Chapter 1 Establishing Prestige

  As promised, updates will start on Sunday. I've kept book friends waiting for a long time, hehe!

  Shanglin Garden, anyone familiar with the Qin and Han dynasties of China should know that this is the most famous imperial garden of the two dynasties. In the Han Dynasty, Sima Xiangru wrote a famous article "Shanglin Fu" to praise the grandeur and magnificence of Shanglin Garden.

  The Shanglin Garden of the Qin Dynasty was located on the south bank of the Wei River, south of Xianyang, and faced the national capital Xianyang across the river. The Shanglin Garden of the Qin Dynasty was grand in scale and vast in territory, stretching from the Wei River in the north to the Qinling Mountains in the south, covering the present-day areas of Xi'an, Xianyang, Zhouzhi, Huxian, Lantian, and others, with an area that can be said to be unprecedented. The scenery inside was beautiful, with many palaces: there were natural and artificial lakes, a vast array of plants and animals, as well as more than 10 large palace buildings, either for imperial courts or for detached gardens, with intricate layouts and ingenious settings, making it the largest and most magnificent garden in the history of world gardening.

  So the King of Qin was willing to allocate such a vast Shanglin Garden to Fusu for training new troops, with deep hope and expectation. Of course, the palace guards were absolutely not allowed to live there, but the vastness of Shanglin Garden knew no bounds, where tens of thousands of Qin soldiers could gallop and hunt freely, and naturally, they could find places to gather everywhere.

  Fu Su also followed the old Qin Wang to the Shanglin Garden for a tour, and was quite familiar with the Shanglin Garden. After consideration, Fu Su set up the barracks in a vast garden, Zhangtai Palace, south of the Wei River and north of the Zhongnan Mountains. This place has plains, mountains, lakes, and forests, which is an ideal place for military training!

  Then, after Fusu had chosen the location, Wei Lü drove the army and civilians to transport all the tents, food, and equipment that Fusu needed to a large open space next to the Zhangtai Palace by the Wei River. After everything was done, Wei Lü informed Fusu. Fusu was overjoyed in his heart and immediately led a group of imperial guards to rush to the military camp, while Fu stayed behind to oversee the miscellaneous affairs of the Lingyuan Pavilion!

  On this day at noon, it was already early winter, the weather had a bit of chill, and the sky was desolate and cold, but Fu Su's excitement in his heart was like a burning flame that made him sweat all over, without feeling any chill. As soon as he thought about personally commanding the mighty Qin army, which was known for its bravery throughout history, Fu Su's heart couldn't help but beat rapidly, and his face turned red with heat!

  Soon, Fu Su's carriage arrived at the gate of the military camp. The Qin army officers who had received the news were already waiting in front of the gate. This was a good opportunity to curry favor and show their loyalty! Although the Qin army was known for being fierce and ruthless, this was only towards their enemies. Towards their own people, the Qin army officers were just like most Chinese people, eager for power and position. In fact, due to the Qin state's policy of prioritizing national interests above all else, they were sometimes even more fervent than their counterparts in the six states of Guandong!

  The horses and carriages stopped, Fu Su jumped off the horse, and all the military officers bowed down together: "Not yet to see the young master!" Fu Su smiled and said: "Get up, thank you for the generals' hospitality in front of the camp, let's go to the commander's tent to discuss matters?" The generals thought about it and agreed that it was better to do so than to stand outside in the cold wind. So, everyone led the way ahead, and Fu Su entered the commander's tent.

  Fu Su looked around and saw that the tent was extremely spacious and luxurious, with a diameter of at least 20 meters. It had everything, including a meeting room, a bedroom, and an annex, all of which were very majestic and elegant. It seemed that Wei Liao had prepared a high standard for Fu Su.

  Fu Su smiled at everyone and asked, "What rank is this tent equipped with?"

  A military officer hastily replied, "It's equipped with the rank of Da Shu Long, the 18th level of nobility in our great Qin!"

  Fu Su was taken aback and said, "Even General Wang wouldn't have such a high rank. Isn't it too much? After all, I don't have any military achievements, so I shouldn't be treated with such grandeur!"

