Can You Conquer The World With Martial Arts?

Ever since Wu Rong had issued her orders, Chang'an remained in constant motion. The officials toiled day and night to bring her plans to fruition.

Service was compulsory only to those who already belonged to the military branch, not to the hundreds of martial artist civilians that Wu Rong intended to make her front line of for the upcoming battle. Furthermore, she had explicitly forbidden the instatement of a draft. Since the people could not be forced to serve, the ministers were tasked with inventing ways to incentivize service.

They mulled over the books and ledgers, weighing the merit of every invested coin and whether its value would not be better off recommitted towards the war effort. In the end, the individual rewards had turned out quite lofty.

Others believed that no amount of materialistic incentives could spur a true desire to fight. They instead worked to incite a sense of righteousness and patriotism by calling back to the emperors of old, emphasizing Wu Rong's legitimacy as a member of the imperial dynasty. Many had grown up in a world of turmoil and chaos; they found solace in these stories of an empire that was once stable and whole.

Most importantly, it turned out that there really were those willing to fight for its return.

The Jianghu Investigative Bureau used its resources to spread Wu Rong's message far and wide. Among those of righteous temperament, Wu Rong's name was known and respected. There were also those who knew of Ma Yi's fate and sought revenge.

Numerous martial artists from beyond the city's borders heeded her call.

Those who had agreed to join Wu Rong's forces were drilled in basic tactics. Modern martial artists were not used to working together; their immense mobility alone rendered every battle unpredictable and chaotic, leaving conventional formations completely irrelevant. Chang'an's officers thought about the issue at length and focused instead on honing an innate awareness for each other's position even in the heat of battle. They trained them in flanking maneuvers and taught them ways to communicate rapidly in both close proximity and at a distance.

And they did all they could to temper their courage. Just like in the old days, making sure they would not flee at the first sign of trouble was the biggest priority of all.

Cao Lai picked out a select few and taught them the cultivation method once used by Emperor Taizong himself, the Divine Sword of Six Meridians. Though the complete art had long been lost to time, what remained of it was still one of the most profound internal energy arts of the current era. Despite the lack of time, most of the chosen elites made prodigious gains the short term.

The immediate effects bolstered morale. Cao Lai did not explain to them that progress would stall almost entirely for those who were not uniquely gifted in the ways of manipulating qi.

In the weeks following the declaration of war, the officials resumed their daily assemblies to provide their reports. An Deng announced the current state of civilian forces.

"Following Lady Consort's instructions, we have amassed one thousand and eight experts of upper grade fourth rank and above. Of these, nine hundred sixty four belong to upper grade fourth rank, thirty belong to lower grade third rank, three to medium grade third rank, nine to upper grade third rank, and two to lower grade second rank. All those belonging to the third rank and above have been training under lord Cao, while the rest are being drilled according to military strategy."

The final tally shocked the court. Initial prognosis had them believing that a force a thousand strong would be the best possible outcome, an inflated number to maintain morale. But they actually exceeded it, even if by a marginal amount.

The officials began to chatter amongst themselves.

"Anyone at the fourth rank, no matter the grade, would be a figure of vast authority in any other kingdom, just two or three steps below the reigning monarch. They would have, what, maybe not even a hundred of those? It's hard to believe that we've always had such capabilities. And we've really found second rank experts?!"

"Indeed, it seems highly improbable." A minister stepped forward to question the report. "Sir An, could you explain why the numbers between the fourth and third ranks are so heavily skewed? Could it be possible that the state of emergency has caused the grading standards to become more lax?"

"Because we have received so many candidates, there was no need to consider such a measure. These civilians can go toe to toe with our soldiers of the same rank, of that I have been assured. As for why the gap between rank four and three is so vast, well, that, I cannot answer, not any more than I can answer why some men are born tall and others short, and why there are fewer taller men than those we might consider average."

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

Slightly embarrassed, the man nodded and stepped back in line. Another stepped forward.

"If the numbers are indeed true, then I have a question for this court. How is it that we have remained ignorant of our true military might for so long? Forgive me for my boldness, but if we have always possessed such capabilities, should we not have considered a different governing strategy? For as long as I lived, we were always eager to make concession to our neighbors; we have pursued a strategy of constant appeasement and seldom utilized any of our military forces. I do not mean to question the wisdom of this court. What I mean to say is that, assuming sir An's numbers are without errors, well, it puts many of our previous deliberations into question, and is something that should influence our further policies."

"That's very simple, official Guan." Wu Rong herself elected to speak. "These people cannot be considered our personal military force. You would never convince them to fight an offensive war. It is not money alone that drives them. They have made this city their home, and they fight solely to protect that home. My husband's policies, the policies of his glorious ancestors, all that which you believe has been put into question now in light of these revelations - it all built something that they consider to be worth defending. This elite force, a thousand strong, is the result of it all."

"Your wisdom is enlightening, your highness." Official Guan lowered his head and stepped back in line.

The hall had suddenly been silenced. The air wafted with a hint of shame. Everybody knew that the initiative to mandate martial arts training for every citizen, perhaps the key policy that had brought about such resources, was solely Wu Rong's doing. Yet she did not attempt to claim any credit.

Wu Rong looked over the officials, waiting for them to continue the questioning. But when no more deigned to step forth, she spoke up herself.

"Cao Lai, I have a question for you."

The bodyguard stepped out from her side and bowed. There was not a trace of his usual leisurely attitude.

"Your highness."

"You've inspected the troops. If our current forces came at you in battle, how do you think you would you fare?"

Cao Lai seemed to ponder the question deeply. The silence in the hall grew tense.

"I am loath to admit it, but I would be defeated."

The officials breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Thank you." Wu Rong nodded, and Cao Lai reassumed his place. "Excellent work, sir An. According to reports from the Investigative Bureau, the time for battle is nigh. We will proceed according to plan. Train our forces until the very last day."

The officials uttered their affirmations. They knew that Cao Lai was the only one here who stood a chance against Huang Huoyu and any one of her subordinates. His statement boded well for their chances.

When the court session concluded, Wu Rong ventured beyond her palace to gaze upon her soldiers.

There they were, marching in orderly lines, unarmored but uniformed in green. Her dynasty's colors. There was no cohesion to their weaponry, but such were the circumstances of the era. Individual preference outweighed all else.

But even as Wu Rong beheld what may have been one of the greatest fighting forces of the age, a force that had been created by her and ostensibly belonged to her and her alone, there was not a hint of pride in her expression.

Inside she was drowning in inexplicable dread. Was all of this truly enough to upset the conventions of the age, to shake the ironclad truth that individual strength can overcome all common sense?

There was not enough time, she thought. There were not enough warriors. They were not yet ready, not yet realized to their full potential.

But she knew that they would not be given the time to achieve perfection. Worse yet, they could only guess how much time they really had left. Any day could have been the last.

With a lengthy sigh, Wu Rong left the training grounds. She had no intention to disturb the troops, or for them to even see her in her anxious state. At times she wondered if she was the only one in such low spirits among all her subjects.

But she could only be thankful for that. Because of their attitude she could remain assured of at least one certainty.

They would all fight to the end.

...