Gu Wenchang and Shen Kunyang nodded in agreement.

“Old Wei makes sense. We should keep our voices down!”

Shen Liangyu, sharp-eyed, saw Bai Qingyan approaching quickly from outside the tent and stood up, calling: “Little Commander Bai!”

Seeing Bai Qingyan enter from outside the tent, Cheng Yuanzhi hurried to stand.

Wei Zhaonian looked up and saw Bai Qingyan, also standing and calling: “Little Commander Bai!”

“Little Commander Bai!” Cheng Yuanzhi’s expression couldn’t hide his joy. “I heard…”

Cheng Yuanzhi was about to say he had heard Bai Qingyun had been rescued, but thinking of Wei Zhaonian’s earlier words, he forcibly swallowed his words back.

Gu Wenchang picked up his walking stick to stand, but was pressed down on the shoulder by Bai Qingyan who had already entered the tent. She gently patted Gu Wenchang’s shoulder and sat beside him: “Uncle Gu, please sit! Uncle Shen… General Cheng, General Wei, please all sit!”

“Little Commander Bai, urgently summoning us here—is there an important matter to arrange?” Cheng Yuanzhi couldn’t contain himself and asked.

Bai Qingyan nodded: “You probably already know that Little Nine is alive and has been rescued!”

Several people nodded with excited expressions.

“There’s another matter you don’t know…” She sat before the brazier where the charcoal burned vigorously, extending her hands to warm them by the fire, her voice calm and steady. “Little Seven A’Jue is also alive and has been rescued. He’s currently in Nanyan.”

The brazier made an extremely faint crackling sound from the burning charcoal. The five remaining Bai family army generals looked at Bai Qingyan with her restrained, deep gaze, suppressing their surging excitement as they clenched their fists tightly, quietly awaiting Bai Qingyan’s instructions.

She looked up, her delicate, clear features tinted warm orange by the firelight, dark currents surging in the depths of her eyes.

“I have already petitioned the Crown Prince to have General Cheng and Uncle Shen lead the remaining Bai family army to garrison Tonggu Mountain! Uncle Gu will guard Zhongshan City, and General Wei Zhaonian will guard Bailong City!” Her voice was extremely low. “I will send letters to A’Jue and A’Yun, having them raise and train troops in the area connected by these three locations—Tonggu Mountain, Zhongshan City, and Bailong City! With all of you there… no one will notice!”

Wei Zhaonian’s injured eye burned. He was the first to react, his eyes unable to hide his shock as he looked at Bai Qingyan’s unperturbed gaze, his heart already in tremendous turmoil!

Bai Qingyan wanted to raise and train troops—was she preparing for rebellion?!

Wei Zhaonian held his breath and asked in a low voice: “Is Little Commander Bai planning to raise private troops?”

“Correct.” Bai Qingyan admitted straightforwardly. “For the Bai family army to survive, for the Bai family to survive, we must have enemies that no one except the Bai family army can defeat! I spared Yun Poxing’s life, allowing him three years to live, precisely to preserve the Bai family! To preserve the Bai family army! But what if Yun Poxing dies before three years are up, or he doesn’t dare come to Jin to issue a challenge, or he dies in battle after three years? When the cunning hare dies, the hunting dog is cooked. I refuse to see the Bai family army meet such a fate again! The Bai family… and the Bai family elite soldiers, generations of endless struggle, shattering themselves for their beliefs, wanting to restore peaceful prosperity to the common people—Bai Qingyan remembers this until death and dares not forget!”

“Therefore, without enemies sufficient to intimidate the current Jin Emperor, we shall cultivate enemies for him that he will fear. At minimum, we need to make the current Jin Emperor believe… that with strong enemies outside, he cannot help but rely on the Bai family army, cannot help but rely on the Bai family! This way we can preserve the Bai family, preserve the Bai family army, and strengthen the Bai family army!”

“If in the future the Bai family army encounters a wise ruler who wishes to secure livelihoods for all people and pacify the realm, the Bai family army will be a sharp blade in that wise ruler’s hand! If we encounter a virtuous ruler who only wishes to enrich the Kingdom and strengthen the people, the Bai family army elite soldiers will protect borders and ensure peace, at least protecting our Great Jin people’s tranquil mountains and rivers! If we encounter a foolish ruler who makes Jin’s people unable to make a living, the Bai family army will not forget that our founding purpose was for the people, quelling internal rebellions and external wars! These four words—’ protect and pacify the people’—are the Bai family army’s founding purpose and military soul! Every Bai family army soldier should engrave this in their bones and never forget!”

