The establishment of the Celestial Dynasty began with the bestowal of the title upon the River God.

Li Yi's willingness to reveal his identity may well be a sign that he is choosing the right tree to perch on.

By forming a connection with these hundred households, we have more options, so why not take advantage of it?

He subtly expressed a hint of curiosity, asking, "What kind of place is the city garrison? What are the benefits like?"

"Brother, you're quite direct." The tall man chuckled. "Compared to the inland areas, the Qifeng County Garrison is larger in scale and has greater authority. All matters concerning the security of the county fall under the jurisdiction of the garrison..."

Li Yi listened attentively and roughly understood the nature of the city garrison, and also got a general idea of ​​the county's military and political system.

The highest-ranking military officer in Qifeng County was named Xu Xiaofeng, who also served as the Chief Secretary in charge of military affairs and the County Assistant, the highest-ranking official in the government.

The fact that one person held both military and political power in the border region demonstrates the deep trust Emperor Wu placed in Xu Gong.

Leaving aside political affairs, just considering the Chief Secretary in charge of military affairs, his two main subordinate agencies are the city garrison and the army.

Generally, border garrisons and outposts are divided into three parts for defending the city and seven parts for farming.

Of all the tasks, including defending the city, apprehending thieves, and maintaining order, farming was the most important.

However, Qifeng County was exceptionally prosperous, with a considerable number of farmers, so it was a five-tenths city defense and a five-tenths farming operation.

In times of war, they were all assigned to the army to defend against invasions by foreign tribes.

"...The Qifeng County Guard has a total of nearly six thousand men. Under the guard, there are thousand-household units and hundred-household units. Although my young lady is only a hundred-household unit for the time being, her father is the commander of the entire guard, so he will certainly not mistreat his brothers."

The tall man not only exposed Gongsun Ling's gender, but also revealed her true identity.

Gongsun Ling was not annoyed and said frankly, "That's right. Brother, if joining the garrison will not make you rise to the top, it is only right that you have less dirty dealings."

Just as the tall man was about to strike while the iron was hot, he suddenly felt residual fire energy lurking outside his heart meridian. He immediately entered a meditative state to regulate himself and silently listened to the external conversation.

Gongsun Ling had said everything she needed to say, and concluded by saying:

"The boy with uneven eyes is still affected by the fox spirit. We must hurry back to the city to find a water-elemental cultivator to treat him. Why don't we set off together? Brother, you can think it over slowly."

The woman from this family was known for her forthright manner, and Li Yi readily complied, clasping his hands in a fist and saying, "Thank you for your understanding, sir—I will immediately gather my fellow villagers and set off as soon as possible."

……

When Li Yi returned to the woodshed, Li Erhu had already woken up.

Few of the hunter's children are sleepy.

"Yi-ge'er, going to pee?"

Li Yi smiled and shook his head, not answering, and walked towards the old man gnawing on a flatbread, saying gently:

"Old man, we've found a new way to get into the city, so you don't need to come with us."

The old man swallowed the food in his mouth whole and was about to take out money from his pocket when Li Yi grabbed him.

"Old man, please accept this."

"How can that be!"

"Keep it!"

Li Yi persuaded his father-in-law to leave and then briefly told Li Erhu about what happened last night, which excited him greatly.

"We've hooked up with a big shot! What kind of place is the garrison? Is it a good place for promotion?"

Li Yi looked helpless. "The affairs of the garrison are complicated, there is not much free time, and there are always dealings with the six ministries. It is not as simple as being in the army."

Li Erhu, understanding the unspoken meaning in the zither's tone, asked, "Does Yi-ge still prefer the army?"

Li Yi squatted down, picked up his satchel, and went out, saying, "No rush."

In the second courtyard, Gongsun Ling and the other two arrived. Gongsun Ling then hurriedly led everyone out of the post station, first throwing the fox demon's corpse onto the horse's back, and then, as he mounted his horse, addressed the accompanying postman:

"I will send someone to handle what happened last night. The courier can be buried first."

