Seeing Bai Qingyan nod slightly, the Prefect spoke slowly: “Moreover, this official truly wishes to serve the Duke’s Daughter. Wherever the Duke’s Daughter needs this official, please don’t hesitate to speak up. This official will certainly spare no effort, even unto death.”

“Then we’ll first trouble the Prefect’s son. In the future, there will surely be matters requiring the Prefect’s assistance in training troops and suppressing bandits. We’ll count on the Prefect’s support,” Bai Qingyan said to the Prefect.

The Prefect was a clever man. When Bai Qingyan spoke to this extent, her meaning was quite clear – she would first select one of the Prefect’s sons for a trial, and if he proved useful, she would certainly employ him in the future.

The Prefect remained composed, smiling as he probed: “There’s one more matter. I heard that Princess Gaoyi has already departed for Chun Mushan. This humble one has more than ten household servants with excellent martial arts skills. If the Duke’s Daughter trusts them, they could set out for Chun Mushan immediately to protect Princess Gaoyi’s safety. If the Duke’s Daughter has already made arrangements, these ten-plus men can be at the Duke’s Daughter’s disposal to contribute to the troop training.”

“Then let the Prefect’s household servants… follow Bai Qingping and the Prefect’s son!” Bai Qingyan nodded to the Prefect. “The Prefect is most thoughtful.”

Regarding matters concerning Bai Jinzhi’s safety, Bai Qingyan dared not use Bai Jinzhi to test the Prefect’s sincerity and loyalty.

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Hearing Bai Qingyan say this, the Prefect knew he should stop while ahead. He nodded – there would be plenty of time ahead, and he would eventually make the Duke’s Daughter believe in his genuine loyalty and submission.

After the Prefect left, Bai Qingping finally spoke: “Sister, by having the Prefect’s son work with me, are you asking me to guard against the Prefect’s son? After all, this time our Bai family is paying to train troops. Are you worried that military power might fall into the Prefect’s hands?”

Bai Qingping feared misunderstanding Bai Qingyan’s intentions, so he wanted to ask clearly.

Bai Qihe was surprised by the closeness between Bai Qingping and Bai Qingyan, feeling somewhat comforted in his heart. The Bai family should indeed be united like this.

“Normally, let the Prefect’s son follow you, but you needn’t be too guarded. Just don’t let him know the important matters,” Bai Qingyan instructed.

“Sister, rest assured, I will certainly do well!” Bai Qingping stood up and promised.

Bai Qihe brought his son out from the Bai Mansion, patted his son’s head affectionately, and boarded the carriage with satisfaction. Fortunately, his son was more sensible than his wife.

·

Early on the tenth day, as dawn faintly broke across the sky, flames in the high braziers around the training ground flickered and swayed wildly in the wind.

On the field, nearly two hundred citizens of Shouyang City had already assembled, chattering and laughing casually.

Among these people were Bai family tenant farmers hoping for rent reduction, Bai clan members who had been forced to come, ordinary commoners attracted by the monthly wages, and very few who had come to help suppress bandits.

Bai Qingping and the Prefect’s third son Shen Yancong stood on the elevated platform, frowning as they watched these leisurely scattered citizens, wondering in their hearts whether these civilians could really be trained into bandit-suppressing soldiers.

“We need to get them in formation before the Duke’s Daughter arrives,” Shen Yancong clenched his fists, his gaze falling on a bow and arrows. Just as he was about to take action, he suddenly remembered his father’s instructions and turned to smile at Bai Qingping: “I wonder if Young Master Bai has any ideas? We can’t let the Duke’s Daughter arrive… to see such a scene.”

Bai Qingping lacked physical strength. He knew that the best approach at this moment would be to intimidate them with force, but he didn’t have that capability.

Before Bai Qingping could speak, the neighing of horses rang out.

Everyone looked toward the training ground entrance and saw Bai Qingyan in crisp practice clothes, holding a black gold horse whip, leap down from her steed. Her profound and calm gaze surveyed the Shouyang citizens scattered like loose sand across the training ground. Unlike Bai Qingping and Shen Yancong’s anxiety, she simply lifted her foot and walked unhurriedly toward the training platform.

Behind her followed a well-trained squad of Bai family guards, each bearing a sword, marching in perfect formation with thunderous bootfalls, each step seeming to land on people’s hearts.

Perhaps because the killing aura emanating from Bai Qingyan was too overwhelming, and with the intimidating guard squad following behind, their combined presence immediately silenced the entire training ground. The citizens quietly shuffled back to their proper positions, looking solemnly at Bai Qingyan, who now stood atop the platform.

These were all ordinary citizens of varying ages, so their initial disorganization was perfectly normal, all within Bai Qingyan’s expectations.

She remembered when her grandfather first took her to the Bai family army camp, they happened to encounter the first batch of new recruits entering the barracks. She still clearly remembered how General Shen Kunyang trained new soldiers – she just needed to adapt those methods slightly for civilians.

“Bring them up!” Bai Qingyan turned her head to instruct the guards beside her.

Soon, three guards carried up three baskets of meat of varying weights. Bai Qingyan looked at the citizens standing respectfully on the training ground and said, “Training begins today. The top three performers each day will receive these three portions of meat to take home.”

For ordinary families, especially those who came for rent reduction or coveted the monthly wages, most lived in hardship. Being able to eat meat during the New Year was already considered good fortune. Meat… was extremely tempting to common people.

The citizens immediately began discussing among themselves, all looking excited.

“Today’s training content will be announced to you all by Bai Qingping and Shen Yancong. Results will be announced before sunset, and three people who cannot keep up with the training intensity will be eliminated,” Bai Qingyan’s voice was calm and cold.

Those who had originally planned to slack off were stunned, asking: “Does that mean… the rent reduction is also gone?”

“Naturally!” Bai Qingyan nodded.

Having said this, she turned back to look at Bai Qingping and Shen Yancong: “You may begin.”

Today’s troop training, to put it bluntly, Bai Qingyan was only there to maintain order. She sat on the platform of the training ground reading, while all training matters were handled entirely by Bai Qingping and Shen Yancong.

The first day was always difficult, but when the citizens participating in training saw that the noon meal included meat, they all cheered with joy.

Bai Qingping announced that from now on, all trainees would have meat with every meal and eat their fill, because only when full could they have the strength to train for bandit suppression.

Those who had originally planned to slack off, seeing such meals and thinking that with diligent training they could take that basket of meat home for their families to enjoy, immediately felt their blood boil with high spirits.

From the corner of her eye, Bai Qingyan observed the men Shen Yancong had brought, watching how they instructed the citizens in training. They actually seemed like they had spent many years in the military.

Bai Qingyan specifically noted two of them – their methods of instructing recruits bore some resemblance to the Bai family army, raising suspicions in her mind.

In the afternoon, the citizens trained even harder than in the morning, all drenched in sweat, yet no one complained of fatigue anymore.

As the sun set behind the mountains, Bai Qingping and Shen Yancong respectively selected the top three and bottom three performers. The top three received their deserved meat, while the bottom three, learning they had to leave, couldn’t bear to part with the meals here. The three pleaded desperately, claiming they would work twice as hard tomorrow and absolutely wouldn’t hold anyone back.