Chapter 402: Snow Cavalry Sets Forth

At the Western Major Camp, the Great King attended in full ceremonial dress the Snow Cavalry's departure feast.

He personally bestowed the newly forged military flag upon Chang Li; it was a flag with a silver background and silver border bearing the character meaning 'secluded', a new flag the Great King had prepared for the new designation.

Since it was something that couldn't be hidden, the Great King didn't intend to conceal it either. Having already meddled, he openly did so, to avoid leaving the neighboring residents with any illusions. Consistently bold in skill, the Great King's actions were far less conservative than his words suggested.

The Great King raised his cup, saying, "May you all achieve victory at the first strike! The victorious Japanese king is here with us; let us raise another toast to celebrate our triumph."

After the simple ceremony ended, the Snow Cavalry mounted, their white horses and silver armor drifting out of the West Hua Gate like a white cloud. The Great King, at the rear, noticed a patch of mixed colors; looking closer, he saw three riders in black armor had mingled in.

It was Wei Shen leading the Xue brothers.

The Great King hastily ordered Ling Yin: "Catch them back, quickly catch them back!" I, the king, haven't even had my turn!

Sending others wasn't useful; the Great Hero Ling went out, and before long Wei Shen returned with Xue Three and Xue Four, heads hung low.

"Great King, you shouldn't play like this—after running so far, you still call us back; that's really not enough!" This tone, learned from the Great King, is spot on.

"The Snow Cavalry always trains in battle formations; you usually follow the Eagle Cavalry—what good would it do to tag along? When they form up, are you just going to stand aside and clap?"

Wei Shen had been fuming over his failed plan, but hearing this, he instantly burst out laughing.

"Fine, you really are something!"

Immediately following the Great King, he scrambled up the tower of the West Hua Gate, gazing as he watched that silver-white silhouette fade into the distance.

Inside the city, from the West Hua Gate to the west gate of Youzhou City, wherever pedestrians passed, the Youzhou Guard had already cleared the road in advance. Originally the common folk didn't know about this, but seeing the Youzhou Guard clearing the road, they now all knew.

They increasingly didn't want to leave, so they gathered in groups at a distance to watch whether they would be driven away; the result was that the Youzhou Guard cleared the road and stood watch silently, whereupon they understood and simply sat down on the spot to wait.

They waited until high noon, wondering whether they should first go home for a meal and return, when they heard rolling thunder coming from the east.

The roads of Youzhou City were excellently paved; the three thousand cavalry racing across them sounded like thunderbolts exploding!

"What is this for?"

"How white! Is that the Great King's Snow Cavalry?"

"It's the Snow Cavalry!"

"How imposing! No matter how you look, it's imposing!"

"What are they off to do?"

"The road's been cleared; this formation surely isn't just ordinary training, right?"

"Is there a mission?"

"Who knows…"

Finally, someone unknown started the gesture, and the townspeople by the road began waving to the Snow Cavalry, shouting loudly, "Safe return!"

The envoy delegation departed the day after tomorrow; they needed to procure some dry rations and such for the journey, since after leaving Youzhou City it would be extremely hard to find another city with everything. Coincidentally, they also happened to witness the Snow Cavalry's departure.

Amid the cries of 'Safe return!', Wu Ji Han felt a bit broken through.

Amid the townspeople's shouts, the Snow Cavalry neither changed speed nor responded, but instead stared straight ahead and vanished from sight at the same swift pace.

The sound of the three thousand iron hooves galloping on the highway seemed capable of shattering the earth; even far away they could feel the ground trembling.

Su Wan of the Wusun sighed, "I never imagined riding on this road could be so mighty." He rubbed the solid, stone-like smooth road with his foot, his expression inscrutable.

"I don't know what they're off to do, nor who's going to suffer…"

Wu Ji Han also didn't know where the Snow Cavalry was headed; he wondered to himself, without Lan He's Xiongnu cavalry, could he withstand such northern border cavalry? Moments later, his face grew ever grimmer.

Many in the city saw the Snow Cavalry leave the gates, and for a time rumors ran rampant.

Everyone expected to wait for an official government notice, following past custom—when major events occurred the Great King usually issued a proclamation—but this time they didn't get one; instead, the next day they received the northern border's tribute policy.

The Great King openly announced the matter of collecting protection fees from neighboring states, informing his subjects.

He felt this also strengthened popular cohesion, a fine morale boost, and thereafter our northern border would truly be the Celestial Empire.

This was also the Great King telling his beloved subjects, "Paying a little grain to support me is already the best treatment, after all you farm my fief and enjoy my protection. Look at the neighboring residents—just because they live nearby they have to pay silver…"

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【Don't exploit the Xiaoyang people; if the update isn't ready, you lot just go fight over the rankings—don't let big data abandon the Great King (*꒦ິ⌓꒦ີ)】