"Seeing the two esteemed kings so jovial, I presume our visitor is of no ordinary standing," sneered Valentin.
Was there anyone who traveled thousands of miles to aid the barbarians, deserving such merriment?
The Right Xianwang explained, "It is an envoy from the Taiji Kingdom. He has brought a large number of women and supplies. What does this signify? Even though our barbaric lands have suffered a setback, the Taiji Kingdom remains our loyal dog!"
Valentin, understanding, no longer voiced his displeasure and sat quietly with Harmuchi, awaiting the arrival.
A middle-aged man, dressed in the attire of the Great Gan, entered the military tent. He performed the ritual of three kowtows and nine bows to the Left and Right Xianwang, his words humble.
"Taiji Kingdom, General Wei, Li Shunping, pays his respects to the esteemed kings of your supreme nation, Simida!"
"The Great Gan is your suzerain nation. Why do you refuse to pledge allegiance to them?" the Right Xianwang inquired with curiosity.
Li Shunping stated frankly, "The Great Gan is thousands of miles away. To conquer our nation would be a time-consuming and thankless task. However, the Xiongnu, your supreme nation, are different. They could annihilate us at any moment. Any Taiji person with a sound mind knows what choice to make!"
"You are quite honest, but I can see that this is not the crux of the matter," the Right Xianwang sneered.
Li Shunping chuckled, "Esteemed Right Xianwang possesses insight like a burning torch! Indeed! Even though the Great Gan is far superior to our nation, they are too weak. Even if we offend the Great Gan and incur their wrath, a slight display of humility and subservience on our part will dissipate their anger, and they will continue to adopt a lenient policy towards us."
"Furthermore!" Li Shunping added, "According to our nation's newly compiled historical records, the bloodline of Marquis Anguo of the Great Gan, Liang Xiao, actually originates from our Taiji people, Simida!"
The Left Xianwang frowned, "Is there historical evidence? Which historical text? If he is indeed of Taiji descent, there might be an opportunity for some manipulation."
Li Shunping replied, "To the esteemed Right Xianwang, it was compiled recently! Whether the Great Gan populace believes it is irrelevant; as long as our Taiji populace believes it, that is sufficient! Oh, and General Tian also possesses three-quarters of Taiji blood, Simida!"
Laughter erupted from the barbaric generals in the camp.
The Right Xianwang said, "You Taiji people are truly amusing! But unsolicited favors often hide malicious intent. State your purpose clearly!"
Li Shunping hurriedly prostrated himself and pleaded, "If the barbaric lands were to rule the Central Plains in the future, please grant our Taiji Kingdom a territory... The pirates of the Izumo Kingdom no longer dare to harass the Great Gan in the East Sea, only daring to trouble our Taiji Kingdom. Judging by their posture, they may be preparing to cross the oceans to attack us. We seek the protection of the Xiongnu, your supreme nation!"
"That depends on your sincerity," the Right Xianwang said with a peculiar smile.
"The Taiji Kingdom shall present a tribute of one thousand beauties, one hundred thousand shi of grain, and one hundred thousand taels of silver!" Li Shunping replied.
The Right Xianwang was overjoyed. "We are in dire need of camp followers lately. Since there are no women from the Great Gan, we shall trouble your Taiji Kingdom!"
Li Shunping smiled agreeably and departed, satisfied with the Right Xianwang's promise.
With the addition of a thousand camp followers in Helan Mountain, the morale of the barbaric soldiers greatly improved!
As for the wails of these thousand women, no one cared.
In the capital, the Ministry of War submitted a memorial.
"The Prefect of Xuantu Commandery, Qin Min, has sent word that the Taiji Kingdom has become increasingly disrespectful, severing tribute channels to the Great Gan and sending tribute north to the barbarians!"
Xiao Qing, upon seeing the memorial, was both shocked and enraged. "By now, it should be before the great victory at Yanzhou. Is the Taiji Kingdom truly throwing themselves into the arms of the barbarians?"
Zhuo Wulüe replied, "Your Majesty, even if our army were to conquer the Taiji Kingdom, it would require marching thousands of miles, a tremendous drain on our provisions, manpower, and military strength. Hence, the Taiji Kingdom is emboldened."
