Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress
Chapter 526 - 523: Improper Behavior_1

Chapter 526: Chapter 523: Improper Behavior_1

"After a few years of dedicated training, they should be able to serve you well, Sister." Bai Qingping was brimming with confidence.

Whether a clan can flourish indefinitely depends on how the clan leader guides it.

If the clan leader is not upright, the clan is bound to decline.

Now that Bai Qihe had taken over the clan leadership and redirected his focus from ancient texts to revitalizing the Bai Clan, it seemed to be quite effective.

"In this way, the clan members can indeed be utilized, but... we must remain vigilant against potential threats!"

After all, the clan members had been thoroughly corrupted in the past. Old habits die hard. Bai Qingyan needed to use them but also to guard against them.

Chun Tao knelt inside the carriage, busily lighting incense, making tea for Bai Qingyan, and placing a sachet embroidered with harmonious flowers behind Bai Qingyan’s waist.

She didn’t understand or concern herself with the matters Bai Qingyan and Bai Qingping discussed. She only wanted to ensure Bai Qingyan’s comfort.

Bai Qingping nodded, "Sister, don’t worry. Father has repeatedly reminded me of this. For now, I will keep only three clan brothers by my side. After a year or two, if these three remain consistent and prove useful for the clan and you, I will bring them to meet you. If not, I’ll assign them to trivial tasks."

"You have always been reliable in your duties. I am at ease." Bai Qingyan looked at Bai Qingping on horseback and continued, "You have been getting along well with Shen Yanzong recently. If you have the chance, subtly inquire about the Shen family’s background."

Bai Qingping was momentarily stunned. Investigating the background of the Governor’s family should not be difficult for Bai Qingyan. But her sudden order to gather information from Shen Yanzong indicated she had some suspicions about the Governor’s family.

"I understand. Rest assured, Sister!" Bai Qingping nodded.

"Enough, don’t see me off. Return to the new recruit camp." Bai Qingyan said with a smile to Bai Qingping. "You’ve worked hard!"

Bai Qingping nodded, no longer insisting. He nudged his horse to the side, bowed with clasped fists to Bai Qingyan, and watched her convoy depart. Only then did he turn his horse and head back to the training ground, keeping Bai Qingyan’s instructions about the Shen family in mind.

Lu Ping and Qingzhu led the team out of the city into the mountain path. Not long after, Lu Ping, leading the way, raised his hand, signaling the team to stop.

Shen Qingzhu, with a small bundle on her back, and Lu Ping turned their horses around, riding back to Bai Qingyan’s carriage. They saw Bai Qingyan already off the carriage, leaping onto a horse and taking the reins from a guard.

Bai Qingyan held the reins, handed a letter to Lu Ping, and said, "Uncle Ping, send someone to deliver this letter to General Cheng Yuanzhi in the Southern Frontier. Lead the team ahead; I will follow shortly."

"Understood!"

Chun Tao, standing by the carriage, looked up at Bai Qingyan, worriedly reminding her, "Take care, Miss!"

Bai Qingyan nodded.

Watching Bai Qingyan and Qingzhu ride swiftly along the path, Chun Tao anxiously got back into the carriage. Lu Ping also sent someone to deliver the letter and then led the team forward at a slow pace.

The letter Bai Qingyan wrote was nothing more than instructing General Cheng Yuanzhi to directly seek help from the Crown Prince if in need. After all, in the Crown Prince’s eyes, the Bai family army was his private force, so he would take good care of it.

·

Ji Tingyu had been waiting at the agreed location for some time. Upon hearing hoofbeats, he emerged from the treetop on the hill to see Bai Qingyan and the cross-dressed Qingzhu. Ji Tingyu rushed down from the tree with his men to greet them.

Seeing Ji Tingyu, Bai Qingyan reined in her horse. Ji Tingyu hurriedly approached and knelt on one knee, "Miss!"

"Rise!" Bai Qingyan dismounted, looking at the Bai family’s guards who had grown darker and leaner but more spirited after months in the mountains, and smiled, "You all look much more energized!"

Ji Tingyu glanced at Qingzhu and nodded with a smile, "Miss Shen!"

Qingzhu nodded, taking the reins from Bai Qingyan’s hands. Bai Qingyan and Ji Tingyu walked up the mountain, discussing, "Today, I brought Qingzhu. She is disguised as a man to help you train new recruits. Have you encountered any difficulties?"

Qingzhu’s identity was special. Until everything was perfectly planned, the new recruits could not know that Qingzhu was the Princess of Zhen’s guard.

"Following your instructions, I have avoided training methods of the Huying Camp. By focusing on rapid training these past months, I have roughly gauged the soldiers’ strengths. The current challenge is recruitment. After the two battles in the Southern and Northern Frontiers, the Jin Kingdom called for nationwide recruitment. Our pool of potential recruits is limited." Ji Tingyu frowned.

Bai Qingyan smiled at Ji Tingyu, "Nationwide recruitment is precisely the best time for us! The Imperial Court’s recruitment primarily targets local soldiers. These soldiers become local soldiers because the court granted them land and tax exemptions. However, rampant land seizures by the gentry have left many soldiers without land, struggling for survival. With continued recruitment, the soldiers scatter... find a way to bring them over!"

The strength of Ji Tingyu’s trained troops lay in their quality, not quantity. Bai Qingyan instructed Ji Tingyu to understand each soldier’s strengths during training, forming ten-man teams with complementary skills, supporting and collaborating with each other. This way, the small teams wouldn’t just excel in mountain warfare or city sieges; they could become deadly arrows piercing enemy lines in any battle.

Though this method lacked the convenience of Imperial Court recruitment, it was a viable strategy for gathering troops now.

Moreover, Bai Qingyan had a particularly daring idea. Since Ji Tingyu could raid both the Crown Prince’s and the Princess of Zhen’s convoys, why couldn’t they seize a newly recruited army?

The Jin Kingdom’s recruitment usually involved the Imperial Court issuing recruitment orders, assigning military officers to local areas to recruit, and then escorting the new soldiers to major military camps for training and arrangement.

Ji Tingyu seemed to have thought of this as well. He cautiously tested Bai Qingyan’s opinion, "Miss, I was thinking... of seizing a recruitment order and bringing the soldiers back to our territory."

Bai Qingyan paused and turned to Ji Tingyu, surprised that they had the same thought, "Ji Tingyu, you are quite bold!"

Seeing the smile in Bai Qingyan’s eyes, Ji Tingyu knew she agreed.

Their Miss had far more courage than he had imagined.

"Shuoyang didn’t recruit soldiers due to training for bandit suppression. But... seizing new recruits from elsewhere and quietly bringing them back, handling their supplies along the way, and ensuring they stay in the mountains without leaving... have you considered all this?" Bai Qingyan asked.

Ji Tingyu nodded, already having a comprehensive plan in mind, "But, I will need you to assign some men to assist me."