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

"charge!"

Pei Zhao pulled down his mask and swung the elongated Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) forward.

"Boom!"

The earth began to tremble violently.

Eighty tall horses, supported by double stirrups and high saddles, unleashed unparalleled momentum, like a black torrent of steel, charging wildly towards the crossbowmen's formation.

"put!"

Within the crossbow formation, the commanding captain roared in anger.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Wooden training crossbow bolts without arrowheads rained down like a storm, pounding heavily on the heavy cavalry's armor with a series of muffled crackling sounds.

However, these crossbow bolts were of no use in slowing down the heavy cavalry's charge.

Fifty steps!

Thirty steps!

Ten steps!

Just as the heavy cavalry was about to crash into the shield wall, Li Guangbi suddenly swung down the command flag in his hand.

"Disperse!"

Pei Zhao suddenly pulled on the reins, and the warhorse let out a long neigh, turning sharply just three steps in front of the shield wall. It then led the cavalry behind it past the flanks of the crossbow formation, stirring up a gust of wind.

Even during the drills, the overwhelming sense of pressure left the soldiers holding shields in the front row soaked in sweat and their arms numb.

Standing on the command platform, Li Guangbi looked down at the army that had begun to take shape. A satisfied smile finally appeared on his usually cold and ruthless face.

He turned his head and looked at Yang Xuan, who had somehow appeared on the command platform.

"My lord, the blade is sharpened. We are ready to drink the enemy's blood at any moment!"

Yang Xuan walked to the edge of the command platform and looked down at the training ground.

The morning sun pierced through the thin mist, shining on the soldiers' armor, which was covered in sweat and dust, and reflecting a cold yet dazzling light.

Three hundred infantrymen, eighty heavy cavalrymen, plus over a thousand regular garrison troops from the outer defense post.

This is all the wealth he has accumulated bit by bit and painstakingly since he came into this era.

On the drill ground, all the soldiers stopped what they were doing, stood tall and proud, and stared fervently at the young figure on the command platform.

In their eyes, Yang Xuan was not only the county magistrate who paid their wages, but also their only faith that led them to fight their way through Black Wind Gorge and survive in this chaotic world.

"Brothers!"

Yang Xuan took a deep breath, secretly channeling his inner strength, making his voice resonate throughout the entire training ground like a booming bell.

"I know you have suffered greatly and shed countless tears these past few months! Some of you have even cursed General Li's cruelty and me, this heartless magistrate, in your dreams!"

The drill ground was deathly silent; no one dared to speak, but everyone's breathing became heavy.

"But I stand here today to tell you a fact!"

Yang Xuan suddenly drew the horizontal sword from his waist, the blade pointing diagonally north.

"The northern barbarians have already sharpened their swords! In two months at most, the flames of war will engulf the entire Tang Dynasty! At that time, the high-ranking officials and nobles in Chang'an may flee, but where can your parents, wives, children, brothers, and sisters go?!"

"The Tang Dynasty is utterly corrupt! To expect those cowardly government troops to protect you is nothing short of wishful thinking!"

Yang Xuan's voice grew louder and louder, exuding an undeniable domineering aura.

"In this chaotic world, we do not seek official positions or titles, nor do we desire wealth and privilege for our wives and children! We only ask that in this turbulent world, we may have enough to eat, and that our families may not be trampled underfoot by the horses of the barbarians!"

"I, Yang Xuan, hereby swear that as long as you hold your swords firmly in your hands, as long as you entrust your backs to me, this Yaozhou, this Jiannan Road, will be our ironclad stronghold, where we brothers can live and die! Anyone who dares to invade, we will chop them to pieces and feed them to the dogs!"

After a brief silence, a roar like a landslide and a tsunami suddenly erupted on the training ground.

"Victory!"

"I am willing to die for my beloved!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The frenzied roar soared into the sky, dispelling the gloom in the air.

......

The administrative center of Jiannan Circuit was Yizhou.

