In the end, Yang Qing and the others never entered the city.
When they came within a mile of the gates, they saw clouds of dust rising ahead, with the thunder of hooves mingled among them.
Sensing something was wrong, Yang Qing had Bu Er and the other two slip into a side path with him.
Trees of varying heights lined both sides of the path. None of the four was particularly burly, so standing behind the trees concealed them nicely, while the gaps between the trunks let them watch what was happening outside.
To their great astonishment, the first thing that appeared before them was a neatly outfitted army.
The soldiers were fully armed, carrying shields and spears. They were clearly the vanguard, charging into battle at the front.
After these soldiers marched past in formation, cavalry followed behind them.
The cavalrymen wore full armor, and even their horses were draped in battle gear.
Yang Qing had never expected to see soldiers marching to war here.
Although the countries on their continent occasionally clashed, they generally favored peaceful coexistence.
After all, the common people did not want lives of wandering and displacement. Once two countries went to war, it was not merely their national strength that was depleted; the people on every side suffered even more.
Thus, generally speaking, no ruler liked to wage war.
Unless he was a ruler of extraordinary ambition, who sought not peaceful years but dominion over all beneath heaven.
As Yang Qing thought of this, a chill spread across his face.
"So our Sacred Emperor has begun his campaign again?"
Only Emperor Zhetian, the legendary founder of the Eastern Splendor Golden Age, could be so enthusiastic about war.
Otherwise, the Eastern Radiance Ancient Kingdom would never have expanded its territory several times over in