The Chanyu, upon waking, immediately drew his sword, intending to kill the Left Virtuous King.
"I ordered you to go to Da Qian, to annihilate the people of Da Qian and destroy their nation, yet you have squandered more than half of the nation's elite!!"
The Left Virtuous King, his face impassive, offered his neck for execution.
"If killing this king will solve the problem, then Chanyu, by all means, do so!"
The soldiers pleaded with the Chanyu, who finally regained his composure, cast his sword aside, and sighed, "The Right Virtuous King was captured. Why did only you escape back?"
Hu Yan Xiuluo and the others immediately explained the situation. The Chanyu's face was filled with dread, "Does the Da Qian nation truly possess such formidable individuals?"
Previously, when he heard that the army had suffered a crushing defeat in Yan Province and that seventeen thousand had been beheaded by Liang Xiao, he absolutely refused to believe it, attributing it to the Left Virtuous King's carelessness and underestimation of the enemy.
And now, because of a single Liang Xiao who had emerged from nowhere, the Da Qian nation had consecutively annihilated forty-seven thousand of the Barbarian tribes, and even the Right Virtuous King had become a prisoner!
The Barbarian tribes were finished!
The Chanyu felt a tearless grief, glaring resentfully at the Left Virtuous King.
Killing the Left Virtuous King would only incite conflict among the various tribes.
This was his own uncle. According to the Barbarian tradition of fraternal succession, the Left Virtuous King should have been the successor to the Chanyu. However, the Left Virtuous King, in order to stabilize the populace, had enthroned him and returned his father's authority. It was only then that the Barbarian tribes had united and swept across all directions.
The devastating defeat of the Right Virtuous King had made him profoundly understand that it was not that the always valiant and skilled Left Virtuous King was incompetent in warfare, but that the enemy was impossibly strong…
"We truly shouldn't have invaded Helan Mountain back then, shouldn't have invaded Yan Province…" some soldiers began to lament and murmur.
Now, the entire Barbarian royal court was filled with despair.
The loss of four hundred and seventy thousand troops, over a million warhorses, and the confiscation of countless cattle, sheep, and grain meant that the Barbarian tribes' century of accumulation was destroyed in a single blow, destined for a complete and irreversible decline!
The wails from outside had even reached the military tents.
The Barbarian tribes were terrified!
The Chanyu gently patted the Left Virtuous King's back and sighed, "I was impulsive! What should we do now? The Da Qian cavalry is so valiant, and with a commander like Liang Xiao, will they invade the great desert?"
The Left Virtuous King trembled, "The desert south of the mountains is no longer safe. We must return to the desert north as soon as possible!"
Upon hearing this, the Chanyu and his ministers were filled with reluctance.
South of the desert, there were more oases, while the desert north was a vast expanse of harsh, cold land…
However, the desert south was not far from the Da Qian nation. The current Long City was only a little over six hundred li from Yan Province!
The Chanyu let out a long sigh and waved his hand, "Mobilize the entire city. Prepare to abandon Long City and retreat to the desert north…"
At this time, the Da Qian cavalry had already penetrated five hundred li into the desert, with sandstorms raging along the way.
During their rest periods, the Da Qian cavalry would use their on-board supplies to set up rudimentary tents in sheltered spots, resisting the wind and sand.
"The Deputy Marshal's strategy is truly brilliant, choosing to delve into the desert at this particular time, calculating the opportune moment!"
During their rest, Nan Jiyun and the others praised Liang Xiao wholeheartedly.
From the victory at Yan Province, Liang Xiao had not rushed to defeat the Left Virtuous King, but had slowly gathered resources.
If they had defeated the Left Virtuous King earlier, when attacking the Three Mountains, it would have been the depth of winter. Winters were often characterized by strong gales, especially north and northwest winds, which would greatly hinder the trajectory of Da Qian's arrows while significantly enhancing the power of the Barbarian tribes' arrows.
If they had retaken the land too early, the Barbarian tribes would have retreated south of the desert. For the Da Qian soldiers to pursue them, they would have to face unfamiliar harsh and cold terrain, fraught with dangers, which would instead allow the Barbarian tribes to escape successfully.
To march into the desert at this time was simply perfect. Without any major unexpected events, they would return to Da Qian before winter arrived, and they could pursue the defeated Barbarian army in a timely manner!
