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

Upon hearing this, Xianyu Zhongtong broke out in a cold sweat.

Heavy cavalry!

That was a battlefield weapon that even the imperial court's elite border troops struggled to deploy on a large scale.

How could Yang Xuan, a disgraced playboy, possibly raise such a well-equipped terrorist force in that remote place in just a few months?

This is no longer just about having an army and wielding power; it's practically a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment, directly threatening the very foundation of his rule as the Jiedushi of Jiannan.

"What exactly is the Prime Minister's attitude?"

Xianyu Zhongtong took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and looked at the chief advisor.

The aide glanced around, then pulled a letter sealed with sealing wax from his sleeve, handed it to Xianyu Zhongtong with both hands, and said in a low voice, "This is a letter from the Right Chancellor, sent three days ago through secret channels via an urgent courier service."

Xianyu Zhongtong took the secret letter and quickly opened it.

The handwriting on the letter was flamboyant and unrestrained, revealing an undisguised impatience and ruthlessness.

In the letter, Yang Guozhong clearly stated that the situation in Chang'an had changed, and he had begun to transfer his family's assets to Jiannan Road.

As for Yang Xuan, Yang Guozhong only left eight words at the end of the letter:

"The rebellious son has lost control; kill him on the spot!"

Looking at these eight cold and ruthless words, Xianyu Zhongtong felt a chill run down his spine.

Even tigers don't eat their cubs, yet Yang Guozhong, in order to preserve his power and his last resort, didn't hesitate to issue a kill order even for his own son.

But after a brief moment of shock, Xianyu Zhongtong felt an overwhelming surge of joy.

With the Prime Minister's secret order, he had no more worries.

Prior to this, although he was angry and wary of Yang Xuan's various transgressions, he was hesitant to take drastic measures because Yang Xuan was, after all, Yang Guozhong's own flesh and blood. He could only send the cruel official Zhao Mingli to check the accounts and test the waters.

As a result, Yang Xuan publicly humiliated him, even burning the letters from his own messenger in front of him, causing him, the military governor, to lose face.

Now that Yang Guozhong has personally spoken, Xianyu Zhongtong will not hesitate to take the lucrative prize of Yaozhou.

"Pass on my orders!"

Xianyu Zhongtong suddenly stood up, his eyes flashing with a cruel and fierce light.

"Yang Xuan, the magistrate of Yaozhou County, has colluded with mountain bandits to illegally forge weapons, intending to rebel! As the military governor of Jiannan, I have the responsibility to protect the territory and ensure the safety of the people, and I will absolutely not allow such traitors to wreak havoc on this region!"

He pointed to the burly military commander below: "Zhang Wu, the resolute captain, listen to my command!"

"Your subordinate is here!" Zhang Wu strode forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and exuded a strong aura of menace.

"I hereby order you to immediately muster three thousand elite infantrymen and five hundred light cavalry from the Left Wing, and publicly declare that you are 'pacifying the rebellious Nanzhao barbarians,' then march day and night straight towards Yaozhou!"

Xianyu Zhongtong's voice echoed through the hall, revealing an unwavering resolve: "Tell the soldiers, I have no prisoners! I only want Yang Xuan's head and the treasure bowl of Qing'ao Well. Anyone who dares to resist, regardless of rank, will be punished for treason and executed without exception! After the city falls, the wealth of Yaozhou's treasury will be distributed to the entire army!"

"Your subordinate obeys! I will bring Yang Xuan's head to the commander!" Zhang Wu accepted the order with a bang, turned around and strode out of the White Tiger Hall.

Zhang Wu's army of 3,500 was well-equipped and had ample supplies.

Five hundred light cavalry, acting as the vanguard, swept across the official road like a whirlwind. The post stations and villages along the way dared not stop them and could only watch helplessly as this fierce army advanced southward with murderous intent.

The infantry phalanx followed closely behind, their long spears like a forest, their steps perfectly synchronized, emitting a dull thud as they trod on the ground.

