The Empress' Livestream - Chapter 331
Chapter 331: Red Dowries (IV)
When Xu Ke calmed his heart and mind down, he discreetly directed Jiang Pengji, whose heart was high and mighty, to the side and continued to report the situation.
“Following Langjun’s orders, the women’s troop is being managed by Maiden Jiang. Thus, when Ke returned to Hejian, I found her to understand the situation first.”
The Maiden Jiang that Xu Ke spoke of is Jiang Nongqin.
In reality, as for Jiang Nongqin, Xu Ke stayed away from her as she is someone who cannot be messed with.
He came from Langye to Hejian a few months ago and wanted to understand more about the situation of the troops from Nongqin, who was then educating the women’s group.
He saw with his own eyes how she beat her tall, muscular young opponent to a pulp, really beating him violently!
The young man was big, too, his muscular arms impressive: each and every muscle stood out, he had looked so intimidating and strong, but his reaction and action was slower than Jiang Nongqin’s, from the start to the end, he never once caught her sleeve, but his hair got caught by her and was pressed to the ground with her sword on his neck.
From start to end, decisively violent.
He shuddered to think of it.
“Nongqin is hardworking…”
Jiang Pengji hasn’t seen Jiang Nongqin for years, but this doesn’t mean she forgot her.
She occasionally mails a training list, drawing drafts of training manuals, the killing of generals and other pointers… Nongqin diligently and tirelessly practices them daily. When she has time, she reads and learns, she recently wrote a letter to her, asking some simple questions.
Jiang Pengji has always admired someone who is willing to work hard to change their present circumstances.
Xu Ke nodded in approval, he had seen Jiang Nongqin’s original features, so after many years, seeing the change in her shocked him.
Under Nongqin’s management, the women troops have somewhat taken form.
However, the average age of girls taken in are too young, only basic training can be conducted and they can only help do things within the limits of their strength.
Those who were of age had weak health and cried at the slightest training. Towards these people, Nongqin could not be bothered to pity them.
Jiang Pengji had a smile in her eyes as she asked, “how did she deal with it?”
Xu Ke had a weird expression as he said, “Maiden Jiang conveyed to the women troops that it was either fight each other out here… or serve men in the whorehouse.”
Some did not believe and were signaled out by Nongqin, they became an example for the rest: she got people to come claim them directly and marked their names to be sold someplace!
After this was enforced, no one dared to rebel.
These ladies were born into poverty, they were not pampered ladies of big households, after bearing for a few days and seeing that Nongqin’s heart did not soften, they did not make any noise, they did as they were instructed, they trained when told and came together to study.
Slowly, they realized Nongqin was not out to harm them and their loyalty returned to her.
As for the ladies who were obviously older in age, Nongqin tasked them to wash, sew and cook.
At this, the audience in the live-streaming room raised an issue.
Da Zhuangzhu Furen: “Streamer, I feel that besides these, they can be taught emergency first aid skills. The probability of dying in war is high, most of them do not die immediately but instead die because they did not receive medical attention and care in time after the war.”
“That is true,” Laosiji Lianmeng said from his screen. “If the women troop wants to be recognized by the world, they must prove themselves to shut the mouths of those critical people. At least the people under the Streamer must first acknowledge their existence. If they can do more than fight during the war, also treating injuries, tending to soldiers then it can block out the gossips and rumors. Regardless of what the world says, the Streamer’s internal department must be united.”
Jiang Pengji was not blind to these considerations. She tapped her finger lightly on the table.
Since she let Nongqin adopt these orphaned girls and form the women’s troops, her heart naturally had built preventive measures.
The suggestions that the audience in the live streaming room gave were highly possible to implement.
But… Jiang Pengji knitted her brows, even though she could learn first-aid, those skills were not suitable for ancient times like these.
Then the others began to speak up.
Streamer V: “Do you have books about emergency rescue during wartime there?”
Tangchao Lizi: “Yes! My sister majored in nursing. I will help you find the books she used.”
Weici Niangniang Jiawo: “Go, go, go, don’t fight — I studied nursing and have five years of experience working at the emergency department.”
Zhuyi Shisuo: “Pi, I am the head nurse of the emergency department, who dares to fight with me!”
The past few years, Jiang Pengji has directed most of her energy to studying but has not let her guard down regarding controlling and testing the System, after a series of victory and defeat on the System’s end, the streaming room has leveled up to level 4, the upper limit of audiences has reached one hundred and fifty thousand!
One hundred and fifty thousand people in the audience in the streaming room, even if they were all kept in the dark, there were no lack of talents from all fields.
Jiang Pengji inquired about their nursing knowledge, and the number of the audience who replied naturally were as many as the carps crossing the river.
After she listened intently to Xu Ke’s summarized report, her heart consolidated an overall message.
“What news is there from Chongzhou?”
She had encouraged Liu She to take down Chongzhou’s government back then, essentially because she had her sights on this land.
Because the three factions of the Northern borderline are were vying to support Nansheng in war, Dongqing sent away a group of troops. Liu She had legitimate reasons to gather troops for war, with a resounding motto of “protecting the North borderline”. Not fearing even if Emperor of Dongqing and the North borderline were affectionate to one another, they could not refute his reasoning.
“The Old Master sent a message recently saying that all is well.”
“Eh, Chongzhou has Father safeguarding, I am not worried.”
Jiang Pengji knew how rich the Second wife’s warehouse was. They could assemble an army of at least 20,000 in Chongzhou including the troops she put her heart into training, it was not so pathetic.
Xu Ke closed his eyes. He could roughly guess her intentions from Jiang Pengji’s plans.
“From what Ke understands, all the princes are of age, the fight for the throne is getting serious as time passes. The nobles and eunuchs are temporarily joining hands to create a mess in court, Prince Changshou has great ambitions and certainly will take big actions hereafter. Langjun should seize the opportunity…”
Jiang Pengji shook her head, “No if we do this, this will be advantageous to the North borderline who has been eyeing it for a long time.”
She understood Ke’s meaning, to take advantage of the court in a mess, the people of Dongqing were suffering to gain an upper hand by gathering soldiers to dominate a plot of land.
Certainly, the bird that pokes its head out first will be hit. Thus, it was wiser to wait for the other powers to become impatient and be the first to show signs of offense… then she would act.
Even so, it was the equivalent to the internal conflict in Dongqing giving the North borderline, a third party, an advantage.
“Langjun wishes to defeat the North borderline first?” Xu Ke asked.
“Dongqing’s hinterland, let them fight over it first.” Jiang Pengji raised the sides of her lips in a smirk. “To resist foreign troops is an outright righteous standpoint.”
One’s own siblings and relatives fighting each other versus having foreigners stealing things, the significance would be clear.
The three tribes of the North borderline are the foreign invaders.
“The North borderline appears hard to conquer but is Dongqing’s army so easily defeated? The princes, the Emperor himself and those appointed dukes are hostile towards each other, including the support from aristocratic families, the internal conflict in Dongqing will be very complicated. Rather than fight with them, why not wait for them to fight over it and then put things in order. Before that, we will take down the three tribes of the North borderline and occupy their horse stable!”
“But the North borderline… Dongqing has been at war for many years but still cannot beat them…”
Xu Ke thought about it before but going against the North borderline single-handedly was the equivalent to fighting a country.
Just by possessing Chongzhou, this prefecture, how were they to accomplish this?
She smiled secretively at what was hard for them to fathom. “So, we have to beat them to it.”
