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There were gasps coming from the hall.

Qiu Chengyun's cold eyes flickered in the shadows, and he noticed that when Shi Xing heard the "Purple Cloud Divine Art", the knuckles of his fingers gripping the tablet had turned white.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Zhang Weixian slammed his knee on the ground, and the armor collided with the gold bricks, making a dull sound: "I am willing to issue a military order and will clear the south of the desert for your majesty within three years!"

Yi Huawei nodded with a smile, but suddenly changed the subject: "But..."

He walked slowly towards the southeast corner of the sand table: "This is actually the most difficult part."

Pointing his finger at a series of island models outside Quanzhou Harbor, he said: "The Japanese pirate fleet came and went like the wind, and the navy of the garrison could not catch up with them."

Yang Hao's eyes suddenly lit up: "I heard that Your Majesty ordered the Governor of Fujian to test-build a new type of warship..."

"good."

A ship model made of fine steel flew out of Yi Huawei's sleeve and landed steadily on the sand table sea surface: "A modified 400-ton Fu ship, equipped with eight red cannons and a hundred sailors. I set up the Southeast Navy Commander's Office, with Zheng Zhilong as the governor, specializing in suppressing the Japanese."

Shi Xing suddenly found that his back was soaked. These three reforms were closely linked. The army was assigned to guard the frontiers, the navy was dedicated to preventing maritime disasters, military merits were used to lure generals, and the money and grain directly controlled... He secretly raised his eyes and met the emperor's half-smiley eyes, which seemed to say: I know what you are thinking.

"As for the mutiny you're worried about..."

Yi Huawei suddenly took out a jade box from his arms, opened it and revealed six pills the size of longan. A strange fragrance instantly filled the hall: "This is an improved nourishing spirit pill, the effect can last for three years."

He deliberately let the jade box stay in his hand for a moment, watching the eyes of several important officials nailed to the pill like hooks: "Of course, I am never stingy with officials who work hard."

Zhang Weixian suddenly kowtowed heavily: "I am willing to sacrifice my life for your majesty!"

Yi Huawei turned around and looked out the window at the gradually subsiding rain: "Lord Yang just asked about the cavalry allocation?"

Without waiting for an answer, he suddenly slapped the sand table.

Amid the crowd's exclamations, the mountains, rivers and streams on the sand table reorganized themselves as if they were living things, and in the blink of an eye, they turned into a three-dimensional defense map.

"Xuan Da has 30,000 light cavalry, each with three horses; Shaanxi has 20,000 heavy cavalry, wearing armor; Ji Liao..."

As he spoke, dense military symbols appeared on the sand table, and next to each symbol were miniature models of food and weapons: "Every military town must have a granary within thirty miles, which will be directly managed by the eunuch supervisor."

This internal force made Yang Hao retreat three steps in shock. Shi Xing finally understood that the emperor in front of him not only controlled their life and death, but also knew every detail of the army's operation. The location of those granaries was clearly calculated based on the fastest distance for cavalry to rush to help.

"The last one."

Yi Huawei's voice suddenly became gentle, but Qiu Chengyun unconsciously straightened his back: "The Western Factory has set up an inspection office in each military town. Anyone who withholds military pay..."

He twisted his fingers, and a small puppet representing an officer on the sand table suddenly exploded into powder: "Lingchi, the execution of the entire clan."

Outside the hall, the last curtain of rain slid down the eaves, and a ray of sunlight suddenly penetrated the clouds, casting a golden line under Yi Huawei's feet through the carved window lattice.

Yi Huawei stood at the junction of light and darkness, half of his face shrouded in shadow: "My dear ministers, do you have any objections?"

Shi Xing opened his mouth, but saw the faint purple energy in the emperor's sleeves, and finally kowtowed heavily:
"Your Majesty... obeys His Majesty's order."

"very good."

When Yi Huawei turned around, the hem of his dragon robe swept across the sand table, and all the models instantly returned to their original state: "In three days, I want to see the details of the reform of the Ministry of War. All military towns must complete the handover within one month."

