Starting with Intercepting and Marrying the Eldest Princess - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: “I Want Five Hundred North-Pacifying Soldiers”

After leaving the Princess’s Residence, Xie Ning immediately attracted the attention of passersby. People pointed at her, emitting small, suppressed sounds of laughter.

Xie Ning had no doubt that after this incident, her mental fortitude would steadily increase by another level, at least to the point where she wouldn’t care about the opinions of others.

To find proof of her personal growth from adversity—that is also a part of what makes her remarkable!

“The Commander-in-Chief is here!”

The garrison for the Vermillion Bird Camp (Zhuque Ying) was located within the Imperial City. As soon as Xie Ning walked to the entrance, she saw a drowsy man suddenly wake up and eagerly try to grasp her hand.

Xie Ning subtly dodged him, smiling and nodding as she entered like a commanding officer.

The man followed behind Xie Ning, wearing a flattering expression: “Commander-in-Chief, my name is Tang Zhong. I am the internal official (Zhongguan) of our Vermillion Bird Camp.”

This Tang Zhong was a eunuch from the palace, holding the post of Zhongguan for the Vermillion Bird Camp, which meant he was a non-working supervisor/inspector.

Xie Ning glanced at him and said with a suggestive tone: “Internal Official Tang is quite different from others.”

All military supervisors, if not looking down their noses at people, were close to it. This was because the role of the supervisor was inherently antagonistic to the military. Which soldier could tolerate a person who reported everything to the Emperor?

Moreover, if you, a supervisor, had a good relationship with the soldiers, how could the Emperor trust you to report truthfully when something happened?

But Tang Zhong was different. Seeing Xie Ning, he smiled as bright as a sunflower.

“Ah, well, the Commander-in-Chief is in charge of raising everything for the Vermillion Bird Camp!”

Tang Zhong understood clearly that the Vermillion Bird Camp had nothing, and everything had to be arranged by the Imperial Son-in-Law. Was he, a dead eunuch, supposed to recruit soldiers?

Besides, this Commander-in-Chief was the Imperial Son-in-Law!

The Imperial Son-in-Law of the Grand Princess of Daxia!

Her Highness the Grand Princess had thirty thousand South-Pacifying soldiers in her hands. As long as the Imperial Son-in-Law casually skimmed off a bit, wouldn’t the Vermillion Bird Camp immediately flourish!

Xie Ning looked around. Tang Zhong was the only person in the entire garrison.

She felt a strange pang of sadness. It was too desolate.

“Old Tang, are you living here now?”

“Yes. If not, I’ll find a house on the street to live in.” Hearing Xie Ning call him “Old Tang,” Tang Zhong was genuinely happy.

Xie Ning shook her head: “This is our Vermillion Bird Camp’s property. You just live here.”

“I’ll have to trouble you to guard this place for now. It will take some time for me to raise the troops.”

Tang Zhong patted his chest and guaranteed: “Commander-in-Chief, you can rest assured! Old Tang will definitely watch this door for you!”

Xie Ning smiled and patted his shoulder: “Not guarding it for me, but guarding it for us.”

Tang Zhong was instantly excited. Before leaving the palace, he had inquired about the Imperial Son-in-Law from his colleagues and learned about the things the Imperial Son-in-Law had done recently.

He had initially thought he would be a difficult person to deal with, but he didn’t expect him to be so approachable!

Xie Ning left after wandering around the Vermillion Bird Camp, but did not go directly back to the Princess’s Residence. Instead, she went outside the capital, writing and sketching on drafting paper.

More than half a month passed in a flash. Xie Ning didn’t feel bored, but Pei Shujing was getting impatient.

“What has he been doing, going out early and coming back late all these days?”

Xiao Zhu shook her head: “He says it’s classified.”

Pei Shujing felt an inexplicable irritation rising in her heart. She clearly understood the Emperor’s decree: it was nothing more than an attempt to have Xie Jing take five hundred South-Pacifying soldiers from her hands.

The previous Pei Shujing would definitely not have agreed, and might even have killed Xie Jing in a fit of anger. But ever since she became suspicious of this Xie Jing, she decided to give this person a chance.

What was the harm in giving him five hundred soldiers? It would facilitate her observation of Xie Jing and also paralyze the Emperor.

All he needed to do was come and ask her.

Pei Shujing had waited all these days, but this person hadn’t come to ask her. Instead, he was busy with something mysterious every day.

She believed that this Xie Jing could also understand the Emperor’s intention. Besides coming to beg her, she couldn’t think of any other way for Xie Jing to break the deadlock.

“Xiao Zhu, starting tomorrow, you will follow him and not leave his side for a moment.”

Xiao Zhu hesitated for a moment but still nodded.

That evening, when Xie Ning returned and learned about this, she didn’t hesitate at all. Instead, she readily nodded her agreement.

Xiao Zhu was a little surprised: “Didn’t you say it was classified?”

Xie Ning washed the dust and mud from her face, feeling refreshed, and said: “My project is only one step away from completion, so it is naturally no longer a secret.”

The next day, Xiao Zhu witnessed a surprising sight.

Xie Ning took her through winding paths to a small courtyard. A person was already waiting there—it was the young master of the North-Pacifying Marquis’s Residence, Li Jing.

Li Jing was very excited to see Xie Ning: “What took you so long? Yesterday, I promised the old man a surprise and told him not to go anywhere and wait at home.”

Xie Ning said leisurely: “Don’t rush. Good things are worth waiting for.”

Li Jing was still worried: “Will it really work?”

Xie Ning patted his shoulder: “Don’t worry. We’ve worn out two pairs of shoes these days. We should naturally get a return. But don’t forget what you promised me.”

Li Jing became excited again: “Don’t worry. As long as the old man is satisfied, I guarantee this matter will succeed!”

