After traveling through time, I rely on force to survive

Li Qingqing and her group traveled for half a day and finally arrived at the border town.

As long as we pass through the border town, we will be not far from the Southern Protectorate, so we did not stop there, but continued on our way.

The walls of the border town are somewhat dilapidated, and the traces of time have left deep marks on the walls of the low adobe houses, giving them an indescribable sense of desolation.

The barren hills around the border town are covered with red sorghum, which sways in the wind and is the only bright color in the town.

The streets are rather deserted, with few pedestrians.

Even if we occasionally met a few women, they were walking in a hurry and looked haggard.

Li Feng saw the confusion on Li Qingqing's face and took the initiative to explain before she asked:

"Most people living in border towns are the families of soldiers who have been stationed at the border for a long time. Due to the frequent fighting on the border, they do not live in peace, and with the lack of supplies, their lives are very difficult.

Furthermore, soldiers in the barracks often face delays in the payment of their rations and salaries, and it is difficult to take care of the livelihoods of their families.”

Li Qingqing nodded without saying anything, but she was thinking in her heart that if the rice production increased, perhaps many problems would be greatly alleviated and improved.

Li Qingqing and the others hurried through the border town and after about half an hour, they arrived at the Southern Protectorate.

However, this is not their final destination.

The main reason for coming here is to pay a visit to Wei Duhu of the Southern Protectorate.

Earlier, when Mu Yunjing first came to the frontier, he served here and managed the southern border together with Wei Duhu.

Afterwards, Mu Yunjing became the Prince of Qing and was granted a fiefdom, so he no longer lived in the border area. Although the Protectorate was remotely governed by the Prince of Qing, the one who actually held power was Protector General Wei.

Therefore, even though Li Qingqing was the newly appointed deputy general of King Qing, once he went to the border to take up his post, paying a visit to the Protector General was an essential procedure.

Li Feng stopped the carriage nearby and told the shadow guard to wait there. He brought Li Qingqing to the gate of the Protectorate.

While the guard at the door was returning to the Protectorate to report, Li Feng carefully straightened Li Qingqing's wrinkled clothes and whispered:

"Do you remember your new identity? Don't be too nervous, I'm here!"

"I understand." Li Qingqing raised her eyes and smiled at him.

In fact, she was not nervous at all. She regarded the visit to the Protector General as a report.

Under the general is the deputy general, who is a "super player" who is directly involved in core secrets. The protector-general naturally needs to personally understand who she is.

Soon, the guard reappeared and delivered the message to them: "General Li, the Protector General wants to see you."

Li Feng and Li Qingqing then entered the Protectorate one after another.

Led by the guards, the two men walked through the winding corridor and came to the meeting hall.

Protector Wei sat in the main seat with a serious expression.

He was primarily responsible for border administration, while General Li was primarily responsible for military command. Although they were of the same rank, Protector Wei was still slightly higher in rank than Li Feng.

What's the saying? "The Protector General is permanent, but the garrison generals are transient."

The Protector General was a confidant of the imperial court and was always in office, keeping an eye on the generals stationed at the border at all times.

The garrisoned generals either died in battle or returned home injured.

Either he had to win a huge victory, forcing the enemy to be so timid that they dared not invade for a year or two, and then he would return in triumph. Only then would the general's rank be raised.

At this time, Li Feng, now the garrison general, saluted and introduced Wei Du Hu, "Your Excellency, this is the new deputy general, Li Qing."

Protector Wei nodded slightly and motioned Li Qingqing to come forward.

Li Qingqing stepped forward, saluted respectfully, then straightened her body and looked at Protector Wei.

Protector Wei looked at Li Qingqing carefully with sharp eyes. After a while, he frowned slightly and spoke slowly with a look of dissatisfaction:

"Since you are General Li's cousin, I will not say much. But I want to ask you, do you know what responsibilities you will bear as a deputy general?"

Li Qingqing said seriously:

"Your Excellency, I understand. The deputy general is the general's right-hand man. He must assist the general in handling various military affairs, commanding troops, and ensuring logistical defense, to ensure peace and stability on the border."

Protector Wei nodded slightly to show his approval.

He then raised a question,

"You are so delicate and tender, I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to adapt to the harsh life in the army. Swords are merciless, and the battlefield is ruthless. Why don't you stay at home and enjoy the comforts instead of going to the border to suffer?"

Oh no, is Protector Wei jealous that her skin is whiter than his?

That’s okay. With a few more sunbaths, my skin color will probably be similar to Wei Duhu and Li Feng’s soon.

But the necessary rhetoric must still be there.

Li Qingqing then responded calmly:

"I have practiced martial arts since childhood. I wouldn't say I've experienced a hundred battles, but I'm definitely not a weakling. A comfortable life is certainly desirable, but if the borders are left unguarded, that comfort won't last. I volunteer to join the army and I'm not afraid of the hardships of the battlefield."

Previously, Mu Yunjing announced to the public that the black fireball was obtained from a master, so Wei Duhu did not know that Li Qingqing was here to make the black fireball.

Li Qingqing naturally would not take the initiative to reveal the purpose of her coming to the border.

After hearing what Li Qingqing said, a hint of approval flashed in Wei Duhu's eyes, but he quickly returned to his serious expression.

He pondered for a moment, then said slowly:

"Li Qing, I heard you're proficient in the art of firing blue bricks. The strength of the city walls is directly related to the safety of the border. However, with the continuous fighting, the soldiers in the army are exhausted and seriously short of manpower. How will you handle the reinforcement of the city walls?"

Li Qingqing thought for a moment, then replied respectfully:

"I'll be passing through a small border town on my way here. Perhaps I can recruit local residents to assist with this task, or consider recruiting a group of non-combatants from other areas. As long as I have enough manpower, I can ensure the repair and reinforcement of the city wall without affecting the war."

Protector Wei frowned and said, "The military resources are already extremely scarce. Where are we going to raise money to pay their wages?"

Li Qingqing looked at Wei Duhu expressionlessly, thinking to herself:

"You want the horse to run fast, but you don't give it any fodder. Protector Wei, oh Protector Wei, you actually want His Royal Highness Prince Qing to use his private treasury to subsidize you, right?"

Since she didn't allow soldiers to build the city walls and had no money to pay the labor, how could she complete the repair and reinforcement of the city walls?

This is just asking too much!

Li Feng saw that Protector Wei seemed to be making things difficult for Li Qingqing, and then said:

"Protector General, perhaps you could consider temporarily reducing the purchase of some non-essential supplies and using the saved money to pay the workers. You could also have the soldiers work harder and take turns to participate in the repairs."

Upon hearing this, the Protector of Wei thought for a moment and said:

"As General Li said, Li Qing, I will temporarily hand over the management of this border town to you. You will be fully responsible for repairing the city walls, but if war breaks out, you must take care of both sides and not slack off in the slightest. Can you do that?"

Li Qingqing immediately bowed and answered firmly:

"Please rest assured, Lord Protector. I will do my utmost to live up to your trust."

Wei Duhu nodded with satisfaction, then turned his gaze to Li Feng and said:

"General Li, please lead Li Qing to the rear to collect the deputy general's equipment and clothing. You will take up your post immediately."