Nan Jiyun and others rushed forward, binding the Right Virtuous King. During the process, Nie Yuan secretly slapped the Right Virtuous King.
Nan Jiyun, who was in the process of binding the Right Virtuous King, paused, looked around, and also found an opportunity to slap him.
Zhuo Ying next to them was startled. After a brief exchange of glances with the other generals who arrived, they covered for each other. Then, each of them slapped the Right Virtuous King again before pretending nothing had happened and continued to reinforce the bindings.
This was the Great King of the Barbarians. Once he was officially a captive of Da Qian, they would no longer have the chance to beat him. However, thinking of the tragic women and shepherds, their hearts filled with hatred, and they wanted to vent their anger for them. At worst, they would receive a few slaps themselves!
Liang Xiao and the soldiers behind him saw these small acts of venting but merely curled their lips and pretended not to notice. Several generals who arrived later looked on with envious eyes, their eyeballs practically bleeding.
"This credit goes to the Deputy Marshal!" Nan Jiyun and others declared.
After all, it was Liang Xiao who shot down the Right Virtuous King with an arrow.
Liang Xiao shook his head and said, "It belongs to everyone. We'll record the merits, and I'll privately give ten thousand taels of gold to you dozens of people to share equally!"
Suddenly gaining wealth, everyone grinned and thanked him.
"I am the Right Virtuous King, you cannot kill me!!"
At this moment, the Right Virtuous King was disoriented and roared hysterically, no longer caring who humiliated him.
Soon, the Right Virtuous King was pushed to Liang Xiao's saddle, his face full of fear.
"You are Liang Xiao, the Marquis of An Guo of Da Qian?" the Right Virtuous King stared at Liang Xiao blankly, his pupils contracting sharply.
He had finally met the bane who had slain four hundred thousand barbarians, and it was as a captive!
Unexpectedly, Liang Xiao merely glanced at the Right Virtuous King, then waved his hand, "Dispatch a hundred cavalry to escort him back to Qilian Mountain. The rest will follow me to capture Yanzhi Mountain. The merits will be equal!"
Liang Xiao had already said as much, so the hundred dispatched men had no objections. After all, escorting the Right Virtuous King was also an important task.
"You..." the Right Virtuous King was speechless.
He had expected Liang Xiao to publicly humiliate and punish him, especially since Da Qian had finally captured one of the three great kings of the barbarians.
Who would have thought that Liang Xiao would treat him with such disdain?
An unprecedented sense of defeat washed over the Right Virtuous King. He could only lower his head in shame. Then, he was gagged with a cloth strip and sent to Qilian Mountain.
The Da Qian cavalry continued north with Liang Xiao, to support Lü Changhe, who had split his forces to pursue the Left Virtuous King.
Shuofang, upon receiving the victory report, not only sent an urgent dispatch but also released a large number of carrier pigeons.
In ancient times, carrier pigeons existed, and their speed was often faster than an urgent dispatch, but pigeons were at risk of being lost, such as being hunted by humans or birds of prey.
Therefore, carrier pigeons were usually used to send important messages that posed no threat even if leaked or lost, such as front-line victory reports. Sending secret messages was less common.
Yanzhou and the capital also successively received carrier pigeon messages.
Jian Qinwan and others, who were in confinement during their pregnancy, were both surprised and delighted. Jian Qinwan, in particular, looked at Mu Xueqin with tears in her eyes. Even Jian Nanfeng and others had red eyes, holding back their tears.
Half of the Tianshan heroes had sacrificed themselves for the country in those years, and now Helan Mountain had finally been recaptured!
"Daoist Master Liuyunzi!" Du Pingling and others quickly supported the swaying Liuyunzi.
At this moment, Liuyunzi chuckled, "I wonder how long it will take for this little brother to return, and if I can see him one more time before I pass away, hmm..."
"What are you saying, senior? You will live a long and healthy life!" Jian Nanfeng quickly sat down to check Liuyunzi's pulse and then breathed a sigh of relief.
"Life is only a hundred years. To see the mountains and rivers restored, even if I were to leave tomorrow, I would leave with peace of mind..." Liuyunzi murmured.
Everyone couldn't help but sigh.
