Liang Xiao, after inspecting the supplies with Lu Yi, could not hide his joy.
From last year to the beginning of this year, they had crafted six thousand sets of plate armor, enough to largely equip the Qingtian Guard, the Da Gan Iron Guard, and a portion of the reserves!
In the Battle of Yanzhou, the plate armor had proven its exceptionally effective defensive capabilities, making it difficult for the blades and crossbow bolts of the Barbaric Cavalry to penetrate easily.
Most of the Da Gan Iron Guard and Qingtian Guard who died wearing plate armor had succumbed to exhaustion or the sheer force of repeated heavy blows that crippled and killed them. Those who perished due to broken armor were a minority.
Currently, Da Gan had also forged over five thousand sabers and more than seventeen thousand longbows, along with fifteen thousand Shenbi bows.
However, the Shenbi bow required three people to operate, and while powerful, it had significant limitations.
Cotton armor, simpler and cheaper to produce than plate armor, numbered over eighty thousand sets, sufficient to arm sixty thousand cavalry and all the Qingtian Guard, Da Gan Iron Guard, as well as some mid-rank crossbowmen!
The remaining common iron armor exceeded one hundred and eighty thousand sets, along with the furs and leather armor of the barbarians, enough to equip the entire army for battle!
Spears with steel tips, steel long knives, and shields reinforced with layers of steel, along with various military supplies, numbered over eighty thousand!
Grain was transported from all over the country, with Xichuan even being conscripted, providing enough for a thirty-thousand-strong army to campaign for a year and a half.
The Battle of Yanzhou had been a test of Da Gan's national strength.
This coming battle would determine Da Gan's very foundation!
Although Liang Xiao was confident, the tides of war were unpredictable, and one must prepare for the worst.
Therefore, Liang Xiao had prepared a large quantity of river-crossing tools, in case of sudden weather changes, an early thaw of the Tian River making crossing difficult, or if the army had to retreat unexpectedly due to harsh weather and was intercepted by the barbarians for lack of such tools.
Liang Xiao had to ensure that by the time they marched to Helan Mountain, the Tian River had begun to thaw, thereby reducing one of the barbarian retreat routes.
The Northern Army could retreat east-northeast to Shuofang, not necessarily needing the Tian River.
The river-crossing tools were primarily for operations in Helan Mountain, facilitating troop reinforcement and support from multiple directions, as Helan Mountain was west of the Tian River.
The Northern soldiers, equipped with the latest weaponry, were ecstatic.
As soldiers, they understood that achieving seventeen thousand decapitations with less than five thousand casualties was not solely due to morale and strategy; superior equipment was essential.
Now, their equipment had also been upgraded.
The entire nation was now supporting the North.
In addition to Liang Xiao's improved steel-making techniques that increased steel output, Xiao Qing had secretly taken over a million taels of gold from her private stash to purchase various ores, red cedar wood, and cotton cloth from the Taiji Kingdom and Da Liang Kingdom. She had also hired several thousand craftsmen from Da Liang and Taiji Kingdoms to handle basic production.
Otherwise, even with Da Gan's full national effort, it would have been impossible to produce so much equipment in over half a year.
When the Emperor of Da Liang and Qin Feng realized this, they were helpless. Restricting the trade of iron ore and cotton cloth at this juncture would only displease Da Gan. Da Liang could only secretly limit the merchants involved.
However, if these merchants could not sell their materials to Da Gan, Da Liang's treasury could not absorb them. Ultimately, Qin Feng had to propose reforms in craftsmanship and policy, increasing the Ministry of Revenue's financial investment in iron smelting and the forging of fine steel.
Concurrently, Da Liang began to replicate the cotton armor of the Yanzhou soldiers to replace their current equipment, then take the replaced gear to the south to arm the barbarians, using barbarian soldiers to fight against the Peacock Dynasty.
Even so, a significant amount of iron ore and cotton cloth was still being transported north of the Heng River to Da Gan. Even the Ministry of War, managed by Qin Feng, found it difficult to intervene, as the taxes from these ores and cotton cloth also affected national revenue. These merchants were supported by powerful families.
In the eyes of merchants and powerful families, there was no fatherland.
Of course, some of this was also due to bribes from the Shadow Guards to these powerful families.