As the soldiers sat down, eating roasted meat, they listened to Liang Xiao speak.
"A general must be adept at utilizing favorable timing, terrain, and human harmony. You have all achieved unparalleled feats, but you must not become complacent because of this. Continuous improvement is still necessary."
"The warriors of the northern frontier today are the pillars who will defend various regions and fight in all directions in the future!"
The crowd responded with excitement, "We are willing to expand the territory for Da Qian, so that all nations may pay homage!"
Without Liang Xiao, the achievements they had made now were beyond their wildest dreams in the past.
Scouts who had gone north to investigate returned with Hong Qu.
"Deputy Marshal, we discovered Barbarian scouts fleeing rapidly in the distance. We won't be able to catch them! The Barbarian tribes will soon discover our surprise attack!"
Liang Xiao smiled, "The army advanced a hundred li today. It's too late. We will depart tomorrow morning and capture the Barbarian royal court! It is indeed called Long City, correct?"
Hong Qu replied, "That's right. Long City is near Yin Mountain! When I went to the Chanyu's court, the Barbarian people called it Long City. However, there isn't really any city structure, just scattered mud houses, as the Barbarian tribes are primarily nomadic."
Liang Xiao nodded, his mind already made up.
He suddenly recalled the line, "If only the flying general of Long City could appear, he would not let the barbarian horses cross Yin Mountain," feeling he had grasped the sentiment of the ancients!
"After this campaign, our Da Qian nation will ensure that the Barbarian tribes will never dare to herd their horses south again!" Liang Xiao gazed northward, his heart filled with ambition.
"This humble general, at your command, is willing to give his life!" The soldiers were equally filled with ambition.
Back then, the founding emperor of Da Qian had personally led an expedition, pursuing the Barbarian tribes into the desert south. He had underestimated the harshness of the desert weather and had almost met his demise in the desert.
This time, they were extremely well-prepared, capable of dealing with the desert weather, whether it was scorching heat or extreme cold.
The army had even prepared a large quantity of saltpeter, distributed to each soldier and placed in the saddlebags of their spare horses, specifically for making ice and dissipating heat, to prevent unexpected heat during the summer.
After dissolving in water, the saltpeter did not require burning to dry for reuse; it could simply be sun-dried.
For this campaign, the Da Qian nation had spared no expense, ensuring absolute success.
Even if they achieved no victory, they would not let the soldiers die in the desert!
But for these soldiers, who didn't want to surpass their predecessors, to achieve a glorious moment in their military careers and be recorded in history?
"Deputy Marshal, we have ventured five hundred li deep into the desert. This is indeed like drinking horses in the vast sea." Lu Changhe grinned, his face filled with emotion.
General Tian had kept his word. He had said he would take them to drink horses in the vast sea, and today, they were drinking horses in the vast sea!
The generals laughed heartily, filled with exhilaration.
Liang Xiao shook his head, "This is merely the beginning. Expelling the Barbarian tribes from the desert will be the true meaning of drinking horses in the vast sea! However, the desert is treacherous. A complacent army is destined to fail!"
The soldiers all vowed, "We strictly obey military orders and will never be arrogant!"
The herald conveyed Liang Xiao's admonition throughout the entire army. The soldiers' hearts became solemn, and they all pledged not to underestimate the enemy.
For they were also uncertain of how many Barbarian cavalry remained, and what if they were all transferred from the desert north for defense?
What the soldiers were most curious about now was how the Barbarian tribes would react to their Deputy Marshal – would they fight or flee?
Deep in the desert, north of Yin Mountain, the treasure-hunting troops of the Tianri tribe were all filled with bitterness.
"Lord Valentine, we have searched extensively and found no treasure. I fear this is false information!"
The treasure-hunting captain, Hornos, looked dejected.
Valentine's face had already turned ashen, "Did you truly not find any trace whatsoever??"
"Is it possible that the treasure's location is completely wrong, and not north of Yin Mountain?" Hornos asked.
Valentine fell silent.
They had already consumed too much grain. Recently, the Barbarian tribes, in preparation for their attack on the northern border of Da Qian, had restricted grain supplies. It was already fortunate that they could provide them with food out of respect for the King of Tianri!