The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 267 - 235, the Power of One "Arrow

On the military drill field, the drumming had ceased, and the thousand troops were silent.

Because of this, the clapping and cheering sounded particularly jarring and grating.

Swish—

In an instant, all the officers of various ranks belonging to the Divine Mechanism Camp, without exception, turned their gazes towards the two Lihua Hall government officers who were earnestly and loudly offering praise.

Even Mo Chou wore a strange expression.

Thinking to herself: Since when had the thorns of Lihua Hall been trained into such shamelessly flattering individuals?

Could it be a case of "like master, like man"?

"Hitting the bullseye, brilliantly done."

This comment, if spoken earlier for Tang Ping’s mounted archery, would have been fitting.

But...

Zhao Douan...

One arrow, not even striking the target, at most barely grazing the edge.

Mo Chou really wanted to ask, "Are you blind?"

Where exactly is the bullseye hit?

And what is so brilliant?

Even if you are Zhao Douan’s direct subordinates, wishing to save face for your superior and restore his dignity... it shouldn’t be to this extent.

However, Hou Renmeng and Qian Kerou remained composed as usual, as if they had never paid any mind to these strange looks.

"Haha, well done."

Zhao Douan was still bowing his head, holding the iron bow, his indigo official robe making his martial figure stand out.

A smile appeared on his face at this moment, candidly accepting the praise.

Then, with a smile, he turned his head to look at Shi Meng and the other Divine Mechanism Camp officers and asked again,

"What about you? What do you think of my archery?"

Hou Renmeng and Qian Kerou put down their hands and quietly looked at the others together.

The air fell silent for a moment.

Some officers showed confusion on their faces, not knowing how to respond, while those with keen senses already tasted that something was off.

They looked at their own commanders in tacit understanding.

Shi Meng, tall and sturdy as a mountain with the dark complexion of a battle-hardened general but with a mind as sharp as a tack, felt his eyelids twitch. Could anyone reach this position without the ability to observe others and read the room?

Facing Zhao Douan’s seemingly smiling gaze, he suddenly felt an inexplicable jolt in his heart.

After struggling in his mind for a moment, he still forced a smile and laughed heartily,

"Hahaha, Master Zhao’s archery is divine, just as these two said, hitting the bullseye, absolutely brilliant!"

As these words were spoken, the faces of the others all changed.

Zhao Douan nodded in satisfaction, then shifted his gaze to the second officer, who paused for a moment, then saluted with his fist saying,

"Sir’s archery is extraordinary, I saw clearly, indeed it hit the bullseye!"

The third officer, with a bright smile full of admiration, stated,

"General Zhao is valiant, truly hitting the bullseye!"

The fourth.

The fifth.

As Zhao Douan’s gaze swept past each one, this group of high-level officers known as "generals," whether speaking against their will, appearing self-assured, fawningly ingratiating, or silently sighing,

all chose to play blind and flatter.

This world did not have the idiom "pointing to a deer and calling it a horse," but a similar scene was playing out now.

And as one by one, these higher-ups fell from grace in such a manner, expressing submission to Zhao Douan.

Starting with "Young Master" Tang Ping, the group of young officers behind him shifted from bewildered to shocked, then to anger and disdain.

Especially Tang Ping, his handsome face gradually paling, then turning ashen.

That was due to anger.

But more so, disbelief.

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The son of the Duke, who had a smooth life from birth, had not experienced the squalor and murkiness of the court, the cunning and dirtiness of politics, which for the past twenty or so years existed only in rumors.

Or rather, he thought that only civil officials were so, that even if there were such scum among the martial officers, they certainly wouldn’t be at the foot of the Capital.

Yet, at this moment, some of his past notions collapsed.

Realizing this other face of the officers who dealt with him day in and day out and who always greeted him with smiles.

"Commander Shi... you... you..."

Tang Ping’s lips paled, his eyes bulged, and his fists clenched tighter and tighter.

He wanted to question loudly.

Where has the martial spirit of you warriors gone?

And when did the spine of a military officer get removed?

Being nothing more than a Favored Minister, why grovel to such an extent?

Not even keeping a little face?

However, he ultimately did not speak out.

But Zhao Douan didn’t intend to let him off.

"Tang Ping, tell me, how was this general’s arrow? Hit or miss?"

Zhao Douan smiled as he looked towards him.

Clad in a white robe and a silver helmet, standing as straight as a spear, Tang Ping met his gaze coldly.

"Tang Ping..." Shi Meng’s eyelids jumped wildly, speaking softly.

But he saw the "Young Master" who commanded great respect among the younger officers at the middle and lower levels merely snorted coldly and turned around, striding away from the drill field.

Shi Meng’s face changed, about to speak out, but he was casually stopped by Zhao Douan, who calmly said,

"As this general has just taken command, it would not be good to delay the training of my men, why stop him?"

At this time, seeing Tang Ping leaving,

several young officers who were clustered behind the Young Master immediately followed him unhesitatingly.

Others showed hesitation on their faces, seemingly ambivalent.

In the end, they still followed, leaving the drill field.

Zhao Douan, from beginning to end, did not stop them, did not get angry.

He even wore a genial smile on his face, not taking offense.

After this group left, Shi Meng tried to smooth things over, forcing a smile and saying,

"Master Zhao, don’t blame them, young people don’t understand, I’ll explain later on your behalf."

In his words, however, it was as if he forgot that Zhao Douan was also a young man.

"Hehe, Commander Shi, you speak too seriously. Why would I take offense?"

Zhao Douan laughed, and before Shi Meng could heave a sigh of relief, he changed the subject and calmly said,

"By the way, would you trouble someone to write down the names of those few who left for me? Hehe, no need to be anxious, I just admire the courage of these officers. The military of Great Yu should have this kind of spirit."

