Night had fallen.
Inside the command tent of the Grand General.
"Father,"
"The arrangements for withdrawing the troops to the barracks have been made."
"We are only waiting for the emissary from Xianyang to arrive before we can proceed to return the troops to the camp," said Wang Ben as he entered the tent and reported to Wang Jian.
For the past few days, Wang Ben had been overseeing the massive logistical task of withdrawing an army of 100,000 stationed at the border.
Wang Jian lifted his head, looking at his son. However, Wang Jian's face still bore an expression of deep thought, clearly preoccupied with the events of the day.
"Father, what's wrong?" Wang Ben asked, noticing his father's unusual demeanor.
"Ben'er,"
"Tell me,"
"Do you think someone can cross nearly ten zhang** in an instant?" Wang Jian asked suddenly.
"Cross nearly ten zhang in an instant?"
Wang Ben looked at Wang Jian with a puzzled expression, not understanding why such a question was being raised.
After pondering for a moment, he smiled and replied, "If someone could cross that distance in an instant, they must either be an immortal or a ghost. That's beyond human capability."
Hearing this, Wang Jian nodded thoughtfully.
This statement confirmed his suspicions and helped dispel some of the shocks Zhao Feng had caused him earlier.
"Zhao Feng..."
"He's no ordinary man."
"Could he truly be an immortal? Or perhaps he inherited the legacy of one?" Wang Jian wondered silently.
What he had witnessed was no illusion it was real. Without other plausible explanations, this was the only conclusion he could draw.
In this world, tales of immortals and supernatural beings were pervasive, so it wasn't unusual for Wang Jian to entertain such thoughts, especially after what he had seen.
"Father, why are you asking such a strange question?" Wang Ben asked again, curious.
"It's nothing," Wang Jian replied with a faint smile. "Just a fleeting thought."
Such things were hard to believe and even harder to explain to others. For now, he decided to keep it to himself.
"By the way, Zhao Feng came to see me today," Wang Jian said, his tone turning serious.
"Zhao Feng is truly remarkable. He's risen through the ranks to become a deputy general in less than a year, all through sheer military merit."
"I can't compare to him," Wang Ben remarked with genuine admiration.
"Indeed," Wang Jian chuckled.
"Who in the army can boast of such a meteoric rise?"
"Father, what did Zhao Feng want to discuss?" Wang Ben asked, curious.
"He told me that he and Yan'er have pledged themselves to each other and asked me to grant her hand in marriage," Wang Jian said with a sigh.
"What?"
Wang Ben was stunned. "He and Yan'er? When did this happen? How come I didn't know about it? Zhao Feng and Yan'er haven't had much interaction, have they?"
"During the day when Bai Yuan launched his surprise attack if Zhao Feng hadn't intervened, Yan'er might not have survived. Perhaps it started from then," Wang Jian explained.
"Father, what are we going to do?" Wang Ben asked, his brow furrowing.
"His Majesty intends to betroth Yan'er to the Crown Prince Fusu. Our family cannot go against the King's will. Zhao Feng's request is something we can't possibly agree to."
Wang Jian remained silent for a moment before replying, "I've already agreed to him."
"You agreed to Zhao Feng?"
"But how will we answer to His Majesty?" Wang Ben asked in alarm.
"Ben'er," Wang Jian said with a sigh.
"You know Yan'er's personality, don't you?"
Wang Ben thought for a moment before replying, "Yan'er is strong-willed, possessing the steadfast character of our military family. She's also extremely headstrong."
"Exactly," Wang Jian said.
"Zhao Feng knows this too. If the King truly decrees her marriage to the Crown Prince, I'm afraid Yan'er won't comply and may do something reckless."
"This..."
Recalling his sister's temperament, Wang Ben couldn't help but agree.
Born into a family of generals, Yan'er was unlikely to meekly accept such an arrangement, even at great personal cost.
"If His Majesty doesn't issue an official edict, and Yan'er and Zhao Feng have truly pledged themselves to each other, then granting their wish wouldn't be unreasonable."
"However, if we defy the King's will, the Wang family might be accused of treason. How can we navigate this?" Wang Ben asked, his tone filled with worry.
"I've thought about that," Wang Jian replied gravely.
"While the court and His Majesty have hinted at the arrangement, no formal decree has been issued yet."
"There's still a chance. I'll personally plead with His Majesty to change his mind," Wang Jian declared firmly.
"And if His Majesty refuses to change his mind?" Wang Ben asked.
Thinking of Zhao Feng's resolute demeanor, Wang Jian's expression darkened as he replied, "If the King doesn't relent, there will be trouble."
That Night
Outside the military camp.
The area around Zhao Feng's tent was brightly lit with campfires.
Inside the tent, Zhao Feng stood by the central fire, with five commanders standing respectfully nearby.
"Brothers," Zhao Feng began, his tone serious.
"Now that we're away from prying eyes, I have something important to discuss with you something that concerns the future."
"Of course, the decision lies entirely in your hands."
The five men exchanged glances before bowing in unison. "Please speak plainly, sir."
"Are you willing to pledge your allegiance to me?" Zhao Feng asked, his gaze sweeping across the group.
The five were momentarily stunned.
But Wei Quan was the first to react, dropping to one knee. "Wei Quan pledges his loyalty to the Master!"
Seeing Wei Quan's swift declaration, Zhang Han followed suit.
"Zhang Han pledges his loyalty to the Master!"
The remaining three quickly knelt and bowed, declaring in unison, "We pledge our loyalty to the Master!"
"You don't have to decide so quickly," Zhao Feng said, his expression solemn.
"If you choose to follow me, you will take me as your sole leader, obeying my every command."
"Master," Wei Quan said with conviction.
"I've already sworn to follow you for life. My loyalty is unwavering."
"The same goes for me," Zhang Han added, echoed by the other three.
At that moment, a system notification appeared before Zhao Feng.
"Subordinates successfully recruited. Subordinate Forces Sub-panel activated!"
With their pledges of allegiance, Zhao Feng had unlocked the system's subordinate forces feature a critical step in forming his faction.
Given the urgency of the situation, Zhao Feng realized that time was of the essence. If the King truly decreed Yan'er's marriage to Fusu, he would need to act swiftly and decisively.
Beyond his unparalleled strength, Zhao Feng knew he needed a loyal and formidable force to back him.
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