Five Tests
So this was the feeling of receiving worship!
The voices of thirty thousand soldiers echoed through the valley and lingered for a long time.
Even for Feng Yu Heng, when facing this sort of situation, she could not help but feel her blood boil as well. Wrapping her small hand around Xuan Tian Ming’s large hands, her grasp became tighter and tighter.
When Xuan Tian Ming also held her hand, a spiritual force was endlessly transmitted to her, finally allowing Feng Yu Heng to gradually calm down.
Only after the last shout dispersed, did she recover mentally. She quickly went forward and helped Qian Li stand up before raising her voice and saying to the thirty thousand soldiers: “Comrades! Please rise!” In an instant, she felt as though she had returned to the military in the 21st century. Calling out to her comrades, they could rely on one another to protect their lives.
Seeing that all of the soldiers had stood up, she continued: “There is no need for you to thank me. To the public, you are brave warriors who protect their families and their country, you also protect the citizens of Da Shun. Privately, you are his Highness Prince Yu’s subordinates, and he is to be my future husband. And to me, I am a doctor, so treating illnesses and saving lives is something I should do.”
Feng Yu Heng was still young, and her body’s foundation was poor. Shouting so forcefully nearly caused her to tear her vocal cords.
There was nothing she could do, but there was still a great number of things that she wanted to say. But if she continued to shout like this, she could not handle it. To thirty thousand people, even if she tore her vocal cords, the people in the back would not be able to hear her at all.
She looked around and noticed a small bag of dirt to her right that was roughly one meter tall. Not long later, she gave Xuan Tian Ming a look telling him to not be impatient, as she walked towards the bag of dirt.
While walking over, she placed her right hand on her left wrist and searched around in her space. Not long later, she found a megaphone in the lowest drawer of her counter.
This thing was purchased the day she opened up her pharmacy to spread the word, but it was only used that one time. After that, it was never brought out again. She had always been a proponent of letting her medicine do the talking, as the special medicines she took from the military allowed the pharmacy to steadily grow.
She never thought that the megaphone would see use after she came to the ancient world.
She stood on the little bag of dirt then turned around. Everyone saw that she was holding an odd thing in her hands.
Feng Yu Heng brought the megaphone to her mouth and suddenly said: “My fellow comrades.”
These three words caused the thirty thousand soldiers to tremble from shock. They were unable to understand why county princess Ji An’s voice suddenly became so loud. It was like the rumored internal energy of a legendary martial artist. Their voice, even if spoken like a whisper, would allow everyone to clearly hear it.
In reality, Feng Yu Heng was also given a fright. She never thought that the volume of the megaphone would be so high, and it was many times louder than she expected.
Turning her gaze to the thing in her hands, she saw a few large characters on the handle of the megaphone, ultra loud.
Very well! Megaphone, you win.
But this was also fine. No matter what was said, this was still thirty thousand people. If it were not on ultra loud, the people in the back still would not be able to hear her.
Feeling satisfied, she subconsciously raised her voice a little, as Feng Yu Heng said “When we met with deputy general Qian, his Highness Prince Yu and I were already heading towards the camp, and the goal of coming was to comply with his Highness’ desire and select a group of people to form our own divine archery group. This group will be personally led by me, so that you will not be at a disadvantage against the archery corps of the northern Qian Zhou.”
Once she said this, the thirty thousand soldiers looked at one another, each of them with a strange look on their face. This left Feng Yu Heng incredibly perplexed.
“Are there any objections?” Her voice was frosty like it had been when she was in the military during her previous life.
Hearing her ask, Qian Li took a step forward and said: “This servant knows that county princess has the Hou Yi bow, which gives you the right to help the army. Adding on how county princess has just saved us from the brink of death, we should not trouble you; however, the military has its own rules, especially our Northwest army. Ever since this army was formed, a tradition was established.”
“Oh?” Hearing him say this, Feng Yu Heng became interested, “Deputy general Qian, tell me about it. What sort of tradition is it?”
Qian Li said: “This tradition is, regardless of who wants to lead, instruct or work with the army, they must go through five tests and pass them all in order to be recognized by the soldiers.”
Feng Yu Heng’s eyes lit up, as she suddenly felt that this sort of activity was particularly stimulating. At the same time, it meant that this Northwest army was very strict with their rules. Both self-discipline and discipline in general were things that could not be changed. This sort of soldier would be easier for her to manage in the future.
“Good!” She nodded solemnly, “I will comply with the five tests! May I ask deputy general Qian what these five tests are?”
Hearing Feng Yu Heng say that she would comply with the five tests, the soldiers also rejoiced, as they all quietly began to whisper. There were even some who began clapping and praising her.
They were Xuan Tian Ming’s soldiers, so they naturally understood Xuan Tian Ming’s personality. They had never seen this ninth prince treat any woman this well in all their years, yet he suddenly promised marriage and even showed great kindness to the Feng family’s second young miss.
They had already secretly begun guessing what sort of ability the Feng family’s second young miss had to attract the ninth prince’s heart. Only after the Winter disaster, when the people of the capital began to speak about county princess Ji An and how she was a Bodhisattva, saving people from extreme misery, did they begin to have an impression of their general’s future wife.