Shi Meng’s expression froze.

The surrounding officers looked at each other, uncertain of how to react.

But their hearts sank, realizing that Yama Zhao probably intended to make life difficult for someone.

Shi Meng wanted to say something, but after a second thought, he realized it was just a temporary assignment.

And, after all, Tang Ping was the son of the Duke... At most, he would suffer a bit, but it should not be a big problem.

So he had to force a stiff smile and echo a few words.

After this farce, the atmosphere in the field had become extremely awkward.

Especially the thousands of soldiers present, who, because of their distance, had not heard this "calling a stag a horse" clearly, were now restless.

A leader who couldn’t hit the target even from a hundred steps away was inevitably despised.

Considering Zhao Douan’s rise to power based on his appearance, the scene was now in noisy disarray.

The thousands of gazes were filled with scorn and ridicule.

"Master Zhao, Miss Da, shall we head to the barracks first? Haha, I have arranged a banquet in the camp at noon..."

Shi Meng’s flesh quivered as he resisted the urge to scold everyone on the spot, intending to lead his group away.

"Haha, that sounds good."

Zhao Douan, as amiable as ever, remained calm.

Seeing this, the officers of the Divine Mechanism Camp felt complicated emotions, a mix of disdain and reluctant "admiration"—

In front of thousands of soldiers, despite having his dignity swept away, he was still composed. This thick-skinnedness alone was almost on par with a powerhouse of the Heavenly Human Realm.

They were warriors after all. Even if they feared Zhao Douan’s power and submitted against their will, the disdain in their hearts couldn’t be erased.

"Let’s go," Mo Chou felt awkward all over.

She sighed, thinking it would have been better to admit weakness rather than perform such a martial display.

It would also damage His Majesty’s reputation.

However, just as everyone was about to leave, Zhao Douan suddenly paused, appearing somewhat annoyed by the noise.

The heavy iron bow that he was about to put down was suddenly raised again.

Only this time, the bow that was nearly as tall as a man was held in a reverse grip with one hand!

Opening his right hand, no one noticed when he had placed the bowstring in his palm, and with one hand, he pushed the bowstring toward the bow’s limb.

He was single-handedly "drawing the bow" in reverse!

A heavy armor-piercing iron bow from the army that ordinary people couldn’t draw even with both hands and all their strength seemed as light as a feather in his hand.

"Squeak... Squeak..."

A sharp, ear-piercing noise sounded as the iron bow twisted and deformed in an instant, as if struggling and screaming due to the terrifying force.

Zhao Douan raised the iron bow with one arm, his aura surging around him as white electrical snakes burst from his fingertips on the taut bowstring, coiling around it and emitting a thunderous roar like an exploding electrical device.

All the officers turned their heads in response.

A thousand soldiers stared in disbelief.

Zhao Douan remained calm, his hand releasing the bowstring.

"Whizz!"

In an instant, a huge, yard-long, crescent moon-like "light blade" enshrouded in lightning whistled out with a terrifying momentum.

Wherever it passed, the well-tampeded ground of the drill field burst into charred pits.

"Boom!!!!!"

The light blade scythed through and dissipated at the end of the drill field, carving a slice into the wall.

As the dust settled, every target in sight was completely shattered to dust.

Shi Meng squinted his eyes.

Mo Chou’s pupils dilated.

The officers stood dumbfounded.

The several thousand agitated soldiers suddenly fell silent.

"Well, let’s go," Zhao Douan casually discarded the ruined iron bow, smiling and beckoning his loyal followers to leave with him.

Archery? He indeed wasn’t very good at it.

But... who said that targets could only be shot with arrows?

...

Elsewhere, in front of a barrack.

Tang Ping’s expression was impassive as he and a group of low-ranking officers following him suddenly stopped.

They all turned their heads towards the now obscured drill field from which dust and debris had risen.

"What’s happened? What’s all that commotion?" someone asked puzzled.

Tang Ping also furrowed his brow.

...

...

After leaving the drill field, Zhao Douan paid no attention to the ensuing impact.

The subsequent inspections of various barracks of the Divine Mechanism Camp went smoothly without any disturbances.

However, throughout the process, the way a group of military officers looked at him seemed strange.

The power of that one "arrow" on the drill field, in the eyes of these warriors, was indeed comparable to the might of the Divine Chapter Realm.

Of course, it was just the might.

The details could not be discerned from just this alone.

A Cultivator’s true strength could only be assessed through real combat.

However...

Even to Shi Meng, the easily-revealed depth and refinement of Zhao Douan’s aura seemed alarmingly formidable.

Wasn’t he supposed to be at most a Middle Grade mortal?

Yet, such might, was that something a Mortal Realm could possess?

For a moment, the officers of the Divine Mechanism Camp were filled with doubts, suddenly convinced that their new superior was shrouded in mystery.

After the inspection, Mo Chou declared her intention to return to the palace.

Zhao Douan escorted her and expressed his wish to speak privately, having something to say.

...

"What do you intend to do?"

Outside the gates of the Divine Mechanism Camp, beside a carriage.

Mo Chou watched him warily:

"Don’t forget, His Majesty has sent you here to root out the spy in allegiance with Prince Jing Mansion, you..."

She always felt that Zhao Douan’s actions in the drill field were intentional.

"Rest assured, I know what to do and when to do it,"

Zhao Douan, still composed, handed her a piece of paper, saying:

"Take this list back to the palace for His Majesty to review, and tell His Majesty to honor our agreement."

What agreement do you have with His Majesty?

Mo Chou, filled with surprise and uncertainty, glanced at the paper, realizing it contained the names of the officers who had disrespected Zhao Douan.

At the top of the list was none other than "Young Master" Tang Ping.

...

Please help me find any typographical errors.