Bai Qingyan’s words were tantamount to directly telling these five seated generals that if Jin encountered a foolish ruler who brought disaster to the Kingdom and people, the Bai family army would rebel to protect the people.

The Little Commander Bai sitting before them now still wore silver armor, but she was no longer that newborn calf… that hot-blooded youth in fine clothes on a spirited horse. At this moment, she sat calmly before these generals who were loyal unto death to the Bai family army, restrained and steady, her gaze resolute and profound. Even though the Bai family army now had only over ten thousand remaining soldiers, she had not forgotten the Bai family army’s founding purpose, the faith of generations who shed blood to pacify the realm, planning far ahead for the future.

Although Wei Zhaonian was part of the Bai family army, in his heart he differed from the other generals. Though he had decided to follow Bai Qingyan unto death, he feared Bai Qingyan might hold reservations about him…

Like Shen Kunyang… who had been under Shen Kunyang’s command since Little Commander Bai enlisted. Gu Wenchang was also called Uncle Gu by Little Commander Bai. Shen Liangyu needn’t be mentioned—the Tiger Eagle Battalion was the direct force of Prince Zhen’s fifth son, Bai Qijing. Cheng Yuanzhi was a fierce general who had fought bloody battles alongside Little Commander Bai, and his loyalty unto death to the Bai family army was known to all!

Only he, Wei Zhaonian, though part of Prince Zhen’s fourth son Bai Qichuan’s direct forces, had spent those years following Bai Qichuan guarding Great Jin’s eastern regions, without any experience of campaigning and shedding blood together with Little Commander Bai.

Earlier, in his rashness, he had asked Bai Qingyan if she planned to raise private troops. After the words left his mouth, his heart was uneasy. He hadn’t expected Little Commander Bai to speak so directly to him without reservation about rebelling if they met a foolish ruler.

Only now did Wei Zhaonian realize his supposed cleverness was petty-minded thinking—Little Commander Bai had never treated any Bai family army soldier as an outsider.

When meeting setbacks, she didn’t lose heart.

When in dire straits, she still didn’t forget her great ambitions!

Her spirit could swallow mountains and rivers!

The Bai family’s character should be thus!

From this moment, Wei Zhaonian had no more concerns and would follow Little Commander Bai unto death.

“I swear to follow Little Commander Bai unto death!” Wei Zhaonian gritted his teeth, the first to cup his fists and kneel on one knee, looking solemnly at Bai Qingyan. “I swear never to forget the Bai family army’s purpose!”

“I, Cheng Yuanzhi, am a rough man. I only recognize the Bai family! Only recognize Little Commander Bai!” Cheng Yuanzhi knelt on one knee. “Whatever Little Commander Bai tells me to do! I’ll do it! Absolutely no objections!”

Shen Kunyang, Gu Wenchang, and Shen Liangyu all cupped their fists and knelt, swearing never to forget the Bai family army’s military soul until death, to follow Little Commander Bai until death.

“Little Commander Bai, how should I be arranged?” Not hearing Bai Qingyan’s arrangement for him, Shen Liangyu couldn’t help but ask.

“The Bai family army makes all nations fear, and among them, the Tiger Eagle Battalion makes all nations flee in terror upon hearing its name! Therefore, the current Emperor and Crown Prince will make arrangements for the Tiger Eagle Battalion! This time… whatever arrangements the current Emperor and Crown Prince make for the Tiger Eagle Battalion, you should comply! The Crown Prince doesn’t know the Tiger Eagle Battalion’s training methods, so he’ll still need to rely heavily on you!”

Bai Qingyan’s deep eyes looked at Shen Liangyu as she spoke methodically: “You can directly tell the Crown Prince that the natural barriers of Qiushan Pass and Chuanling Mountain area, as well as Weng Mountain, are all good places for training the Tiger Eagle Battalion! Wherever the Crown Prince has you lead troops for training, you should comply. Just make one point clear to the Crown Prince—you have your methods for training troops and don’t like others interfering or questioning, hoping the Crown Prince will understand!”