Chapter 45: The Hundred Riders' Souls

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  After Qin Mu Bai and Chang Sun Ruan "made peace", another strange thing spread in the Hundred Riders Camp - Wei Chi Bao Yun, who was poisoned by Qin Mu Bai until he was almost disabled, covered his still bleeding and unhealed buttocks, moved to Qin Mu Bai's public office, and publicly apologized to him.

  It's somewhat reminiscent of Lian Po's willingness to take responsibility and apologize back in the day.

  Qin Mubai, of course, also yielded to the situation and gave face to Wei Baocun. He even apologized to him, clasped his hands and patted his shoulders, making merry with wine and words.

  Three deputy envoys, Cheng Huai Bi, Chang Sun Ruan and Wei Chi Bao Yun, along with Qin Mu Bai, Li Jun Xian and some other civil officials and military officers, set up a grand banquet to welcome the newly arrived military officers, including Chang Sun Ruan.

  To outsiders, this was absolutely a scene of heroes and good men who didn't know each other until they fought side by side. Only Qin Mubai and a few others knew in their hearts that everyone was just under pressure from the emperor and had to put on a show of harmony and cooperation. From now on, everyone understood one thing: no matter how big the contradictions between colleagues were, they couldn't be bigger than the emperor; the bottom line for internal struggle and competition was not to violate the purpose of serving and protecting the emperor, and not to offend the emperor. Otherwise, everyone would suffer.

  Now this situation is just like what Li Shimin said to Qin Mubai: In the past, when Li Jing led his troops, no matter how they fought and had private grievances, the overall style of the troops was still united.

  Qin Mubai now understood. Li Jing's ability was exceptional, but unity of a team was essential. If anyone failed to unite and caused divisions, they would be going against the emperor and the army's principles. Those who crossed the bottom line of an army due to personal grievances and internal strife were bound to come to no good end.

  Changsun Wuji followed the emperor for many years, although he had never personally taken up arms, but deeply understood the reasoning behind it. Therefore, he had no choice but to make a big deal out of it and bring his son to Li Shimin to apologize, and even condescend to apologize to Qin Mochi. It was because he knew that no matter who it was, they would not dare to be mischievous in the army. The emperor was the highest commander of all the armies in the Tang Dynasty, and all the armies were headed by him and served him loyally. Whoever dared to create internal strife, division, and disrupt the atmosphere of the army would certainly suffer a terrible fate. Such a bottom line, even Li Jing, the first marshal of the Tang Dynasty, did not dare to touch, let alone his son Changsun Mochi?

  From this moment on, the atmosphere in the hundred riders changed. When Changsun Yan and others first came, they were not pleased with Qin Mu Bai, and what they wanted to do most was to oppose him, preferably to pull him down and replace him. Now, they had to be honest. Because now, the emperor clearly supported Qin Mu Bai, the messenger of the hundred riders. It's not hard to imagine that Changsun Wuji must have educated Changsun Yan many times, and Wei Wang Li Tai must have done his job on Yuwen Bao Yun, so how dare they come to provoke again? Even if they hated Qin Mu Bai to the bone, a hundred times unwilling, now they had to obey Qin Mu Bai.

  If it were in the imperial court, such a thing would not have happened. As long as everyone has different political views, they will inevitably argue until their faces are red and they refuse to give in to each other, openly or secretly fighting for life and death is also normal.

  But the army is different from the imperial court. Orders are like mountains, a soldier's duty is to obey, and one rank higher can kill people. Those who are disobedient will die.

  Chang Sun Gan and others, who had only been in the army for a few days, were considered to have experienced the pros and cons of the military. Compared to Qin Mu Bai, who had joined the army a few days earlier, they were much more aware of the situation. This was because Qin Mu Bai came from a military family and had previously served as a soldier. When he was at home, his uncle, Qin Sun Bao, often talked to him about military matters.

  In comparison, Qin Mubai is much more aware than Chang Sunman and others. Otherwise, he wouldn't dare to assert from the beginning that he can defeat Chang Sunman and others completely.

  My grievances have been temporarily resolved. Next, Qin Mubai is also the time to train the hundred riders with a big knife.

  More than 600 people, all of whom were carefully selected elites. The Tang Dynasty was a country that valued martial arts, and even the elderly, women and children could ride horses and shoot arrows. Children from aristocratic families had better conditions for learning martial arts from an early age. Therefore, although there were many spoiled sons among these people, those who could pass through layers of strict selection, competition and elimination to enter the Hundred Riders were all skilled hands with real abilities.

  The basic quality of this army is indeed very good.

  Qin Mubai and Li Junxian, along with three other deputy envoys, deliberated for many days before finalizing the "Hundred Riders' Eighteen Items" basic skills. These included traditional Tang army skills such as archery, horsemanship, sword fighting, and strength training, as well as various other skills brought by Qin Mubai from the 21st century. For example: free combat to defeat an enemy with one move, wilderness survival, emergency self-rescue, reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance, courage and endurance, speed and reaction, etc. Of course, the emperor's repeated emphasis on "political education" was also a top priority. Every day had cultural class time, either learning about laws and military orders or receiving education on "patriotism and loyalty to the monarch".

