"I shall honour your majesty's will in all things."
A twitch played at the corners of Shangguan Qingyun and Li Yun's mouths.
Upon hearing that Chu Yuan intended to reclaim the two large medicinal gardens, their immediate reaction was to destroy them so they would not fall into Chu Yuan's hands. They hadn't expected that Chu Yuan, with his seemingly prophetic intellect, had already sent martial guards to secure these places.
The martial guards, who may be few among Dawu's forces, are their most elite troops. They were akin to the imperial guards before Chu Yuan's journey through time.
Little did they foresee that in his past life, 'Chu Yuan' had also attempted to reclaim these medicinal gardens and reform the army but was deterred when the two of them set fire to the gardens. Having had that experience, would he fail to prepare this time?
Although the two were filled with rage, Li Yun seemed to be murmuring a single word, 'endure'.
After all, they are still subjects and cannot openly rebel against Chu Yuan. Everything must wait until final preparations are complete. When the insurgency breaches the border, they would rise from within in collusion, directly dethroning Chu Yuan and relegating him to the status of a prisoner.
"The two of you may withdraw and rest, I have to discuss military strategy with the Duke of Loyalty and Valour," Chu Yuan promptly dismissed them.
"Yes!"
Both Shangguan Qingyun and Li Yun, with dark expressions, exited the imperial study.
"Your Majesty's strategy is truly remarkable! A perfect example of a bold and righteous royal scheme, which left Shangguan Qingyun and Li Yun in such a state they're unable to vent their frustrations. I was initially concerned about them ruining the medicinal gardens, but it appears that Your Majesty was already prepared."
The Duke of Loyalty and Valour looked at Chu Yuan, surprised to find someone so young could be so calculating and his methods of monarchy polished to perfection.
"With these two large medicinal gardens, there will be a flurry of pill refinement, attracting more warriors," Lu Qianfu sighed.
"Had the Duke of Loyalty and Valour not deterred Shangguan Qingyun and Li Yun, I would not have sent the martial guards. This is only the beginning," Chu Yuan retorted.
"There is one thing I have been curious about, how powerful is Your Majesty exactly?" Lu Qianfu interjected.
Chu Yuan's cunning and strategy, in itself, may be important, but one's cultivation level ultimately matters the most. The previous emperor might have been uninterested in handling court affairs, but his strength alone was enough to deter the entire country.
"I can easily kill a practitioner at the second level of Divine Abilities," replied Chu Yuan nonchalantly.
"That's absolutely terrifying!"
A shiver ran through Lu Qianfu's heart. Being able to kill a practitioner at the second level of Divine Abilities was a completely different proposition from merely handling one. This means that not even experts at the fourth or fifth levels of Divine Abilities could possibly pose a threat to Chu Yuan.
Keep in mind, Chu Yuan is only fifteen this year!
A pacifying emperor, just fifteen years old and possessing such a strategic mind and impressive power!
"Eunuch Wei, decree on my behalf: a nationwide recruitment is now open. Anyone whose strength has reached the tenth level of Channel-opening is eligible to join the Divine Martial Troops. Set up the recruitment center in the Imperial City Square; I aim to reorganize the Divine Martial Troops today!" declared Chu Yuan, brimful of vigor.
When the imperial edict was issued, it caused quite a stir across the nation within a few days. Anywhere with a recruitment notice drew large crowds.
This was an earth-shattering event. The entire Divine Martial Army of 300,000 tragically perished overnight in a macabre manner. Such a huge incident was impossible to cover up. For Dawu, it was a considerable blow, causing public unrest.
But today, with one imperial decree, Chu Yuan astonishingly planned to recruit new warriors, raising the requirement to the tenth level of Channel-opening.
"I never thought that the second-generation emperor would want to rebuild the Divine Martial, considering it is our Dawu's flag. As long as Divine Martial stands, so will Dawu!"
"Exactly, the second-generation emperor ascended the throne at the most difficult time in our kingdom, he must have lacked an invincible military troop in his hand. He intends to erect this flag!"
"What? The commander of the Divine Martial Army is the Duke of Loyalty and Valour, Lu Qianfu!"
...
