Usually at this hour, Eldest Miss would have already finished her morning training and would be calling for water to bathe—she was never absent regardless of wind or rain. Today, she was still sleeping, showing just how exhausted Eldest Miss had become from the northern frontier campaign.

The servants and maids all walked on tiptoe, speaking only by putting their mouths to each other’s ears, afraid of disturbing Eldest Miss.

Bai Jinzhi, having finally returned home, slept beautifully and woke up completely refreshed. When a little maid from Boyun Courtyard came to pass along word that Bai Qingyan was going to the training grounds today and told Bai Jinzhi to get ready and come over, she was delighted.

Bai Jinzhi happily finished washing up and, without even eating breakfast, hurried over to Boyun Courtyard.

Hearing the servants and maids sweeping the courtyard calling out greetings to Fourth Miss, Chun Tao, who was kneeling on the ground helping Bai Qingyan put on her boots, smiled: “Fourth Miss must be so happy she didn’t eat breakfast and came straight to find Eldest Miss.”

Bai Qingyan adjusted her sleeves, stood up, and said: “Have the small kitchen prepare an extra set of bowls and chopsticks, and bring out two dishes of the pickled vegetables she likes.”

“Elder Sister!” When Bai Jinzhi lifted the Hunan bamboo curtain and entered, seeing Bai Qingyan just coming out from the inner room, she smiled: “Going to the training grounds today—can I test those people’s skills?”

“You’ll have to ask Uncle Ping about that…” Bai Qingyan smiled as she sat down at the round table, gesturing for Bai Jinzhi to sit and eat breakfast.

The matter of the Princess of Zhenguo coming to the training grounds today had been arranged by Shen Yancong early in the morning.

The people sent by Li Tianfu were growing restless. Shen Yancong’s gaze swept over those few people without a trace, then turned his head and lowered his voice to whisper in Bai Qingping’s ear: “These few people must be watched closely. Don’t give them any chance to get near the Princess of Zhenguo. Before the Princess arrives… I think we should arrange them at the farthest position from the Princess!”

Bai Qingping nodded repeatedly: “Brother Yancong’s consideration is thorough.”

Bai Qingping ordered all the bows and arrows on the training ground to be returned to the armory. Just as he finished arranging Li Tianfu’s people at the position farthest from the command platform, Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi arrived at the training ground, accompanied by Lu Ping and Bai Mansion guards.

Seeing Bai Qingyan in practical attire, riding her horse into the training ground, Shen Yancong quickly ran down from the high platform to respectfully greet Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi.

Bai Jinzhi leaped down from her horse and glanced at the recruits lined up in decent formation on the training ground: “Elder Sister, they look like they have some semblance of order!”

“Princess, these people have already been selected by Brother Ping and me. The Princess can take another look, and if there are no problems, all these people can be put to use!” Shen Yancong said respectfully.

Bai Qingyan nodded and dismounted, tossing her black gold horse whip to a guard behind her. She said to Shen Yancong, “Later, you and Uncle Ping look them over together. Keep those whom Uncle Ping thinks aren’t ready yet, and the rest… will accompany me out of the city to suppress bandits after we spend the next few days sending people to scout the mountain bandits’ situation.”

If even Lu Ping thought someone wasn’t ready, taking them along would just be sending them to their deaths.

Bai Qingping was somewhat surprised, not expecting Bai Qingyan to be in such a hurry, wanting to send people to suppress bandits right after scouting the situation.

“Yes!” Shen Yancong clasped his hands in agreement.

Seeing Bai Qingyan lift her foot to walk up to the high platform, Bai Jinzhi quickly called out: “Elder Sister!”

Bai Qingyan, who had already stepped onto the stairs, turned back. Seeing Bai Jinzhi deliberately putting on a pitiful expression, she was amused: “Go ahead! Stay beside Uncle Ping and don’t cause trouble!”

“Alright!” Bai Jinzhi responded cheerfully.

