Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

Autumn sunlight streamed through the windowpanes, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the floor of the study in the fortress lord's mansion. Chen Xing's gaze fell upon a newly drawn, more expansive map on the wall. This map no longer merely marked Xinghuo Fortress and its surroundings, but encompassed the headquarters of the Black Mountain Commander to the north, the more distant areas of Hu activity to the west, the several separatist forces vaguely mentioned to the east, and even the paths to the relatively prosperous but chaotic Central Plains prefectures to the south. Although many areas were only sketched in vague outlines and marked with words like "rumored" or "unknown."

The more the map expands, the more unknown blank spaces appear, and the stronger the feeling of being shrouded in an invisible veil becomes. When will Black Mountain Commander's revenge come? In what way and on what scale? What is Sun Han's true intention in Iron Rock Fortress? Does Hu Yong of Gray Valley Fortress secretly collude with other forces? In more distant areas, are there any allies to be made, or are there even greater threats brewing? The scattered information brought by border scouts and merchants is far from sufficient to meet the needs of a force aiming to consolidate its foundation and even potentially need to take the initiative in the future.

"Our eyes cannot be fixed only on the area ten miles beyond the wall," Chen Xing said, turning to the people in the study. Besides the usual Wu Xuejiu, Chen Wei, and Murong Mingyue, he had also specially summoned Li Shu, a meticulous man with a keen eye for numbers and personnel, who was in charge of household registration documents. "Building walls and stockpiling grain are fundamental strategies. But if we are unaware of the changing situation outside, unaware of the enemy's strengths and weaknesses, it's like a blind man riding a blind horse, approaching a deep pool at midnight. No matter how high the wall we build, it can be breached by the enemy from an unexpected direction or through a weak point; no matter how much grain we stockpile, it can be destroyed in an instant by a sudden war or blockade."

Wu Xuejiu stroked his beard and nodded: "What the fortress lord says is absolutely right. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. In the past, we were cut off from information and relied entirely on luck and the fortress lord's decisive actions to overcome many dangers. However, as our power grows, we attract attention. If we cannot take the initiative to find out what is going on outside, we will suffer a great loss sooner or later."

Chen Wei added from a military perspective: "Especially the Black Mountain Commander. His headquarters is still hundreds of miles away from our fortress, separated by complex terrain and other forces. If he were to mobilize a large army, gather supplies, and contact allies, it would be no easy task. If we could find out his assembly point, troop strength, supply route, and even morale in advance, we could make preparations ahead of time, such as blocking his supply lines, harassing his flanks, implementing a scorched-earth policy, or even uniting with those who might be threatened by him to resist him. Conversely, if we wait until his army is at our gates, we will be completely passive."

Murong Mingyue said, "The grassland tribes rely on fast horses and beacon fires to transmit messages, but the distance is limited and they are easily intercepted. For movements further away, they often rely on rumors from merchants, which are difficult to verify. We need more reliable and continuous sources of information."

Li Shu nervously rubbed his hands together: "Does the Lord mean... to establish our own... spy network?" The words carried a dark and dangerous aura.

"They are not 'spies' in the traditional sense, infiltrating enemy camps to carry out assassinations and poisonings," Chen Xing corrected. He preferred the term "intelligence network." "What we need to build is a network that covers a wider area, uses multiple identities as cover, and whose main task is to observe, record, and transmit information. They are our eyes and ears, not daggers."

He walked to the map, tracing the main trade routes and potential transportation hubs with his finger: "These people could be itinerant merchants, going from street to street, buying and selling goods, listening to people's chatter, and observing the flow of people in the market, price fluctuations, and the movement of weapons; they could be itinerant doctors and fortune tellers, contacting all sorts of people to inquire about epidemics, famines, and the trends of the people in various places; they could be refugees seeking refuge with relatives and friends, blending into other fortified villages or towns to observe their internal governance, defenses, and the support of the people; they could even be cart drivers and porters transporting goods, recording road conditions, checkpoint inspections, and the level of transportation activity..."

Chen Xing describes a more systematic intelligence model that emphasizes information gathering and analysis, rather than simple espionage. "Their primary task is to survive and remain hidden. Information gathering comes second. The methods of transmitting information must also be safe and covert, such as coded letters smuggled by caravans, markings left at specific locations, or seemingly unrelated messages passed through multiple intermediaries."

Wu Xuejiu's eyes gleamed: "Brilliant! In this way, the sources of information are diverse and not easily detected or cut off. Moreover, these people each have their own identities and livelihoods, and can partially support themselves through their own expenses, and even give back to the fortress through trade. However... the selection of personnel is crucial. They must be astute, cautious, loyal, reliable, and possess the corresponding skills and abilities; ordinary soldiers or farmers are not suitable."

"Exactly." Chen Xing nodded. "I intend for Li Shu to take full responsibility for this matter."

Li Shu was startled and quickly waved his hands: "Master, this subordinate...this subordinate only knows how to keep accounts and compile records. I have never been involved in espionage before, and I am afraid I am not up to the task!"

Chen Xing looked at him earnestly: "Because you are meticulous, adept at sorting through chaotic numbers and personnel, and in charge of household registration, you have the best understanding of the backgrounds, personalities, and strengths of the people within the fortress, this position is perfect for you. You don't need to personally risk your life to investigate; instead, you will be responsible for selecting suitable personnel, establishing communication channels, designing methods for information transmission and recording, and organizing, comparing, and analyzing the scattered information gathered to extract valuable intelligence. This is similar to your work in managing household registration and sorting out accounts, except that the object of your work has changed from the people and land within the fortress to the ever-changing situation outside the walls."

