roccoschili Chapter 93 A talent fit for a king, who asks not about the common people but about ghosts and gods.
Chapter 93 A talent fit for a king, who asks not about the common people but about ghosts and gods.
Yang Yan slammed his hand on the railing, paused for a moment, and then his gaze, sharp as a knife, pierced into the hearts of everyone present: "Being afraid of death means you still have aspirations and dreams, and that's why you can train so intensely."
"But I still have to say, it's probably pointless!"
"Do you think we can let you stay in Guanzhong and be allocated permanent farmland? Do you think we can get your names crossed off that damned military register of the Ministry of War, freeing you from this soldier's uniform so you can go home and take care of your children?!"
"cannot!"
Yang Yan practically shouted the last two words.
The harsh reality was like a bucket of ice water poured over my head.
The soldiers' eyes dimmed. Yes, military orders are like mountains. They were soldiers of the local garrison, military households. Their lives were not even in their own hands. What was the use of being afraid?
Standing at the rear, Li Mi watched coldly, completely baffled as to what Yang Yan, the eldest grandson of the emperor, was doing. Intimidating the soldiers? This would only make them more eager to escape, or even cause a mutiny.
However, the next moment, Yang Yan's tone suddenly changed, and his originally stern voice was now filled with the fervor of a warrior: "But today, I will give you a different path!"
Everyone's ears perked up.
Yang Yan stretched out his hand and pointed to the distant southern horizon.
"Lingnan is a gateway to hell, but also a graveyard for heroes—a graveyard where enemies are buried! It is also the land where the men of our Great Sui Dynasty cleaved their way to an everlasting dynasty, for themselves and their descendants, with their swords!"
"I only need five hundred men! Listen carefully, out of twelve thousand men, I only need five hundred!"
Yang Yan suddenly turned around, pulled the horizontal sword from Qin Qiong's waist, and pointed the blade straight at the sky, reflecting a bloodthirsty light in the setting sun.
"These five hundred men are not registered in the imperial garrison register, nor are they ordinary soldiers. I will create a separate register and temporarily name them—the 'Changning Breaking Formation Army'!"
Upon hearing the words "Breaking the Formation," Li Jing, who was standing to the side, paused for a moment. He knew that in the Sui Dynasty, it was taboo to give an army a separate name!
Moreover, he even named himself after his own title! His ambition is obvious.
Looking at the pairs of eyes below the stage that were beginning to focus, Yang Yan knew that the time was right and it was time to add fuel to the fire.
He didn't need to spout lofty ideals; these ordinary soldiers wouldn't understand. What he wanted to offer were tangible, visible benefits!
"Those who join this army will receive extra meals daily, meat every ten days, and their entire families will be exempt from taxes for ten years! For every meritorious service, rewards will be doubled, and I will personally petition the court for official titles on your behalf!"
"boom--"
The drill ground erupted in chaos.
Yang Yan didn't stop, but continued to escalate the situation, his voice growing louder and louder: "Armor and weapons shall be issued in full and of the required quality according to the 'Kaihuang Standard.' Any that are rotten shall be replaced immediately! These are life-saving tools; I'm giving you the best!"
"Those who have rendered meritorious service through beheadings are usually exempt from the Ministry of War's regulations. I have established a special register to record these cases directly and personally verify them. For all those who have rendered meritorious service, I, as the eldest grandson of the emperor and concurrently serving as the inspector, will submit a special report to His Majesty and the Crown Prince on your behalf, requesting commendations!"
This directly shattered the soldiers' last psychological defenses.
What do soldiers hate most? It's not death, it's dying in vain! It's risking their lives to cut off their heads, only to have their superiors use them to secure their futures, while they themselves don't even get a sip of soup.
Now, the eldest grandson of the emperor says that he will personally verify the information and report it directly to the Crown Prince!
That's not just money, it's a ladder to heaven!
Looking at the pairs of eyes below the stage, now bloodshot, greedy, and filled with longing, Yang Yan unleashed his final trump card:
"The land you clear and level on your journey to Lingnan will be your permanent estate! It is fertile land that you will never be able to obtain in this Daxing City! Your descendants will be the masters of that new land, not the guests! They will no longer be military households toiling in the fields, but meritorious landlords who have expanded the territory!"
If the previous conditions were temptations, then this one is faith.
land.
That's an obsession etched into the very bones of the Chinese agrarian people. They would die for the land.
