Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 713 Combining the Orthodox and the Unorthodox
After the White Lotus Sect raised its banner in Anxi, Zhen Huan's career took off.

The remnants of the regime in China spontaneously came to join them. The advantage was that there were more people available, but the disadvantage was that all sorts of people came from all over the place.

As the leader, Zhen Huan revived the old structure: four elders, four envoys, and the Holy Maiden's faction was the core force of the leader.

Zhen Yaoyao is the saintess of our time. Placing her next to Jia Shi is undoubtedly Zhen Huan going all in.

The reason for doing this is simple: it's not because of Jia Lian's status, but because the children he raises should have a better sense of morality.

The Prince of Xining back then was not a man of principle; he constantly suppressed the development of the White Lotus Sect. The current Duke of Anxi relied on the White Lotus Sect's power when he was vying for the throne, which is why he had no choice but to depend on it.

The White Lotus sect, upon arriving in Anxi, changed some of its past practices, focusing more on infiltrating the military. They gained control of a significant portion of the Anxi army.

These are all painful lessons learned from the failures of rebellions over the centuries. Without an army, the White Lotus Sect was just a discarded rag.

Jia Shi certainly didn't trust the White Lotus Sect, after all, Jia Lian had said that those who pretended to be gods and ghosts were no good.

However, considering that the White Lotus Sect had already gained considerable influence in Anxi, they could only temporarily accept Zhen Yaoyao, but they made it clear beforehand.

“I don’t care about other places, but east of Bishkek, proselytizing is prohibited.” Jia Shi put it very directly, but Zhen Huan smiled and asked in return, “If the people here don’t believe in the White Lotus Sect, they’ll believe in other religions. Rather than believing in a foreign religion, they might as well believe in the White Lotus Sect. Besides, proselytizing happens among the people, and you can’t stop it. You might as well leave this to us.”

Jia Shi knew she was right and was speechless for a moment. Finally, he forced a reply: "You are not allowed to preach to the Han people under my jurisdiction, you are not allowed to preach in the army, and you are not allowed to infiltrate my troops, otherwise I will turn against you and kill you all. Believe me, I have the power to do so."

Zhen Huan knew this was Jia Shi's bottom line and dared not risk angering him, so she could only nod: "I will try my best to control it. If you find that someone has breached the contract, you should tell me first and I will handle it."

Such things are hard to avoid, and Jia Shi knew he couldn't refuse, so they reached a verbal agreement.

Zhen Huan left, leaving Zhen Yaoyao with four maids and four male servants. The group settled down in a side courtyard of Jia Shixing's residence.

These people asked for nothing and made no demands; they seemed purely there to help. The question is, do such people even exist in this world? There was only one Norman Bethune, and only one International Brigades.

Jia Shi didn't have a good way to deal with them for the time being, so he had no choice but to leave them aside and go about his own business.

Legally, Almaty was under the jurisdiction of General Dihua, but in reality, it was under the control of the Anxi Military Region.

The Anxi Military District currently comprises four parts: Alimta, Bishkek, Dushanbe, and Ashgabat. The first two are effectively controlled by the Anxi Military District, while the latter two are controlled by the former Anxi Army. They are now considered part of the Anxi Army, but they lack a formal designation and are essentially the private army of the Anxi Duke.

In short, Anxi right now can be summed up in one word: chaos!

Jia Shi's plan was to first quell the rebellion in the Astana direction, then send the two sons of the Prince of Xining who had lost the struggle to Astana, and as for the Duke of Anxi, he would just let him develop as he pleased.

After Jia Shi's army finished its rest and reorganization, it began to advance northward. The newly formed division consisted of three infantry regiments, one cavalry regiment, one artillery regiment, and one logistics and supply regiment.

Jia Shi led his cavalry regiment forward, reconnoitering and scouting enemy positions. Three infantry regiments followed, advancing in a triangular formation, with Jia Shi's artillery regiment bringing up the rear. The supply regiment was left in Almaty to ensure the supply lines remained open, with the cooperation of An Er and An San.

The biggest problem in Anxi is the roads, but fortunately, a road leading to Astana had been built beforehand, so things went relatively smoothly in the early stages.

The straight-line distance from Almaty to Astana is close to 1,000 kilometers, but the actual distance is much greater.

According to the plan, we first arrived at a military post near Lake Balkhash, which was built during our last visit, and a company of soldiers was stationed there.

When the vanguard of the newly formed division arrived, a company here was preparing to flee. Fortunately, they arrived in time, otherwise they would have set fire to the entire area and burned all the stored grain and fodder, leaving nothing for the rebels.

