Chapter 575: Qing Dynasty Time-Travel Spirit Spring System (26)

"Big niece, do you think Lao Jiu is the one among us who most needs to lose weight and become beautiful? Hahahaha?" Junjunwang listened to Xie Yang mention the weight-loss pills and Skin Beautifying Pill, laughing until he couldn't straighten his back.

"Pfft!"

"Pffthahaha..."

The other lords also started laughing along, glancing at Lao Jiu's figure as they did so:

He was indeed a bit fat; he spent all day eating and drinking at the restaurants he managed himself. The court robes he had just made after autumn began were clearly too small again; he really did need to slim down. But was there any need for skin beautification? What would a grown man want with skin as clear as jade? He wasn't a woman! Hahahaha!

Only Jiu Ye understood, ignoring his brothers who were doubled over with laughter. He arched his slender brows and looked at Xie Yang: "Speak, why did you think of finding Ninth Uncle to cooperate in earning Silver? Your father is the one who looks down most on Ninth Uncle's mercenary face, which has 'Silver' written all over it."

Xie Yang automatically ignored the latter sentence and looked at Jiu Ye earnestly: "Ninth Uncle, your niece needs money. Imperial Grandfather promised your niece that if your niece could assemble a female army through her own ability, he would allow your niece to lead the female army to the front lines."

"Pfft—"

"!!!"

Everyone was shocked.

Junjunwang's eyes widened like Copper bells: "Big niece, what did you say? Imperial Father is letting you assemble a female army?"

The Crown Prince's handsome brows furrowed slightly: "What is the meaning of Imperial Father's move?"

Ba Ye and Jiu Ye exchanged a puzzled look.

Shi Ye scratched his head and cheeks, equally unable to fathom it.

Shisanye glanced at Xie Yang and smiled with insight into everything.

Shisi Ye looked impatient: "What kind of thing is a female army?"

Xie Yang sneered: "Fourteenth Uncle, are you looking down on the female army? But you might not necessarily be a match for the female army."

"Who says so! I..."

"Since Fourteenth Uncle is so confident, why not have a match?"

"..."

Shisi Ye, no matter how slow he was to react, finally caught on—Big niece Haiyin had listed herself in the female army camp.

Compete with her?

Shisi Ye thought of the situation described by the eldest brother and the Crown Prince when they returned from the day they encountered the Wolf, and the corners of his mouth twitched: "I don't compete with juniors."

"Is that so? Is it not because you are worried you won't win and therefore dare not compete?"

The stubborn Shisi Ye stiffened his neck: "Who says so!"

Once these words were out, no matter how reluctant he was, he could only bite the bullet and go to the martial arts field with his big niece.

And then, he was knocked to the ground by his big niece in one move.

He hadn't even seen clearly when his big niece had made her move, or how she had made it.

In short, by the time Si Ye returned from the palace, Xie Yang had not only long finished the match with Fourteenth Uncle, but had also reached a cooperation agreement with Ninth Uncle and settled on a profit-sharing plan, and had already returned to her own Small Side Courtyard, holding a fine-tipped brush to list the female army selection plan on paper.

Si Ye received this plan from the secret guards, and with his hands behind his back, he paced back and forth in the study, unable to do anything about this daughter.

One of the advisors, Wu Sidao, pondered: "Si Ye might as well look at the eldest daughter's idea of recruiting a female army from another angle; it might be a major breakthrough."

"Why does the teacher say so?"

"Whether in this dynasty or the previous one, soldiers have always been recruited based on each household providing a man for military service. The eldest daughter, however, is having women sign up voluntarily, and giving priority to those with foundations in medicine and needlework. This move can not only reduce the complaints of the common people, but also select the talent needed; why is this not a breakthrough?"

Si Ye listened, lost in thought.

