"My Lord, please rest assured!"
Sensing the doubt in Qin Feng's eyes, Li Xiuning smiled and comforted him.
"My Lord, don't you think you're underestimating Sister Yanqi a bit?"
"Although she's young and inexperienced now, she still handles things in an organized manner."
"Alright!"
Seeing Li Xiuning personally vouch for Yang Yanqi, Qin Feng could only smile helplessly.
"Since you say so, when she returns, go and check the situation. If it's almost time, then prepare to begin."
"So soon?"
Li Xiuning's brows furrowed at his words, and she spoke with a hint of worry.
"My Lord, with our current troops, guarding Youzhou is more than enough."
"If we have more, we'll have to consider expanding further outwards."
"Then let's expand!"
Qin Feng, not daring to reveal that he was merely looking for a general, followed Li Xiuning's train of thought.
"The soldiers we recruit this time will be trained as a security force. Once they are trained, we can transfer them, and then the elite troops from each county can be redeployed."
"That makes sense!"
Hearing Qin Feng's explanation, Li Xiuning naturally nodded.
Indeed!
She had a deep appreciation for the elite level of soldiers from the system.
It was a bit of an overkill to have those elite warriors serve as county soldiers.
Seeing this,
Qin Feng breathed a sigh of relief, his gaze also lingering on Li Xiuning.
"My Lord, what are you looking at?"
Li Xiuning felt a bit unnerved by Qin Feng's gaze and instinctively crossed her arms.
"I want to, but you won't give it to me."
Under Li Xiuning's bewildered gaze, Qin Feng slyly changed the subject.
"Xiuning, what do you think if we take advantage of this recruitment drive to bring in some female soldiers?"
"Female soldiers?"
Li Xiuning's eyes brightened, and she instantly forgot her previous question.
However,
glancing at the smile on Qin Feng's face, Li Xiuning became wary again.
"My Lord, what do you want female soldiers for?"
"To protect you all!"
Facing Li Xiuning's wary yet suspicious gaze, Qin Feng, unable to admit he was attracted to her "women's army" potential, said with utmost seriousness.
"My entire household is filled with female dependents, so naturally, we need female soldiers to protect them!"
"Besides..."
"Having female soldiers with you will make things more convenient for whatever you do."
"That's also true~!"
Once again swayed, a smile appeared on Li Xiuning's face.
"My Lord, leave this matter to me. I will handle it well."
"Very well!"
Having successfully piqued Li Xiuning's interest, Qin Feng, feeling pleased, nodded immediately.
"Since you've volunteered, this matter is now your responsibility."
"No problem!"
Li Xiuning also smiled and nodded. She had long considered training her own women's army.
It was just that,
in this era, women who showed their faces in public were rare, let alone those who would join the army.
Therefore,
to recruit so many female soldiers, it would be best to use a different pretext.
Thus,
the next day,
a sudden announcement spread through the streets and alleys of Zhuo County.
"What did you say?"
"Prefect Qin is going to select maids from across Youzhou?"
"Is this a selection of maids or a selection of imperial consorts?"
"It should be maids, right?"
"Although the announcement says they must have dignified appearances, it also mentions they must be able to endure hardship!"
"That's true!"
"If it were a selection of imperial consorts, what noble lady would be able to endure hardship?"
"That's not necessarily true!"
"To climb up to Prefect Qin, even if they can't endure hardship, they'd have to learn to!"
"That makes sense!"
"Prefect Qin has only been here for a few months, and he's already defeated the arrogant Wuhuan people. I heard he captured over a hundred thousand of them this time alone."
"A hundred thousand?!"
"Yes!"
"Then that's a monumental achievement!"
"Indeed!"
"It's because of this that the Prefect has issued a general amnesty across Youzhou, and even the prisoners have been released."
Listening to the discussions of the people on the street, Liu Bei, with his disheveled hair, felt a sense of relief.
As expected!
That scoundrel Qin Feng must have forgotten about him, otherwise, the yamen runners wouldn't have released him.
Since that's the case,
he needed to leave as soon as possible, or it would be troublesome if they ran into each other.
With that thought,
Liu Bei, no longer bothered by envy, jealousy, or hatred, hurried towards the city gates.
He didn't dare to gamble!
What if the yamen runners had released him by mistake, and he was caught again, it wouldn't be fun.
He wouldn't die!
Even for the sake of his second and third brothers, Qin Feng wouldn't kill him.
But being locked up in a prison was truly an unpleasant experience!
However,
what Liu Bei couldn't possibly imagine was that as soon as he left the city gates, Qin Feng received the news.
"He's gone?"
"Gone!"
"Remember to have someone keep a close eye on him, and send back reports on time every month!"
"My Lord, rest assured!"
Hearing the command, the captain of the personal guards curled his lips and promised with conviction.
"I've selected ten of my best brothers to follow him. I guarantee we won't lose track of him."
"That's good!"
Qin Feng nodded, then, with a touch of lingering unease, instructed.
"That fellow is quite adept at making a run for it, so keep a tight watch on him, but don't let him discover you either."
"Understood!"
"You may go."
Waving his hand to dismiss the captain of the personal guards, Qin Feng turned to Li Xiuning, who had just arrived, and said with a hint of annoyance.
"Xiuning, can you explain to this Prefect what was the point of requiring 'dignified appearance' and 'beautiful features' in the recruitment?"
"Is it not good?"
Li Xiuning feigned confusion, blinking her eyes and said teasingly.
"After all, they are going to enter your harem, My Lord. You will definitely see them often in the future."
"If they are too ugly, I fear My Lord might be displeased."
"This..."
Qin Feng, who had intended to scold Li Xiuning a little, found himself stroking his chin upon hearing her words.
Indeed!
Regardless of whether he had any intentions towards them,
it was more pleasing to the eye to look at beautiful people than ugly ones,
but if this was the case,
his reputation as the lecherous Prefect Qin would spread and likely be impossible to change.
"What's the big deal about that?"
Hearing Qin Feng's concern, Li Xiuning shrugged indifferently.
"As long as My Lord provides them with tangible benefits in his governance, this will only show your down-to-earth side."
"Besides, what's wrong with being lecherous?"
"As long as My Lord doesn't forcibly abduct women, I won't say anything."
"Is that so?"
Seeing Li Xiuning dare to tease him, Qin Feng raised an eyebrow and followed her words.
"It just so happens that I plan to expand my harem. Why don't we just select imperial consorts as well!"
"What?!"
Li Xiuning's face paled with alarm, and she quickly leaned closer to Qin Feng.
"My Lord, absolutely not! We agreed to select maids."
"If this truly turns into a selection of imperial consorts, it will become a huge joke!"
"Really?"
Qin Feng feigned confusion and frowned, "But Xiuning, didn't you just say that being lecherous isn't a big problem?"
"I..."
Li Xiuning was momentarily speechless, wanting to say something but not knowing what to say.
Could this be a case of lifting a rock only to drop it on one's own foot?