Royal Decree and Undercurrents

A hurried envoy from Xianyang! A royal decree from the King!

These eight words instantly calmed Wei Zhe's surging emotions, which had just been amplified by his surge in strength.

He tidied his armor and quickly walked out of the tent.

Outside the main tent, torches blazed. Meng Wu, Shi Meng, and all the other high-ranking generals of the Northern Frontier stood in full armor. A middle-aged man in the attire of an inner palace eunuch, with a pale, beardless face, stood solemnly in the center, holding a black royal decree.

"Announce: Wei Zhe, acting Chieftain of the Northern Frontier, come receive the decree!"

A sharp and majestic voice pierced the silent night sky.

"This humble general, Wei Zhe, receives the decree!"

Wei Zhe strode forward and, under everyone's watchful eyes, knelt on one knee.

The eunuch slowly unrolled the decree and read it aloud in a sonorous tone:

"The Royal Decree states: Wei Zhe, acting Chieftain of the Northern Frontier Tiger and Wolf Army, has been enlisted for less than a month, yet his bravery surpasses all, and his strategies are unparalleled. At Eagle Beak Cliff, he slew an enemy general in battle, defeating three thousand with a hundred, thus raising the military prestige of our Great Qin. At Wolf Howl Valley, he launched a thousand-mile raid, cutting off enemy provisions, causing the Xiongnu to fear advancing south for three years. Such an extraordinary feat deserves reward!"

"My heart is greatly pleased. I hereby promote Wei Zhe to the official position of Chieftain of the 'Tiger and Wolf Army,' grant him the noble title of 'Zuoshuzhang,' and bestow upon him ten ranks of official position! I grant him a first-class mansion in Xianyang, ten thousand yi of gold, and a thousand bolts of silk! His Tiger and Wolf Army shall be expanded to three thousand men, promoted to an independent combat battalion of the Northern Frontier, with military supplies and provisions to be directly supplied by the national treasury!"

"By Imperial Command!"

"Boom!"

When the decree was read, the entire training ground fell into dead silence.

All the generals, including Meng Wu, were stunned by the contents of the decree.

Chieftain!

Zuoshuzhang!

Ten thousand yi of gold!

Independent Combat Battalion!

Direct supply from the national treasury!

Any one of these rewards was enough for an ordinary general to strive for a lifetime! Yet now, all these honors, enough to make anyone green with envy, were showered upon a seventeen-year-old youth!

Especially the "Independent Combat Battalion" and "Direct supply from the national treasury." These were no longer mere rewards; they represented the King's unreserved trust and high regard for Wei Zhe! It meant the Tiger and Wolf Army would become a special unit not under the jurisdiction of the Northern Frontier Camp, obeying only Wei Zhe and the King of Qin himself!

What immense favor!

"This humble general, Wei Zhe, thanks His Majesty for his heavenly grace! May our King live for ten thousand years! May Great Qin live for ten thousand years!"

Wei Zhe suppressed the excitement in his heart and raised his hands high, accepting the heavy decree.

He knew that from this moment on, he had truly stepped onto the vast political stage of Great Qin. His name was not only in the Northern Frontier but also, far away in Xianyang, etched deeply in the heart of that eternal emperor.

"Congratulations, Chieftain Wei." The eunuch who read the decree showed a slight smile, his attitude becoming much more amiable. "I am Zhao Gao, Director of the Chariot Office. If you ever need anything in the future, you may send someone to find me in Xianyang."

"Thank you, Director Zhao." Wei Zhe calmly handed over a bag of gold, which was not light.

Zhao Gao weighed it with satisfaction, his smile widening. He then whispered a reminder, "Chieftain Wei is a young and talented hero, favored by the Emperor. However, you must be cautious. In the imperial court, the tallest tree catches the wind."

With that, he said no more and turned to leave.

Wei Zhe watched his departing back, his eyes narrowing slightly. He naturally understood the meaning of Zhao Gao's words.

The honor he had received this time was too great. Great enough to make countless people envious, great enough to disrupt the existing balance within the army.

