A figure emerged from behind the screen and bowed to Su Wencheng.
"Greetings, Sect Leader Su!"
Qin Feng's retainer, formerly his page, Qin Xun!
Su Wencheng glanced at Qin Xun, displeasure evident on his face. "Have you not captured Qin Feng yet?"
"He is cautious in his actions and has too many loyal retainers. I have been by his side for ten years and still have not found an opportunity!"
"He doesn't trust you?" Su Wencheng frowned.
Qin Xun shook his head. "This man has an incomprehensible and extremely twisted洁癖 (jiepi - obsessive cleanliness) regarding food. His demands for meals are exceptionally strict. He selects ingredients daily from the fields and livestock himself, then has Zhi Rou cook, and he himself brings the food and dishes. I have had no chance to poison him!"
Su Wencheng and Yan Liu's eyebrows twitched; they were speechless.
Mu Xuan, the Third Prince of Da Liang, was in his residence, in a fit of rage.
"Qin Feng still demands that all princes become hostages in Da Liang??"
A subordinate replied, "Your Highness, it is all princes above the age of six, naturally excluding Consort Su's child..."
Mu Xuan smashed the white jade vase on the table, roaring, "Mu Cheng, that imbecile! He must act so recklessly! If Liang Xiao truly dies in Da Liang, won't we be unable to return for the rest of our lives!!"
Two days prior, he had received news that the Hui Chun Sect was planning to target Liang Xiao during his diplomatic mission to Da Liang!
Furthermore, if he went to Da Gan and encountered Nie Yuan, who had seen his true face...
Undoubtedly, he would become a victim in this struggle.
In the imperial bedchamber, Mu Cheng caressed his son's corpse, appearing to have aged ten years overnight.
"Anguo, Anguo, I have once again repeated my mistake, failing to protect my child..." Mu Cheng murmured to himself, lost and dejected, holding Su Wanqing, whose tears had long since dried.
Su Wanqing, her hand on her abdomen, was equally distraught.
She feared losing everything she had now and dared not reveal the truth.
As a favored consort of the Emperor of Da Liang, if it were discovered that she was once the Saintess of the Hui Chun Sect, her child in the womb would surely die...
The child poisoned was merely a warning from her "big brother" that he was increasingly neglecting her efforts to manipulate Mu Cheng.
"Blame me, Your Majesty, but I beg you to protect our future child..." Su Wanqing whispered.
Qin Feng knelt beside them, filled with remorse.
Based on Liang Xiao's reminder, he had already deduced the cause and effect.
Liang Xiao had warned him to be wary of Su Wanqing, and he hadn't been misled, but Su Wanqing had not harmed Mu Cheng either.
However, they had overlooked another royal relative.
When Su Wencheng visited the young prince, he brought some candy. This was the only possibility...
Mu Cheng regained his senses and murmured, "As long as I am here, I can protect you mother and child. But if I unfortunately depart early... my son-in-law, the one who can protect the child, is in Da Gan."
Qin Feng understood and nodded solemnly. "Your unworthy son will bear this in mind!"
Nie Yuan had finally returned to the capital to report for duty, preparing to depart for Yanzhou on a chosen date to succeed Mu Hong and guard the northern frontier.
The northern frontier also required the management of the Hetao region to prevent incursions by Xianbei cavalry.
The northern and western frontiers would also jointly manage the Hexi Corridor; both were crucial natural horse breeding grounds.
According to Liang Xiao's vision, Da Gan must possess sufficient cavalry to have the opportunity for a swift counter-offensive, to destroy the Guishuang Dynasty, the Peacock Dynasty, and even the Tianri tribe.
Learning that Liaodong was stable, Liang Xiao felt a significant sense of relief.
Taiji Kingdom had never been Da Gan's primary target for conquest, due to its great distance.
However, as a precaution, Da Gan was continuously transporting military provisions to Liaodong as reserves.
If necessary, Liaodong must also dispatch troops to counterattack the Xianbei and Taiji Kingdom.
What truly concerned Liang Xiao was the ancient Xiongnu royal treasure.
