"An elixir of immortality?" Zuo Wuji and Zhuo Ying were stunned at first, then stared at Jian Beihai with mocking eyes.
Jian Beihai's head landed on the ground in the blink of an eye, a cold sword from Liang Xiao responding to him.
"My Lord, do you not allow the Sword Saint to see him?" Yue Qingtian asked curiously.
Liang Xiao shook his head and explained, "If one can become the leader of the Rejuvenation Sect, what can you expect from a dog's mouth but excrement? If this man were to see my father-in-law, with my father-in-law's family's benevolent nature, they might actually plead for him."
The three suddenly understood.
Those who reached the level of sect leader in the Rejuvenation Sect were all heinous criminals beyond redemption.
As for the elixir of immortality, they had actually read the historical records of the Great Zhou, and did not take it seriously.
"After resting, you will immediately lead sixty thousand troops to capture the enemy's headquarters a hundred miles away. Cavalry will go first. If you are certain that our army cannot seize the enemy's supplies, find a way to burn them all!"
Liang Xiao's orders reinvigorated Zhuo Ying and the other two.
After several hours of fierce fighting, most of the Great Gan army was on the verge of exhaustion and indeed needed rest.
However, the cavalry could change horses and rush to the military camp in advance.
The Jiaozhou Allied Army still had several thousand soldiers who had fled to their headquarters, but most of them were cavalry; the infantry had no chance to escape too far.
Zuo Wuji led ten thousand cavalry, carrying strong bows, crossbows, and rations, and rushed south first.
Liang Xiao remained at the scene to tally the supplies.
This Jiaozhou Allied Army had approached Luzhou with 120,000 men and half a month's worth of provisions, all of which had now become spoils of war for the Great Gan soldiers.
But Liang Xiao believed that there must be a massive amount of provisions stored at their headquarters.
Just as Cao Cao attacked Yuan Shao's grain depot at Wuchao during the Battle of Guandu, leading to Yuan Shao's defeat, if the enemy's supply lines could be cut off, the enemy would defeat themselves without a fight.
Zhuo Ying also led an infantry force of fifty thousand, advancing south to expand the victory.
"Marshal, our army has captured a total of fifty-five thousand local soldiers from Jiaozhou and beheaded over fifty-eight thousand enemy soldiers!"
Hearing the excited reports from the generals, Liang Xiao could not help but smile broadly.
"Come with me to see the surrendered soldiers and generals."
In the Luzhou military camp, all the Jiaozhou soldiers had been disarmed, some still in shackles, heavily guarded by Great Gan soldiers.
At this moment, they were praying that Liang Xiao would spare their lives.
"The Marshal is here!"
A cheer galvanized all the surrendered soldiers, who immediately knelt towards Liang Xiao at the entrance.
"We surrender!"
Liang Xiao's gaze swept over the uneasy Jiaozhou soldiers, nodded solemnly, and issued an order.
"You were forced to follow the rebels, which is understandable. Before our Great Gan army captures Jiaozhou, we need you to work, supervised by the army, with three meals a day. Once our army recovers Jiaozhou, you and your families will henceforth be true citizens of Great Gan!"
The Jiaozhou soldiers were relieved and deeply grateful.
"Thank you, Marshal, for your mercy!"
Before meeting Liang Xiao, they had already been informed.
As prisoners of war, the court would not mistreat them, but they would need to do some hard labor, such as helping with the harvest of official fields and transporting grain.
At least ten thousand Great Gan soldiers would supervise their work.
Liang Xiao did not intend to have these surrendered soldiers fight immediately, lest they defect on the battlefield again.
If Zhuo Ying and Zuo Wuji did not bring back much spoils, and Luzhou suddenly had tens of thousands more prisoners, the logistical pressure would be too great, and he would have to consider sending these prisoners north to harvest wheat.
The management of prisoners was the most troublesome project for the army.
Even the mighty Overlord Xiang Yu, fearing rebellion from his soldiers, had buried 200,000 surrendered troops alive.
Bai Qi had buried 400,000 Zhao troops alive.
Fortunately, these Jiaozhou soldiers had wholeheartedly surrendered to Great Gan, and Luzhou was currently in need of a large labor force to support the transportation of grain in the rear.
