Chapter 30 The idea of mutual benefit is truly brilliant…
General Qian said, "Come in and let's talk."
A woman in black strode into the main hall from outside, then knelt on one knee and raised her arms in salute: "Reporting to the General, we have found out where Young Master Lu is."
Upon hearing this, Fu Yun immediately asked, "Where is he?"
The woman in black glanced at General Qian but didn't dare to answer directly.
General Qian said, "Speak freely."
The woman in black then recounted the events: "According to several stall owners near the crossroads, Young Master Lu was forcibly taken away by a woman surnamed Wang."
General Qian frowned slightly, somewhat surprised: "The surname Wang? The Wang family from the north of the city?"
The woman in black replied, "That's right."
Fu Yun pondered to himself, "Could it be that middle-aged woman who claimed to be surnamed Wang that I met when I was setting up my stall yesterday?"
General Qian's eyes turned cold: "Have you questioned the head of the Wang family about her purpose in taking Young Master Lu away?"
The woman in black replied, "We interrogated her. She claimed she had no malicious intent; she simply wanted to invite the servants in her household to come to the Wang residence to make tea for them because they really liked the tea sold by Young Master Lu."
Fu Jun frowned slightly, feeling that things might not be like that.
"Where is Young Master Lu? Has he been brought back?" General Qian was clearly also skeptical.
The woman in black lowered her head and replied weakly, "The head of the Wang family said that Young Master Lu has been released. We have no evidence and no search warrant, so it's not appropriate to search directly."
"Bang!" General Qian slammed his fist on the table and roared, "She's gone too far! She dares to shirk her responsibilities to the person I'm looking for!"
"General, please calm down!" The woman in black trembled and said in a trembling voice, "The Wang family has been taking a high position for a long time because they have some wealth. Most of the servants in the house were forcibly married by her through some means."
General Qian's anger intensified: "How could our Great Nü Kingdom have such an absurd affair? Why didn't you inform me of it?"
"Reporting to the General..." The woman in black was so frightened that she couldn't utter a complete sentence: "You are always busy with military affairs... These trivial matters should be the responsibility of the yamen runners... Therefore..."
"Nonsense!" General Qian exclaimed in exasperation, "Just because the government is inactive, does that mean we can turn a blind eye?"
"No..." the woman replied, her heart pounding with fear.
General Qian's beautiful eyes widened: "Then what are you waiting for?"
The woman in black hurriedly said, "Your subordinate... will find someone to... handle this."
General Qian rubbed his temples and waved his hand.
The woman in black, having been granted a pardon, quickly got up and slunk away.
"What kind of people are they? They're infuriating!" The woman in black had already left, but General Qian's anger had not subsided.
Fu Yun pondered for a moment before speaking, "It is indeed quite arduous for you to protect our country. It is normal for the feedback on matters concerning the people not to be timely. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."
No wonder General Qian intervened in the investigation of spies; it turns out the local government was inactive.
General Qian turned his head and looked at him, his eyes shining: "You really think so? Don't blame me for being negligent and failing to protect you?"
"How could that be?" Fu Yun hadn't expected General Qian to think that way. He said, "You're not a god, you're just an ordinary person. You don't have three heads and six arms. Protecting this country from foreign invasion is already difficult enough. If you have to clean up the messes of other departments, what's the point of having them?"
He paused, then added, "However, we can't entirely blame them. Maintaining public safety is inherently a demanding task, and everyone has moments when they feel powerless. Besides, it's mostly women fighting on the front lines; how could we possibly have enough manpower?"
General Qian frowned slightly, somewhat not understanding the meaning behind Fu Yun's words: "Then, in your opinion, young master, how should I increase the number of troops to give the people a greater sense of security?"
Fu Yun looked at General Qian and said seriously, "What I'm about to say might be hard for you to accept at first, but I still want to make this suggestion."
General Qian's expression turned solemn: "Tell me about it."
Fu Yun said, "Actually, you can alleviate this situation by simply lowering the conscription requirements a little."
General Qian was puzzled: "Lower? Our conscription requirements have never been high. As long as a woman is not missing an arm or a leg, she can join the army."
Fu Yun shook his head: "What I mean by lowering the threshold is to relax the policy and allow men to join the army as well."
"What?" General Qian's eyes widened, filled with disbelief and skepticism. "Are you joking with me?"
"Don't rush, let me explain." Fu Yun guessed that she would react this way, and quickly added, "Let's take an example. If a country has an equal number of men and women, and only women are allowed to join the army, then the manpower itself will only be at an average level. We also have to exclude girls and the elderly. So those who can join the army are the young people in the middle. Moreover, not all of these young people are willing to join the army. So the actual number of soldiers may be less than one-fifth. It is inevitable that there will be a shortage of manpower."
General Qian opened his mouth, clearly wanting to express a different opinion.
Fu Jun's tone carried a hint of seeking: "Can you let me finish? It's okay if you don't agree; I'm just expressing my personal opinion."
