The Second Master of the Red Chamber

On Ningrong Street, hundreds of soldiers in bright armor stood at attention, attracting countless people inside the high walls to peek and spy.

Jia Lian put on his armor inside the ceremonial gate and rode out through the side gate on horseback.

Looking at the neatly arranged white and yellow formations in front of him, he was very satisfied.

Among them were nearly a hundred riders in silver-white armor, but apart from two rows of about thirty men each at the very front of the formation, the others were simply lined up on both sides, looking enviously at the thirty men in the middle.

Behind those thirty men was a large golden army formation, numbering approximately three hundred.

When Zhao Sheng saw Jia Lian come out, he hesitated for a moment, but still stepped forward and proposed again: "Your Highness, the brothers all want to go on the expedition with Your Highness."

Furthermore, for Your Highness's safety, I still believe that Your Highness should bring more of our own brothers with you.

Zhao Sheng was left behind by Jia Lian to watch over the house, which he understood and had no complaints about.

However, Jia Lian only chose to take more than thirty personal guards with him on this expedition, which made the large number of personal guards and even the guards left behind very unwilling.

After all, being able to follow Jia Lian into battle and shed blood for him was their greatest mission and honor.

Now they can only stay behind to guard the house, which is incredibly cruel for them.

However, Jia Lian remained indifferent to the hopeful gazes of Zhao Sheng and the other guards.

"I have tens of thousands of troops by my side, and so many brothers from the firearms battalion protecting me. What danger could there be?"
On the contrary, did you take what I said to you before as a joke?

If anything goes wrong in this household, I will hold you responsible.

If you still have doubts, I can have Zhang Yong stay and assist you as well.

When Jia Lian mentioned them, the three hundred golden-armored imperial guards all stood tall and proud.

The Firearms Battalion was established by Jia Lian, and within just a few years of its founding, it had already achieved numerous merits.

In the past, being able to join the Imperial Guard was the dream of countless soldiers.

Now, being able to join the firearms battalion of the Imperial Guard is the ultimate dream.

Not only were they members of the firearms battalion, but they were also selected by Jia Lian to serve as his personal guards.

Although it was only temporary, it was enough to make them proud.

In the future, their resumes can include the line, "He was once a personal guard of the King of Pingliao."

This will be invaluable for their future promotions and for bragging to their colleagues.

Zhao Sheng knew that Jia Lian's mind was not to be changed, but his men begged him, so he could only give it a try.

Now that Jia Lian wanted to keep Zhang Yong to help him watch the house, he immediately dared not say another word.

It should be noted that Jia Lian's personal guard consisted of him and Zhang Yong, who were the captain and deputy captain, respectively.

Of course, there was another person who held the title of deputy captain, and that was Jia Lian's absolute confidante, Miss Aqi.

However, Aqi was, after all, a woman and a member of a different tribe, and she didn't talk much, so she naturally didn't participate in the construction and management of the guard.

If Jia Lian were to kick him and Zhang Yong out of the picture and let a woman lead the guards to accompany Jia Lian on the expedition, he would be ridiculed to death by all his brothers.

A bustling scene also unfolded in front of the southwest stables of Ningguo Prefecture.

The sixteen female soldiers only realized now that their commander was not taking them to the city for training, but to accompany the prince on a campaign!

Shock was inevitable, followed by endless surprises.

What an honor it was to be able to go on a campaign with Jia Lian! Just look at how Jia Lian's personal guards held a grudge after being rejected once, and you can imagine how much they cared.

Of course, there were also some regrets.

I regret not watching what I eat lately. I've gained weight and I'm not as pretty anymore. What if the prince dislikes me?
She also regretted listening to Sister You San and not bringing rouge and face powder, and wanted to go back to get them.

Finally, they saw Sister You standing in front of them with her hands on her hips, constantly urging them on, but they dared not move.

"Hurry up and tie all the packages! The prince is about to set off. If you fall behind, don't blame me for not reminding you."

While giving perfunctory replies to Old Lady You and Madam You who came to see her off after hearing the news, Sister You San reprimanded her female soldiers.