As he spoke, he gestured for the two Lis to mount their horses, but seeing their embarrassed expressions, he couldn't help but chuckle:

"Brother Li Yi, you and your fellow villagers don't know how to ride horses?"

Li Yi glanced at the chestnut horse beside him, still holding its reins, and felt that he should probably chase after his father-in-law and bring him back.

The tall man tossed the man with uneven eyes onto the saddle and laughed, "Brother Li, just get on the horse. With your vigor, how dare the horse misbehave? Just give it a little tug on the reins, and it'll understand."

Upon hearing this, Li Yi jumped onto the horse's back, followed the tall man's instructions, squeezed the horse's belly, and shouted "Giddy up!"

The horse responded immediately and galloped off steadily.

Gongsun Ling and the others watched with smiles, leisurely following behind, leaving Li Erhu to run off at full speed, calling out, "Brother Yi! Wait for me!"

……

Along the way, Gongsun Ling clearly explained the distinction between the garrison and the military.

As for the military merits and titles that Li Yi cares about most, there are more opportunities in the garrison right now, but the affairs are busy. If he were to join Gongsun Ling's camp, he could get some leisure.

Besides daily drills, soldiers have a lot of free time and don't need to patrol or repair fortifications like they do at the border. However, the border region is peaceful right now, so there's not much merit to be gained.

After much deliberation, Li Yi had already made up his mind, but he did not agree on the spot.

The group arrived at the foot of the city wall before dark. Li Erhu craned his neck to look at the battlements, and could hardly see the top of the wall.

Gongsun Ling led his men into the city, reined in his horses, and turned around with a smile, saying:

"Brother, if you've made up your mind, you can find me at my centurion's post, which is on North Street, near the police station. If you join the garrison, I can promise you a starting position as a squad leader."

"Thank you, sir."

Li Yi clasped his hands in greeting to Gongsun Ling and the tall man, and the two rode off in opposite directions, heading west and north respectively.

Li Erhu was entering the city for the first time in his life. He looked at the shops on both sides and the pedestrians with eager eyes.

"Yi-ge, where are we going?"

"The Zhang family residence in the west of the city."

Li Yi uttered four words, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Qifeng County covers a vast area, with east and west market districts, north and south government offices, and a simple and clear road network.

The two rode slowly, and after half an hour they arrived outside the Zhang residence. They immediately dismounted and went forward.

A doorman, cane in hand, called out, "What is it?"

Li Yi handed the reins to Li Erhu, feeling inexplicably nervous.

"My name is Li Yi, and I have come to pay my respects to the military advisor."

Upon hearing the name "Li Yi," the gatekeeper immediately bowed and eagerly took the reins. "Master instructed that there was no need to announce your arrival, sir. Please come in!"

The two Lis followed the gatekeeper and walked briskly all the way. After waiting for a while in the main hall, when two maids brought tea and snacks, a beautiful woman came in a hurry, lifting her skirt.

Zhang's mother glanced between the two Lis and immediately identified the more beautiful one, smiling as she said:

"You must be Yi-ge'er? Please have a seat, we're all family!"

After Zhang's mother sat down, she said apologetically, "Junyi's father is still on duty at the yamen. I have already sent someone to urge him to leave early. I apologize for the neglect."

Li Yi shook his head repeatedly, looked around, and hesitated to speak.

Mother Zhang smiled gently, "Yi-ge, don't look anymore. Junyi returned to Qishan to report the day before yesterday, and we don't know when he will return."

As she spoke, she bent down and took out an envelope from the drawer under the daybed. "However, she left this."

Li Yi felt a surge of warmth in his heart, stepped forward to take the envelope, but did not open it on the spot. He wanted to exchange pleasantries, but did not know what to say.

Zhang's mother had endless questions and was very curious about everything Zhang Junyi did in Lijia Village. Some of her questions were really hard to answer.

Li Yi was almost overwhelmed when he suddenly heard a sound coming from outside the mansion. He quickly went out to greet the person.