Meng Zhao had brought Ao Bing to the Northern Garrison Army's camp this time for two main reasons.
First, he wanted to see this Northern Garrison Army that shook the world and fought against the Hundred Clans. After all, he would most likely carve out the north for himself in the future and dominate Ji, Liang, and Yan Prefectures. Strictly speaking, the Northern Garrison Army would then be making its living under his hand. There was no harm in learning about them in advance.
Second, he wanted to meet the Northern Garrison Army's higher-ups, such as the Northern Garrison General, Zhong Linghe.
Meng Zhao intended to contend for the north and vie for the Divine Land, but his position was rather special. Thus, he had to guard against both the Hundred Clans and the Northern Garrison Army. After all, this was his deepest rear.
If he marched out to conquer the world and crack his whip across the Divine Land, only for the Northern Garrison Army to exploit its special position to raid his old nest and strike his rear with a fatal blow, that would truly be intolerable.
Therefore, Meng Zhao needed to determine what this Northern Garrison General truly thought—whether he was a diehard loyalist of the Beitang Imperial Clan, and whether he might be won over for Meng Zhao's use.
Even if he could not become a trusted confidant, it would be enough if he simply followed Xiao He's regulations and Cao Can's precedent, as before, and guarded Heaven Pass.
The Northern Garrison Army at Heaven Pass was indeed somewhat different from the other elite armies Meng Zhao had seen in the past.
One of the most fundamental differences lay in the Heaven Pass beneath their feet. Its aura blended with that of every Northern Garrison soldier,