Li Mi's face changed, becoming extremely ugly. He realized he was wrong, terribly wrong. This wasn't intimidation at all; it was clearly manipulating people's hearts! This Yang Yan had actually portrayed the wild and untamed land of Lingnan as a promised land overflowing with gold!
Li Jing's hand, holding the register, was trembling slightly.
Looking at that confident and powerful figure on the high platform, he felt an indescribable surge of emotion.
This is a true commander!
This is the kind of commander who can inspire people to willingly die for their cause!
Yang Yan sensed that the atmosphere below the stage had reached a boiling point, and his voice became deep and magnetic—a final, triumphant climax.
"I'm taking you there not to send you to your deaths, but to expand our territory! Not to exile you, but to establish our glory!"
"Your names will not be buried in the mire of Lingnan. They will be engraved in my book of merits, on the desks of the Crown Prince, and in the future, they will be depicted in portraits to commemorate your achievements and passed down to posterity! Let future generations see who, after the prosperous Kaihuang era, conquered the magnificent southern border for the Sui Dynasty!"
The setting sun, as red as blood, cast an extremely long shadow of Yang Yan, as if at this moment he was no longer the down-on-his-luck grandson of the emperor, but a king reigning over the world.
He took a sudden step forward, almost hovering in mid-air above the steps, his eyes flashing like lightning, and roared:
"Now, tell me—"
"Out of these twelve thousand people, are there even five hundred men who would rather die by the sword than be a lover in bed?!"
"Are there five hundred heroes who don't believe in fate, but only in the sword in their hands?!"
The wind stopped.
Only Yang Yan's voice echoed across the drill ground, making the banners flutter loudly.
"Anyone who dares to follow me to Lingnan and vie for eternal fame, step forward!"
Dead silence.
An extremely brief period of deathly silence.
Everyone held their breath, their hearts pounding in their chests, and blood rushing to their heads.
Daily extra meals... provision of armor... permanent farmland... direct reporting of meritorious service...
That was the only chance to change the impoverished fate of generations of ancestors!
"Thump!"
A dull footstep sounded.
At the forefront of the crowd, an old soldier with a face full of scars and only one ear stepped forward abruptly and roared in a hoarse but resolute voice, "I'm going! My worthless life is worth it for my children and grandchildren's hundred acres of fertile land!"
This sound was like a ladle of water being poured into a pot of boiling oil.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
Like a great drumbeat, the earth trembled.
Countless feet stomped heavily on the ground, and countless figures surged forward in a rush.
"I'll go! Your Highness, count me in!"
"I'm not afraid to die! I want to eat meat! I want military merit!"
"I've had enough of this damn life! I'm willing to fight to the death with Your Highness!"
The emotions of 12,000 people were completely ignited at this moment.
"I am willing to fight to the death with Your Highness!"
"To win the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households!"
In an instant, the once lifeless formation of ten thousand men transformed into a surging tide of fury. Where was the slightest fear in those bloodshot eyes? They were filled only with ambition and fanaticism to devour anyone in sight!
Seeing this out-of-control scene before him, Qin Qiong's palms were sweaty as he gripped the knife, his eyes filled with shock.
Li Jing took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and a relieved smile appeared on his lips.
It became.
The spirit of this army has been established.
Li Mi, pale-faced, looked at the figure receiving the worship of ten thousand people on the high platform. For the first time, he felt such intense fighting spirit from the soldiers of the Fubing.
He was certainly aware of the pre-battle mobilization, but he had never heard of someone like Yang Yan before. He had initially had some hesitation about going to Lingnan with Yang Yan, but now that last bit of hesitation had vanished!
Yang Yan turned his head to look at Li Jing beside him, a smile that only the two of them could understand, and said softly, "Brother Yao, I have already sharpened this knife for you. How you use it from now on is up to you."
Li Jing never expected that this prince's control over people's hearts had reached such a level.
No military strategy or political maneuvering is needed.
Using only the most blunt and vulgar language, they transformed this flock of sheep into a pack of howling, hungry wolves.
"Your Highness, rest assured."
Li Jing took a deep breath, his hand gripping the roster so tightly it became deformed.
"The rest is up to me."
Having said that, he stepped forward and walked to the front of the stage.
The gentle temperament that originally belonged to a scholar vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling coldness and rigor.
"All troops, listen to my command!"
Li Jing's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.
"Form teams of one hundred and begin the trial! Only the five hundred strongest will be selected!"