As such, from yesterday until now, their hearts had been floating in their chests, unable to settle down.
After receiving an affirmative response by the royal court that they would not pursue the matter, the duo finally heaved a long sigh of relief.
On top of that, the reward that the royal court offered regarding this contribution, to pave the way for their future promotions, had left even Xu Gan trembling in excitement.
How many of the scions their age had military contributions under their name?
At least ninety percent of the scions throughout the capital would end up without military contributions their entire lives, and yet, the two of them had such a contribution under their names despite having never been to the battlefield. This was indeed something to celebrate over!
Just with this, their starting point would be much higher than the other scions in the capital. It might just be a small headstart, but like a rolling snowball, the momentum would swiftly build up, resulting in a widening gap between them and the others.
To use a simple example, after an astounding victory in a major battle, if a Five-Man Squad Leader and Ten-Man Squad Leader had participated in the battle, and assuming that they had performed equally well on the battlefield, who do you think would be deemed to have contributed more to the victory?
It might just be a small advantage at this point, but the benefits would gradually add up.
There was no scions in the capital who were unaware of this aspect.
And as for Zhang Lin, he was simply glad that his brothers who had died in battle would be honored and compensated like soldiers who had died in the front lines.
On this aspect, he was rather different from Xu Gan and Huang Yongtu.
"With this, they should be able to rest in peace." Upon receiving this news, Wang Chong was gladdened.
He was still thinking that if the Bureau of Military Personnel refused to budge on this aspect, he would have to tap into his connections with King Song and his Big Uncle to make this matter happen, but it seemed like there was no need to do so.
Great Tang was in decline, but it had managed to uphold a decent level of fairness within the military.
"Xu Gan and Huang Yongtu, what do you intend to do next? Will you return to the capital, or will you push on?" At this moment, Wang Chong stepped forward and asked.
The area suddenly plunged into silence.
In the letter from the Bureau of Military Personnel, the group gathered here was offered two choices.
First, since two missions had been accomplished, and the four platoons had suffered a great deal of damage in the midst of eradicating Iron Cloak Li, the Bureau of Military Personnel had offered them the choice of returning to the capital and ending the mission now.
Second, due to urgent circumstances by the border, the Bureau of Military Personnel was tight on manpower at the moment. Thus, they needed every soldier they could get to support Longxi. If the group wished to, they could continue on and carry out the third mission to destroy the Tibetan troops which were gathered in the region.
As this would be a clash with an official army, danger was inevitable. If anything, it could even turn out to be more dangerous than the battle with Iron Cloak Li.
Thus, the suggestion by the Bureau of Military Personnel was for the four of them not to participate in the battle.
Nevertheless, if the four of them did choose to participate, the royal court would reward them by raising the cap on the number of soldiers they could have under their command by a grade after they graduated from the training camp and officially joined the military.
"Wang Chong, what about you? Will you return to the capital or push on with the third mission?" In response to Wang Chong's question, Xu Gan replied with another one of his own.
Huang Yongtu and Bai Siling also turned their gazes to Wang Chong as well, curious to see how he would respond.
After the incident with the Iron Cloak Highwaymen, while no one had said anything on the surface, unknowingly, they seemed to have come to a non-verbal consensus to regard Wang Chong as the leader of their group.
"Me?" Sensing everyone's gazes on him, Wang Chong chuckled and replied without any hesitation, "Do you even need to ask? Naturally, I will participate in the third mission as well."
Those words were decisive and imposing, filled with incredible confidence that one couldn't help but respect.
Even though the Bureau of Military Personnel had mentioned that the risk from the third mission was likely to be above the second, Wang Chong shared a very different opinion.
One must know that in the previous mission, it was eighty against seven hundred!
It was highly unlikely that they would face such a huge disparity in the forces in the third mission as well. Furthermore, there shouldn't be another expert like Iron Cloak Li who would be invulnerable to swords and spears, and could reverse the flow of battle single-handedly.
As long as neither of these two situations appeared once more, Wang Chong felt that there wasn't much to worry about.
Even if the Tibetans held a slight advantage in the battle, as long as the situation wasn't as extreme as before, Wang Chong was confident that he could dominate the battlefield through his strategies.
Thus, his view differed from the Bureau of Military Personnel.
Besides, the reward offered by the Bureau of Military Personnel had caught Wang Chong's interest.
As long as the third mission was successfully cleared, the four of them would be allowed to command a force one grade more than the allowed as per their current rank after officially joining the military.
Such rewards were unusual and not many people knew of them, but they were extremely familiar to Wang Chong.
In the near future, such rewards would be commonly offered to the scions of prestigious clans. This was a plausible method by which capable scions of prestigious clans could swiftly rise through the ranks.
However, the catch was that the additional force and the burdens from their associated cost would not be carried by the royal court. The scions would have to find some way to cover the gap themselves.
From the royal court's point of view, they could skimp on their limited military personnel and resources while tapping into the connections of the prestigious clans to attract top-notch experts into the military.
On the other hand, while the prestigious clans would have to supply the experts by themselves and take care of the rations, considering the influence that most prestigious clans wielded, that shouldn't pose a problem at all.
