Chapter 457 – The First Winter (Part 4)
“As long as the ladies aren’t blind, they’d definitely be clamoring for a splendid Young Master like Han Mei.”
Qi Guanrang chuckled teasingly, “Every time Han Mei shows up at the affairs hall, those ladies stretch their necks to sneak a peek at him. It’s obvious how charming his face is. If it weren’t for Han Mei knitting his own sweaters, I bet there’d be ladies shyly asking if he needed help knitting one, tsk tsk tsk.”
Don’t let Li Yun’s innocence fool you; when he’s quietly observing, he’s undoubtedly the cool, aloof heartthrob.
When it comes to skills, he’s unmatched—no one in Xiangyang can defeat him except Jiang Pengji. His marksmanship is indeed fierce and cunning; after a match with him, Meng Hunyun couldn’t help but exclaim how incredible the younger generation is.
Then Li Yun went eagerly to spar with Jiang Pengji, almost getting knocked out.
As for his looks, Li Yun is undoubtedly the most handsome guy in Xiangyang, ranking in the top three even in Dongqing.
His beauty isn’t like Wei Ci’s ethereal charm, which blurs gender lines; Li Yun leans more towards rugged masculinity without being bulky. Tall and lean, he looks slim in clothes yet well-built without them.
His eyes almost seem to spark electricity. When he quietly focuses on someone, it’s hard to resist his silent allure—it’s like a current flows through, making one all tingly inside.
Of course, this charm only fools the uninitiated. If you know Li Yun, you realize the fantasy quickly fades.
Where’s that supposed cool, aloof heartthrob?
Who’s this silly, sweet boy in front of me?
The ladies in the affairs hall used to secretly like him, but now they just view him as an adorable little brother.
After receiving praise, Li Yun blushed quietly, “Sir Wenzhen, you flatter me. I’m really not that great.”
With a piece of barbecued meat in her mouth, Jiang Pengji smacked her lips and remarked, “Wenzhen’s right though. But if Han Mei truly wants to find a wife next year, aiming to become a father by year’s end, he better keep his mouth shut. If someone stares at you, stare back. If they say ten words, respond with one. Gaze has to be icy, expression must be serious.”
Silent and stoic, just relying on that face and presence can stir the hearts of young girls.
Once he opens his mouth, his IQ might just show through.
Li Yun looked confused, “Isn’t that quite rude?”
Jiang Pengji scoffed, “If you don’t do that, you might as well stay single forever, it’s a tough life.”
Li Yun glanced at Qi Guanrang and the others, trying to seek an answer.
In his view, besides the Lord, these three gentlemen are the smartest but only smile knowingly, offering him significant glances without any intention to clarify, while Meng Hunyun and Luo Yue patted his shoulder with sighs.
For martial artists, as long as they have the street smarts on the battlefield, there’s no need to demand more.
Let’s talk business at the dining table while we eat.
Jiang Pengji had this laid-back personality behind closed doors; others might find it odd initially but got used to it over time.
She took the roasted chicken leg Li Yun offered, bit into it, and its flavor burst forth on her palate.
She said, “With the weather getting colder, there’s not much to do in this winter. The common people are cooped up at home, either knitting or knitting, feeling restless. I want to give them something to do—recruit some strong young female soldiers, teach them battlefield first aid knowledge to use after spring sowing.”
Luo Yue stared at Jiang Pengji in shock, while the others seemed unfazed.
Xu Ke picked up a plate of cooked mushrooms and dipped it into some vibrant red sauce.
“That’s feasible… How many does the Lord plan to recruit?”
In charge of the county’s finances, Xu Ke understood women a bit deeper.
Sure, they were a bit weaker than men, but their resilience was impressive, and overall labor wasn’t much less than men’s.
Having witnessed the combat effectiveness of the female troops led by Nong Qin, Xu Ke had no objections.
“Let’s start with four or five hundred…” She stuffed the chicken leg into her mouth, crunching it loudly as she spat out a whole bone, bone clean and meatless, showcasing how thoroughly she devoured it. “Nong Qin has six hundred seventy female soldiers, and there are still about one thousand three hundred thirty able-bodied men. After the new year, I’ll send them to Xiangyang to join us. The female soldiers will all be managed by Nong Qin. Although they will act as a logistics rescue team, the battlefield is unpredictable, and they also need to learn how to fight.”
It doesn’t mean logistics are truly safe; after all, haven’t there been countless historical examples of ambushing enemy supply lines?
Jiang Pengji wasn’t seeing the female soldiers as mere battlefield nurses; she hoped they’d genuinely engage in combat.
Of course, the current scale of female soldiers is too small, their strength lacking—time is needed for growth, starting with them learning as battlefield nurses.
“This… this might not be appropriate for women…” Luo Yue hesitated to voice his thoughts.
Xu Ke smiled, “You’d better not let Jiang Pengji hear you say that, or she’ll definitely beat you from the east gate to the west.”
“Jiang Pengji?” Luo Yue asked, bewildered; he hadn’t heard of her.
Xu Ke replied, “Jiang Pengji, full name Jiang Nong Qin, maidservant at the Lord’s residence. She’s been here since the Lord built the troops, taught by Coach Meng. If you want to talk about her lethal efficiency, even the boldest of gentlemen would shiver. Even if faced with her, Coach Meng wouldn’t fare well.”
Meng Hunyun was called out.
He couldn’t help but chuckle, waving his hand, “Don’t mention her; just thinking about her makes my whole body ache.”
Born for the battlefield, Meng Hunyun’s martial arts revolved around forceful approaches.
Jiang Nong Qin, however, was different; knowing her weaknesses, she avoided them entirely and focused on enhancing her strengths. She also inherited some of Jiang Pengji’s fierce style, honing in on the enemy’s weak points in every move.
Once she strikes, it’s either a fatal hit or serious injury.
Once, Meng Hunyun intended to test Nong Qin in front of their troops; before he even realized what happened, he’d been tossed aside.
That moment solidified Nong Qin’s reputation—now she’s really not someone to mess with.
After Meng Hunyun took some troops to Chongzhou, the remaining troops in Hejian were led by Nong Qin, even leading daily sweeps against bandits, leaving only corpses in her wake.
Meng Hunyun suspected that the troop numbers being low might have something to do with Nong Qin.
Luo Yue was astonished, “Could she be a mother tiger? Is she really that terrifying?”
Meng Hunyun grinned, “She’s way scarier—when she comes, you should test her skills.”
Luo Yue often practiced martial arts with Meng Hunyun, naturally aware of his prowess.
If even Meng Hunyun respected that Jiang girl, one could tell she’s no ordinary woman.
Furrowing his brow, he replied, “Let’s wait until she arrives.”