Upon hearing this, Li Shu calmed down slightly, but still felt immense pressure.

Chen Xing continued, "Mr. Wu will assist from the side, responsible for formulating the selection criteria, training guidelines, and preliminary information screening rules for intelligence personnel. Chen Wei, you need to select some bold, meticulous, knowledgeable, and absolutely loyal individuals from the army, especially scouts and veterans, as the initial backbone, and be responsible for training their observation, memory, and escape skills. Mingyue, your cavalry can also cooperate when operating on the periphery, providing cover for the entry and exit of intelligence personnel, or receiving emergency information from specific areas."

With clear division of labor, everyone accepted the task.

"Initial objectives," Chen Xing emphasized, tapping several locations on the map, "First, the Black Mountain Commander's headquarters and its main vassal states, to gather intelligence on their troop movements, food supplies, high-ranking officials' activities, and their attitudes and statements towards our fortress. Second, the interiors of Iron Rock Fortress and Gray Valley Fortress, especially Sun Han and Hu Yong's decision-making tendencies, their contacts with other forces, defensive weaknesses, and public morale. Third, the trade routes leading south and the forces along those routes, to understand the changing situation in a larger region, whether there are any potential allies or new threats to be wary of."

"Building an intelligence network is not something that can be accomplished overnight; it requires patient management and steady progress." Chen Xing concluded by instructing Li Shu, "The first batch of personnel should prioritize quality over quantity. Their loyalty and abilities must be repeatedly assessed; it's better to be slow than to make a mistake. In the early stages, information transmission should not be fast, but rather stable and accurate. Every piece of information must have a source, time, and location, and be able to withstand scrutiny and comparison. You need to establish a dedicated archive to properly store this information and regularly summarize and analyze it with me, Mr. Wu, and Chen Wei."

Li Shu took a deep breath and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Your subordinate... obeys! I will do my utmost to create a pair of 'clairvoyant eyes' for my fortress!"

The plan was quietly launched. Next to Li Shu's office, a heavily guarded, tightly sealed room appeared, with a plain sign reading "Map and Archives Room." Wu Xuejiu secluded himself for several days, compiling a "Preliminary Selection Guidelines for Surveillance Personnel" and a "Brief Explanation of Message Record Authentication." Chen Wei secretly selected twelve individuals from the scout team and recovered veterans—men with relatively simple backgrounds, quick minds, tight-lipped nature, and unique skills.

On a moonlit night, the twelve men were led in batches to a secret room in the lord's mansion. Chen Xing personally received them, offering no grand pronouncements, but calmly and solemnly explaining the extreme importance and high danger of this mission, and the contribution they could make to the future of Starfire Fortress—a contribution no less significant than fighting on the battlefield. He also clearly outlined the generous rewards for their "meritorious service" and the comprehensive protection afforded to their families.

Subsequently, under the direction of Wu Xuejiu and Chen Wei, a two-week emergency training program began. The content went beyond observation and recording techniques and disguise strategies; more importantly, it emphasized loyalty education, understanding of Xinghuobao's philosophy and goals, and the significance of their work. Li Shu then began designing a simple code and several inconspicuous methods of information transmission, and meticulously prepared appropriate attire, goods, and tools to match their disguised identities.

In late autumn, the first group of "eyes" and "ears" began to quietly leave Xinghuo Fortress, assuming different identities and taking different routes, to integrate into the vast and dangerous world outside. Among them, some pushed wheelbarrows loaded with needles, thread, and cheap pottery, heading towards the small villages in the direction of Tieyan Fortress; some carried medicine chests and a few old books, posing as itinerant doctors, heading towards Huiyu Fortress and towns further west; some joined a small caravan heading north, which had indirect trade with Heishan Shuai's territory, serving as their helpers; and others, with a small amount of capital and the pretext of buying furs and mountain goods, ventured south...

The walls of Xinghuo Fortress were being raised inch by inch, the grain in the fields was being harvested little by little, and the sound of children reading aloud could be heard from the school. At the same time, some seemingly insignificant "peddlers," "doctors," "traveling merchants," and "porters" also began to roam in a wider world. They observed silently, inquired cautiously, and transformed what they saw and heard into specific symbols or messages, which were then transmitted bit by bit back to the room known as the "Map Archives" through pre-established channels.

Li Shu's life became extremely busy and secretive. He began to learn to find patterns and connections from a large amount of seemingly unrelated fragments of information: a market town suddenly saw an increase in large-scale grain buyers, a checkpoint became unusually strict, the number of defeated soldiers and refugees on a certain road suddenly increased, and the leader of a fortress frequently received unidentified visitors... These pieces of information may be meaningless in themselves, but when put together and combined with time and place, they may piece together signs of a certain trend.

The establishment of an intelligence network is like weaving an invisible yet sensitive spiderweb around Starfire Fortress. Any slight disturbance can cause the web to tremble, allowing the central "spider" to sense approaching danger or the emergence of opportunity sooner. This may not bring immediate, direct victory, but it makes Starfire Fortress less blindly optimistic and more cautious and proactive in dealing with unpredictable future chaos.

When Chen Xing stood once more before the situation map, now adorned with ever-growing symbols and annotations, although large areas remained blank, he felt as if the fog enveloping the land was being pierced by faint rays of light. The road ahead was still long, but at least they were beginning to learn how to see more clearly.