This is the natural arrangement.

However, General Yue Pengwu protested vehemently.

But the Qilin moved swiftly, and without hesitation, Prince Qin personally carried the Fierce Tiger Sky Shouting Halberd and went forward. General Yue Pengwu could only prioritize the overall situation, staying in the safety of the rear, hearing the intense battles at the frontline over these months.

General Yue Pengwu wrote twelve urgent letters of top military importance to the frontline.

Hoping Li Guanyi could retreat a bit.

Asking how could a country’s sovereign personally go to battle, when generals have failed, let alone take the risk of leading from the front.

Or that such a precious life shouldn’t be risking danger by charging headlong.

General Yue is a respectable man, at least as written in the documents, but the basic idea was that he hoped Prince Qin could fight less aggressively in the frontline, or better yet, swap roles and let General Yue Pengwu give it a try.

Prince Qin always responded politely, but essentially with:

Alright, alright.

Next time for sure!

The major affairs of the world depend on you, there’s no need to trouble General Yue over this matter.

Despite General Yue Pengwu’s twelve letters, he couldn’t bring the monarch fighting at the front back, leaving him frustrated, while Prince Qin’s combat skills focused not on slaughter but on winning hearts, continually supplying the rear with various resources and people.

This left Mr. Yan Daiqing in a constant uncertain mood.

Tribal populations were scattered, placed in different locations, with Fan Qing’s Qilin Army warriors taking care, while the Chen Country frontline soldiers who fought bravely had other arrangements.

Today, Saatanati and Xue Changqing went to those places where frontline warriors were being settled, seemingly there was a conflict between an old soldier and a villager from Jiangnan. When they arrived, the gray-haired old soldier was insistingly hoping to take something.

But the villager from Jiangnan was unwilling. Upon inquiry, they found out that the old soldier wanted a puppy from a litter the villager’s dog had, offering to pay for it. The villager’s tone carried some resentment, yet couldn’t hide his straightforward nature, saying:

"It’s just a dog, it’s not about the money."

"On regular days, if you wanted not just one but two or three, as long as you’re not going to eat them, I could give them to you, they’re not worth much."

"But this litter was already promised to my friends to raise; each one accounted for, and this matter needs an order, or else my reputation here is at stake, and where would I put my face?"

"This old fellow came straight over, startling people, and when asked what he wanted, he wouldn’t say, finally speaking, only saying he wanted a dog."

"Coming here so agitated, why should I give him one?"

The old soldier, with white hair hanging over his forehead, simply said: "I... this dog looks so much like one I raised with a brother. I... I beg you, just this little dog..."

The man frowned, looking at the old soldier who was almost kneeling, clasping his hands together in plea, softened but still firm with his words, saying: "Let your brother come by, what’s your point in coming here?"

"Look, even Mr. Zhao is here, along with the Qilin Army colonel, alright, you bring your brother’s old dog here, I’ll take a look, if it really looks like it, I’ll give it to you."

The old soldier replied: "That dog is dead."

The man paused, moved his lips, then closed them again, saying: "So... your brother?"

The old soldier answered: "Also dead, died in the Western Regions, or was it the Northern Border?"

"I don’t remember."

"I really want this dog, just... really sorry, I’ve just come back from the Northern Border, ha, to be honest, now my nerves are tense, sometimes at night when I hear someone shout, I wake up immediately, clutching a knife."

"It’s like I’m going crazy, truly sorry, I don’t want the dog anymore." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"I’m truly sorry."

The old soldier pulled his clothes, turned around and walked away, while the man stood stunned for a while, before suddenly raising his hand and slapping his own face fiercely, cursing, then reaching out to pick up the dog, catching up in a few strides, stuffing it into the old soldier’s arms, saying:

"Take it, brother."

"Have it, keep it!"

The old soldier hesitated, declining for a while, but the man simply said: "Go ahead, it’s just a dog, never mind."

The old soldier thought for a moment, first took out a bag from his chest, placed it on the ground—it was full of Copper Coins, Zheng’s compensation—then cautiously accepted the dog, holding it.

This is a good dog.

Little, with dark yellow fur, its nose damp.

Seemingly affected by the aura of bloodshed rolling off the old soldier, the puppy shivered, and peed on the old soldier, who cursed.

Then he lowered his head, sniffed the odor, suddenly laughed loudly, saying:

"What did this dog eat, it reeks!"

"Got a fever, huh!"

As he said this, he suddenly choked up, touching the puppy’s head with his forehead, making the puppy unexpectedly unafraid, extending its tongue to gently lick Zhou Laosan’s head. Zhou Laosan wiped his tears, then put the puppy on his shoulder.

Zhou Laosan carried at his waist two knives, both with broken edges, one handle carved with a dog’s head symbol.