Xi Qingyue still trusted Scholar Han’s abilities. Managing a county should be no problem for him.
As for Liu Teng, he had once served as a village head and could read and write, so he could take a position at the county office. Alternatively, he could help supervise the academy, where they happened to need more hands.
Scholar Han did not refuse her request. He nodded at once. “All right. Since you trust me, I’ll take on the position of county magistrate. Don’t worry—I won’t disappoint you.”
“Mm, I believe in you, Uncle Han.” Xi Qingyue was very satisfied with the result. It was better to have someone she knew take charge than some stranger whose background she knew nothing about.
She then asked Liu Teng what he thought, but he refused her offer to work at the county office.
“Yue’er, I used to be a village head, and I fled here from elsewhere. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to work at the county office. If word got out, people would surely gossip, and it would harm your reputation. How about this? I’ll go supervise the academy. It won’t be completed anytime soon, so it’s better to keep a close eye on things.”
Xi Qingyue smiled and nodded. “All right, Grandpa Liu. Then you can help at the academy. Many of the refugees there came from the north. You might even run into people you know.”
She felt that Liu Teng was already getting old and had reached the age where he should be enjoying his retirement. When the time came, arranging an easy, leisurely job for him would be most suitable.
As for the remaining people from Willow Tree Village, Xi Qingyue already had a plan. There weren’t many of them, so they would be easy enough to place.
Her residence was very large, and since she liked running around and playing, she would not be staying there all the time. She needed someone to manage the household for her, and Aunt Wang seemed like a good choice.
Having Mu Jin and Nan Yun handle such matters would be a waste of their talents. They were far more useful accompanying her outside.
“By the way, Yue’er, the people in the city are panic-stricken now. We should do something to reassure them,” Scholar Han said, remembering the rumors he had heard.
Xi Qingyue nodded calmly. “Mm. I’ll leave that to you, Uncle Han. Tomorrow, I’ll have Fang He and the others accompany you. Select some volunteers who are willing to defend the city and have Fang He train them properly. Later, the two of you can choose those with good character and slowly groom them. In the end, the city must have an army of its own.”
Scholar Han and Liu Teng were both stunned. Was she planning to raise a private army?
First, she had allowed those whose loyalty wavered to leave Xin’an City of their own accord. Then, from among those who remained, she would select brave men and women who were not afraid of death. Those chosen this way would at least be dependable.
Scholar Han hesitated for a moment before voicing the question that troubled him. “Yue’er, do you have many weapons? How certain are you that we can repel the enemy?”
Xi Qingyue flashed him a broad grin. “Don’t worry. I’m absolutely certain we’ll win. But you don’t need to mention that tomorrow.”
Then she thought of something else. “Oh, and anyone willing to stand up and fight the enemy can join, regardless of whether they’re male or female. No gender discrimination.”
Scholar Han smiled gently. “There’s no need to worry, Yue’er. I’m not someone who looks down on women, and neither is Grandpa Liu. Anyone willing to step forward at a time like this either has strength or courage. Of course they should be accepted.”
Xi Qingyue smiled in satisfaction. That was only right. Mu Jin, Nan Yun, and the others all knew martial arts, so there was no reason to limit recruitment by gender.
The group talked for quite some time before Scholar Han and Liu Teng finally left.
A while after they departed, Mu Jin came in carrying Xi Weilan in her arms, a bright smile on her face.
She looked cheerfully at Xi Qingyue. “Commandery Princess, have you found someone to serve as county magistrate?”
She had guessed it the moment she saw Scholar Han. Someone had practically delivered himself to their doorstep! At last, she could be free of the county office’s affairs.
Seeing how happy Mu Jin looked, Xi Qingyue nodded. “That’s right. Mu Jin, you don’t have to worry about the county office anymore. For the next few days, keep an eye on things and don’t let any powerful martial artists sneak in.”
At those words, Mu Jin’s expression immediately grew serious. “Yes, Commandery Princess.”
Xi Weilan climbed onto the chair beside Xi Qingyue and sat down, her face filled with delight. She was very happy to see so many familiar faces again, even though none of them were as important to her as her sister.
Xi Qingyue gently patted her on the head. “Tomorrow, I’ll have your friends from the village come over to play with you. I’ll also prepare some delicious food and fun things for you. How does that sound?”
Xi Weilan’s eyes lit up at once. “Wonderful, Big Sis! Tomorrow I’ll treat them to lots of good food and fun, and have them tell me stories.”
The next day, another notice was posted outside the county office, announcing that Scholar Han had taken up the position of county magistrate.
The townspeople gathered around the entrance, peering inside with curiosity. They wanted to see what the newly appointed county magistrate was like.
A quarter of an hour later, Scholar Han stood at the entrance of the county office. He had an elegant, refined air about him, and his entire bearing was gentle and approachable.
He first introduced himself, then explained that Prince Kang’s army of twenty thousand—or possibly even more—would soon be arriving in the city. He also called upon the people to join the city’s defenders and protect their own home.
“My lord, we’re all ordinary civilians who can barely defend ourselves. Prince Kang’s army is armed to the teeth. How are we supposed to fight them?” a scholar-dressed young man called out anxiously.
Scholar Han shook his head with a smile. “There’s no need to worry. Prince Kang’s army numbers only twenty thousand, not two hundred thousand. Xin’an City has a large population. As long as everyone unites to resist the enemy, we still have a good chance of winning. Besides, we’ll be defending a city, not attacking one. As long as we make thorough preparations, nothing will happen.
“You chose to remain here instead of leaving, which means you’ve already decided to live or die alongside Xin’an City. Having the will to defend the city and resist the enemy is already a good start. The Commandery Princess’s people are highly skilled in martial arts, and they’ll teach you some basic techniques. At the very least, you’ll be able to strengthen your bodies.”
The moment he finished speaking, the crowd outside the county office erupted.
Some people’s eyes lit up with excitement, while others shook their heads and sighed. Still others were making up their minds.
One young man even shouted loudly, “My lord, if we defend the city, can we use the Commandery Princess’s concealed weapons to attack people?”
His words delighted even more of the crowd.
“That’s right! The Commandery Princess’s weapons are so powerful. If we take them up to the city walls, we’ll definitely be able to beat Prince Kang’s men into the ground!”
“No, we’ll blast their brains out!”
Laughter immediately rang out in front of the county office, completely dispelling the pressure and fear brought by the approaching army.
Scholar Han looked at the lively scene before him, caught somewhere between laughter and tears. It seemed that many of the townspeople instinctively believed Xi Qingyue had the power to repel the enemy. Those who had left truly had no sense at all.
No—that wasn’t quite right. The people who had left were simply afraid of her.
Her sleeve swayed faintly, and she disappeared from the sky, returning to the courtyard.
She had just sat down and taken a sip of tea when Mu Jin came over, wearing a fox-like smile.
“Mu Jin, do you have some good news?”
Mu Jin nodded with a smile. “Yes, Commandery Princess. I noticed several skilled martial artists have appeared in the city. They’ve been loitering outside the residence, probably waiting for nightfall so they can sneak in. I suspect Prince Kang sent them.”
At that, Xi Qingyue clapped both hands, looking thrilled. “Excellent! I set up so many traps, and no one’s fallen into them yet. What a waste!”
Hearing this, Mu Jin’s lips twitched. Hadn’t she nearly fallen into one herself?
