My brother entrusted his child to me, and I livestreamed raising the baby, making the Empress cry wi

His armor rustled with each step, and rainwater streamed down his already graying temples.

After standing still, he slammed the spear into the ground with one hand, the butt of the spear hitting the mud and splashing up a cloud of mud, the shaft vibrating with a buzzing sound.

Then he knelt on one knee, clasped his hands above his head. The movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

He then spoke, his voice loud and clear, carrying the rough accent characteristic of people from the North. His voice carried far through the rain, leaving a faint echo.

"Zhao Tiezhu of the Second Battalion is willing to follow Lord Lin!"

"Back in the Northern Frontier, Lord Ye saved our entire family's lives! It's just a pity that fate was cruel to such a talented person, taking Lord Ye away..."

He choked up as he spoke, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, and something seemed to be welling up in his eyes.

But he managed to hold it in, though his voice trembled slightly.

"But Lord Lin and the First Princess are still alive! What does it matter if I give my life to repay their kindness!"

These words were spoken with extreme force, each one seemingly slammed out of the chest.

Rainwater streamed down the scar on his brow bone, like a new wound being inflicted on an old one. He knelt there, his knees sinking deep into the mud, but his back remained ramrod straight.

Dozens or even hundreds of soldiers with weathered faces followed him out, along with many veterans who were about to retire.

They all knelt on one knee, clasping their hands above their heads. Dozens, even hundreds, of suits of armor clashed simultaneously, the sound like a thunderclap rolling across the ground, making everyone's feet go numb.

These are soldiers from the Northern Frontier who served under Ye Fan. Many individuals and families have been saved by Ye Fan. Every scar on their bodies bears the mark of the Northern Frontier's winds and sands.

Zhao Tiezhu knelt at the front, rainwater streaming down from the scar on his brow bone, flowing across his dark and resolute face.

His eye sockets were deep-set, but his pupils were surprisingly bright, as if something burning hot was burning inside them.

He was soaked to the bone, and his shoulders were trembling slightly, not from the cold, but from the overwhelming emotions surging in his chest, so full that his body seemed to be unable to contain them.

Almost simultaneously, some people whose elders had also received favors from Lord Ye eagerly stepped forward.

Their steps were quick and steady, and they walked straight to the right with their chests out. Some of these people were quite young, but their eyes shone when they mentioned Lord Ye.

Some of the elderly in their families, even on their deathbeds, kept mentioning Lord Ye's kindness and instructing them to find a way to repay him.

The old folks always talk about how good Lord Ye was back then, how he saved their family's life. They've heard that story for years, and it's etched into their hearts.

But Lord Ye never appeared again. It was later learned that he had been murdered by villains, and their kindness could no longer be repaid.

Then they thought that since Lord Lin was Lord Ye's best brother and now Lord Ye's only bloodline's godfather, it would be the same for them to work for Lord Lin.

Unfortunately, it seems that Lord Lin has no use for them, so these people have no choice but to come to General Wang's command. After all, General Wang was chosen by Lord Lin, so it should be more or less the same for him.

But now that they have the opportunity to directly follow Lord Lin and the First Princess, they couldn't be happier. Normally, even seeing Lord Lin is as difficult as climbing to the sky, let alone following him on business.

Such an opportunity would be worth risking one's life for.

Then a number of soldiers came out.

Most of them were new recruits who voluntarily followed Wang Meng from the northern border, and each of them had witnessed the power of the items bestowed by Lord Lin.

They had witnessed firsthand how that divine soldier could take on a hundred enemies single-handedly, mowing down the enemy on the battlefield like cutting grass.

The stick gleamed coldly in the sunlight; when it was swung down, the enemy's weapons would break like withered branches.

I have also witnessed the miraculous water that can accelerate grain production. When the water is dripped into the field, the seedlings grow wildly in the blink of an eye, with wide and thick leaves that are lush and green.

Many families were able to pay their taxes last year and still have food left over, preventing them from starving, all thanks to the magical water that increases production.

If it weren't for Lord Lin, their parents, wives, and children might not have made it to the end of the previous year.

Not to mention that they would soon face such a natural disaster. If they ran out of food, they would probably be on their way to escape the famine, and it is unknown whether they are alive or dead.

Therefore, they all believed in Lord Lin.

More and more people gathered on the right, from hundreds to thousands, and soon a large area of ​​people stood on the open space to the right of the drill ground.

There were veterans from the North, young soldiers who had joined later, and even a few cooks who tended the fire in the mess hall stood on the right side.

Some of them carried knives, some carried spears, and some simply held kitchen knives, wearing coarse cloth aprons like those worn when cooking. They looked somewhat comical mixed in with the armored soldiers.

But many people did not move.

In the back row, several soldiers exchanged glances, a hint of disdain playing on their lips.

They stood there, letting the rain pour down, motionless as if rooted to the spot.

One of the lean young soldiers tilted his head and glanced at the lined-up troops, letting out a soft snort.

His cheekbones stood out prominently in the rain, the bone appearing almost piercing through his thin skin. A faint scar ran along the bridge of his nose, a result of a childhood fight.

This man is named Liu Dabiao. He is a local from Beijing and has only recently joined the army. He has never been on the battlefield and has never experienced the chaos of a rebellion.

He joined the army because he couldn't make a living in the village anymore, and after the army came under Wang Meng's command, his treatment improved significantly.

Not only were their monthly salaries paid on time, but the food was also better than what they ate at home, and they could even have meat every few days.

Anyway, there aren't any battles to fight right now, he just wants to coast along and collect his military pay.

As for Lin Ye, he had only seen him on the sky, where he only showed off some strange and ingenious gadgets, yet everyone was saying that he was some kind of deity. In his opinion, this was mostly just boasting.

If they really had the power of gods, why didn't they just stop the flood?

"It's true that Lin Ye has a lot of amazing things," Liu Dabiao whispered to his companions who hadn't moved either.

"But that's a flood! What use are those little creatures? And what's the point of bringing so many soldiers? Do they even know how to deploy troops? Do they know how to set up camp or how to march?"

The more he spoke, the more convinced he became of his point, and his voice unconsciously rose slightly. He even nudged the person next to him with his elbow, a hint of mockery in his eyes.

"You expect us to obey him without question? We're soldiers fighting on the battlefield. Disaster relief is the government's job; what does it have to do with us?"

The people next to him nodded in agreement.

A short, stout soldier crossed his arms over his chest, rain streaming down his round face, and he pursed his lips.

"Besides, the rain was so heavy and the water hadn't receded yet. If someone accidentally fell into the water, they would lose their life."