The First Lackey Under The Empress

The autumn wind, carrying a slight chill, blew through the camp, causing the canopies overhead to ripple like waves.

With Zhao Du'an's command, the atmosphere suddenly turned strange.

Xue Shence remained silent, displaying the demeanor of the "Military God," but the other military officers beside him couldn't help but exchange glances.

"Damn it…" Shi Meng, who was standing to the side and should have been the "main character" today, but was instead squeezed into a supporting role, felt cold sweat break out on his forehead.

He clearly sensed that the gazes of the Privy Council's group were all focused on him.

This fierce general, said to be strong enough for a horse to run on his arm, felt that the invisible pressure in the air was even more suffocating than the murderous aura of the battlefield.

"This guy… how long has it been? He already has such power? This group from the Divine Mechanism Camp doesn't even listen to Lord Xue, instead obeying this Zhao fellow's every word?"

This thought arose in everyone's mind at the same time.

However, Shi Meng had his own unspeakable difficulties.

As an "observer," he clearly saw Zhao Du'an's actions during this period.

On the first day in the camp, he played a game of "calling a deer a horse," giving everyone a harsh lesson.

Sacrificing the "Young Duke" instilled awe in everyone from top to bottom in the camp, fearing that they might also offend Lord Zhao and be dismissed from their posts.

Then, he lavishly pulled military officers and soldiers to play Cuju (蹴鞠, an ancient Chinese football game), which was a form of appeasement.

Wielding the big stick and scattering sweet dates.

The methods were simple, but effective.

In particular, the soldiers around the canopy today were carefully selected, as they had played football with "Investigator Zhao" and had also received a lot of rewards and drinking money from Zhao Du'an.

It was not surprising that this scene was unfolding.

"Haha, Lord Xue is indeed right. It should be so. We officials should share weal and woe with the soldiers."

The Minister of War, dressed in a scarlet robe, stroked his beard and smoothed things over with a smile.

The Ministry of War was headed by the Xiū Wén Hall (修文馆) and the Empress, and also managed the military registration of the Jing Camp.

These two identities made him a perfect "lubricant."

The old minister seemed to understand the role he should play.

Under his mediation, the atmosphere under the canopy gradually eased. A group of people talked and laughed, standing in a row, waiting for the drill to begin.

Zhao Du'an naturally stood beside Xue Shence, and the two of them were surrounded by officials on both sides, looking together at the huge and spacious earthy-yellow training ground.

At this moment, there was no one in the training ground, only flags fluttering in the wind.

On the crenellations of the wall, there were soldiers on guard.

In the corner, there were drummers waiting.

"Investigator Zhao, it seems that you have gained a firm foothold in this camp during this period. This official originally thought that you had no experience in commanding troops, and might not be able to subdue these arrogant and fierce generals. Seeing you today, I am much relieved."

Xue Shence stood with his hands behind his back, wearing an official robe, his fair face with distinct features, with a sculptural beauty.

His eyebrows were thick and black, and he spoke casually, but his eyes only looked forward:

"However, this official has also heard some criticisms. People in the Five Armies, the Three Thousand Camp, and even the other guards in the city are spreading rumors."

Zhao Du'an asked curiously, "What are they spreading? Who is spreading rumors?"

Xue Shence said lightly:

"In short, they are some bad words. The tens of thousands of soldiers in the capital are dissatisfied. Such actions shake the morale of the army, which is not the way of a general."

This was a warning…

Zhao Du'an, however, seemed to not understand at all, and said with a smile:

"Thank you, Lord Xue, for your advice. I will not take to heart the slander and defamation of some petty people. It's just that some people can't stand me and are instigating rumors, targeting this subordinate."

Xue Shence almost laughed in anger, not expecting him to be so shameless:

"Oh? Who can't stand you? Who is targeting you?"

Zhao Du'an said with a straight face:

"Maybe it's the rebel party in the army, it's hard to say."

The voices of the two were not loud, but the group of martial officers under the canopy were all sharp-eared and sharp-eyed, and their expressions changed slightly.

"Who are you calling a rebel party?!" Tang Ping couldn't hold back and couldn't help but open his mouth in anger.

He had a feeling of being implicated.

Zhao Du'an glanced at him, waved his hand, and said lightly:

"Young Duke, don't be angry. Duke Zhenguo has been a noble for generations, and his loyalty can be seen. Young Duke is also from a good background… But, it's hard to say about the others.

Hehe, I heard that Young Duke was angry with me, but he was also provoked by a group of people. It's strange, why did a gust of wind of dissatisfaction with me suddenly blow in the army?

I thought, it wouldn't be because I have repeatedly made great contributions and been promoted by His Majesty, which has aroused jealousy, right?

After thinking about it carefully, I heard that it was related to the incident committed by the rebel assassins some time ago. But if the rebel party wants to create panic, why not specifically pick on soft persimmon civil officials, but instead pick on military officers to kill?

Isn't it deliberately provoking the relationship between me and my fellow robes?

Unfortunately, such a simple trick, it's fine if ordinary soldiers are deceived, but those who can become military officers in the army will not be so stupid, but they still fulfill the wishes of the rebel party, and rumors are aimed at this official…

Young Duke, in your opinion, is it worth suspecting?"

