Chapter 57: The Affiliation of Lin Guan Fortress
Hongyun trotted along, following the mountain path beside the small river, not hurrying or dawdling. When it got tired, Yang Zhengshan let it stop to drink water and graze, taking the opportunity to add a little Spiritual Spring water. Yang Zhengshan was more considerate of Hongyun than his own sons, taking meticulous care of it.
“Little Red, when you go to the battlefield, you can’t flee in battle!”
“If I get severely injured, you have to bring me back!”
Yang Zhengshan said as he groomed Hongyun’s coat. Since Hongyun had joined the army, it would eventually go to war. Once on the battlefield, it would be a matter of life and death. Yang Zhengshan was also an ordinary person, and he still felt worried and fearful when facing the bloody battlefield. He was very clear that Hongyun was his most important partner, and they would fight side by side, sharing life and death together.
Hongyun let out a soft whinny, as if responding to Yang Zhengshan. After finishing, Yang Zhengshan prepared to bring Hongyun back when suddenly, the sound of horse hooves came from afar. Raising his gaze, he saw a cloud of dust rising from the distant wilderness, with a cavalry unit rapidly approaching.
Yang Zhengshan squinted, mounted his horse, and said, “Let’s go back!” That cavalry unit was heading towards Lin Guan Fortress, probably led by Zhou Lan. The Left Vanguard of the Prefectural Banner camp was located directly south of Lin Guan Fortress, about twenty miles away. If it was Zhou Lan, she would likely come from the south.
As they returned to the fortress entrance, Yang Zhengshan dismounted and waited quietly. Before long, the cavalry unit arrived, and as expected, it was Zhou Lan, accompanied by Zhang Zhongxiang, the Defense Officer of Ying He Fortress, Vice Commander Xu Zhen, and Secretary Qian Wanshu, among other military officers from Ying He Fortress.
Yang Zhengshan wasn’t surprised by Zhou Lan’s arrival, but he was puzzled by the presence of Zhang Zhongxiang and the others. As they met, Yang Zhengshan bowed to the various high-ranking officials, leading them into the fortress. At that moment, the soldiers were still in training, with each group practicing their martial arts skills separately.
Yang Zhengshan led Zhou Lan and the others on a tour of the fortress, both inside and out. Seeing the significant improvements made in a short time, Zhou Lan nodded in satisfaction. “Yang, you’ve done a great job.”
Yang Zhengshan smiled, saying, “It’s still not enough. Although the exterior looks fine, there’s still a long way to go internally.” He explained, “The land around Lin Guan Fortress is barren and unproductive, and the food yield won’t be high. The military dependents will struggle to be self-sufficient.”
“The most critical issue for the soldiers in the fortress is resolving their family’s livelihood and eliminating their worries about their rear!” Since Zhou Lan had arrived, Yang Zhengshan naturally had to make a plea for help.
It wasn’t an act; Lin Guan Fortress was truly struggling. The military dependents themselves were refugees, and being assigned to such a barren place, without Zhou Lan’s support and assistance, would be equivalent to abandoning them.
As they spoke, Yang Zhengshan led them to the sewing workshop. “I’ve found them a livelihood, although the income is low, it’s better than earning nothing!” The women inside the workshop stopped their work and stood aside, looking nervous.
Yang Zhengshan picked up a pair of freshly sewn cloth shoes and handed them to Zhou Lan. “Sewing a pair of cloth shoes can earn them a few coins!” “I plan to let them take on more sewing tasks. If General Zhou’s household has such tasks, please don’t forget about them!”
Yang Zhengshan was indeed trying to attract business to the sewing workshop. Zhou Lan had a large estate in the Guan Cheng, with over a hundred servants and several dozen house servants. These servants would need to replace their clothes every year, and if they could get that business, it would be much more profitable than sewing cloth shoes.
Zhou Lan laughed, “I didn’t expect Yang to think so thoroughly! Ha ha~~”
Yang Zhengshan wasn’t embarrassed, taking the opportunity to try and secure the business from Zhou Lan’s estate. “General Zhou, you should take care of us at Lin Guan Fortress!”
Zhou Lan naturally didn’t mind, nodding and agreeing, “Of course, I’ll instruct them to let you handle the clothing tasks from now on!”
Yang Zhengshan didn’t dare take on too much, knowing that the women could only sew rough, simple clothing and weren’t capable of handling more exquisite or expensive items. Zhou Lan came from the Ning Guo Gong Fu, one of the top noble families, and her estate was a symbol of wealth and extravagance.
Yang Zhengshan knew that the women at Lin Guan Fortress couldn’t compete with that. Looking at Zhou Lan’s attire, it was clear that they couldn’t match it.
Zhou Lan nodded, agreeing to the arrangement. Afterwards, they watched the soldiers’ training on the training grounds. Seeing the soldiers’ rosy complexions and sturdy physiques, Zhou Lan felt even more satisfied.
She knew exactly what kind of people she had entrusted to Yang Zhengshan. Yang Zhengshan had come to Lin Guan Fortress a month ago, and Zhou Lan had come to inspect the fortress, knowing the general situation.
In just one month, Yang Zhengshan had transformed the fortress so significantly, turning those scrawny refugees into sturdy soldiers. Zhou Lan was extremely pleased.
“How much longer will their training take?” Zhou Lan asked.
Yang Zhengshan thought for a moment and replied, “If they’re going to the battlefield, another month should be enough. But if you want them to become elite soldiers, they’ll need to experience real combat.”
“Training alone can’t produce elite soldiers. True elite soldiers are forged through blood and fire.” Hearing this, Zhou Lan was even more impressed with Yang Zhengshan and valued him even more.
Although she had personally invited Yang Zhengshan to Lin Guan Fortress, she wasn’t certain if he could meet her expectations. Now, it seemed her decision had been correct.
“Very good, from today on, they’re all our Left Vanguard soldiers!” Zhou Lan said, smiling and looking at Zhang Zhongxiang. “Does Commander Zhang have any objections?”
Zhang Zhongxiang’s gaze wandered, saying, “According to the rules, Lin Guan Fortress should be under our jurisdiction at Ying He Fortress!”
At this point, Yang Zhengshan finally understood why Zhang Zhongxiang and the others had come. Was it to take control of the fortress or grab land? The Left Vanguard was a recruitment system, while the fortress belonged to the garrison system.
As for Lin Guan Fortress, it could be considered a hundred-household garrison. On the other hand, Ying He Fortress was a thousand-household garrison. Zhang Zhongxiang was the commander of Ying He Fortress, overseeing several nearby fortresses.
If following the garrison system, Lin Guan Fortress should indeed be under Ying He Fortress’ jurisdiction. However, the question arose: should Lin Guan Fortress be under Ying He Fortress or the Left Vanguard?
Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter