The envoy sent by the Xiongnu this time was still Tu Luotu, but the tone of the challenge was completely different from before, carrying words of humiliation and even accusations that the Da Qian soldiers were all cowards.
After Liang Xiao circulated the challenge to his generals, they all stared at Tu Luotu with grim faces.
Tu Luotu merely smiled and said, "Unfortunately, Marquis Anguo is still a young scholar, lacking the courage a soldier should possess. He doesn't even have the spirit to avenge his tragically deceased father. Back then, it was our Zuo Xian Wang who personally beheaded Liang Anguo and boosted the morale of the entire army!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding generals instinctively reached for their swords, their faces filled with anger.
Tu Luotu, full of smugness, continued, "What does killing me achieve? My Savage Iron Cavalry merely loses a useless scavenger, while your Da Qian loses the hospitality of the Central Kingdom!"
Liang Xiao signaled for everyone to quiet down, and merely ordered that Tu Luotu be treated well.
As Tu Luotu left the tent, he burst into laughter, "See? No matter how much the barbarians insult us, Marquis Anguo of Da Qian is nothing but a coward who can only cower within the city!"
The generals gritted their teeth. One of them suggested, "Deputy Marshal, should we give him some laxatives?"
Liang Xiao frowned, "Impatience leads to the ruin of great plans. Killing a dog for revenge would only make the people think we are acting out of impotent rage. What the Da Qian Kingdom needs to do is to bury the invading barbarians in Yanzhou, not to argue with a mere individual."
The others nodded in shame.
"Go and check the grain and arrows!"
Liang Xiao finally stood up and led them to the southern camp.
Here, the granaries were filled with military provisions and fodder, and the arrows, crafted day and night, were stored in various rooms.
The current grain supplies were sufficient for a year's use, and millions of arrows could sustain thirty thousand men under normal consumption.
After Liang Xiao inspected them, he felt relieved.
Mu Hong and Lü Changhe, who accompanied him, held their breath, awaiting Liang Xiao's orders.
"Are there any more arrows being transported?" Liang Xiao asked the grain transport officer again.
The grain transport officer quickly replied, "From the capital and the East Sea, they are still on their way! Supplies from other regions are being transported to Shuofang and Yunzhou!"
Liang Xiao was then satisfied.
After Liang Xiao left, the soldiers responsible for defense exchanged glances.
Defeating the barbarians in a single battle should have been enough. What was their Deputy Marshal secretly preparing so many supplies for...
The news of the challenge brought by Tu Luotu was also spread by spies stationed within the city, especially to the residents of the northern border who were closer to the military camps.
After leaving the military camp, Tu Luotu surveyed the commoners who had gathered to watch from a distance, feeling proud.
This was the barbarians' way of venting their anger. Since Liang Xiao refused to fight, they would first strike at the morale of the Yanzhou army and its people, humiliating them wantonly, so that the populace would know that their Deputy Marshal was too cowardly to venture out of the city!
However, Tu Luotu soon discovered that the eyes of the surrounding commoners held no fear or disappointment, but rather anger.
"What's going on? Why aren't these people afraid of the barbarians at all?"
Tu Luotu, filled with confusion, drove back to the city walls and, under the escort of the guards on the ramparts, returned to the ground via a pulley system.
Once outside Yanzhou City, Da Qian no longer cared about Tu Luotu's fate. Tu Luotu met up with the carriages waiting outside Yanzhou City and hurried into one, fearing that some undisciplined soldier on the battlements might shoot him with a cold arrow.
Liang Xiao was not enraged by the humiliation from Tu Luotu and Zuo Xian Wang. He simply spent his days drilling the soldiers and urging the new recruits to speed up their training.
Nie Yuan and Yue Qingtian remained in Anxi County in the north, responsible for the training of the Qingtian Guard. They occasionally visited the northern military camp with Liang Xiao to discuss military matters.
Back home, Liang Xiao asked Liang Mingyu, "Has Sophia shown any unusual behavior?"
Liang Mingyu replied, "From her current behavior, she seems genuine. After Princess Si Ti's comfort, her condition has improved significantly, and she has become more cheerful. However, she still occasionally retreats to her room alone, talking to herself and appearing terrified."
