Chapter Eight: Transporting Grain

Lu Xingchen returned to his tent to rest. The battles of the past few days had been grueling; he felt as if he had been walking a tightrope.

Meanwhile, in a command tent on the front lines of the Great Yan Kingdom, General Lu Chaoyang was discussing strategy with his seven divisional commanders. Lin Wanqing entered and reported Lu Xingchen’s recent achievements to the group.

Lu Chaoyang immediately clapped his hands sharply. "Splendid! This lad Lu Dazhuang is truly capable! With only a hundred men, he wiped out thousands of enemies and even captured the Third Prince of the Fengming Kingdom. No wonder the Fengming forces have been avoiding direct conflict lately—it turns out their nest was stirred up by Lu Dazhuang!"

The other seven commanders were equally stunned. Achieving over a thousand kills was a rarity in the long-standing war between Great Yan and Fengming. Furthermore, the one who accomplished this feat was merely a new recruit.

Lin Wanqing asked with a smile, "General, what rewards do you intend to grant Lu Dazhuang?"

Lu Chaoyang pondered for a moment before replying, "Award him one hundred taels of silver, one hundred bolts of cloth, and promote him to the rank of Battalion Commander."

The officers present were shocked by this announcement. One of them immediately stood up in opposition.

"General Lu, that hardly seems reasonable. A Battalion Commander must lead a force of a thousand men, yet this Lu Dazhuang has been in the army for less than two months. Does he have combat experience? Does he have command capabilities? This recent success was surely just a stroke of luck."

Lu Chaoyang snorted coldly. "If you were the one leading that team, could you have achieved results as fruitful as Lu Dazhuang's? You would be lucky to have even returned alive, wouldn't you? I, Lu Chaoyang, do not look at seniority when utilizing talent; I look only at ability. This matter is settled. Li Bai, go and make the arrangements! It is a pity that I must remain in command of the main camp; otherwise, I would certainly like to see this brave warrior for myself."

The dissenter gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "Understood! I will follow your orders, General."

Lu Chaoyang held absolute authority in the Great Yan Kingdom, and no one dared to defy him. However, the officer remained deeply unconvinced regarding this so-called Lu Dazhuang.

The next day, while Lu Xingchen was practicing archery at the range, a soldier arrived to order him to the divisional commander's tent. Lu Xingchen did not delay, packing his belongings and heading to Li Bai’s tent. He guessed that Li Bai was likely going to deliver his rewards. He couldn't help but feel a little expectant about what he might receive.

***

A quarter of an hour later, he arrived at Li Bai’s tent.

"Lu Dazhuang, is it? The General has commanded that you be promoted to Battalion Commander. You will now be in charge of the new recruit battalion."

Lu Xingchen was startled. His father truly thought highly of him to promote him directly to Battalion Commander. Such a rapid promotion was unheard of. However, it was a pity that it was a battalion of new recruits. These troops were relatively weak and rarely had the opportunity to participate in critical battles. Lu Xingchen worried that he would lose his chance to kill enemies and harvest experience points.

He immediately asked the question that mattered most: "Divisional Commander Li, what is my assigned combat mission?"

Li Bai stated flatly, "Transport grain and fodder to Zigui City."

Zigui City was a vital stronghold on the border between Great Yan and Fengming. Most of the Great Yan Kingdom's supplies were stockpiled there before being transported to the front lines. But this was irrelevant to Lu Xingchen; he only knew that if he were stuck in the rear hauling supplies, he would have no opportunity to grind for experience.

Lu Xingchen frowned and said in a deep voice, "Commander Li, while transporting supplies is certainly important, I am more eager to kill enemies on the front lines and contribute to the Great Yan Kingdom."

Li Bai sneered, "You are a mere recruit. Having reaped such a great reward, you are still not satisfied and want to rush to the front to snatch more merit? You are not worthy!"

Lu Xingchen furrowed his brows. It was clear that Li Bai was unconvinced and held a grudge. Still, unwilling to offend him, Lu Xingchen reluctantly accepted the mission.

"The General has always promoted based on merit rather than seniority. Your attitude is pedantic and truly tiresome. It won't be long before my war contributions far exceed yours. I look forward to the day you apologize to me."

Li Bai snorted, "Young and arrogant, aren't you? I shall wait for that day, but until then, you must obey my orders. Now, get out!"

Without another word, Lu Xingchen turned and left the tent. As he stepped outside, he saw an acquaintance.

"Battalion Commander, why are you here?"

Lin Wanqing chuckled, "We are of equal rank now, so you can just call me by my name. I came specifically to find you."

Lu Xingchen replied, "Understood, Miss Wanqing. Is there something you need?"

Lin Wanqing said, "Over half of the soldiers in your new recruit battalion are raw recruits with insufficient combat strength. How about I transfer my horse-archer squadron to you to bolster your ranks? Those brothers are very eager to fight under your command."

Lu Xingchen shook his head slightly. "Although I am envious of that squadron, they are your soldiers after all. You need that combat power on the front lines to be most effective. I am just transporting supplies; what danger could I possibly face?"

***

Lin Wanqing was momentarily stunned. To refuse a gift of elite troops showed that Lu Xingchen had a grand vision.

"In that case, we shall part ways here. I wish you all the best!"

"Farewell, Miss Wanqing!"

After parting with Lin Wanqing, Lu Xingchen spent the day handling the handover of the new recruit battalion. Early the next morning, he led his men toward Zigui City. The march was slow, allowing Lu Xingchen to enjoy the scenery and a rare moment of peace. However, his system had already determined that he could not live a quiet life for long. Only by constant battle could he become stronger!

As the sun set, the sky and water merged into a single hue. Lu Xingchen had arrived at Zigui City, and his men were busy tallying the supplies. Suddenly, a soldier came to report: "Battalion Commander, there is a Great Yan cavalry squadron at the city gate, led by a beautiful young woman. Should we let them in?"

Lu Xingchen was taken aback. *We only parted two days ago; does she miss me that much? No, there must be something critical going on!*

Lu Xingchen rushed to the gate to greet her personally. Lin Wanqing’s face was flushed, and she was breathing heavily, clearly having ridden hard. Lu Xingchen felt a tightness in his chest; it seemed something major had occurred.

"Miss Wanqing, what exactly happened?"

Lin Wanqing caught her breath and said gravely, "Lu Dazhuang, something terrible has happened. My scouts sent word that a Fengming unit is making a forced march toward Zigui City, estimated to be over ten thousand strong."

Lu Xingchen was shocked. "What? Over ten thousand? How did such a large enemy force bypass our defensive lines?"

Lin Wanqing continued, "I don't know, but their intent is clear: they mean to capture Zigui City. Time is limited, so I could only bring this squadron of horse-archers to support you."