After all, it was too late for Chen Shubiao to make up his mind.
When he arrived at Sanxian Manor on horseback, there were already hundreds of fine horses of various kinds parked outside the village gate.
The guards in the palace are really busy today.
Sanxian Village, where few visitors come on weekdays, rarely has such a battle.
In the past, Zhao Yan would have stayed away from this kind of thing just to avoid suspicion.
But today is different from the past. After receiving Zhao Yin's approval, the mutual trust between the two brothers can be said to have reached an unprecedented height.
In the past, even if Zhao Lu trusted Zhao Yan, Zhao Yan would be very careful not to get involved in these things.
Chen Shubiao looked at the rows of horses being carefully cared for by the palace guards with mixed emotions, and knew that he could be said to have been abandoned by everyone now.
Even when his subordinates changed their banners, no one even said hello to him.
"General, are you here to attend the Hundred Generals Banquet?"
When Chen Shubiao was feeling sad, a guard came forward and asked.
But there was some vigilance and doubt in his eyes.
"That's right, quickly lead the way for me, General!"
But at this time, Chen Shubiao had no time to think carefully. He quickly jumped off his horse and strode towards the village.
The guard who came to inquire did not stop him when he saw this, but took the reins and loudly told another guard to take the distinguished guest to Xiaoqin Garden.
This is a large garden in the front yard of Sanxian Manor, and it is also the venue for today's Hundred Generals Banquet.
Because it has to accommodate hundreds of mid- to high-level officers without allowing them to enter the backyard, this is the most appropriate venue.
Chen Shubiao, led by another guard, quickly arrived outside Xiaoqin Garden.
Before I even stepped into the garden, I could already hear the loud chatter and the sound of people drinking wine.
This lively and joyful atmosphere was like a sharp knife piercing into Chen Shubiao's heart.
But he didn't lose his mind. He kept reminding himself that he was here to negotiate terms and must stay calm.
But when he crossed the threshold and entered Xiaoqin Garden with half a foot, he was completely confused.
In front of us are nearly twenty large round tables, with ten people per table and a standard dining arrangement.
Sitting at every table were people Chen Shubiao knew or was familiar with.
After all, everyone is in the Forbidden Army. They don't see each other when they look up, or at least they meet each other.
There was the largest table directly in front, with nearly twenty people sitting there.
Among them, the one sitting at the top is none other than King Zhao Yan of Qi, who is dressed in a python robe.
Standing on the left and right were Fan Xiwen and Yue Manjiang. The other people seated were all the highest-level commanders of the Forbidden Army.
Chen Shubiao took a closer look and saw that except him, all the commanders of the Forbidden Army were here...
What frightened him the most was that these warriors, who usually wanted to wear armor every day, were now wearing scholar's robes that didn't fit them.
Nearly two hundred people were present...
Without exception.
Except myself!
The sound of armor moving around attracted the attention of others. Everyone stopped chatting and turned to look at the entrance of the courtyard.
Seeing Chen Shubiao slowly walking in with an ugly expression, many people had playful smiles on their faces.
The more this happens, the more proud they feel.
Under the general trend, no one cares about this stubborn old turtle.
When the officers of the Divine Guard Army saw that the commander came to Xiaoqinyuan wearing armor, their hearts skipped a beat.
Prince Qi has made it clear that those who are dissatisfied with him come here wearing armor...
Is the commander here to cause trouble?
They became uneasy and immediately wanted to go out and stop Chen Shubiao.
But no one was worried about friendship, but worried about being implicated by him.
Otherwise, how could he have sneaked over without saying a word.
Even just a word of information would be fine.
Cheng Li struggled to look at his general who was stumbling, feeling a little unbearable.
But asking him to go up and stop it would be something he wouldn't dare to do.
Xiaoqin Garden became extremely quiet for a while. Zhao Yan looked at it thoughtfully and asked casually.
"News came from Xiaoyulou just now. This guy is the last commander-in-chief of the Western Army. How about it? Is it useful?"
This question was not asked by Fan Xiwen, but by Yue Manjiang who was standing beside him.
He knows better about military affairs.
"He is also a veteran of many battles. He joined the army fifteen years earlier than me. He also made a lot of contributions back then..."
"So it's useful?"
"Of course, but he's wearing armor. I'm afraid he's coming with bad intentions?"
"That's not...it's just a betrayal and betrayal by his subordinates."
Zhao Yan replied with some regret.
In fact, Xiaoyulou has compiled detailed information on various situations in these armies.