On the contrary, Jian Qinwan wiped away her tears and smiled, "What are you saying, old grandpa? You still have to see him drink horse at the vast sea!"
Upon hearing this, Liuyunzi's spirits lifted, "Yes! To see him drink horse at the vast sea..."
The relatives and friends in Yanzhou eagerly awaited Liang Xiao's triumphant return.
The entire capital city was shaken, an unprecedented event, even greater than the victory at Yanzhou!
"Our army has recaptured Helan Mountain and is now taking Qilian Mountain and Yanzhi Mountain!!"
On this day, the common people in all parts of the country who received the news offered sacrifices to their ancestors to comfort the spirits of the departed.
Xiao Qing, who was preparing for the court session, had just received the news and stumbled, almost falling off the platform. Ning Xuejun supported him.
"He, and the soldiers, have accomplished it! He will also lead the soldiers to recapture Qilian Mountain, Yanzhi Mountain, and even the entire Hexi Corridor..." Xiao Qing said with a trembling voice, then suddenly remembered something and added, "Right! Also, grant General You Luo Changfeng and General Zuo Liang Qing indefinite leave to visit their grandchildren in Yanzhou!"
The two old generals were advanced in age and were primarily there to enhance Xiao Qing's prestige, holding little real power. Their leave would not affect the military affairs of the capital. Upon receiving the news, the two elders were overjoyed and immediately rushed to Yanzhou.
"Today is a great victory, the court session is temporarily cancelled. I must offer sacrifices to the ancestors and comfort the past emperors!"
The court session was cancelled, and all the officials were shocked, but no one dared to object.
For Liang Xiao's political rivals, such as the Dugu family, this news was undoubtedly a disaster for their loved ones and a joy for their enemies!
But for Wang Canghai and others, it was simply a world-shattering legend!
"By the Emperor's decree, funds are to be prepared. When the heroes of the northern frontier return triumphantly, everyone will be handsomely rewarded!!"
As the news spread, there was universal celebration!
Ouyang Ji, the Minister of Revenue, no longer dared to object and obediently prepared to allocate funds.
The value of the captured supplies alone was immeasurable. The rewards for the northern frontier soldiers would not even amount to a third of these spoils of war.
Anyone who dared to question Xiao Qing's generous rewards now would undoubtedly be standing in opposition to all the soldiers and civilians of Da Qian!
"It's over. Our families have supported the barbarians for centuries, and it's all been captured by Liang Xiao and Lü Yi..."
On this day, Grand Tutor Dugu Qun fell ill at home, his breath faint. The Dugu family could only claim to the outside world that Dugu Qun's condition was due to excessive joy.
For over a hundred years, the noble families and merchants of Da Qian, for their own benefit, had secretly funded the barbarians and traded with them, allowing the barbarians to accumulate strength. Now, Liang Xiao had wiped them out in one battle!
The value of the supplies and livestock captured from Helan Mountain and Qilian Mountain alone amounted to tens of millions of taels!
The Da Qian cavalry generals in charge of guarding at the foot of Qilian Mountain began to tremble violently as they received various lists from the herders.
"There are at least 1.2 million cattle, 2.2 million sheep, and 400,000 horses in Qilian Mountain, with 150,000 warhorses usable by cavalry. There are also 100,000 herding dogs, mainly hunting dogs, and other cotton, linen, fodder, and grain... This is the accumulation of the barbarians over how many years!"
The soldiers felt as if they were dreaming and exclaimed, "The Deputy Marshal is truly far-sighted!!"
The livestock alone numbered nearly four million!
Although sheep were less valuable than cattle, and even less than horses, the total value of these livestock exceeded thirty million taels!
If Liang Xiao had not first captured Qilian Mountain but had gone to Yanzhi Mountain, a branch of Qilian Mountain, and chosen to encircle from Yanzhi Mountain, the Right Virtuous King would have had enough time to slaughter these livestock and take away all usable warhorses...
The barbarians had never imagined the crushing defeat at Helan Mountain. This was their best pastureland, and Da Qian's victory was equivalent to seizing the foundation of the barbarian nation!
"The Deputy Marshal is still leading troops to pursue the Right Virtuous King and advance on Qilian Mountain! Quickly! Quickly send someone to notify the Marshal to come!"