In the rear palace, Qingyao and her retinue were settled in to rest. It was a private courtyard with pleasant scenery, featuring several houses. They divided them up: Qingyao and Mochou shared one, while Xiaoyuer and Bingxiao took another, adjacent to Qingyao's. As for Yin Xuan and his men, they were housed further away.
At that moment, an enraged shriek echoed from the small reception hall.
It was Xiaoyuer, stamping her feet in her fury. "Mother, those fellows are too infuriating! Did you see? They looked down on women! How capable are they that they can afford to be so contemptuous? Mother, if I hadn't held myself back, I would have jumped out and cursed them! They are such ungrateful people! Without women, where would they have come from? Did they pop out of rocks, or fall from the sky? And now they look down on women! Do they even know who you are? You were a Chief of Staff, not just any commoner."
Xiaoyuer was so enraged that she even mentioned Qingyao's former life's identity. Her words made Mochou and Bingxiao desperately wonder what a "Chief of Staff" was.
Qingyao remained calmly detached, her face lost in thought, not truly hearing what Xiaoyuer was saying.
She had long anticipated the reactions of these men. The battlefield had always been a man's world. The sudden appearance of her had disrupted their peaceful existence. Could they not have any rebellious emotions? But she wasn't worried about those men. Her immediate concern was to formulate a viable plan and begin training as soon as possible. Their activities here would likely soon reach other nations. Those people weren't imbeciles; they wouldn't fail to take precautions.
Therefore, the sooner, the better, to avoid any unforeseen complications.
As Qingyao pondered, someone entered the reception hall from the outside. It was Yin Xuan. Seeing him, Qingyao waved for Xiaoyuer and Bingxiao to step aside.
"You all go down first. Yin Xuan and I have something to discuss."
"Yes, Your Highness," the few people withdrew. Bingxiao, walking at the very back, cast a deep glance at the Emperor, wondering if her master was accustomed to being so neglected. He, who had always been aloof and superior, was now so low-key here. If those people knew that the person before them was actually the Emperor, they would likely be so terrified that they would wet themselves.
In the reception hall, only Qingyao and Yin Xuan remained.
"I was just about to send someone to call you," Qingyao spoke, beckoning Yin Xuan to come closer. The two sat by the table.
"Something is wrong?"
Yin Xuan's words carried a hint of concealed anger. The mere thought that those people didn't take Yao'er seriously made him furious. Those fools, blind and ignorant! Not to mention them, even he, Emperor Xian, admired her. Otherwise, why would he let her lead the expedition? He wasn't doing it out of boredom, playing with one hundred thousand troops.
"Yes, I want to discuss tomorrow's soldier training with you."
"You speak," Yin Xuan looked at her bright eyes, knowing she must have already made plans. He was eager to hear what she intended to do. He believed in An Dingfeng's capabilities, but Qingyao wanted these troops to be even stronger, which was a good thing. Why would he prevent it?
"For tomorrow's training, I plan to select some swimmers from the hundred thousand troops, at least a thousand. These individuals will focus on training their swimming abilities and will be ready for deployment upon command."
Yin Xuan raised an eyebrow, his pupils flickering with interest. She wouldn't be thinking of...?
"You mean that the people of Wanhe Kingdom might take advantage of our invasion of Danfeng Kingdom to pass through Yue soil Kingdom and attack our border?"
Xian Yue's northern region faced Yue soil Kingdom, while Wanhe Kingdom was to the west of Yue soil Kingdom, bordering Danfeng Kingdom. If Xian Yue attacked Danfeng Kingdom from Huangyuan Kingdom, Shangguan Hao would surely act, following suit, borrowing passage through Yue soil Kingdom to attack Xian Yue Kingdom.
"His Majesty has also thought of this," a spark flashed in Qingyao's eyes. She couldn't help but feel a degree of admiration for the Emperor. Many times, before she even spoke, he had already anticipated it. They could be said to have comparable intellects. A strong alliance between them would surely lead to the conquest of Danfeng Kingdom.