  The crowd respectfully replied: "As the eldest son of the king, it would not be excessive to have a higher position with the title of marquis. This is still because General Guo is afraid that you will not like it and has intentionally lowered the rank!" Fusu smiled in his heart and said: "It's okay, anyway, it doesn't matter, just accept it if given!" He sat up on the commander's seat, composed himself and said: "Generals, report for duty!"

  "With a burst of iron armor clanging, all the Qin generals stood up together, cold and murderous intent suddenly rose, filling the entire commander's tent. Indeed, they were well-trained troops!"

  When the first member, General Qin, was about thirty years old, he had a slender figure and a dignified appearance. His eagle eyes and long eyebrows revealed a fierce and heroic aura. He led the way to pay his respects: "General Tiger Bearer, commander of the elite cavalry, leads 1,080 elite light cavalrymen from the Tiger Bearer Army to pay their respects to Your Excellency!" His voice was sonorous and powerful, like gold and stone! Fu Su nodded slightly and said: "General, you are still a member of the Qin royal family?" Ying Qiang nodded proudly: "That's right, but it's already quite distant. My title is earned through military merit, not because of my identity!" Fu Su smiled to himself: "He's a stubborn person, but also an ambitious one!"

  The second man was also about thirty years old, but his physique was extremely tall and large, with a height of over eight feet and five inches. He had the waist of a bear and the arms of an ape, with a leopard-like head and eyes that seemed to have a few parts of Zhang Fei's demeanor. Especially on his face, there was a long scar above his left cheek, which made him look somewhat ferocious and frightening, clearly a fierce general. He stepped forward and said: "I am General Jiang Wei, commander of the Xianyang Garrison, with 1,080 cavalrymen under my command, reporting to Your Highness!" Fu Su nodded and said: "General, you have worked hard!"

  The third person was only twenty years old, with a medium build and a well-proportioned physique. His sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes made him look handsome and elegant. The whole person looked majestic and extraordinary, with a hint of elegance. He stepped forward and saluted: "I am Sima Yue, the military commander of Xianyang Wei, leading 1,080 cavalrymen to pay respects to Your Highness!" Fusu was taken aback and asked: "Is General Sima related to our dynasty's former famous general Sima Cuo?" Sima Yue smiled proudly and said: "He is my ancestor!" Fusu nodded in approval and praised: "General, you are a worthy descendant of a noble family, your bravery does not shame your ancestors!" Sima Yue humbly replied: "Your Highness is overpraising me!" (Sima Cuo was the most famous general of Qin before Bai Qi, and the great historian Sima Qian was his descendant!)

  The fourth person was in his thirties, with a robust physique and a strong body. He wasn't wearing armor, but rather casual clothes, and his sharp eyebrows and fierce gaze revealed a strong desire for battle and a thirst for blood. The whole person looked like a ferocious tiger that could pounce at any moment, exuding an aura of danger. Among the generals, he was the one who showed the least enthusiasm towards Fu Su, always with a stern expression on his face, as if Fu Su owed him 300 taels of silver. He stepped forward and saluted: "General Qin Hu, commander of the Tiger Guard's 'Trap Array Camp', leads 324 soldiers to pay respects to Your Highness!" Although his words were proper and respectful, his face showed no intention of courtesy. Fu Su had long been familiar with the nature of the people from the 'Trap Array Camp', so he didn't take it to heart and simply said: "General, you've worked hard!" The other generals, however, had a hint of cold smile on their faces, clearly aware of Qin Hu's character beforehand.

  The fifth person was over thirty but not yet forty years old, with a somewhat slender and small build, and an appearance that was somewhat shifty-eyed and unpleasant to look at. However, his smiling face was always full of flattering smiles, clearly showing that he was very good at fawning on others. He stepped forward and said: "I am Wei Shu, the lieutenant of the Imperial Guard, leading 1,080 logistics soldiers from my department to meet with Your Highness. During this period, I will be responsible for ensuring all logistical support for Your Highness's military training, please rest assured that I will do my utmost to ensure not a single mistake is made!" Fu Su nodded and said: "Then you'll have to work hard during this time!" Zhou Jian smiled sincerely and hastily replied: "I dare not, I dare not. As long as Your Highness has an order, I am willing to die for it!"