Now, Feng Yu Heng had taken action and saved over twenty thousand lives. In truth, in their eyes, Feng Yu Heng’s status was already incomparably high. But military regulations could not be broken, and even the traditions of the Northwest army could not be changed for a single person. Not to mention Feng Yu Heng, even Xuan Tian Ming had participated in the five tests when he was conferred the title of general. Also, when he was undertaking the five tests, he was facing two hundred thousand soldiers of the Northwest.
Qian Li told Feng Yu Heng: “The five tests are separated into riding, archery, fighting, tactics and compassion. County princess must start with riding and progress through the tests one at a time.”
“Alright.” Feng Yu Heng held the megaphone, leaving the word alright to echo through the valley. Standing on a bag of dirt, her small figure somehow caused everyone to feel that this appeared very valiant. No matter who it was, they all wanted to look a little longer.
Seeing that she accepted, Qian Li did not say anything further and immediately ordered for the soldiers to depart and gather at the drill ground.
Feng Yu Heng walked off the bag of dirt, she put the megaphone back in her space. Smiling, she strode towards Xuan Tian Ming.
Arriving at his side, she heard him say: “The five tests of the Northwest army are not so easy to pass. At the time I took them, I had to expend a great deal of energy.”
She raised an eyebrow, “Since you know that it’s not easy to pass, why did you not speak up for me?”
Xuan Tian Ming grabbed hold of her hand and told her: “Because I believe that my Heng Heng will definitely be able to pass them. How could the official princess chosen by me, Xuan Tian Ming, be lacking.”
This was originally meant to be affectionate, but when Feng Yu Heng heard it, it held a different meaning. She glared at him with smart eyes and very impolitely asked him: “Official princess? Xuan Tian Ming, I have wanted to ask you many times, why do you always stress that I am your official princess? Could it be that you still plan to take in a few secondary ones?”
Xuan Tian Ming was stunned and subconsciously said: “How could that be. I never thought of wanting any other woman.” But he began to ponder to himself, normally a prince having a few secondary princesses was perfectly normal, right?
Feng Yu Heng leaned over and grabbed the armrests of his wheelchair and seriously said: “There is something that I never said. There’s no harm in talking about it today. Xuan Tian Ming, I will tell you that I can enjoy prosperity and endure poverty. I will happily drink and sink, but I am not afraid of the blood-soaked battlefield. But I can not accept sharing my lover with anyone! Regardless of whether it’s in body or mind, I can not accept a third person in our world.”
In this sort of era and this sort of male-dominated Da Shun, Feng Yu Heng gave Xuan Tian Ming gave a brand new way of thinking. It also showed him a brand new way of living. Although he never had any intention of taking in another woman, but him thinking it and a woman personally saying it were tow different matters.
He could not help but be startled momentarily. Only when Feng Yu Heng’s gaze became more and more fierce did he scrunch up his face and raise both hands to hold her face, saying one word at a time: “I, Xuan Tian Ming, will say it once more. This life is yours, Feng Yu Heng’s, alone. Even if I become the Emperor, only you will be permitted to enter the six palaces.”
“Good!” Her fierce gaze immediately vanished, as her cold face became red with a faint blush. “Xuan Tian Ming, this was something you said. As a man, your words must carry weight. You absolutely must not go back on your word.”
“Don’t worry.” These two words were his promise.
At this time, a soldier trotted over and said: “Reporting to the general and county princess, the riding test at the drill ground has already been prepared. Please head over.”
“We will be heading over.” Feng Yu Heng smiled and pushed the wheelchair. While walking along, she said: “I don’t yet know what is considered as passing for the riding test. It is based on riding a horse?”
The soldier smiled and shook his head, “Riding a horse is the main portion, but it is not simply riding a horse. County princess will know upon seeing it.”
Sure enough, it was not simply riding a horse. When Feng Yu Heng’s group arrived at the drill ground, they saw that the large drill ground had been filled with obstacles, as though it were some sort of array. There were large piles of rocks, and some places had military weapons stabbed into the ground. There were also places where all kinds of random items were thrown about on the ground. Among the items were helmets, spears, and even tea cups were present.
It appeared disorderly, but when inspected carefully, there was still a clear distribution method. When she looked closely, Feng Yu Heng could not help but praise the people who had set up this scattered star array.
Scattered star array was a way of arranging soldiers, and it was used to disorient the enemy. Using scattered objects to obstruct line of sight, it would cause disarray among the enemy.
But she never thought that this array would appear as a method of appraising generals. It truly…. truly was too imposing.
Her face had a hungry expression, as she looked at Qian Li, “Deputy general Qian, do you want me to break through the scattered star array on a horse?”
Seeing that she was able to recognize it at a glance, he repeatedly nodded towards Feng Yu Heng. Qian Li also smiled and said: “Sure enough county princess is wise. Presumably, breaking through will not be difficult.”
Feng Yu Heng did not say much. She only walked forward and looked at the… old horse that had been prepared. She could not help but laugh out loud: “Old horses already have bad eyesight, yet I need to ride it through the scattered star array, which was made to disorient the enemy. Fancy that you can think of this sort of method.”
A group of soldiers lowered their heads, as their faces turned red from what she said.
But she was merely saying it. Once she said it, she leaped up into the air and flipped onto the horse.
The feeble old horse was already unable to carry the weight of a grown man, but Feng Yu Heng’s body was small and light. Her landing did not affect the horse in the slightest.
She looked back at Xuan Tian Ming and smiled. She then received a horsewhip from a nearby soldier and headed out. The old horse trembled and began running straight towards the scattered star array.