To appease these prisoners, Liang Xiao promised again in public: "You can return to your homes in the future, and you may also follow the example of the Xichuan soldiers, re-enlist, and serve the country as soldiers of Great Gan, bringing honor to your ancestors."
As soon as the words fell, cheers erupted from the prisoner camp.
Of course, for most prisoners, they just wanted to go home and be with their wives and children.
But Liang Xiao's promise was equivalent to a clear statement that the Great Gan court would not make things difficult for them, which was the most important thing.
The matter of the prisoners was considered perfectly resolved. The Jiaozhou soldiers were completely convinced of the Great Gan soldiers' might and cooperated fully, fearing that they would cause trouble for the Great Gan soldiers and the people of Luzhou.
Upon hearing of the great victory in Luzhou, with over 50,000 enemies slain and over 50,000 captured, the military and civilians of Luzhou were all greatly encouraged, and the entire city was decorated with lanterns and streamers!
In the capital of Great Gan, Xiao Qing was holding court with his officials.
"Your Majesty, the second version of the steam engine from the Ministry of Works is already being manufactured," Huang Xing reported excitedly.
Xiao Qing was also full of joy, but he soon noticed the complex expressions of the officials.
"Why are all my ministers looking so unhappy?"
Gu Hong, the Minister of Revenue, stepped forward to explain, "Your Majesty, according to Minister Huang and Vice Minister Zhang, the new steam engine's efficiency is equivalent to that of several or even a dozen strong men. If the spinning machines and other machinery can be improved and combined with the steam engine, its future benefits will be immeasurable!"
"Isn't this a good thing?" Xiao Qing could not hide his excitement and smiled.
Gu Hong then sighed, "This is indeed a cause for celebration, but after much discussion, we suddenly thought of something. Your Majesty..."
Xiao Qing understood and responded generously, "Speak freely, Your Majesty will not blame you!"
Gu Hong looked at Wang Canghai and others. Seeing that they all nodded, he began to speak slowly.
"Once this device is popularized, it will also be used on a large scale by the common people. At that time, a wealthy nation and a strong country are certainly a cause for joy, but... Your Majesty, I fear that the court will not be able to control the people's wealth. If, one day, the people are prosperous and no longer need the court's protection and assistance, can they still support the court? As the saying goes, when one is well-fed and clothed, one begins to think of lust. When the people are warm and even gain wealth beyond what they had before, we cannot help but worry if the national神器 can remain stable..."
Xiao Qing was stunned. She looked down at the officials, seeing the worried expressions on all their faces, and then understood.
She had only been thinking about national progress and had forgotten to consider the feelings of the officials.
Even loyal old ministers like Wang Canghai could not help but worry about another form of "rebellion"!
"Lord Liang had mentioned this matter to me before. My ministers can rest assured. Although the steam engine can greatly improve the country's productivity, it will not go so far as to make the people rebel against the court. Of course, the prerequisite for everything is that the court always puts the people first and should not think of oppressing or exploiting the people!"
"As for you, my ministers, as long as you are loyal to the emperor and serve the country, and work for the country and the people, I will naturally ensure that you and your relatives are not persecuted! You can all rest assured that as long as you fulfill your duties and are willing to accept new things, even becoming pioneers in promoting new things and earning the first pot of gold, your families will have a place in the future world!"
Xiao Qing's speech finally made the officials breathe a sigh of relief.
He Jingyun also stepped forward and said, "We are willing to follow Your Majesty to create a new world of the future! However, what kind of magnificent world does Your Majesty desire? We are dull-witted and truly do not know how to summarize it in one sentence..."
"Minister He speaks wisely, Your Majesty..." The officials were troubled again.
Xiao Qing fell into a brief silence.
Liang Xiao had described his vision of the future to her, with "steam engines," "trains," and "automobiles," but had never provided a single sentence to summarize the future world.
"Your Majesty?"
Hearing Wang Canghai's call, Xiao Qing snapped back to attention. She looked at the uneasy officials below. Although a woman, she displayed a heroic spirit no less than that of a man.
"What I and the soldiers and people of Great Gan are about to create is a future world where good people do not suffer!"
Inside the grand hall, there was silence.