Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 296: Chapter 293 Establishing the Camp

Bai Ningshuang snorted, ”Our Prince Mansion’s guards are sufficient now, there’s no need to recruit more people.”

Bai Ningyu said, ”Elder sister, isn’t that incorrect? I think the Prince Mansion guards still have gaps, right?”

Bai Ningshuang said, ”When I say there’s no gap, there’s no gap!”

Bai Ningyu looked at her helplessly and then turned to Chu Minghou, ”Brother-in-law, aren’t I your actual younger brother-in-law?”

Chu Minghou laughed, ”Everything in the mansion is decided by your sister.”

”But you’re the head of the mansion,” Bai Ningyu said. ”You’re a man, husband, a dignified prince, how can you be constrained by a woman?”

Bai Ningshuang rushed up and twisted his ear harshly.

”Ouch ouch—!” Bai Ningyu cried out miserably, quickly pleading, ”Sister, how old am I now, let go, let go!”

Bai Ningshuang glared at him fiercely, ”Get lost quickly!”

As she spoke, she gave another fierce twist.

Bai Ningyu cried out miserably again.

Chu Minghou couldn’t stand it anymore, he hurried forward and pressed Bai Ningshuang’s hand, ”Alright, alright.”

Only then did Bai Ningshuang let go, glaring viciously at Bai Ningyu, ”Are you, as an uncle, really trying to harm Yuan’er?”

”Elder sister, I’m not trying to harm Yuan’er,” Bai Ningyu protested, ”Just adding two guards to your Prince Mansion. Their martial arts are outstanding, they are astute and efficient, and they are honest, they are rare talents. If not for their future, I’d never let them go, they would be pillars in my mansion!”

”Pah, not interested!” Bai Ningshuang said angrily with a hint of resentment, ”Our Prince Mansion has plenty of pillars, the Eagle Camp has many too, it’s a joke to say we lack your two guards!?”

”Elder sister...”

”If you add two guards today, do you believe that tomorrow other Prince Mansions will also add two guards?” Bai Ningshuang snorted, ”We don’t need so many guards!”

”Elder sister, I’m your real brother,” Bai Ningyu insisted.

Bai Ningshuang snorted, ”You’re my real brother, aren’t the other Prince Mansions’ princes his real brothers too?”

Bai Ningyu said, ”The Prince Mansion’s guards aren’t enough now, isn’t having more better?”

”What use are these guards?” Bai Ningshuang snorted, ”On the surface, they are our guards, who knows whose guards they are in secret, such guards we can’t afford!”

”...Then—”

”What do you mean then this then that!” Bai Ningshuang interrupted him, ”Stop thinking about using crooked ways, if they want to become Grandmasters, then let them enter the Martial Arts Hall, if they want to enter the Martial Arts Hall, then let them earn merits!”

”They are City Patrol, unable to enter the Military Suppression Department,” Bai Ningyu said helplessly.

Not just anyone can enter the Military Suppression Department.

Of course, not everyone wants to enter the Military Suppression Department either.

”The City Patrol can earn merits too,” Bai Ningshuang said.

Bai Ningyu deflated like a punctured ball, ”The City Patrol earns so few merits, who knows how long it will take.”

Bai Ningshuang snorted, ”Eventually it will be their turn, Innate Perfection is not as common as you think.”

”Elder sister, you really don’t understand,” Bai Ningyu sighed helplessly, ”You have no idea how many people are in the Military Suppression Department, do you think there are only these in Yujing City? The Military Suppression Department has hands everywhere in the world, how many of them are at Innate Perfection? If these Innate Perfection folks have to wait their turn, other people will have to wait a year or two, there might not be enough.”

”One or two years is nothing,” Bai Ningshuang said, ”Some are stuck at Innate Perfection for ten to twenty years, or even a lifetime.”

”This...” Bai Ningyu found himself speechless.

That is indeed true.

Many are stuck at the Perfect Realm, most can never step into the realm of a Grandmaster.

Only after crossing sixty years of age and losing hope for life do they give up.

Compared to those years, waiting a year or two is indeed nothing.

But people are greedy, if one doesn’t have to wait two years, why wait, those two years could mean missing the chance to become a Great Grandmaster.

If one can’t step into Great Grandmaster before eighty, there will be no hope left.