Suddenly, two riders entered through the side gate, and Sister You San hurriedly went to greet them: "Sister Aqi, Sister Aqin."

Aqi and Aqin jumped off their horses.

Aqin glanced at Sister You and her female soldiers.

Although everyone was busy securing their packs to their horses and chattering away, their armor was still relatively neatly worn.

Aqin nodded secretly, and then said to Sister You San, "The prince said that you will be the second squad leader under my sister from now on, and you will obey her command and arrangements."

Sister You's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

Although she used to form her own armed force and even had her female soldiers call her "Commander," she knew that it was somewhat like playing house.

Now that Jia Lian has assigned her to Aqi's command and given her the position of squad leader, it is clear that he recognizes their status as personal guards.

This was a great encouragement for her.

So he immediately followed suit and saluted Aqi, saying, "Your subordinate greets Captain Aqi!"

Aqi nodded, but had already walked to the side of the man and the horse.

The female soldier had three bundles tied to her horse, one of which was bulging.

Upon seeing Aqi approach, the female soldier nodded obsequiously at her.

Aqi frowned slightly and gently tapped the package with her sword.

As the package was opened, its contents spilled out.

The clothes are colorful and patterned.

However, as the clothes were unfolded, the truly heavy items inside rolled out.

Boxes and jars.

Even a bronze mirror fell down.

Seeing this, Sister You was stunned. She walked over and angrily scolded, "Didn't I tell you not to bring these things? How dare you disobey me?"

The female soldier was so frightened that she shrank back and dared not utter a word.

Seeing that Aqi had already mounted his horse, she was clearly disappointed, and Sister You felt her face burning with embarrassment.

Just as she was considering how to punish the female soldier, Aqin spoke up: "Alright, everyone, you are only allowed to bring one package, and it is best to put only your personal clothing inside."

As for other things, you are not allowed to bring them, nor do you need to bring them.

Once you arrive at the military base, the logistics officer will provide you with all the necessary living supplies according to your needs.

Although she felt that Aqin was overstepping her bounds, Sister You, who felt she had lost face, did not hold a grudge. Instead, she scolded the female soldiers: "What are you all standing there for? Didn't you hear what Captain Aqin said?"
Each person is only allowed to bring one package; all other items must be removed.

Hurry up, don't dawdle.

A female soldier whispered, "What about the things we took down..."

Madam You, standing nearby, quickly said with a smile, "Don't worry, I'll send someone to deliver the things to Tianjin Wei for you later."

Lady You originally thought that Jia Lian was just having You Sanjie play around, but she didn't expect that Jia Lian would actually take a liking to these female soldiers and lead them into battle.

Now these female soldiers are all precious treasures in her eyes, so naturally she has to take good care of them.

Third Sister You glared at Madam You: "Eldest Sister, what are you doing? Don't make things worse."

Then, without even arguing with Mr. You, he personally went up to those who were reluctant to part with their belongings or had difficulty making a decision and tore off the extra packages and threw them aside.

Fortunately, there weren't many people, and soon everyone only had one package left.

Ah Qin stepped forward at the opportune moment and called out by name: "You, you, and you, all eight of you, you'll be with me from now on."

Now mount your horse and follow me.

Sister You was stunned by Aqin's actions.

What? She only has sixteen soldiers. Is there anyone else to share the command?
Upon seeing Aqin, she was about to mount her horse when Sister You quickly stopped her, saying, "No, there are only sixteen of us. Sister Aqin, what are you doing?"

"If you want to lead troops, just ask the prince to assign you one."

Sister You was extremely unhappy.

Although she had few soldiers, each one of them was personally trained by her.

Who would have thought that before he even finished his apprenticeship, half of it would be taken away by someone else?

Ah Qin looked at her and said with a smile, "This is Captain Ah Qi's order."

The prince said that if you do not obey orders, you are not allowed to join the army.

"Has the second squad leader decided to disobey orders?"

Sister You's face immediately became extremely conflicted, and she looked so aggrieved that she was about to cry.

