As the General responsible for defending the city, Qin Fang had numerous duties.

This meant that handling his official business in the study of Yang Haiyan’s courtyard was no longer practical.

Besides, as more people would be coming to see him in the future, it was inconvenient for visitors to enter and leave from the inner courtyard, which could also lead to gossip—not to mention the issue of hosting guests there.

However, Yang Haiyan had long since prepared and organized the outer courtyard for him.

She named Qin Fang’s courtyard “San Si Ju,” which translates to “House of Three Thoughts,” hoping he would always think thrice before acting.

She hadn’t asked his opinion on such trivial matters, knowing he likely wouldn’t care.

After all, someone who was too lazy to even write couplets himself wouldn’t be overly concerned about it.

When Qin Fang arrived at San Si Ju, he felt a sense of pride looking at the plaque, as the name was given to him by his wife.

Of course, the characters weren’t written by Yang Haiyan herself but were selected from calligraphy samples provided by the plaque workshop.

Yang Haiyan chose the characters of a well-known calligraphy master from the Qi Kingdom, though she wasn’t sure how the workshop had obtained them.

Then, Qin Fang summoned four of his personal guards, excluding Kun Shi, who had accompanied Niu Da back to the border.

“Greetings, General,” said Huang Huzi, Chen Dashi, Tao Shan, and Meng Ping, who were all pleased to see Qin Fang.

They had come to the city with the Madam and hadn’t seen the General in over a month.

“No need for formalities,” Qin Fang said. “I’ve called you here today to discuss some upcoming matters regarding the household.”

“Yes, sir,” they replied in unison.

Qin Fang continued, “According to court regulations, a fifth-ranking military officer may have twenty personal soldiers. Including Kun Shi, I currently have five of you, which means I can add fifteen more. I’ll be recruiting fifteen additional soldiers in the coming days, as well as fifteen guards.

This will make a total of thirty new members in the household. These thirty will be divided into three squads.

Huang Huzi, Meng Ping, and Chen Dashi, each of you will be in charge of a squad of ten guards. Kun Shi will be the chief commander, and the safety of the residence will be entrusted to you.”

The three men responded, “Yes, sir!”

Tao Shan looked at Qin Fang, wondering about his role.

Qin Fang turned to Tao Shan and said, “Tao Shan, you’ll stay by my side from now on.” He needed a reliable assistant for various tasks, and Tao Shan seemed well-suited for the job.

Tao Shan immediately replied, “Understood, sir.”

After giving his instructions, Qin Fang said to Tao Shan, “Let’s go to the county office.”

Tao Shan replied, “Yes, sir.”

……

County Magistrate Yang Shunlei had planned to visit the General’s residence that afternoon with his wife.

But when he heard that Qin Fang had arrived, he quickly went out to greet him personally.

“Subordinate Yang Shunlei greets the General,” he said respectfully.

Qin Fang had already heard from Yang Haiyan that Magistrate Yang had some connection with the family of Minister Yang.

He also knew that Miss Yang from the Minister’s family had treated his wife well during her stay there.

While this wasn’t necessarily a case of “repaying kindness with kindness,” it did leave Qin Fang with a good impression of Magistrate Yang.

His wife had also mentioned that Magistrate Yang had helped repair the General’s residence and worked hard to arrange the purchase of land, which further boosted Qin Fang’s impression of him.

“Magistrate Yang, you’re too polite,” Qin Fang replied. “I came unannounced today and hope I’m not interrupting your work.”

He noted that the Magistrate looked rather unwell and somewhat frail, thinking to himself that this man probably wouldn’t be able to withstand even a single punch from him.

Magistrate Yang knew that military officers were usually burly, but he was still taken aback by Qin Fang’s towering figure.

While not overly muscular, Qin Fang was certainly tall, which was a rarity.

At over thirty years of age, Magistrate Yang had met many people, yet Qin Fang was by far the tallest.

His physique seemed sturdier than most, with sharp and resolute features that suggested a strong character.

Magistrate Yang prided himself on his ability to read people, and he didn’t perceive any deceit or cunning in this young general.

