Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1418 - 454: Jinyang Establishes Cities—Allies’ Planning and Military Expansion Reform (5)

Whispers of Great Xia's impending military expansion and systemic overhaul have begun to spread, a palpable shift felt most acutely by the commanders leading the nation's forces.

Indeed, the rapid ascent of Great Xia's Cold Resistance Level over the past year has been nothing short of astonishing!

The establishment of six grand armies—Steel Mane, Golden Sword, Golden Eagle, Zhenwu, Ying Wu, and Zhaolong—since the close of last year serves as undeniable evidence of this strategic pivot.

It has become glaringly apparent that the current thousand-man military structure is no longer adequate.

The designation numbers for Great Xia's army have their origins in the Hunting Teams, a system where numbers can be added indefinitely. However, the army designations, numbering a finite 21, have become somewhat unwieldy. This has complicated unified coordination for grand armies and hampered the development of robust combat power expected from large corps, as training remains confined to a thousand-man scale.

Thus, augmenting the military and reforming the existing system are now absolute imperatives!

With this decision made, the crucial questions occupying the minds of all Great Xia commanders revolve around the specifics of this expansion and reform: how to enlarge the army, how to restructure the system, whether to consolidate forces, and the fate of existing designations.

Liu Yuan, the second Commander of the Cloud Dragon Army and the successor to Minister Xia Chuan, is widely acknowledged as a confidant of the highest caliber. His insider information carries immense weight.

As intrigue mounted amongst the assembled group, Liu Yuan, a smile gracing his lips and a knowing glint in his eyes, revealed, "The Director has indicated that Great Xia will maintain a ceiling of only 30 army designations. This means a mere nine designations remain to be finalized by year's end."

He elaborated, "Once these 30 designations are locked in, all future armies will adopt a uniform title, much like the towns of the Southern Slope: the Defensive Army."

A wave of relief visibly washed over the faces of those present at this announcement.

Liu Yuan continued, "This addresses the reform of the designation system. Now, regarding the expansion..."

He explained, "The Minister has stated that once the 30 designation numbers are finalized, he and the Director will institute a tiered system for army designation levels. Armies with higher levels will be permitted to recruit more soldiers, while those at lower levels will have restricted recruitment. Furthermore, designations are not static; sub-par performance on the battlefield could result in a downgrade."

"Forming alliances," he added, "is a key experiment in this expansion effort."

"The Lady has deployed a total of 10 grand armies to Beishuo, Dongchuan, and Jinshan Yinhe Valley. Our 10 grand armies are the initial test subjects for this first phase. In the coming years, the performance of these allied forces will serve as our evaluation benchmark and will factor into promotion assessments."

The six individuals listening intently grew noticeably more serious upon hearing this revelation.

The alliance forces stationed in Dongchuan and Yinhe Valley are primarily tasked with countering the threat posed by the Feudal Towns.

The feudal towns of Chen Cang and Cai Qiu represent formidable adversaries unlike any previously encountered. It is a foregone conclusion that any conflict erupting in these regions would be cataclysmic.

The proficiency displayed by their respective armies in these upcoming encounters will directly dictate their army designation, the ultimate confirmation of their level, and consequently, their capacity to recruit additional soldiers.

While army level, number of soldiers, and combat strength are important metrics, what truly captivates Hou Quan and the others is the preferential resource allocation that follows behind these developments.

Armies exhibiting superior combat prowess naturally garner greater attention from the command, leading to richer resource distributions – the most coveted aspect of all.

A spark ignited in the eyes of Hou Quan and his companions, a subtle eagerness replacing any apprehension as they contemplated the potential, imminent clashes with the Feudal Towns. They felt no fear, only a quiet anticipation.

"No need for haste," Liu Yuan declared. "On August 25th, representatives from the Bone-Eroding Path will arrive. At that time, we shall gain a precise understanding of Caiqiu's Xianyang Level strength!"

Liu Yuan’s gaze flickered, a similar undercurrent of keen anticipation stirring within him.

Cai Shiqi and other delegates from Caiqiu were currently being held downstairs, awaiting the arrival of their contingent on August 25th.

While Cai Shiqing could be dispensed with, Cai Shiqi, the Young Prince, was absolutely indispensable.

"We shall await the arrival of the Caiqiu delegation on August 25th. Presenting this Young Prince and his entourage for their return will serve as the inaugural gesture of goodwill from the Nine Towns Alliance to Caiqiu."

"Let us observe how our counterparts respond!"

"Unbeknownst to us, over a year has passed since the Lord's departure. I wonder how matters stand now?"