He suddenly smiled at Yang Hao and said, "Mr. Yang is familiar with Liaodong. How about you become the Governor of Ji and Liao?"

Yang Hao knelt down with his forehead touching the ground: "I will do my best!"

Yi Huawei walked towards the throne and suddenly stopped: "That's right."

He threw something without even turning his head. Zhang Weixian caught it hastily and found that it was a jade plate with the words "Zixia..." engraved on it.

"Duke Yingguo, please come to the Qianqing Palace tonight, and I will personally explain the first level of the Heart Technique to you."

As the heavy palace door slowly closed, the sunlight after the rain shone on the wet palace walls, stretching the silhouette of the Wenhua Palace very long, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath.

...............

The morning mist was like a veil, covering the western suburbs parade ground.

Frost and dew condensed on the withered yellow grass leaves, and when the horses' hooves stepped over them, there was a slight crackling sound. Outside the training ground, more than 300 officers had already lined up in an orderly manner, their armor covered with frost, and the white breath they exhaled quickly dissipated in the cold wind.

Ma Hong, the commander of the three battalions standing in the front row, stared at the camp gate, with cold sweat dripping down his temples under his iron helmet.

Last night he sent people to the south of the city to hire three hundred porters and gambling thugs, and forcibly recruited dozens of vendors to make up the number, and only then did he barely gather a "elite" of eight thousand people.

"Woo~~"

“Knock, knock, knock, knock—”

A low horn sounded in the distance, followed by the sound of orderly horse hooves, which came closer and closer like muffled thunder.

Three hundred imperial guards entered the arena first, all wearing heavy black iron armor, with visors covering their faces, revealing only a pair of cold eyes. Their war horses were covered in scale armor, their lances pointed diagonally at the sky, the cold light of the lance tips piercing the morning mist. After entering the camp, the three hundred men lined up on both sides, stomping their iron boots on the ground, standing in a solemn manner.

Luo Sixian rode closely behind him, wearing a flying fish suit, with an embroidered spring sword on his waist, and a stern face. Behind him were two hundred Jinyiwei cavalrymen, all wearing scarlet cloaks that fluttered in the wind. Their eyes were sharp, scanning the kneeling officers like hawks, as if searching for any suspicious people.

Qiu Chengyun rode a pure black warhorse and slowly walked to the left side of the imperial carriage. He was thin and pale, but his eyes were as deep as the abyss, as if he could see through people's hearts. Behind him followed dozens of Western Factory guards, all wearing black robes, with slender rapiers hanging from their waists, walking silently.

On the right, Wang Chengen was wearing a dragon robe, holding a whisk, with a half-smile on his face. The East Factory bosses stood on both sides, their hands on the hilts of their knives, their eyes sinister.

The horn sounded suddenly and the whole audience fell into silence.

Yi Huawei rode a snow-white Ferghana horse and slowly walked to the generals' stand. He was not wearing armor, but a black dragon-patterned uniform, with the legendary "Chixiao" sword hanging from his waist.

The morning breeze blew, and his sleeves were slightly lifted. Yi Huawei looked like a deep abyss and a towering mountain, majestic without even being angry.

With his eyes slightly closed, he circulated the Hunyuan Yi Qigong, sensing everything within a hundred feet. Then he opened his eyes, and there seemed to be a purple air flowing deep in his pupils. In an instant, he could see the energy of the entire training ground.

In the Shenji Battalion, the three hundred so-called "gunmen" had smooth knuckles without any calluses, and some even wore jade rings commonly used by merchants. One of them was a fat man with a pale face and trembling legs, obviously a ruffian who had just been pulled from the gambling house last night.

Among the 3,000-man cavalry, half of the horses had bony ribs and messy manes, clearly suffering from long-term malnutrition. However, the saddles were shiny new, and even the stirrups were polished to the point where they could reflect a person's reflection - obviously they were replaced temporarily.

In the gun formation of the Five Army Camps, several old soldiers with white hair and beards stood in the front row, their hands holding the guns trembling constantly; in the back row, there were a dozen young boys with childish faces, the youngest of whom was only twelve or thirteen years old and could not even hold the gun steadily.

"Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome you!"

