Chapter 73: Liu Xie: I Can't Take This Anymore

“No need to panic,” Liu Xie waved his hand and said, “The night is approaching, and it will be cold soon. Sleeping here could lead to illness; let’s retire to the bed for rest.”

In the presence of the Emperor, Zhen Mi dared not show any disrespect. She respectfully responded, “Many thanks for Your Majesty’s concern.”

After a brief pause, she bit her lip, mustering courage to continue, “Your Majesty…do you wish for me to serve tonight?”

Serving as a consort was one of her duties, and before arriving, the elderly nursemaid at home had thoroughly instructed Zhen Mi on how to fulfill this role.

Although she had mentally prepared herself during the journey, she still felt apprehensive.

Liu Xie aimed to leave a positive impression on Zhen Mi, considering she was now technically his wife. It wouldn’t be appropriate to have her serve him intimately on her first day in the palace.

“You’ve endured a long and tiring journey. For now, take some time to rest properly. We’ll wait a few days before serving again.”

Despite being only fourteen years old, Zhen Mi was already strikingly beautiful. Compared to high school beauties from his previous life, they simply couldn’t hold a candle to her allure.

Having been transported to ancient times, Liu Xie understood he needed to adhere to the norms of this era. In these times, fourteen was considered legally acceptable.

Moreover, a crucial reason behind his restraint was that if Ju Shou found out he resisted Zhen Mi’s charms, suspicion would inevitably arise. It contradicted the persona Liu Xie had consistently portrayed.

Liu Xie was not yet noble enough to risk his safety for rigid adherence to moral principles.

However, regardless of circumstances, preventing pregnancy was paramount.

In ancient times, the high mortality rate from childbirth complications often stemmed from women’s underdeveloped pelvic structures.

Zhen Mi’s pelvis had not fully matured, and if she were to become pregnant, it could potentially lead to a tragic loss of two lives.

The best solution would be for Liu Xie to exercise patience and wait another two years, eliminating any risks. However, this option seemed impractical.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Zhen Mi sighed with relief.

With no suitable topics between them, an awkward silence began to permeate the atmosphere. Sensing this, Liu Xie promptly said, “We shall take our leave now.”

Zhen Mi meticulously bowed, responding, “May I respectfully see Your Majesty out?”

As soon as Liu Xie stepped out of Qingli Palace, Zhen Mi’s composed facade melted like ice on a sunny day. A blush rapidly spread across her cheeks, extending all the way to her ears.

“What was I thinking just now…?” Zhen Mi felt her face burning, overwhelmed with embarrassment.

His Majesty merely came to visit her, yet she impulsively asked if he required her company in bed.

How utterly shameful! What if His Majesty perceived her as a woman devoid of modesty? How could she bear such misjudgment?

Zhen Mi’s heart raced uneasily. Despite Liu Xie’s seemingly calm demeanor, she sensed a guardedness and distance from him during their encounter.

Early the next morning, Liu Xie rose from his bed with the assistance of attendants.

The weather remained bright and sunny as usual. Liu Xie instructed eunuchs to prepare tea and pastries before heading to his customary spot in the rear garden to bask in the sun.

This had become one of his daily routines, not because he particularly enjoyed it, but due to sheer boredom.

Within the imperial palace, he indeed enjoyed great freedom; however, this freedom came hand-in-hand with emptiness - a sense of aimlessness with nothing meaningful to do.

“I can only rely on Guo Jia’s actions outside, while I’m completely useless here. This idleness is truly disheartening,” Liu Xie sighed, sipping his tea amidst the rear garden.

Although lying low and letting others handle everything seemed appealing at first, it quickly became unbearably dull. Yet, unsure of what role he could play without risking unintended consequences, Liu Xie felt trapped. Despite having numerous ideas, being confined within the small confines of the imperial palace left him devoid of resources or connections. Unable to venture anywhere or accomplish anything significant.

Wait, perhaps…he could try something involving Zhen…

Liu Xie nodded vigorously, deciding that might be worth exploring.

Just then, a squad of imperial guards patrolling the palace passed by the entrance to the rear garden. Liu Xie glanced at them briefly before turning away.

“Their marching is subpar compared to even my university’s ceremonial guard back in my previous life; completely lacks presence,” Liu Xie remarked with a frown.

Although he had witnessed vast armies numbering tens of thousands in this era, their sheer size and visual impact were impressive but failed to evoke a sense of invincibility deep within him.

The absence of disciplined, iron-willed determination made these soldiers appear more like armed rioters than the cohesive military force he envisioned.

For instance, the ten-man imperial guard squad that just marched past walked casually, with no uniformity or imposing demeanor whatsoever. Even his own cadence during basic training years ago was better than this display.

“The methods of training troops in this era are truly outdated. To forge elite forces, it seems war is the only path.”

Liu Xie yawned, preparing to resume fishing. However, suddenly, he halted.

A daring idea took shape in his mind.

Why couldn’t…he train his own troops? As this thought emerged, it rapidly spread like wildfire within Liu Xie’s mind, igniting with intense fervor.

Without further hesitation, he summoned a court eunuch and commanded, “Bring Zhang He and Gao Lan here immediately!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” The eunuch hurried off to relay the order.

Liu Xie’s face brimmed with excitement, eyes gleaming brightly, overwhelmed by sheer enthusiasm!

As a reincarnator, he had witnessed both ancient and modern armies throughout history.

He understood well that the gap between them was far more than just weaponry!

Even if both sides were equipped with identical cold weapons on the battlefield, the modern army would still emerge victorious!

The fundamental reason lay in their training methods!

“Times evolve, and so do military training techniques. Modern forces have synthesized lessons from various dynasties throughout history, even drawing upon practices worldwide, culminating in scientifically refined training methodologies!”

“While combat skills may differ somewhat from ancient times, the principles of physical conditioning, discipline, and maintaining military decorum remain universally applicable!”

“If I apply these methods to this era’s military forces, we could undoubtedly create an exceptionally skilled and disciplined army!”

Liu Xie grew increasingly excited with each thought.

What were some modern training techniques for armies? Resistance training, strength training, endurance exercises, coordination drills, reflex development, muscle conditioning, memory enhancement, and more.

Additionally, there were marching drills and maintaining proper posture to instill discipline and military bearing.

These training methods, though not overly complex, significantly enhance soldiers’ abilities across various aspects and bolster the overall morale of the entire force!

Take the basic bodyweight exercises as an example; while they may not match secret martial arts manuals, for ordinary individuals, they provide a rapid means to improve physical fitness within a short period!

This is because these techniques are derived from scientific research and accumulated experience!

Liu Xie decided to experiment with future-era training methods. Success would bring immense joy, and failure wouldn’t incur significant losses.

Soon, Zhang He and Gao Lan hurried over.

“Your Majesty, what commands do you have?” Zhang He immediately bowed, clasping his fists upon seeing Liu Xie.

Wasting no time on suspense, Liu Xie dismissed any bystanders and got straight to the point, “My dear ministers, having served long in the military, you must be well-versed in matters related to troop training.”

“I wish to understand how soldiers are currently trained within our military.”

Liu Xie needed to grasp the existing training methods employed by the army, and Zhang He and Gao Lan were undoubtedly the best sources of information for this purpose.