Chapter 021: The Tang Dynasty Cavalry

When everyone had arrived, Eunuch Li ordered the departure.

Wang Bo, Yuchi Zhenjin, Yin Ruiji, and Eunuch Li rode in a carriage leaving the Dali Temple, escorted by over a hundred armored cavalrymen on horseback behind them.

Of course, it was more like an escort under guard than an escort of honor.

These cavalrymen were undoubtedly battle-hardened veterans, their combat effectiveness greatly enhanced on horseback. A formation of over a hundred cavalry could easily wipe out one, or even several or a dozen martial arts masters.

The might of the Tang Dynasty cavalry was known to all under heaven.

It could even be said that the Tang Empire's strength owed much to its cavalry!!

The Turks, as a northern nomadic people, unified in 552 and rapidly grew powerful, seriously threatening the stability of the Tang's border regions.

In the fourth year of the Zhenguan era, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, citing the Turkic invasion of Hexi, appointed Li Jing as the Commander-in-Chief of the Dingxiang Circuit, leading six armies to attack the Turks. In the first month of 630, Li Jing led three thousand cavalry straight to the Turkic stronghold at Xiangcheng, routing the Turkic Khan and forcing him to hastily withdraw his main forces to Qikou.

A month later, Li Jing selected ten thousand cavalry, carrying only twenty days' rations, and launched a surprise attack on Baidao. Due to their speed, the Turks were caught off guard, and they captured ten thousand Turkic scouts alone.

Seeing the Tang's might, the Turks hastily sought to surrender. But Li Jing, seeing the Turks in disarray, seized the opportunity to lead the cavalry in another assault on the Turkic camps, leaving them no time to react. In that battle, they directly killed ten thousand Turks and captured over a hundred thousand, permanently resolving the Turkic threat.

Beyond this, the Tang cavalry had other achievements.

All were illustrious and awe-inspiring feats.

It could be said that the reputation of the Tang cavalry was forged through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Every neighboring country of the Tang knew the might of the Tang cavalry.

Jianghu martial artists excelled in one-on-one combat, but when facing cavalry, they were utterly vulnerable.

Even a master like Yuchi Zhenjin had to retreat three paces when facing a cavalry charge, and could be killed by the cavalry if he was not careful.

Such were the limitations of the martial arts world.

In a high-martial world, no matter how formidable the cavalry, they would be no match for the martial artists. Those lofty figures of the jianghu cultivated divine skills and peerless arts; their every move shook heaven and earth—a single sword aura could stretch a hundred zhang, and one punch could sever a river and halt its flow.

Faced with such power, any cavalry would be useless.

Unfortunately, although Di Renjie possessed some supernatural qualities, this was not a high-martial world where battles would rend the heavens and shatter the earth.

At best, this world was a low-martial one.

The reason Eunuch Li dared to share a carriage with masters like Wang Bo and Yin Ruiji was precisely because of these cavalry.

As long as the two made the slightest unusual move, Eunuch Li could give the order for the cavalry to surround and annihilate them. No one could survive under the blades of the Great Tang cavalry.

Inside the carriage, four people sat facing each other: Wang Bo and Yin Ruiji on one side, Yuchi Zhenjin and Eunuch Li on the other.

Yuchi Zhenjin never once took his hand off the hilt of his saber, his gaze vigilant as he watched Wang Bo and Yin Ruiji, as if observing their every move.

If the two showed any sign of treachery, he would draw his blade immediately.

Eunuch Li's effeminate face carried a hint of a smile as he spoke slowly, "Young Master Wang, Lady Yin Ruiji, since you two are entering the palace to meet the Emperor, the palace rules are quite cumbersome. I will explain them to you here to avoid offending any nobles..."

Before Eunuch Li could finish, Wang Bo shook his head and said, "No need."

Eunuch Li was taken aback. "Could it be that Young Master Wang knows a thing or two about the palace rules?"

Wang Bo replied, "Of course not. I know nothing about the palace rules. The reason I don't need to know them is that I am invincible under heaven and bound by no taboos, so there's no need to follow the palace rules."

Yuchi Zhenjin: ...

Eunuch Li: ...

Yin Ruiji gave a cold snort. "Big talk!"

Yuchi Zhenjin narrowed his eyes, pondering whether Wang Bo's words were true or false. Zhang Zhicheng had told him that Wang Bo feared none of the大理寺's many tortures, his body impervious to blades and spears, indestructible as diamond.

If that were truly the case, killing this man would by no means be an easy task.

Perhaps this man really did possess the ability to defy all prohibitions.

Eunuch Li suppressed his rising displeasure and continued, "Young Master Wang, His Majesty is truly wise and mighty, his grace covering all living beings—a sage ruler for the ages. Even if you are indeed invincible under heaven, you should still maintain a measure of reverence for our emperor."

Wang Bo thought for a moment and said, "That is true. Although Li Zhi's civil and military achievements are not as great as his father's, still..."

"How dare you!"

"Insolence!!!"

Before Wang Bo could finish, Yuchi Zhenjin and Eunuch Li, each more furious than the other, shouted him down. Eunuch Li's eyes turned red, his previous effeminate demeanor gone, looking almost as if he wanted to devour someone.

"What do you think you are, daring to speak the emperor's given name! Wang Bo, if you continue to be so reckless and unteachable, beware that I will have you torn apart by five horses!!!"

Only then did Wang Bo remember that in ancient times, directly uttering the emperor's name was the gravest disrespect.

Especially in front of the Chief Minister of the大理寺 and a eunuch.

No wonder the two were so enraged.

But facing Eunuch Li's threat, Wang Bo was not afraid at all. Instead, he smiled and said, "Gentlemen, five horses cannot tear me apart. To kill me, you would need at least tens of thousands of cavalry to block my escape routes and besiege me day and night. Only then might it be possible to kill me. Of course, that's just a possibility."

For Wang Bo as he was now, the likelihood of being killed in ancient times was extremely low.

If someone truly wanted to kill Wang Bo, they would have to mobilize the entire nation's strength.

Otherwise, once Wang Bo grew stronger, even the full force of the entire nation—or even all the power on Earth—would not be enough to kill him.

Yuchi Zhenjin and Eunuch Li exchanged glances, looking at Wang Bo as if he were a madman.

Yin Ruiji turned her head to look at Wang Bo, her sharp eyes seeming to discern whether he was telling the truth or not.

After a long pause, Eunuch Li cleared his throat and said, "Young Master Wang, some words should not be spoken recklessly."

Wang Bo smiled calmly, neither confirming nor denying.

Eunuch Li turned to Yin Ruiji and said, "Miss Yin Ruiji, let me briefly explain the palace rules. Young Master Wang, just listen."

Then he briefly touched on some key points of the tedious palace regulations.

Yin Ruiji stared at Wang Bo without blinking, unsure whether she was listening or not.

After explaining the rules, Eunuch Li looked at the absent-minded Wang Bo and at Yin Ruiji, who was staring at Wang Bo, and couldn't help but sigh—it was exhausting.

The carriage sped along and finally arrived at the imperial palace.

After getting off, Eunuch Li and Yuchi Zhenjin walked in front, while Wang Bo and Yin Ruiji followed a step behind.

Behind them was a group of fully armed imperial guards.

Yin Ruiji asked, "Who are you?"