In the thirteenth year of the Tianbao era: I became Yang Guozhong's eldest son.

The massive war machine of Yaozhou is running at full speed, with money, food, and weapons flowing in like water.

Just as Tingfeng Pavilion's smuggling channels had stabilized the military budget deficit, Yang Xuan suddenly issued an order that caught everyone off guard.

Cut off the sale of salt from Qing'ao Well to outsiders.

The study of Yaozhou County Government Office.

The atmosphere inside the room was so heavy it seemed to drip water, and even the flickering candlelight seemed to be suffocating under the oppressive atmosphere.

"My lord, please reconsider! If we cut off the sale of salt from Qing'ao Well now, our income will be completely cut off!"

Cui Shen stood beside the desk, holding a thick stack of account books in his hands, his forehead covered with fine beads of sweat.

The usually shrewd and composed steward of Yaozhou, who remained calm even in the face of imminent disaster, now revealed a hint of barely concealed anxiety in his voice.

"General Li's training costs at the main camp have increased exponentially, and Old Huang from the Armory is working day and night to forge heavy armor, which is a bottomless pit."

"We are currently relying entirely on the gold and silver that Tingfeng Pavilion smuggles back from the black market to support us."

"If we were to suddenly seal off Qing'ao Well right now, halting all external sales and converting it for internal military supplies, rats would be running rampant in our county government's warehouses within a month!"

Yang Xuan slowly turned around, walked to the desk and sat down, calmly looking at Cui Shen.

"Cui Shen, money can be earned back. But what good is a mountain of gold and silver if we lose our lives?"

Yang Xuan reached out and tapped the secret report stained with the blood of the undercover agents on the table, his voice deep and powerful.

"An Lushan has begun a large-scale purge of Han generals. What does this mean? It means that the purge within the Fanyang army has reached its final stage."

"It will take him at most one or two months to completely break off relations and launch an army south."

"Once war breaks out and the world descends into chaos, the Tang Dynasty's copper coins will become nothing but scrap metal. At that time, the only things that can truly save lives will be food, pig iron, and a sword capable of killing!"

"Starting tomorrow, all the salt produced by Qing'ao Well, except for what is reserved for the daily needs of the local people of Yaozhou, is not allowed to be sold to Jiannan Road. All of it must be transferred to underground cellars and stockpiled as wartime military supplies."

Yang Xuan's tone left no room for negotiation, exuding a resolute and ruthless air.

"Furthermore, allocate all the remaining cash in the treasury to Lei Laohu. Instruct the Tingfeng Pavilion's caravan to spare no expense in frantically purchasing grain, herbs, and pig iron from Nanzhao and the surrounding prefectures."

"We'll buy as many supplies as possible that can be used in the war! Even if the price is three times higher than usual, we'll pay it!"

Cui Shen took a deep breath and slammed the account book shut.

He knew that his young master was about to embark on a high-stakes gamble, a gamble that would cost the entire Yaozhou prefecture its very existence.

"Understood. Tomorrow morning, I will personally go to Qing'ao Well to oversee this matter. Even if it means selling everything we own, we will not let the brothers in the camp go into battle hungry!"

……

Night was falling.

Yang Xuan left the study, walked through the winding corridors, and arrived at the back residence of the county government office.

Before he even got close to the main house, he could smell a rich aroma of wheat and herbs.

Pushing open the half-closed courtyard gate, one sees the courtyard brightly lit, with more than a dozen large iron pots boiling on the stove.

Princess Yanhe took off her usual luxurious silk dress and put on a neat set of coarse cloth clothes.

She was rolling up her sleeves, directing the maids from the county government office and the temporarily recruited women to mix cooked wheat and dried meat together and knead them into fist-sized dry food dumplings.

On the other side of the courtyard, a dozen or so women were quickly cutting clean linen, boiling it in water to sterilize it, and making it into wound bandages that were urgently needed on the battlefield.

Looking at the beautiful figure bustling about amidst the smoke and flames, Yang Xuan couldn't help but feel a complex mix of emotions.

This noble-born daughter of the Li Tang imperial family should have been enjoying a life of luxury in Chang'an, surrounded by fine clothes, sumptuous food, and numerous servants.

Now, however, she follows him in this remote southwestern border region, having shed her worldly finery, and doing these menial jobs.

"Why are you still busy so late?" Yang Xuan stepped forward and asked softly.

Princess Yanhe raised her head, reached out and wiped the sweat from her forehead, leaving a faint gray mark on her fair cheek.

When she saw Yang Xuan, a gentle smile flashed in her eyes, but she didn't stop what she was doing.

"I heard from Mr. Cui that the young master has ordered the whole city to prepare for war. I am not knowledgeable about military and national affairs and cannot be of much help. I can only lead the women in the inner quarters to make more portable dry food and bandages."

"On the battlefield, if the brothers have an extra bite to eat or an extra bandage, they might be able to save their lives."

Yang Xuan looked at her quietly, and after a long silence, he slowly spoke.

"Once this storm begins, the entire world will turn into a battlefield. Chang'an might even be destroyed. Aren't you afraid?"

Princess Yanhe paused slightly as she kneaded the dried rations.

A flicker of pain and struggle flashed in her eyes. In Chang'an, there was her clan, and the glory and splendor of the Tang Dynasty royal family for hundreds of years.

But soon, that struggle was replaced by a sense of resilience.

She raised her head and looked directly into Yang Xuan's eyes. Her voice was soft, yet it carried a resounding strength.

"When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. The Tang Dynasty has been ill for too long; if we ignore the disease and refuse treatment, we will inevitably face certain death. Since I have married you, I have long been prepared to live and die with you. Wherever your sword points, I will follow."

Yang Xuan didn't say anything more, but simply reached out and gently grasped her hands, which were covered in flour and herbal residue.

In this chaotic world on the verge of collapse, this unreserved trust and support is more precious than any divine weapon.

……

The next morning, outside Yaozhou City, at the Qing'aojing camp.

With Yang Xuan's order for "full-scale preparation for war," the already tense military camp was transformed into a volcano about to erupt.

Lee Kwang-pil's grueling training has entered its most brutal final integration phase.

"Form ranks—!"

Accompanied by a piercing bugle call, dust billowed across the drill ground.

Within three breaths, the three hundred crossbowmen quickly formed a tight three-section firing formation.

The soldiers in the front row knelt on the ground, their heavy shields hammered into the soil, forming an unbreakable steel defense line.

The soldiers in the last two rows held Old Huang's latest improved steel repeating crossbows horizontally, the bolts strung and gleaming with a cold, menacing light, pointing straight ahead.

On their opposite side was a terrifying force that inspired awe.

Eighty heavily armored cavalrymen, both men and horses, were encased in thick, dark iron armor.

Even seasoned veterans would feel a chill run down their spines in the face of these steel behemoths.