Many people, gathered in front of the imperial edict, were engaged in heated discussions. This was a serious matter, especially when they saw Lu Qianfu regain control. Those who had initially gathered just to spectate began considering their options, and started making their way towards the Imperial City Square.
"Are you not aware that the late emperor was punished by Divine Will? The deity sought to annihilate Dawu. How dare you still consider joining the Divine Martial rank? Aren't you scared? Do you have a death wish?"
At the same time, some discordant voices also echoed.
Simultaneously, such voices could be heard in front of every royal proclamation.
"Hmph! The late emperor's death is indeed suspicious. However, as martial artists, we aim to break the heavens with our martial prowess. We fear no Divine Punishment. Moreover, Dawu still stands after all. You, step aside and don't obstruct us from joining the Divine Martial army!"
"Correct, the four border nations' massive army pressures Dawu, seeking to annihilate us. But Dawu, established for thirty years; it has been peaceful, the realm is harmonious, civilians live happily, enjoying peace for thirty years. Now, as Dawu faces danger, how could a good man possibly cower?"
"What a peaceful life it was, yet someone seeks to shatter it!"
"If the four nations invade the capital, they will definitely burn, kill and plunder. Our loved ones will also be slaughtered. As always, with the fall of a kingdom, it is us, the citizens, who suffer the most!"
"We're not just defending Dawu, but our own homes!"
...
Although some discordant voices could be heard, Dawu had won the hearts of the people over its thirty years. It gave them too much shelter, ending hundreds of years of senseless killing on this territory. Most people don't want to see Dawu perish.
The country is also our home.
If the country is not safe, how can our homes be?
Under an overturned nest, can there be unhurt eggs?
This is a logic many understand.
"Your Majesty, five days after the royal decree was issued, two thousand brave warriors have registered, including one thousand six hundred at the Pulse-Channeling stage, three hundred and fifty at the Soul-Tempering stage, forty-nine at the Original Spirit Realm stage, and even one person with Divine Abilities."
At this moment, Chu Yuan and Lu Qianfu were standing on the city wall of the Royal Palace, looking down at the bustling crowd in the Imperial City Square from above.
"Announce that those who meet the requirements will be temporarily placed in the Divine Martial Camp, and all ten thousand brave warriors will be dealt with together when they are gathered together."
Chu Yuan chuckled faintly, not at all surprised. Joining Divine Martial not only represented honor, but even more importantly, each warrior could receive substantial cultivation resources from the court.
In the past, three hundred thousand Divine Martial soldiers were the limit the court could support. Many people, despite their abilities, couldn't join.
As for powerful clans, none existed in Dawu's territory.
Rogues? It may sound liberating, but the vast majority of resources are in the hands of the court, making cultivation a difficult task.
"Recently, someone deliberately spread rumors to obstruct others from joining. I suspect that the Prime Minister and the Grand General are interfering in secret."
Lu Qianfu furrowed his brows, saying "However, I suspect that among these two thousand warriors, some may be their men in disguise, hiding in plain sight. Thus, I suggest that their origins be thoroughly investigated. Spies must be executed."
"Marquis Zhongyong, have you forgotten? Anyone who joins the Divine Martial army must drop their essence blood into the War Army Chessboard. It clearly shows who is loyal and who is not."
Chu Yuan didn't worry about the problem. Even if there were spies sent by Shangguan Qingyun and Li Yun, they would honestly serve him once their essence blood was dripped onto the War Army Chessboard.
"Increase the military supplies for the Divine Martial Army. I want to have combat power in a very short time, sweeping across the world. There's no need to save the supplies in the national treasury. Once we have pacified the Four Hidden Nations, we'll have everything."
Chu Yuan issued another imperial edict.
Lu Qianfu nodded in agreement. This was indeed a do-or-die strategy. The national treasury had already stored enough supplies for several million troops for a year. Now, even if these supplies were used to support ten thousand men at ten times the normal rate, it would be more than enough.
"Your Majesty, I have noticed something odd."
Eunuch Wei suddenly said, "The edict was first issued to all counties and prefectures before it was posted publicly. According to the timeline, warriors from other counties should have arrived in the capital by now. But why have only those from the capital and two to three neighboring counties registered? Where are the warriors from other counties and prefectures? I haven't seen any of them."