Great, it's just a lackey, we're saved!

Chapter 168 This trick of mine was taught to me by someone else!

Military officers were naturally not qualified to visit the royal gardens of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Qian Tao and his group went to a mountain villa that the emperor had bestowed upon military officers.

The Great Zhou Emperor was generous; although the gardens he bestowed upon his generals were not as grand as the royal gardens, they were still quite large when connected together.

Ordinary people couldn't enter such private territory, and even starving refugees who fled to the capital didn't dare to covet these places.

Officials were not allowed to keep private armies, but they could hire thugs and warriors without restriction.

Qian Tao's deer-hunting banquet was held in an open area of ​​a garden.

The military officers were unrestrained; they didn't spread any blankets on the ground, but simply set up a few small tables and sat in the snow chatting about everything under the sun.

As the warm wine went down their throats and puffs of white steam rose from their mouths, the generals began to howl excitedly.

General Zhaoyong Feng Polu said to Qian Tao, "Old Qian, the banquet has already started, but the Princess has not yet shown up. I'm afraid she doesn't dare to come."

Qian Tao drank his wine and glanced sideways at Feng Polu.

"General Feng, it sounds like you have a lot of opinions about the Princess?"

Feng Polu took a big gulp of wine: "She's a princess, what objection could I possibly have? I just don't like her title."

When the title of Princess was mentioned, all the military officers present nodded in agreement.

"Yes! Protector of the country? What right does a princess have to be given the title of Protector of the country?"

"She's never even been on a battlefield, yet she dares to talk about protecting the country. I bet this princess can't even draw a bow!"

"Hahahahaha!"

A group of military officers teased Jiang Yueli, and they all burst into laughter.

Qian Tao silently drank his wine without saying a word, neither stopping nor joining in the generals' remarks.

They kept watching the sun to calculate the time. If the princess still hadn't arrived by the appointed time, they would head straight for the mountains and forests and stop waiting.

The military officers were talking happily when suddenly someone announced their arrival.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

The group of military officers immediately stopped smiling, ceased their conversation, and stood up.

Feng Polu frowned and looked at Qian Tao: "Old Qian, you even invited the Crown Prince?"

Qian Tao shook his head; how could he possibly invite the Crown Prince over?

The military officers showed no respect for the crown prince at the court assembly, publicly stating that he was ignorant of military affairs and had no intention of currying favor with the heir apparent.

The Crown Prince would naturally not be invited to this deer hunting banquet.

However, since the person had already arrived, there was no reason for the group to be impolite.

The prince, dressed in hunting attire, strode in with his head held high and a warm smile on his face.

Before the person even got close, he told everyone to dispense with formalities.

"Generals, there's no need for such formalities. I've come uninvited; surely you won't be unwelcome?"

Qian Tao smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, inviting the Crown Prince to sit in the main seat.

"Your Highness, you are too kind. We are overjoyed that Your Highness could come."

Feng Polu looked at Jiang Nianxing and Yuanxing behind the Crown Prince and asked curiously, "Your Highness, who are these two?"

The Crown Prince did not hide anything from the military officers and said directly, "These two are my sons, Nianxing and Nianyue. Come and greet the generals."

Seeing that the two children were really about to bow to him, Qian Tao stood up first.

"How dare we accept the greetings from the two imperial grandsons!"

The generals also stood up, following Qian Tao, not daring to accept the bow while seated.

Although these two children have not yet been registered in the imperial genealogy and their origins are somewhat unclear, the Crown Prince has acknowledged their identities.

Military officers should still observe basic etiquette.

After the Crown Prince sat down, he looked around and asked Qian Tao, "General Qian, where is my elder sister? Is she coming today?"

“The princess never said she couldn’t come,” Qian Tao said truthfully. “Perhaps she was held up by something, which is why she was late.”

The crown prince smiled and nodded, not taking Jiang Yueli seriously.

I even think it would be better if Jiang Yueli didn't come!

In this way, he would have a better chance to get close to the military generals.

"General Qian, if I remember correctly, you will be going to Roushan Camp to relieve the troops in a few days, right?"

Qian Tao nodded: "Your Highness has a good memory. The 100,000 troops stationed in Roushan Camp are rotated regularly, so the commander-in-chief must also be changed."

"Speaking of which, Your Highness is the commander-in-chief of the Roushan camp. I wonder when Your Highness will visit Roushan to get to know the soldiers better?"

Roushan Camp is located 60 li from the capital and is an important part of the defense of the capital.

In addition to the Roushan Camp, there were two other camps, Fengshan and Qianshan, surrounding the capital.

However, the Roushan Camp is the closest to the capital, has the most soldiers, and is nominally commanded by the Crown Prince.

"I have been busy with official duties in the past and have had few opportunities to visit Roushan, which has made me estranged from all of you generals."

Qian Tao smiled without saying a word; he wasn't really that familiar with the Crown Prince.

Qian Tao had previously fought on the border, but after returning to the capital due to his military achievements, he was transferred to the Roushan Camp, where he no longer had to endure the hardships of border warfare.

"Your Highness is too kind. As the commander-in-chief, you hold the Tiger Tally. Whenever you wish to go to Roushan, we will gladly welcome you."

As the two were talking, they heard a commotion not far away; it turned out that the Third Prince had also arrived.

None of the military generals had a good impression of this纨绔 (wán kù, a spoiled, dissolute young man).

The Third Prince spends his days eating, drinking, having fun, bullying men and women, and never does anything decent.

Although the crown prince knew nothing about military affairs, as the heir apparent, he still cherished his reputation.

The Third Prince is completely reckless and shameless; he's every kind of scoundrel and rogue!

Before they even got close, they started shouting, "Wasn't this supposed to be a deer hunt feast? Why are you all sitting here drinking? Hurry up and bring the horses up the mountain!"

Qian Tao frowned and bowed to the Third Prince: "Your Highness, the Eldest Princess has not yet arrived. Perhaps we should wait a little longer?"

Upon hearing that Jiang Yueli hadn't come, the Third Prince looked at the Crown Prince and said, "Even if my elder sister isn't here, we can't just sit here like this, can we? It's so boring."

"If I had known that gatherings of military generals would be so boring, I wouldn't have come."

The atmosphere became tense for a moment. Jiang Nianxing, who had been sitting silently, suddenly suggested, "Father, since Third Uncle wants to have some fun, why don't we let all the uncles and elders have a competition of archery skills?"

"I've heard that General Qian's archery skills are extraordinary, and he can hit a willow leaf from a hundred paces away. I've long wanted to see it for myself."

Upon hearing this, the Third Prince's eyes lit up.

"Aiming at a willow leaf from a hundred paces? Really? Or are you just bragging?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Polu looked displeased. If it weren't for his status as the Third Prince, he would have already started cursing.

How dare this incompetent fool question Qian Tao's archery skills?

Qian Tao wasn't annoyed; he just smiled and said, "Saying you can hit a willow leaf from a hundred paces is an exaggeration. I just have some experience in archery."

Feng Polu, however, did not allow Qian Tao to be so modest.

He boasted, "General Qian, why be modest? Your archery skills are undoubtedly the best in the army."

"Back then, during the Battle of Juxia Pass, I shot the enemy general with an arrow, causing chaos and a complete rout. We still remember the glory of that day!"

Despite being so highly praised by his colleagues, Qian Tao showed no arrogance.

He said with a hint of reminiscence, "Old Feng, I'm not being modest, but my archery skills were taught to me by someone else."

"Compared to that man, my archery skills are nothing but showing off my limited abilities."