Chapter 308: Princess Ni Huang!
"Gongzi, we have tallied the name list."
Unknowingly, several hours had passed, and the crowd outside slowly scattered. Zhao Jingdian stepped into the room with a thick stack of papers in his hands.
"Place it on the table."
The room was decorated in an elegant, antique fashion. Wang Chong was currently seated behind an ancient Han Dynasty painting as he gestured to a rosewood table beside him.
The commotion resulting from the spirit vein had brought in more applicants to the Deflecting Blade Manor than expected.
Perhaps I should change the rules, Wang Chong thought.
His original plan was to gather a group of talented commanders from Kunwu Training Camp and groom them to achieve greater things in the future.
But the arrival of the men from Shenwei and Longwei had made Wang Chong reconsider his decisions.
He suddenly felt that he could expand his original plan to include those from Shenwei and Longwei, as well.
However, the prerequisites to entering the Deflecting Blade Manor wouldn't change.
Wang Chong didn't intend to recruit martial artists. There were plenty of experts throughout Great Tang whose services he could employ if that was the case.
Who Wang Chong intended to recruit were those who possessed a sharp eye for the battlefield, or those who possessed potential in that aspect.
In other words, Wang Chong wanted to bring in allies who would stand on the same front as him, future generals who would fight for Great Tang!
Starting from the very first page, Wang Chong began to read through the names while scavenging through the memories of his previous life to sieve out the list of priority candidates.
Xie Qingyun from Longwei Training Camp. He sounds familiar... Isn't he the scion of the Xie Clan? He is quite famous in the capital, and he is renowned for his loyalty. To think that he would be here as well!, Wang Chong thought as he stared at a certain name in the middle of the list.
While Shenwei and Longwei failed to produce as many outstanding generals as Kunwu Training Camp, there were still quite a few who had achieved considerable feats.
Even though Xie Qingyun couldn't compete with the top-notch talented generals such as Su Hanshan and Sun Zhiming, he was still a relatively outstanding commander.
According to what Wang Chong remembered, the other party eventually become a commandant, a high-ranked officer in the military.
Coming from a large clan, he should have come into contact with military affairs and the sort from a young age, so his talent should be acceptable. The only thing he is lacking is the determination to reach for greater heights. Since he was able to become a commandant in his previous life, he should have some talent in commanding an army. If he could be groomed in the Deflecting Blade Manor, he might be able to surpass his previous achievements and reach heights beyond his previous life, Wang Chong thought.
The future held countless possibilities. As long as one reached out, there were many things one could grasp. However, after seeing Xie Qingyun's name, Wang Chong suddenly recalled another recruit of Longwei Training Camp.
That person had one of the humbler backgrounds among those in Longwei, and his clan didn't seem to regard him highly, either.
However, to uphold the honor of the clan, he was still allowed to enroll in Longwei Training Camp despite being the son of a concubine. Such matters were rather common in large clans.
A moment later, Wang Chong eyes lit up as he found the ordinary-sounding name. "I found it, Wei Anfang!"
The current Wei Anfang was probably going through one of the worst phases in his life. There was no one in the clan who valued him, he was snubbed in Longwei Training Camp, and he even had a conflict with his elder brother recently.
Wang Chong raised his brush and wrote a tick beside Wei Anfang's name.
Wei Anfang was one of the high achievers that had emerged from the Longwei Training Camp. The army that he led had performed unexpectedly well in several huge battles.
He was a dedicated person who could fulfill the instructions of his superior perfectly, and even go beyond that.
Every single great general needed to learn the art of effectively commanding an army. But similarly, they would also require loyal commanders who could understand their military tactics and intention, and execute them perfectly.
Wei Anfang definitely belonged to the latter.
His talent might not be particularly outstanding, paling in face of Sun Zhiming, Chen Burang, and the others, but as a loyal and flexible commander, he was a sought-after talent of all great generals who possessed great ambitions.
And more importantly, Wei Anfang was the type to only shine later on.
His life in Longwei Training Camp was ordinary and unspectacular, and he only began to rise swiftly after he officially entered the army.
With each passing battle, he had undergone metamorphosis after metamorphosis, eventually becoming one of the few rising stars from Longwei Training Camp.
If Wang Chong could bring him to his side now, the other party would surely become his most reliable comrade.
"Jingdian, send an invitation letter to this person. Tell him that he need not take the examination, and he can come here straight."
Pointing to Wei Anfang's name, Wang Chong instructed Zhao Jingdian.