"Yes, I have already dispatched people to strictly guard the northern border, preventing Shangguan Hao from leading troops across the river."
The northern frontier of Xian Yue Kingdom had a wide river, hundreds of zhang wide, stretching as far as the eye could see. Apart from boats, it was impossible to cross. That was why Qingyao had thought of training a group of swimmers. As long as these people could submerge themselves in the water, no matter how many boats came, they would be thwarted. Shangguan Hao would then not be able to succeed.
"While that is good, there is a more efficient method. Train a thousand swimmers. They will dive into the water. As soon as their boats approach, they will dive underwater and capsize the large ships, preventing them from crossing. In the water, those people will be no match for ours. This way, we can deal with them using minimal troops, which is not only efficient but also saves effort. In winter, when the river freezes, they will surely cross over the ice. We just need to have a thousand archers shoot them. These arrows are improved; once fired, they might kill one person, or sometimes explode to injure two or three. Would Shangguan Hao still dare to come then?"
Qingyao's eyes darkened. Yin Xuan let out a sigh in his heart. This woman was truly formidable.
"We will do as Yao'er says."
"Good," Qingyao nodded, yawning. She was indeed a bit tired. "Your Majesty, go and rest for a while. See you tomorrow."
"Alright, you go rest," Yin Xuan's gaze was full of affection. He nodded slightly, signaling her to rest, and watched her leave. Outside the door, Mochou's voice was heard, "Does master wish to rest for a while?"
"Yes, go into the sleeping quarters and rest for a bit."
As the two figures gradually moved away, two subordinates walked in and respectfully looked at Yin Xuan. "Master, do you wish to rest?"
"Yes, go back," Yin Xuan got up lazily, his demeanor as languid as a cat stealing a moment of leisure. In truth, more often than not, he wished he were a martial artist, a knight-errant, so that he could live freely in the jianghu.
Today, he had initially worried that Yao'er might encounter setbacks and had intended to comfort her. Unexpectedly, he had worried too much. That girl was very clear-headed and had come up with such a meticulous plan. While one side was preparing to attack Danfeng, the other was concerned about not being attacked from the rear. Thinking of her every novel idea, Yin Xuan's face broke into a smile, his mood evidently brightening.
The next day at noon, as it was early summer, the sun was already scorching hot, shining directly overhead.
Behind Yue Ya Pass, there was a flat mountainous area, where soldiers normally practiced. At this moment, dust flew everywhere. Qingyao, clad in silver armor, led a few people, galloping forward, kicking up half the sky's dust. Following closely behind her were Mochou and Bingxiao, and Xiaoyuer. She sat excitedly in front of Bingxiao, surveying everything before her.
On the vast mountainous ground, half of the hundred thousand troops had arrived. Some sat on horseback, holding the reins, circling around, their horses occasionally whinnying.
The sounds vibrated through the trees, causing all the birds to fly away.
Others dismounted and sat by the mountainside to cool off, occasionally jesting.
Amidst this, occasional laughter could be heard, accompanied by taunts such as women actually going to war.
Qingyao sat high on her horse, her demeanor arrogant and disdainful. She looked at the undisciplined and unformed attitudes of these men without getting angry. Her veiled face could not be seen, but a fleeting sharpness flashed in her icy eyes. A curve of her lips revealed a trace of bloody allure. She extended her hand, and the Huangwei Qin behind her was brought out.
Now, her Qin was her soul, already merged with her.
Upon seeing their master's actions, Mochou and Bingxiao relaxed completely, looking at her amiably.
A gentle breeze lifted the veil from her face, making it appear ethereal and graceful. Sitting high on her horse, the Huangwei Qin was casually placed on the horse's back. With a flick of her slender jade fingers, a string of pleasant notes flowed out, like sweet mountain spring water. The previously agitated soldiers and horses instantly quieted down.
Whether on horseback or sitting on rocks, all the soldiers were captivated, turning their heads and staring foolishly.