Wu Sidao continued to analyze: "The eldest daughter has set out recruitment conditions, with selection in three rounds: the first round checks health, the second looks at perseverance, and the third verifies character. After these three rounds, she selects the people she wants, and then divides them into three camps based on the assessment results: the first camp trains female generals to go to the front lines to kill the enemy, the second camp trains military doctors with qualified medical skills, and the last camp focuses on washing and sewing. What does Si Ye think?"

Of course it was good!

The current soldiers of the Great Qing, apart from those selected from the Eight Banners, were mostly drafted from every household, regardless of whether they were physically strong or weak, or whether they were good at fighting; they were all dragged to the border to serve in the military equally. By comparison, this selection method thought up by Haiyin was certainly more effective.

It was just that...

Si Ye glanced at the female army selection plan in his hand; everything else was fine, it just cost too much Silver!

Currently, apart from the orthodox Manchu Eight Banners soldiers who received salaries and military rations, the local militia recruited and the soldiers drafted from households at most received a few taels of travel expenses before departure, and a few taels of reward Silver during festivals; they usually had no fixed salary. Of course, these local soldiers were only recruited when the war was tight, and they would be sent back to their hometowns to farm after the war.

Yet, according to the treatment the daughter had set for the female army, it was synchronized with the Eight Banners soldiers, enjoying salaries and receiving military rations.

If this wasn't costing Silver, what was?

And Imperial Father wasn't even allocating military rations.

No wonder this girl would look for Lao Jiu to cooperate...

Si Ye felt both helpless and gratified; his daughter had chosen a path he had previously never dared to imagine.

"Elder Sister, rest assured! Shaoyao will definitely handle this matter according to Elder Sister's instructions!"

"Haitang will also do her utmost to complete Gege's entrustment!"

"Chuntao will definitely not fail Gege's trust, and will certainly mobilize the sisters in her hometown to sign up!"

"Qiuwan will certainly inform her family and let the elders in the family help promote it."

In the Small Side Courtyard, after Xie Yang had revised and perfected the female army recruitment plan several times, she sent out the maids around her.

There was no help for it; time waited for no one.

The launch of the female army was bound to cause heated discussion among the people, but it was unknown how many qualified women would dare to take the first step; she could only send the people around her to take the lead and set an example... er, act as a plant.

Jiangbei Nankan Zhen—

"What? The imperial court is recruiting soldiers again? And this time they're recruiting female soldiers?"

"What are female soldiers recruited for? Are they going to the front lines to fight too?"

"If they aren't fighting, what are they called female soldiers for? Do you think they're recruiting military prostitutes!"

"Hahahaha—"

At the city gate, a group of grown men gathered in front of the newly posted notice, laughing and joking.

Not far away, in front of the table where people were waiting to sign up, there was no one except for a yamen runner propping up his forehead and dozing off.

There were absolutely no women coming forward to sign up.

At this moment, a woman wearing a veil hat walked up quickly: "Official, this young woman is willing to sign up!"

The yamen runner yawned and carelessly picked up a brush to open the registration book: "What is your surname and given name, what is your age, where is your ancestral home, and what are your specialties?"

In his opinion, the imperial court was really just coming up with ideas on a whim; even when men were conscripted for service, there weren't so many rigid requirements, yet they were pulling all these tricks just to recruit female soldiers.

However, the person who delivered the notice was a retainer from the Fourth Beile Mansion, and after posting the notice, he had not left, but was still beating gongs and drums to promote it both inside and outside the city.

Even the county magistrate could only accompany him with a smile and follow orders, so how could they dare to offend him? Anyway, it wasn't their money being spent, so just recruit! As for whether they could actually recruit anyone, that was none of their business.

Before the yamen runner could lift his brush to transcribe the applicant's information, the commoners gathered around to watch the excitement crowded over and asked curiously: "Swords and spears have no eyes, and those who go to serve in the military often face nine deaths for one life; why is a young lady like you so unable to think straight?"

?? 10 fan titles will be given out this month. Those who want one can reply to the relevant post in the comment section o(*￣︶￣*)o