Chapter 199: The Three Great Troops of Great Tang (1/2)
“The Three Great Training Camp is a major affair of the royal court, and the Sage Emperor is extremely concerned about it. One thing you must know about the Three Great Training Camps is that they are built to augment the military. The royal court’s intention behind contributing resources to train you is not for you to boast about your strength. Rather, it is to prepare you for the military so that you can contribute to the empire through your talents.”
“Thus, there is some basic knowledge that you must know about Great Tang’s military. Judging from your current cultivation realms, it’s also about time for you to come into contact with this.”
Zhao Qianqiu said as the group stood by the side of the archery training ground encircled by a fence.
“The troops in the military can be divided into three main categories—archer, footsoldier, and cavalry. You’ll have to choose among the three categories in the future. Of them, archers represent dexterity!”
Zhao Qianqiu pointed to a student standing a significant distance away in the training ground. The student drew an arrow on a gigantic bow and abruptly released his grip. Xiu xiu xiu! In the blink of an eye, a dozen arrows were released in unimaginably short intervals.
In just a short instant, that person managed to shoot twelve arrows individually. The twelve sharp arrows flew in differing trajectories and struck twelve different wooden dummies fifty meters away accurately.
Xiu xiu xiu!
Almost instantaneously, another recruit drew his arrow. This time, it was fourteen sharp arrows striking the same puppet from many different directions.
And all of the arrows accurately landed on the vitals of a human.
Upon seeing this sight, everyone was stunned.
“That’s dexterity! Martial artists who cultivate dexterity-type secret arts will possess attacking speed far beyond that of their peers. In fact, some of the outstanding ones are even able to move ten times faster than —-. In other words, in a physical brawl, in the duration that you are able to deal your opponent a single punch, the other party might be able to deal you two, three, or even more.
On the battlefield, the most suitable class for such a martial artist is archery. With a high attacking speed, one will be able to shoot a huge quantity of arrows to be fired within a short moment. Rumor has it that the most talented archer in the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganate is capable of simultaneously striking fifty sprinting hares on the exact same spot of their body from several li away.
(li -> 0.5km)
In other words, on a battlefield, he could destroy fifty of our elite foot soldiers in the blink of an eye! If there were ten such people like him, can you imagine how many of our footsoldiers would die in just a short face-off? If the numbers increased further to fifty or even more, our vanguard would start to falling apart!”
“However, even though the master archers in the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganate are incredibly talented, the strongest archers are still within Great Tang. Do you know why?”
At this point, Zhao Qianqiu abruptly paused and flashed the group a mysterious smile.
“Bow, armor, and arrows!”
Zhao Jingdian muttered after contemplating for a moment.
“Smart! It’s because our Great Tang has the world’s best bows, sharpest arrows, and sturdiest armors!”
Zhao Qianqiu complimented.
On the other hand, Wang Chong’s eyebrows knitted together inconspicuously. At that instant, he recalled the issue that Elder Ye, Duke of Hu, and the others raised.
In the past few decades of trade between Great Tang and the rest of the world, the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganate had accumulated a massive pile of top-notch metal, arrows, and armors.
Such a long period of time was sufficient for them to craft a huge quantity of armor and sharp arrows.
Even though Wang Chong had already advised Elder Ye and the others regarding the usage of using tariffs to control the flow of metal, there was nothing they could do about those the resources had already been transported out of Great Tang’s borders.
“Everyone has just enlisted into the camp. Zhao Qianqiu is probably intentionally leaving this issue out so as to prevent fear and panic!”
Wang Chong thought. In truth, he couldn’t tell whether this was good or bad.
“… But the only ones who could deal with master archers are master archers themselves. Thus, the empire has always valued the grooming of master archers!”
Zhao Qianqiu continued.
“Strength, speed, and dexterity. Those are the three main classifications of martial arts. If dexterity grants one aptitude for archery, speed would correspond to cavalry then.”
Zhao Qianqiu said as he walked toward another giant training ground. Several fully-armored examinees could be seen riding taking turns riding two valiant black war steeds, and the wind whistled as they galloped to and fro the area. On the training ground, there were various obstacles such as wooden stakes and formations.
These few people had to travel along the narrow spaces between the wooden stakes, but even so, their speed didn’t fall by the least.
Held in the hands of the riders were wooden swords which they jabbed the wooden stakes with relentlessly as they passed them by. Every single one of their stabs would accurately strike the vitals on the wooden stakes.
“Seems like there are many good buds in Kunwu Training Camp!”
Standing by the perimeter of the training ground, Zhao Qianqiu saw an examinee stabbing accurately on every wooden stake from the same angle on the same location and complimented.
“There are two main advantages to a mount—greater mobility and enhanced strength from the momentum of a charge!”
Zhao Qianqiu suddenly gestured to another instructor on the training ground and the latter replied with a chuckle.
“Zhao Qianqiu, I’ll just say it first. This stone is mine so you better carry one up to replace it by tonight!”
“Cut the nonsense, are you doing it or not?”
Zhao Qianqiu reprimanded jokingly. Clearly, the two of them were close to one another.