Chapter 58: Chapter 57: Ownership of Linguan Castle Chapter 58: Chapter 57: Ownership of Linguan Castle Red Cloud took small, quick steps, running unhurried along the river at the foot of the hill.
When tired, Yang Zhenshan would let it stop to drink water and eat grass, while also taking the opportunity to add a little Spiritual Spring Water.
To Red Cloud, Yang Zhenshan showed more affection and care than even for his adopted sons, meticulous in every way.
“Little Red! When you’re on the battlefield, you must not desert!”
“If I’m seriously injured, you must carry me back!”
While brushing Red Cloud’s coat, Yang Zhenshan prattled on.
Having joined the military, he was bound to face the battlefield eventually.
Once on the battlefield, it would be a matter of life and death.
Yang Zhenshan, being mortal, felt some concern and fear facing the blood-drenched battlefield.
He was well aware that Red Cloud was his most important partner; a man and his horse truly fought shoulder to shoulder, sharing fate together.
Red Cloud neighed softly, as if responding to Yang Zhenshan.
After grooming, just as Yang Zhenshan was preparing to take Red Cloud back, suddenly the sound of hooves came from afar.
Looking up, he saw across the river in the barren land dust swirling with a group of Cavalry speeding towards them.
Narrowing his eyes, Yang Zhenshan mounted, “Come on, let’s go back!”
The Cavalry was headed for Linguan Castle, likely led by Zhou Lan.
The Left Camp was located directly south of Linguan Castle, about twenty miles away; if Zhou Lan was coming, he would probably approach from the south.
Though he had been at Linguan Castle for a month now, it was about time for Zhou Lan to visit.
Riding back to the gates of Linguan Castle, Yang Zhenshan dismounted and waited quietly.
Shortly thereafter, the cavalry arrived in front of him, and as expected, it was Zhou Lan leading.
But it was not only Zhou Lan, accompanying him were Yinghe Castle’s defense officer Zhang Zhongxiang, Deputy Thousand Households Xu Zhen, and several other military officers from Yinghe Castle.
Yang Zhenshan was not surprised by Zhou Lan’s arrival, but the presence of Zhang Zhongxiang and others puzzled him.
Upon meeting, Yang Zhenshan respectfully greeted each of the officers before ushering the group into the garrison.
At that moment, the soldiers inside the garrison were still training; on the training grounds, the soldiers practiced martial arts divided by their types of arms.
The training was not organized by small flags at this time, but rather divided into Sword and Shield Soldiers, spearmen, and archers each practicing separately.
Once they could proficiently handle their weapons, they would then train together by small flag groups in battle formations.
Under Yang Zhenshan’s lead, Zhou Lan and the others toured the interiors and exteriors of the garrison, and seeing how well Yang Zhenshan had managed Linguan Castle in such a short time, Zhou Lan nodded approvingly.
“Household Yang, you have done very well,” Zhou Lan praised.
Yang Zhenshan smiled and replied, “It’s still not enough; though it looks passable on the outside, the inside is far from sufficient.”
“The lands around Linguan Castle are infertile with low grain yields; military households relying solely on farming can hardly be self-sufficient.”
“The combat effectiveness of a garrison’s soldiers and their ability to become elite troops primarily hinge on solving their families’ livelihood issues, relieving their concerns about their well-being!”
Since Zhou Lan had come, it was natural for Yang Zhenshan to lament their poverty.
He wasn’t feigning poverty; Linguan Castle genuinely was impoverished.
The military households in the castle were already refugees, and being placed in such a barren area without Zhou Lan’s support and assistance would simply be unbearable.
Speaking so, Yang Zhenshan led them to a sewing workshop.
“I’ve found them a way to make a living, although the income is meager, it’s still better than nothing!”
Upon seeing them, the women in the workshop stopped their work and stood by stiffly.
Yang Zhenshan picked up a pair of newly sewn cloth shoes and handed them to Zhou Lan, “For sewing a pair of shoes, they can earn a few copper coins!”
“I plan to find more sewing work for them; if General Zhou’s household has such tasks, please don’t forget them!”
Indeed, Yang Zhenshan was drumming up business for the sewing workshop.
Zhou Lan was not alone in Chongshan Pass; she had a large mansion within the fortress, with over a hundred house servants and dozens of other servants.
These servants and house servants needed to change their clothes multiple times a year, and if these tasks could be secured by Linguan Castle, it would certainly be more profitable than sewing cloth shoes.
“Who would have thought Baihu Yang to be so thoughtful! Ha ha~~” Zhou Lan laughed heartily.
“General Zhou should take care of our Linguan Castle, right!” Yang Zhenshan unabashedly seized the opportunity, eager to secure the business from Zhou Lan’s mansion first.
“Of course, when I return, I’ll give the instructions. From now on, all the clothes for my mansion will be sewn by you!” Zhou Lan didn’t mind at all and agreed without a second thought.
“There’s no need for that, they can only sew some coarse clothes, they’re not ready to make anything too delicate or valuable!” Yang Zhenshan didn’t dare to overpromise and take on everything.
Zhou Lan hailed from Duke Mansion, which was the pinnacle among the noble families of Da Rong; although her own mansion wasn’t the Duke Mansion, it was a subsidiary, representing wealth and luxury.
Luxury was something that the women of Linguan Castle dared not touch.
Just looking at the clothes Zhou Lan wore was enough to know they were out of reach.
Zhou Lan nodded, accepting the agreement on this matter.
Afterward, they watched the soldiers’ training on the training grounds.
Seeing the soldiers’ healthy complexion and robust figures, Zhou Lan felt increasingly satisfied.
She knew well the kind of people she had entrusted to Yang Zhenshan.
Before Yang Zhenshan came to Chongshan Pass, she had visited Linguan Castle briefly en route, getting a general idea of its situation.
In just one month, Yang Zhenshan had organized Linguan Castle so well, turning these emaciated refugees into robust figures; naturally, she was extremely pleased.
“How much longer do they need to train?” asked Zhou Lan.
Yang Zhenshan pondered a moment before responding, “If they were to go to battle, another month would suffice, but to become elite troops, they need to truly see blood.”
“Training alone cannot produce elites; real elites are forged through blood and fire.”
Hearing this, Zhou Lan was even more satisfied with Yang Zhenshan and held him in higher regard.
Although she had personally invited Yang Zhenshan to Chongshan Pass, she had not been sure whether he could meet her expectations.
Now, it seemed, her decision had been absolutely correct.
“Very well, from today onward, they are all soldiers of Left Camp!”
Zhou Lan looked at Zhang Zhongxiang behind her and said with a smile, “Mr. Zhang has no objections, right?”
Zhang Zhongxiang’s gaze wandered as he said, “General, technically, Linguan Castle should fall under the jurisdiction of Yinghe Castle!”
At this moment, Yang Zhenshan realized why Zhang Zhongxiang and his group had come.
To snatch people?
To seize territory?
Left Camp recruited soldiers, while garrisons like Linguan Castle were part of a garrison system.
Linguan Castle could be seen as a Hundred Households.
Yinghe Castle, on the other hand, was a thousand households.
Zhang Zhongxiang was a thousand households officer and the defense officer of Yinghe Castle, having several garrisons under his jurisdiction.
If following the garrison system, Linguan Castle indeed should be under the control of Yinghe Castle.
However, the problem arose again; Linguan Castle was built by Zhou Lan to accommodate Yang Zhenshan, whose military registration was with Left Camp, not as military households.
Thus, the affiliation of Linguan Castle became problematic.
Should it belong to Yinghe Castle or to Left Camp?