Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 500 Lu Yang's Scheme, Yang Fa's Visit

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

If we divide the seven jurisdictions by north and south, Dongchuan, Zhongyang, and Linya should be considered in the north; the remaining four should be considered in the south, and Beishuo Town is located right in the middle of the three major jurisdictions of Hegu, Kuling, and Baimu in the south.

As the name suggests, Linya is right next to the Shuanglong Mountain cliff, but in addition, the area has another significant feature: it is located directly north of the Jingxi jurisdiction.

To the east of the cliff is Zhongyang, and a little northeast of Zhongyang is the Dongchuan territory where the Allied forces are located.

…………

December 28th, the twelfth year of the Great Xia Dynasty, during the day.
Dongling Village, Jingxi District, Beishuo, Lord's Hall

"Lord Lu, the Commander-in-Chief has received orders from the General to lead five and six battalions of the allied forces, totaling ten thousand troops, to attack the Dongchuan camp first, and then take the Zhongyang and Linya camps. The Commander-in-Chief began roll call half an hour ago, and the ten thousand troops should have just left Dongchuan City at this moment. The Dongchuan camp is only about 60 li away from Dongchuan City, and it will arrive in at most an hour."

Lu Yang sat at the head of the table, below him was Mu Qinghe, the general of the fifth battalion of the Dongchuan Allied Army who had just arrived from Dongchuan City, and concurrently the commander of the Yellow Armor Army of the Great Xia.

Two years ago, when the Allied Forces were first formed, each battalion consisted of 5,000 men. Now, the Great Xia has a total of 60,000 Allied Forces in the north. To make it easier to distinguish them, they were simply divided into two divisions: Dongchuan and Jinyang. Each division has six battalions with a total of 30,000 men.

Although Mu Longhe was the governor of Dongchuan, since the beginning of the year when Xia Chuan, the chief clerk, came to Beishuo to take charge, he no longer had command over the 30,000 allied troops of Dongchuan.

"Commander Mu, besides your Yellow Armor Army, how many of the Allied forces' five or six battalions are actually part of our Great Xia's army?"

Upon hearing the military report from Mu Qinghe, Lu Yang did not rush to respond, but instead inquired about the specific situation of the Allied Fifth and Sixth Battalions.

Mu Qinghe, being the general of the Fifth Battalion and stationed in Dongchuan City for a long time, was well aware of the situation of the allied forces. He immediately replied, "The Fifth Battalion has 2000 Yellow Armor Army soldiers, 2000 Xiaoshan Army soldiers, and the remaining 1000 are from the Five Northern Garrisons; the Sixth Battalion has only 2000 Chiyang Army soldiers, and the remaining 3000 are also from the Five Northern Garrisons."

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

Two years ago, after the Great Xia formed its allied forces, it carried out a military reform, deciding to set up only 30 numbered armies in the entire camp responsible for external warfare. The previous 21 armies were Yunjiao, Longwu, Tulong, Hubao, Xuanwu, Shenwu, Longyuan, Lieying, Shanhe, Beizhao, Xiongwu, Heijian, Qingjiao, Dongyang, Feipeng, Gangzong, Jinjian, Jindiao, Zhenwu, Yingwu, and Zhaolong.

The nine teams that were added later, in chronological order, are: Huangjia, Chilin, Chiyang, Tiance, Xiaoshan, Qinglang, Zhuhan, Luoyang, and Tieying.

When Xu Ning and Lin Kai came to Dongling to deliver the message the day before yesterday, they had already conveyed Madam Li Xuanling's plans to him in detail.

Of the 30 numbered armies of the Great Xia, there are currently 5 rear army armies in Yuancheng, 4 central army armies in Luoyuan, and 3 armies of Dongyang, Heijian, and Qingjiao waiting for orders at Hanqiong station below Dongling, which makes a total of 12 armies.
The remaining 18 units were stationed in Dongchuan and Jinyang, with 9 units stationed in each city. The Yunjiao and Longwu armies were both level eight legions, so the total strength of the Great Xia army in the two locations was approximately 21000 men.

"Only three military units were dispatched. It seems that the Commander-in-Chief intends for me to be paired with your unit to quickly take Zhongyang and Linya, and first establish a connection between Dongchuan and Dongling to facilitate the subsequent transportation of military supplies."

"Lord Lu is amazing..."

Upon hearing that Lu Yang could guess Xia Chuan's intentions based solely on the situation of the unit, Mu Qinghe couldn't help but give him a thumbs up, his face full of admiration.

