The brave generals Lu Changhe, Zhuo Ying, Nan Jiyun, Nie Yuan, and Yue Qingtian all followed Liang Xiao on the expedition.
After the Right Virtuous King was captured, the two prized horses, Zidian and Baihu, were assigned to Lu Changhe and Zhuo Ying respectively.
Zidian was pure white all over, but had a tuft of purple mane on its neck, a rather peculiar sight.
Baihu, on the other hand, was pure white and ran like the wind.
According to the descriptions of the barbarian captives and the herdsmen who had returned to Da Gan, these two steeds were also renowned divine horses of the barbarian lands. Baihu had been left behind by the Right Virtuous King to serve as bait when it got tired, while Zidian was the mount the Right Virtuous King rode on the day of his capture.
Nie Yuan and Yue Qingtian, among others, also received several thousand-jin prized horses.
With the army fully prepared, the path was finally cleared.
A solemn oath was taken for the northward march, and the horses would drink from the vast ocean of sand!
The hundred thousand soldiers, after the oath-taking ceremony in the afternoon, set off the next morning under Liang Xiao's command.
Behind them followed thirty thousand logistics troops, with ten thousand ox and horse-drawn carts, to provide supplies along the way.
After marching for one day, they had covered eighty li.
Liang Xiao, in the center of the army, immediately gave the order: "Logistics troops, hand over the supplies!"
At his command, all the logistics soldiers delivered the provisions to the hundred thousand soldiers and then, with peace of mind, returned to the mountains, looking north with reluctance and waving goodbye to the soldiers.
On a high ground in Yanzhi Mountain, Lu Yi and Ding Wuyi gazed into the distance, though Liang Xiao's army could no longer be seen.
Their expressions were complex, a mixture of anticipation and worry.
At the age of twenty, he was already a Grand General of Cavalry and the Deputy Grand Marshal of the nation's forces, and now he had to personally lead troops deep into the desert!
"Looking through history, ancient and modern, one can hardly find a second person like him," Lu Yi sighed.
Ding Wuyi forced a bitter smile and said, "I once heard Second Young Master Liang mention that when he dreamed of wandering in the divine realm, he learned about a nation's history. It is said that there was a famous general named 'Huo Qubing' who expelled the Xiongnu for his country, 'Da Han'. I don't ask him to achieve the same feats as that divine being, I only hope he doesn't die young..."
After speaking, Ding Wuyi sighed heavily.
Nothing was more important than for him to live a long life, yet the desert expedition was unavoidable for him!
Lu Yi scoffed, "Matters of divine beings cannot be compared. Liang Xiao is, after all, a mortal. I hope all one hundred thousand soldiers return safely!"
The two elders fell into silence again, gazing north with surging emotions.
The news of Da Gan's conquest of the Three Mountains spread far and wide, invigorating the entire nation's military and populace.
Recruitment was in full swing across the country, and public enthusiasm for joining the army greatly increased!
The ashes of the fallen and severely wounded Da Gan soldiers were sent back to the northern borders, and their families received compensation in advance.
"The barbarians are defeated??"
Ito Masamune, who had just disembarked after crossing the ocean from Izumo, turned ashen upon hearing the news.
"Quick! Send someone back to inform the Emperor at once! Transfer all the sulfur and treasures intended for the barbarians to Da Gan as tribute!!"
The previously restless regions of Da Gan, including the Southwest, West, and Sichuan, experienced an unexpected calm upon receiving the news.
The Sun-Moon Army, the Peacock Dynasty's vanguard, the Hui Chun Sect, the Kushan Dynasty, the Jiaozhou warlords... all lay dormant, daring not to act rashly, lest the soldiers from the northern borders turn their attention to them, making them the second sacrifice after the barbarians!
"Our nation's Marquis of An Guo, Grand General of Cavalry, is about to lead an army north, venturing deep into the desert to sweep away the barbarians!!"
The news spread throughout the northern regions, and the people of Da Gan, both military and civilian, were filled with anticipation.
Countless civilians flocked to the local temples of the Heavenly General to worship him and, at the same time, pray for the safe and triumphant return of the Da Gan soldiers.
