Chapter170

Elara looked at the commanding general of Youdan in front of her. "Have you already sensed everything that happened inside the Puppet Sect?"

The general from Youdan nodded, cupped his fists, and lowered his head. He didn't dare look at Elara and held himself in a very humble posture. "Yes, Your Highness."

"Good. Then I'll speak frankly."

"You must understand the situation inside Youdan better than I do. The royal family of Youdan, who have been raised and controlled by the Puppet Sect, have long since lost the ability to govern. I just signed a treaty with the You King. From today on, the state of Youdan will become Youdan County under Plumera. The royal family of the You clan will become one of the foreign royal families of Plumera, still holding their titles and basic privileges."

Elara pulled out the treaty she had just signed with the little emperor using both their seals, and handed it to the attendant beside her to give to the Youdan general.

"As for the common people in Youdan, I will not touch them either. From today on, they will be treated the same as the citizens of Plumera. All the laws I set will apply to them equally."

"As for you..."

Elara turned on her horse and looked down at the general from Youdan, who was bowing and listening.

"If you submit to me, then from today on, you and the rest of the Youdan people will also become citizens and soldiers of Plumera. If you hold a position and haven't done anything criminal, your status can be kept, and you must swear to serve Plumera from now on."

"If you refuse... then I'll have to choose a few of the disobedient ones and make an example out of them."

These light-sounding words fell into the ears of the Youdan general kneeling in front of the horse, but made him suddenly understand what the phrase "rumors are not to be trusted" truly meant.

This aura, this killing intent. He was afraid that one wrong move would make him the chicken chosen for the warning...

Even though the Youdan army was large in number, they were all bound by Gu poison. He didn't believe that the young girl, the new master of the Puppet Sect, couldn't sense that.

Since that's the case... it meant that the Crown Princess of Plumera, rumored to only indulge in men, was in fact someone who could kill decisively and yet pay close attention to details. Even with the Gu poison in place, she still wouldn't trust them easily.

Realizing the situation was completely different from what he had imagined, the Youdan general quickly adjusted his mindset. For now, he pushed down the idea of using seduction to gain favor. Under Elara's sharp gaze, he braced himself and responded.

"We have indeed sensed everything happening within the Puppet Sect. But to be honest, we didn't feel much about it. Youdan has been under the Puppet Sect's control for so long. Since Your Highness has entered the royal palace, you must understand what it's like to see your own emperor being raised as someone's pet. It's hard to stay loyal under such conditions."

"So when we realized Your Highness had destroyed the Puppet Sect, we were actually relieved. But as the head of the Youdan army, I must risk my neck to ask Your Highness a few questions."

Elara nodded. "Go ahead."

"The two hundred thousand soldiers behind me, if they surrender to you, can they really receive the same fair treatment as the people of Plumera?"

"And can Your Highness promise that we will never again be bound by Gu poison and used like beasts to carry out whatever tasks you wish?"

After asking the second question, the Youdan general stiffened his neck, ready to accept it if Elara gave the order to behead him on the spot.

But Elara looked at this general differently now. To dare ask her this kind of question at such a time showed he at least had a strong sense of duty.

Elara lowered her gaze to the man in front of the horse. "What's your name?"

The Youdan general paused before cupping his fists again. "My surname is Qu. I have only one given name: Xiao."

"Valiant is a good word. From today on, Qu Valiant, how about becoming the Commanding Officer of Youdan County? You'll oversee all military affairs in the region. Any rewards or punishments related to the military in Youdan will go through you. If you're unhappy with anything, you may report directly to me."

"Also, the Gu poison restraint on your bodies will be studied by the Medical Valley. If it can be cured, you'll trade your military merits for the antidote. If it can't, I promise I won't use the restraint to force you to do anything against your will. Is that acceptable?"

Qu Valiant froze. He had already prepared himself to die. He never expected that after asking that question, the princess wouldn't punish him, but instead directly gave him an official position, and even allowed him to report to the capital. She even promised to help remove the poison?

Maybe it was because he had spent too many years being treated as a disposable tool by the Sect Leader's people. Now that he was finally receiving the fair and kind treatment a person should get, he didn't even know how to react.

"I… I thank Your Highness for this great kindness!" Qu Valiant lowered his head deeply. He was much more sincere than before and was just about to kneel and bow to Elara when he heard her say:

"Wait. I'm not done speaking."

Qu Valiant held his kneeling posture and listened respectfully.

"Though you will continue managing the military in Youdan County, I cannot hand all two hundred thousand Youdan soldiers to you again."

"For the sake of everyone, I will split them up and assign them to various generals under me in Marigold County. They'll stay there until they've fully integrated with the rest of Plumera's citizens. Before that happens, you're allowed to take back only fifty thousand of the Youdan soldiers."

"Also, after this, I will assign a new county governor and other generals to help manage Youdan. This will speed up the reforms. If you're unhappy with the number of troops under your command, you may recruit new soldiers in Marigold County, but they must be citizens of Plumera."

"Lastly, I don't know the old military customs of Youdan, but starting today, all old rules are abolished. Youdan County will now fully follow the new rules I've set for Marigold County."

"Can you carry out all of this? Do you have any objections?"

Actually, even without Elara saying so, Qu Valiant had already planned to divide the two hundred thousand soldiers himself.

He had survived under the Sect Leader for so many years and naturally understood the danger of holding something too valuable.

And now, Her Highness had given him a powerful new position and still allowed him to keep fifty thousand troops. That was already more than he expected.

If the rest of the troops stayed with him, he would only feel uneasy and anxious.

So Elara's arrangement was exactly what he hoped for in his heart.

Only this way could he truly feel at ease and return to Youdan, ready to serve their new ruler with full dedication.

After listening carefully, Qu Valiant immediately knelt and bowed deeply to Elara:

"I have no objections! Thank you, Princess, for your kindness!"

"I will strictly follow Your Highness's orders!"