Xiao Lu tidies the cape on Gu Nan’s shoulder, who wears a set of grayish white armor gifted by the King of Qin.
Grayish white is the color for those in mourning.
Gu Nan agreed to the king’s proposal to train a battalion of forbidden army for him. Afterall, she will get paid for that.
The Wu An mansion should not have been so desolate and short in wealth given Bai Qi’s position and salary. However, Bai Qi spent most of the money on books which were extraordinarily expensive before the invention of printing.
After Bai Qi’s death, his title and lands have been taken back, since Gu Nan is neither a noble nor a high-ranking official to inherit Bai Qi’s legacy.
As a result, the Wu An mansion is rendered an empty shell. Should Gu Nan not make money in the situation, every remaining resident in the mansion would have to starve soon.
Gu Nan caught a glimpse of Xiao Lu’s absent-minded expression. “What is it?” Gu Nan tightens the rope around her waist and leans her head to Xiao Lu. “You look distracted. Got your eyes on some good-looking boys on the street?”
“Stop saying nonsense.” Flushed, Xiao Lu straightens Gu Nan’s cape. “I was just thinking that miss have officially entered the army in the end.”
Gu Nan has told Xiao Lu about what she is going to do.
Although she does not have a military rank, she does have real power since she will have a three-hundred men battalion of forbidden army under her training, plus the salary and benefit of a thousand-men general.
Moreover, those three hundred forbidden guards only listen to the king’s bidding instead of the commandant of guards.
To Gu Nan, this is the best scenario due to the payment and the position. To the king, this can also be considered as a test to her military capability.
Whatever the case is, Gu Nan has finally joined the army.
Gu Nan grins: “why do you look so depressed hearing me join the army?”
“I’m not.”
Xiao Lu hangs her head: “It is just that the people I know of who joined the army mostly…”
Mostly don’t end up well.
Xiao Lu can no longer go on; in her mind, people like her lord and the young miss should live out their live peacefully and happily.
Gu Nan knows what she wants to say, and rubs her nose lightly.
“Curb your imagination. I am just to train some soldiers, and nothing can happen to me.”
Saying so, she straightens the collar.
“Alright, I will be on my way.”
The Xian Yang city prison is in the east town.
After the Shang Yang’s reform, the kingdom of Qin adopts legalism as the principle to rule.
As a result, prisons and brutal punishments become the most handful tools to rule the country.
Even the tiniest wrong doing can send someone behind bars.
Outside of the prison, a person in white armor on horseback approaches slowly, drawing the prison guards’ attention.
The armor is not white like a shining and sparkling armor, instead it is grayish white as if covered by a layer of dust.
The grayish white armor looks strange since it resembles a mourning outfit. However, on the person riding the horse, it looks striking.
On her face is a bronze mask of animal face with hideous and frightening fangs, completely covering her expression.
Under her stands a fine steed, a deep scar on one of its eyes, looking ferocious.
“Stay where you are!” The two guards step forward after seeing the approaching person.
Gu Nan reins in the horse and jumps off its back.
“Your permit!”
Gu Nan nods, taking out the command token that the king gives her alone with the armor set.
The guard checks the token and then salute her with a fist in palm. “Please wait here, mister. I need to inform the superior of your arrival.”
Gu Nan is dressed up as a military officer, hence the guard mistaking her as a man.
“Take your time, it is just a routine.”
The voice sounds… weird.”
The guard dare not contemplate over it. Afterall, thinking too much about the higher ups might get himself into troubles.
He runs into the prison and returns after a few whiles.
“My apology about the delay. You can enter now.”
Then the other guard who blocked the way steps aside.
“Appreciate it.” Gu Nan retrieves the token and pulls the horse inside.
After Gu Nan has gone far, one guard gives the other a look.
“It is rare to see someone in white armor.”
“I think his voice sounds strange, somewhat like a woman.”
“A woman? No way a woman can be a general.”
“It is also strange that a general would visit a prison.”
“Yea… a lot of strange things happen these years.”
“Agreed.”
The two guards lean against the wall busy chatting. Slacking off when no one else is around is also a strange tradition that others cannot understand.
Gu Nan enters the prison. Inside it is damp and chilly, a faint foul smell in the air.
The lobby is somewhat better, but the unpleasant feeling is still hard to shake off.
A warden approaches Gu Nan and salutes. “I did not know that you general is coming and hence please forgive me for my delay in welcoming you. With all due respect, may I know why you are here?”
During war time, military officials mostly are of higher ranks. Therefore, seeing Gu Nan in armors, the warden presumably takes her as a high-ranking general and salutes her.
Gu Nan hands over an official dispatch to the warden. “I am here to summon three hundred convicts on death roll under orders.”
Three hundred convicts on death roll?
What is that for? The warden is dumbfounded.
Taking the document, the warden confirms that it indeed is an official dispatch but still hesitates.
“You see, general, three hundred is not an easy number especially when all of them are convicts on death roll. Do the higher-ups…?”
Saying so, the warden points upward, suggesting a riddle.
“Ah, you don’t need to worry about it.” Gu Nan waves her hand. “This goes through official protocols, and has the approval from the commandant of justice.”
“Please prepare the convicts’ cases for me so I can start the selection process.”
Actually, it is the king that wants those men, and so there is no way the commandant of justice would dare object it.
“Is that so.” The warden smiles awkwardly, finally feeling settled. “I fully understand now. Please come with me, general.”
The three hundred convicts on death roll, under the king’s order, are to be trained by Gu Nan into a battalion of forbidden army.
