In a corner of Heaven-Answering City's central district stood what had once been a vast garden estate, formerly owned by the once most illustrious Wu Family. Yet glory was ever swept away by wind and rain. With the fall of Wu City, every Wu Family member guilty of crimes had been judged—some were exiled into hard labor, others directly beheaded. The remaining members of the Wu Family had also lost their former wealth and splendor. No more grand mansions or beautiful concubines; they could only support themselves with their own hands.
But as the defeated side, being granted such an ending was already an immense mercy. After all, in this age, when two armies went to war, it was perfectly ordinary for the losing side to have nine generations of kin wiped out. No one could say otherwise.
Now, however, the sprawling garden residences of old had taken on an entirely new appearance. Many of the less important pavilions and towers had been leveled. Only the main structural buildings of the estate remained unchanged, while their rooms had been converted into either dormitories or classrooms.
The sandy ground where the Wu Family's descendants had once practiced martial arts had also been widened and expanded, then covered with a thick new layer of gravel, turning it into a parade ground.
As for the plaque above the gates, it had changed from Wu Residence to Heaven-Answering Military Academy.
Zhao Cheng had begun preparing this long ago in order to unite the people's hearts. When he had first taken Wu City, he had already drawn up the plans. Construction continued afterward, and even before he proclaimed himself king, the military academy had been completed. It simply had not yet been put into use.
The reason was the teaching staff, as well as the