Dream of the Red Chamber: I can upgrade my entries!

Chapter 24 [Feather's Divine Valor (Gold)], Unparalleled Throughout the Ages!
In late February of the seventh year of the Yongping reign (1726), the entire Daqian region, from north to south, was a scene of vibrant spring.

At the Beijing garrison, 200,000 troops were undergoing training. The soldiers and armor sent by the Ministry of War were piled up like mountains. Thanks to the donations from the nobles, the army did not need any expenditure from the national treasury. Food and pay were plentiful, and morale was high.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

In a secluded corner to the north, Jia Yan moved with the ferocity of a wolf or tiger, his fists whistling fiercely, the sound echoing everywhere. His peak Ming Jin cultivation was already quite formidable in the capital garrison, and few could defeat him.

As he progressed through the Five Animal Frolics, the fifteen-year-old boy felt his strength coalesce into a single force, powerfully penetrating his fascia and bone marrow, and he could control the opening and closing of every pore on his body.

"boom!!!"

In the blink of an eye, Jia Yan strode forward and punched the heavy willow stake, but the stake did not budge.

‘Wow! ’

The next second, the thick willow stake turned into dust and scattered all around.

Congratulations, Commander!

The twelve guards who had just arrived witnessed this scene and were all filled with reverence.

"Hahaha."

Having broken through the hidden strength barrier, Jia Yan laughed heartily and said cheerfully, "After two and a half months, I've finally reached this point."

The martial arts of the dynasty are in decline, and those who have reached the Transformation Realm are extremely rare. Among the 200,000 troops that have been sent to the north, only Niu Jizong, the first-class Earl of the Duke of Zhenguo, is a master of the Transformation Realm. Liu Biao, the first-class son of the Duke of Liguo, and Hou Xiaokang, the first-class son of the Duke of Xiuguo, are only masters of the Dark Force Realm.

This means that his strength is already considered among the best in the country, second only to Niu Jizong and others.

"General."

Dong Yong stepped forward and reported, "Our cavalry has completed all training and is ready to set off at any time."

"Yes."

The rest of the guards reported in unison.

These eight hundred young men from Longxi came from various families in Longxi. They had practiced military formations and martial arts since childhood and were skilled in archery and horsemanship. After two months of training, they had begun to take shape as an elite force. All the armor and weapons were distributed to each of them, forming a formation of three hundred archer cavalry and five hundred spearmen.

These days, they are mainly practicing the wedge formation, with lancers in the center and archers hunting from the left and right flanks. This is a high-speed, surprise attack formation, best suited for cavalry blitzkrieg.

"Dong Yong, Li Qing, Peng Li, Niu Qian."

"You will stay here and command eight hundred cavalrymen."

"Ma Yun, Shi Rui, Xin Ze, Yu Yuan, Min Ye, Bian Song, Yang Qin, Guan Ye."

"You will all return to the capital with me."

"Meet at dawn tomorrow in the northern suburbs of Shenjing."

Looking around at the twelve guards, Jia Yan calmly issued his orders.

"Yes."

The guards echoed in unison, their eyes gleaming with a burning desire to achieve great deeds.

After they left, Jia Yan's mind sank into his thoughts. He still had one chance this month to upgrade his attribute, and he had to take advantage of it now to choose the most suitable attribute to enhance his strength.

"System, upgrade!"

In the end, Jia Yan chose a white entry, "The Courage of a Common Man," which was then enveloped in a colorful mist, and "The Courage of a Common Man" underwent a transformation.

[Feather's Divine Valor (Gold): Unparalleled throughout history, personal combat strength +150%, army command strength +150%!]

"hiss!"

The effect of this entry left Jia Yan speechless; it was thanks to the blessing of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu.

People only know that Xiang Yu was unparalleled in personal martial prowess, and throughout the ages, there has been the legend that "no king surpasses Xiang Yu, and no general surpasses Li Yu," but they have overlooked Xiang Yu's ability to lead troops.

