Just as the yamen runners were preparing to go home and pack their luggage, a notice regarding incentives for bandit suppression was posted on the government office's bulletin board.
A runner read the bulletin board word by word.
"For every bandit captured alive, a reward of one tael of silver will be given. There is no upper limit, and it will be settled on the spot once they are escorted back to the government office."
Hearing this, the crowd quickly gathered around, their eager eyes scanning the notice up and down.
One tael of silver?
Their monthly wage was only two taels.
Catching one meant one tael; wouldn't catching ten mean ten taels?
"Isn't the yamen out of money? Where is this silver coming from? It's not a scam, is it?"
A colleague standing next to him bumped his arm hard, his voice louder than a beating drum.
"I heard the prefect borrowed three thousand taels of silver from County Princess Linghui, and all this money is going to be used for bandit suppression."
The news exploded in the crowd like a bomb. For a moment, everyone had only one thought in their minds: catch bandits and earn silver.
Shi Simian abruptly raised his head, his heart filled with astonishment.
"County Princess Linghui is going too!"
Song Qiming rolled his eyes at him.
"My sister and I will each lead a team and act separately."
The heart Shi Simian had in his throat calmed down by half.
"In this humble official's opinion, it would be the best plan for Your Excellency to travel with the County Princess; the odds of winning would also be higher."
County Princess Linghui possessed formidable martial arts skills. None of the military generals in the entire Dongzhao Kingdom were her match, and she had even defeated Gong Linjue, the number one master of the Shuobei Kingdom.
With her around, this bandit suppression campaign might actually succeed.
Song Qiming saw through his thoughts at a glance, his back teeth grinding audibly as he spoke.
"My martial arts were personally taught by my sister. Dealing with a few bandits will be a piece of cake."
Shi Simian's expression turned awkward, his throat feeling as if a stone was lodged in it, scraping painfully as he spoke.
"Your Excellency is wise and mighty; this humble official bows in admiration." He cupped his hands and lowered his head, though his heart was full of dissatisfaction.
So young and a civil official at that—how could I feel at ease placing the lives of hundreds of yamen runners in your hands?
It would be better to follow County Princess Linghui into battle; at least the chances of winning were greater.
As soon as the night watchman's clapper sounded for the fifth watch, the runners who heard it quickly climbed out of bed and rushed to the government office.
It wasn't long before the corridor from the main gate to the front hall of the yamen was filled with runners, fully equipped and ready to go.
The clerks, forced to wake up early, pushed wooden food buckets and handed out breakfast to them one by one. At the very front, Song Qiming was making his pre-departure declaration.
When everyone saw Song Jinzhao walk out wearing armor, they couldn't help but straighten their spines a bit.
A woman leading troops to suppress bandits was absolutely a first in the world.
Yet no one dared to say a word of dissent. Aside from hesitation, their hearts were filled with excitement and urgency.
Song Jinzhao's prestigious name had long spread across the lands. They had heard so much news about her, but now that she was standing right in front of them in the flesh, was she really that formidable?
They would find out soon enough.
With a single command, the two teams marched out of the city side by side, only going their separate ways after passing through the outer city.
Guan Nianshan sat excitedly on horseback, his heart surging as he gazed into the distance.
"I never thought we would see this day again."
After twenty years of living with their faces to the yellow earth and backs to the sky, they had finally returned.
Qu Ya smiled faintly, a touch of emotion appearing in his calm eyes.
He lifted his chin, gesturing toward Guan Nianshan's injured eye. "Don't let people look down on you your first time out."
Guan Nianshan didn't get angry; instead, in a good mood, he pointed at Qu Ya's left hand.
"Can your left hand even hold a blade?"
One of them was blind in one eye, and the other was missing three fingers on his right hand, yet they were the least disabled among the surviving veterans of the Wu Family Army.
Qu Ya gripped his sword hilt and rapidly performed a flourishing sword trick, the sharp wind whistling as the blade cut through the air.
"One strike, one head."
Guan Nianshan raised an eyebrow. "Beheading definitely won't work. This time, they want them captured alive."
