Hearing that scouts in Yun Prefecture had died a martyr's death, Lu Yi rose in anger, then quickly calmed down.
The generals all requested to be sent into battle.
The Bureau of Military Equipment delivered a large amount of military supplies. The Great Gan Iron Guard had been trained to a semblance of order, the White Robe Soldiers and other units had seen their equipment upgraded to a certain extent, and in Yan Prefecture, there was also Liang Xiao's Qingtian Guard.
Coupled with the significant increase in pay and benefits for the northern soldiers, and the improved rations, the soldiers were now eager to fight the barbarians and prove themselves!
Seeing the surging morale, Lu Yi frowned, shook his head, and said sternly, "Dispatch orders to all prefectures: strictly guard the cities, gather the populace, and do not engage in battle!"
The several messengers were taken aback, but they immediately ran off to relay the order.
"Marshal!!" The soldiers were anxious.
If they didn't prove themselves soon, they feared they would disappoint the common folk, and those civil officials in the court, especially the Ministry of War, would cut their benefits again!
Lu Yi waved his hand and explained, "It is now after the harvest season, and the enemy has suddenly launched an attack southward. It is clear they are eager for plunder. If our army engages, would that not play right into the enemy's hands?"
The generals calmed down slightly, but still felt unwilling.
After the harvest, the prefectures of Yan Prefecture had begun reaping their grain, their granaries were full, and they had enough to deploy troops.
However, if there was even a slight setback, and the enemy occupied several of these prefectures and seized the granaries, the consequences would be unthinkable!
"Even if our army wins, winter is approaching. Our army still won't be able to advance deep into the desert. A hasty retreat would only make us more passive! Don't forget the painful lessons of last year!" Lu Yi reminded them.
The generals were deeply ashamed.
Last year, when the barbarian cavalry marched south, Lu Yi had intended to hold his ground. However, the surrender faction at the court, against all expectations, had vehemently demanded an engagement.
Lu Yi had no choice but to fight, as a large number of civilians in the northern parts of Yan Prefecture were exposed to the barbarians' butcher knives!
Later, Lu Yi realized that this group of surrender advocates had consistently advocated for peace with the barbarians and, under the guise of friendly relations between the two nations, had promoted interaction between the border populations of both countries.
These civilians of the Great Gan, facing a sudden invasion by the barbarians, naturally became sacrifices. They lost vast amounts of grain and wealth, and suffered countless casualties, allowing the barbarians to obtain substantial supplies for free and continue their campaigns!
And that group of surrender advocates, because the barbarians broke their word, could shirk all responsibility and emerge unscathed, making it difficult to hold them fully accountable!
After the decisive battle in Yan Prefecture, the Great Gan learned its lesson and no longer allowed civilians to reside at the border, nor did it permit the Ministry of War to interfere with the defense of local garrisons.
Lu Yi surveyed the generals, seeing their distressed expressions, and laughed heartily.
"What's the hurry? The Northern Army Camp is waiting for someone!"
"Waiting for whom? General Lu?" The crowd was taken aback, thinking of Lu Changhe.
Lu Yi then resumed a serious expression and said, "This brat is still too young to command independently! Who I am waiting for is our Great Gan's Grand Protector, Minister of Personnel, Vice Minister of Works, General who Suppresses the East, and Imperial Son-in-Law, Marquis An Guo, Liang Xiao!"
The generals' eyes lit up, and they all echoed with smiles.
Now, all the soldiers of the Great Gan knew that it was the Marquis An Guo who had vehemently advocated for the improvement of soldiers' treatment and benefits. Furthermore, when Liang Xiao was still a commoner, he had assisted in the defense of Yan Prefecture, and then won the Battle of Luzhou Defense in Jiangnan. The men were full of admiration!
After the generals returned to their posts, Lu Yi patted Nan Jiyun on the shoulder and sighed, "These fellows are truly something else, having to rely on a nineteen-year-old to stabilize the morale of the army!"
Nan Jiyun merely chuckled.
He knew very well that Lu Yi's insistence on holding his ground was also partly to wait for Liang Xiao to arrive in the northern region and consult his opinion.
However, Nan Jiyun did not understand the deeper reason. Lu Yi had already confirmed Chu Liang Xiao's identity.
Wouldn't it be better to let General Tian come to the northern region, and even have the opportunity to personally lead the White Robe Soldiers in battle, before considering whether to fight?
