The civilians and soldiers within Shuofang City rejoiced!
The garrison commander of Shuofang, Wang Chunqiu, trembled as he held his brush, writing reports throughout the night and dispatching them on an eight-hundred-li urgent mission to various locations.
The soldiers stationed in Shuofang were overjoyed, their enthusiasm for training soaring. The more glorious the achievements of the frontline army, the greater the rewards they, as the defending forces, would receive!
In the secret chambers of residential houses, Zuo Jing gazed at the intelligence prepared by the Yuntian guards, her eyes filled with a hint of resentment. "This person is truly detestable..."
The Yuntian guards couldn't help but chuckle, choosing not to expose her. They had deliberately sold the intelligence concerning the He family to Zuo Wushang, and incidentally, the detailed deployment at Helan Mountain, for a symbolic sum of thirty thousand taels of silver. After all, Zuo Wuji was fond of money, and as Yuntian guards, such actions were only reasonable.
They had initially believed that the intelligence they provided would impress Liang Xiao. To their surprise, he seemed to have no need for it, directly slaughtering fifty thousand barbarian cavalry in a plain battle… a plain battle! This was not the defensive battle of Yanzhou, where they had faced hundreds of thousands of barbarian cavalry and still achieved such results. The Yuntian guards had briefly suspected Liang Xiao and Lü Yi of falsifying their accomplishments, but upon further consideration, they realized Liang Xiao had no reason to do so.
"This Marquis of Anguo is truly far more formidable than the Grand Protector of Daliang. That Grand Protector, without any pretense, remains as honest as ever..." the Tian-ranked guard couldn't help but sigh.
Zuo Jing finally couldn't restrain herself, letting out a delicate laugh before quickly quieting down. The others understood each other, their gazes complex. Her current demeanor was much like a young girl hearing of her beloved's glorious achievements, filled with joy and pride... However, she couldn't possibly seek him out, nor could she stay by his side. Moreover, her own father had dispatched her to abduct his womenfolk. But from her present behavior, it was evident she had her own peculiar plans...
Zuo Jing finally spoke, "What other intelligence can you sell? The Dugu family's? Haven't they also harmed our compatriots?"
...
Yunzhou and Yanzhou successively received news of the frontline victory, inspiring both the military and civilians, who offered sacrifices to their ancestors throughout the night! The He family members left behind in Yunzhou were filled with shock and dispatched people to seek help from the Dugu family.
In Yanzhou, at the Liang Residence.
Liang Xiao's wives, cradling their visibly swollen bellies, spoke with joy, "Your father has defeated the brutal and tyrannical barbarians again~"
"Be careful, don't upset the fetus..." Mu Xueqin and Pan Feng, along with a host of female physicians, rushed forward to support the excited women. Zhuo Xun and Zhen Mi still sat side-by-side, cupping their faces, their gazes filled with a touch of melancholy. "You smelly monster, return victorious soon..."
The news, traveling via eight hundred li urgent dispatch, continued from Yanzhou to the capital and other regions. The capital was in an uproar!
When Dugu Qun and others learned of the news at home, they were a mixture of shock and anger. "Have the barbarians degenerated to such an extent that even in open field battles, they are no match for the armies of Daqian??" If the great victory in Yanzhou was attributed to the barbarians' failure to capture the city, coupled with a dark and windy night, and Liang Xiao's ploy to lure the enemy, then a crushing defeat could be understood. But to have fifty thousand killed in a plain battle? This left Dugu Qun, who was familiar with military affairs, utterly bewildered! How could they lose? In Dugu Qun's estimation, the northern frontier could field at most fifty thousand cavalry; how could they possibly achieve fifty thousand decapitations with that?
The Gu and Mu families, and other aristocratic families who had shifted from neutrality to supporting imperial authority, were both astonished and delighted, further rejoicing in their early decision to align themselves! The greater Liang Xiao's merit, the higher his status, and the greater their contribution to the Emperor's rise, thereby earning the Emperor's increased attention! As for the matter of merit eclipsing the sovereign, Gu Hong, Mu Lingming, and others believed the Emperor had his own judgment, making rebellion an almost insurmountable feat. Moreover, Liang Xiao was the Emperor's son-in-law, the person the Emperor trusted the most!
