Chapter 569: New Feather Forest

「The King today came, I have good news to announce to everyone. Previously the King scattered all the forces near Long Peace, reducing everything to zero, giving everyone a chance to start from scratch. Although we just crossed swords a few days ago, the King also bears the surname Bai Li; from now on, all previous matters are put behind us, and in the future the King will treat everyone equally. 」

Looking at those dirty-faced fellows below, they are far lacking the vigor of the Northern Border troops; the Great King despises them. Hey hey, the King even paused, not knowing what to say!

If it were the Northern Border troops, they wouldn't even need to chant three times 'the King is benevolent'? At the very least they'd shout 'Long live the Great King, boundless bliss'~

Without undergoing military drill and training, it's just not acceptable!

「From now on, you are the new dynasty's Palace Guard. What is the Palace Guard? Palace defense and external warfare. The Palace Guard is a dynasty's elite troops; as long as you strive to keep up with the King's steps, from now on you will be the King's direct lineage. 」

This time, the folks below showed a bit of reaction; he finally noticed a change in those wooden gazes.

「Now the King announces the new reform of the Palace Guard. You are the brand-new New Palace Guard; although your old positions have been abolished, the King will also give you a chance to rise again. From now on, what you want to obtain depends solely on your ability. 」

In the King's presence, background and connections count for nothing! Nobody should dare to rely on good birth to climb in the King's army, nor rely on any connections to take shortcuts. No one is allowed to falsify information, form cliques, and cause trouble in the King's army; the King is not like my father emperor, who let the army waste away to the point that even steppe cavalry could not be defeated!

?

Soldiers: …… Are steppe cavalry just soft persimmons or something?

Also, are you criticizing your father? Where are the censors?!

「In short, whoever causes trouble in the King's army, the King will exterminate their three clans! Hmm, those who don't believe can offer up their three clans to try. 」

Soldiers: ……

Where is the good news we were promised? After talking so long, which one is it? This is pure intimidation!

「First, the first piece of good news. In one month, we will hold a grand army martial competition; the King will select the twenty thousand who perform best out of your two hundred twenty thousand and transfer them into the new Feather Forest Guard. From then on, the Feather Forest Guard will be responsible for palace defense, capital patrols, and expeditionary warfare; it is the first elite unit under the Palace Guard. At that time, those twenty thousand will receive double pay, new armor, and warhorses. 」

This time, those with real ability finally reacted, their gazes blazing as they looked at the mighty Owl Cavalry and Snow Cavalry—is this that kind of armor? And the pay doubles too!? This is perfect!

The Great King's promise is very useful to the Palace Guard; the former Commandants and Colonels now stand on equal footing with them. If one still doesn't realize this is their lifetime's sole closest chance to turn things around, then there's no need for rescue. Once the system is set, making changes becomes difficult; now everyone is back on the same starting line—such an opportunity is more than just rare.

The Great King didn't mention the Tiger Vigor Guard; it turns out his father's Tiger Vigor Guard were palace guards and the emperor's personal guard. Besides being elite, the Tiger Vigor Guard also had connection-holders; as the Establish Chapter Palace changed masters several times, these people's composition grew ever more complex, and now they've all been dumped into this Palace Guard, which the Great King looks down on and refuses to even mention reorganizing.

He has Owl Cavalry and Snow Cavalry; normally at home he can perform the duties of the Tiger Vigor Guard, and when going out he can take on a hundred enemies on the battlefield.

As for the choice of commander of the Feather Forest Guard…… there aren't many idle people…… the King eyes Wei Shen, who is making rich expressions and gesturing behind Liang He…… not very reliable.

Besides, although he has fought in many battles and his martial skills are certainly considerable, with achievements to boot, but he is still young; directly appointing him as commander of the Feather Forest Guard would hardly win everyone's approval.

The Great King stared at his face, recalling another similar yet old and scheming face…… no, scratch that, it is a mature and steady face.

Wei Ke.

It's also time to 'occupy' Prosperous Prefecture.

Once he obtains the full topographic map of Prosperous Prefecture, wouldn't he be able to see his maternal uncle anytime?

The Great King, upon thinking, immediately acted, pulling out the map to study. Just having gotten over two million taels, the Great King couldn't resist showing off a bit.

「We just happen to have some money; we don't need to make a big move, we can make a small one? The King wants Prosperous Prefecture. 」 When everyone was assembled, the Great King directly said.

「You see, heading west from Long Peace all the way, following the border line southward, take Wu Du and Guang Han, then further south is Prosperous Prefecture. Prosperous Prefecture has the Southwest Army stationed there, but we don't need to fight, nor dispatch a large army—it wouldn't cost much. Wu Du and Guang Han usually rely on the Southwest Army to intimidate the borders; their defenses are weak, and we haven't heard them aligning with any faction—this time we can settle it all at once. 」

The Marquis of the Eastern Capital agreed, finding it feasible, after all this line is under the control of the Marquis of Wei Ting.

Wei Shen was extremely excited; before he could even open his mouth to volunteer, the Great King cut him off: 'You don't need to go.'

Why?

Naturally, it's because your maternal aunt handed you over to the King; the King isn't at ease without keeping an eye on you! Guang Han has a princely lord—who knows what other ideas he might have—and the intelligence bureau hasn't studied that poor fief far from You Prefecture. Han Shou is still just a marquis; look at the fuss you'd cause.

The Great King racked his brains and indeed came up with an excuse.

……'Because the King himself fears living in the Establish Chapter Palace.'

Wei Shen's face twisted; he pointed one by one at the King's pet heavenly troupe—White Marsh, Cover Heaven, and the Tiger-and-Dragon-Eating Beast—all in this study. The study has been freshly redecorated, its interior very much like the Northern Border Prince's mansion style. White Marsh basks in the sun on the carpet by the window, the Tiger-and-Dragon-Eating Beast leaps up and down around the bookshelves, and Cover Heaven looms squatting on the King's desk.

This, this, this—you call this place your residence? It's cramped even for me to come in! And you're still afraid?! Even if there really were ghosts in the world, they wouldn't dare come near you!

Great King: ……

The Great King pinched a paw of his own, wearing a look of 'timid and fearful,' 'But, in this palace over the past few years three people have died; I'm unfamiliar with the place……'

Your father, your older brother, your uncle. Isn't this an ancestral home passed down for generations? To be afraid in your own house?!

Great King: ……

The Great King, his brotherly affection exhausted, slammed the table hard: 'Take Chang Li with the Snow Cavalry; anyway, you're not allowed to go, and the Great King will summon your elder cousin to supervise you!'

Wei Shen: ……

No one could sway the Great King's thigh; that very day he ordered the summoning of the King of Broad Han to the capital for refuge, abolishing Wu Du, Guang Han, and Prosperous Prefecture, enfeoffing the Marquis of Wei Ting as Prefect of Prosperous Prefecture, to oversee the affairs of the new Prosperous Prefecture.