On top of that, by deploying the clan experts into the military as well, the security of the involved scion would be assured, and the contributions made through them would be attributed back to the scion and the clan as well.
This meant that the scion could stand to be promoted more quickly than ever.
In a sense, this could potentially work far better for them than if the royal court dispatched soldiers to them.
As such, this was a policy that satisfied both the aims of the scion and the prestigious clan behind them, as well as the royal court and the empire as a whole. However, grabbing hold of this opportunity wasn't easy.
As this policy would grant significant military power to the scions and the clans behind them, in order to minimize instability in the military, the scions who were offered this deal were carefully chosen, and their numbers were limited. As such, in the near future, there would be many clans fighting for this opportunity.
Most probably, Wang Chong was in the earliest batch of those offered this initiative.
With such a godsent opportunity, how could Wang Chong possibly allow it to slip past his fingers?
"Haha, this matter is simple then. Since you have decided to participate in the third mission, how could I possibly leave myself out?" Xu Gan laughed heartily as he made his decision.
"Hehe, this is a great opportunity. Count me in as well!" The chuckling Huang Yongtu expressed his stand too.
With thi
s, Wang Chong, Xu Gan, and Huang Yongtu turned their eyes to Bai Siling.
"Hmph, of course I'll follow you all!" Bai Siling gracefully pushed her hair to the back of her ear as she spoke calmly. "Ever since following this fellow, I have not suffered. With the several million gold taels I have earned, probably even those uncles of mine in the clan will turn green in envy. Since you are so anxious to participate in the third mission, there must be some kind of crucial benefit that could be earned from it. Surely you won't be considering ditching me in the face of such a good deal?" Bai Siling said, as she turned a hostile gaze on Wang Chong.
"Of course not!" With a bitter smile, Wang Chong hurriedly shook his hands.
Bai Siling's words were simple, crude, and direct. However, there was indeed one thing that she was right about—rewards drive a person!
Wang Chong wouldn't have bothered participating in the third mission if there was nothing to be earned, so on this aspect... a woman's intuition was indeed fearsome!
"You need not look at me. We'll follow you whatever your decision is. For us soldiers, such a thing as rest doesn't exist until our retirement. Our only calling is to fulfill the commands relayed to us." Seeing everyone's eyes on him, Zhang Lin hurriedly shook his hands and reassured them.
There were many things that could be deduced from how the royal court didn't offer the choice to the soldiers in the first place.
Wang Chong remained impassive to Zhang Lin's response. From his point of view, such a thing was completely natural. He had already known how the latter would respond from the start, so he didn't bother asking at all.
A hint of sympathy flashed across Bai Siling's eyes.
As comrades who had braved through life-and-death, Bai Siling didn't want to force them into danger against their will. If any of them had displayed their reluctance to carry on, she would have wanted to send them back safely.
However, Zhang Lin's words were loud and clear. The soldiers weren't entitled to make such decisions, and in the worst case scenario, it could even be considered as insubordination.
Understanding this much, Bai Siling could only sigh deeply within.
Having made their decisions, Wang Chong, Xu Gan, Huang Yongtu, Bai Siling, Zhang Lin, and the forty-four remaining Great Tang cavalrymen started on their way to Longxi.
This time, they would be facing real war!
Chapter 364: The Third Gathering Point!
Chapter 364: The Third Gathering Point!
"The next gathering point is just ahead. It serves as a logistical stop as well, and we'll be able to get replacements for the steeds we have lost and repair our gear there," Lieutenant Zhang Lin said to Wang Chong, Xu Gan, and the others.They were treading along a main road surrounded by winding mountains.
The greatest concern they had at hand was regarding their steeds. When the group was surrounded by the Iron Cloak Highwaymen back then, most of their horses ended up being slaughtered.
For the time being, most of them were using substitutes from the highwaymen they had slaughtered in the battle after killing Zhou An.
However, there was still a huge difference between the war steeds from the military and the horses the highwaymen rode on. The former had undergone strict training, and they could comprehend the gestures and intentions of their riders. On top of that, through a unique circulation pathway through its meridians and veins, it could harness the power of a cavalryman's halo to augment its abilities.
Through this, the might of a cavalryman's charge could be maximized!
On the other hand, the horses of the highwaymen had never undergone such training, so that would be a huge handicap in itself.
It was fine to ride such horses for casual occasions, but in a battle against a formal Tibetan army, it simply would not do for them not to have war steeds.
As such, most of the cavalrymen who had lost their war steeds had been worrying over this issue.
---
"We're here!"
After galloping along a meandering path, the group finally arrived at the third gathering point of the mission.
This was a resting point constructed by the officials, so it was heavily guarded. Soldiers could be seen standing guard with stern expressions on their faces. The Haloes of Thorns that rippled beneath their feet indicated that they were all True Martial realm experts.
There was quite a large crowd moving around the perimeter of the resting point, but nearly all of them had a glum expression on their faces. Morale seemed to be low among them.
Seeing the sight, Wang Chong remarked, "Looks like the four of us aren't the only ones who were sent here."
