At this moment, Lu Chen was actually somewhat angry.
Lu Chen was no fool, why had he been in Tianguang City for over a month and the North Prince Mansion hadn't sent a maid to him, only to do so now?
It was quite obvious that someone had tipped them off, saying he was having a hard time in Tianguang City, which was why the North Prince Mansion had someone send a maid to take care of him.
Did the people who leaked the information really do it because he was the Prince and they were afraid he would suffer in Tianguang City?
One could only say perhaps not.
These past days, Lu Chen had also heard some rumors, some of the soldiers from North City were talking about how he had transferred Bai Qingqing to another camp and did not keep any women around him.
Not even the Prince kept women by his side, which made these soldiers hesitant to even touch the women who came to the camp to sell themselves.
This made Lu Chen suspect, could it be that someone wanted him to set a precedent, so they could follow suit, thus freeing themselves from any pressure.
Seeing Lu Chen get angry, Mu Changtian immediately realized his mistake and promptly knelt halfway and said, "Prince, it was I who sent word to the Princess, telling her about your life in the camp, I am at fault, please punish me, Prince!"
Hearing Mu Changtian's words, Lu Chen scoffed in his heart, he knew there had to be someone tipping them off.
Lu Chen then said, "General Mu, I will let it pass this time, but do not let it happen again."
Mu Changtian then responded, "Thank you, Prince, for your forgiveness."
As his voice fell, Mu Changtian stood up, and after Mu Changtian had risen, Lu Chen continued, "Recently, I have noticed that quite a number of women have come to Tianguang City, I wonder if you are aware of this."
Hearing Lu Chen's words, Mu Changtian immediately understood Lu Chen's intention; Lu Chen had already made it clear that no women like army prostitutes were to appear in the camp in the future.
Although the women who ran to Tianguang City weren't army prostitutes, their purpose in coming to Tianguang City was to sell their bodies. As long as the soldiers gave them money, they would spend the night with them, so there was no real difference between them and army prostitutes.
Mu Changtian immediately said, "Prince, I will have those women driven out of Tianguang City at once!"
Lu Chen continued, "Now is a good opportunity to be clear about some things. When you go back, relay my words to the soldiers as well. My army must maintain strict military discipline, and on the battlefield, all efforts must be directed towards the war effort, instead of being consumed with indulgence."
"Of course, this is not directed only at the soldiers, but also at you."
At this time, Mu Changtian said, "Prince, I understand your intentions, but given the mix of good and bad in the ranks, it will not be easy to get them to fully comply with the orders and refrain from seeking out women."
Hearing Mu Changtian's words, Lu Chen was not surprised at all; what Mu Changtian said was correct, the makeup of the current army in North City was completely different from the one Lu Chen had envisioned.
Then, Lu Chen looked at Mu Changtian and asked, "General Mu, how do you find my Black Cavalry?"
Mu Changtian said, "They obey orders and maintain strict military discipline."
Lu Chen spoke with a smile, "If the Black Cavalry can achieve this, can't the North City army achieve it too?"
After thinking for a moment, Mu Changtian came to the realization that it made sense, but this would require reorganizing the army, and likely many soldiers would have to be discharged.
Lu Chen then said, "I intend to establish a new army with strict military discipline after this war. Soldiers with criminal records, those who have transgressed, or vagrants, will all be barred from joining my new army."
No sooner had Lu Chen finished speaking than Li Feng reminded him, "Prince, with many vagrants in North City, if we do not recruit vagrants into the army, and they have nowhere else to go, gathering together, they are probably prone to causing trouble."
Historically, many criminals and vagrants had been in the army, seen by the Emperor as cannon fodder, expendable in war, so they were deemed most suitable for the battlefield.
If North City did not recruit vagrants into the army, and their numbers surged, this would have a considerable impact on the public order in North City.
Lu Chen spoke indifferently, "General Li's concern has its merits; however, I have already found places for those vagrants."
Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances, no longer saying anything.
They probably had guessed what kind of place Lu Chen was referring to for the vagrants.
Construction had begun on the roads of North City, and coal mines were being extensively exploited; both required labor, and the number of vagrants in North City was negligible compared to the shortage of labor.
At this time, Lu Chen continued, "The military's mindset must change; we cannot accept just anyone. If the army is filled with ruffians and hoodlums, how could the common people ever trust my troops?"
"If the people can't even trust the army under my command, how could they trust me? The army of North City is tethered to me; we share in both disgrace and honor."
"If the mentality within the army remains restless, if soldiers join only with thoughts of promotion and wealth rather than to protect and defend the nation, then such an army might fare well in victory, but upon facing the slightest adversity, the soldiers will prioritize their interests first, and the entire force could quickly lose its fighting spirit.
I do not wish to see, in my lifetime, an army under my command crumble upon the enemy's first assault."