Chapter 23 The Battle is About to Begin

"The northeastern border has been peaceful for over twenty years, why suddenly this year there's an outbreak of war?" Luo Jin said with a deep voice.

Duan Changhe thought for a moment, then said, "The subordinate has received some news; it is said that there has been no rain for eight consecutive months outside Chongshan Pass until a heavy snowfall occurred just one month ago!"

Chongshan Pass is the most important border pass on the northeastern frontier of the Da Rong Dynasty, beyond it lies the territory of the Hu Clan.

The Hu Clan outside Chongshan Pass is mainly comprised of the East Sea Hu Clan, who rely on nomadic herding and hunting for their livelihood. To them, the most dreadful disasters are drought and blizzard.

Last year, they had experienced both a drought and a blizzard, and the result goes without saying.

Luo Jin was not familiar with the situation of the East Sea Hu Clan, being the County Magistrate of Anning County and not a commander of the northeastern border army, he naturally did not concern himself with the affairs of the East Sea Hu Clan.

"So this war is inevitable?"

"The court must have anticipated this!" said Duan Changhe.

Hearing this, Luo Jin felt considerably reassured.

If the court had anticipated this, then the East Sea Hu Clan should not pose a significant threat, yet this doesn't mean Anning County is entirely worry-free. The situation in war can change in an instant, and no one can guarantee absolute security.

Even if the court had made early preparations, there's no guarantee that the Hu Clan could be completely kept out of Chongshan Pass.

"Then let's make preparations!"

"Have the Inspection Bureau closely monitor the passersby to prevent spies from entering the county town, summon the Government Officials, constables, and Civilian warriors for round-the-clock vigilance. Mr. Li will be in charge of this matter; is that acceptable?" Luo Jin looked at Li Qing.

Li Qing rose and bowed, saying, "This subordinate accepts the order!"

Luo Jin nodded slightly, then turned to Duan Changhe and said, "The granary of the county government is of utmost importance. Mr. Duan, I need you to guard the granary without any mistakes."

The soldiers available to the county government were not many, barely a few hundred at most. If a large number of the Hu Clan were to enter the territory of Anning County, the county town would have no choice but to hold a desperate defense.

And to hold a town, of course, food supplies are needed. Luo Jin had already made the worst-case scenario preparations, ensuring the county government's granary was secure first and foremost.

"This subordinate follows the order!" Duan Changhe also rose and responded, but he then asked, "Lord, should we recruit local Martial Artists?"

Local Martial Artists are a force that cannot be overlooked. Naturally, the court would not ignore the power of the Martial Artists. Therefore, the government offices and county governments of the Da Rong Dynasty have the authority to temporarily recruit Martial Artists, commonly referred to as the "Call to Arms Decree."

However, the Call to Arms Decree cannot be issued casually; it is only in the most critical moments that government offices and county governments are allowed to issue it.

Luo Jin shook his head, saying, "Not yet. The Hu Clan has not entered our territory, and thus we have no right to issue a Call to Arms Decree."

"However, we can make preparations in advance, arrange for Government Officials to carry the registry of Martial Artists, and stand guard outside the town. Once the order is received, or if a large Hu Clan army is found surrounding the town, the Call to Arms Decree can be immediately issued."

"Lord, your considerations are comprehensive!" Duan Changhe subtly flattered.

Li Qing glanced at Duan Changhe and disdainfully curled his lip.

This fellow is always keen to butter up, which is genuinely contemptible.

Yet, Duan Changhe paid no heed to Li Qing's contemptuous gaze, his expression remained calm and undisturbed.

…

The news of the imminent border war quickly spread outside the county town, and even before the New Year's bustle had subsided, Yang Zhenshan received the information. The message was sent by Lu Wenchun, arranged by Lu Zhaoqi.

"Uncle, my dad also sent a message." Inside the hall of the Yang family, Lu Wenchun spoke in a hushed tone.

"What message?" Yang Zhenshan frowned deeply.

