The soldiers' faces showed determination; they seemed to understand how important the responsibility they bore was.

They all raised their weapons and shouted in unison.

"For the Southern Dynasty!"

"For the Southern Dynasty!!"

...

Their shouts were deafening, echoing throughout the entire training ground.

At this moment, Rong Ning felt the passion and determination deep within their hearts.

They will become the strongest support for the Southern Dynasty. With such a brave and fearless army, the Southern Dynasty will surely usher in a prosperous and flourishing future.

In fact, the number of troops in the Southern Dynasties was always very large.

However, it has been weak for a long time, with large military expenditures but low combat effectiveness.

The battle in the north was won, but problems still exist, and these problems cannot be solved overnight. Rong Ning has a high prestige in the army, and her impassioned speech boosted the morale of the soldiers.

They believed that the armies of the Southern Dynasty would not be as easily slaughtered as before.

That night, Rong Ning stayed in the military camp and, accompanied by General Wang, patrolled the camp to learn about the situation in the army.

The two countries have reached a consensus not to wage war for fifty years, and the atmosphere in the military camps is not as somber as before. Soldiers will gather around the campfire to drink and chat.

Conditions in the military are harsh, but most of them have relaxed smiles on their faces.

Some of them talked about their parents, wives, and children, while others dreamed about the future. The battle with Da Jing had lasted too long, but now it was finally over, which meant they might see their families again.

Upon seeing Rong Ning and General Wang pass by, everyone stood up, bowed to them, and then greeted them warmly, inviting them to drink together.

General Wang wanted to refuse, but Rong Ning stopped him.

General Wang felt that his status was different from that of these soldiers, and that this was inappropriate.

But Rong Ning didn't care, because she had traveled extensively with her master, and when conditions were poor, she had even slept in a farmer's cowshed. Therefore, for her, the concept of different social statuses had long since disappeared.

So the two sat down and drank a few bowls of wine with the soldiers before finding an excuse to leave.

At this moment, the soldiers began to sing lively songs, their voices loud and cheerful.

Rong Ning and General Wang stood not far away, listening quietly.

They heard some people humming an unknown tune, their voices tinged with sadness. Some even started crying as they hummed, emboldened by the alcohol.

General Wang's face showed emotion, and he slowly said, "When the imperial court conscripted laborers, it promised that as long as we won this battle against Da Jing, the soldiers would be able to go home and reunite with their families. However, this promise has not been fulfilled, and there has not even been a single word about it."

He paused, then continued, "And those who volunteered for military service have never returned to their hometowns since entering this military camp."

General Wang sighed and said with emotion, "Your Highness, my parents passed away when I was young, and I could only struggle and make a living in a beggar's den."

He survived only because he figured out the skills he had developed on his own.

After that, he wandered the world.

Before following His Highness to the North, I had no ties, so at first I couldn't quite understand the feelings of these soldiers.

But as time went by, this place gave me a sense of belonging, and I gradually understood some things, and I also gradually began to feel sorry for them..."

The more Rong Ning listened, the more her brows furrowed, and her expression became increasingly grave.

She turned her head and looked at the people beside her, saying in a serious tone, "Before I returned to Nanyang City, didn't I already order you to release the conscripted soldiers and let them go home? And those mercenary soldiers who voluntarily joined the army, the old, weak, sick and disabled, should also be given a sum of money to be released. Haven't these orders been carried out?"

Upon hearing this, General Wang frowned and pondered for a moment, then shook his head with a helpless expression and sighed, "Back when the North was in chaos, Your Highness repelled the Great Jing army, and then swiftly executed the former governor of Mingzhou who was passively resisting the enemy, as well as the imperial supervisor who only wanted to profit from the national crisis, in Kangye City. He also single-handedly integrated the scattered North garrison and took over all affairs of Mingzhou."

He paused, recalling the past, a hint of emotion and admiration flashing in his eyes.

Then he continued, "I remember that Your Highness accidentally discovered a vast wasteland in the northern part of Iwaga Prefecture. The wasteland was vast, but no one cared about it."

His Highness said that if the old, weak, sick and disabled soldiers in the army did not want to go home, or had nowhere to go, a piece of land would be allocated to them in Yanhe County.

"Your Highness, you said that Yanhe County is located in a remote area with a sparse population, but it is situated right next to the Xiaoyue River, a tributary of the Muyang River, so its water supply is definitely abundant, and its terrain is flat. If those large tracts of unclaimed land were cultivated, it would not only provide a way for the homeless soldiers to survive, but also reclaim land and create millions of acres of fertile farmland for the Southern Dynasty. No matter how you look at it, it would be a very profitable thing."

“Yes…” Rong Ning’s expression grew even more somber. She slowly said, “Later, His Majesty summoned me back to Nanyang City, and I had no choice but to go back. When the new governor of Mingzhou took office, I explained these matters to him.”

However, it seems that nothing has changed now.

General Wang sighed helplessly, looking at Rong Ning with eyes full of worry and disappointment.

"Your Highness, since the new prefect took office, and especially since you returned to Nanyang City, many of the decisions you made have been overturned. We are truly powerless to do anything about it!"

Hearing this, Rong Ning frowned deeply, her heart filled with anger and resentment. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but her tone still carried an undisguised anger, "What exactly happened?"

General Wang explained with a wry smile, "After the new prefect took office, he did not agree with the policies you formulated. He believed that those measures were too radical and not conducive to the stable development of Mingzhou."

He said you were just a young girl, and many of your ideas were too naive. He overturned your decision and took some more conservative measures.

Rong Ning laughed, "The little girl's ideas are too naive? He does know how to grasp the key points."

General Wang nodded and said helplessly, "We also tried to persuade the new prefect, but he wouldn't listen to us at all. He insisted that he was right and that we were just a bunch of ignorant soldiers."

At this point, General Wang's face gradually fell, as if he had seen a bright future that was then shattered in an instant.

If His Highness had not been recalled at that time, or if the new prefect had followed His Highness's plan, this wasteland would have been transformed into fertile farmland, bringing enormous benefits to the Southern Dynasty and providing a home for the soldiers.

But in the end, it all came to nothing.

The governor of a prefecture possessed supreme power and could control the military and political affairs of the entire prefecture.

In this state, all officials, including the brave and fearless generals, had to obey his orders. His position was as firm as a mountain, and no one could shake it.

Therefore, it was incredibly easy for this prefect to overturn everything Rong Ning had done before.

With just one command, everyone would obediently carry out the order, and no one dared to disobey him.