"Alright, I believe in you, my wife. You can definitely do it. I'll wait for your good news, but—"
He paused for a moment, then said, "If you encounter a hurdle that you really can't overcome, don't hide it from me. As your husband, I will stand by you through the difficult times."
Saying goodbye at the city gate, watching his wife lead eight subordinates into the distance, gradually disappearing into the horizon as if heading towards a wider world, Da Cheng silently said in his heart, "Wife, keep going."
The garrison of Tianhe Prefecture was stationed ten miles outside the prefecture. After Tianhe Prefecture became the fiefdom of the Princess Zhenguo, the main general was transferred away, leaving four lieutenant generals, each commanding five thousand troops.
Qiao Lian'er was a true commander-in-chief, but she was too busy to handle everything alone, so she asked Pei Qingrong, who was trustworthy and capable, to take over.
She came today specifically to discuss matters with the four lieutenant generals; though it was called a discussion, it was actually to give instructions.
Of these four lieutenant generals, two were brothers: the eldest was named Qiu Dezhong and the second was named Qiu Deyi. The other two were named Huo Liao and Liang Heda. They were all locals from Tianhe Prefecture, with an average age of forty-five. Huo Liao was the youngest, in his early forties. Compared to the other three lieutenant generals, who exuded a fierce and ruthless aura, he appeared more like a pale-faced scholar, with a touch of elegance.
They were all somewhat surprised to hear that Qiao Lian'er was funding the project herself and planned to train a highly skilled infantry force.
“Princess, this is no joke. It requires a large and continuous investment of money to truly cultivate it. If it’s just a passing fad and there’s no follow-up support, it’s just a waste of money,” Qiu Deyi said.
"Don't worry about the money. As long as Tianhe Prefecture belongs to my fiefdom, it will never be cut off. You just need to practice according to the formation I have arranged."
As Qiao Lian'er spoke, his subordinates distributed the formation diagrams to several generals.
After carefully examining these formations, the generals were all amazed.
No wonder she became a princess who protected the country at such a young age and gained the emperor's trust. Qiao Lian'er is indeed extraordinary.
Qiu Dezhong waved his hand: "I think it's unnecessary. Whenever there is a war, the capital and the eight states outside are the safest central areas. Generally, the troops here will not be needed. If these troops are needed, Daze Kingdom will be in danger."
Qiao Lian'er said, "But when we encounter major resistance at the border, we can volunteer. Do you, as generals, only want to live a comfortable life? Don't you want to make achievements and bring glory to your families?"
Her words stirred up the pride in the generals' hearts, and they immediately felt that they were being looked down upon, and they all said something.
"Who wouldn't want to become a general and go to the battlefield to kill the enemy, kill a hundred or two more enemies, and then retire to their hometown in old age with something to brag about?"
"I went to the battlefield when I was young and won several battles. Otherwise, I wouldn't be where I am today."
"Staying at the garrison every day, I feel like I'm going to get moldy. I'm afraid that all the hard work I put into training a fine infantry force will be wasted, and all the money and effort will be for nothing."
Qiao Lian'er smiled and said, "We have plenty of money, equipment, and formations. The rest is up to you. Even if you don't end up on the battlefield, you'll still be contributing excellent infantry to the Great Swamp Kingdom."
The generals' morale was ignited, and they all agreed that they sincerely hoped to one day go to the battlefield and fight the enemy to their hearts' content.
"By the way, I have a lot of things to do, so I will send another general to lead you in training. She is the daughter of Pei Erye, one of the commanders of the Imperial Guard, and the daughter-in-law of the second branch of the Qiao family. She has experience as a general in the Qingfeng Plain fiefdom."
As soon as Qiao Lian'er finished speaking, he saw the expressions of the generals change one by one.
"What? We thought it would be Princess Zhenguo who would be the commander-in-chief. We thought that Princess Zhenguo was so famous and that countless people had already witnessed your abilities, so we were happy to accept the position."
"Can other people, especially women, handle it?"
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