  After two months, after multiple debugging and exploration improvements, the work of Bai Qi is now completely on track. Now, these six hundred people are like a precise and complete machine, running in an orderly manner. The whole camp is in order, full of passion and vitality, without losing its seriousness and solemnity.

  Invisibly, the cohesion of the entire team is constantly strengthening; the personal quality of each soldier is growing wildly.

  The hundred riders' generals themselves didn't realize, but Li Shimin, who had been patiently observing from the side, was delighted. He had heard Li Junxian's report more than once and was full of praise for Qin Mubai, this young military general. He said that this kid has drive, vision, and the commanding ability and personal charm that a general should have, as well as imagination and creativity. He was eagerly looking forward to the hundred riders' formal debut.

  At this time, the two-month regular training ended. Qin Mu Bai petitioned to the Emperor for a month of "field exercise". The army was pulled to the Zhongnan Mountain or even further to the eight hundred miles away Qin River for field training.

  Li Shimin readily agreed.

  Six hundred cavalrymen, accompanied by over a thousand servants and laborers, majestically marched out of the Xuanwu Gate and left Chang'an.

  This is a real wilderness extreme training and survival test. Here, Qin Mubai will personally lead these people to train in wilderness survival, reconnaissance and anti-reconnaissance and other practical projects.

  Such training is not as simple as training in the camp. In the camp, at most, you will be injured in a free fight, and having a bloody nose and face is considered serious. But this kind of outdoor exercise may really cost lives. Not to mention other things, there is a possibility of encountering poisonous insects and beasts during reconnaissance and ambush, it is also possible to accidentally fall off the cliff, and it is also possible that you have not mastered the ability to distinguish directions in the wilderness and starve to death in the deep mountains and forests.

  Training was carried out in groups, with different tasks assigned and everyone playing different roles of friend and foe. Amidst the tension, excitement, and bloodshed, a month's training came to a successful end.

  This training session brought about a transformation in everyone. After all, most people grew up in good family environments and were well taken care of, so who has ever really gone hungry or suffered? This time, many people were so hungry they ate leaves and snails, and almost everyone had to drink their own urine at some point. In addition, many people suffered injuries ranging from minor to severe.

  It's only natural that people would question the relevance of such brutal training to serving as a royal guard. Qin Mu Bai's explanation was: This is a test of willpower. As one of the best soldiers in the Tang Dynasty, if you can't even take care of yourself in special circumstances, how can you protect the Emperor? If the Emperor encounters danger, no matter what heaven or earth, all 100 riders must have the ability to rescue him from danger. Being a guard is harder than being an assassin. As an assassin, failing 100 times and succeeding once is enough; as a guard, succeeding 100 times but making one mistake is also fatal.

  So every one of the hundred riders must be more ruthless than the most ruthless killer under heaven.

  Qin Mubai also said that these three months of training are just a beginning, and the more bitter ones will be in the back. Those who can't hold on will quit by themselves.

  The three-month training has ended.

  The Emperor came in person for the first time to the Hundred Riders Camp to supervise the hundred riders' examination of eighteen skills and political military orders.

  The hundred riders before him made Li Shimin, the sixteen-year-old emperor who had been in the army for over a decade and finally got the world on horseback, shine brightly with surprise and praise - "This is the most powerful and introverted, passionate yet calmest army I have ever seen! Almost every general can become a fierce tiger on the battlefield and a master in the rivers and lakes."

  "Such an army, I have never heard of, nor seen. I want to grant each and every one of the hundred riders with a noble title!"

  Xun Guan, without salary, no food and land matching, just a symbolic title of honor, is a special reward for the military to reward people with military merit, like modern "Combat Hero" medal. For example, Qin Shubao was the highest Xun Guan - Shang Zhu Guo.

  The Hundred Riders became the first collective army in history to be granted noble titles, and this was done without them having fought a single battle.

  The result of the "graduation assessment" of the hundred riders was quite ruthless. Half of them were eliminated, among whom most were ordinary soldiers, as well as low-ranking officers such as fire chiefs and team leaders.

  Three months of daily interaction, sharing honor and shame, plus the mutual encouragement and tempering during outdoor training, even sharing life and death, all the officers among the hundred riders have formed a bond like brothers.

  When the assessment results were announced, the hundred riders ignored the emperor's presence. Many people cheered and jumped with excitement, unable to contain themselves, while others were disappointed and cried like children. Many people wept, either excitedly celebrating or reluctant to leave this army.

  In Qin Mubai's heart, he also had deep feelings for all the soldiers. He too wanted to shout loudly like the other soldiers, or bid farewell with tears in his eyes. But he just stood calmly on the stage, looking at everything with a cold and almost cruel gaze. Because he knew that he now symbolized the military order of the Hundred Riders, was the standard by which all soldiers were measured, and was also the soul of the Hundred Riders.

  Normally, Qin Mu Bai was always on good terms with his soldiers. But at this special moment, as the commander and spiritual totem, he had to endure the loneliness of being in a high position, no matter how cold it was. Even if others scolded him for being ruthless and heartless, criticized and hated him.

  Seeking red envelope! Is it a joke? !