Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

The next morning, the Shanglin Garden was packed with people, and the noise filled the air.

These are the newest recruits of the Imperial Guard, and they all seem more fearless than the older batch of Imperial Guards.

Meanwhile, the veterans, who had finally shed the humiliating title of "young woman," stood in groups of three or five at a distance, watching the newly enlisted Imperial Guard soldiers, all wearing expressions of "a young wife finally becoming a mother-in-law."

"Great, it's finally our turn to shine."

"Yes, these girls seem very disobedient and need to be properly disciplined."

"We'll search carefully later and try to pick a few troublemakers to make an example of, so they'll know how my Imperial Guard treats guests."

Of the 3,500 veterans, only 500 had fought alongside Shen Lang on the battlefield, but the 3,000 who remained in the capital were equally active.

During the time Shen Lang led his troops on the expedition, their mission was to suppress bandits.

In just a few months, the surrounding prefectures and counties, spanning nearly a thousand miles and centered on Jinling, had reached a point where no one would pick up lost items on the road after the Imperial Guards swept through them.

The bandit strongholds entrenched in the mountains of Jiangnan were all wiped out in one fell swoop, far more efficient than if the sects had taken action.

This indirectly won the hearts of the people for the imperial court and the empress.

At the same time, these soldiers had all seen blood, and with the guns in their hands, they were all bursting with confidence.

"Oh ho, this is a little different from what I expected."

Among the new recruits, a young man in his late twenties was quite intrigued by the lively scene before him after getting off the carriage.

He was Ye Hui, the eldest son of the Ye family, who was almost killed by Ye Mo for the sake of justice and had been bedridden for nearly half a year.

Ye Hui wasn't actually opposed to joining the army; wherever there were people, that was his place to show off and flaunt his wealth.

But the problem is that Ye Mo told him that he would not receive a penny of financial assistance from his family before he was discharged from the army, and his life depended entirely on his monthly military pay.

This is tantamount to taking Ye Hui's life.

How can you show off if you have no money? How can you make friends with all sorts of heroes?

But Ye Hui dared not disobey his father, so he could only obediently drag his luggage, take an enlistment notice, and report to Shanglinyuan.

Just then, a sharp brass whistle rang out.

Immediately afterwards, Zhang Dingbian walked up to the new recruits with a gloomy expression.

Scanning his surroundings, he immediately mimicked Shen Lang's behavior during their first meeting, opening his arms wide and shouting enthusiastically, "Girls, welcome to hell!"

Let me introduce myself first. My name is Zhang Dingbian, and I currently hold the rank of colonel in the army. I am also the deputy instructor for you new recruits.

We will all spend an unforgettable time together here. Before we officially begin training, I'd like to remind the girls of something...

Life here is exciting, but also brutal. The best way to survive peacefully and steadily is to obey orders.

You have to do what your boss says, whether you understand it or not. Just put away your little schemes here.

Dragons must lie low, snakes must coil up; even the Heavenly King himself must follow military regulations.

Of course, I'd also love to see some of you girls show a very individualistic side.

This can add some fun to the otherwise monotonous military life.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a mocking voice rang out from the crowd: "Tch, what are you pretending for? So what if you're a soldier and get a government salary? What's so great about that?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dingbian immediately perked up.

He was just wondering how to establish his authority when someone offered themselves up to him.

Such an opportunity should not be missed.

"Hey you, come out and walk a few steps."

As soon as he finished speaking, a man wearing a shirtless shirt and with his belly exposed pushed through the crowd and came out.

He pointed his thumb at himself and said, "What do you want from me?"

Zhang Dingbian sneered: "Looks like you're not convinced?"

"That's right, I'm not convinced. You only arrived a few days earlier than me, what's so great about that?"

Seeing this scene while standing in the crowd, Ye Hui immediately became interested in watching the excitement: "To see such a scene on my first day of enlistment, this is damn exciting."

But soon, he stopped laughing.

Seeing the new recruit acting like a rogue, Zhang Dingbian couldn't help but glance at the two guards beside him.

The guard immediately understood, and without saying a word, he took off the rifle from his shoulder and walked over to the man.

Before the scoundrel could speak, the butt of the gun slammed hard into his stomach.

"what--"

The scoundrel let out a scream and arched his back.

The next moment, another guard also knocked him to the ground with the butt of his rifle.

