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Watching Chen Rui leave, Li Xue quickly ran up behind him and shouted, "Excuse me, do you know me? I feel like I've seen you somewhere!"
This scene was captured by Han Mu Yu from a very close angle, leaving countless netizens astonished. Previously, some had already dug up the relationship between Chen Zijing, also known as Chen Rui, and Li Xue, which had sufficiently proven Li Xue's affection for either Chen Rui or Chen Zijing.
But why did she not recognize him now?
Chen Rui turned around and smiled gently at Li Xue. "I don't know you, miss. If you want to make friends, fate will bring us together." With that, he smiled at Yuki Chiba and led Lovisah out of the Training Ground.
What was going on?! Countless netizens criticized Chen Rui online. It seemed that people always directed their anger towards the seemingly stronger party. Perhaps this was what they called compassion, making it hard for the world to criticize the weaker side.
Of course, this kind of situation only occurred online; in reality, nearly ninety percent of people would choose to side with the stronger party simply because it felt more secure.
Yuki Chiba didn't understand what had happened between Li Xue and Chen Rui, but she believed that Chen Rui would never do anything to harm Li Xue. Was it really the best choice for Li Xue to forget their relationship? While it might be the most realistic option, it wasn't necessarily the best choice for Li Xue's own will.
After Chen Rui left, Li Xue felt an emptiness in her heart. Although she didn't know why, there was a faint sense of loss that was even stronger than when she had been scolded by Thousands earlier.
Yuki Chiba helped Li Xue put on the hood of her cloak and covered her own ears with her hat as they quietly exited the Training Ground.
Seeing the two beautiful Half-Elves leave in such low spirits made Lord Huan and the others feel somewhat displeased. After all, games were meant to create joy, yet they had just contributed to someone else's unhappiness.
"Announce the Champion Team to come up for their award!" With a shout from the official, the five stepped from the Training Ground to directly beneath the Viewing Platform. At that moment, Your Majesty the Emperor and Chancellor Li Li also descended from the Viewing Platform to face this year's Lower Martial Arts Tournament champion team.
Upon seeing Your Majesty the Emperor, although excited, the five remembered their manners and uniformly stepped back with their right foot, kneeling on one knee while respectfully cupping their fists in salute.
Observing their synchronized movements and calm demeanor, Your Majesty the Emperor smiled and nodded. "Good! Good! Well done! Truly worthy of being my subjects from Tang; not only are you skilled in martial arts but also clever! You are all talents worth nurturing!"
Though they wielded different weapons, they were indeed dressed in authentic Tang attire and shared similar features typical of East Asians. This is why Your Majesty the Emperor directly recognized them as Tang people and expressed such delight.
"Who among you is the commander?" Your Majesty the Emperor scanned the five individuals and inquired.
"That one!" Liu Xiwen, Yu Shiming, and Guo Luxing all pointed towards Lord Huan, and even Lin Yan nodded leisurely.
The Emperor looked at Lord Huan with great interest and asked with a smile, "Since you are the commander, why are you a warrior charging to the front?"
Lord Huan clasped his fists and replied, "A general without courage cannot expect his soldiers to charge into battle!"
"Good! Very good! However, as a commander, you must not easily lose your life. Charging to the front is clearly not the wisest choice!" Your Majesty the Emperor nodded with a smile, his eyes revealing admiration.
"We have clear backup commanders and plans. My charge is meant to inspire. If I fall, the deputy will take my place! If the deputy falls, there will still be someone to step up! Until victory or the last person dies!"
Your Majesty the Emperor quietly observed the young man before him for a long while before softly asking, "What is your name?" "Huan Chang!"
"Huan Chang, hear my decree! I appoint you as the General of the Left Military Guard! You are awarded three thousand taels of silver and five hundred taels of gold!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Yu Shiming, hear my decree! I appoint you as the Grand General of the Left Military Guard! You are awarded two thousand taels of silver and three hundred taels of gold!"
"Guo Luxing, hear my decree! I appoint you as a General of the Left Military Guard! You are awarded one thousand five hundred taels of silver and one hundred taels of gold!"
"Liu Xiwen and Lin Yan, hear my command! You are specially appointed as Chief Military Advisors of the Left Military Guard! You are awarded one thousand taels of silver, one hundred taels of gold, and one hundred bolts of silk!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The group bowed again in gratitude. These rewards were already considered quite substantial resources at this early stage of the game, and their political status was nearly at the top level for players. Of course, this would be assessed after removing the bug known as Li Li!
"You may withdraw now! Report to the Ministry of War tomorrow!" With a wave of his hand, Your Majesty the Emperor dismissed Huan Chang and his companions. He then scanned the room and asked, "What about those two mages?"
Li Li keenly noticed that the Emperor referred to them as 'Mages' instead of 'Half-Elves' and smiled wryly. "The two Mage Sisters left the competition grounds a while ago; it will be difficult to find them now."
