TPITWOHEF

Chapter 153

Duoti's progress in collecting elite talents had already reached nearly seventy out of a hundred?

Xiao Yunzhou was overjoyed.

But then he became troubled. Duoti had already seen Concubine Liu's down series, food series, and Liu Runnian's water bottle series.

Now, despite another heartfelt speech that moved the soldiers to tears, the progress was still far from complete.

Xiao Yunzhou fell into deep thought, pondering what to do next.

"Commander Hou, come here." While the soldiers were still eating, Xiao Yunzhou called Hou Yuchuan into the tent alone.

"You've been living and eating with Duoti and his grassland cavalry these past two days. Have you noticed anything special? What do you think of their skills? How do they view our Jing Country?"

Xiao Yunzhou was preparing to gather information.

He wasn't a fool to begin with, and having received skill books from the Immortal Realm through Little Ge-ge multiple times, his logical thinking abilities had improved significantly.

Hou Yuchuan indeed had information. He glanced outside the tent, his expression darkening, "Your Majesty, Duoti is a man of few words but fairly courteous. However, his subordinate Ba Tu is extremely dismissive of our Jing military forces."

"Most of the other grassland cavalry seem to share this attitude."

Hou Yuchuan's eyes were sharp, "I'm afraid they're all approaching this exchange with the mindset of merely playing with our Jing soldiers."

Xiao Yunzhou frowned.

The grassland people were indeed fierce and proud.

Duoti, being recognized by the Immortal Realm for his charging abilities, was extremely skilled in breaking through enemy lines and launching attacks.

The subordinates of such a person would never be docile and obedient.

Xiao Yunzhou took a deep breath.

"Your Majesty, could you reconsider and allow me to lead a team of ten men to confront Duoti's grassland cavalry alone?" Hou Yuchuan was, after all, a military general with a fierce spirit that would bend but not break.

He had long been unable to tolerate the grassland people's implicit and explicit disdain for their Jing soldiers.

Now that the emperor had asked, Hou Yuchuan spoke directly, "Compared to joining forces with Duoti, I'd rather beat them into submission!"

Xiao Yunzhou frowned, "Once We have given Our word, not even four horses can take it back."

"Then tomorrow, may this subject have Zhao Qianwei organize a wrestling and horseback archery competition within the camp for Your Majesty to observe?" Hou Yuchuan was still not giving up.

"Your Majesty, I've been at the West Mountain Camp for thirteen years and have led troops in battle in Liaozhou. I know very well that Ba Tu's arrogance won't change unless we fight them!" As the commander of West Mountain, Hou Yuchuan could tell at a glance which soldiers had an unyielding spirit that would only submit after being disciplined.

"Hmm," Xiao Yunzhou nodded after pondering for a moment, "We trust you."

Despite eating, drinking, and hearing kind words, Duoti still hadn't met the conditions for submission.

The problem still lay in the grassland people's disdain for Jing Country's military prowess.

It was time to let fists do the talking.