General Qian was stunned for a moment. Looking at the handsome face in front of her, and the poignant plea he made, her heart softened instantly: "Okay, go ahead, I'm listening."
Fu Yun nodded and patiently explained: "I know that in our country, men are generally weak and have poor physical condition, and they never participate in sword fighting. But what I want to tell you is that men are actually more enduring and have more stamina than women; they just need some methods to improve it."
I am a living example. As you can see, I used to be very sickly. The reason I'm so much healthier and more robust now isn't because I took any magic pills, but because I chose to exercise to improve my immunity. In other words, people with poor health can see significant improvement through proper exercise and dietary adjustments.
General Qian stared at Fu Yun for a long time without responding, seemingly lost in thought.
Fu Yun asked, "What does General Qian think of this proposal?"
After a moment of contemplation, General Qian slowly spoke: "Undeniably, what you said is not without reason. However, throughout history, men in our Nü Kingdom have never been allowed to serve in the military. Implementing the policy you proposed would be quite difficult. Although we bear the heavy responsibility of protecting our homeland, men also bear the heavy responsibility of raising children. If men also join the army, who will be responsible for raising children?"
Fu Jun smiled slightly: "This is indeed a problem, but there is a solution."
General Qian's eyes lit up: "I'd like to hear the details."
Her heart's desire was to protect her homeland and provide strong support for the country. As long as the military strength was sufficient, she would be satisfied. As for whether the soldiers under her command were male or female, it didn't seem to matter that much. She wasn't someone who was so rigid as to insist that the soldiers had to be female. Besides, as long as they could go to the battlefield, who cared whether they were male or female soldiers?
Fu Yun pondered for a moment and explained in a relatively simple way: "You can set a time point, and anyone who has just started a family or is pregnant after starting a family can have military leave or postpone their enlistment until their children reach school age before enlisting or returning to the military."
"Brilliant!" General Qian's eyes lit up instantly: "This idea is truly brilliant. Young Master Su has really impressed me."
Fu Yun breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Moreover, I happen to have a plan to help my fellow men improve their physical fitness. I wonder if General Qian would be willing to lend me a hand?"
"Oh?" General Qian asked curiously, "Tell me about it."
Fu Yun scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "I want to open a gym to train men's physical fitness, but I don't have a suitable location. I wonder if General Qian has any recommendations?"
What he actually wanted to say was whether General Qian could arrange a coach specifically for physical training, but he was too embarrassed to bring it up directly. After all, the man's physique was too poor in the early stages, and the coach definitely wouldn't be interested. It was better to train with him first, and then arrange other training programs after his physique improved.
Before General Qian could answer, he added, "Of course, once they have a certain level of physical fitness, I will encourage them to actively enlist in the army. Do you think this arrangement is appropriate?"
General Qian answered readily: "What's so difficult about that? I have plenty of training grounds. I will report this matter to His Majesty and let her make the decision."
Fu Yun knew that the matter had been basically explained. He knew that women like General Qian, who were as capable as men, must have a broader perspective than ordinary women.
"Then thank you for your kindness, General Qian. This matter is settled for now. If you make any progress, please let me know as soon as possible."
General Qian nodded in response: "Young master, you don't need to be so polite. Assisting you has also helped me. This matter is mutually beneficial."
Fu Yun stood up and said sincerely, "Alright, then I'll trouble General Qian to put this matter into practice as soon as possible. I will also implement it as quickly as possible. Now I want to go see my friend, so I won't disturb you while you're busy with your business."
"Wait a minute!" General Qian said, "I'll go with you."
Fu Yun originally intended to politely decline, but General Qian said, "I originally planned to meet that Wang family patriarch."
Fu Yun couldn't refuse any longer, so she nodded.
General Qian had a carriage prepared, and the two of them boarded the carriage together, along with several attendants, and left the general's mansion, heading north of the city.
When Fu Yun arrived at the Prince's Residence in the north of the city, he was somewhat surprised. It was an extremely luxurious mansion, even more magnificent than the General's Mansion.
The Wang family servants guarding the gate, upon seeing that it was a carriage from the General's Mansion, quickly gave the others a wink, signaling them to inform the Wang family head. Then they hurried forward, beaming with smiles, to invite General Qian inside.
He stole several glances at Fu Yun before turning to General Qian with a fawning expression: "General Qian, may I ask what brings you here?"
General Qian coldly asked, "Where is your patriarch?"
The servant said, "She is resting. We have already sent someone to inform her."
General Qian said, "Have her come out to see me immediately."
The servant noticed that General Qian was in a bad mood and replied cautiously, "Yes! Please come with me to the main hall to rest for a while, General Qian. The master will be here soon."
General Qian ignored the servants and turned to Fu Yun: "Let's sit and wait a moment."
Fu Yun nodded in agreement.
The two took their seats in the main hall, and tea was quickly served.
"I was unaware of Qian Jianjun's presence. I am truly sorry for failing to greet you properly!" The Wang family patriarch's smiling voice came from the entrance of the main hall.
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