This sudden remark, step by step, actually stunned the angry Tang Ping.

For a moment, he couldn't refute it.

Everyone knew that the martial officers were probably being driven by "jealousy…"

But this embarrassing mentality was really not good to put on the table.

Tang Ping was even more unlikely to admit that he was jealous or stupid… so he could only follow Zhao Du'an's words and take the opportunity to get off the donkey, defaulting to the statement that he was provoked by others.

He was choked speechless.

The Minister of War laughed and watched the show.

He thought, Young Duke, what can't you do, but you have to compare your mouth with this Zhao fellow, isn't it like hitting a stone with an egg?

Xue Shence turned his head, glanced at him, and suddenly said:

"Since Investigator Zhao believes that there are rebels in the army, why haven't you investigated during this period?"

It is worth mentioning that, although the "Jing Prince's Mansion" secretly sends secret agents to do things, it is no longer a secret to many high-ranking generals.

But at least on the surface, because there is no evidence, they are even less willing to tear their faces.

Therefore, in the previous case of the Divine Mechanism Camp's firearms, this pot of dung was ultimately placed on the "Kuangfu Society."

Whether it was Xue Shence or Zhao Du'an, they both referred to the "Inner Ghost of the Jing Prince's Mansion" as a rebel party in their mouths…

Everyone guessed that Zhao Du'an's sudden parachuting was aimed at the Inner Ghost of the Jing Prince's Mansion.

It's just that before, they tacitly didn't mention it.

At this moment, Xue Shence simply poked through this layer of film.

"Lord, are you mistaken?"

Zhao Du'an looked surprised:

"What investigation? Although I also concurrently hold the Jiao Ya Investigation Division, this time I came to the Divine Mechanism Camp only to fulfill the duties of this fourth-rank commander investigator, to do some practical things for the Jing Camp and the soldiers, that's all.

Whether the rebel party exists or not, what does it have to do with me?"

Everyone under the canopy was speechless for a while.

Seeing his sincere appearance, they didn't know whether to believe him or praise his good acting skills.

Also do practical things for the soldiers… Spending time drinking, playing Cuju, which one is related to "practical things"?

… Xue Shence twitched the corner of his mouth, and had a new understanding of this person's ability to pretend to be confused.

He took a deep breath and said:

"Now that there is no war and the world is at peace, there is nothing in the camp that requires Investigator Zhao to worry about. On the contrary, the matter of the rebel party is extremely important.

Previously, the firearms blueprints in the Divine Mechanism Camp were stolen, and even craftsmen were missing, alarming the Holy One.

Firearms are important weapons in our army. If the rebel party obtains them, it will be a great disaster. Investigator Zhao may wish to put his energy on this matter. Do less things that damage your reputation."

Seemingly persuasion, but actually a warning.

However, Zhao Du'an's next sentence made everyone stunned.

“The stolen firearms? That's no longer important,” Zhao Du'an said, seemingly unconcerned.

“Besides, how can Lord Xue be so sure that I haven't plugged that hole?”

“What do you mean?” Xue Shence's heart skipped a beat, vaguely realizing that something unexpected was about to happen.

“Someone, come!” Zhao Du'an suddenly said in a loud voice.

From the side, a soldier quickly ran from afar, holding a narrow, brown wooden box about half a man's height in his hands. He arrived before him, knelt on one knee, and raised it with both hands.

At that moment, even the wind seemed to smell the aura of death, growing stronger and stronger, causing the officials' robes to flutter like waves.

Zhao Du'an opened the wooden box with one hand, and then picked up a “long stick” with a brown wooden gunstock as its base and a black barrel as its main body, with a precise structure, cold and silent.

Amidst the officers' puzzled and curious gazes, he held it in a strange posture and smiled:

“Do any of you recognize this object?”

The Minister of War shook his head:

“It resembles a long spear, but has no spearhead. This official has never seen it before.”

Wang, the Knowledge Keeper of the Privy Council, who was thin and frail, also frowned deeply:

“A tubular object, with the smell of gunpowder... Could it also be a firearm? But it's so small... Unprecedented.”

Xue Shence didn't say a word, his eyes also filled with doubt.

At this moment, on the drill ground, rows of soldiers holding the same strange weapons marched into the field.

“Knowledge Keeper Wang is right. This is the new firearm of my Divine Mechanism Battalion. Today's drill is also for this weapon.”

Zhao Du'an said loudly, then suddenly turned his head, looked at Tang Ping, who was dressed in white, and raised the corner of his mouth, saying loudly:

“Young Lord, you are a skilled archer in the army. I ask you, in today's wind, is the bow and arrow still effective on the battlefield?”

Tang Ping was stunned when he was called out.

Then, he glanced at the violently shaking awning, and the flags that were almost fully unfurled in the harsh autumn wind.

In his ears was the sound of the awning cloth flapping.

Although displeased, he still said in a firm voice:

“Shooting arrows with the wind is twice the result with half the effort. Otherwise, it is unfavorable!”

“Good!”