Xiang Yu was the most outstanding representative of the brave and fierce military strategist. In the Battle of Julu, he led 30,000 Chu troops to fight against the main force of 400,000 Qin troops led by Zhang Han and Wang Li, and won a great victory, annihilating 200,000 and forcing 200,000 to surrender. In the Battle of Pengcheng, he defeated the 560,000-strong allied army of the feudal lords with 30,000 troops and won a great victory over Liu Bang. In the Battle of Gaixia, 28 horsemen charged into the Han army and were invincible.

With this entry, Jia Yan was even more confident in leading eight hundred cavalry on a raid into the desert.

At 5:15 PM, in the backyard of Ningguo Mansion. "Awakening of Insects, Grain in Ear."

"How is Phoenix Pavilion doing?"

Jia Yan's gaze fell on his two personal maids.

The people Jia Jing arranged for him to be Jingzhe, Mangzhong, Bailu, and Xiaoxue were all literate, intelligent, and quick-witted, and now they all possess Mingjin strength.

For matters like establishing an intelligence network, he currently has no one more suitable than them.

"Master."

Jingzhe spoke first, saying, "As you instructed, we started with brothels and taverns, and acquired eight of them, located in both the outer and inner city."

"We now have a very good grasp of the news in Shenjing."

"We also bought a group of women from poor families from human slave traders and taught them martial arts."

The Grain in Ear solar term added a message.

"Oh?"

Raising an eyebrow, Jia Yan asked inexplicably, "You've already started dividing up the work?"

"Yes."

The solar terms Jingzhe and Mangzhong nodded.

Throughout history, spy organizations have always consisted of two types of people: those who gather intelligence and those who are skilled in assassination.

The Qianlong Emperor had the Embroidered Uniform Army on the surface, the Hidden Dragon Guard under the retired emperor, the Blood Droplets under Emperor Yongping, and the Chess Camp under Prince Yizhong. Which of the four kings, eight dukes, and twelve marquises did not have some cultivated forces or information channels?

Therefore, at the beginning of its establishment, Fengluan Pavilion clearly defined the responsibilities of Jingzhe (惊蛰) in gathering intelligence and Mangzhong (芒种) in managing assassins.

"good."

Nodding slightly, Jia Yan praised, "You've adapted much faster than I expected."

"Wine, lust, wealth, and anger are the roots of worldly obsessions, especially for men."

"Which of them wouldn't like it? Officials, nobles, wealthy merchants, or ordinary people?"

"Brothels and taverns are places with the most crowds and eyes, and it is precisely in these places that information flows most intensively."

"Two hundred thousand taels of silver is just a foundation. We must prioritize setting up stations in Shenjing, Jinling, Yangzhou, Ningyuan, Ping'an Prefecture, Kunlun Prefecture, Xining Prefecture, and Fuzhou. We can then expand our manpower through profits and gradually monitor the two capitals and thirteen provinces."

"In the future, wherever the Phoenix Pavilion goes—from the Later Jin, Goryeo, the Dzungar Khanate, the Qianxiang Kingdom, and even the Western Barbarians—news will be transmitted back immediately."

"Yes."

A glint of light flashed in her beautiful eyes as she secretly memorized the words "Awakening of Insects" and "Grain in Ear."

"From now on, the Phoenix Pavilion will have two pavilion masters, one in the light and one in the dark. Jingzhe will be the pavilion master of the light pavilion, and will be given the title of Fire Phoenix. Mangzhong will be the pavilion master of the dark pavilion, and will be given the title of Azure Phoenix."

"You do not need to report the profits from the brothels and taverns to me. You can dispose of them as you see fit for your business."

"I only want one result, and that is to monitor the world."

Gazing at the two women, Jia Yan spoke each word clearly.

"clear."

The insects, Jingzhe and Mangzhong nodded solemnly in response.

In reality, Fengluan Pavilion was just the first step, using brothels and taverns as cover to minimize the risks.

Afterwards, Jia Yan planned to establish a security escort agency. On the surface, it would escort carriages and deliver goods, but in reality, it would recruit young men and teach them martial arts. This would create a reserve army that had seen bloodshed. They were spread throughout the two capitals and thirteen provinces, which would be equivalent to controlling the local areas.

The beginning is always the hardest. He has already taken this first step. All that is needed now is time for things to ferment. Sooner or later, the whole world will quietly fall into his hands.

(End of this chapter)