The Liang Residence in Yanzhou and the Marquis of An Guo's mansion in the capital saw crowds of people daily outside their gates.
Countless young men and women came to kneel and express their admiration for the Marquis of An Guo.
"Our Da Gan has finally been able to stand tall and proud, no longer fearing the barbarians!"
"More than that! The barbarians' backbone has been broken by the Marquis of An Guo and the Marquis of Zhen Guo! Even their Right Virtuous King has been made into a kneeling statue, to repent for eternity!"
A nationwide celebration erupted, with soldiers and civilians clapping and cheering.
Only Xiao Qing wore a grave expression.
"Although our nation has achieved a great victory, we must not let it go to our heads. We still need to develop calmly and guard the borders!"
"I hereby inform all the people of the realm: for the屯田 (Tuntian, agricultural settlement) policy promoted by my beloved minister Liang, for all recruited settlers, if they use official oxen, the official share will be four and the people's share will be six; if they use their own oxen, the official share will be three and the people's share will be seven!"
The ministers below, with the exception of Wang Canghai, Zhang Yang, and Huang Xing, were all shocked!
Taxes were reduced for the common people again!
After the Tuntian produced grain, the government would only take thirty percent, and these settlers would not have to pay additional taxes?
"Your Majesty, such a concession to the people will greatly reduce the grain revenue of the national treasury!" Ouyang Ji urged anxiously.
At this moment, Dugu Qun and others were also red-faced with anxiety, trying to dissuade him with various reasons related to the national treasury.
They had already foreseen the reaction of the tenant farmers on their land and those of the landlords and gentry once such an official-civilian division was implemented.
If they did not make concessions to these tenant farmers, these tenant farmers would certainly enlist as Tuntian settlers, leaving their land uncultivated!
Human greed was boundless; once a taste of sweetness was experienced, it was not easy to yield!
Xiao Qing swept his gaze indifferently over Dugu Qun and the others, saying, "You all speak of serving the country and the people, first opposing conscription by advocating for the draining of the treasury through excessive military spending, and now, when I am preparing to let the people rest and recuperate, you are jumping with anxiety?"
Ouyang Ji still wanted to argue, but Xiao Qing interrupted him, "I will not forgive those who compete with the people for profit! When my beloved minister Liang returns, there will be even more policies that benefit the nation and the people. Let us wait and see!"
As soon as his voice fell, there were cheers and sighs throughout the hall.
Ouyang Ji and others were greatly shaken, only able to pray for Liang Xiao to die quickly in the desert.
If this continued, the value of their land would further diminish!
At this very moment, this group of noble families and sects still couldn't understand why the court, which owned three percent of the official land and suffered the greatest losses, would still make concessions to the people!
Wang Canghai's peripheral vision swept over Ouyang Ji, his heart filled with anger. "Next, the Ministry of Revenue needs a good rectification."
Although he, the Emperor, and the Shadow Guards supervised the Ministry of Revenue, some schemes disguised as legitimate acts were endless and did not violate the law on the surface.
Officials of the Ministry of Revenue could provide convenience to their partners free of charge on the surface, and then secretly accept kickbacks!
When Ouyang Ji returned home, he heard his housekeeper report again: "Liang Xiao's bookshop is still printing the Four Books and Five Classics, printing them endlessly!"
Thinking that the Emperor had again bestowed ten thousand taels of gold upon Liang Xiao, Ouyang Ji felt his vision darken and almost fainted.
Land prices might fall, and should the bookshop be abandoned?
"No! I must sell the land as soon as possible; it will be much easier to extricate myself later!"
Ouyang Ji decisively sent people to secretly mobilize the transfer of land.
As the army marched north, great changes were brewing in the north.
"The He family colluded with the barbarians, providing weapons and provisions. The evidence is conclusive! The patriarch, He Wenting, has fled with his family members to evade punishment!"
As news spread, the people of Yunzhou and Shuofang were enraged and rushed to the He mansion.
But He Wenting had already fled in advance, leaving behind only some collateral branch members.
As for the He family's farmland and other immovable properties, they were all confiscated and turned into public property!