Chapter 496

The entire Beishuo Town comprises seven jurisdictions: Zhongyang, Dongchuan, Baimu, Kuling, Hegu, Linya, and Jingxi.

If divided north and south, Dongchuan, Zhongyang, and Linya belong to the north; the remaining four are southern, and Beishuo Town’s seat lies precisely at the center of the three southern jurisdictions—Hegu, Kuling, and Baimu.

Linya, as its name suggests, borders the Double Dragon Mountain cliff, but it also has another notable feature: it lies directly north of the Jingxi jurisdiction.

To the east of Linya is Zhongyang; slightly northeast of Zhongyang lies Dongchuan, the jurisdiction where the Allied Army is stationed.

…………

Daya Year 12, December 28, daytime

Jingxi Jurisdiction, Beishuo Town, Dongling Village, Lord’s Hall

“Lord Lu, the Provincial Military Commander has received the Grand Commander’s orders: to lead the Fifth and Sixth Brigades of the Allied Army, totaling ten thousand troops, first attack Dongchuan Camp, then seize Zhongyang and Linya Camps. The Commander began muster half an hour ago; by now, the ten thousand troops should have just left Dongchuan City. Dongchuan Camp is only sixty miles away—no more than an hour’s march.”

Lu Yang sat at the head of the hall; below him stood Mu Qinghe, the commander of the Fifth Brigade of the Dongchuan Allied Army and also the Commander of Daya’s Yellow Armor Army, who had arrived ahead from Dongchuan City.

When the Allied Army was first formed two years ago, each brigade consisted of five thousand men. Today, Daya maintains a total of sixty thousand Allied troops in the north, divided for convenience into two sections—Dongchuan and Jinyang—each with six brigades, totaling thirty thousand men apiece.

Although Mu Longhe is the Dongchuan Provincial Military Commander, since the Chancellor Xia Chuan personally arrived in Beishuo to take command earlier this year, command over Dongchuan’s thirty thousand Allied troops no longer rests with him.

“Commander Mu, of the Fifth and Sixth Brigades of the Allied Army, besides your Yellow Armor Army, how many are Daya’s official numbered regiments?”

Upon hearing Mu Qinghe’s report, Lu Yang did not respond immediately but first inquired about the specific composition of the Fifth and Sixth Brigades.

Mu Qinghe, as commander of the Fifth Brigade and long stationed in Dongchuan City, knew the Allied Army’s composition intimately and replied at once: “The Fifth Brigade has two thousand Yellow Armor troops, two thousand Xiao Mountain troops, and one thousand from the five northern towns; the Sixth Brigade has only two thousand Chi Yang troops, with the remaining three thousand also from the five northern towns.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Yang immediately lowered his head into thought.

Two years ago, after Daya formed the Allied Army, it underwent a military reform, deciding to retain only thirty official numbered regiments for external warfare. The previous twenty-one were: Yunjiao, Longwu, Tu Long, Hu Bao, Xuanwu, Shenwu, Longyuan, Lieying, Shanhe, Beizhao, Xiongwu, Heijian, Qingjiao, Dongyang, Feipeng, Gangzong, Jinjian, Jin diao, Zhenwu, Yingwu, and Zhaolong.

The nine later-added regiments, in order, were: Huangjia, Chilin, Chi Yang, Tian Ce, Xiao Shan, Qinglang, Zhu Han, Luoyang, and Tieying.

The day before yesterday, when Xu Ning and Lin Kai came to Dongling with news, they had relayed Lady Li Xuan’s deployment to him in full detail.

Of Daya’s thirty numbered regiments, Yuan Cheng’s Rear Army holds five, Luo Yuan’s Central Army holds four, and the three regiments—Dongyang, Heijian, and Qingjiao—are currently stationed at Hanqiong below Dongling, totaling twelve.

The remaining eighteen are stationed nine each in Dongchuan and Jinyang Cities. Yunjiao and Longwu are Level Eight formations, so the total strength of Daya’s numbered regiments in both cities is roughly twenty-one thousand.

“Only three numbered regiments deployed. Clearly, the Chancellor intends for you to coordinate with my forces to swiftly capture Zhongyang and Linya, first reopening the link between Dongchuan and Dongling to facilitate future supply transport.”

“Lord Lu, you’re remarkable…”

Hearing Lu Yang deduce Xia Chuan’s intent from nothing but the regimental details, Mu Qinghe couldn’t help but raise his thumb, his face filled with admiration.

He appeared middle-aged, but in truth he was ninety-one years old—he had only recently regained his middle-aged appearance after breaking through the Xianyang Realm this year.

Since the Chuishan Rift, Mu Qinghe had effectively become a subject of Daya. After more than two years in Daya’s service, he already had some understanding of the camp’s core leadership.