Still, the General’s size alone exerted a certain pressure.

“Not at all, not at all. It’s a great honor to have you here, General. You only returned yesterday, and already you’ve come to see me. I presume you have something important to discuss?”

“Indeed,” Qin Fang said. “I’d like to discuss the arrangements for the surrendered tribesmen with you.”

Recognizing the gravity of the matter, Magistrate Yang quickly replied, “Of course, General Qin. Let’s go to my study.”

“Lead the way, Magistrate Yang,” Qin Fang responded.

As Qin Fang and Magistrate Yang entered the study, Magistrate Yang offered him a seat and ordered tea to be served.

Qin Fang wasted no time and went straight to the point, “Magistrate Yang, I’ve made arrangements regarding the surrendered tribesmen, but I’ll need your help to gather the leaders of each town in Yunxiang County for a meeting.”

Magistrate Yang, considering Qin’s words, asked, “General Qin, may I ask what your plan is for these surrendered tribesmen? It would be helpful for me to have some details, so I can explain it to the town leaders if they ask.”

Qin Fang nodded, “Certainly, Magistrate Yang. You have every right to know since these people will be living under your jurisdiction.”

He then detailed his plan, explaining, “The court’s directive is to integrate them gradually. I have about three thousand people here, which comprises six hundred and twenty-four households. Yunxiang County has eighteen towns, so we’ll distribute them evenly, about thirty households per town. Each town leader will then settle these households within local villages.”

Qin Fang continued, “We need to avoid treating them differently from our own citizens. They’ve pledged their loyalty, and now they’re citizens of the Qi Kingdom. As Vice Minister Du Ke advised, we should welcome them warmly, so they feel at home here.”

Magistrate Yang was slightly surprised, not knowing that Qin Fang had connections with Du Ke, a well-respected figure in the court.

While this was a slight misconception on his part, as Du Ke hadn’t directly spoken to Qin Fang, it made sense to Magistrate Yang.

After all, he thought, how else could someone from a humble background rise to the rank of a fifth-grade martial general?

Unaware of the truth, Magistrate Yang simply said, “We’ll go ahead with your arrangement, General Qin. I’ll have someone inform the town leaders today.”

Qin Fang stood up and replied, “Thank you, Magistrate Yang. I won’t take up more of your time today.”

Magistrate Yang, however, insisted, “General, since you’re here, why not stay for a meal?”

Qin Fang declined politely, saying, “Thank you, but I’ll host a meal at my residence once we’ve settled these people. My wife mentioned how much she appreciates the warm welcome you and your family have extended to her.”

“It’s our pleasure,” Magistrate Yang replied, feeling honored by the invitation.

After seeing Qin Fang off, Magistrate Yang returned inside, where Secretary Song and Deputy Magistrate Bai were waiting for him, looking eager.

“Magistrate,” Secretary Song asked, “how did your meeting with General Qin go?”

Magistrate Yang nodded, “Better than expected. There’s hope for the matter we discussed.”

Deputy Magistrate Bai looked hopeful as well, “Did you speak to the General about it?”

“Not yet,” Magistrate Yang replied. “For now, he’s busy with the arrangements for the tribesmen. We can bring it up once he’s finished with that. Deputy Bai, you’ll oversee the coordination for the tribesmen’s integration.”

Deputy Bai replied with a bow, “Yes, Magistrate. I’ll ensure everything is arranged properly.”

Meanwhile, Qin Fang headed to the outskirts of the town, where the tribesmen had been camped for some time.

The sight of him sparked hope among them, and their leader approached, saying, “General Qin, everyone’s anxious to know how you plan to settle us.”

Qin Fang addressed the gathered tribesmen, “We’ve arranged your integration with the county officials. Tomorrow, the town leaders will be here, and we’ll begin relocating you. In the meantime, we’ll need each of you to register. Since each village will host two households, you’re free to choose whom you’d like to be paired with. This way, you’ll have someone familiar nearby and, if you’re related, it will make visiting easier.”

This considerate arrangement reassured the tribesmen, allowing them to maintain a sense of community as they adjusted to their new lives.