Mu Hong, under orders to visit and comfort the troops in Helan Mountain, took the opportunity to assist the Prefect of Yunzhou in confiscating the He family's assets. The inventory of their wealth shocked him.
"The confiscated land alone is worth over a million taels of silver, perfect for rewarding the northern frontier!"
An entire He family possessed so much hidden land?
Stunned, Mu Hong ordered a continued search, and the Prefect of Yunzhou, not daring to delay, immediately reported to the imperial court.
The He family, which had been flourishing in Yunzhou and Shuofang, had inexplicably collapsed!
"I heard it was people from the Marquis of Anguo who discovered it. As expected of the Marquis of Anguo, he truly has many capable subordinates!"
Returning to Yunzhou, Zuo Jing, overhearing the discussions of the Shuofang army and populace, wore a wistful expression.
In reality, it was she and Yun Tianwei who had secretly uncovered the evidence. However, they had sold the intelligence and proof to Zuo Wushang at a friendly price, so it was as if they had no connection to it anymore.
"Why is he off to the desert again? This old lady is going to beat him..." Zuo Jing muttered to herself, her feelings complex.
After beating him, it would be time to go home. She felt an inexplicable reluctance, but what truly troubled her was the danger of the desert and whether he would return alive.
After separating from the supply train, the ten thousand strong cavalry of Da Qian finally picked up speed.
Their hooves thundered north, kicking up clouds of sand for a thousand li, like immense, surging waves, ceaseless!
In just three days, Da Qian's cavalry had marched four hundred li, entering the southern edge of the desert.
Along the way, there were many desert regions, but grasslands were still more prevalent.
"Tsk tsk, even these barbarians are abandoning their grasslands to flee!"
Whenever the soldiers reached an oasis, they would find heaps of discarded belongings left behind by the fleeing barbarians, much to their satisfaction.
The army's advance was relatively smooth, only Liang Xiao wore a grave expression.
He was contemplating.
What should be done if large numbers of barbarian elderly, weak, women, and children were captured?
Kill them all? Then the soldiers of Da Qian would be no different from the barbarian cavalry, with only a difference in allegiance. This would be detrimental to the nascent spirit of the Da Qian army.
Even if the soldiers of Da Qian couldn't compare to the Eighth Route Army, the Volunteer Army, or the People's Liberation Army, they at least shouldn't become another breed of barbarian cavalry, planting hidden dangers for future generations.
Moreover, in the northeast of Da Qian, there were the Xianbei, who had long been integrated into the barbarian ranks, and the Tai Chi Kingdom, which had been repeatedly provoking trouble. These might also require handling, and he alone would not be enough; more generals who could independently command were needed.
But if they chose to capture the enemy's elderly, weak, women, and children, even a slight mishandling could lead to endless disaster!
The Xiongnu who submitted during the Eastern Han dynasty, after the Eight Princes Rebellion in the Jin Dynasty, rose up first, ushering in the darkest period in the land of China.
Those not of our kind are bound to have different hearts. Liang Xiao would not even consider accepting them as subjects, let alone captives. Thus, he had to find another way!
He had already devised a compromise and stable solution, and he would bear the burden for it.
This was also why Liang Xiao focused on road construction and only sent scouts to explore continuously, not rushing to attack.
If pursued too aggressively, the barbarian cavalry would have to abandon their elderly, weak, women, and children, flee faster, and escape back to the northern desert. With their remaining forces, they might still have a chance to regroup.
Capturing these people, if not killed, would consume the rations of Da Qian soldiers and severely hinder their advance, making it difficult to pursue deeper.
Letting the enemy lead their elderly, weak, women, and children first would slow down their progress and disrupt their morale.
These elderly, weak, women, and children, moving slowly, would occupy space for the barbarian cavalry's mounts if they were to ride horses or carriages. At the same time, it would expand the enemy's ranks, making it easier for Da Qian scouts to locate them. Then, the main army could be dispatched to annihilate the enemy's effective forces.
As for finding any valuable treasures in the barbarian territory, that was wishful thinking. The barbarian cavalry would surely have moved all valuables before their withdrawal.
