King had summoned the Governor of Liangzhou and the Marquis of the Eastern Capital back; the Marquis knew them, but this person he'd never seen before, and he looked incredibly arrogant!

Everyone rose to pay respects to the King; Wu Jihan held back his anger and rose to salute as well. This Northern Border King really knows how to toss people around. He wanted to see, after tossing around such a huge scene, what exactly the Northern Border King was up to.

The King glanced around; the city tower was packed with people.

Besides the familiar court officials, three scallions, the high-ranking military officers who didn't take part in the review, the head of the Xie family, and even Xue San and Xue Si from the Xue family were present; the King also spotted Xie Tu and Zhou Huang in the corner with his keen eyes.

Although they held no official posts, one got in by leaning on his uncle's influence, the other got in by leaning on the fact that he had once lived in the prince's residence and used his in-law connections.

The King waved his hand and told Zhao Bao, "Send the paper I prepared to Xie Tu."

With so many people, Xie Tu and Zhou Huang blending in the corner would normally not attract notice, but then Zhao Bao brought over a large painting folder and set it up front, drawing a crowd that began to scrutinize the two youngsters. Xie Tu, seeing the thickness of the drawing paper, felt his heart turn icy—this couldn't be less than fifty sheets!

Exactly, the King used him as a camera.

The King called them to rise, and then everyone took their seats in order.

"Has the princess come out?"

Zhao Bao replied that he had already taken the concubine and the Lady of the Liang family, along with the other female relatives, to the second floor of the adjacent tower, and only then did the King feel relieved.

"What about Winnie and Zhetian over there next door…?" Oh well, no need to ask.

As the King tilted his head to speak, he saw two sneaky dog-like heads peeking out from the stairway they were coming up—who else could it be but Zhetian and Winnie!

The King muttered complaints, "Six thousand taels gone to waste!"

Zhetian, this crafty creature, as soon as his eyes met the King's, didn't hide; he flapped his wings and flew over, landing rudely on the King's desk. The King reached out to push it, but it just shifted aside, letting him hit it but not leaving.

Winnie, seeing that, also didn't hide; he got up and quickly followed.

Behind it was the graceful Lord Bai Ze.

The two huge beasts, amidst the crowd's gasps, squeezed in beside the King; fortunately the gate tower was spacious, and for ease of viewing there weren't many people.

The King's throne was in the center; to his left were the Marquis of Dongdu and Tang Qian, followed by Wei Ke and Wei Shen; to his right were the Chancellor and Xie Yuan, etc., the civil officials. Now it's fine—three dependents have arrived, and the whole row shifted to make room for the King's beloved huge beasts in the first row.

The King resentfully complained, "Lord Bai Ze, didn't I ask you to watch those two? My two beast‑feeding pellets have just gone to waste!"

Bai Ze lazily yawned beside Wei Shen, sat up straight, and upon hearing that said directly: "They're too noisy; knocking them out is a different price."

Great King: ……

Xie Yuan:???

It's not his fault for being unsteady; the whole second floor froze solid.

It's fine that the Great King's pet looks strange, but why can it speak?!

Usually so steady, the Chancellor's mouth could fit a fist!

The calmest are the Wei brothers; the Great King also pretended nothing happened and turned his head—scare you to death!

Everyone was staring at the never-before-seen Bai Ze that could speak human words, only Wujihan glanced at Bai Ze, then glanced at the Covering Sky perched on the Great King's table.

Matched, matched! The legendary white giant beast that snatched Lan He past ten thousand troops and the divine bird that spits ice!

He didn't even notice his own gaze at the Great King's profile was full of resentment, until Ling Yin, seated behind the Great King, gave a warning look; that sharp gaze finally woke him, and Wujihan quickly lowered his head.

He himself didn't even notice; his stare at the Great King's profile was full of malice, until Lingyin, seated behind the Great King, gave him a warning look, and that sharp gaze finally startled him awake—Wujihan quickly lowered his head.

Today even Heaven gave the Great King face—not saying it's a big clear day, but the sun came out then quickly hid behind clouds, making the sky overcast; fortunately there's no sign of rain.

The only one on site who thinks today's weather is good is the Great King—do you know what a dark filter is?!

With sunny skies, birdsong, and floral fragrance, where's the oppression? Where's the atmosphere?

The Great King really appreciates today's weather, just as atmospheric as the filtered parade videos he's watched.

He gazed ahead at the plaza and the densely packed crowd; that guy nodded, extremely satisfied—our environment setup isn't bad either.

Soon the auspicious time arrived; the Great King waved his hand and announced the start.

The Ritual Official announced: "The Northern Border State's parade ceremony officially begins~"

The horn blared, drums shook the heavens.

The gilded immortal crane stove rose with blue smoke, accompanied by powerful drumbeats; leading the formation was the infantry phalanx.

At the very front was a flag team, representing all the formations participating in today's parade, equivalent to a preview.

At the very front was a huge royal flag, the military flag only the Great King uses in the army, with a golden dragon pattern.