Xu Gan, Huang Yongtu, and Bai Siling looked at the sight before them with a bizarre expression on their faces. Scanning through the crowd before them, they could easily spot quite a few young men dressed in luxurious clothes. Chances were that they were also recruits from the training camps.
It seemed they weren't the only ones who received deployment instructions from the Bureau of Military Personnel. The recruits who had been conducting their missions in the region were summoned to this area too!
"Wait here for a moment!" Before anyone could react, Bai Siling abruptly squeezed her steed with her thighs and galloped forward.
"Hm?" Perplexed, Wang Chong frowned. But soon, he saw Bai Siling intercepting a red-robed lady who possessed an exceptional disposition comparable to hers.
"So she has found an acquaintance." As realization dawned on him, Wang Chong's frown loosened.
Bai Siling and that lady conversed for a moment before leading her over to the group.
"Yatong, this is Xu Gan and Huang Yongtu. The Xu Clan and Huang Clan are powerful clans in the capital, so you should have at least heard of them. As for this fellow... he is that Wang Chong," Bai Siling introduced him with a complex expression on her face.
Upon hearing the name "Wang Chong", astonishment flickered across the red-robed lady's eyes as she began looking him over from head to toe.
"As for you guys, be glad. This lady over here is Yatong from the Zhao Clan. Surely you should have heard of her?" Bai Siling turned to the guys and introduced her friend.
"I see. So it's Yatong-xiaojie!" Hearing the red-robed lady's name, Xu Gan and Huang Yongtu immediately bowed politely and greeted her. Only Wang Chong was left with a dazed expression.
Zhao Yatong... Alright, he knew the other party's name now, but was he supposed to know her?
He had never heard of the other party before!
"You don't know her? Then surely you should have heard of the Spear of Crimson Flames of the capital's Zhao Clan?" Noticing Wang Chong's confusion, Huang Yongtu leaned over slightly and whispered quietly.
"Spear of Crimson Flames?" Wang Chong repeated in confusion. That title did sound great, but he didn't recall hearing it before.
"Damn it, you really don't know her?" Upon realizing that Wang Chong was still clueless despite all he had said, Huang Yongtu stared at him in frustration.
The heck! Is she really that important that I have to know her?
"Even if you don't know the Spear of Crimson Flames, surely you should have heard of Yao Wenxiong from the Yao Clan?" Seeing how Wang Chong was completely baffled by the abrupt situation before him, Xu Gan couldn't help but intervene as well. Even though Wang Chong was indubitably one of the most esteemed scions in the capital at the moment, he seemed to be far lacking in connections and understanding of their social circle.
On the other hand, Wang Chong also felt slightly embarrassed by the situation before him.
He had spent the earlier days in his previous life hanging out with Wei Hao, Ma Zhou, and the other fellows in his previous life, while Xu Gan and the other scions were figures that were far beyond him. Since he didn't belong to that lofty world, how could he have known much about their circle?
"Yes, I have heard of him before," Wang Chong nodded.
Even though Old Master Yao only had a single son and grandson, who were Yao Guangyi and Yao Feng respectively, that
didn't mean that the Yao Clan was lacking in descendants.
On the contrary, they were overflowing with offspring.
Most of the other branch families of the Yao Clan had flourished through tapping into their connections with Old Master Yao.
Yao Wenxiong's grandfather was one of them. He was a blood-related brother of Old Master Yao, and this had resulted in a very close relationship between the two families.
In the Yao Clan, Yao Wenxiong was known as a rare genius that was far more talented than Yao Feng, having reached the True Martial realm at a very young age.
Back then, when Wang Chong's second brother, Wang Bei, and Yao Feng had a conflict and his Berserker Syndrome suddenly acted up, had it not been for Yao Wenxiong appearing at a timely moment and fighting back desperately alongside Yao Feng, Yao Feng might have already been crippled or even dead by now.
While Yao Wenxiong was severely injured after the incident, just the fact that he could stand against Wang Bei in the berserk state that enhanced his fighting prowess immensely, spoke loudly of his strength.
"Back then, even Yao Wenxiong would make a detour whenever he saw the Zhao Clan's Spear of Crimson Flames. From this, you should be able to fathom how powerful she is!" Xu Gan added.
Currently, Yao Wenxiong had gone to Tianzhu Mountain to cultivate, and it was easy to imagine how powerful he would become under the training of the powerful Imperial Guard instructors there.
But nevertheless, it was a fact that Yao Wenxiong wasn't a match for the Spear of Crimson Blaze. It wasn't just because the lady before him was powerful, but that the Zhao Clan had a unique spear technique known as "Spear of Searing Flames" that was only passed down to the women in the clan. The technique was known to have a few powerful moves which allowed the practitioner to rival those who were several cultivation realms higher than her.
Considering that, it would be foolish for Yao Wenxiong to confront her.
Wang Chong had never heard of Zhao Yatong or her alias before, but the fact that she could suppress Yao Wenxiong came as a huge surprise to him. Judging from that, she was likely to be on par with Marquess Yi and Bai Siling.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 261