Maybe, just maybe, those two years are all it takes.

Bai Ningshuang said angrily, ”You, as an uncle, do not think about helping your nephew avoid trouble, but instead you make things worse, and yet you have the face to come here, if I were you, I would find a piece of tofu and bash myself until half-dead!”

”Elder sister, I’m just trying to be kind.”

”Kindness my foot!” Bai Ningshuang said angrily, ”Hurry up and get lost!”

”...Alright, alright.” Bai Ningyu quickly said, ”I just returned to the capital, I should find a chance to meet Yuan’er, as uncle and nephew we can’t stop meeting, we’re almost like strangers now.”

”Fine, in a few days,” Bai Ningshuang said, ”I don’t have the mind for it right now!”

”Alas...” Bai Ningyu saw that Bai Ningshuang was impervious, understanding her temper, got up helplessly, ”Then I shall leave.”

”Get lost!” Bai Ningshuang snorted.

”Not even giving me a meal, truly heartless,” Bai Ningyu mumbled as he walked out, ”Brother-in-law, let’s go have a drink tonight.”

”No,” Bai Ningshuang said with a stern face, ”You think your brother-in-law doesn’t have enough trouble?”

Chu Minghou smiled bitterly, ”Tonight won’t work, Fifth Brother already made arrangements.”

”Then the night after?”

”The night after Thirteenth Brother.”

”...Brother-in-law, you’re really busy.” Bai Ningyu gave a wry smile.

Chu Minghou sighed, ”What can I do, if the younger brothers invite me to eat, I can’t decline, right?”

Bai Ningyu showed a sympathetic look.

He could imagine how difficult it was for Chu Minghou.

Helping a little with brothers is nothing, but this matter is not that easy at all.

Chu Minghou said, ”My lady, please entertain Yi’er for a meal, I shall escort Ningyu out.”

He followed Bai Ningyu as he walked out.

Bai Ningyu waved, ”Elder sister, no need to see me off.”

Bai Ningshuang shot him a fierce look and walked off with a twist of her waist.

After Bai Ningshuang left, Chu Minghou tugged Bai Ningyu’s sleeve and motioned with his mouth.

Bai Ningyu quickly followed him on tiptoe, arriving at a peach tree outside the hall.

The peach blossoms were in full bloom, with some petals drifting to the ground.

Chu Minghou lowered his voice, ”On the surface, it’s indeed not appropriate to show favoritism for Yuan’er, otherwise it won’t end well, and there will be complaints, efforts without reward.”

Bai Ningyu quickly nodded.

He was a formidable figure in the military, not just there for show, understanding that one absolutely couldn’t open a backdoor.

Otherwise, not only would it not end well, but there would also be complaints.

Those helped would surely be glad, but those not helped? They might harbor resentment, the ones who could be helped are few, those not helped are many, leading to more people resenting him in the end.

This is really unnecessary.

Therefore, directly sending them to the Prince Mansion as guards avoids favoritism altogether, one cannot be accused of favoritism for helping out one’s own guards, right?

Others want to send people to the Prince Mansion as guards?

But the Prince Mansion’s guard positions are limited, it’s already full, there’s no way to recruit more guards.

This effectively closes everyone’s mouths.

Chu Minghou said, ”Actually, there’s no need to rush this matter, Yuan’er has a plan.”

”What plan?”

”Yuan’er plans to establish a battalion in Yujing, belonging solely to the Imperial Army under Father.”

Bai Ningyu widened his eyes, ”Establish a battalion of the Imperial Army?... That’s not appropriate!”

He shook his head quickly, ”The military is intricately complicated, much more troublesome than the Military Suppression Department, one shouldn’t meddle easily.”

For over a thousand years, the power within the military has been stabilized.

The Eight Dukes’ Mansions form the main structure, interwoven with various princes’ mansions, making it extremely hard for outsiders to insert themselves.

The foundation of the Prince Qing Mansion is too weak, making it even more impossible.

”Yuan’er is naturally aware of this, so he wants to form an independent battalion.”

”...It’s too hard.” Bai Ningyu frowned tightly and shook his head repeatedly, ”It’s just too difficult.”

Establishing a new battalion is not as simple as it seems, it involves various aspects, infinitely complex, and who knows where someone might try to trip you up.