Liang Xiao instructed, "Even if she is my sister-in-law, I must keep a close watch on her until I am absolutely certain she is not a threat, even if it means watching her for ten years or more, especially in the near future!"
Liang Mingyu, having been trained as a shadow guard, did not consider Liang Xiao to be overreacting. She readily agreed.
In the Da Qian Kingdom, in the region of Jiaozhou, Zen Master Long Yue, disguised, visited the Southern Prince's Mansion.
"Zen Master Long Yue... No, I should call you Sect Leader Long Yue." Xiao Chang, along with his heir, Xiao Feng, greeted her with smiles.
Long Yue sighed, "The former Sect Leader passed away in the Peacock Dynasty. I am merely acting as the Sect Leader temporarily."
Xiao Feng lamented with regret, "This heir was fortunate enough to hear the Sect Leader's teachings. Judging by her voice, she must be an ice-cold beauty. What a pity..."
Long Yue could only offer a bitter smile, not responding.
After seeing Long Yue to her resting quarters, Xiao Feng could not help but ask, "Father, how did the original Sect Leader suddenly pass away? Could it be, like the Pope, that she merely faked her death temporarily?"
Xiao Chang shook his head helplessly, "I have only met the Sect Leader a few times, so how would I know? But what is certain is that almost no one has seen the Sect Leader's true face. It is said that her voice always changed. We should simply execute our plan and not worry about so much!"
At the same time, in the palace of the Peacock Dynasty, the Pope Yan Jun, wearing a veil, performed a dance for the King of the Peacock.
Her graceful movements captivated the King of the Peacock, who then exclaimed in delight, "Pope, from this day forward, you are the Queen of the Peacock Dynasty!"
Yan Jun smiled and thanked him, then pleaded, "I only ask that Your Majesty never forget your original intention and descend with divine troops soon to destroy Da Qian and assist my Great Zhou Dynasty in restoring its empire!"
The King of the Peacock roared with laughter, "I understand! With our two families forming an alliance, our relationship will be even closer. Our future children will be the Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, won't that be perfect?"
In the northwest of the Da Qian Kingdom, in Shuofang, the weather was bitterly cold.
The Shuofang garrison, facing the Xiongnu Iron Cavalry surrounding the city layer upon layer, chose to defend their positions and refused to sally forth. They also sealed the city gates, strictly prohibiting anyone from leaving without good reason.
The northern military camp originally had three hundred thousand men, augmented by seventy thousand conscripts from three regions.
Currently, Yanzhou had one hundred fifty thousand, Yunzhou had one hundred thirty thousand, and Shuofang had ninety thousand.
However, the barbarians outside the city numbered one hundred thousand!
"Why do the barbarians have so many cavalry?"
The soldiers defending Shuofang were extremely tense.
Facing such a large enemy cavalry force, it was unrealistic for them to sally forth; they could only defend temporarily.
The barbarians outside Shuofang also showed no signs of attacking, merely sending people to harass the city from time to time, threatening the Shuofang army and its people.
Yunzhou City was temporarily impregnable.
The Commander of the Northern Region personally guarded Yunzhou, providing support to the two regions.
"Marshal, the barbarians outside the city are not rushing to cross the river, it seems they are waiting for the Tian River to freeze again!"
Upon receiving the news, Lü Yi asked, "What about Yanzhou?"
"The Zuo Xian Wang has issued a second challenge to the Deputy Marshal. The Deputy Marshal has held his ground and refused to engage, earning the mockery of the barbarians..."
Lü Yi merely smiled and ordered, "When the Tian River freezes, the Zuo Xian Wang might not be able to resist leading his troops to Yunzhou. Transmit orders to all units to defend strictly, reinforce the city walls, and allow no slackening!"
Once the order to hold fast was spread, the soldiers in Yunzhou and Shuofang who were eager to repel the barbarians felt helpless.
The arrival of the barbarians prevented them from venturing out of the city rashly, let alone from grazing their livestock or trading with the Western Regions, which was immensely humiliating.
In the blink of an eye, it was October 15th, and parts of the northern region had already begun to snow.
On this day, Liang Xiao was having dinner at home with his wives.
Jian Qinwan suddenly began to feel nauseous and vomited.