Chapter 781

Cavalry frequently drilled outside the city, the glutton's purse saw carriages coming and going every day, and the war-preparation atmosphere in Youzhou City rose completely.

The warships of the King from the Dragon Head Military Dock kept coming and going without rest; outsiders had no idea whether they were training, fishing, or conducting overseas trade. Only when Xie Yuan heard that the King could even sell ritual vessels did his longstanding doubts get a partial answer.

The King's offhand remark eased some of Minister Xie's worries about heading south; how to put it, he gained a more concrete sense of the King's "abundant martial virtue," after all, he could stealthily plunder the Ningde Emperor's privy purse without anyone noticing.

The mysterious disappearance of the imperial privy purse years ago had already become a cold case; previously even he had thought it was Bai Li Jin deliberately feigning misery.

Time flew by; in the blink of an eye, the final selection day for the Xiongnu cavalry arrived, presided over by Chang Li, with the King present to observe.

The competition consisted of three items: horsemanship, archery, and close-quarters combat. Those ranking in the top five thousand overall entered the reserve rolls; later, if they earned military merit, they could officially enlist and enjoy the treatment of regular troops.

The trials began at dawn; these were routine for the Northern Border army, and the process moved swiftly. The King, having attended many observations, knew to come late to avoid eating dirt, so this fellow showed up fashionably late in the mid-afternoon.

The King wore a set of black-gold imperial robes, a golden crown adorned with sun, moon, and stars, shouldered a meter-long cloud-carved engraving, and behind him followed a white and a gold giant fluffy creature; Ling Yin and Wei Shen both had to step back.

Yes, Lord White Marsh also gave face today, breaking precedent; this lineup could be called powerful—no, it was extremely powerful.

The King made a grand entrance full of vigor; as soon as he appeared at the edge of the field, without ascending the platform, everyone present noticed him, and the well-informed Dong Fu even gave him several extra glances. Given his understanding of the steppe peoples' totem worship, the King was truly the heaven-chosen one!

Leaving aside that engraving, the appearance of the Xiong and Bai Ze alone shows they are not mundane beings.

He guessed correctly; the Xiongnu below thought the same.

Even the survivors who had witnessed He Who Covers the Sky displaying his might began to feel weak in the legs.

"Everyone rise! The selection continues; I'll just take a casual look."

After the King sat down, the final selection was already nearing its end; about an hour later, before Lord Xiao Jin's patience ran out, the final results finally came out.

When the King rose, he inconspicuously wiped dirt from his face; coming late was truly wise—not only was the content more exciting, but he also preserved his looks.

This fellow strutted up to the front of the platform with imposing presence, overlooking the last five thousand remaining in the field. Xiao Jin, not understanding why, also poked out his big head, and the front-rank Xiongnu immediately felt immense pressure.

"I hereby congratulate the five thousand outstanding individuals who have made the cut; starting today, you will officially shed your slave status and enjoy the reserve rolls of Great Jin. Henceforth, as long as you earn military merit, you can bring your whole family to gain freedom and become true subjects of Great Jin."

The King clapped his hands, and soon soldiers led in a black wind horse, plus a straw dummy dressed in a full set of battle armor.

He made no distinction with the warhorses; they were all black winds bred from the ranch, but the armor on the black wind horse differed from that on the dummy—it was produced by the Armory Bureau.

The Armory Bureau has been under great pressure these two years, with the King's imported goods setting the bar; they have spared no effort researching new armor, and this set has already been forged as the best possible under the auspices of the Northern Border Academy.

Of course, judging by appearance alone, it is entirely dark black with a faint gleam, its presentation second to none.

The difference lies in performance and craftsmanship.

"This batch of armor is the Armory Bureau's latest work, made entirely of refined iron, and its name is Obsidian Armor." The King had previously disparaged it, but here he seamlessly switched to praising it.

"Subdued gleam, dark base hiding faint light—this is the Obsidian Armor.

"This blade, forged from the same refined iron, is the curved‑blade style familiar to you folks of Mo Nan Commandery.