At this moment, Xiao Qing was humming an unknown tune in the West Palace Villa, eventually leaning into Ning Xuejun's embrace and acting affectionately. "Grandma, he, he's too powerful! How did he do it!" Ning Xuejun merely smiled, "This old subject also doesn't understand, but I believe the son-in-law would never falsify his military achievements, especially since the Empress's maternal uncle is present." Lü Yi's letter attributed most of the credit to Liang Xiao, while Liang Xiao's letter reciprocated by attributing most of the credit to Lü Yi. Their humility made Xiao Qing even happier. However, Xiao Qing knew best that it must be due to the improved military equipment, especially the crossbows, as Liang Xiao had requested five million crossbow bolts and five million arrows from her to arm tens of thousands of archers. Xiao Qing's feigned ignorance was, of course, to hear Ning Xuejun's praise!
"Young Master Liang Er is truly peerless. Daqian has a large number of archers, which has led to an excess of soldiers. Yet he managed to utilize them, turning a disadvantage into an advantage..." Listening to Ning Xuejun's effusive praise, Xiao Qing giggled incessantly.
"The frontline has achieved a great victory, and I am greatly pleased! However, Lord Liang, the General of Cavalry, and all the frontline soldiers have yet to return in triumph. Once the three armies return, I will discuss their rewards together!" In the imperial court, the ministers listened to Xiao Qing's arrangements, all smiling and congratulating her. Even Dugu Qun and others had no choice but to put on a show.
Grand Tutor He Wanli stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this old minister has heard that the son-in-law used eight thousand living barbarian captives for a flag sacrifice. This act is perhaps too brutal and deviates from the fundamental principle of our Daqian's establishment, which is to win over people with virtue..." Grand Tutor Dugu Qun also stepped forward. "This old minister concurs! Such actions are truly beyond my comprehension. How can we win over other nations in the future? If the barbarians are pushed to desperation, considering the son-in-law's mistreatment of prisoners, they will naturally fight like cornered beasts, only increasing our army's casualties!"
Xiao Qing, who had been smiling with joy, suddenly donned a stern expression. "Even the sages understand, 'If you repay resentment with kindness, how will you repay kindness? Repay resentment with straightforwardness, and repay kindness with kindness.' Our Daqian nation wins over people with virtue, and this should be applied to those who are worthy. The barbarians are cruel and have slaughtered countless soldiers and civilians of Daqian. Since our nation claims to be the Central Kingdom, we should naturally be just and impartial, punishing the wicked to serve as a warning!"
"I want to let the world know that from this day forward, the balance of power between Daqian and the barbarians has shifted!" Wang Canghai echoed, "Your Majesty is wise. This old minister has also heard that those barbarian captives did not surrender willingly but were captured by our army!"
"Indeed!" Xiao Qing nodded with satisfaction and added, "As for increasing casualties, please do not trouble yourselves, your two esteemed ministers. Among the three dukes, only Lord Liang has achieved merit and benefited the nation and its people. You two should continue to strive!" Considering that the longbows and divine arm crossbows could not be easily revealed at the moment, Xiao Qing was certainly not foolish enough to report her own losses, even if the casualties were quite favorable. He Wanli and Dugu Qun were immediately silenced and retreated to their positions with crestfallen expressions. They had long since realized that the "incompetent ruler" before them was no longer someone they could manipulate, but rather someone who could manipulate them at any time, provided they made a mistake!
Looking at the agitated ministers below, Xiao Qing, however, was contemplating, "Where else can I find purple fir wood to plunder..." Having tasted its benefits, Xiao Qing also wished to produce more longbows, rather than relying solely on white wax wood and elm wood for their construction, as their effectiveness was significantly inferior to purple fir wood. Of course, longbows made with alternative materials were also being rapidly manufactured.
Twelve days had passed since the Daqian army encamped east of Helan Mountain. Liang Xiao inspected the military camp daily, riding his "Ten Thousand Li Cloud Smoke" and personally venturing out of the camp to observe.
"Reporting to the Deputy Marshal, all sections of the Tianjiang River have thawed! The ice flood has passed!"