He knew that Lu Yang, though only thirty-four, was young enough to be his grandson.

Yet after Chancellor Xia Chuan gave his father Mu Longhe the order, he himself had struggled for a long time to understand it. Only later, as his father ordered him to deliver the message to Lu Yang in Dongling, did he gradually piece it together while walking and studying the map.

And yet Lu Yang, upon asking just one question, had figured it out instantly.

Mu Qinghe suppressed his astonishment and continued: “When the Chancellor gave my father the order, he granted him discretionary authority. I’ve been pondering why he said that—now I realize it must mean my father was to coordinate with you, Lord Lu…”

Having finished, Mu Qinghe could no longer contain his curiosity and asked: “Why, Lord Lu, did you conclude the Chancellor meant for you to assist us merely upon hearing that only three numbered regiments were deployed?”

Lu Yang smiled at Mu Qinghe’s curiosity, then pointed directly to the map behind him, marking Dongchuan, Zhongyang, and Linya in sequence. A flash of sharpness passed through his eyes as he said gravely: “Over two years, Daya, backed by Dongchuan City, has thoroughly consolidated the entire Dongchuan Jurisdiction. Beishuo has essentially abandoned this area—Dongchuan Camp normally garrisoned only a thousand troops. Last night, I received intelligence: that thousand-man force has withdrawn to Zhongyang Camp.

Zhongyang and Linya each hold five thousand troops. Directly south of Zhongyang is Hegu, southeast is Kuling, and directly south of Linya is my Jingxi jurisdiction—each of these three also holds five thousand troops. In this five-jurisdiction block, Beishuo’s total strength adds up to twenty-five thousand.

Though Beishuo’s garrison troops are inferior in combat power to ours, their numbers are overwhelming. If your ten thousand troops were all numbered regiments, victory might still be possible. But with only three? Without my aid, swiftly capturing Zhongyang and Linya is impossible.”

After hearing Lu Yang’s words, Mu Qinghe’s admiration deepened, and he nodded repeatedly: “I only understood this on the way here. Lord Lu, you grasped it so quickly—truly remarkable…”

Though these words carried a touch of flattery, they reflected Mu Qinghe’s genuine thoughts. He paused, then pressed on: “This northern campaign will likely involve the two major fiefdoms of Cang and Cai Qiu—it won’t end soon. Dongling is our only supply route. We must capture Linya and Zhongyang, or no supplies can reach Dongchuan City.”

According to your assessment, capturing Dongchuan Camp is no longer an issue. My father will likely immediately launch an assault on Zhongyang. You’ve been embedded in Beishuo for nearly a decade—you must have already planned accordingly. Do you have any intelligence I should carry back?”

Lu Yang’s infiltration in Beishuo was known to few in Daya—only those stationed with him in Dongling and select high-ranking officials.

Mu Qinghe only learned of it last year, after arriving in Dongchuan City with the newly formed Yellow Armor Army—it had stunned him.

The reason was simple: Lu Yang’s reputation in Beishuo had grown enormous in recent years.

A few years ago, Lu Yang was known as the Beining Sword Chief, merely the leader of a village-level camp. Though he possessed some strength, he was only at the Yuhan level, and his fame was confined within Jingxi Jurisdiction.

His reputation truly spread across Beishuo two years ago, when, in the sixth month of Mao’ao Year 134, Yang Rong’s grandson, Yang Xuan—one of Beishuo’s Six Steeds—came to Dongling to cause trouble, instigated by someone. He was soundly beaten by Lu Yang’s senior disciple, Lu Yun.

A youthful quarrel should have ended there. But Yang Xuan, humiliated by losing to the disciple of a village chief, could not bear the shame—he returned to Town City to summon reinforcements.

But Dongling was no pushover. The men sent from Beishuo Town City were each defeated and publicly humiliated. This act finally provoked the tiger’s wrath.

The matter escalated until even the Inspector General, Yang Rong, came in person.

A dramatic scene unfolded: the eighty-three-year-old Yang Rong, a 49-mane cultivator, was defeated before all eyes by the Beining Sword Chief, Lu Yang.

Even the Town Chief, Yang Fa, could no longer sit idle—he summoned Lu Yang to Town City for an audience.

Everyone assumed Yang Fa would not spare him. Yet Yang Fa not only pardoned Lu Yang—he promoted him to Inspector General of the Beishuo Surveillance Bureau, replacing the elderly Zhu Yang, to oversee the entire Jingxi Jurisdiction.

Though Lu Yang still bore the title Beining Sword Chief, his name was now known throughout Beishuo.

The most astonishing event came last August, when someone came to Dongling to cause trouble again—this time, even higher in status than Yang Xuan: Luo An, son of Luo Yuan, Director of Daya’s Hunting Bureau.