"Are there no means to discipline them?" Xiao Qing frowned.
"If our army can recapture Helan Mountain, or even eliminate tens or hundreds of thousands more, given the Taiji Kingdom's tendency to shift allegiances with the wind, they will undoubtedly flock to us upon hearing the news. Facing the watchful eyes of Izumo and the retaliatory fury of the barbarians, this wavering stance is precisely the path to ruin. At that time, our nation need only publicize this matter and observe the barbarians' reaction..."
Xiao Qing snorted. "In the end, it all comes down to this decisive battle. First, issue a decree to all counties in the northeast: from now on, any plea for aid from the Taiji Kingdom shall be denied!"
After two days of marching, the Great Gan soldiers' anger had somewhat subsided, but their hatred for the barbarians grew daily, their desire for a decisive battle with them undiminished.
With their minds calmer, the soldiers engaged in idle chatter during their rest.
They discussed "Journey to the West," "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," "The Rise and Fall of Chu and Han," "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," and even the harm inflicted upon the common people by the aristocratic families...
Liang Xiao, disguised as a family retainer, fully armed, followed behind Lu Yi, listening to the discussions of the surrounding soldiers with immense satisfaction.
The impact of the newspaper was becoming increasingly evident. Even illiterate old soldiers could listen to others explain its contents and find it fascinating. They would later be able to recount these stories to others.
This was the objective of Liang Xiao and Xiao Qing. Even if the newspaper incurred losses in the future, Xiao Qing would undoubtedly continue to support its publication.
At the very least, the common people became more convinced of Xiao Qing's virtue and the wickedness of the aristocratic families.
The sounds of whetstones grinding echoed throughout the camp. While listening to stories, the soldiers did not neglect to sharpen their blades, lest they be insufficient in combat.
Archers were practicing short-range shooting, while the elite Divine Arm Bow squads used ordinary crossbows.
The training of these crucial troop types was kept to the utmost secrecy, with ordinary soldiers strictly prohibited from approaching the training grounds.
Having personally arrived at Helan Mountain, Liang Xiao also familiarized himself with the terrain. Compared to the Helan Mountain of his homeland, it was indeed vastly different, with only a similar general direction.
The military equipment of the Great Gan soldiers had been elevated to an unprecedented level. Both Liang Xiao and Lu Yi were confident enough to advance along the Tianjiang route, leaving no opportunity for the enemy to flank and harass them.
It was already early February. The Tianjiang was on the verge of thawing, and the barbarians dared not march freely on the ice. This meant one less avenue for harassment.
The Great Gan soldiers' supplies were not in the rear guard but in the main army, heavily protected. To safeguard these supplies, their marching speed had even been reduced.
As for the enemy launching a major offensive, it was precisely what the Great Gan soldiers eagerly desired...
After the White Robe Soldiers decapitated three thousand elite barbarian troops, the Right Xianwang no longer dispersed his cavalry. Each sortie for harassment involved forces exceeding forty thousand!
However, the Great Gan cavalry never ventured deep into enemy territory alone, only driving back the barbarian cavalry within their own vicinity.
In ranged exchanges, the Great Gan cavalry typically lost one soldier for every five barbarian cavalrymen.
After suffering casualties five times that of the Great Gan cavalry, the barbarian cavalry also abandoned their harassing tactics.
The barbarian cavalry finally confirmed that the Great Gan cavalry's armor was superior, effectively resisting arrows.
Crossbow bolts that previously inflicted severe wounds now only caused minor injuries, and those that were once fatal could barely cause serious harm!
The majority of Great Gan cavalry casualties were due to arrows hitting the eyes or necks. Less than one-tenth of Great Gan cavalry were directly killed by armor-piercing crossbow bolts!
The Great Gan army advanced like a heavily armored shield bristling with thorns, pushing northeast of Helan Mountain, while the barbarian cavalry found themselves unable to strike.
Ultimately, the Great Gan army encamped along the banks of the Tianjiang, fifty li northeast of Helan Mountain, establishing a stalemate with the barbarian encampment at the foot of Helan Mountain.