An invasion by the Hu Clan was certainly not a good thing.

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A slight misfortune could very possibly bring about the destruction of the entire Yang family.

The Hu Clan is not like mountain bandits; at most, bandits number in the tens or at most a hundred people, among whom there won't be any exceedingly strong Martial Artists.

But the Hu Clan possesses thousands of troops and many powerful Martial Artists.

With Yang Zhenshan's current strength, he is nowhere near capable of contending with the Hu Clan's thousand-strong army. Not to mention facing their entire forces, even a small detachment is more than Yang Zhenshan can handle.

"This could be an opportunity!" Lu Wenchun said.

Yang Zhenshan's eyes sparkled as he understood the implication of Lu Zhaoqi's words.

Prior to this, he had sought an official position, but the timing was not right; the county government had no suitable vacancies for him, and he had to give up for the time being.

However, now that war looms on the border, it could indeed pose a precious opportunity.

This truly illustrates how opportunity and danger coexist.

"I understand, you may go back first!"

Yang Zhenshan nodded, then stood up to see Lu Wenchun out the door.

It is a time of many troubles; Lu Wenchun cannot afford to stay at the Yang family's home for a visit. As the eldest grandson of the Lu family, he has many matters to attend to.

After seeing off Lu Wenchun, Yang Zhenshan sat in the main hall and pondered for a long time before going over to Yang Zhengxiang's home.

"Is this really happening?"

Hearing that war is about to break out on the border, Yang Zhengxiang was thrown into a panic.

"It's highly likely. The county government is already making preparations," Yang Zhenshan said.

Yang Zhengxiang's aged face creased with worry as he paced back and forth, hands behind his back, clearly anxious.

Having lived for sixty years, he fully understands the horrors of war. In fact, the northeastern border has been very peaceful for the past twenty years, thanks to the great victory at the Black Cloud Mountain battle twenty years ago, where the Da Rong Dynasty annihilated most of the main forces of the East Sea Hu Clan, causing them to be weakened even till now.

Before the battle at Black Cloud Mountain, the northeastern border was in a constant state of warfare, with minor skirmishes every two years and major battles every three, often with Hu Clan Cavalry crossing the border into Da Rong territory, slaughtering and pillaging everywhere.

Yang Family Village has also suffered the Hu Clan's pillaging; during the most devastating attack, nearly half of the villagers were killed or injured, forcing the survivors to hide in Changqing Mountain as mountain dwellers.

Yang Zhenshan's mother, the original body's mother, tragically perished in one such raid by the East Sea Hu Clan.

Reflecting on those years of suffering clenches Yang Zhengxiang's heart as if it is being tightly grasped by someone.

And now that hostilities on the border are flaring up again, he truly fears the reemergence of those terrible times.

"What are your thoughts?" Yang Zhengxiang suddenly asked Yang Zhenshan.

Yang Zhenshan, unconsciously rubbing the callouses on his palms, said calmly, "It's too early to say anything now; the fighting hasn't started, and nothing can be certain."

"What we can do is prepare in advance. If the border army can hold off the Hu Clan's invasion, then it will have nothing to do with us; if they can't, at the very least we need to have the power to resist and an escape route."

With the power of the Yang family incapable of influencing the outcome of the war, all they can do is protect themselves while safeguarding their home, Yang Family Village, as much as possible.

Yang Zhengxiang, deep in thought, said, "To resist! That means training soldiers. An escape route! Changqing Mountain!"

"Exactly!" Yang Zhenshan nodded. "If it's just a small group of Hu Clan Cavalry, we can look for an opportunity to fight. If it's an entire army, then we'll have to retreat into Changqing Mountain."

Opportunity and danger coexist, and the Yang family seeks to achieve their feats; this emerging border conflict indeed presents an opportunity. However, if it proves to be impossible, Yang Zhenshan does not wish to risk the extinction of the entire Yang family and himself just for the sake of honors.

Therefore, he must prepare for both outcomes.

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