Zhang Wu rode a tall, powerful horse, his gaze disdainful.

In his view, Yaozhou's small military force was nothing but a bunch of worthless idiots. He was even fantasizing about how to divide up the astonishing wealth of Qing'ao Well after the city was breached.

With the issuance of this military order, the Jiannan Army camp outside Yizhou City instantly began to operate like a massive war machine.

Warhorses neighed, banners blotted out the sun, and heavy footsteps shattered the tranquility outside Yizhou City. A chilling war cloud began to spread wildly towards Yaozhou in the south.

……

Two days later. Yaozhou City, the secret stronghold of Tingfeng Pavilion.

"Report—!"

A man covered in blood and dressed in rags stumbled into the stronghold's courtyard. He had barely uttered a single word when he collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

His inner thighs were raw and bloody from being rubbed raw by the saddle, clearly indicating that he had experienced an unimaginable, frenzied ride.

Lei Laohu, who was taking stock of the accounts, was shocked and rushed forward to help the man up.

"Third brother? What happened to you, you look like a ghost! What happened in Yizhou?"

The man called Lao San gripped Lei Laohu's sleeve tightly, pulling out a bamboo tube soaked with sweat from his robes. His voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible: "Boss... quickly... quickly inform the young master... the Jiannan army... Zhang Wu, leading 3,500 regular troops... under the banner of suppressing the rebellion, has already passed Yazhou. In two days at most, they'll be at the city gates!"

Lei Laohu felt a loud "buzz" in his head, as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer.

Without asking any further questions, he snatched the bamboo tube and ran wildly out the door.

Half an incense stick later, in the study of Yaozhou County Government Office.

"Bang!"

Lei Laohu rushed into the study like a gust of wind, his face full of anxiety and horror.

Yang Xuan was standing in front of the sand table, working with Li Guangbi and Pei Zhao to analyze the surrounding terrain. Seeing Lei Laohu's expression, Yang Xuan frowned slightly and asked in a deep voice, "What happened?"

"My lord, the sky has fallen!" Lei Laohu handed the bamboo tube to Yang Xuan, his voice trembling.

"The news that Tingfeng Pavilion's spies in Yizhou were relayed back by three fast horses indicates that Xianyu Zhongtong has completely broken off relations. He has mobilized three thousand infantry and five hundred cavalry from the Left Battalion, led by the resolute captain Zhang Wu, and they are galloping towards our Yaozhou!"

Upon hearing this, the study fell into a deathly silence.

Pei Zhao's expression changed abruptly, and he subconsciously gripped the horizontal sword at his waist.

Three thousand five hundred main force soldiers of the Jiannan Army!

This is absolutely not comparable to the small-scale operation of a few hundred people like Helan Jin's previous one.

This is a real war, an official machine of violence capable of crushing everything.

"Xianyu Zhongtong..."

A cold sweat instantly broke out on Cui Shen's forehead. He quickly calculated the difference in strength between the two sides in his mind, and his face grew paler and paler.

"My lord, he's using the pretext of suppressing the rebellion to uproot our entire Yaozhou. We have 3,500 regular troops, while we only have a little over 1,000 at most. How are we supposed to fight this battle?"

Compared to Pei Zhao's solemnity and Cui Shen's panic, Li Guangbi, standing beside the sand table, appeared unusually calm.

This seasoned general from Shuofang showed no fear whatsoever; instead, a chillingly fervent fighting spirit erupted from his sharp eyes.

"It's finally here."

Li Guangbi chuckled and slammed his rough palm heavily onto the model representing Yaozhou City on the sand table.

"I've been working tirelessly at Qing'ao Well for so many days and nights, and I'm just worried that my pack of wolves doesn't have a whetstone."

"Three thousand five hundred men? Hmph, if we were to fight on a plain in the wilderness, I might have to temporarily avoid their sharp edge. But this is Yaozhou, the territory we've painstakingly built up!"

"What is there to fear!"