Chapter 51 Special Operations and Secret Training

Chapter 51: Special Operations and Secret Training

The assessment thus came to an end. Those who failed were largely divided up by the major military legions, and even Ying Zheng took a considerable number for his personal guard corps, the Elite Warriors.

Before leaving, Ying Zheng and the others expressed that they would definitely return for the final assessment. After all, they had learned that the remaining three hundred men would undergo yet another round of screening.

After sending off Ying Zheng and his entourage, Yang Zimo assembled the three hundred men who had passed the assessment and led them to an experimental camp prepared in advance within the mountains outside Xianyang City.

The training camp was located in the virgin forest thirty miles outside Xianyang City. With lush vegetation and dense woods, the area was sparsely populated and inhabited by various fierce beasts and small creatures. Aside from hunters occasionally heading up the mountain to forage, virtually no one else ever came here.

Several months ago, Yang Zimo had requested and received a written authorization from Ying Zheng to claim this entire stretch of mountain forest. Upon hearing that Yang Zimo intended to build a training camp to experiment with and cultivate a new type of military branch, Ying Zheng approved it without a second thought.

The Ministry of Construction quickly erected this experimental training camp strictly according to the blueprints provided by Yang Zimo. Upon completion, the area was placed under martial law by the Kirin Army, an elite guard legion of the Lantian Great Camp. A thousand-man detachment of the Kirin Army was stationed right near the camp.

The trainees who had passed the previous assessment were already lined up in the training camp. Each of them wore a uniform training outfit, with a set of numbers embroidered on the left chest, representing their respective rankings from the last assessment.

Yang Zimo had also arrived at the training camp early, holding a thick stack of booklets in his hand.

"First of all, congratulations to all of you for passing the assessment and arriving here. This place will be the location of your final assessment. Pass it, and you will become this Marquis's personal guard unit."

"From now on, everyone can only be addressed by the numbers on your chests. Here, you will undergo six months of closed-door training. You will be trained according to the syllabus I have written, which includes, but is not limited to, mountainous, jungle, aquatic, hilly, and plain terrains. I hope you have prepared yourselves mentally."

"Now, everyone must sign this confidentiality contract. If any information regarding this camp is leaked during the training process or in the days to come, your entire clan shall be executed!" Yang Zimo declared to the crowd.

Although this was merely a simple experimental training base, the training content and facilities were designed by Yang Zimo based on modern special forces training programs. It would have a profound impact on this era, as the Empire's military academies did not yet impart knowledge of this nature.

There were still many famous military units in this era, such as the Qin Iron Eagle Elite Warriors, the Qi Strike Force, and the Wei Martial Corps. These were the elite combat forces of their time, and some even possessed the embryonic forms of future special forces.

However, due to the limitations in food and meat supplies during this era, and because combat philosophies had not yet been refined through thousands of years of future development, armies remained at a semi-professional level, with some being little more than armed peasants.

Now, equipped with the new combat concepts and philosophies brought by Yang Zimo, along with the vast pastures now owned by the Qin Empire and the expeditions sent to Parthia in search of sweet potatoes, Qin was finally capable of cultivating a quasi-professional army, and even nurturing high-cost, ace-tier military branches such as heavily armored cavalry, heavy infantry, and saber-wielding units.

Yang Zimo largely entrusted the training matters to his deputy, a fellow named Shadow. Hearing that he was sent by Ying Zheng, Yang Zimo handed the training responsibilities over without a single objection. Needless to say, this fellow must have been a member of the Black Ice Terrace under Ying Zheng's command, as betrayed by his codename alone. Having settled the training arrangements, Yang Zimo planned to visit only once every half-month and otherwise stay away.

Upon returning to the Marquis's Estate, Yang Zimo immediately summoned his steward, Ji, to accompany him into the palace.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty!" Yang Zimo found Ying Zheng in the Imperial Study, where the ruler was busy reviewing memorials.

"Oh, the National Teacher has arrived," Ying Zheng teased.

"Hehe, what is Your Majesty saying?" Yang Zimo smiled awkwardly.

"I am simply here to pay a special visit to Your Majesty!"

"You never visit a temple without a cause; I still understand the National Teacher's temperament." Ying Zheng put down his brush and looked at Yang Zimo, who was seated nearby.

"Your subject wishes to select a few talents from the underworld operatives to train those trainees," Yang Zimo cut straight to the point.

"Oh! Why does the National Teacher have such an idea? Tell me about it in detail." Ying Zheng instantly grew interested.

"During this period, my capable generals, veteran military officers, Xianyang chivalric swordsmen, and women from the art houses have all been invited away by the National Teacher and sent to the training camp. Even if the National Teacher wants to train these so-called special forces, there is hardly any need to go to such lengths." Reports on the training were delivered to Ying Zheng every day, and Shadow was, after all, the second-in-command at the training camp.

Ying Zheng knew the National Teacher wanted to forge a formidable unit, but the scale of this undertaking was simply too grand. Even my Black Ice Terrace hasn't operated like this, Ying Zheng muttered to himself.

"Your Majesty, the matter is like this. Originally, I only wanted to recruit a hundred-man guard unit to protect my family and the safety of the National Teacher's Estate. But Your Majesty is well aware of the turnout on the day of registration."

"A flash of inspiration suddenly struck me at home, and I decided to seize this opportunity to experiment with whether a special operations unit could be formed. However, I only have the concepts; specific execution still requires professionals. Figuring that it was an experiment anyway, I might as well go all out. That is why I sought out quite a few professionals to lecture and train them."

"I understand. The National Teacher now wishes to pick people from the shadows, and I suppose you plan to select talents from the various walks of life and exceptional horsemen from the prairie tribes, am I right?" Ying Zheng wore an expression of knowing it all along.

"Your Majesty is truly wise!" Yang Zimo immediately praised.

"Haha!" Ying Zheng laughed heartily.

"If the National Teacher succeeds in this training, however, you must share some of these men with me."

"That goes without saying. My original intention was to cultivate them for Qin."

"Splendid! Walk with me for a bit, National Teacher; I have a few points in my cultivation that remain unclear." Ying Zheng called out to Yang Zimo, and the two headed toward the martial arts hall to discuss matters of cultivation.

Ctesiphon, Parthia

Ctesiphon was the capital of the Parthian Empire, a massive city built in the desert and also a famous ancient ruin of later-era Iraq. Also translated as Ctesiphon, this place served as the garrison where the Parthians resisted the Seleucid Empire. A city was later built here, and the empire's capital was moved along the Tigris River from Nisa to Ctesiphon.

Arsaces I, King of the Parthian Empire, was flying into a rage at everyone in the palace. The empire's ambassador to the Yuezhi had just returned to Parthia only to be brutally murdered in his own home, and now his most beloved youngest daughter had mysteriously vanished! Upon receiving the news, he was so infuriated in the grand hall that he had already executed several slaves.

At this moment, Arsaces I had no way of knowing that a horse caravan from a distant realm was bringing news of his daughter.