Old Lady You was already secretly wiping away tears because she was going to be separated from her daughter.

Seeing her daughter being bullied, she immediately became furious: "How can you be so ignorant, you little girl?"
You're just a guard, how dare you speak to the lady like that?

"Is there no law or order left...?"

Seeing this, Madam You quickly pulled Old Lady You away and coaxed her, "Alright, that's their own business. Why are you getting involved?"
Third Sister is the Prince's woman, are you really afraid she'll suffer a loss?

"But they're bullying us so much..."

Although Sister You also felt that Sister Aqin and her sister had done it on purpose, Old Lady You's reaction reminded her of something.

It seems this was just a show of force by the Qi sisters. If she can't even get past this, how will she stay by Jia Lian's side and lead troops in the future?

She glanced up at Aqi, who was stationed at the side gate. Aqi was expressionless, clearly tacitly approving of her sister Aqin's act of seizing military power.

Seeing her look over, he simply said, "The army has set off."

Having said that, he immediately spurred his horse and went out through the side gate.

Sister You took a deep breath, deciding to swallow her anger for now, and shouted at the eight female soldiers behind her who were looking at each other in confusion: "What are you all standing there for? Follow your captain!"

"Yes……"

……

As dusk approached, Jia Lian and his party had already traveled nearly a hundred miles outside the city.

Instead of looking for a post station, they found an open space and dismounted to rest.

The main purpose was to let the warhorses eat grass and drink water to restore their strength.

The guards skillfully lit the campfire and torches, preparing for their night march.

This was the first time that Sister You had truly experienced military life, and she couldn't help but gasp in amazement.

She walked over to Jia Lian and asked in a low voice, "What should we do? We didn't prepare any torches. How are we going to travel? You didn't even remind us..."

Apart from You Sanjie, the other female soldiers also automatically moved closer to Jia Lian after dismounting.

The other male soldiers consciously gave up the central area to them.

Jia Lian glanced at them.

Although the female soldiers under Sister You's command were not particularly outstanding in terms of looks and figure.

After all, she was just one of the daughters born into the Ningguo Mansion that Lady You had chosen.

However, quantity can compensate for a lack of quality.

If uniforms are added, then it's possible to overtake them.

For example, they are all wearing brand new armor right now. Although it looks a little mismatched because it's the first time they've worn it.

However, with so many girls who are all quite good-looking and tall, wearing the same armor, they exude a strong and heroic aura.

Even Jia Lian, a philandering prince who had long been spoiled by beautiful women, found it pleasing to the eye.

"You don't need to worry about that. Just walk in the middle of the road."

Believe me, even without torches, no one can see the road better than you.

You Sanjie's original intention was to ask Jia Lian to take a few torches from his personal guards for them to use.

Upon hearing Jia Lian's words, he thought for a moment and understood, and immediately burst into laughter.

Yes, that's true. A group of female soldiers mixed in with a bunch of men is like a bright pearl that has been basking in the sun all day falling into darkness.

It's hard not to be dazzling.

Even if Jia Lian's personal guards dared not act recklessly, they would still try to curry favor with him.

Along the way, because some of the female soldiers were not skilled enough at riding horses, the other male soldiers stepped into the ridges of the fields several times to make room for them.

This was unbelievable for Jia Lian and his battle-hardened personal guards.

Nevertheless, Jia Lian was still quite satisfied with them.

Along the way, no one acted willfully or gave up. Even though they were really tired, they all gritted their teeth and persevered under Sister You's urging.

No one asked for a break before he gave the order.

Lack of equestrian skill is simply due to a lack of training opportunities.

So he said to Sister You, "Your female soldiers are all training well and are already starting to look like soldiers."

Upon hearing this, Sister You's peach blossom eyes immediately curved into crescent moons.

The female soldiers around who heard Jia Lian's praise also felt honored.

For the first time, I felt that sense of collective honor emanating from men.

Sister You San had the demeanor of an elder sister; even after she became successful, she didn't forget her former sisters: "So, since you said they look like soldiers, does that mean their status as personal guards is officially recognized, and they are entitled to the treatment of personal guards?"

