I asked you to go hunting, and you ended up wearing a yellow robe?

Send it to the capital and report it to the imperial court!

In the letter, he described Qi Shan as a traitor who colluded with Yuan Tianlong, amassed an army, killed innocent people to claim credit, and intended to establish a separatist regime in the northern border.

He then "earnestly requested" the court to unleash its fury and allow him to lead troops to "eliminate this scourge for the country" and wipe out this scourge.

He knew very well that the person sitting on the throne today was most afraid of having such uncontrollable "capable ministers and fierce generals" under his command.

If this letter is sent, Qi Shan's achievements will become his death warrant.

……

Qingyang County Government Office.

Just as the atmosphere in the back room reached its most tense point, a series of hurried and heavy footsteps approached from afar.

"Report—!"

A burly lieutenant strode in; it was Zhang Hu, Yuan Tianlong's lieutenant.

Covered in blood, yet his face held an barely suppressed excitement.

"General, I have not failed you!" Zhang Hu knelt on one knee, his voice booming, "The defeated Yelü army has been mostly wiped out, with 1,523 heads taken! We have captured over 1,000 warhorses and countless pieces of armor!"

As he spoke, he suddenly threw the large bundle of things he was carrying on his back onto the ground.

slam-la-

More than a dozen battle flags representing the hundred and thousand households of the Yelü tribe were scattered on the ground like trash.

In the entire back room, everyone held their breath.

Zhao Bingkun's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he stared at the mountain of battle flags.

Each of these flags represents a glorious victory!

However, Zhang Hu's next move was even more unexpected by everyone.

After reporting back to Yuan Tianlong, he suddenly turned around, faced Qi Shan who had been silent all along, suppressed all his arrogance, and with a "bang," performed a perfectly standard military salute.

"This humble general, Zhang Hu, represents three thousand brothers of the Yuanzi Battalion—"

He raised his head, his gaze burning, and his voice resounded throughout the county government office.

"Thank you, Lord Qi, for this immense favor!"

These words shocked everyone in the room.

Meng Da and the others were so excited that they trembled all over.

They understood what this bow represented.

This means that the Yuan Battalion, this elite force in the northern border, is completely convinced of Qi Shan's superiority from top to bottom!

Yuan Tianlong clapped his hands and laughed; this was exactly the effect he wanted.

Otherwise, how could his arrogant and fierce soldiers submit to this civil official who had transformed into a centurion?

He solemnly took out a prepared military order and a heavy brass seal from his pocket, and in front of everyone, he personally picked up his pen and wrote his final name on the appointment letter.

"Lord Zhao, the Qi brothers, as county magistrates, have made unparalleled contributions. It is unknown when the imperial court will bestow its rewards upon them."

"I, Yuan Tianlong, am a rough man; I don't understand those intricate matters. Merit deserves reward!"

He pushed the completed document and the official seal to Qi Shan, his voice booming like a bell, echoing through the sky.

"Qi Shan, the Assistant Magistrate of Qingyang County, is hereby appointed as the Commander of a Thousand-Man Division of the Yuan Battalion in the Northern Territory, in command of the Qingyang Garrison Army, effective immediately!"

"From this day forward, all soldiers of Qingyang County will be registered in my Yuan-character Battalion, and their rations, pay, armor, and weapons will be the same as those of the border troops!"

boom!

Qi Shan's pupils contracted.

Zhao Bingkun gasped.

Meng Da, along with the hundred or so surviving soldiers who had climbed out of the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood from Qishan, were momentarily stunned, then tears of fervor welled up in their eyes.

They were moved to tears!

These people never imagined that they would actually become border soldiers!

Moreover, they are a garrison force! They possess supreme autonomy!

"thump!"

Meng Da was the first to react, kneeling heavily on both knees, and letting out a long-suppressed roar from his hoarse throat.

"Greetings—Commander Qi!"

"Greetings, Commander Qi!!!"

Dozens of surviving soldiers knelt down on one knee in unison, their armor plates clashing and their voices hoarse from shouting.

At this moment, with the cry of "Chief of a Thousand," their identities underwent a transformation akin to a carp leaping over the dragon gate.

The treatment of county soldiers and border troops is different. The border troops are tasked with guarding the entire north, and they also receive military pay from the imperial court. They have a fixed organizational structure.

County soldiers, on the other hand, were paid by the county government. They didn't have a secure job and received much less pay, barely enough to eat.

Border troops are different. They not only have a complete path to advancement, like Meng Da, who has just stepped into the position of centurion. In the future, he will recruit soldiers and lead one or two hundred men, rising from a roughneck to a local commander! That's the same rank as Li Long!

The rest, being among the first to fight alongside Qi Shan on the battlefield, would all become squad leaders or centurions! At the very least, they would become sergeants or corporals!

They were no longer county soldiers who could be abandoned at any time, but the rightful border troops of the Northern Zhou Dynasty!

And their commander is Qi Shan!

Yuan Tianlong is a decisive and efficient soldier.

He did not linger there; after granting him his identity, he also readily provided him with some resources.

Five hundred captured elite warhorses, three hundred sets of sturdy leather armor stripped from the Yelü people, and hundreds of sharp scimitars.

He patted Qi Shan on the shoulder, his voice deep and powerful: "Commander Qi, the danger in the north didn't arise overnight. From now on, we will support each other, helping and watching over one another. Consider this a congratulatory gift from my Yuan Battalion to your new army!"

Having said that, he mounted his horse and said no more, leaving Qingyang County with only a mountain-like, imposing figure as he led his army, raising clouds of dust, and galloping toward the northern horizon.

After the army left, the somber atmosphere at the entrance of the county government office seemed to have been drained away, leaving only a deathly silence.

It must be said that Yuan Tianlong truly deserves to be called a fierce general of the Northern Border!

I felt a pleasant pressure all over my body!

After he left with his Yuan-character battalion, the entire government office felt much more relaxed.

All eyes were focused on the young man holding the brass seal.

Young people don't find much excitement in him; he's calm and experienced!

If it were anyone else, they probably would have gotten too cocky by now!

A thousand households in one step!?

What an honor!

Zhao Bingkun looked at Qi Shan and nodded in satisfaction.

In the end, Zhao was right about him.

If it were to be identified

He straightened his official robes, walked up to Qi Shan, and without the slightest hesitation, bowed deeply to this "subordinate" who was nearly twenty years younger than him, his head almost reaching his waist.

"Commander Qi!"

This address, though difficult to pronounce, carried an unprecedented sense of awe.

"From this day forward, all political and military affairs in Qingyang County shall be decided by your word. Your humble servant... will obey your orders without hesitation, even unto death!"

Behind him, Chen Chong and other county officials were all shocked and their faces changed color. They quickly realized what was happening and bowed in unison, not daring to breathe loudly.

An era is over.

An era belonging to Qishan has begun in Qingyang County.

Qi Shan did not help him up.

He calmly put the heavy seal of the commander into his pocket and said lightly, "Your Excellency Zhao is too kind. Protecting the land and ensuring the safety of the people is our duty."

Even so, it's clear to everyone that the primary and secondary points have been distinguished.