Bai Qingyan ascended the command platform. The recruits who had been training for some time stood below in complete silence, looking up at Bai Qingyan standing on the platform.

Although Bai Qingyan was a woman, whether in the Nan Jiang campaign or the northern frontier campaign, Bai Qingyan had achieved great victories. Such achievements were the kind of deterrent power that inspired confidence.

“I wonder if you have heard that banditry is becoming increasingly serious these days. Mountain bandits have been coming down to burn, kill, and plunder, with incidents of killing people and seizing children occurring frequently! On my journey back from the capital, I heard that bandits in neighboring counties have stolen children from common people, and those who pursued them to the foot of the mountains became souls under the bandits’ blades!”

There were indeed such rumors circulating in Shouyang City, so the people of Shouyang had been watching their children very closely recently, calling them home as soon as dusk fell and not letting them play outside.

Bai Qingyan stood with her hands behind her back, her voice clear and firm: “When we initially recruited civilians as soldiers, it was because banditry was rampant, and Bai Qingyan was determined to suppress bandits for the people. You all joined us to suppress bandits and bring peace to the people. Now… you have been training day and night for more than two months. Soon I will personally lead the troops—do you dare to follow me up the mountains to suppress bandits?”

“Suppress bandits!”

“Suppress bandits!”

“Suppress bandits!”

The morale on the training ground was extremely high.

They were to follow the Princess of Zhenguo, who even elite enemy troops could not defeat, to suppress bandits—naturally they had confidence.

Moreover, before the Princess of Zhenguo arrived, Shen Yancong and Bai Qingping had said that those who could accompany the Princess of Zhenguo to suppress bandits and who beheaded bandit leaders would receive ten gold pieces—this was an enormous temptation for ordinary common people.

Even if they weren’t doing it to suppress bandits for the people’s sake, they had to go for the gold!

Since ancient times, birds die for food, and people die for wealth—great rewards always produce brave men.

Those who weren’t selected didn’t know how envious they were in their hearts, all resolving to train hard so they might have a chance in the future to earn those ten gold pieces.

The signal troops standing on both sides of the high platform waved the command flags in their hands.

War drums thundered in unison. Following the changing flags, the recruits below, who had been trained to a decent standard, divided into two teams and engaged in combat drills with shouts.

These recruits couldn’t compare to the disciplined new troops of the Bai family army, and even compared to the Jin army’s new troops, they were somewhat inferior. But this was already much better than Bai Qingyan had expected.

Taking it slowly, having troops to use was better than having no troops at all.

The few people that Bai Qingping had arranged at the farthest position, upon hearing that they would soon accompany the Princess of Zhenguo up the mountains to suppress bandits, thought they could wait until they went up the mountain to eliminate the Princess of Zhenguo without anyone knowing. This way, they could smoothly return and report their success.

Otherwise, assassinating the Princess of Zhenguo so openly, they would probably be captured by the Bai family guard troops around the Princess of Zhenguo before they could even get close.

Although assassination missions were always nine parts death to one part life, if there was a chance to live, who wouldn’t want to survive?

When Bai Jinzhi, along with Shen Yancong and Lu Ping, inspected the people sent by Li Tianfu, Bai Jinzhi stopped in front of these few people and asked Shen Yancong: “You said those with excellent skills are these few?”

The people sent by Li Tianfu immediately stopped sparring and bowed to Bai Jinzhi.

“Reporting to the Princess, that’s correct!” Shen Yancong said respectfully.

Bai Jinzhi squinted her eyes, noticing that these few people’s bowing postures were extremely uniform, as if they had received specialized training.

Bai Jinzhi wasn’t unfamiliar with how ordinary common people bowed. Whether it was ordinary people from Nan Jiang who were far from nobles and royalty, or even people from the capital, unless they had received specialized training, they absolutely couldn’t bow with such standard postures. Moreover… these few people were so uniform, with their bowing and kowtowing angles almost identical.

Her hands clenched behind her back as she sized up those few people with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.