Because the Qiu brothers did not bring their own troops but went directly to Longzhou to take over, they could not bring a large army with them; each of them only brought two thousand personal guards.
When they were in Longzhou, they diligently trained their troops, setting high standards and requirements. Their subordinates were all elite soldiers and generals, numbering in the tens of thousands.
Now that we've arrived in Tianhe Prefecture, my forces have been reduced to five thousand men. I've been demoted from general to lieutenant general. These two thousand soldiers were only allowed to come because Longzhou was considerate of them.
To them, being demoted to this place, which was clearly inferior to Longzhou, while serving as generals, seemed like a huge mistake.
They did nothing wrong; it was simply because Qiu Dezhong and Qiu Deyi were the nephews of the General of Longzhou, and Princess Zhenguo gave them a push, that this situation came about.
Now that they are under the command of the Princess Zhenguo, they are naturally full of resentment.
"General Li, General Wei, please have a seat."
Qiao Lian'er had already prepared tea and snacks. Seeing Li Haidao and Wei Shu's expressions, she understood what they were thinking.
The two men clasped their hands in greeting to her, then sat down without saying a word.
After marching for a while, they were thirsty, so they picked up their cups and drank them down in one gulp.
This tea has a very delicate and sweet flavor; after a sip, the lingering fragrance stays in your throat.
The two felt much better physically, but the gloom in their hearts did not lessen in the slightest.
Qiao Lian'er got straight to the point: "I understand how you two generals felt when you were being transferred to my place after being doing well in Longzhou."
“I have never liked to force people to do things against their will. The reason I made a decisive decision this time is that I made the decision for you two because I am confident that you will have a better future here. This is my way of making amends to you.”
Li Haidao and Wei Shu were both taken aback. They both knew that the Princess Zhenguo was a decisive person, but they didn't expect her to speak so directly, scratching right where people were itching.
It wasn't just a direct statement; it was a boastful claim, and one that was so firmly believed in.
"Well, what's done is done. Fate is in the hands of Heaven, and we dare not ask for too much. Since we have accepted the arrangement and are here, we should do our usual training well and live up to our responsibilities. That way, we will not have failed the trust of the Princess Zhenguo." Li Haidao said, his tone revealing a sense of dejection and laziness.
Qiao Lian'er said slowly, "I know you want to be generals. With your qualifications, this position is really beneath you. Once the troops here are trained and achieve outstanding results, I will ask the Emperor to increase the number of recruits so that we can better serve the Great Swamp Kingdom. At that time, you will be blessed."
She only fulfilled her promises and said what she was supposed to say; the rest is up to them.
The two men's expressions shifted slightly. If Qiao Lian'er's earlier promise of a better future had seemed hollow and meaningless, her offer to reinstate them as generals now felt much more concrete, igniting a faint sense of anticipation within them.
Although they didn't have high hopes for it, having a pie in front of them was better than nothing.
Princess Zhenguo was highly regarded by the emperor, which was one of the reasons why they dared to dream.
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