He has already gone through it in his mind which people are winnable and which people are on both ends of the spectrum.
"The generals are not united...the problem of the Forbidden Army is really too big."
Yue Manjiang couldn't help but sigh heavily again.
Now the weak combat power of the soldiers is no longer a big problem, but the entire Forbidden Army has to undergo a major blood change in order to quickly improve its combat effectiveness.
Even the Forbidden Army, which the Song Dynasty relied on most, was in this situation. One can only imagine how corrupt the local Xiang Army must be.
"You should have two years to train the Imperial Army..."
"Two years, at the latest two years from now, Kyushu will start war again."
Zhao Yan said lightly.
He didn't make this judgment casually.
Although I don’t know what the plans of the Immortal Society are.
But this false peace is obviously inconsistent with the status quo.
Some clues can be seen from the performance of Qing Dynasty.
Emperor Xi dared to rebel because he wanted to further his power.
Now that he has truly obtained the supreme power of the Qing Dynasty, how long can he restrain his ambitions for external expansion?
It is the Song Dynasty and the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty that are adjacent to the Qing Dynasty. By then...
Compared to the Meng Yuan, who had strong soldiers and horses, Emperor Xi would naturally choose to attack the Song Dynasty, which had a weak army.
Judging from the situation when Huo Qubing came to see him before, the situation in the Han Kingdom would probably not calm down.
The battle situation is actually all between the lines.
"Two years are enough. After rectifying the Forbidden Army, I will reorganize the Upper West Army and bring the combat strength back to its peak as quickly as possible. In addition, I will select elite men from other armies."
"Recall some old subordinates and build up the cavalry again!"
Yue Manjiang looked excited, as if he had returned to the iron-blooded days of fighting on the battlefield.
"Cavalry...I remember that your most elite one was the Beiwei Army, right? Are there others?"
"Exactly, the Beiwei army has unparalleled combat power, but when I conquered the Ming Dynasty, I had several cavalry armies under my command."
"Among them, the Tabai Army and the Youyi Army, who are responsible for reconnaissance and scouting, rarely encounter opponents when they find out the enemy's situation. If it weren't for these two Youyi Army, it would be difficult for me to strategize on the battlefield."
Zhao Yan nodded to express his understanding.
Anyone with a little knowledge of military knowledge knows how important the role of scouts is on the battlefield.
The two men did not deliberately lower their voices when they spoke, and everyone at the table could hear them.
From the conversation between the two, they also somewhat guessed why this military reform would involve Prince Qi, who had never been involved in politics.
The war is coming...
The commanders of all armies were a little excited.
Most of them fought back from the battlefield with their lives.
When I dream back at midnight, I will also think of those war-torn days.
At this time, Chen Shubiao had walked slowly to the front of the round table and looked at Zhao Yan who was facing him.
The latter smiled slightly and raised his hand to hook behind him.
"Come here, give Commander Chen a seat."
This table is large, and it won't be crowded if one person can be inserted into it.
But when Chen Shubiao, who was wearing armor, was asked to sit down, everyone else was a little confused.
The principle that the prince has clearly stated...
Why did it change suddenly?
But no one had the courage to question Zhao Yan.
Not only because of his status, but also because they were facing the number one warrior in the Song Dynasty.
The maid quickly brought a chair, brought the tableware and placed it at the end.
Zhao Yan had given Chen Shubiao some face, and it was up to him whether he would accept it or not.
Fortunately, although the blow was really big, Chen Shubiao still maintained his rationality.
He let out a deep breath, pulled up the chair and sat down on it.
Then he didn't care that he came in a hurry and was a little dusty. He grabbed the chopsticks and started picking up vegetables and stuffing them into his mouth.
His strange sight made everyone feel uneasy, fearing that something might happen to this stubborn old guy.
But what no one expected was that after Chen Shubiao stuffed his mouth with food, he poured himself a large bowl of wine, stood up and paid respect to Zhao Yan.
The latter picked up the small cup in front of him, and the two clinked it in the air.
Chen Shubiao immediately drank all the wine in the bowl into his stomach.
He poured the empty bowl over his head without spilling a drop of excess wine.
Then he respectfully put the bowl back on the table and took off his iron hat.
After doing all this, he quickly started to disarm...
He untied the armor parts one by one and threw them onto the bluestone behind him, making a dull banging sound.
Everyone looked at this scene dumbfounded, not knowing what he was crazy about.
Only Zhao Yan and the other three could roughly see something.
