I have been farming since I crossed over.

The two chatted for a while, and Yang Mingxi felt sorry for Lu Jintang who had to hurry on his way, so she fell asleep.

When Yang Mingxi woke up the next day, Lu Jintang was no longer by her side.

In Old Master Lu’s courtyard, several masters of the Lu family sat together, discussing something.

The dusk was heavy, and the autumn wind, carrying a solemn and murderous air, passed through the carved window lattices and poured into the meeting hall of the Lu Mansion.

Lu Jintang was dressed in a black suit, his posture was as straight as a pine tree, his eyes under his sword-like eyebrows were deep and firm, staring at the yellowed map of Jingzhou Continent on the wall.

On the map, the red-marked Beiqi forces are like a surging tide, constantly eroding the golden area representing the Nanling Kingdom, and the situation is precarious.

"Grandfather, father, the imperial army is being defeated by the Beiqi Army. Xiting Prefecture is in danger. We, the Lu family army, cannot sit idly by." Lu Jintang turned around and broke the long silence in the room. His tone was full of unquestionable determination.

Old Master Lu sat in the main seat, his hair white but his spirits vigorous. He paused heavily on his cane, making a dull sound: "Thirteen, this matter is of no small importance. Our Lu family has been loyal for generations, dedicated to serving the country, but in the end, they were exiled.

"How easy is it to send out troops now? The allocation of food and manpower, as well as the checks and balances of various forces behind the scenes, will lead to a complete loss if there is any mistake. Even if we win in the end, we won't gain anything good."

Father Lu also frowned, his expression worried. "Yes, Tang'er. Although you are young and promising, and your prestige in the Royal Guards is gradually rising, this battle is related to the prosperity of the Lu family and the safety of the world. If we rashly send troops and fail to win a quick victory, and get stuck in a protracted war, I am afraid our Lu family will not be able to bear it."

Lu Jintang nodded slightly and said respectfully, "Father and grandfather are absolutely right. I naturally know the pros and cons of this. I have been thinking about this day and night these days and have already made some plans.

The Beiqi Army may appear to be advancing with great force, but in reality, they are riddled with internal contradictions, their various factions merely forming a temporary alliance for their own benefit. Furthermore, they have come through time and space to attack us. If we can exploit their weaknesses and defeat them one by one, we have a chance of victory."

As he spoke, he strode to the table, spread out a detailed military map, pointed to the mark on it and said: "If the main force of our Lu family army arrives here, the terrain here is dangerous and easy to defend but difficult to attack.

You can first send an elite light cavalry to pretend to attack from the east, attract the main force of the Beiqi Army to move east, and then the cavalry will deal with it.

At the same time, we secretly mobilized the main force to encircle them from the west and directly attack the food and supplies in the rear of the Beiqi Army.

Once their supply is cut off, the Beiqi army will inevitably be in disarray. Then, by attacking from both sides, we will surely be able to crush the enemy."

Mr. Lu stared at the map with a burning gaze, examining it for a long time. He said slowly, "This plan is brilliant, but the Eastern Light Cavalry is just bait. It's extremely dangerous to go deep into enemy territory. Who is willing to take on this important task?"

"My grandson will personally lead the Eastern Route Army!" Lu Jintang stepped forward without hesitation, his voice firm and powerful. "My grandson is well-versed in military books. Although he hasn't experienced many battlefields, he is very familiar with the terrain. He will definitely lead the soldiers to complete the mission and buy time for the main force of the Royal Guard."

Father Lu's face suddenly changed, and he shouted sternly, "No! You are the leader of the Lu family, shouldering the family's future. How can you put yourself in danger? This matter of the Eastern Route Army will be discussed later!"

Lu Jintang fell to his knees with a plop, tears in his eyes. "Father, precisely because I am the head of the Lu family, I should be at the forefront in times of crisis and carve out a new world for the Lu family. If I retreat now, how will I face our ancestors in the future?"

Old Master Lu sighed, stood up, and helped Lu Jintang up: "Hong'er, don't try to stop me. Thirteen has such courage and responsibility, which is a blessing for our Lu family. Although our Lu family does not eat the emperor's salary, we must be loyal to him. This battle is unavoidable."

Father Lu Youhong's eyes welled up as he looked at his high-spirited youngest son, his heart filled with worry and reluctance. However, he finally nodded helplessly, "In that case, Tang'er, you must be careful. I will fully cooperate with you in the rear to prepare food and gather troops, and be your strongest support."

After the discussion was finalized, Lu Jintang began to make intensive preparations for the expedition.

He personally went to the beach and watched his eldest and fourth brothers training the Royal Guards. It seemed that they had become much stronger after not seeing them for a few days.

After the training was completed, Lu Jintang found his eldest and fourth brothers, told them his purpose, and with their help, he selected three hundred elite cavalrymen.

These soldiers have followed their family for many years, have experienced hundreds of battles, and are loyal to the Lu family.

Lu Jintang came to the training ground and looked at the resolute faces of the soldiers in the sunlight, his heart filled with emotion and pride.

"Brothers!" Lu Jintang shouted, "The situation is not good now. The territory we once defended has been captured by Beiqi. As Nanling people, we must stand up.

This expedition will be difficult and dangerous, but we are fighting for our country and our people! As long as we work together, we will be able to defeat the enemy and rescue Xiting Prefecture!

"Kill the enemy! Rescue Xiting Mansion!" The guards shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the night sky, and their morale reached its peak.

After the shouting stopped, Lu Jintang said, "This time I will take 300 people with me as a sharp special forces team to lure the enemy deep into your encirclement, and then eliminate them one by one."

After hearing this, the members of the Royal Guard all expressed their willingness to join the elite special forces.

There were too many people, so 200 people were quickly selected under the screening of Boss Lu and Old Fourth Lu. Old Fourth Lu was responsible for intensive training, including Lu Jintang, and for the first time used the training venues and methods provided by Yang Mingxi.

At the same time, Father Lu and Old Master Lu did not dare to slack off in the Lu Mansion.

On the one hand, they contacted the surrounding prefectures to seek more support and supplies; on the other hand, they closely monitored the fighting on the front line and were ready to adjust their strategic deployment according to the battlefield situation at any time.

A few days later, after intensive training, the elite special forces prepared to set off for the northwest battlefield.

During this period, Yang Mingxi also arranged for all the married people in the family to join the training. It was the kind of training during the day and going home to spend time with their families at night.

The daily chemical workshop was working overtime almost every day to produce products, and Lu Jinge transported batches of them to the capital and even other places.

Uncle Yang has been very busy recently. He collected all the excess money in the commercial street and gave it to Yang Mingxi.

The grain store that Lu Jintang asked Hu Buyan to open has recently been fully dedicated to purchasing grain and delivering it in batches to the grain store in Xiting Prefecture.

The same was true for Old Master Lu and Mr. Lu. The lights in the study were on all night, and almost all the carrier pigeons recommended and provided by Yang Mingxi were sent out.

On the seventh day of September, Lu Jinyan led a 50-man personal guard team and drove more than 100 mule carts to Xiting Prefecture first.