"If I let you join my cavalry, I will not shortchange you, nor am I sending you to serve as mounts for the Mystic Armor Cavalry. In a moment each of you will receive a set of Obsidian Armor and an Obsidian curved blade, and I will equip each of you with the latest gear!"

The Xiongnu below exchanged glances; this time they were genuinely surprised—being given such fine armor and warhorses?!

This isn't cannon fodder anymore.

My cavalry numbers 400,000, divided into different units. You should have heard of the elite Eagle Cavalry and Snow Cavalry, as well as other elite units divided by regiment. You, however, represent the new unit of my unification of the world, the four seas returning as one. I think we should call it… Wolf Cavalry, how about that?

Good!

Your Majesty is wise!

Wei Shen led the cheers, and others followed suit.

Good, that's settled. From now on, you are the new unit of the Northern Border cavalry, the Wolf Cavalry.

The commander-in-chief will be concurrently held by Changli, the commander of the Snow Cavalry.

My soldiers are not judged by background or origin; the Eagle Cavalry reaches the top through pure strength, and under my command, able warriors enjoy the best treatment—an ordinary Eagle Cavalryman can support his family, earning more than many officials, yet their pressure is not small, for any slack will see them replaced by more capable warriors.

The same goes for you: if I later find better cavalry in the southern desert and Yundu, you too will be replaced. Do you think replacement is just about who likes to fight? Don't view the problem with outdated thinking; your perspective is too narrow!

Soon you will know what a fine profession it is to fight for me in this Little Ice Age! On the steppe, winters are bitterly cold, summers and autumns dry; making a living by herding sheep is certainly no easy task. Otherwise, do you think the Chanyu of the royal city is that foolish? Knowing full well he is no match for my Xuanjia cavalry, yet he still dares to raid Yunzhong Commandery, courting death!

Alright, I won't say more today. You just need to remember that the Wolf Cavalry's future standing in the army is not because they are old Jin people while you are new Jin people; it must be earned by your own strength. Whatever position I place you in, you must also strive for it through your performance. The king's grand promises are thrown around for free.

The first battle I have selected for you all is against the newly rebellious state of Chen. Everyone, prepare well; the army will soon march south, so I can see your strength!

After the king finished speaking, he swept his sleeve and left with great bearing; behind him followed his massive, fluffy beasts that were no ordinary creatures, so stylish that words can hardly describe it.

As soon as he got into the carriage, Wei Shen couldn't wait to praise the king: 'The northern barbarians have never tasted such a high-class grand promise; I think when Black Wind and the Black Jade Armor are brought out, these country bumpkins will be left dumbfounded, hahaha~'

The king kept pulling at the canopy, lost in thought and silent.

Wei Shen thought he was pondering whether something was wrong just now, or if he had forgotten to say something.

After a long pondering, the king said: 'Don't think the Armory Bureau can't make armor; they're first at naming. The black armor they produce is actually quite ordinary, but giving it the name Black Jade Armor instantly makes it sound much grander. As for the Xuanjia cavalry's armor, never mind; the Eagle Cavalry's expensive armor is constantly called "black armor, black armor" without a name, which is truly a waste. I've just been thinking; why not call it Xuanming Armor?'

Wei Shen: ……

The king gradually grew excited: 'Xuanming Armor! Xuan means black, Ming means deep silence; it carries a heavy, dark night aura, and just hearing it makes its value seem to double!'

Wei Shen was about to speak when a sudden gust of wind swept up inside the carriage; he could no longer attend to anything else and clung desperately to the carriage wall.

It turned out that Lord Zhetian had suddenly become angry. When the king got excited, he began to pull the fur against the grain, turning the Cloud-swirling Eagle disaster into a hedgehog.

Bai Ze served as a mascot for the king, slowly waddling up and just as he poked his head in hoping to rub against the carriage to go back, he saw the carriage interior in turmoil, with teacups flying sideways.

Bai Ze silently retracted his head, then glanced back at the space, having no sense of its size nor of his own bulk, while the Xiu lined up waiting to board the carriage……

It lifted its paw and leaped, and in a few bounds vanished……

Stay away from fools; rely on yourself.