If the barbarians still possessed a shred of humanity, they would need a contingent to cover the retreat of these elderly, weak, women, and children. That rearguard unit would then be destined to be slaughtered by the swords of Da Qian soldiers.
"My Lord, the enemy has actually undertaken a large-scale relocation. It seems they anticipated our approach to the desert long ago!"
Hong Qu returned with a bored expression as he reported.
He had come with Zuo Wushang for revenge. The barbarians and the Returning Spring Cult had wronged their countrymen considerably over the centuries.
The remnants of Da Heng had much interaction with these former "allies" and understood much about their intricate relationships, especially the barbarians, who were particularly close to the great aristocratic families of Da Qian.
Liang Xiao nodded, "They've only gone four hundred li, which is far from enough. Considering the distance, if they took their elderly, weak, women, and children with them, we should catch up within five days! However..."
Nan Jiyun, Nie Yuan, and the others beside him looked over, their faces full of curiosity.
"If the barbarians, while fleeing with their elderly, weak, women, and children, discover us pursuing them, and if these elderly, weak, women, and children are not their close kin, but only the relatives of the forty-odd thousand barbarian cavalry who were beheaded... based on your understanding of the barbarians, is it possible that in the end, they might slaughter them all themselves, out of fear that these elderly, weak, women, and children might be captured and enslaved by us, and used to threaten other barbarian soldiers?"
The generals were startled by Liang Xiao's question.
Hong Jie and Zuo Wushang's pupils constricted.
"Although this is a horrifying thought, the barbarians are notoriously brutal. Perhaps they are capable of such an act!" Zuo Wushang replied, his feelings complex.
Liang Xiao frowned and said, "It matters not. Even if they dare to do so, they have overlooked one point: by the time we approach, their cavalry will be too late to escape even if they want to!"
Lü Changhe, Zhuo Ying, Nie Yuan, and Zuo Wushang seemed to grasp something, their eyes lighting up simultaneously. "Vice Marshal's insight is profound!"
Each of the ten thousand Da Qian cavalry was equipped with at least two spare warhorses, averaging three horses per person – ample preparation!
The barbarians had taken many warhorses from Yanzhi Mountain, but these horses would undoubtedly be used to carry non-combat personnel, leading to significant consumption.
Once the Da Qian cavalry approached, with their constantly replaceable warhorses, it would be incredibly easy to pursue the barbarians who lacked sufficient horses to switch.
Liang Xiao's deduction was shockingly bold, but the soldiers believed in him implicitly, still considering the possibility, as the barbarians were indeed cruel and malicious, and even a tiger wouldn't eat its cubs – it wasn't unheard of.
Now they understood why Liang Xiao had insisted on repairing the roads first and then preparing a large number of spare horses.
Even if the barbarian cavalry saw through Liang Xiao's plan and abandoned their elderly, weak, women, and children in advance, or simply slaughtered the elderly, weak, women, and children of others, the outcome would be the same: the barbarian cavalry would flee into the desert.
However, judging from the current situation of four hundred li of desolate grassland, the barbarians had taken their elderly, weak, women, and children, meaning the barbarian cavalry was doomed.
"All generals, listen to my command! Continue north, pursue the barbarians, and march on the barbarian royal court!"
After a full meal, the Da Qian soldiers received Liang Xiao's order. They all mounted their horses, and the army marched north, directly towards the barbarian royal court!
Formerly south of Yin Mountain, it had now migrated west of Yin Mountain, the legendary royal court of the barbarians, known as Dragon City!
As a nomadic people, the barbarian Chanyu Court was not fixed; they moved with the seasons and pastures. Wherever they gathered in large numbers, that was the Chanyu Court.
The Chanyu Court was the location of the Chanyu's yurts, equivalent in status to Da Qian's capital, except that the Chanyu Court could relocate at any time.
As Liang Xiao's army marched north, the Left Chanyu and a portion of his personal guards arrived at the barbarian royal court first, to report the bad news to the Chanyu.
"Our barbarian forces were annihilated by Da Qian, with forty-seven thousand beheaded?"
As the news spread, the barbarians residing in Dragon City were all deeply shocked.
The Chanyu himself fainted on the spot from rage!