Upon hearing Wang Chong's words, a sliver of astonishment flashed across Zhao Jingdian's eyes. He couldn't understand what kind of capabilities Wei Anfang possessed for Wang Chong to extend an invitation straight to him without undergoing the entrance examination.
Furthermore, this was under the circumstances that Wang Chong had yet to finish looking through the list!
"Yes, gongzi."
Even though Zhao Jingdian was bewildered, he still followed Wang Chong's instructions without any complaints.
After arranging this matter, Wang Chong continued browsing through the list.
"Zhang Tuwen, no impression of him at all..."
"Xu Tong, this person has a horrible reputation. Back when I was still hanging in the streets, his name surfaced on many occasions."
"Huang Yanwu, I should give him a chance when the time comes."
"Shi Rongrong..."
Seeing the feminine name amidst the list, Wang Chong grabbed his forehead as a pang of headache struck him.
There were quite a few female applicants to the Deflecting Blade Manor this time, but Wang Chong's original plan didn't involve the recruitment of ladies. Of course, Marquess Yi was an exception.
Furthermore, they didn't seem to just be interested in entering the Deflecting Blade manor!
The words they had spoken earlier were still fresh in Wang Chong's mind!
This is truly troubling!, Wang Chong thought.
This matter had surpassed Wang Chong's expectations. It would not be feasible for him to reject every single one of them. After all, most of them came from distinguished clans, and if they were to cause a fuss, it would be vexing.
But accepting those ladies in... He hadn't really entertained such a possibility before.
Besides, Wang Chong had another doubt in his mind.
The spirit vein is indeed enticing, but the number of ladies who applied for the Deflecting Blade Manor is simply too many. This is a little suspicious…, Wang Chong thought.
Calming himself down, Wang Chong continued scanning through the names and leaving a mark on some of them.
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Some time later, as Wang Chong was still busy marking the names on the list, a lady's voice suddenly sounded. Even though the voice was pleasant, it had a haughty and domineering vibe to it.
"Where is Wang Chong? Come out right now!"
"Hmm?"
Wang Chong raised his head from the desk doubtfully. The voice seemed to be coming from the entrance, and it didn't seem to be Marquess Yi.
Boom!
Before Wang Chong could process what was going on, a loud explosion sounded, and the gate to the courtyard was kicked open. A shock wave gushed into the room.
Following which, the sound of wooden boards and human bodies crashing onto the floor sounded.
It seemed like the guard had been kicked in along with the door.
"Damn it, who are those people?" Fury flashed across Wang Chong's eyes as he smashed his palm onto the table. It was one thing to cause trouble in the Deflecting Blade Manor, but to hurt his men was going way too far!
Peng!
Opening the door, Wang Chong was just about to walk out when what he saw left him frozen.
At the entrance, he saw a group of ferocious young ladies dressed in court wear, and a formidable-looking nanny standing in front of them.
And standing in front of those young ladies and beside the old nanny was a fair-skinned young lady. She was beautiful, but her face was frosty like a winter night. Standing above a resplendent pink halo reminiscent of flames, she gazed at the crowd with an air of superiority.
The Imperial Army members whom Uncle Li Lin had dispatched here were kneeling before her with their heads lowered.
"You are Wang Chong?"
Upon noticing Wang Chong, the cold-faced lady immediately turned her head over. Her attitude was overbearing and intolerable.
Seeing the young lady, Wang Chong was taken aback.
He didn't recognize the lady, but he recognized the brilliant martial halo beneath her feet. He had only seen it from afar on the night of the Goguryeons' night assault, but...
Princess Ni Huang!
This thought flashed across Wang Chong's mind, and in an instant, a bad premonition struck him.
"I am talking to you!" Not receiving an answer, Princess Ni Huang immediately became a little irritated.
"Yes, I am. May I know the reason behind Your Highness's visit?" Wang Chong said as he walked down the stairs.
"Hmph, it's good that you're him." Ignoring the guards of the Deflecting Blade Manor, Princess Ni Huang walked up to Wang Chong. The cold-faced nanny and the group of ladies behind her immediately followed suit.
"I am honored by Your Highness's visit. May I know what can I do for you?" Wang Chong said nonchalantly as he gestured to a guard beside him.
"Bring a pot of tea over..."
"There's no need for it!" Before Wang Chong could finish his words, Princess Ni Huang interjected.
"Hmph, since you know who I am, that will make things simpler. I heard that you have a spirit vein under your name. Hand it over!" Her voice was forceful, leaving no grounds for negotiation at all.
Peng!
With just a glance, the court lady behind immediately stepped forward and placed a blank deed on the rosewood table to the side.
Even the red ink used to seal the deed had been prepared.