The treasure was a must-obtain, but even if discovered, Da Gan would require a large number of troops and civilian women for transport, along with strict supervision by the Shadow Guard to prevent theft. The Xianbei could potentially detect any movement.
To make the Xianbei people fearful, one must either conquer them first or dispatch a cavalry force that they would dread to escort the treasure.
The Fierce Tiger River was not far from the capital. Transporting the treasure originally had been a significant effort to maintain secrecy, requiring multiple trips.
Da Gan was not lacking in funds for the time being, but with more wealth, it could greatly accelerate economic development and improve people's livelihoods.
The Izumo Kingdom no longer dared to disguise its troops as sea bandits to harass shipping. An increasing number of foreign merchant ships traversed the East Sea, bringing numerous precious goods to Da Gan, such as medicinal herbs, spices, and a small amount of sulfur.
Without sufficient gold, they could only resort to bartering, trading Da Gan's specialties like silk for these treasures.
Nie Yuan remained in the capital, preparing to select an auspicious date for his wedding to Qin Xin.
Yue Qingtian had handed over the Qingtian Guard to Liang Zhan and others for training. His entire family had relocated from Yanzhou to the capital to exclusively serve as Liang Xiao's personal guards.
When not serving as personal guards, Yue Qingtian could be responsible for the defense of the An Guohou mansion and the protection of the mansion's strategists.
Liang Xiao now had the authority to appoint and dismiss military ranks of the sixth grade and below. However, to avoid conflict with the existing official system, after consulting with the Ministry of Personnel and with Xiao Qing's approval, Da Gan established the official post of "Da Gan General," specifically for Liang Xiao to appoint and dismiss, with no limit on the number.
The Da Gan General was designated as a sixth-grade military official, categorized as a "Wu San Guan" (unassigned military official), with broad responsibilities, allowing Liang Xiao to deploy them at any time.
Sixteen of the eighteen strategists, excluding Mo Hongming and Liu Fan, were appointed as Da Gan Generals to facilitate future military campaigns and administrative tasks.
Therefore, there were currently three Da Gan Generals in Xichuan, assisting Li Xiuyun and others.
Li Xiuyun had already arrived in Jincheng to assume the post of Prefect of Yizhou. Li Xiuyun would handle civil administration, Nan Jiyun the military affairs, and Liu Fan would assist in both capacities. The three were now gathered in Jincheng, discussing military and political matters with the others.
"Our army's swift pacification of Xichuan is remarkable. Not only did the Southern Barbarians not offer tribute, but they also failed to send envoys. It's unbelievable!" Li Xiuyun expressed his confusion.
"Perhaps they have some connection with Jiaozhou," Liu Fan mused thoughtfully.
No one understood better than he and Nan Jiyun that Liang Xiao's pacification of Xichuan was near perfect, achieving minimal losses.
The Southern Barbarians, bordering Xichuan, faced the direct threat of such a powerful Da Gan army yet showed no fear. This indicated either overconfidence or some hidden reliance.
"Our army is stationed in southern Sichuan, and we can observe the situation. If necessary, we can launch a southern expedition," Nan Jiyun said with excitement.
Li Xiuyun shook his head. "Yizhou has just been pacified; we cannot embark on a distant expedition for the time being. Let us wait a while longer."
Nan Jiyun smiled. "I understand! But the ones actually requesting a southern expedition are the original Sichuan troops..."
Hearing this, everyone chuckled knowingly.
In the Southern Man region, the queen on her throne had an increasingly grim expression.
"You say those Sichuan troops are the same contingent as before?"
A general below nodded repeatedly. "Your subordinate absolutely did not misidentify them! There are also a few new faces, generals I have dealt with in the past!"
"You say they have suddenly become ferocious and terrifying?" the Southern Man Queen frowned.
The general nodded again. "It is absolutely true! Previously, they were utterly cowardly, afraid of going to war with us. During recent negotiations, their demeanor changed. They no longer allow us entry into the city. Their expressions suggest they have a deep enmity with us and are eager to charge into Southern Man and annihilate us..."
The Southern Man Queen looked at the man seated in the left VIP section. "Gongyang Qiu, what do you think?"