Free Web NovelChapter 420: A Rare Guest ( 5 )
With just a glance, Yao Zhi spotted her husband instantly. Fearing that she would disturb him, she stood at the edge of the training ground and watched.
As she watched, she realized that most of the soldiers didn’t have a good foundation. Those who had good stamina lacked marksmanship. Those with good marksmanship lacked stamina.
What’s more, the warhorses’ condition was also not up to par. Compared to her husband’s horse, Yun Feng, those warhorses were too lacking. freewёbnoνel.com
Frowning, she thought that it was time to give the General some Arabian-bred warhorses.
As for the weapons, the quality was also not good.
Although bombs and grenades could increase the army’s strength, their destructive power was too high. Even if they reclaimed the city and land, the cost to rebuild the land was too much.
It would be better if they used them less to avoid harming the environment too much. To do that, they needed to find better materials to forge their weapons.
From what she observed, the weapons used by the soldiers were mostly made of iron, which was soft and rusted easily. In prolonged combat, the edge would get dull, nick, or warp quickly.
While iron weapons would bend instead of break completely, they required hammering to keep them back in shape and frequent sharpening.
What’s more, iron weapons are dense and heavy, making them tiring to wield for extended periods and slightly slower to swing than lighter, more advanced alloys.
Considering the available ores in this era, the best material should be steel.
While steel weapons required maintenance such as cleaning, drying, and oiling to prevent rust, they could withstand immense force and impact without permanently warping, making them unmatched for heavy, blunt-force, or high-impact strikes.
With proper quenching and tempering, steel weapons could take a razor-sharp edge and maintain it through heavy, repeated use, which was beneficial during prolonged war.
To produce steel, she would need to find an iron ore mine, manganese, limestone, and high-quality coal. The best was anthracite since it burns hotter, cleaner, and lasts longer than other coal. It also had a high carbon content.
While she was lost in her thoughts, Fu Chen’an had already noticed his wife standing in the distance. Finally seeing her, a smile appeared on his face. free𝑤ebnovel.com
As soon as he finished his training, he turned to his subordinates and said, "Everyone has a 30-minute break!"
When the soldiers heard this, they flopped onto the ground and gasped for breath. Riding a horse for a long time not only made their bodies sore, but it also caused their inner thighs to be almost rubbed raw from the friction.
Fu Chen’an dismounted from his horse and walked with large strides toward his wife. Since they were in public, he didn’t pull her into a hug but stood 2 steps away from her.
He stared at her, noticing that his wife was lost in her thoughts again. He waited for a while, and she still hadn’t noticed his presence.
"Wife," he called out with a hint of complaint.
Hearing this, Yao Zhi returned to her senses and looked up. When she met her husband’s aggrieved eyes, she reached out to hold his hands and smiled.
"Husband, are you done with your training?"
Fu Chen’an squeezed his wife’s soft hands and said, "We are on break. I still need to continue the training later."
Yao Zhi nodded and said, "I read the note you left behind. Congratulations on your promotion."
"The Imperial Edict has not been announced yet, so I’m still a Squad Leader."
"It’s only a matter of time. I heard that after being promoted to a Battalion Commander, a house will be allocated to you, and you can have 5 personal guards. Is that true?" Yao Zhi asked.
Fu Chen’an nodded. "The monthly stipend also increases. I can get 5 taels of silver and 5 dan of grain. As for the house, it will depend on the General."
"If I am assigned to a new place, I will receive a small courtyard house. If I’m staying with the army, I can choose the location for the house."
Yao Zhi nodded and said, "Then, if we didn’t want the house, could we exchange it for money?"
Fu Chen’an thought for a moment before he replied, "I’ve never heard of anyone refusing the house, so I don’t know. But if you don’t want the house, I can ask the General later."
After a moment of pause, he asked, "Wife, you already have a lot of money. Why are you still eager to earn more?"
Hearing this, Yao Zhi looked at him and sighed.
She pulled him closer and whispered, "Husband, with the current political situation and the White Tiger Army’s recent victory, do you think the Emperor will let the General or the Xue family off?"
The moment he heard this, Fu Chen’an’s eyes flickered. "Wife, you mean that the Emperor will get rid of the General?" he asked in a low voice.
"This is just my guess. But from ancient times, no emperor could stand his subjects outshining his prestige. Right now, the General’s prestige is much higher compared to the Emperor’s in the eyes of the people."
"I heard from Madam that the Emperor is a suspicious and arrogant ruler. From his edict ordering the General to reclaim the Northeast City without providing weapons or provisions, it was clear that he wanted to push the General to his death."
"I think that it is only a matter of time before the General and the White Tiger Army are forced to face a life-and-death choice. When that time comes, the places where they need money will be countless."
Fu Chen’an was speechless at his wife’s bold thinking. Although he also had a bad premonition, he didn’t dare think about raising a rebellion against the Imperial Court at all.
"Wife, are you thinking of helping the General when the time comes?" he asked.
Yao Zhi gave him a sidelong glance and replied, "With you here, even if I don’t want to help them, I have to. If the General falls, we can’t be sure that the next person holding power would treat the soldiers kindly."
