If you traveled back to ancient times, while others ate Guanyin clay, you would actually have giant

A large group of people came from the capital, some even from the palace, acting as if they had never seen the world before. They ate and drank lavishly at the banquet. It's not surprising that they were like this. Outsiders think the capital and the palace are better, but in reality, people are divided into different classes everywhere.

These eunuchs and golden-armored guards may seem superior to outsiders, but in reality, they are at the very bottom of the palace. Their meager monthly salaries are often embezzled by their superiors. Forget about this table full of seafood; they can only see meat every few days.

"You flatter me, Lord Zhou."

"Eunuch Chang, what are you saying? We are all serving His Majesty, and we can only keep warm by sticking together."

Zhou Wu's words about sticking together for warmth resonated deeply with Eunuch Chang. Over the years, he had worked his way up from a lowly servant eunuch to a high-ranking palace eunuch, enduring countless hardships that only he knew. Even his former confidants had betrayed him for personal gain, leaving him with virtually no friends in the palace. Zhou Wu's suggestion of sticking together for warmth spoke volumes about his own heart. He wasn't a cold-blooded person; he had simply become unwilling to show his true self after suffering so many wounds.

During this time, Zhou Wu did not test Chang Qing or try to extract any information from him, which made Chang Qing have a very good impression of Zhou Wu. Even when they parted, Zhou Wu secretly gave him a small gift.

"You have made many arrangements in the palace, so I have prepared a small gift. It is nothing but a token of my respect, and it is enough to show that we have known each other for so long."

The purse contained a full fifty taels of silver.

"How can this be allowed? Please take it back immediately, sir."

Grandpa Chang quickly postponed it, saying it would be too embarrassing with so many people watching.

“Father-in-law, everything else has been taken care of, so there’s no need to worry.”

What did Zhou Wu mean by that? Chang Qing looked back at his entourage and saw that everyone was embarrassed and looking around awkwardly. It turned out that they had also already received bribes.

"Since Lord Zhou is so kind, I would be impolite to refuse."

Chang Qing then quietly accepted the gift. However, he felt embarrassed to accept such a benefit for no reason, especially given Zhou Wu's warm hospitality. He quietly asked Zhou Wu to pull him aside.

"Lord Zhou, to be honest, your army is facing many dangers on this expedition, so please make full preparations."

"My lord, what do you mean by that?"

"Among the allies rescued by you this time, there is a noble person. You must ensure his safety, otherwise the Emperor will be furious and no one can stop him. I cannot say any more."

Chang Qing had already broken the rules by saying all this, so there was really no point in saying anything more. However, Zhou Wu did not force him. Originally, he had treated the other party to food and drink and gave him money, not to try to establish a relationship, but simply because he thought the other party was from the palace and wanted to leave a good impression. He never expected that there would be unexpected information.

"Thank you for informing me, Eunuch Chang. I will keep it in mind."

"By the way, the Sage also personally bestowed the designation upon the local militia: the Qingyang Army."

Although the designation was somewhat perfunctory, and Zhou Wu guessed it was probably a temporary designation given to the local militia, a ragtag army without a formal designation, in case it was discovered and they lost face, it was the biggest benefit for Zhou Wu in this expedition.

In the Great Dragon Empire, having a designation signifies being part of a regular army. This not only greatly enhances their benefits and treatment but also allows for an expansion in manpower. The Great Dragon Empire's active-duty army has a minimum strength of one thousand men, while Zhou Wu currently only has three hundred, leaving a significant gap. However, it is clear that there is no time to wait for reinforcements in this rescue operation.

Chang Qing led his team back to Beijing to report.

Zhou Wu also convened an emergency meeting, which included Niu Er, Deng Yuanliang, and Niu Ye.

"Eunuch Chang said that our main task this time is to rescue a noble person, but he did not reveal the noble person's identity. He also said that if we cannot guarantee the noble person's life, it will surely incur the wrath of the emperor."

The emperor's fury startled everyone, and they all knew what it meant.

"My lord, I know a little about this matter."

Deng Yuanliang's knowledge of some inside information surprised everyone.

"Oh."

A few days ago in Jinshan Prefecture, there were rumors everywhere on the streets that the three kingdoms of Dada, Black Monkey, and Khmer had taken advantage of the famine in the southwest of our Great Dragon Kingdom to launch an invasion. The Emperor ordered the Crown Prince to lead troops to resist the enemy. I guess it was related to this matter.

"Then it's probably the son or grandson of some royal relative or duke who's trapped."

Based on Deng Yuanliang's description, Zhou Wu deduced that it was likely an operation to rescue the son of an official. Everyone agreed with this, as no one had guessed that it was to rescue His Highness the Crown Prince. In their eyes, the Crown Prince was at most stationed in the rear, so how could he possibly risk going to the front lines?

"They actually went straight to Hell difficulty, they really overestimate me, Zhou Wu."

Zhou Wu murmured to himself, "The local militia, which has just been prepared, is now facing such a difficult mission."

"Niu Er, hurry up and prepare. Since the Sage has personally given the order, we must brave even mountains of knives and seas of fire."

"Yes."

Niu Er felt no worry or fear, but rather was filled with anticipation.

The next day.

The imperial court demanded immediate departure, but Zhou Wu did not set off until the next day, which strictly speaking already delayed the journey. However, Zhou Wu did need time to mobilize and prepare.

Training Course

"Gentlemen, this is great news! I believe many of you have already received the news. That's right, yesterday the Emperor personally sent someone to deliver the Emperor's decree, ordering us to send troops to Cambodia to rescue our trapped allies."

"Gentlemen, have you ever imagined that the Sage would personally seek us out? So without further ado, since you've joined the army, what you've been waiting for is the opportunity to go to the battlefield. Now, such a great opportunity is right in front of you. Your future depends on how you seize it. Let's go."

Zhou Wu personally led the local militia, now known as the Qingyang Army, three hundred cavalrymen, straight to the Misra River in Cambodia. Fortunately, the cavalrymen's horses, though not Turkic warhorses, were still far superior in speed.

--------

Mishui River.

"Your Highness, the enemy has surrounded us but is not attacking. It seems they intend to trap us here and let us perish."

The Crown Prince's army has been besieged by the Khmer army at a ferry crossing on the Mieu River for more than half a month. They are living in fear every day, exhausted and their food supplies are running low. Although Crown Prince Li Junren has emphasized reducing daily rations, the army's food supplies can only last for two more days at most. At that time, the Da Long army will be defeated without a fight.

"Has a plan to break through the encirclement been found?"

"..."

Crown Prince Li Junren's words were clearly superfluous. The reason the Da Long Army was trapped this time was entirely due to the terrain. The Da Long Army was stationed at a ferry crossing on the Mi River, which had a small entrance. The Da Long Army was worried about being attacked at night, but the Khmer Army took advantage of this and set up heavy troops at the only exit. The Da Long Army could not maneuver at the exit, so the 30,000 Da Long Army soldiers were directly surrounded by 20,000 Khmer soldiers. This directly led to the current situation where those inside dared not leave, and those outside dared not enter.