Inside the Imperial Palace.
Armored guards stood around the perimeter, listening to fierce shouts coming from within.
Yang Zong hurried over and rose onto his tiptoes, catching sight of His Majesty the Emperor surrounded by the guards.
Cao Mao was swinging a great saber, making it whistle through the air in his hands.
The sort of great saber Cao Mao held was not a weapon used in battle, but a ceremonial implement used by honor guards.
Things such as axes and ceremonial hatchets were, in fact, all ritual implements.
But they had another useful function: strengthening the body.
Many elderly scholars often used these ceremonial implements to condition their bodies, chiefly because they were heavy and had real heft.
Cao Mao was exercising with this great saber now, and as the blade danced, he could not help panting heavily.
It really was heavy.
Anyone hoping to take this thing onto a battlefield and kill with it would probably need a build like Wen Yang's.
Over these years, Cao Mao had continued exercising every day. To others, his daily routine seemed rather incredible.
He arranged his daily schedule appropriately, leaving almost no idle moments or time set aside for himself.
Moreover, Cao Mao usually planned his various duties ten days in advance.
Anyone who saw his schedule would have been stunned.
Even his trips to restaurants among the common people were not for pleasure, but to observe changes among the populace, prices, and the people's opinions of the many current policies, among other things.
When Cao Mao put down the great saber and a eunuch stepped forward to wipe away his sweat, Yang Zong finally squeezed through to his side.
"Your Majesty, the Tuoba Xianbei sent a letter to the frontier commanderies, saying they intend to send Shamohan, their tribal leader's