This company was originally part of the Independent Division. Upon learning of the arrival of the newly formed division to relieve them, the company commander immediately reported to the cavalry regimental commander of the vanguard that rebel forces had been frequently appearing in the surrounding area recently. The men who had been left behind in the two small towns by the lake had all been withdrawn, and the specific situation was unknown. Due to limited manpower, they dared not send anyone to investigate.

The advance team immediately sent the message back. Jia Shi's side was still thirty kilometers away from the supply depot, and it was already getting dark, so they set up camp on the spot.

The artillery regiment was not simply a single regiment lagging behind; accompanying the artillery was a cavalry company, a mounted infantry company, a machine gun company, and a mortar company.

The firepower was more than sufficient, but its drawbacks were its cumbersome nature and slow movement. The 75mm recoilless gun had powerful firepower, but it could not move off the road.

Upon receiving the urgent report, Jia Shi ordered all units to set up camp, establish sentry posts, and prepare for a night attack.

The stronger side should not be impatient for quick success in battle, but rather take a steady and methodical approach.

Not to mention, Jia Shi's plan was to use the rebels' most likely tactic of harassing their supply lines to launch a targeted encirclement and counterattack operation.

As Jia Shi and the staff had predicted, the situation unfolded exactly as they had anticipated: the rebels had no intention of engaging in a direct confrontation. The cavalry reconnaissance units dispatched that night scouted the two small settlements ahead, only to find that everyone had fled, and the wooden houses had been burned to the ground. Fortunately, the people had all evacuated to the supply depot; otherwise, the losses would have been even greater.

To Jia Shi's surprise, just as he ordered the camp to be set up, Zhen Yaoyao arrived and sent someone to deliver a message requesting a face-to-face meeting.

Jia Shi was extremely dissatisfied. Wasn't this just causing trouble? Did they even know how to fight?

However, he decided to hold back and let his adjutant bring people in for a talk.

After meeting, Zhen Yaoyao told Jia Shi directly, "My people brought back news from the front that the rebels are building a defensive line along the Karaganda line. Your troops don't need to be too careful at all."

Jia Shi understood what she meant. It was just that the army had been more cautious during the recent march, and it took them three days to reach the outpost on the shore of Lake Balkhash.

"Thank you for the news, but don't try to teach me how to fight. If you want to watch, stay and enjoy the show. How much you understand depends on your own comprehension." Jia Shi wouldn't be swayed by beauty. There were plenty of beauties in the Jia family. His mother and sister-in-law, Qin Shi, were both top-tier beauties in their youth, and even now, in their later years, they still retained their charm. Zhen Yaoyao, being of mixed race, could only be described as having distinctive beauty, barely qualifying as a stunning beauty.

“Alright, I’ll have someone send over the information as soon as I find it. I’ll march with the general.” Zhen Yaoyao agreed readily, meaning she was staying as a hostage. Jia Shi looked at the woman and sneered, “At most two people. More than that would be bad for the image. Also, please wear military uniforms. Don’t let this affect morale.”

Zhen Yaoyao's expression was obscured by a veil, but her words carried a bewitching quality: "Very well, this humble servant obeys!"

Jia Shi ignored her, leaving the reception to his staff officer and adjutant. He then returned to his tent in the operations room and began to scrutinize the battlefield situation by looking at the map.

As for the so-called rebel defense line, Jia Shi was happy to see it succeed, but he was afraid that the rebels would not fight and would instead play guerrilla warfare with him.

The next morning, Jia Shi woke up on his camp bed. When he came out of the tent to wash up, he found that his usual adjutant had been replaced by Zhen Yaoyao and a maid.

Both of them changed into military uniforms, their faces bare of makeup, one holding toiletries and the other carrying a basin of water.

Jia Shi… looked around guiltily. Seeing that no one was looking this way, he looked away and then looked at Zhen Yaoyao opposite him. This woman's face was really something else.

To be objective, with a little makeup, she would be a stunning beauty even in the Jia family. Wearing a military uniform, her figure was even more striking. Jia Shi regretted letting her wear the uniform.

Jia Shi didn't stand on ceremony and took the toothbrush and cup to wash himself. Zhen Yaoyao was indeed trained in how to serve people, just like Jia Shi at home, where everything he wanted was readily available.

After washing up, Zhen Yaoyao brought over a small stool and a folding table. After Jia Shi sat down, a maid brought over breakfast.

Seeing that it was just ordinary cooking from a large pot prepared by the army's cooks, without any special treatment, Jia Shi felt a little more at ease. When leading troops into battle, the first rule is to never treat them specially.

After breakfast, Jia Shi entered the operations room, and Zhen Yaoyao followed beside him, holding a small notebook, as if she was there to study.

In fact, Zhen Yaoyao's persistent haunting was because she came to learn how to command battles.