Compared to the remote, desolate, and increasingly somber Yaozhou, Yizhou is located in the heart of the Land of Abundance, with fertile fields stretching for thousands of miles and merchants gathering from all over the world.

Even in early autumn, the banks of the Jinjiang River in the city are still filled with painted boats, and the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments can be heard all the time, creating a prosperous and peaceful scene.

However, in the heart of this bustling area, the atmosphere inside the White Tiger Hall of the Jiannan Jiedushi's residence was so oppressive that it seemed frozen in place.

Xianyu Zhongtong, the military governor of Jiannan, sat upright on a large tiger-skin chair, his face so gloomy it looked like it was about to drip water.

This powerful regional official, who held the power of life and death in the southwestern border region of the Tang Dynasty, was slightly overweight and usually appeared amiable and prosperous. But at this moment, his eyes, which were squeezed into a narrow shape by his fat, revealed a chilling murderous intent.

He was the most steadfast political ally of Right Chancellor Yang Kuo-chung and the ultimate protector of the Chancellor's faction's interests in Chimpanzee Province.

With Yang Guozhong's protection in the imperial court, he was incredibly powerful in Jiannan Circuit, and no one dared to mess with him.

But now, that "abandoned son of the Prime Minister's family" far away in Yaozhou is like a fishbone stuck in his throat, making him feel more irritable and uneasy than ever before.

"Snapped!"

Xianyu Zhongtong slammed a thick stack of secret reports onto the table in front of him with a loud thud.

"He stopped selling Qing'ao Well refined salt, sealed off the warehouses... He went on a massive buying spree of pig iron, grain, and medicinal herbs, even emptying the black markets in the surrounding prefectures and counties... He drilled his troops day and night, and even privately manufactured military crossbows and heavy armor!"

Xianyu Zhongtong's voice became somewhat hoarse with anger. He pointed to the secret report on the ground and glared at his trusted advisors and generals below the hall.

"What exactly is Yang Xuan trying to do? A mere seventh-rank county magistrate dares to hoard such a massive amount of strategic materials in his own territory! Is he building his own grave, or is he planning to raise a banner of rebellion in Jiannan Circuit?!"

The White Tiger Hall was completely silent. The generals looked at each other, none of them daring to offend the military governor at this moment.

After a moment, a chief aide with a goatee stepped forward, carefully picked up the secret report from the ground, and said in a deep voice, "General, please calm down. Yang Xuan's actions have indeed completely crossed the line. According to the information that our spies in Yaozhou risked their lives to send out, the armed force in the Qing'ao Well camp, although nominally under the banner of the Zhechong Prefecture and the county government's salt protection army, has actually become Yang Xuan's private retinue."

The aide paused, his tone becoming unusually grave.

"What's even more alarming is that the commander of this private army is none other than Li Guangbi, the former general of the Shuofang Army who was demoted to Yongping Town. Although he is unruly, he is a once-in-a-century genius when it comes to commanding troops. With him training troops for Yang Xuan, coupled with the terrifying wealth provided by Qing'ao Well, Yaozhou is probably already an impregnable fortress."

"Li Guangbi..." Xianyu Zhongtong muttered the name through gritted teeth, "When I demoted him to Yongping Town, I intended for him to fend for himself. I never imagined he'd be won over by that brat Yang Xuan!"

"General, that's not all."

Another burly general in charge of military affairs stepped forward, his face ashen.

"The intelligence reports that Yang Xuan's army has surprisingly included eighty heavily armored cavalrymen! Moreover, the saddles and stirrups they use are unusual in design, reportedly allowing the cavalrymen to move as if walking on flat ground."

"If this intelligence is true, then once these eighty heavy cavalrymen launch a charge, their destructive power will be no less than that of our regular cavalry battalion. As for Helan Jin, the commander of Yaozhou Zhechong Prefecture, he has now been completely sidelined by Yang Xuan and has become a puppet."