Xiao Lu tidies the cape on Gu Nan’s shoulder, who wears a set of grayish white armor gifted by the King of Qin.
Grayish white is the color for those in mourning.
Gu Nan agreed to the king’s proposal to train a battalion of forbidden army for him. Afterall, she will get paid for that.
The Wu An mansion should not have been so desolate and short in wealth given Bai Qi’s position and salary. However, Bai Qi spent most of the money on books which were extraordinarily expensive before the invention of printing.
After Bai Qi’s death, his title and lands have been taken back, since Gu Nan is neither a noble nor a high-ranking official to inherit Bai Qi’s legacy.
As a result, the Wu An mansion is rendered an empty shell. Should Gu Nan not make money in the situation, every remaining resident in the mansion would have to starve soon.
Gu Nan caught a glimpse of Xiao Lu’s absent-minded expression. “What is it?” Gu Nan tightens the rope around her waist and leans her head to Xiao Lu. “You look distracted. Got your eyes on some good-looking boys on the street?”
“Stop saying nonsense.” Flushed, Xiao Lu straightens Gu Nan’s cape. “I was just thinking that miss have officially entered the army in the end.”
Gu Nan has told Xiao Lu about what she is going to do.
Although she does not have a military rank, she does have real power since she will have a three-hundred men battalion of forbidden army under her training, plus the salary and benefit of a thousand-men general.
Moreover, those three hundred forbidden guards only listen to the king’s bidding instead of the commandant of guards.
To Gu Nan, this is the best scenario due to the payment and the position. To the king, this can also be considered as a test to her military capability.
Whatever the case is, Gu Nan has finally joined the army.
Gu Nan grins: “why do you look so depressed hearing me join the army?”
“I’m not.”
Xiao Lu hangs her head: “It is just that the people I know of who joined the army mostly…”
Mostly don’t end up well.
Xiao Lu can no longer go on; in her mind, people like her lord and the young miss should live out their live peacefully and happily.
Gu Nan knows what she wants to say, and rubs her nose lightly.
“Curb your imagination. I am just to train some soldiers, and nothing can happen to me.”
Saying so, she straightens the collar.
“Alright, I will be on my way.”
The Xian Yang city prison is in the east town.
After the Shang Yang’s reform, the kingdom of Qin adopts legalism as the principle to rule.
As a result, prisons and brutal punishments become the most handful tools to rule the country.
Even the tiniest wrong doing can send someone behind bars.
Outside of the prison, a person in white armor on horseback approaches slowly, drawing the prison guards’ attention.
The armor is not white like a shining and sparkling armor, instead it is grayish white as if covered by a layer of dust.
The grayish white armor looks strange since it resembles a mourning outfit. However, on the person riding the horse, it looks striking.
On her face is a bronze mask of animal face with hideous and frightening fangs, completely covering her expression.
Under her stands a fine steed, a deep scar on one of its eyes, looking ferocious.
“Stay where you are!” The two guards step forward after seeing the approaching person.
Gu Nan reins in the horse and jumps off its back.
“Your permit!”
Gu Nan nods, taking out the command token that the king gives her alone with the armor set.
The guard checks the token and then salute her with a fist in palm. “Please wait here, mister. I need to inform the superior of your arrival.”
Gu Nan is dressed up as a military officer, hence the guard mistaking her as a man.
“Take your time, it is just a routine.”
The voice sounds… weird.”
The guard dare not contemplate over it. Afterall, thinking too much about the higher ups might get himself into troubles.
He runs into the prison and returns after a few whiles.
“My apology about the delay. You can enter now.”
Then the other guard who blocked the way steps aside.
“Appreciate it.” Gu Nan retrieves the token and pulls the horse inside.
After Gu Nan has gone far, one guard gives the other a look.
“It is rare to see someone in white armor.”
“I think his voice sounds strange, somewhat like a woman.”
“A woman? No way a woman can be a general.”
“It is also strange that a general would visit a prison.”
“Yea… a lot of strange things happen these years.”
“Agreed.”
The two guards lean against the wall busy chatting. Slacking off when no one else is around is also a strange tradition that others cannot understand.
Gu Nan enters the prison. Inside it is damp and chilly, a faint foul smell in the air.
The lobby is somewhat better, but the unpleasant feeling is still hard to shake off.
A warden approaches Gu Nan and salutes. “I did not know that you general is coming and hence please forgive me for my delay in welcoming you. With all due respect, may I know why you are here?”
During war time, military officials mostly are of higher ranks. Therefore, seeing Gu Nan in armors, the warden presumably takes her as a high-ranking general and salutes her.
Gu Nan hands over an official dispatch to the warden. “I am here to summon three hundred convicts on death roll under orders.”
Three hundred convicts on death roll?
What is that for? The warden is dumbfounded.
Taking the document, the warden confirms that it indeed is an official dispatch but still hesitates.
“You see, general, three hundred is not an easy number especially when all of them are convicts on death roll. Do the higher-ups…?”
Saying so, the warden points upward, suggesting a riddle.
“Ah, you don’t need to worry about it.” Gu Nan waves her hand. “This goes through official protocols, and has the approval from the commandant of justice.”
“Please prepare the convicts’ cases for me so I can start the selection process.”
Actually, it is the king that wants those men, and so there is no way the commandant of justice would dare object it.
“Is that so.” The warden smiles awkwardly, finally feeling settled. “I fully understand now. Please come with me, general.”
The three hundred convicts on death roll, under the king’s order, are to be trained by Gu Nan into a battalion of forbidden army.
