Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1417 - 454: Jinyang Establishes the City, Allied Army Planning and Expansion Reform (Part 4)

In a military camp, few dare to conceal their true strength. Therefore, the answer was evident: among the more than a hundred soldiers guarding the gate, a significant portion possessed greater prowess than the grandfather and grandson duo. These two, one with 18 manes and the other with 17, possessed the capability to easily traverse Yinhe Valley. Yet, here, they found themselves outmatched by mere gatekeepers, stirring feelings of trepidation and complexity within them.

However, as they approached the camp entrance, Han Peng's expression eased upon spotting a young man, attired as a leader, among the gatekeeping soldiers.

"Captain Li, is it your shift today!"

Han Qi, even more forthright, moved directly towards the young man and offered a greeting.

The young man in armor looked up, his face brightening instantly upon seeing Han Peng and the two others. He cupped his hands and said, "Leader Han has returned from Xia City..."

After speaking, he cast a glance at Han Li, who stood behind them, and inquired with a smile, "How did Han Li fare in this year's Martial Arts Competition? What position did he secure?"

This on-duty young captain was none other than Li Hu, the former Deputy Leader of Jinyang Village.

Toward the close of the eighth year of Great Xia, Lu Yang had dispatched Li Hu and Yang Zhong to Jinyang Village. Their mission was to keep a watch on Han Peng and prevent any potential rebellion. Upon their arrival, Han Peng was already aware of their allegiance to Great Xia. As Han Peng's ties with Great Xia grew stronger, he promptly appointed Li Hu as Deputy Leader.

With their allied status established and Jinyang fortified as a city, Li Hu and Yang Zhong finally saw a clear path forward, no longer needing to operate in secrecy. By the end of June, with the arrival of the allies, Liu Yuan smoothly found a pretext to integrate them into the First Camp of the allied forces. Leveraging his 31-mane strength, Li Hu secured the position of Personal Army Captain, commanding an Elite Scout Camp.

Han Li, a disciple of Lu Yang, had known Li Hu since their days in East Ridge and shared a cordial relationship. Responding to the inquiry, he replied with a smile, "Hehe, 79th place, Brother Hu, isn’t that quite good?"

"Impressive! I honestly thought you might not even break into the top 100!"

Upon hearing Han Li's rank, Li Hu immediately nodded in approval and offered praise.

Han Li had been taken to Xia City by Lu Yang the previous year and officially recognized. Following that, he resided in Xia City for half a year, earning him the status of a genuine Great Xia citizen. With his Holy Pattern and 17-mane strength, securing a place within the top hundred was hardly an exaggeration.

"The Commander already informed me. Please come with me, I will escort you directly to the headquarters building to meet the Commander..."

Despite their prior acquaintance, they were exempted from a formal interrogation. Nevertheless, Li Hu still required them to pass through the routine inspection at the entrance and exit.

This so-called routine inspection involved passing through a passage coated with Solidified Fire Oil.

Li Hu guided the trio through the passage, then navigated familiar routes around the tents, proceeding directly toward the central headquarters building of the camp.

.........

Within the central hall on the fourth floor of the headquarters building.

Liu Yuan occupied the main seat, with six individuals seated below him: Hou Quan, Yuwen Yong, Zhou Yuan, Hou Tong, Meng Yi, and Wang Yuan.

"The Cloud Jiao, Long Wu, and Longyuan armies have been successfully integrated into their respective camps without structural alterations. The remaining Beizhao and Xiong Wu armies, comprising two thousand soldiers, had to be divided into three smaller groups and dispersed among the camps. Commander Hou and Commander Meng faced a somewhat difficult situation this time..."

At Liu Yuan's words, Hou Tong and Meng Yi offered slight nods in acknowledgement.

"Their inherent weakness made it beyond control; it is a consequence of their usual lack of diligence."

"Having lost the marching competition, there is little else to say. Their dispersal is a deserved outcome."

Hearing Hou Tong and Meng Yi’s remarks, the other four, along with Liu Yuan, could not help but smile.

The mere mention of this matter invariably brought laughter among the five.

Of course, this amusement stood in stark contrast to the somber moods of Meng Yi and Hou Tong.

In the formation of these allied forces, Great Xia had contributed ten armies, five of which were allocated to the Yinhe Valley contingent.

The proposed structure of six allied camps was the brainchild of Yuwen Dao, the Director of the Military Department. This plan included the complete disbandment of the Nine Towns soldiers, with their members being evenly distributed across the six camps, thereby ensuring the dominance of Great Xia's personnel – another concept originated by Yuwen Dao.

Following Yuwen Dao's strategy, their five armies, totaling five thousand soldiers, were mandated for integration into the First through Third Camps of the allied forces. This arrangement inevitably necessitated the splitting of two armies.

Since the inception of every Great Xia military unit, its soldiers have always remained cohesive. Who would willingly choose to be divided without compelling reason?Shortly after departing from Chui Mountain, the five armies found themselves in a dispute, with none willing to be separated. As no resolution was in sight, Liu Yuan put forth a proposal: a marching competition would decide which two armies would be split. While none could rival the Cloud Jiao and Long Wu armies in terms of combat might, marching speed was another matter entirely. The journey from Chui Mountain Town to Jinshan Town covered unfamiliar territory for all five armies. Furthermore, every soldier possessed Cold Resistance Level Cultivation, negating any distinct advantage. This essentially became a rigorous evaluation of their regular marching training. Liu Yuan's suggestion was met with universal approval. And so, the competition began. The final standings revealed that the Beizhao and Xiong Wu armies had fallen behind. This led to the current predicament. Noticing the somber expressions on Meng Yi and Hou Tong's faces, Liu Yuan offered a reassuring smile. "There's no need for dejection. I have some inside information..." He paused deliberately, letting his gaze sweep over their expectant faces, before continuing with an air of mystery, "This past April, before the Minister and Director Yuwen Sizheng entered their seclusion, I happened to overhear them discussing matters of military expansion and restructuring." Military expansion and restructuring! At these words, Hou Quan and the others' expressions underwent a dramatic shift. Their heads immediately snapped up, fixing their gazes on Liu Yuan as they eagerly awaited further details.