The next morning, Qiao Yan gathered her five hundred soldiers.

Normally, the Northern Army’s five divisions operated independently.

Seeing them gathered now, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but feel they were distinctly divided into five separate parts.

Fortunately, the situation now was much better than Qiuyan had expected.

Though these soldiers seemed somewhat lacking in spirit, they still knew that even though she currently held no official position of power, being the Marquis of Leping carried significant weight.

It wouldn’t be difficult to influence them.

Therefore, they stood steadily, not as brave as Leping’s own soldiers in battle but still worthy of their reputation among the Northern Army’s Five Division.

Qiao Yan’s gaze swept over the soldiers in front of her.

To these soldiers, the Marquis of Leping didn’t appear to be here just for show; there was a sharp and insightful air about her assessment.

Before Qiao Yan could inquire about their situation or make any arrangements, a voice came from outside the camp, heading towards them.

Dressed in officer’s armor, the man shouted as he approached, “Marquis Qiou, please wait!”

As he had previously served in the Northern Army’s Tunqi Camp, many recognized him immediately: he was Lieutenant Bao Hong.

The hundred soldiers of the Tunqi Camp glanced at each other discreetly, sharing looks of confusion.

Lieutenant Bao Hong’s involvement in the struggle for the position of General of The North was well-known among the Northern Army’s Five Division.

Normally, he should have been commanding his troops, not appearing here.

Of course, Bao Hong himself felt somewhat helpless about being here, especially because he was here to do something unpleasant.

Thankfully, he had mentally prepared himself before appearing here, ensuring not to show any flaws in his demeanor.

Think about what Qiao Yan said in her letter.

He did owe her a favor, so it was better to repay it now in this manner than to face consequences later.

Besides, Qiao Yan had mentioned that this exchange would ultimately put Bao Hong at a disadvantage.

As repayment, if he demonstrated his skills honed during the campaign in Liangzhou, she promised to help him get promoted as he wished.

Compared to other competitors, Qiao Yan’s words held much more credibility for Bao Hong.

Regardless of Qiao Yan’s true intentions behind this move, he decided to follow through.

So, when Bao Hong attracted the attention with his “Marquis Qiao, please wait,” what they saw was still his arrogant demeanor, saying, “Marquis, may I have a word with you?”

Qiao Yan immediately furrowed her brow.

“But if you dare to abandon your post at this time, why not dare to speak plainly?” Qiao Yan asked.

“Speak plainly?”

“If Marquis Qiao says so, then I’ll be straightforward,” Bao Hong chuckled. “I’ve long admired the combat effectiveness of the Changshui Huqi troops. Handling just a hundred men under my command isn’t quite satisfying enough. I was thinking…”

“Marquis Qiou isn’t here to compete for the position of Northern General. If she’s only here to assess our training standards, she probably doesn’t care whether it’s a hundred Yueqi or a hundred Huqi,” Bao Hong continued. “Secondly, Marquis Qiou has achievements in northern campaigns against the Xiongnu, The Xiu Tu Tribes, so she probably values them more than the Huqi.”

“Would Marquis Qiao be willing to exchange some troops with me?”

Bao Hong stood tall, but everyone could see the envy in his eyes as he looked towards the Changshui Huqi troops.

Everyone present was surprised.

Who would have thought that in such a serious arena, someone would consider swapping troops?

It wasn’t hard to understand why he chose to come at this moment. If he wanted to swap troops, it would be best to do it before formal training began.

But with this decision…

Even though military discipline prevented them from speaking out at this moment, besides those Changshui troops Bao Hong thought had valuable combat potential, members from other camps glared at him angrily.

Especially members from the Tunqi and Yueqi camps, also cavalry units like his own.

Despite being mentally prepared, Bao Hong nearly took a step back under their fierce gazes.

But thinking about what Marquis Qiou had said, especially the title “General of the North,” Bao Hong regained his courage.

Yet at this moment, Qiao Yan’s gaze turned icy cold, showing a maturity far beyond her years, making Bao Hong shiver with fear.

For a moment, he even felt like he was facing an emperor.

No, he shouldn’t think like that.