Holding a pole, Jia Shi pointed at the map and issued orders: "Today's plan is that after the cavalry regiment advances fifty kilometers, it must conduct reconnaissance within a fifty-kilometer radius. Other regiments should maintain their distance and provide mutual reinforcement at any time. After the division headquarters reaches the supply depot today, the entire army will rest for a day, strengthen the fortifications of the supply depot, and wait for the supply corps' supplies to arrive before setting off again."

Zhen Yaoyao watched quietly. She understood that Jia Shi didn't care whether the enemy was nearby or what the defense line was. His strategy was all about one word: stability!

At the current marching pace, with frequent stops and starts, it would take a month to cover a thousand kilometers. It's September now, and unfortunately, it snowed when we arrived in Astana.

Zhen Yaoyao wanted to remind him to shut up. She knew it would be useless to say anything.

In fact, Jia Shi was also very curious about one thing: why didn't the rebels destroy the road? Perhaps they were reluctant to do so. It took two years to build this road, and nearly 100,000 people were mobilized, all from local tribes. That's why they were truly reluctant to give it up, because any tribal alliance with even a little ambition would be unwilling to part with this completed cement road.

It's easy to destroy, but incredibly difficult to repair in the future. This isn't a wooden hut at a lakeside military post, where repairs could be done in just a few days at most.

Balkhash was the most important city along the way. When the advance troops arrived, the rebels had all fled, leaving only some elderly and infirm locals. The three-meter-high earthen walls had been completely demolished, and the lakeside town was more like a small town than a city. The houses, mostly brick and stone structures, were undamaged, but the crops near the settlements had been completely harvested and the grain taken away. Only five or six hundred residents remained; they had grain in their hands, and it was up to the Han army to decide whether to plunder it.

Jia Shi certainly wouldn't fall into that trap; if he were to seize the grain, the consequences would be far too severe.

Jia Shi had no intention of seizing grain beforehand, but rather regarded Balkhash as an important logistical supply point.

Jia She judged that if the rebels wanted to attack supply points, the lakeside town of Balkhash would definitely be a prime target. The elderly, women, and children left behind didn't even have enough food to get through the winter; they still needed to be fed. Upon arriving in Balkhash, Jia Shi gave Zhen Yaoyao her first task.

"Send your men to Balkhash with as much grain as they can. Also send some more people over to help the supply corps defend this area."

Although Zhen Yaoyao did not understand Jia Shi's meaning, she still chose to obey. She immediately sent someone to deliver a message.

Jia Shi left the division headquarters and artillery regiment in Balkhash, while the other troops continued to advance, maintaining a distance of ten kilometers between each unit, roughly forming a diamond shape, with a distance of thirty kilometers between each unit.

The supply convoy arrived the next day, bringing the army's ten-day supply of provisions. Jia Shi then ordered a battalion to remain to garrison the area while the main force continued its advance.

Three days later, when the main force of the newly formed division was more than 100 kilometers away from Balkhash, rebel cavalry began to appear around Balkhash.

The rebel Rangers' cover-up was meant to be seen by the officers and soldiers of the newly formed division, seemingly asking whether they should continue to advance.

Zhen Yaoyao's men also sent word that there were indeed rebel cavalry activity in the vicinity, but the exact number was uncertain.

Looking at the situation on the map, Jia Shi realized they had been marching for ten days, covering approximately 400 kilometers. The grain stockpiled in Balkhash was enough for the entire division to get through the winter, and the only forces stationed there were a supply regiment, a militia of over a thousand men, and the rest were the elderly, women, and children. Jia Shi hoped these people wouldn't cause trouble.

"Order: The main force continues to advance, while the cavalry regiment turns south overnight to cooperate with the Third Regiment in annihilating the rebels who dare to besiege Balkhash."

After Jia Shi gave the order, the staff officers loudly agreed and began to issue orders to their respective departments.

After Zhen Yaoyao and the others had all left, she stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "General, how can you guarantee that the rebels will definitely besiege Balkhash?"

Jia Shi looked at Zhen Yaoyao speechlessly and said, "I can't guarantee that we'll get comprehensive and detailed intelligence in this godforsaken place. The only thing I can do is to have the cavalry disperse and try to conceal our battlefield information. During the march, send a battalion back from each encampment to cover up the night march. If the enemy doesn't fall for it, we'll continue forward. If they do, wouldn't that be even better?"

Zhen Yaoyao understood and asked curiously, "How can you guarantee that the rebels won't dare to cross Lake Balkhash to attack the supply convoy?"

Jia Shi calmly looked at Zhen Yaoyao and asked, "Then may I ask, have your men discovered any rebels operating near the highway from Lake Balkhash to Almaty?"

Zhen Yaoyao shook her head, and Jia Shi couldn't help but laugh, "Isn't that it? If you didn't notice, my people certainly wouldn't have been able to."

Zhen Yaoyao was even more confused!
(End of this chapter)