“Let’s go, let’s carry it.”

“Careful, careful. Will it shake apart?”

Xiao Zhu followed behind the two curiously, all the way to the North-Pacifying Marquis’s Residence.

As soon as Li Jing entered the Marquis’s Residence gate, he began to shout: “Old man! Dad!”

Some servants wanted to help Li Jing carry the object, but he chased them all away: “Go! Directly to the study! This thing cannot be seen by others.”

Xiao Zhu was a little lost. The study was a place of importance and should, by rule, not be entered, but Her Highness’s order was for her not to leave Xie Ning’s side for a moment.

Unexpectedly, Li Jing said carelessly: “She’s one of us, it doesn’t matter.”

The three entered the study and saw a person waiting for them. This person’s face was calm, his eyes deep and sharp, as if they could see through everything, making people feel awe-struck. It was the North-Pacifying Marquis, Li Qi.

“What is with all this commotion!”

The North-Pacifying Marquis frowned and then looked at Xiao Zhu with a scrutinizing gaze.

Xiao Zhu’s expression tightened. Just as she was about to lower her head, she heard Xie Ning say with a smile: “Marquis, she is Her Highness’s personal attendant.”

Only then did the Marquis’s expression ease. He looked at Xie Ning again: “Her Highness is a good girl. You shouldn’t let her down, kid.”

Xie Ning nodded with a smile.

Xiao Zhu was somewhat stunned. From the looks of it, the Imperial Son-in-Law is actually acquainted with the North-Pacifying Marquis. Since when?

If it was only recently, it was fine, but she feared it was before the marriage with Her Highness.

If that was the case, the Imperial Son-in-Law’s background was even more complicated.

Xiao Zhu buried her thoughts deep in her heart, only to hear the North-Pacifying Marquis snort: “Young Jing, you came to see me a few days ago, saying you wanted to trade something with this old man, but the thing wasn’t finished yet. I only refrained from throwing you out because of Her Highness. Now, I want to see what you two brats are up to.”

With that, the North-Pacifying Marquis strode forward and suddenly lifted the cloth covering the object. The Marquis’s expression froze.

“This is…”

Xie Ning nudged Li Jing. Li Jing explained with a grin: “Dad, this is a sandbox!”

The North-Pacifying Marquis ignored his son and pointed at Xie Ning: “You speak.”

Xie Ning finally nodded with a smile: “Marquis, this object is a military sandbox that simulates the geography and mountains within dozens of miles of the capital.”

During this period, she went out every day to clearly observe the geographical location outside the capital. Then, according to the actual terrain, she determined the scale, piled sand to form the main terrain such as mountains and hills, and used bamboo sticks to mark key topographical features like ridges and valleys.

Upon hearing Xie Ning’s explanation, the North-Pacifying Marquis suddenly saw the light: “Then what are these small wooden sticks for?”

“The course of the rivers.”

The North-Pacifying Marquis nodded: “What is the specific use of this object?”

“Marquis, mine is just a simple simulation of the area around the capital. What if we put it on a battlefield?”

“It can restore details like mountains, rivers, and roads through high-precision terrain rendering, helping the army intuitively grasp the battlefield environment, improving familiarity with the combat area, and providing a real basis for tactical decision-making.”

“It can even simulate the combat of two armies on the sandbox, and after the battle, the process can be recreated through the sandbox…”

Before Xie Ning could finish, the Marquis, whose eyes were shining, interrupted her: “Good! Excellent!”

“With this object, the survival rate of our Daxia soldiers can increase by at least thirty percent!”

“Good, good. But aren’t you Her Highness’s Imperial Son-in-Law? Are you giving this thing to this Marquis?”

The North-Pacifying Marquis looked at Xie Ning with a half-smile. Xie Ning calmly cupped his hands: “This object is easy to create once the principle is known. The Marquis is merely the first to understand it. I have my own arrangement with Her Highness. Furthermore, since the war in the North has not yet settled, gifting it to the Marquis first, Her Highness will naturally understand.”

The North-Pacifying Marquis patted Xie Ning’s shoulder: “You, kid… Interesting. Tell me, what do you want to exchange with this Marquis? As long as it’s not excessive, I can promise you.”

Xie Ning took a deep breath, bowed, and said: “Please grant me five hundred disabled soldiers to be incorporated into the Vermillion Bird Camp.”

The North-Pacifying Marquis was taken aback: “Where did this Vermillion Bird Camp come from? I haven’t heard of it.”

Xie Ning looked a bit awkward: “It was just established…”

Only then did the North-Pacifying Marquis recall that something like this had happened a few days ago. The officials initially didn’t want to agree to the matter, but since the Emperor only wanted the title, didn’t want the men, and didn’t require military funding, they naturally didn’t object.

He hadn’t expected the Emperor to ask for it for this kid…

The North-Pacifying Marquis scrutinized Xie Ning for a moment, then looked at the silent Xiao Zhu, and smiled: “Five hundred disabled soldiers are indeed not a difficult matter. By all accounts, I shouldn’t refuse you.”

Hearing this, Xie Ning’s heart sank. Surely there’s not a ‘but,’ is there?

“But!”

Xie Ning: “…”

“I won’t agree.”

Xie Ning took a deep breath: “Please enlighten me, Marquis.”

The North-Pacifying Marquis suddenly clapped Xie Ning’s shoulder and laughed heartily: “If I’m going to give, I’ll give good ones, the ones who have truly been on the battlefield and seen blood! Otherwise, Her Highness will think this old man is too petty!”

“However, the current you is not capable of subduing those rogue soldiers.”

Xie Ning’s heart instantly pounded like a drum: “Please teach me, Marquis!”

The North-Pacifying Marquis nodded in satisfaction: “From now on, you come here every day to train with Young Jing.”

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