"I didn't hear what the assistant instructor said just now. No matter if you're a dragon or a tiger, you'd better behave yourself here!"

"Keep pretending! Why aren't you pretending anymore? Keep it up!"

After the two guards finished their threats, they immediately started punching and kicking the troublemaker who had taken the initiative to stand up.

Zhang Dingbian didn't even glance at it. He solemnly pulled out a newly issued Browning pistol from its holster at his waist and carefully wiped it with his breath.

Only officers of a certain rank in the military are entitled to be equipped with pistols; it is a symbol of status, and Zhang Dingbian deliberately took it out to show off.

Seeing the scene of the beating and hearing the screams of agony, the other troublemakers in the crowd immediately fell silent.

Only then did they realize that their usual ruthlessness and fighting spirit seemed to be of no use in the Imperial Guard; if they wanted to earn a living, they had to obey orders.

Only Ye Hui's eyes lit up. Seeing Zhang Dingbian's calm demeanor, he couldn't help but feel excited.

"So being sophisticated doesn't necessarily require spending money? This works too?"

Instantly, a picture formed in his mind: Zhang Dingbian's position was replaced by his own, and he was cleaning his pistol while the troublemakers in the army were beaten by his personal guards.

"I'm determined to reach that level!"

At that moment, he no longer had any complaints about his father's arrangements and found a new goal.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the scoundrel, bruised and battered, was dragged in front of Zhang Dingbian.

Still arrogant?

Zhang Dingbian put away his pistol, smiled, and asked a question.

"No, I won't be crazy anymore..."

"Take this young woman to the medical team."

The next moment, he was dragged away.

"Anyone else who disagrees, just step forward. Don't worry, my Imperial Guard is different from other old armies in various places; we value humanity."

You've broken military regulations and will be punished, but as long as you're still alive, you'll be perfectly fine. Any other ladies interested? Speak up!

"Have!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a burly man who looked honest and unassuming shouted loudly.

"I'd like to ask, when is lunchtime?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dingbian did not reply, but instead turned his face away expressionlessly.

Another guard beside him gestured, and immediately walked up to the burly man who had asked the question, holding a baton, and stared at him without moving.

Bang~

"Oh~"

The next moment, the guard's baton pierced his stomach, causing him to bend over and groan in pain.

"When it's time for you to eat, you will naturally be allowed to eat!"

"When it's time for you to sleep, you will naturally sleep!"

"Do you know why I hit you? Because you asked a completely pointless question!"

"Stand up straight, chest out, and stand up straight!"

After shouting, the guard immediately returned to Zhang Dingbian's side.

The entire room fell silent. After witnessing the scene just now, unless someone was completely out of their mind, no one would dare to risk it again.

Zhang Dingbian looked around and continued, "Girls, is there anything else?"

The audience was silent.

"Since no one has any other ideas, I hereby announce that the month-long new army training will officially begin tomorrow."

Today, go collect your military uniforms first, and then you will be assigned your dormitories by drawing lots.

In the time that follows, you can familiarize yourselves with the grounds of my Royal Guard.

Tomorrow at 5:00 AM sharp, everyone must immediately assemble at the drill ground upon hearing the bugle call.

Before that, you can familiarize yourselves with the regulations of my Imperial Guard.

You can also ask your seniors about relevant training programs, which can save you unnecessary trouble.

Alright, that's all for now. Let's call it a day, girls. I hope to see you all looking brand new tomorrow!

After finishing his speech, Zhang Dingbian left the scene with a flourish.

"Elegant, it's fucking elegant."

Ye Hui looked at Zhang Dingbian's performance with envy, secretly vowing to climb to his position in the future.

……

"Instructor, this is the list of new recruits, totaling 8,422. I have arranged them in order. Please take a look."

Inside the temporary general's residence in Shanglin Garden, Meng Gong handed the list of new recruits to Shen Lang, who was fiddling with a sand table.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Shen Lang took the military manual but didn't even glance at it, focusing intently on the three-dimensional sand table in front of him.

Meng Gong couldn't help but ask, "Instructor, what is this?"

Shen Lang replied without hesitation, "This thing is called a sand table; it can simulate all real-world battlefield terrain."

What you see before you is a topographic map of Luchuan. Let's study it together.

Meng Gong's eyes lit up, and he immediately looked in the direction Shen Lang pointed.