"Everyone knows you're just here to upset my sister," Qiu Ling'er said with a stern face.
“We…” The girls looked at each other.
Finally, the simple-minded Bi'er was pushed forward again.
"We have long admired you, Madam, and we are determined to follow you."
She didn't mention at all that she admired the general.
Upon hearing this, Qiu Ling'er's anger flared up.
Her sister's composure was incomprehensible to her.
However, her older sister pressed down on her shoulder, signaling her to be quiet.
Qiu Yan: The girls are clever. In front of her, they didn't say a single word about admiring Gu Qian. How could she refuse them?
Qiu Yan stepped forward, smiling at the group of girls.
"It is my greatest honor to be admired by all my sisters."
She glanced at Gu Qian in the distance with a smile.
"It's not impossible for you to follow me."
As soon as Qiu Yan finished speaking, the girls felt that there was hope and immediately beamed with joy.
"However, do you know that I also have another identity as the Princess Consort of Zhenbei? In the future, I will definitely follow the Prince to the Northern Desert to guard it. If you sisters are thinking of following me, are you willing to go with me? I must remind you that the climate of the Northern Desert is different from that of the Central Plains. You will inevitably suffer from acclimatization problems."
“We are willing to follow you, Madam.” Without hesitation, Bi’er and the other girls bowed in unison to show their willingness.
General Gu's other identity is the Prince of Zhenbei.
They could hope for it, and they wanted it to be within reach.
"You're willing to do all this?" Qiu Yan paused, then continued: "It's rare to see you so sincere."
"However, the girls who want to go need to go through several rounds of assessments."
Qiu Ling'er: My sister is still the same sister, except that she's not as stubborn as before.
It seems she'll need to learn more from her older sister from now on.
"An assessment?" The girls looked at each other, only vaguely understanding Qiu Yan's words.
Qiu Yan: "Yes, the assessment is to let me, the princess, see your own abilities. Your physical fitness and mental fortitude will both be assessed."
Bi'er: "Huh? Following the Princess is this strict?"
"Of course, even my maids need to know some martial arts."
"Ah?" Fear filled the faces of the girls.
Qiu Yan: "And..."
"Anything else?" The girls were filled with unease.
"This is nothing," Qiu Yan said with a slight smile, continuing:
"You must be able to endure hardship and live a life of hardship, and be prepared at all times. You will even be required to become heroines, infiltrating enemy territory to solve problems for Dongjin. This princess consort does not tolerate idlers. Now, who among you is willing to follow this princess consort to the Northern Desert?"
Qiu Yan's voice rang out.
Bi'er and the other girls began to hesitate.
"We..." They are women, and if they were to infiltrate enemy territory... just thinking about it is terrifying.
Qiu Yan noticed the conflicted expressions on the girls' faces and thought to herself, "This trick really works."
Women all want to live a life of luxury and comfort; who would want to show their face in public?
"I, the princess, will take this as your agreement. Starting tomorrow, we'll begin with morning exercises: long-distance running, climbing, weightlifting..."
She is a first-rank lady, and these girls haven't managed to harass her husband. Using violence to deal with them is not advisable.
As Qiu Ling'er listened to her sister's words and actions, the expression on her face gradually relaxed.
She laughed heartily.
"Sister, I want to join too!"
"Me too!" He Jinran, rushing over at top speed, was holding a crucian carp in each hand, laughing as he chimed in.
The black girl behind them had a fish in her mouth and was wagging her tail.
Qiu Yan: Xiao Ran, what's it to you?
"We'll join too." The voice sounded somewhat familiar to Qiu Yan.
Turning around again, she saw Xue Ning, Feng Chao, Zhang Meng, Lü Chong, and Jiang Sheng, whom she had met in the Northern Desert.
Qiu Yan was puzzled. Why did they suddenly come?
As soon as they arrived, they clasped their hands in a fist and bow to Qiu Yan.
"The lady promised to teach us a few moves."
Qiu Yan: "..." Did she really say that?
Thinking back carefully, it seems I did say that.
In the blink of an eye, Xue Ning and his four companions saw the general and Qiu Xu approaching from afar, and their expressions became more respectful. They quickly knelt on one knee.
"Your subordinate greets the General!"
The girls also bent down.
Gu Qian waved his hand, signaling everyone to stand up.
He didn't recognize these unfamiliar faces at all, but they looked vaguely familiar.
He had heard most of what Yan Yan said and couldn't help but admire her for her reverse thinking.
He was thinking of simply rejecting these damned romantic advances and driving all these girls away.
But it seems his wife has taken a playful approach.
From a young age, after Gu Qian became an exceptionally brilliant young general, he was often admired by young women.
However, his time in Tianjin was limited, and he completely ignored the flirtatious glances the girls were giving him.
Now look what's happened, they've come to bother my wife.
He was preoccupied with his wife, and since none of the women dared to approach him, he paid them any mind.
Yan Yan is very intelligent; she should be able to make these women back down.
"Are you sure you want to come with me... a pregnant woman?" Qiu Yan's simple question to Xue Ning and the other four brought Gu Qian back to his senses.
"Your subordinates are willing." Xue Ning and the other four all looked sincere and clasped their hands in unison.
In recent months, Qiu Yan's glorious deeds have been widely praised.
They had just returned from the border with Commandant Yuan when they heard about Qiu Yan's heroic deeds, which naturally reminded them of their past interactions.
Sure enough, as soon as they arrived, they encountered Qiu Yan's group of followers, so they followed suit and made a request.
Qiu Yan: "Alright, starting tomorrow, you'll all work out with the girls."
Bi'er and the other girls...
Exercising with men?
No, no, no, they are women, yet the general's wife wants to train them like an army.
It won't work, it's completely unworkable.
They retreated one after another.
"Let's... forget about it."
Qiu Ling'er: "No, I've been like this since I was little. Although my sister is a bit strict, it's okay if you don't finish your training every day. Ling'er believes in you. In three to five years, or even eight to ten years, you will definitely be as good as me, or even surpass me."
As Qiu Ling'er spoke, my knuckles cracked.
She smiled, but her eyes held a sharp edge.
Her expression made Bi'er and the other girls back away.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, I suddenly remembered that I have some matters to attend to at home, so I will take my leave now." With that, Bi'er bowed to Gu Qian and slipped away.
"This humble woman takes her leave..."
Behind him, the group of girls all fled in panic.
Watching the girls' departing figures, Qiu Ling'er's silvery laughter was exceptionally clear and crisp.
Suddenly she realized that Xue Ning and the others were staring at her from the side, so she quickly stopped laughing and started barbecuing on the ground.
After Bi'er and the others left, Xue Ning and his group of five approached Qiu Yan, cupped their hands in thanks,
"Your Highness is very grateful for your hospitality. From now on, I will do my best to share your burdens."
Qiu Yan: Did she say she would take them in?
"Your plan is truly brilliant."
Upon closer inspection, Gu Qian's expression was... quite unpleasant.
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