Then behind were each unit's battle flags; looking closely, there were Mysterious Armor Cavalry, Snow Cavalry, and the characters for Shanyang Pass and Shanggu Pass; those who don't understand just watch the fun, feeling the various colored flags fluttering in the wind, the atmosphere gaining a hint of liveliness.

This atmosphere didn't last a few seconds before the real parade began.

The Great King first looked toward the three envoys in the right corner: "You guests from afar also take a good look; today my parade has no ceremonial guard, only the Northern Border's killing units. Ordinary foreigners who've seen them…… all ended up in another world; you're very lucky."

The Great King for the first time turned his gaze to the three envoys in the right‑hand corner, saying, "You three guests who have come from afar, take a good look—today my military review has no ceremonial guard at all; they are all killing units from the Northern Border. Foreigners who have seen them… all ended up in another world. You are very fortunate."

The Xue brothers train hard every day, but they rarely get to follow the Great King; they didn't understand his way of speaking.

Xue Ming whispered in a breathy voice: "……What does that mean?"

Xue Chao wouldn't know, but Zhou Huang understood: "It means they're all dead—seeing the Northern Border Army's enemies all dead, pointing to the underworld."

Xue Ming: "The Great King is truly learned, speaking so tactfully."

Zhou Huang, in an adult-like manner, patted Xue Ming's shoulder: "Hang out more with the Great King; he'll surely like you, he really knows how to talk!"

Zhou Huang patted Xue Ming on the shoulder, saying, "Play more with the Great King—he'll surely like you, you really know how to talk!"

【Report! Northern Border Sword and Shield Infantry forming!】

The famed Youzhou Mysterious Armor Cavalry sweeps the Northern Border, but the Great King also has infantry.

The first infantry formation consists of sword-and-shield troops; the unit looks about three hundred strong, each holding a shield in one hand and a sword in the other, steps uniform, shields forming a line like a black cloud drifting from the sky.

This infantry unit marches to the drumbeat, each step landing with the force of a spear striking the ground; upon reaching Nanhua Gate they repeatedly perform shield blocks and thrusts.

This infantry unit marched to the beat of the drums, each step carrying the aura of metal halberds striking the ground; when they reached the South Hua Gate they continuously performed the motions of raising shields to block and stabbing.

The moves are ruthless, the battle cries shake the heavens.

The rather unsteady Great King again led the applause: "Good!"

With his lead, the nearby officers also cheered; Wei Shen's eyes lit up. Sure enough, after changing clothes, he looked even more imposing than in rehearsal.

【Congratulations, Your Highness, everlasting bliss and infinity!】 After the neat military salute, the sword-and-shield infantry passed through Nanhua Gate.

The Great King couldn't sit still; he stood up to look, and the upstairs spectators weren't any calmer—even the civil officials rose.

The Great King couldn't sit still; he rose to look, and the spectators on the second floor were no calmer than he—even the civil officials stood up.

【Report! Northern Border Infantry Archery Battalion forming!】

【Report! Northern Border Heavy Infantry forming!】

The troops at the Great King's disposal are just appetizers; the infantry have hardly seen battle, yet even their equipment is enough to leave everyone present gaping—both men and weapons are quite formidable.

The Great King chose the heavy infantry—all the tallest soldiers, with the brightest shields, pleasing to behold.

The envoy delegation truly verified: it's indeed not the weapons of the welcoming guard; they first saw such a large shield, with intricate patterns, looking exceptionally refined, and these three have gained some sense of the Great King's wealth.

The envoy party really did confirm carefully—it was indeed not the weapons held by the welcoming guard; they saw for the first time such a large shield, its patterns intricate, looking quite exquisite, and these three already had some awareness of the Great King's wealth.

【Report! Northern Border Ordnance Battalion forming!】

Report! North Border Armaments Camp is forming ranks!

The infantry has passed, the new ones have arrived. Everyone uniformly stretched their necks—what is this now?

What else could it be? The king had the gunpowder crossbows, arrow crossbows, and even small cannons pulled by carts go around once, demonstrating his strength—he wanted to demonstrate it thoroughly.

Our main point is just honesty.

Tang Qian was beside himself with excitement; he had seen the others but never that last cannon, and he urged the king earnestly: "Your Highness, just walking past like that, what can you see? Better fire it once to open our eyes!"

As soon as the king heard, he immediately sat down: "No, I still need this plaza!"

Outside the North Border Prince's mansion, this large plaza, paved with neat tiles all the way far beyond the bridge, made him ache wherever it was smashed. The tiles were laid by Mengmeng; the king dared not smash them, for who knows how much more they would cost to buy again.

Actually, to laypeople these weapons seem only averagely intimidating; for instance, someone quietly asked, "Why no trebuchet?" Those who know a bit told him that trebuchets have already been phased out in the North Border.

For example, in besieging a city, a trebuchet with two carts of stones, working hard all day, might just manage to crack the wall; but if the king brought these cannons, two volleys would topple the gate tower in less than a moment.

Envoy delegation: …

Fell over…