Ma Hong shouted loudly, his voice trembling slightly due to nervousness. All 8,000 "elites" knelt on the ground in unison, and the sound of armor colliding sounded like a tide. However, there was obvious noise in the queue - those street thugs who were temporarily filling in the numbers did not understand military etiquette at all. Some knelt half a beat late, and some even lay directly on the ground.

Yi Huawei walked up to the podium, his eyes cold as he slowly swept across the entire venue, finally landing on Ma Hong.

"let's start."

His voice was not loud, but it exploded in everyone's ears like thunder. The flags on the gate fluttered without wind, as if they were stirred by invisible energy.

"The Divine Machine Battalion, step out!"

Following the order, the Shenji Battalion slowly separated. Three hundred "gunmen" marched out in a chaotic pace, and the sound of their iron boots stepping on the frozen ground was uneven.

Yi Huawei narrowed his eyes, and the purple energy flowed through his meridians, taking in everyone's subtle movements. He suddenly spoke:

"Load the medicine."

Wang Chengen, who was standing beside the command platform, immediately repeated in a sharp voice: "Your Majesty has ordered - live-fire shooting!"

Ma Hong's knees suddenly softened, and his boots scraped against the wooden board of the reviewing platform, making a harsh sound. The three hundred "musketeers" below the platform were in even greater chaos - some frantically reached for their gunpowder bags, some simply stood there in a daze, and a few even turned to look at the officers behind them for help.

The fat man in the middle of the third row was the most conspicuous. His shaking fingers could not untie the rope of the gunpowder bag, and he finally bit it with his teeth. The moment the gunpowder spilled, Yi Huawei gently rubbed the thumb and index finger of his right hand.

"boom!"

The fat man's helmet suddenly exploded, fragments flew everywhere, and his fat body froze in place, revealing his sleek bun, which was the most fashionable hairstyle among merchants in the capital. Several counterfeit men around him were so scared that they fell to the ground, and a thin man's crotch was instantly wet.

Qiu Chengyun appeared beside the queue like a ghost, and pinched the fat merchant's neck with two pale fingers: "Take him away."

Two Western Factory guards stepped forward immediately, their chains rattling. The merchant howled like a pig being slaughtered: "Please spare my life, sir! I gave Admiral Ma two taels of silver..."

Ma Hong fell to his knees and banged his forehead heavily on the table: "Your Majesty, please understand! This person is talking nonsense..."

Yi Huawei didn't even look at him, his eyes swept over the rest of the people: "Continue."

The real veterans of the Shenji Battalion came out at this time, the calluses on their knuckles were clearly visible in the morning light, and they loaded the gunpowder neatly. As the flag was waved, hundreds of Rumi guns fired at the same time, and the target was shattered in the white smoke.

"The impostor shall be punished with eighty strokes of the cane and exiled to Qiongzhou."

Yi Huawei nodded slightly, his voice penetrating the smoke: "For the rest of the soldiers, the monthly salary will be doubled from now on, and the training will be increased by half a month."

Luo Sixian immediately signaled the Jinyiwei to arrest the people. The impostors instantly collapsed to the ground and were dragged away one by one by the strongmen.

"Go on, cavalry, march out!"

The sun pierced through the morning mist and shone on the ranks of the 3,000-man battalion. Five hundred cavalrymen lined up and waited for orders, their horses paddling their front hooves anxiously. Yi Huawei stood on the command platform with his hands behind his back, and while practicing Hunyuan Yi Qigong, he noticed that at least half of the horses were weak.

"charge!"

The moment the flag was waved, the cavalry array surged out like a tide. But on the right wing of the third row, a chestnut horse stumbled just after starting. Halfway through the charge, the horse suddenly knelt on its front hooves and threw the cavalryman on its back out violently.

Yi Huawei's figure flashed, and everyone only felt a purple shadow passing in front of them. The emperor was already standing next to the fallen cavalryman. He was a surprisingly thin boy, with an old military uniform hanging loosely on his body. He struggled to get up and salute, and the cracked chilblains left several bloody marks on his palms.

"Which guard are you from? How old are you this year?"

