Hongling: the longest feather on the wing of a bird called the "Red Eagle".

The Red Feather Urgent Report is a special emergency order affixed with this Hongling feather. In the Jingjiu Dynasty, this is the highest level of urgent message. It carries the authority to open city gates and clear streets. Intercepting a Red Feather emergency is a capital offense, punishable by death for the perpetrator and their entire family.

Normally, Red Feather Urgent Reports are sent upwards, rarely downwards. When a Red Feather order comes from above, the correct term is "Red Feather Urgent Order".

Red Feather Urgent Reports must be received by the highest-ranking officer present. Upon receipt, immediate handling is required; no delay is allowed.

Since the garrison was on alert, all personnel were assembled. The shrill whistle shocked everyone—this hadn’t been heard in years. Could it be that fighting has erupted somewhere again?

Many people curiously craned their necks to look at the messenger rushing inside, speculating what could possibly have happened.

Tang Qingyuan was on duty as Defense. Hearing the whistle, he activated his Body Technique to intercept the messenger proactively.

"Tang Qingyuan, Hundred Households of Li City Xuanqing Guard," Tang Qingyuan declared his identity immediately upon encountering the messenger.

The messenger was efficient. He took out a roll of portraits for careful comparison, then inspected Tang Qingyuan’s Waist Token. After verifying everything, he allowed Tang Qingyuan to sign for the order and handed over a directive before departing.

Once in hand, Tang Qingyuan’s brow twitched—the wax seal on the order was from the Fengri City Thousand Households Station! This was not an urgent report but an urgent order.

He avoided the crowd and opened the Red Feather Urgent Order alone. After reading it quickly, Tang Qingyuan couldn’t help but chuckle; the opportunity he had waited for over a month had finally arrived.

"Sound the drum. Summon all General Flag officers to the great hall for discussion—immediately!"

Fifty drumbeats: latecomers receive twenty strokes, absentees are to be executed. This is the military’s favorite method for emergency assembly. The Xuanqing Guard originated from the military, and many practices are inherited. However, assembly by drumbeat is very rare; Tang Qingyuan wasn’t planning to chop off anyone’s head, just make it clear to all that this was an extraordinary event.

The sound of war drums instantly sent chills across everyone, just as Tang Qingyuan anticipated. The Flag Officers rushed out of the Public Office towards the great hall, while the Xiaoqi and Warriors hurriedly began organizing their soldiers. No one knew what was about to happen; better to be prepared than caught off guard.

At the twentieth drumbeat, all seven General Flag officers were present. After roll call, they entered and sat at their respective positions, seeing Tang Qingyuan’s stern expression and refrained from questioning.

At fifty beats, the drum ceased. Tang Qingyuan rose and declared, "Received order from the Thousand Households Station. Effective immediately, Li City will deploy two General Banner Battalions for assignment. My Hundred Households’ Personal Soldiers are included in the selection."

He glanced at those below and continued, "The Black Banner Battalion is specifically required to participate. The C Flag will also accompany. Shen Hao, Chen Tianwen—is there any issue with you two?"

Shen and Chen quickly stood and responded, "No problem!" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Good. The rest stay and defend Li City according to wartime emergency protocols. Command responsibilities will temporarily shift to Trial Hundred Households Liu Chuan, with Wang Cheng assisting..."

Tang Qingyuan wasted no words, swiftly laying out all arrangements. He sought no opinions and invited no debate; these were orders—execution or death. No negotiation.

The others rose to accept, though their feelings varied. Envy and jealousy were inevitable; anything within a Red Feather Urgent Order was bound to be remarkable. Participation meant gaining credentials—pity that they hadn’t attracted Tang’s attention.

The most disgruntled was Wang Cheng, the Trial Hundred Households. Not only was he excluded from Tang Qingyuan’s mission, even in defense he was merely "assisting", feeling deeply sidelined.

"Alright, dismissed. In the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, I want all troops assembled outside!"

As soon as Tang Qingyuan finished speaking, Shen Hao and Chen Tianwen bolted out. The time allowed was very tight; they dared not delay.

Outside, the sound of bugles, pounding footsteps, and shouted commands quickly followed—the Black Banner Battalion and the C Flag were forming up and leaving their posts. All personnel assembled, fully armed, each equipped with three sets of standard Talismans. High-power Talismans like the Thunder Charm were issued to Xiaoqi units—three sets each!

Proceeding entirely according to wartime protocols.

When Tang Qingyuan, hand on sword, walked out the gates of the Xuanqing Guard, more than four hundred men stood in perfect formation outside.

"Report! Black Banner Battalion: 126 personnel present. C Flag: 131 personnel present. Personal Guards: 200 present."

"Move out!"

Four hundred men split into four columns, double-timing toward the city’s Teleportation Array.

With the Red Feather Urgent Order, the Teleportation Array instantly initiated wartime protocols, draining energy from all subordinate arrays to form a massive collective teleportation formation. After confirming the destination, they sent all four hundred men in two waves.

From receiving the Red Feather Urgent Order to Li City Xuanqing Guard’s more than four hundred men deploying rapidly to the targeted location, less than half an hour had passed.

...

Shen Hao had been bewildered at first, but quickly recovered his composure. From Tang Qingyuan’s gaze, he received an unspoken affirmation, steadying his nerves.

The Red Feather Urgent Order—this is a direct command from above!

Still, Shen Hao had thought they would first rendezvous with the elite from the Fengri City Thousand Households Station. But instead, after emerging from the Teleportation Array, they found themselves in a completely unfamiliar place. Only after seeing a stone tablet outside the array did they realize it was a place called "Shi Family Castle", with surrounding architecture like a small city.

"Shi Family Castle? We’re in Jingzhong?!"

Beside Shen Hao was Chen Tianwen, whose knowledge far surpassed that of Shen, the outsider. He immediately knew their location.

"Explain."

"Tsk—Shi Family Castle is a small town near Jingbei, best known for its preserved eggs. You must have eaten ’Stone Castle Rice’? The preserved eggs in it come from here."

Chen Tianwen quickly whispered an explanation to Shen Hao.

Upon hearing this, Shen Hao finally recalled some impression of Shi Family Castle.

Once outside the Teleportation Array, the local Xuanqing Guard immediately arrived to liaise, and outside the small city stood large numbers of soldiers.

Unlike the garrison soldiers familiar to Shen Hao, the soldiers assembled here were far better equipped; nearly every man wore thick leather armor, and their weapons were inferior magical artifacts with armor-piercing capacity.

What unsettled Shen Hao even more was seeing nearly a thousand members of units armed with bows or carrying heavy crossbows—Breaking Arrow teams!

Looking at the banners above these soldiers: fiery red, a blazing flame emblazoned in the center.

"The Jingnan Army?! Why are they here? And..." Shen Hao gazed across the massed troops outside the city, "I’d say there are at least ten thousand people here!"

Upon reaching the designated area, Tang Qingyuan ordered immediate rest and himself followed a messenger hurriedly into the army ranks.

Up to this point, none of the Li City Xuanqing Guard had received specific information about the deployment. Where were they going? For what purpose? No one knew.