"You are a fine general of Dongjin. As long as you show your goodwill, Miss Qiu will surely be moved by your sincerity."

Having been through similar experiences, Vice General Yuan didn't forget to offer Ling Ba some advice.

Ling Ba also shook his head, his eyes glancing at Qiu Yan's bewildered gaze before smiling and waving at her.

"Captain Yuan, please stop joking. The general likes Xiaoyan, so he ordered Ling Qi and me to guard her. You must not make such jokes again, or the general will get jealous."

As he finished speaking, a slight smile played on his lips, his eyes revealing a complex emotion.

Thinking to himself, the general and Xiaoyan are a match made in heaven.

"What?" This news was quite shocking. As Captain Yuan walked, he almost tripped and fell, then looked at Qiu Yan not far away and couldn't help but laugh.

"I wonder, which family's daughter is this Miss Qiu?"

How could he have caught the general's eye and even had two of his capable deputies dispatched to him?

Ling Ba: "Xiao Yan's home is not in Shangjin."

"Where is that?" Captain Yuan pressed.

Ling Ba: "In Baiyang."

"Baiyang... Oh, so that's where it is." Commander Yuan thought to himself, thinking that a few years ago, that place was a border region, a poor area, not a good place at all.

But things are much better now.

"Strange, isn't the Eighth Deputy General an orphan? How come he has Bai Yang's cousin?"

He knew that Ling Yun and Ling Zhi's parents were servants who accompanied the old lady of the Gu family during her dowry.

That is, General Gu's maternal grandfather's family.

Ling Qi and Ling Ba were both orphans adopted by Gu Qian's maternal grandmother.

Because General Gu's maternal grandmother's surname was Ling, they all took the old lady's surname.

Of the four, Ling Qi and Ling Ba are not related by blood, while Ling Yun and Ling Zhi are brothers.

However, later on, the Gu family fell into decline, and when the Gu family fell from grace, its members scattered.

Ling Ba smiled without saying a word.

Seeing that Ling Ba didn't intend to say anything more, Captain Yuan didn't ask any further questions.

After all, this is their private matter.

Soon, they arrived in front of Qiu Yan.

Commander Yuan looked at Qiu Yan again, his eyes now filled with scrutiny.

He clasped his hands in a fist salute and said in a very serious tone,

"Miss Qiu!"

"Why are you being so polite all of a sudden, Commander Yuan?" Qiu Yan smiled at him. "We're all family here, so please make yourself at home."

"Yes, yes, we're on the same side." Captain Yuan smiled and stepped forward, saying solicitously:

"The Eighth Lieutenant General was worried that you, a weak woman, would be unsafe in this foreign land, so he specifically asked me for a few men to protect you."

Upon hearing that they were to work for Miss Qiu, the soldiers behind him immediately fell silent and began to back down.

They wanted to follow the Eighth Deputy General, not Miss Qiu.

Qiu Yan ignored the ulterior motives in everyone's minds.

After all, there are prejudices against women in this era.

"Protect?" She looked at Ling Ba with a questioning gaze, only to hear him correct her:

"Captain Yuan, I'm here to help make medicine with these people."

Protecting Xiaoyan is enough with just him and Qin Susu.

He cannot impose his responsibilities on others; if the general knew, he would think he was not dedicated enough.

"Pharmaceutical manufacturing?" Captain Qin looked completely bewildered.

Before he could ask, Qiu Yan said:

"Yes, medicine, gunpowder, and wound medicine. I was just thinking about this when you happened to call people here."

Captain Yuan: "Miss Qiu, please select ten people to help you make medicine."

"Ten men?" Qiu Yan shook her head, glancing at the group of soldiers before her, and shook her head again.

"not enough."

After all, they had to turn all the existing materials into gunpowder within a single day.