The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 721

When civil officials rise in status, they might at most cause some trouble, but when military generals rise in status, it means that chaos is not far off.

"Lord Zhou has arrived."

Many of the academy's staff were eunuchs, all arranged by Jiajing. After all, the military academy was of paramount importance, and Jiajing couldn't possibly not have his own spies planted there.

The students' parents were kept outside the academy, and the students, following the eunuchs' instructions, arrived at one of the academy's training grounds.

Upon hearing this sound, the entire training ground fell silent instantly, and everyone looked ahead with anticipation.

Those who come here to study are all people who have studied military strategy to a certain extent, or who have a strong thirst for knowledge in this area. These people naturally know who Lord Zhou is: Duke Dingguo, Zhou Hengqi.

The battles Zhou Chu fought before, such as the suppression of Japanese pirates in Jiangnan, the complete annihilation of the Mongols on the grasslands, the later Lin Lu's westward expedition to Yarkand, and the actions of Hu Zongxian and Zhao Zhenji in Southeast Asia, were all strategies formulated by Zhou Chu. This was no secret in the Ming Dynasty at that time.

All of this was intentionally promoted by Jiajing. Firstly, Jiajing wanted others to understand just how much Zhou Chu had done for the Ming Dynasty. Secondly, and more importantly, as the flagship of the Royal Military Academy, Jiajing naturally wanted others to realize just how formidable Zhou Chu's military capabilities were.

Calling him a god of war is no exaggeration.

This way, we can shut many people up.

However, Jiajing was also aware that doing so would also have great hidden dangers. If Zhou Chu's reputation became too great, there was a risk that he might overshadow the emperor. But Jiajing also understood that everything has its advantages and disadvantages. At present, in the eyes of the civil and military officials and the people of the Ming Dynasty, Jiajing was the most enlightened ruler among enlightened rulers.

In the imperial court, many civil and military officials praised Jiajing, who felt that since Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, could trust people without reservation, he could do the same.

Both Zhou Hengqi and I are still young and don't need to worry about these things for now. What we need to consider now is how to cultivate generals for the Ming Dynasty and expand its territory.

Knowing Zhou Chu's achievements and merits, the students on the training ground all regarded Zhou Chu as the military god of the Ming Dynasty and as their idol.

Upon hearing that Zhou Chu had arrived, everyone was naturally extremely excited.

Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, Zhou Chu arrived at the high platform in the training ground and looked down at the students.

"All of you who have come here to study have always been interested in military strategy or warfare."

Zhou Chu looked at everyone and said.

“I’ve taken a look. There are a lot of people here this time, but the academy will only recruit about sixty students for the first batch. Most of you will be eliminated.”

Zhou Chu shouted.

As soon as Zhou Chu said this, a flurry of discussion broke out below.

"quiet!"

The monitoring station is located next to it.

"This recruitment process may not be what you expect. It won't end in a day or two. It will last for about a month. I will then enlist you in the army and train, eat, and live with the soldiers."

Zhou Chu continued.

This was something Zhou Chu had planned from the beginning. These people had come from afar, and Zhou Chu didn't want them to come for nothing. After participating in the training, there would be different assessment standards every day, which would greatly enhance their military skills.

In this way, even if you don't pass this time, you still have a good chance in the next few times.

Moreover, the selection of military academy students is not a simple matter. It takes a month of training and various assessments to select the most suitable students for the academy.

"Of course, the academy will cover all your food and lodging for this month, so you won't need to spend any money."

Zhou Chu looked at the worried expressions on the faces of the students from humble backgrounds and said...

Hearing this, many students breathed a sigh of relief. Most of them came from humble backgrounds, and their journey to the capital had already exhausted their funds. If they failed in their studies, they would probably have to work in the capital to earn money to return home.

"Sir, we don't want to train. Could you tell us about blitzkrieg? We want to learn it."

These students were a mixed bag; not all of them were well-behaved, nor did all of them admire Zhou Chu.

The speaker was from Jiangnan. Most of the gentry in Jiangnan hated Zhou Chu to the core. This man did not come here to study sincerely, but to cause trouble.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chu's gaze sharpened as he looked at the person.

"Today, I will give you your first lesson, which is called military discipline. Whether in the army or in the academy, you must obey orders and never give up. You must absolutely carry out the orders of your superiors."

After Zhou Chu finished speaking, he pointed to the student who had just spoken.

"This person is reckless in speech and behavior, and behaves improperly. He shall be taken away and given twenty strokes of the cane as a warning to others."

Zhou Chu said sternly.

Hearing this, the other students on the training ground shrank back in fear. If those twenty strokes of the cane were delivered properly, they would probably lose half their lives.

"Isn't this inappropriate, sir? We haven't even entered the academy yet; we're still undergoing assessments. It's not right for you to handle things this way."

Another student stepped forward and said in a sarcastic tone.

This person and the previous student were both from Jiangnan, and the two were also friends.

"There's nothing wrong with it. Once you're here, you're under my control. If you have any objections, you can discuss them outside. Whether you want to complain to His Majesty or have someone submit a memorial impeaching me, I'll accept it all."

Zhou Chu sneered.

"Add him to the list too, give him twenty lashes."

Zhou Chu looked at the person who spoke and said.

Upon hearing this, the man's expression changed. He hadn't expected Zhou Chu to be so assertive; it was completely different from what he had anticipated.

"You are really overestimating yourselves. When the lord was leading troops, people like you would have been beheaded long ago."

Hu Zongxian, who was standing to the side, sneered.