He turned his head and indeed saw that among the officers present, although they all wore congratulatory smiles, the depths of many of their eyes flickered with unconcealed jealousy and ill will.

Especially Sun He, the Centurion who had a previous disagreement with Shi Meng, his face was so grim it looked like it could drip water.

Meng Wu took all this in. He walked to Wei Zhe's side and said in a deep voice, "Wei Zhe, come with me."

The two walked back to the main tent, one after the other.

"The King's rewards are both an honor and a shackle," Meng Wu said to Wei Zhe, word by word. "An independent combat battalion means you will have greater autonomy, but it also means you will lose the direct protection of the Northern Frontier Camp. From now on, every step you take must be on your own."

"This humble general understands."

"No, you don't understand." Meng Wu shook his head. "Do you think your greatest enemy is the Xiongnu? Wrong! Sometimes, a hidden arrow from behind is more deadly than a frontal sword!"

He pointed to the flags representing the various camps on the sand table.

"The thirty thousand troops of the Northern Frontier are rife with factions and complex relationships. Your meteoric rise has disturbed too many people's interests. With this expansion, I have decided to transfer Sun He's hundred-man unit, as well as several other 'troublemaker' teams from other battalions, to you. Can you subdue them?"

Meng Wu's gaze was sharp as a knife, as if trying to see through Wei Zhe.

This was both a test and a form of protection. He wanted to bring all potential threats into the open for Wei Zhe to resolve himself.

Wei Zhe smiled.

He was just worrying that his Tiger and Wolf Army was full of obedient "good boys" who would do whatever he said, lacking "wolf cubs" who could fight tough battles.

"Reporting to the High General!" Wei Zhe's back straightened, his eyes filled with great confidence. "Whether the soldiers are tigers or wolves depends on the leader! This humble general is confident that within half a month, I will turn them all into the most obedient dogs in my Tiger and Wolf Army!"

The next day, at the new camp of the Tiger and Wolf Army.

According to the royal decree, the Tiger and Wolf Army's camp was designated separately and expanded several times its original size.

When Sun He and his hundreds of unruly veterans arrived at the camp, looking listless, they saw a scene they had not expected.

In the center of the camp, a huge iron pot had been set up, with fragrant stewed beef and lamb simmering inside. Beside it, jars of fine wine had been opened.

In front of the iron pot, Wei Zhe, clad only in a single layer of clothing, was alone, engaged in some kind of strange training.

He wasn't using any weapons, merely repeatedly practicing a set of boxing movements that appeared extremely slow and ancient.

Every punch he threw, every leg he raised, his movements were as slow as an eighty-year-old man's, yet the surrounding air seemed to thicken, an invisible aura enveloping an area of ten zhang.

"Hmph, putting on a show!" Sun He sneered, giving his subordinate a look.

A burly old soldier, known as the best wrestler in the army, immediately understood. He grinned menacingly, striding forward, ready to give this new Chieftain a taste of his own medicine.

"Chieftain, you have quite the refined hobby! I'd like to ask for some pointers!"

As he spoke, his palm, as large as a cattail fan, reached out to grab Wei Zhe's shoulder.

He intended to use his specialty, grappling, to throw Wei Zhe face-first into the dirt in front of everyone.

However, just as his hand was about to touch Wei Zhe.

Wei Zhe's seemingly slow movement abruptly changed!

He still delivered a slow punch forward.

But the old soldier felt as if he had run into an invisible wall, or been violently struck by a rampaging prehistoric giant elephant!

"Bang!"

A dull thud!

The burly man, weighing over two hundred pounds, didn't even have time to cry out before he flew back over ten zhang like a kite with its strings cut, crashing heavily to the ground, spitting blood, and losing consciousness.

The entire scene fell silent.

The sneer on Sun He's face froze completely.

Wei Zhe slowly retracted his fist, his gaze calmly sweeping over the hundreds of stunned "troublemakers."

"Who else wants to ask for pointers?"

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