Bamund leaned close to Iden and asked quietly, "Are you planning to dismiss them all, keep some, or keep every one of them?"
After considering it briefly, Iden said, "We only need to keep enough to maintain the important palace chambers."
"In that case, could you leave the remaining maids to me?" Bamund asked.
"Certainly." Iden nodded in agreement. He did not know what Bamund wanted with these people, but presumed it was not for his own pleasure.
Half an hour later, after personally selecting two hundred and thirty maids to maintain the important palace chambers, Iden handed everyone else over to Bamund.
As they watched Bamund walk away, Greg leaned close to Iden and asked in a low voice, "Do you think he might give these maids to other people as gifts to build connections?"
"I'm not sure," Iden replied, shaking his head. "General Bamund is the Lord's uncle. As long as it doesn't involve military affairs, neither of us can interfere with what he chooses to do."
"But I think we should still report this," Greg said gravely. "We'll keep our judgments out of the report and state only the facts. Our lord can decide for himself."
"I'll write the report. Do you want to sign it?"
After a moment of silence, Iden nodded slightly and said, "Let me know when it's ready."
Unlike Bamund, he and Greg were commanders born and raised in the Qixing Territory. At a time like this, they had to fulfill their duties and safeguard the Lord's interests.
"I'll be going, then."
"All right."
After watching Greg leave, Iden waved for the soldiers to take the maids away, then sat down on the steps.
As the war progressed, he had begun to sense that factions were forming within the army.
Apart from the