He looks middle-aged, but he is actually 91 years old. He only regained his middle-aged appearance this year after breaking through the Xianyang level.

After the Chuishan rift, Mu Qinghe was already considered a member of the Great Xia. Having joined the Great Xia for more than two years, he already had a certain understanding of the situation of the core high-level personnel in the camp.

He knew that Lu Yang was only 34 years old this year, and in terms of age, he was actually old enough to be Lu Yang's grandfather.

Just now, after Si Cheng Xia Chuan gave his father Mu Longhe this order, he was stunned for a long time and couldn't understand it. Later, his father asked him to come to Dongling to find Lu Yang to report the news. He walked and looked at the map on the way and thought for a long time before he understood.

To everyone's surprise, Lu Yang guessed it after asking only one question.

Mu Qinghe suppressed his astonishment and continued, "When the Minister of Justice gave Father his order, he said that he was allowed to act as he saw fit. I've been wondering why he said that, and now that I think about it, it must be that he wanted Father to find Lord Lu to cooperate with him..."

After finishing his explanation, Mu Qinghe couldn't contain his curiosity and asked, "Why did Lord Lu conclude that the Chief Clerk wanted you to cooperate with us just because he heard that only three units of the army were dispatched?"

Seeing the curiosity on Mu Qinghe's face, Lu Yang smiled and pointed directly to the map of Beishuo behind him, pointing to Dongchuan, Zhongyang and Linya in turn. A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and then he said in a deep voice: "In the past two years, my Great Xia has taken Dongchuan City as its backing and managed the entire Dongchuan area meticulously. Beishuo has basically abandoned this place. The Dongchuan camp usually only has a thousand-man army stationed there. I received intelligence last night that the thousand-man army has withdrawn to the Zhongyang camp."
Five thousand troops were stationed in each of Zhongyang and Linya. Hegu was directly south of Zhongyang, Kuling was to the southeast, and Jingxi was south of Linya. Five thousand troops were stationed in each of these three places. In this area of ​​five districts, the total military strength of Beishuo was twenty-five thousand.

Although the Northern Shuo Garrison's fighting strength is inferior to that of my Great Xia, their numbers are undeniable. Your 10,000 troops might have a chance if they were all officially designated units, but three units are far too few. Without my help, there's virtually no chance of quickly taking Zhongyang and Linya!"

After hearing Lu Yang's words, Mu Qinghe's eyes showed even more admiration, and he couldn't help but nod repeatedly, saying, "I only figured it out on the way here. It's truly amazing that Lord Lu could think of it so quickly..."

While there was a hint of flattery in his words, they reflected Mu Qinghe's true thoughts at that moment. After a pause, he went straight to the point and continued, "This war in the north is very likely to involve the two major warlords of Chencang and Caiqiu. It may not end in a short time. Dongling is our only supply line. We must take Linya and Zhongyang, otherwise all military supplies will not be able to be sent to Dongchuan City."

According to Lord Lu, taking Dongchuan Camp is no longer a problem. My father should immediately lead his troops to attack Zhongyang. Lord Lu has been lying in wait in Beishuo Town for nearly ten years; he must have already made his plans. Do you have any news you want me to bring back?”

Not many people in Daxia knew about Lu Yang's infiltration of Beishuo, except for those stationed with him in Dongling and a few high-ranking officials.

Mu Qinghe only found out about it last year after he led the newly formed Yellow Armor Army into Dongchuan City, which greatly surprised him at the time.

The reason is quite simple: in recent years, Lu Yang, the leader of the Northern Sword Sect, has become so famous.

Lu Yang's nickname a few years ago was Bei Ning Sword Chief, the leader of a village-level camp. Although he had some strength, he was only at the Cold Resistance level, and his reputation was limited to the Bei Shuo Jingxi jurisdiction.

What truly made Lu Yang's reputation spread throughout the entire Beishuo region was an incident that occurred two years ago. In June of the 134th year of the Mo'ao calendar, Yang Xuan, the grandson of Yang Rong, the head of the Beishuo Supervisory Council, and one of the Six Steeds of Beishuo, was instigated by someone to cause trouble in Dongling. As a result, he was taught a lesson by Lu Yang's eldest disciple, Lu Yun.

The rivalry between young people shouldn't have escalated, but Yang Xuan probably felt that losing to the apprentice of a village-level camp leader was a huge loss of face, so he went back to the town to call people to settle the score.

Who knew that Dongling was no pushover either. The group from Beishuo Town were not only defeated one after another, but also severely humiliated. In this way, Dongling had completely provoked the tiger.

