The Fierce Farm Girl Has A Secret Space

Miss Baihe, who had been provoked by Yang Anshi's revelation of the truth, made up her mind and immediately began packing her belongings. She stuffed her finest clothes into a bundle, followed by her jewelry and the pocket money she had saved up—it turned out to be as much as five taels of silver. Then, she packed some food; there were quite a few sweets and candies in the house, so she had to bring them along, or else she might go hungry...

After finishing her preparations, Yang Baihe began waiting for the right moment to leave. She couldn't just leave recklessly; otherwise, she wouldn't get far before being found and brought back. Therefore, she needed to arrange things in advance, like hiring a carriage beforehand so that once she stepped out the door, she could head straight for Beijing.

Yang Ruxin, of course, knew nothing about what was happening in the old house. She joyfully celebrated her coming-of-age ceremony. Although Qi Jingyun and Song San could be quite troublesome at times, fortunately, they both understood today was her big day, so they refrained from causing any trouble. After peacefully sharing a meal together, they both tactfully took their leave.

The banquet continued until the sun set behind West Mountain.

Fortunately, there were plenty of hands at home these days, so cleaning up afterward was quick.

Yang Ruxin held the gift list in her hands and began reviewing it. The villagers had mostly sent practical items like eggs, fabric, shoe insoles, and handkerchiefs—nothing particularly special. As for the banquet, everything served was genuine and plentiful, ensuring everyone could eat their fill, so there was no need to specially return the favor.

The items sent by Song San and Qi Jingyun, though valuable, were accepted by her with a clear conscience. After all, she had saved Song San's life, and as for Qi Jingyun, if it hadn't been for him back then, how could they have resolved the bandit crisis at the Tiger Pass without shedding blood?

During her recent trip to the Border City, she had asked Qi Jingyi about it. Because of that incident, the Emperor had been exceedingly pleased and even appointed Qi Jingyun to oversee the Eastern Camp.

Now, this brings us to the defenses of Beijing. Beijing, situated slightly to the northwest of the center of the Great Xuan Dynasty, is similar in location to the capital of later generations. It has four gates—East, South, West, and North.

To ensure the city's safety, the Imperial Court established four major military camps surrounding Beijing, each stationed outside one of the four gates. Each camp commands a force of ten thousand soldiers. Though the number of troops isn't particularly large, their status is supreme. To control the Beijing garrison camps is essentially to hold the entry keys to the city.

The leaders of these four camps are trusted confidants of the Emperor. Take Cui Wei, the commander of the Western Camp, for example—he grew up alongside the Emperor and obeys only the Emperor's orders. Then there's Gao Youcai of the Northern Camp—the Gao Family is famed for their unwavering loyalty, maintaining a family tradition that whoever rules is whom they follow.

According to traditions established by the Grand Ancestor, the Crown Prince must hold military authority over at least one camp. Hence, the Crown Prince's juvenile troops are attached to the Southern Camp.

Originally, no one had the right to question the Crown Prince's authority over the Southern Camp, as it was meant to underscore his exceptional status.

Although Qi Jingyun had followed the founding General Zhao Yang into battle at an early age and achieved numerous victories, earning him the title of "War God," he did not hold lasting military power. After each campaign, he was required to return his military authority, leaving him with only the five hundred guards of his Wang Residence.

Now, however, due to his achievements in suppressing the bandits, the Emperor granted him the command of the Eastern Camp's military forces. This signified that his influence now matched the Crown Prince's, despite their differing titles. Yet strangely, the Emperor also bestowed an Imperial Sword upon Gu Qingheng...

Gu Qingheng had already made it clear that he pledged allegiance to the Crown Prince.

This situation became extraordinarily delicate.