Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 411 Bao'an Hall's Grand Military Training
During his three days in Suzhou, Xu Xuan made his initial appearance on the political stage in Yangzhou.

He was no longer in the role of a team leader and instructor, but rather a staff member of the Yangzhou Prefect.

Having such a resume before even entering officialdom is considered a rather good background, even among scions of prominent families.

If he can further cultivate his reputation, he will surpass countless others from the very beginning when he enters officialdom.

Of course, Lu Dan did not directly recommend the candidate to the prefecture for recruitment out of personal gain, but waited until the candidate entered the capital after the autumn examination and participated in the palace examination before making a decision.

This way, my junior can advance further in his official career, and we might even have a chance to help each other in the future.

The biggest problem with Suzhou is Deng You.

Although the demon had already fled into the wilderness in broad daylight, various official documents from Yangzhou had been sent to all counties and prefectures.

That is, this matter should not be publicized beforehand, so as not to cause panic among the people.

The people may be made to follow a path, but they may not be made to understand it. This can be considered a kind of consensus among the upper echelons.

At the same time, Deng You's various crimes committed during his tenure as governor suddenly came to light again.

Every day, a large number of petitions are sent to Lu Dan.

After watching it, Xu Xuan couldn't help but sigh that the traditional art of debts being settled upon death was still being performed.

Wrongful convictions, missing persons, land annexation, and deficits within the county—the crimes are too numerous to list.

In an instant, nearly half of the files in the Wu County archives were emptied.

But why would a centipede demon forcibly abduct a woman? And were all those acres of fertile land eaten?
Lu Dan put all these things in a box. Although it was ridiculous, it was indeed useful. He guessed that the state was doing the same thing now.

He planned to return to Shouchun to await the imperial decree issued by the capital.

Yangzhou has done everything it can, and the bigwigs in the imperial court may have to play their games for a while longer.

Especially when it involves such a troublesome and sensitive place as the Crown Prince's residence.

Before leaving, Lu Dan asked one last question: who would be the governor of Wu County?

Those who are capable are unwilling to deal with the mess, and those who are incapable are useless even if they come. It's best to choose someone you know well.

The powerful families in Wu Commandery wanted to promote their own people, but the governor had never wanted Wu Commandery to completely unite.

The balance of power has existed since ancient times.

Xu Xuan, if you don't ask, I'll find a way to tell you on my own.

Of course, one should still be reserved when necessary.

"I shouldn't say much about the choice of governor, but my senior trusts me so much."

"That's it, that's all."

"There should be no taboos about recommending talented people."

“Chongqi has too much connection with the Wu family, so I suppose you wouldn’t want to use her, senior.”

"Then I recommend Song Youde of Qiantang. He is virtuous, principled, knows when to advance and retreat, and is grateful. A wise man's conduct is like an awl in a bag, its sharpness will always be revealed."

"Yu Gong called him the upright official of the county. Although he was not very talented, he was more than capable of maintaining the status quo."

Yu Gong was brought up again, and it's unknown whether the old man regretted eating that meal.

Lu Dan's eyes lit up.

He knew Song Youde; he was a rare talent who had waited for many years in the capital to become a candidate for magistrate of a county in Jiangnan.

He came from a small family in the north, but had some connections in the imperial court.

He was of good character. Before taking office, he spent money to smooth things over, and after taking office, he did not immediately plunder, but instead made many achievements.

He's quite a celebrity in Yangzhou.

As for Yu Gong's comments, they were more of a compliment. In the eyes of a Confucian scholar, there are few truly talented people in the world, so being praised as being more than capable of maintaining the status quo is already quite remarkable.

Lu Dan estimated that the governor was very likely to choose Song Youde as the prefect of Wu Commandery, and he was once again helped by his junior. Afterwards, the two parted ways outside Suzhou City.

"Hanwen, it is time for us to part today, and we will meet again after the autumn examination next year."

"Jiangnan has been in a state of chaos recently, with incidents occurring one after another in Jianye, Xin'an, and Wujun."

"Study hard in the academy. As long as you don't go out, you'll be safe."

Lu Dan was very concerned about the life of this junior student who had also saved his life.

Xu Xuan naturally stated that he had always been law-abiding and that Professor Sheng would not have sent him if the Suzhou incident had not been somewhat bizarre.

"Senior, please take care. It seems that things are finally turning around in Yangzhou."

The Father's words carry considerable credibility, since as long as he doesn't cause trouble, nothing will happen to him.

After the two parted ways, Xu Xuan immediately went to Taihu Lake to hold a war meeting.

On the western mountain, in the Yuwang Temple.

Xiaoqing, looking refreshed, changed into a full-on armor, resembling a majestic general sitting there.

Two guardians, one tall and one short, stood on either side, wielding knives and swords, while several imposing demons stood behind them, holding golden maces and scissors.

Xu Xuan took a step back and looked at the plaque above his head. It read "Yuwang Temple".
What are you guys up to? Establishing a government office and building a government residence? Did your sister even agree to this?
Moreover, Yu Bai adapted to Xiao Qing's powerful style after only three days apart.

No wonder Kame-sama considers him a formidable rival; he's got some skills.

Xiaoqing sat up, beaming, and asked in a low voice, "Master Xu, is Suzhou still safe?"

Xu Xuan responded with a calm "I'm at ease," and then asked the king if he needed a wake-up call.

"Ahem, Yu Bai and Gui Da stay here, all other spirits may leave."

Xiao Qing just wanted to show off a little; she didn't want to get a slap in front of her newly recruited subordinate.

Thinking back, I haven't won a single fight since I met Xu Xuan, which is really infuriating.

Once the area was cleared, the operational meeting began.

Master Xu took out the Jiangnan hydrological map he had drawn at the academy and began to assign tasks.

It pours into the five lakes, making them vast and boundless, and irrigates the three rivers, making them abundant and plentiful.

Taihu Lake is an excellent starting point, being far from the Dongting Lake system yet close to the Yangtze River.

It is destined that not many powerful demon kings will reside there; at most, they will be at the level of the Great King of Benbo.

To the northwest are Changdang Lake and Gehu Lake. To the northeast, the Wangyu River flows upstream, passing Caohu Lake, and finally reaches the mouth of the Yangtze River.

These lakes leading to the Yangtze River basin are the easiest to attack, since no powerful demon dares to approach the Dragon King.

Some obstacles are Yangcheng Lake to the east and Dingshan Lake to the southeast.

But it doesn't matter. Our Baoan Hall's high-end combat power is already in the middle range on the Divine Continent, so we should be able to defeat the enemy.

There are nearly a hundred lakes of varying sizes surrounding Taihu Lake, and nearly a thousand waterways.

We must conquer them all and continuously subdue the water demons to gather strength, only then can we contend with the eight major water systems of Dongting.

Currently, only one aquatic creature in Taihu Lake has transformed into a demon; the remaining shrimp soldiers and crab generals are of little use.

However, the flood season has arrived, so you only have one month to train. After that, you will use combat as training and take the initiative to attack.

Master Mao's intelligence department will cooperate with the operation, conducting reconnaissance and intelligence gathering on shore first.

If you encounter a troublesome demon king, you can ask Yan Chixia to take action and kill him.

I am stationed in Qiantang. If any complicated situation arises, I can send a message promptly and mobilize secular resources for support at any time.

Remember, if you can't beat them, call for reinforcements. This time, our Baoan Hall will dedicate all its resources to sweeping through the Taihu Lake basin.

This isn't a battle between demons for territory; it's war!
(End of this chapter)