"Is that so?" Your Majesty the Emperor appeared somewhat dejected, but his expression changed in an instant, and he continued with a smile, "Summon the Rune Master and the Cavalry Team to the stage!"
"Charge! Charge!" Just as everyone was surprised by the Cavalry Team's boldness in charging forward, three heavily injured Tang Soldiers rode in from the Training Ground entrance, breaking through the guards and rushing to the Emperor.
Upon seeing the figure before them clad in a dragon robe, the cavalry immediately pulled on their reins, dismounted, and knelt on the ground, shouting, "Tan Cheng of the Northwest Border Army Yumen Pass Garrison has important military intelligence to report to Your Majesty!"
"How dare you! Do you not know what occasion this is? How can you act so recklessly? Guards! Bind him!" Minister of Rites frowned angrily and ordered Tan Cheng to be taken away.
Two Imperial Guards seized Tan Cheng, revealing his burns to everyone present. Li Li furrowed her brow and said, "Wait! Your Majesty, this person is gravely injured and claims to be from the Northwest Border Army Yumen Pass Garrison; he may have significant military intelligence!"
Your Majesty the Emperor nodded, his expression turning serious as he asked, "What is going on? Speak truthfully, and I shall pardon your rudeness."
"Your Majesty! The Dragon Court is invading! They have almost mobilized their entire force without declaration of war; the Burgan Defense Line has been completely annihilated with no news returned. We at Yumen Pass fought desperately for half a day. The General ordered me to relay this information back. At this rate, with the speed of the Dragon Court, Jiayuguan may also be engulfed in flames of war! Or..."
This statement sent cold sweat down everyone's backs. The Dragon Court mobilizing its entire force was a grave matter; it was the second most powerful military nation in the world. The Burgan Defense Line, being the first line of defense for the country’s borders, had been breached without even a message being sent back. Yumen Pass had also fallen, and Jiayuguan was likely in peril as well. The Tang Kingdom was indeed facing a dire crisis!
Your Majesty the Emperor's face turned ashen, veins bulging on his forehead. "Order the Northern General to lead ten thousand Heavy Cavalry northward immediately to confront them! We must stop the Dragon Court Army outside Jiayuguan!"
Jiayuguan, being the last stronghold inland, was far more fortified than Yumen Pass. However, if Jiayuguan were breached, then the Dragon Court's army could move freely within Tang Kingdom's interior. Given how fast dragons could fly compared to ground troops' mobilization speed, it would be impossible for them to catch up. At that point, the Dragon Court could gather troops anywhere at any time and might even launch an attack directly on Yong'an City!
Li Li interjected, "Your Majesty, gathering Heavy Cavalry will take time; assembling ten thousand troops is not quick work. It would be better to issue an order for all Heavy Cavalry west of Eternal Peace to rush to Jiayuguan while those east of Eternal Peace gather at Yong'an City!"
Heavy Cavalry units required extensive training and were generally dispersed across various regions. Thus, rapid assembly was not easy. Li Li's suggestion bypassed this stage and would indeed save considerable time.
Your Majesty the Emperor nodded and quickly descended from the stage. "Act according to the Chancellor's plan! Return to the palace!"
At this moment, the others were still unaware of what had happened. They only knew that a group of injured border troops had barged in front of His Majesty, and after a while, the Emperor returned to the palace in a fit of anger. It was clear to everyone that another war was brewing in the Tang Dynasty.
The Emperor and his entourage exited the Training Ground and rode towards the imperial palace. Before they had traveled halfway, the vanguard of the Imperial Guards spotted a group of riders charging towards them.
"Your Majesty, someone is coming towards us!" The Imperial Guard Commander ordered the vanguard to dismount and form a defensive formation. However, the approaching group showed no intention of charging directly at them. Instead, they halted about ten paces from the Emperor, quickly reining in their horses, dismounting, and rushing to kneel before him.
"The troops from Changdu request an audience with Your Majesty! There is important military intelligence to report!"
"The garrison from Germu requests an audience with Your Majesty! Urgent military intelligence! The border is in crisis!"
Li Li furrowed his brow even tighter and instructed the two garrison commanders to explain the situation.
"Reporting to Your Majesty and the Chancellor! Four days ago, Changdu was subjected to a joint attack by the Orc nations. Changdu is in distress!"
"Your Majesty! Five days ago, Germu faced a collective assault from the Giant nations, and our defenses are on the verge of collapse!"
"Northwest, Southwest, due West! Is every foreign tribe turning against me?" The Emperor shouted in anger.
Li Li calmly replied, "Your Majesty, please calm down! The borders of Tang are secure. Bulgan was defeated by the second strongest army, the Dragon Court Army. However, the attacks on Changdu and Germu may not be as severe as those from the northwest, so they should be able to hold out for some time."
"Return to the palace! Summon all generals in the capital regardless of rank to Daming Palace!" The Emperor said in a low voice. "Summon all officials of third rank and above to gather at Daming Palace! If anyone fails to appear within two quarters of an hour, they should remove their official robes themselves!"
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