Zhao Du'an faced the wind, his hair also blowing in disarray.

He raised the musket with one hand, the muzzle slightly raised, and with his left hand, he took out a windproof fire starter, shook it, and the sparks ignited. He gently swept it across the fuse.

He laughed loudly:

“Didn't you want to see this general practice archery during the martial arts performance the other day? Today, you can open your eyes and watch carefully.”

Chizz... The fuse was ignited, and the gunpowder in the barrel was ready to fire.

Zhao Du'an raised his gun to the sky:

“Let's see if this arrow of mine is sharp or not!?”

The next moment, the trigger was pulled, and a cluster of dazzling light burst out from the dark muzzle. A small sun-like, hot ball of light, with a sharp burst of sound, went straight to the clouds amidst the roar.

“Bang!”

As if a signal.

On the drill ground, the drums sounded, and a large number of soldiers raised their guns at the same time, and the gunfire was like thunder.

“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang…”

The dense gunfire, like a torrential rain, poured down without warning.

The neatly arranged black muzzles simultaneously spewed out hot, bright flames, raising a large cloud of green smoke with a strong smell of sulfur.

The powerful thrust shot countless bullets like a torrential rain, towards the human-shaped targets that had long been arranged into a military formation in the distance.

“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang…!”

The first team of soldiers fired and quickly retreated to both sides, and the second row topped up. They quickly reloaded at the end. Gongshu Tianyuan's transformation played a huge role here.

The entire phalanx, like a machine running at full power, as violent as a bull, tilted its anger against the imaginary enemy in an orderly operation against the wind.

The intense and dense sound of gunfire rhythmically rose and fell, completely suppressing the voices of everyone under the awning.

Even the warhorses outside the drill ground, who were used to the sound of firearms, still uneasily pawed their hooves.

The soldiers turned their heads in astonishment and looked into the distance, wondering if the gunpowder depot had exploded?

And then, the “gunpowder depot” really exploded.

On one side of the drill ground, the fence door was pushed open.

Chen Gui, the director of the Bureau of Firearms, walked out with a torch in his hand, wearing an official robe.

Beside him was a giant cannon pushed out by strongmen.

The thick cannon barrel was outlined with patterns. The short half-month was not enough to complete the cannon's manufacture.

Therefore, this cannon, named “General Divine Might,” was forcibly catalyzed by Gongshu Tianyuan with the help of術士 methods.

But it was enough for a demonstration.

Chen, the Fire God, had his official robe fluttering in the wind, his hair flying backward, and his right hand firmly lit the fuse.

Soon.

That hideous black muzzle brewed a hot power, and the patterns on the cannon barrel lit up one after another, as if charging level by level, pushing the shell out.

“Boom!!!!”

After a cluster of exceptionally brilliant fire flashed.

Under everyone's gaze, the “military formation” at the end of the drill ground, which had been riddled with holes by muskets, was torn apart.

A huge gap collapsed in the thick wall, and dust flew up!

The ground exploded into a deep pit, and the shattered shell fragments smashed holes the thickness of fingers into the surrounding land!

At this moment, all the military officers under the awning were moved.

Even Xue Shence, the “God of the Army,” twitched his eyes violently.

He quickly judged that even he would be injured if he was hit head-on by that “cannon” without protection.

And looking at the world, how many martial artists as powerful as him are there?

“Withdraw!”

Zhao Du'an put down the musket he was holding high.

The sound of guns and cannons in the drill ground also stopped abruptly, just like the conductor's baton of an orchestra, directing as he pleased.

On the drill ground, the musket soldiers lined up in a square, chest out and head held high.

Under the awning, the faces of the Privy Council, the Ministry of War, and the major and minor military officers of the Beijing Camp were almost the same.

Dazed, moved, astonished, and unbelievable.

Shi Meng, who was particularly burly, blinked hard, and his facial features were a little distorted.

He didn't understand how such a team had appeared in the Divine Mechanism Battalion right under his nose?

The commanders of the Five Armies Camp and the Three Thousand Camp were also in a trance, almost instinctively calculating:

If it were the soldiers under his command, what would happen if they faced the scene before them?

All they could think of were the four seemingly elegant, but actually cruel words: “utter defeat.”

Knowledge Keeper Wang's face twitched as he stared blankly at the drill ground, seemingly still not back to his senses.

He suddenly remembered the news that Zhao Du'an was close to the Bureau of Firearms...

Everyone thought he was investigating the case, but he didn't want to... it was such a big “surprise”.

He murmured softly:

“Where... where did these new firearms come from?”

The Minister of War was stunned for a long time, and the hand stroking his beard accidentally plucked a few hairs because of his excitement, but he didn't care.

His eyes were just shining: “Divine weapon... divine weapon...”

Xue Shence silently watched the entire drill and slowly turned his head.

For the first time, he solemnly stared at Zhao Du'an, and then his gaze fell on the musket in his hand. His voice was slightly hoarse as he said:

“What... is this?”

Zhao Du'an said with a smile: “This is what I do.”

Thanks to: Blue's Most Beautiful Ball for the 100 coin reward, 1605...3050 for the 100 coin reward support!