Jia Lian glanced around and nodded: "As long as you strictly obey military orders and can ensure that orders are carried out without fail."

From then on, you will officially enjoy all the benefits of a personal guard.

A female soldier asked, "Your Highness, will we also receive two taels of silver as a monthly allowance from now on?"

Jia Lian nodded with a smile: "It's not a monthly allowance, it's military pay."

"Yeah~!"

More than a dozen female soldiers burst into cheers.

The male soldiers around him all turned to look, and then began to whisper among themselves.

They said that from now on, the team would no longer consist of just a bunch of men.

Although there were sisters like Aqi before, everyone knew they were the prince's women, and just thinking about it felt like a crime.

However, as long as the prince continues to add female soldiers to the ranks, there will always be some that the prince doesn't want.

That way, they all have a chance, don't they?

You Sanjie disliked the female soldiers crowding around Jia Lian, so she used the excuse of having them go down to check the warhorses to drive them away. Then she sat down next to Jia Lian and quietly acted coquettishly.

"Your Highness, did you send Ah Qin to divide my troops?"

There were only sixteen of us to begin with, and she took half of them.

As Sister You spoke, seeing Jia Lian's stunned expression, she knew it wasn't what Jia Lian meant, and immediately said angrily:
“I didn’t offend them. When I saw them before, I always called them ‘sister’.”

Why are they bullying me?
I don't believe she's interested in people like me.

When Aqin saw You Sanjie whispering to Jia Lian, she guessed that You Sanjie had gone to complain.

So he walked over and happened to hear this, and then laughed:
"Your Highness, you must judge this matter. I did not bully her at all."

However, my sister wasn't very satisfied with her soldiers, so she asked me to help her train them.

Once you've trained her properly, you can naturally return her to her.

Look at how stingy she is, as if she thinks I'm going to steal it from her.

Jia Lian roughly understood what had happened and then smiled.

He has never been one to see things in black and white, and he knows there are some tricks to it.

It contains both the veteran's reprimand of the greenhorn and the two sisters' revenge on You Sanjie for interfering in their relationship and taking over their territory.

However, Jia Lian understood the Aqi sisters quite well. As long as they didn't go too far, he would consider it as training for You Sanjie, and it wouldn't cause any major harm.

At this moment, it was not appropriate for Sister You to argue with Aqin.

After all, Aqi did find out in public that her soldiers were carrying rouge, face powder, and even a bronze mirror.

She would feel ashamed if the other party exposed it to her.

Although Jia Lian didn't know why You Sanjie was a little "afraid" of Aqin, he thought it was a good thing.

Seeing that she still looked unconvinced, he laughed and said, "Alright, it's just eight soldiers."

Once you have experience, I can put you in charge of not just eight soldiers, but even eight hundred.

And think about it, I only have nineteen female soldiers under my command right now.

Aqi is your boss.

She has no subordinates, but you have a full sixteen.

Tell me, if you were her, even just to maintain your authority, wouldn't you have to divide your forces among yourself?

Sister You was taken aback: "Is that what she means?"

"if not?

"Having led troops for so many years, would I lie to you?"

You Sanjie felt a little better. As long as it wasn't specifically targeting her, but rather out of fear that she would "hold up her troops and become too powerful," she could completely understand.

Jia Lian patted her shoulder again and laughed, "Alright, from now on, if you really consider yourself a soldier, you must know that military orders are like mountains, and you must obey her commands."

If you don't see yourself as a soldier, but instead as a princess of a royal family...

Then you are her mistress, would she dare to bully you?
What do you have to be angry about?

If she really bullies you, you can always make things difficult for her when you return to the Prince's mansion.

Upon hearing this, Sister You blushed and said, "Now that I'm in the army, I'll treat myself as a soldier. There's no such thing as a lady of the royal family."

I know you well enough. If I were to act like a prince's wife while serving in the army, you would definitely be unhappy.

They won't be taking me out anymore.

Jia Lian laughed heartily: "This child is teachable."

...(End of chapter)