Eventually, even the head of the academy, Yang Rong, came in person.

A dramatic scene unfolded: Yang Rong, at the age of 83 and with a strength of 49, was defeated by Lu Yang, the swordsman of Beining, in front of everyone.

Even the town's chief, Yang Fa, couldn't sit still any longer and summoned Lu Yang to the town to pay his respects.

Everyone thought Yang Fa would definitely not let him off the hook, but who would have thought that Yang Fa would not only spare Lu Yang in the end, but also promote him to the position of Director of the Northern Shuo Supervisory Council, replacing the elderly Zhu Yang, and making him responsible for supervising the entire Jingxi jurisdiction.

At that time, although Lu Yang was still known as the Sword Master of Beining, his reputation had already spread throughout Beishuo.

Most shockingly, it happened last August. This time, someone else came to Dongling to cause trouble, and this time, the person was of even higher status than Yang Xuan. It was Luo An, the son of Luo Yuan, the Director of the Hunting Department of the Great Xia Dynasty. In short, Luo An had done something to bully men and women, which enraged Lu Yang. He immediately detained Luo An and ordered Luo Yuan, the Director of the Hunting Department of the Great Xia Dynasty, to come and pick him up in person. If Luo An did not come within a month, Lu Yang would kill him.

Since the Battle of Hongmen, the status of the Great Xia in the southern foothills of Mo'ao has been self-evident, and the status of Luo Yuan, one of the eight chief officials of the Great Xia, is even more self-evident.

Lu Yang not only detained the son of such a person, but also threatened to kill him!

It goes without saying how big of a fuss this incident caused back then.

As a result, Luo Yuan arrived and successfully rescued his son, but he was also severely humiliated by Lu Yang.
Luo Yuan refused to swallow his anger and came to settle scores the next day, accompanied by Yuan Cheng, the head of the Great Xia Garrison Department who had already broken through to the Xianyang level.

Then, Lu Yang and Yuan Cheng fought fiercely, neither gaining the upper hand. At this moment, everyone suddenly realized that Lu Yang, the swordsman of Beining, had actually broken through to the Xianyang level.

The Northern Shuo was greatly shaken. Lord Yang Zun and Town Chief Yang Fa personally went to Dongling to support Dongling and Lu Yang, which seriously embarrassed the Great Xia.

Since the year 132 of the Mo'ao calendar, when Xia Hong set up the Hongmen Banquet on the east bank of Hengjiang, the Great Xia had been going east for more than three years. When had it ever suffered a loss?

Who would have thought that the small Dongling Mountain could cause the Great Xia to suffer a crushing defeat!

Lu Yang of Dongling immediately became famous throughout the nine towns, especially the five northern towns, which were already trying to humiliate the Great Xia. They spared no effort in portraying Lu Yang as a hero who resisted the Great Xia. It was at this time that the title of "Sword Master of Beishuo" spread.

………………

Of course, looking back on these things now, Mu Qinghe's face was full of strange expressions. If he remembered correctly, the homes of Lu Yang, Yuan Cheng, and Luo Yuan in the inner city of Daxia were at most a hundred meters apart.

In other words, Luo An was clearly Lu Yang's nephew, and Yuan Cheng, Yuan Sizheng, was Lu Yang's brother who had grown up with him since childhood.

The charade that Lu Yang orchestrated with the cooperation of the Great Xia people actually fooled the entire Five Northern Towns. Not to mention Bei Shuo, Yang Zun and his brother are probably still gloating over the appearance of such a powerful figure in their territory.

Mu Qinghe shook his head, clearing his mind of unnecessary thoughts. Seeing that Lu Yang was still pondering, he did not interrupt him.

He had figured it out when he arrived. With Lu Yang's great assistance, his father's 10,000 troops were naturally not considered a main force. Now, looking back, when the Minister of Works said that he would allow his father to act as he saw fit, it was ostensibly giving him autonomy, but in reality, it was asking them to cooperate with Lu Yang.

Putting aside his familiarity with the terrain and environment, just the fact that he has been lurking in Beishuo for more than nine years gives Lu Yang a lot to do. In addition, with the play he performed last August, he has gained the trust of the town of Beishuo. With this trust, he can do even more.

Therefore, this attack on Zhongyang and Linya will definitely focus on Luyang.

It might not just be these two places that are attacked; the entire left flank army might have to cooperate with Lu Yang...

"Commander Mu, Dongling is crucial to the military supply chain. Zhongyang and Linya must be captured quickly. Although Beishuo is not clear about the significance of Dongling, since they have already decided to go to war with Daxia, they will not sit idly by and watch these two places fall. Therefore, sending troops to reinforce them is inevitable..."