Yi Huawei put his hand on his shoulder.

The young man shuddered and said tremblingly: "Reply...Reply Your Majesty, Wang Ergou, a member of the Jinwu rear guard, is fifteen years old..."

The sound was as thin as a gnat.

Yi Huawei suddenly ripped open his shirt. In the sunlight, his ribs were clearly visible, protruding like a washboard, and his abdomen was sunken into a bowl-shaped shadow. Even more shocking was the whip mark on his waist that had not yet scabbed over - judging by the direction, it was clearly a full-force whipping from top to bottom.

"Is this your horse?"

"Your Majesty... I... I don't have a horse..."

Wang Ergou avoided his gaze and said, "This is... it was temporarily assigned by the captain..."

Yi Huawei leaned over to check the fallen horse. When he turned over the horse's belly, he saw a branding mark: "Shuntianfu Bingzi No. 3". This was the official horse mark of the Beijing Post Station, and according to the law, it could not be used as a war horse.

The parade grounds suddenly became eerily quiet.

All the officers held their breath and watched Yi Huawei slowly stand up. The purple energy condensed on his fingertips was so thick that it was visible to the naked eye. Those who knew martial arts subconsciously took a half step back.

"Pass the meal."

Those two simple words stunned everyone. It was not until the eunuchs from the imperial kitchen came in carrying 20 large pots and the aroma of steaming meat porridge filled the air that the soldiers dared to believe their ears.

Wang Ergou's hands were shaking as he held the gold-rimmed porcelain bowl, and he didn't even bother to wipe the rice grains that leaked out of his mouth. Yi Huawei stood in front of him and suddenly took off his black cloak and put it on his shoulders.

"From today on, all the war horses in the Beijing camp will be re-branded."

Yi Huawei's voice spread throughout the training grounds: "Every horse's rations must be personally inspected by the Western Factory."

Qiu Chengyun immediately made a note in the book, and Wang Chengen announced in a sharp voice: "Your Majesty has ordered the establishment of a 'Horse Administration Department' from today onwards, which will be directly under the jurisdiction of the Western Factory!"

After lunch, it was already three quarters past noon, and three thousand spearmen from the five military camps had lined up on the east side of the parade ground.

More than 200 white-haired veterans stood in the front row of the formation. The oldest was 68 years old. There were thick calluses on the knuckles of his right hands holding the guns, but his arms were obviously shaking slightly.

The back row was filled with more than 30 young men who were not yet 20 years old. The youngest of them was only four feet three inches tall, two inches shorter than the standard rifle. The boy had to stand on tiptoe to barely hold the butt of the rifle, and his bony collarbone was exposed at the collar of his coarse military uniform.

"Thrust!"

The eunuch's sharp voice suddenly sounded. Fifty-seven of the veterans in the front row were half a beat slower due to their slow reaction. Captain Zhang Dezhu, 63 years old, made a crisp "click" sound when he turned around. He froze in place, and cold sweat instantly soaked his inner clothes.

The young men in the back row were in even greater chaos. Some of them lost their balance just when they raised their spears halfway, and the spear tips "clanged" and hit the iron helmets of the old soldiers in front. One of them used too much force, and the spear flew out of his hand three feet away, hitting the clerk who was taking notes.

"That's not how you use a gun!"

Yi Huawei suddenly jumped down from the reviewing platform and snatched the spear from the general Liu Dayong. The tip of the spear reflected a dazzling cold light in the sunlight.

The first move was a straight thrust, with the spear tip piercing through the throats of three straw men in succession. The piercing screams made the three closest soldiers cover their ears. The second move was a horizontal sweep, with the seven-foot-long white wax rod bent into an arc, cutting the five targets in half. When the move was over, the spear rod rebounded, knocking off the helmet of a personal soldier ten steps away.

All the soldiers stared with wide eyes, seeing that after each move of the emperor, two half-inch deep footprints would appear on the sand. The veteran soldier Zhao Tiezhu in the front row counted the pierced straw men, a total of sixteen holes, each at the throat, with a margin of error of no more than half an inch.

(End of this chapter)