Chapter 1025: Court Debate! (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
In just half a month, Su Hanshan had trained these rowdy and uncooperative bandits into ideal soldiers. Even Wang Bei felt admiration at this feat. This person appeared to have the finest talent for military command, being capable of turning the most mediocre of martial artists into an excellent soldier.
Besides that, Su Hanshan had even used the relationship between the bandits and the promise of reward to recruit even more of them. Qixi was now home to a new army of nearly twenty thousand brigands.
”Release!”
From his horse, Su Hanshan took out his sword and swung it down.
The twenty thousand bandit soldiers immediately squatted, loaded, aimed, and fired. Boooom! The air howled as four thousand ballistae fired, together with the one thousand ballistae being worked by the scions of the capital's great clans. Five thousand ballista bolts soared like dragons rising from the sea, swiftly piercing through and pulverizing the targets in front of them.
”Not bad!”
Nearby, Wang Bei gave a nod of approval.
”With this speed, this ballista army will be completely finished with their training in just another month.”
Wang Bei had been raised in a clan of ministers and generals, so ever since he was a child, he had come to know countless generals. Moreover, the nurturing of his clan had elevated his grasp of military strategy to a level of insight ordinary people could not hope to match. But Su Hanshan was different. This was the first time he had ever seen such incredible talent in a person. Not even the Titled Generals of the Great Tang could compare to him.
This kind of talent was enough to reach Brigadier General, perhaps even Great General!
Just what sort of people did my little brother recruit!
Wang Bei mentally sighed. At this moment, he suddenly understood why Wang Chong had left Su Hanshan to hold Qixi with him.
”Hyah!”
With a flash in his eyes, Wang Bei quickly urged his horse to the other end of the drilling ground.
Neigh!
Several hundred zhang from the ballista army, horses were neighing as Wushang Cavalry galloped across the training ground, churning up storms of energy and clouds of dust around them. These Wushang Cavalry were exceptionally well-disciplined, and the aura they exuded was on another level when compared to the ballista soldiers.
As Wang Chong was leading his army to Talas, the second batch of Wushang Cavalry, six thousand in all, had arrived at Qixi, entirely due to Xu Qiqin's efforts.
The Battle of Talas was extremely important, linked to the fate of the empire and all its people. After listening to Xu Qiqin's thorough explanation, Wushang Village had sent an even more formidable group of soldiers, with even some Imperial Martial villagers joining the army. The might of the Wushang villagers was unquestionable, but they lacked systematic military training, a flaw that they were in the middle of addressing.
”Stop!”
A steely voice, hard and cold, resounded through the air. As the voice echoed, a warhorse neighed, and a black Turkic steed rode out from the six thousand Wushang Cavalry toward Wang Bei.
”What order does General Wang have?”
Cui Piaoqi stopped several steps away from Wang Bei and spoke. His posture was erect and his expression cold and aloof. He appeared rather similar to Su Hanshan.
Wang Bei was Wang Chong's second brother, a relationship that gave Wang Bei extremely high prestige amongst the Wushang villagers. While training his men at Qixi, Cui Piaoqi interacted almost solely with Wang Bei, and Wang Bei did not lightly interfere with the training of the villagers. If he had come, it was definitely for something important.
”Cui Piaoqi, time is running short. A letter has come from Talas. In at most a month, all of you will have to enter the battlefield,” Wang Bei sternly said.
Wushang Village was cut off from the world, with the majority of the villagers being simple and unsophisticated folk who understood little about military affairs. Cui Piaoqi, however, was different. In Wushang Village, he possessed the extremely rare talent for command. Although he did not understand much about military strategy at the start, just a little explanation would be enough for him to thoroughly understand. Thus, in the later stages, Cui Piaoqi alone was enough to handle the normal training.
”Understood. General Wang, be at ease. A month will not be necessary. It will be finished in twenty-some days!” Cui Piaoqi sternly said, his determined face devoid of emotion.
With these words, he immediately turned around and headed back to the army to resume the training.
”Cutting Formation! Hurry!”
The six thousand Wushang Cavalry suddenly scattered in every direction.
……
Flap flap!
After several days of flying east across lofty mountains and peaks, several black eagles finally arrived at the capital, scattering toward their various destinations.