Interrupted by Lu Yang's voice, Mu Qinghe immediately perked up and began to listen attentively. In the army, nothing is trivial, and he would take back everything Lu Yang told him verbatim to his father, Mu Longhe.

Lu Yang paused for a moment before continuing, "After nine years of management, Jingxi is now entirely under my control. Taking Zhongyang and Linya with the help of Governor Mu shouldn't be too difficult. But since we've decided to take action, we can't just focus on these three territories..."

"Brother Lu, are you here? Yang Fa has come to pay his respects!"

Just as Lu Yang was about to continue speaking, a voice suddenly came from the sky above Dongling, interrupting him. Upon hearing this, Mu Qinghe's expression changed slightly, and he immediately concealed his aura.

Lu Yang showed no surprise whatsoever. He pointed to the quiet room behind the main hall and nodded to Mu Qinghe.

Mu Qinghe understood immediately and hid in the quiet room at the back.

Seeing that he had hidden himself, Lu Yang immediately rushed out and saw Yang Fa in mid-air surveying the people in his camp. A smile appeared in his eyes, and he quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "Lu Yang greets the town chief, please come in quickly!"

"A year has passed, and Dongling's strength has increased considerably. It seems that my brother was right about you. Brother Lu is not only exceptionally talented, but his strategic acumen also far surpasses that of ordinary people. Dongling truly has the potential to be a stronghold of the city. I admire you greatly!"

At this moment, Yang Fa was genuinely terrified.

The strength of Dongling is becoming increasingly incomprehensible.

He remembered clearly that when he came last August, Dongling only had a little over two thousand cold-resistant troops. In fact, it was already an exaggeration that a village-level camp had so many cold-resistant troops. He was even a little wary at the time.

More than a year later, upon returning to this place, he had only briefly surveyed the area from mid-air when he sensed no less than three thousand auras of the Cold Resistance level.

The southern foothills have indeed developed rapidly in recent years, but the fact that a village-level camp has developed so dramatically still surprised him.

But as he entered the hall and looked up to see Lu Yang, realizing that the other party's strength might now be no less than his own, his composure improved somewhat.

For a Xianyang-level cultivator, developing a village-level camp wouldn't be too difficult if they were truly dedicated. In addition, with the increasing integration of the towns on the southern slopes in recent years, cultivation resources, both in quantity and variety, have become more abundant, so it's not surprising that the development speed is faster.

After Lu Yang invited Yang Fa into the hall, he did not sit in the main seat, but instead sat facing Yang Fa as a sign of respect. Upon hearing Yang Fa mention the presence of a city's guardian, Lu Yang was immediately startled and stood up abruptly, waving his hands repeatedly in awe and fear, saying:
"Your Excellency, you flatter me. Dongling is merely a small village within the territory of Beishuo. Please, Your Excellency, refrain from using the phrase 'township'..."

Seeing Lu Yang's reaction, Yang Fa's eyes flickered slightly, but a satisfied look appeared on his face at the opportune moment. He then said in a deep voice, "Brother Lu, you are no stranger. This situation is urgent, so I will get straight to the point..."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Last year I told Brother Lu that Great Xia would never be satisfied with the status quo, and now it seems that has come true. Just now, the Xia army in Dongchuan City mobilized all its forces, ten thousand elite Xia soldiers, heading straight for my Beishuo Dongchuan camp. It seems Great Xia is about to make a move..."

boom!
Lu Yang jumped up from his chair with a thud, his face a mixture of shock, anger, and fear. These emotions coalesced into disbelief as he looked at Yang Fa and asked in a startled voice, "Is what you said true, sir?"

Yang Fa nodded emphatically and said in a deep voice, "It is absolutely true. I saw it with my own eyes outside Dongchuan City. The spies in the city have already spread the news that Xia Chuan is gathering Xia troops in the city. In addition to 20,000 elite Xia troops, there are also 30,000 temporarily conscripted Yuhan-class soldiers in the city. Xia Chuan is coming to destroy Beishuo."

"How dare the Great Xia destroy the Northern Shuo, how dare they..."

Lu Yang seemed stunned, but soon a hint of resentment rose in his eyes. He then looked up at Yang Fa and said, "Lord Chief, is Bei Shuo willing to let Da Xia be overthrown? Does the Lord have no countermeasures?"

Seeing Lu Yang's reaction, Yang Fa's eyes immediately lit up.

(End of this chapter)