After all, Qiao Yan was the Marquis of Leping, experienced in many battles.

It wasn’t surprising she had such presence.

While trembling inside, Bao Hong mustered up the courage to ask in the silence, “Marquis… what do you think?”

“What do I think?” The young woman in sturdy armor at the front of the formation snapped her riding crop against her palm and sneered, “I think you should get out of here!”

Suppressing the urge to flee right then, Bao Hong continued, knowing he was just one step away from finishing this act as arranged by Qiao Yan herself. “Marquis, why act this way? We could…”

Despite their previous acquaintance, Bao Hong thought it better to…

“If you don’t leave now, I’ll have you thrown out!” Qiao Yan stepped forward, her expression cold and full of menace.

Her demeanor, clearly that of someone in power, made it obvious to everyone, even Bao Hong himself, that this was a carefully staged performance.

He almost believed Qiuyan would lash out with her whip at any moment.

Seeing this, even Dian Wei, who now held a staff instead of a Dual Halberd due to the rules of their contest, stepped forward with Qiao Yan.

Having followed Qiao Yan closely and never missing a battle, enjoying comfort under the Marquis, Dian Wei’s imposing stature and aura had grown formidable, resembling a god of death.

Seeing this, Bao Hong quickly turned and left.

He was relieved Qiao Yan hadn’t given him different lines; otherwise, he might not have been able to speak.

But before reaching the camp gate, he heard a clear command from behind, “Stop right there!”

Confused by conflicting orders, Bao Hong finally remembered “General of the North” and turned back, deciding to obey the most recent command.

Qiao Yan continued, “Captain Bao, what you’ve done today won’t leave this place, nor will I report it to the Emperor. But remember one thing…”

“Merging the Changshui Huqi doesn’t mean they outrank the Yueqi and Tunqi camps. If Lieutenant Bao doubts this, let’s see in ten days which troop under my command performs the best!”

Bao Hong instinctively replied, “We’ll see.”

With that, he left as a proper antagonist would.

Halfway, he realized Qiao Yan’s actions were indeed unusual.

His performance, combined with her words…

Wow!

This would surely ignite competition within her soldiers, each troop vying to prove themselves the best cavalry.

And what about the weakened Sheng Camp and the usually unnoticed Infantry Camp?

Could they avoid this internal competition?

This play was set to bring out the best in their troops!

Realizing this, Bao Hong feeling a bit sour, Bao Hong pondered if he could emulate Qiao Yan’s actions to boost his own troops’ morale.

Yet, no matter how he thought about it, he felt he lacked Qiao Yan’s advantages—especially not having allies willing to play the roles needed for his plan.

Instead of dwelling on these impractical thoughts, he decided to quickly return to his camp.

Otherwise, he, as a commander, would be considered late!

As the people watched Bao Hong walk away, they couldn’t read his mind.

They turned their attention back just as Qiao Yan looked towards them.

The Marquis of Leping, who had earlier spoken harshly, suddenly asked, “What are your thoughts?”

What are your thoughts?

The members of the Tunqi and Yueqi camps were surely dissatisfied. Yet, the Changshui troops felt the same way!

Qiao Yan clearly had biases against the Huqi due to her campaigns against the Xiongnu.

She saw through their expressions

“With a frank and sharp gaze, she continued before anyone could speak: ‘I can guess what you’re thinking. You must believe your battalion is the strongest among the five in the Northern Army. I’ll get straight to the point.”

She raised her left hand. “A hand has five fingers. Lose one, and it’s harder to grasp heavy things. In our camp of five battalions, if any part is lacking, victory becomes difficult.”

“I don’t believe in the Huns’ cavalry as the foremost in battle.

The Yue cavalry may follow,

but our Han iron cavalry and infantry are unmatched.

The Huns are good at charging, the Yue at shooting, the stationed cavalry is agile, but the infantry is indispensable.

The sound of shooting serves as support—”

“This is why the Northern Army formed its five battalions, and today it remains so!”

She cracked her whip, the sound echoing as it hit the ground.

With determination, she declared, “Who among you dares to fight with me and prove your abilities?”