Chapter Ten: The Princess of the Border Town?
“I, a humble subject, am willing to serve as a loyal and upright minister!”
As he spoke, Lin Qian knelt heavily to the ground and bowed deeply.
The expression on Emperor Baoqing’s face immediately softened.
Three years ago, when the emperor punished Lin Qian, it was with the intent to test him.
The truth proved that Emperor Baoqing’s judgment was correct.
“I have already issued an edict appointing you as Deputy Commander of the Longwu Army. The Longwu Army belongs to the Northern Border Forces and is stationed in a wild and remote region. Are you prepared to take on this responsibility?”
This was the mission the emperor assigned to Lin Qian.
Lin Qian nodded. “May I ask Your Majesty, where is the headquarters located?”
The Northern Border Forces were vast, covering the regions of Youzhou, Qingzhou, and Jizhou. The Longwu Army was a branch stationed in Youzhou.
As a capable military commander, the Deputy Commander of the Longwu Army naturally had a seat of command.
“I intend for you to go to Chunping City in Youzhou.”
“Chunping City?”
Suddenly, a small figure appeared vividly in Lin Qian’s mind.
“Princess Guangning…”
Princess Guangning Ye Huang, who preferred armor over finery, commanded a force of 30,000 elite White Spear Soldiers clad in silver helmets and armor, guarding the strategic junction between Youzhou and the Hexi Corridor.
Her 30,000 White Spear Soldiers had repeatedly confronted the Northern Wu Kingdom’s forces, making her a true heroine of the realm.
“Yes,” Emperor Baoqing said, clearly troubled by his daughter.
Three years ago, he had not thought much of it, but now Princess Guangning was well into her twenties, an age when she should have been married.
Yet she refused to return to the capital or marry, citing that there was no one worthy to command the White Spear Soldiers.
She even tore up the imperial edict of marriage in front of the imperial messenger.
Her words still echoed in Emperor Baoqing’s ears:
“If it weren’t for Sun Qian, I would rather remain a lifelong widow, guarding the border forever!”
Looking at Lin Qian, who had now distanced himself from the Prince of the West’s household, the emperor felt a surge of relief.
“Lin Qian! The situation now is different from three years ago. Back then, the Northern Wu Kingdom had not yet gained strength, but now they have been mobilizing their forces and are at the peak of their power.”
“I want you to go to Chunping City to assist Princess Guangning in training the troops. When there is war, you will lead the defense; when there is peace, you will station the troops to guard the borders. Do you have any requests?”
Requests?
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
But then Emperor Baoqing’s voice grew stern.
“Want supplies? I have none! As Deputy Commander of the Longwu Army, you have no troops under you!”
“Want personnel? Apart from the Twelve Guards, I have no more to spare!”
Lin Qian realized—this emperor was a miser, unwilling to grant even the smallest aid.
“Your Majesty, I request only thirteen sets of armor,” Lin Qian said.
Thirteen sets of armor meant thirteen men.
“Please grant me, in addition to these thirteen men, twenty blank appointment certificates from the Ministry of Personnel.”
Blank appointment certificates were documents that allowed commanders with open office rights to directly appoint officials below the third rank. After filling in the position and name, the certificate would be submitted to the Ministry of Personnel for registration and approval without further procedures.
However, this authority belonged to commanders, not deputy commanders.
“Granted!”
Emperor Baoqing’s greatest worry was the military stronghold of Chunping City, adjacent to the Northern Wu Kingdom’s border.
As the strategic throat guarding the Hexi Corridor, the Northern Wu Kingdom long dreamed of capturing it.
Yet relying solely on the 30,000 elite White Spear Soldiers, who often faced Northern Wu’s armies numbering tens of thousands or more, was a strain.
Moreover, the four major general households each had their own roles, and none could be disturbed lightly.
Though the Great Qian Empire was the largest and seemingly strongest among neighboring states, after a century of rule, its absolute control was waning.
Especially with numerous neighboring countries: the Northern Wu’s nomadic state to the north, the Baiyue Kingdom uniting Annam, Silla, and Baekje to the southeast.
Even Nanliang, once under Great Qian’s suzerainty, was constantly sharpening its blades.
Though Great Qian appeared calm on the surface, it was already in a state of turmoil, its true dangers yet to fully emerge.
Having served three years in the Imperial Stables, Lin Qian increasingly sensed that the moment these forces would bare their fangs and unsheathe their knives was imminent.
“I thank Your Majesty for your great benevolence!”
Rising to his feet, Lin Qian completely let go of the past.
Compared to the mess within the Prince of the West’s household, he had far more important matters to attend to.
The title of heir to the Prince of the West was beneath his concern.
He had never forgotten the mockery and betrayals he suffered over the past three years, nor those who undermined him for their own gain.
This time, he was reborn.
“To Chunping City!”
As he stepped out of the imperial palace, the court official Su Yue stood respectfully to the side, and thirteen sets of gleaming bright armor and black-maned warhorses clad in full armor waited there.
Two attendants, no longer dressed in their royal court uniforms, knelt on one knee upon seeing Lin Qian.
“Lord Yunshan!”
Lin Qian immediately understood.
These were men the emperor had sent to him—His Majesty’s eyes and ears.
He could neither refuse nor escape their presence.
“Good, come with me to the fish drum camp training ground of the Prince of the West’s household!”
The fish drum camp training ground was a military camp on the outskirts of the capital. Whenever the old prince Sun Ye led a campaign, after ascending the general’s platform and receiving the tiger tally, he would draw troops from this camp to the battlefield.
It was the main camp of the Prince of the West’s household in the capital.
Though he had only thirteen sets of armor, Lin Qian was not flustered.
With a flick of the reins, his voice grew colder and more resolute, as if he had returned to the glorious, bloodied years of battle.
“Forward!”
Meanwhile, within the fish drum camp of the Prince of the West’s household, the captains and deputy generals gathered, their faces etched with anxiety.
“Hey, have you heard? The young marshal has returned to the Prince of the West’s household from the Imperial Stables today!”
“Is that true? Is he still the heir?”
“It’s good that the heir is back. That Sun Feng has come to the camp several times causing trouble, stirring up resentment among the brothers. He’s unfit to be a leader!”
The chatter spilled out from the hall.
“Silence!”
Someone pushed open the camp tent door, snowflakes falling upon him.
“Commander of the Central Army…”
Wei Ji, the central army general of the fish drum camp, appeared before them.
“Who are you to question the heir? Don’t forget, we are soldiers of the Prince of the West’s household! Whoever is the heir is the future conqueror, our future supreme commander!”
As he spoke, Wei Ji’s voice faltered, a hint of sorrow flickering in his eyes.
Indeed, compared to Lin Qian, Sun Feng was not fit to lead the entire army, but… he was already the heir of the Prince of the West. Lin Qian was already a thing of the past.
Despite his deep reluctance, as a central army general personally promoted by the old prince Sun Ye, Wei Ji could only wait until Sun Feng ascended the throne and be the first to bow in loyalty.