In fact, Chen Shubiao also heard what they just said.
He is not only one of the commanders of the Upper West Army, but also a second-grade warrior.
Returning to the battlefield is his biggest dream.
If it weren't for the truce in Kyushu, the horse would be released in Nanshan.
He felt that he would never become what he is now.
The armor was quickly taken off, and Chen Shubiao was left with only a set of cotton underwear.
If he didn't have martial arts by his side, he would definitely be shivering from the cold.
After taking off his armor, Chen Shubiao suddenly knelt down across the table.
Everyone present stood up one after another and stared blankly at the veteran's strange behavior.
"Commander Chen, what do you mean?"
"If you have any grievances, you can tell the prince. What's wrong with kneeling on the ground?"
"Yes, the prince is kind-hearted. If you have any request, you might as well get up and discuss it carefully first."
"That's right, it's extremely cold here, but don't freeze your old bones."
The other military commanders on the side each offered words of advice.
But most of them are yin and yang jokes.
Zhao Yan and Yue Manjiang looked at each other, stood up and walked around the table to Chen Shubiao.
"Old General, if you have something to say, you can get up and say it carefully. This king is just a prince. If you want to kneel down, you should kneel down to the emperor brother."
"I will kneel to anyone who lets me go to the battlefield!"
Chen Shubiao shouted loudly, then suddenly raised his head and stared seriously into Zhao Yan's eyes.
"Your Majesty, I have heard what you just said to Privy Councilor Yue. Chen Shubiao had previously encouraged the Forbidden Army to fight against the imperial court. He deserved death, but his desire to serve the country is still there. Just give me a chance and let me die on the battlefield. ah!"
In this life, there are always some pursuits.
Chen Shubiao spent the first half of his life pursuing military success, but after the armistice, he became self-reliant on the military and began to pursue money.
Today, he seems to be twenty years younger, and money can no longer blind his eyes.
"Get up first. I can give you the opportunity, but you have to take action yourself as to what to do."
"Do it! The general will go back now to disarm and reorganize the army. From then on, he will train every day to train the Divine Guard Army into a battle-ready division!"
"Oh? But what do you think...the general's control over the Divine Guards seems to be a bit weak?"
Zhao Yan turned his eyes playfully and looked at the table of officers from the Divine Guard.
Of course Chen Shubiao understood the meaning of his look and said with a sneer:
"My lord, please rest assured, they can't turn over the general, and the Divine Guards are still in the hands of the general."
"Really? In that case, Commander Chen can go back first. In three days, he will submit the disarmament list and army reorganization plan to the Privy Council. If it is feasible, Privy Council Yue will arrange everything."
Zhao Yan said calmly.
He believed that Chen Shubiao had some backup plans, but whether he could deal with those traitorous men still depended on his performance in the past three days.
If he is really a strong player, he can be regarded as adding a general to Yue Manjiang.
In fact, being able to retain some of the original generals is a very good result.
After all, the army is not like the imperial court, and it does not have such strong combat effectiveness alone.
Civil servants rely solely on their mouths, while military attachés rely not only on themselves but also on their soldiers.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Thank you, Privy Councilor Yue!"
"Thank you Fan Zhizai!"
Chen Shubiao bowed and thanked the three of them, picked up the armor parts on the ground and put them back on one by one.
Not long after, after putting on his armor, he strode out of the courtyard without even looking at his men in the distance.
He took off his armor to show his attitude. Now that his attitude was revealed, he was the first to escape...
Although he didn't know why Zhao Yan trusted him so much, this kind of trust was very useful to him.
There is even an idea in my heart that "a scholar will die for his confidant".
"My lord...this Chen Shubiao has always been stubborn, be careful of fraud!"
Yang Yongxin, who admired the Japanese army, was a little jealous that Chen Shubiao had passed the test so easily, and reminded him hurriedly and pretending to be worried.
But how could Zhao Yan be fooled like this, he waved his hand.
"Commander Yang is overly worried. I have always been suspicious of people, so I don't need to be suspicious of others. Please relax."
"Yes...it's the general who is overthinking it."
Yang Yongxin was helpless after failing to instigate the provocation, but there was nothing he could do.
Little did he know that Zhao Yan now had a deeper understanding of "The Heavenly Book of Forgetting Love" and could accurately sense the emotions of people around him.
If Zhao Yan hadn't noticed Chen Shubiao's sincerity just now, he wouldn't have been let go so easily.
After all, a lot of people here are going to be killed today!
