Hearing that a war was about to break out, I also wanted to witness their strength for myself. I reported to the Emperor that I had never seen a great army set out on a campaign and wished to see just how magnificent His Majesty's million-strong army truly was. I hoped the Emperor would grant me permission to observe the campaign by accompanying the troops.
The Emperor readily agreed to these requests. After all, I had promised not to export those superior grain seeds out of the country. To them, this was the best possible news, as it would greatly weaken the strength of the two imperial dynasties.
Their speed in mobilizing troops was truly fast. As for the methods they used to mobilize them, I did not know. Along the entire route, however, armies continuously fell in and converged. The main army emerging from the Imperial City alone numbered 40,000 elite troops, all of whom were Houtian Martial Artists. This also made me realize the terrifying might of an imperial dynasty, and this surely was not all of them. Fighting on two fronts meant there were at least 800,000 Houtian Martial Artists. And this was just what had been sent out in a single wave; there were definitely many reserves still left behind.
Chapter 196