Over two-thirds of the thirty-thousand-strong army in Shuofang sported a completely new appearance!
One day, Liang Xiao was watching the troops train with his generals on the parade ground when a loud neigh from a warhorse suddenly echoed in the distance, drawing the attention of everyone present.
The generals looked up and saw a majestic, massive warhorse of a deep brown-yellow hue.
It might not have been comparable to Bai Ye Fei Ying, but it was undoubtedly a rare steed, something money could scarcely buy!
The generals' eyes immediately lit up.
Lu Yi explained, "This is a famous steed captured from the camp of the barbarian's Left Worthy King. According to the captured barbarian soldiers, this horse is named 'Kuang Sha' (Wild Sand). It can travel a thousand li a day and weighs over twelve hundred jin. It was the Left Worthy King's new favorite, but it was replaced because it could no longer move after running for a day and a night. Due to the Left Worthy King's hasty retreat, he didn't have time to have it killed."
"Such a magnificent horse should be bestowed by His Majesty upon the Marshal or the Deputy Marshal, shouldn't it?" Wang Chunqiu chuckled.
Lu Yi shook his head, "This humble servant already has a steed named 'Ta Lang' (Riding the Waves), so how could I accept another gift? As for the Deputy Marshal, he is responsible for overseeing the rear and believes such a divine steed should be given to a general who charges into battle. It will be up to the Deputy Marshal to decide its distribution."
The generals' hearts skipped a beat, but they quickly composed themselves.
Wang Chunqiu, the commander of Shuofang and a fourth-rank General of Martial Valor, a miscellaneous general whose status was close to that of the Four Peace and Four Stability Generals, immediately declared,
"The comrades from Yanzhou contributed the most; it should be awarded to them!"
The other Northern soldiers reacted, echoing his sentiment, not daring to contend for it.
Nan Jiyun and the others were taken aback.
"General Nan?" Liang Xiao looked at Nan Jiyun.
Nan Jiyun quickly waved his hands, "No, no, no. Your subordinate's strength is the weakest, and his status is not the highest. I dare not accept such a generous gift!"
Everyone couldn't help but roll their eyes at Nan Jiyun.
"Don't hold back now," Lu Yi said with a gruff tone.
Nan Jiyun grinned sheepishly but still didn't dare to accept it.
"General Lu?" Liang Xiao then looked at Lu Changhe.
Everyone praised, "General Lu deserves it!"
Lu Changhe had played a crucial role in the Great Victory of Yanzhou and was the general under Liang Xiao with the greatest merit. He was also currently the most vital General of Zhenbei among the Four Town Generals.
Lu Changhe quickly declined, "My martial arts are not as good as my elder brother's, and my own horse is already a fine steed. Let's give it to someone else..."
"General Zhuo?" Liang Xiao looked at Zhuo Ying.
Zhuo Ying also quickly declined.
Liang Xiao then looked successively at Nie Yuan, Yue Qingtian, and others. These individuals knew their merits and statuses were not comparable to Lu Changhe's, so they dared not accept it even less.
Lu Yi seized the opportunity and said, "My son indeed has his own fine steed, so let it be given to General Anxi, Nan Jiyun!"
As the crowd expected, Nan Jiyun, unable to refuse any further, accepted the magnificent steed Kuang Sha.
Under the expectant gazes of everyone, Nan Jiyun gently soothed Kuang Sha before finally mounting the horse and galloping back and forth on the parade ground.
Kuang Sha, accustomed to the Left Worthy King, was startled by Nan Jiyun's sudden embrace and reared up on its hind legs, almost standing vertically.
Nan Jiyun remained as steady as a mountain.
After this back-and-forth for a quarter of an hour, Kuang Sha finally quieted down, allowing Nan Jiyun to control it.
"This fine steed, on the battlefield, will it not respond when called by the Left Worthy King and return to him?" Wang Chunqiu asked with some unease.
Liang Xiao explained, "I asked the prisoners. The Left Worthy King only obtained Kuang Sha on the day he marched south, and they are not familiar with each other. These few days of rest are sufficient for General Nan to tame it."
Only then did everyone relax.
After the bestowal of the horses, Liang Xiao and Lu Yi convened the generals again to discuss military matters.
Lu Yi took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will march to Helan Mountain in three days. The decisive battle is imminent. Generals, heed my orders!"