  Zhou Jian's words were indeed righteous and smooth, but the surrounding generals looked at him with contemptuous eyes, clearly looking down on his flattering appearance! In the Qin army where bravery and military merit are respected, Zhou Jian is definitely not welcomed by ordinary people. However, Zhou Jian seemed to have seen such eyes many times, but he didn't mind at all!

  The sixth person was a very young general, probably not even twenty years old, with delicate eyebrows and bright eyes, looking extremely elegant; however, his expression was stern, his face solemn, and under the reflection of his black armor, he looked extraordinary, this must be a brave young general. He stepped forward and saluted: "General Tiger Guard, Fang Tuo, leading 108 soldiers from the central army, reporting to Your Highness!" Fu Su nodded and said: "In the future, all matters of state and security will be entrusted to General!" Fang Tuo responded in a deep voice: "I am willing to die for it!"

  As soon as the generals had finished paying their respects, Fu Su smiled and said: "Now that I have met all of you generals, it's also time for me to meet the officers. Immediately pass on my orders, all cavalry and 'Trap Array Camp' troops are to assemble at the drill ground, I want to see which army is the most well-trained!" At this moment, all the generals looked at each other, their competitive gazes colliding in mid-air, sparks flying everywhere, it was clear that they all had a desire to compare themselves.

  "Boom, boom, boom...", the military commander's tent gathered soldiers and drums suddenly sounded, instantly echoing over the campsite, seeming distant yet passionate. As soon as the drumming started, the vast Qin army immediately became restless: everywhere were swift running sounds, horse hoof sounds, and armor clashing "clanging" sounds, but except for the low shouts of the officers, the entire camp was not a single murmur!

  Fu Su couldn't help but nod in agreement: "Although surprised, he didn't panic, and was swift without being flustered. Indeed, a well-trained Iron Blood teacher!" Fu Su smiled and said: "Gentlemen, let's go! Let's see whose army moves the fastest!" He led the way, with the other generals closely following behind him. The five people who were supposed to be guarding the commander's tent also followed, while Huo Feng and others stayed behind to guard the tent.

  On the drill ground, team after team of cavalry and "trap array camp" were gathering quickly, with the sound of horseshoes rumbling like thunder. However, in just a moment, Qin Hu's "trap array camp" had the fewest people and was the first to gather. Next was Sima Yue's Wei Du riding soldiers, followed by Ying Qiang's Hu Ben riding soldiers, and finally Jiang Ou's Wei Du riding soldiers. Just from the speed and quality of the troops gathering, it can be seen that Sima Yue's troops were the most well-trained, even slightly better than Ying Qiang's Hu Ben army; while Jiang Ou was the worst, possibly because he was just a brave general and not as good at governing the army as Sima Yue and Ying Qiang. And the "trap array camp" was naturally incomparable since they were all unarmored infantry and extremely agile in a short period of time!

  Fu Su now has a preliminary understanding of the quality of the various generals and armies, and he couldn't help but look at Jiang Yi, who was performing the worst. At this time, Jiang Yi's face was somewhat unflappable, glaring angrily at his soldiers, who were not very impressive. When he saw Fu Su's gaze fall on him, he felt a bit ashamed and lowered his head, his face turning red to the point of being almost purple!

  Fu Su turned his head and slowly stepped towards the school field's pointing platform. His footsteps were deep and steady, full of strength, while his eyes were firm and piercing.

  Fusu gazed out: the entire campus was a sea of black heads surging forward, horse heads nodding gently; the soldiers' faces were stern and majestic, their eyes cold and frosty, exuding an aura of killing intent. The entire army formation was like a steel behemoth emerging from hell, filled with icy, bone-chilling air. Even the color black seemed to dominate the sky and earth, and the sunlight itself grew dim in the face of this fierce atmosphere!

  For a moment, the majestic and powerful momentum that seemed to swallow mountains and rivers couldn't help but give Fusu a kind of "the world is in my heart" surging passion!

  PS: I have two full versions of Jazz and Three Kingdoms, although they may not be to everyone's taste, but when book friends have nothing to read, they can also relieve boredom.