Lu Yi viewed Liang Xiao as an excellent junior.
But for General Tian, he was utterly impressed!
Single-handedly charging into the chaotic army and frightening away the Left Xian King, leading a defeated army to victory.
In his first battle as a commander, he gathered seven thousand White Robe Soldiers, quickly understood their organizational structure, and then led them into the enemy ranks, routing a hundred thousand barbarian cavalry who were clashing with the Great Gan soldiers!
In subsequent campaigns, he was always victorious, even leading the White Robe Soldiers and Great Gan soldiers, who were in a desperate situation during the decisive battle, to fight with their lives, turning the tide and allowing the Great Gan to achieve victory over seven hundred li, once again straightening the backbone that had been nearly broken!
It would not have been an exaggeration if Xiao Qing had posthumously awarded him the title "Marquis Zhongwu" when he believed General Tian had died.
The soldiers of Yan Prefecture's northern border, carrying Lu Yi's letter, traveled eight hundred li per day to the capital.
Liang Xiao's wedding had concluded, and the capital had returned to its usual state. The public had calmed down and continued their comfortable lives with the Great Gan Daily.
Liang Xiao did indeed begin to busy himself at night, even after marital relations had concluded and his wives were asleep, hoping to gain more time for daytime activities.
One night, Jian Qin heard the sound of Liang Xiao opening a cabinet and woke up. Discovering Liang Xiao writing, she was surprised and personally went to the kitchen to prepare him a late-night snack.
This made Liang Xiao even more cautious from then on, so as not to disturb his family.
After confirming Liang Xiao's identity, Xiao Qing had dispatched his most reliable Shadow Guards to various locations to spread rumors of General Tian's divine manifestations, providing cover for Liang Xiao and allowing his identity as General Tian to be used covertly and unexpectedly.
On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, after Liang Xiao and his family had paid respects to their ancestors, he took Klisti out to find Sophia. Suddenly, a guard rushed in with an urgent report: Zhuo Wuluo had arrived.
Hearing Liang Xiao refer to him as "Father-in-law," Zhuo Wuluo's face showed a complex smile, mixed with some embarrassment.
Years ago, he had only adopted Zhuo Xun on his father Zhuo Zifang's orders and raised her as his own daughter. For this, he had made his wife, Madam Zhuo Lin, avoid outsiders for months, falsely claiming pregnancy.
Who would have thought that Zhuo Xun would become Liang Xiao's wife? He had accidentally obtained the glorious title of father-in-law to the Marquis An Guo, as if a pie had fallen from the sky!
Zhuo Wuluo noticed that the newlywed wives behind Liang Xiao, including Zhuo Xun, looked at him with eyes full of admiration and pride.
"Alas, Xiao Yun..." Zhuo Wuluo thought of his unfilial daughter, who only wished to end her days with chess, and his heart was filled with complex emotions.
His second brother, Zhuo Wentao, the dean of Yan Prefecture Academy, had expelled Liang Xiao before. Although he had since been appointed to a sixth-rank official position by the court and had received an invitation from Liang Xiao, he still felt too embarrassed to attend the banquet. He only asked his elder brother to convey his congratulations to Liang Xiao.
"Liang Xiao, I am somewhat worried that the barbarians will invade the northern region, or even march out from Helan Mountain to harass the area around Shuofang..." Zhuo Wuluo said with a worried expression.
He was now the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and was back in the capital to supervise Du Gu Qun. He could not participate in the discussions on the front lines in the northern region. As soon as Xiao Qing saw an opportunity, he would have him replace Du Gu Qun.
"Father-in-law need not worry. Uncle, as the Marshal, has learned from last year's lessons, and with His Majesty's instructions, he will not act rashly," Liang Xiao said, quickly comforting him, knowing that Lu Yi was concerned that the northern soldiers might rashly attack and suffer a loss.
Even Liang Xiao was so certain, and with the northern regions already heavily fortified, Zhuo Wuluo finally put his mind at ease. He returned to the Ministry of War to continue supervising Du Gu Qun, and incidentally, to oversee some of the military equipment left behind by Mu Hong.
Three hundred li north of Yan Prefecture, the barbarian forces chose a tributary of the Tian River and set up camp.
"Left Xian King, we have received joyful news from Yun Prefecture! We pursued and annihilated a scouting party of three hundred men!"
Upon hearing the urgent report, the Left Xian King was taken aback, "How did you catch up?"