The generals frowned, "Our army here can only face fifty thousand troops. It is freezing now and fighting on the grassland, I fear we will not have the advantage!"
Liang Xiao looked up at the dim sky and asked, "Where have they reached?"
"They should be fifty li away. If they march at full speed, they can arrive tonight!" the scout captain replied.
Nie Yuan reminded, "Marquis, the enemy likely knows the whereabouts of our golden convoy and plans to launch a surprise attack to achieve a swift victory..."
Liang Xiao decisively ordered the generals, "No need to worry! Immediately arrange for each unit to build earthworks in situ, in this manner..."
During the night, the entire territory of Luzhou was on high alert, with scorched-earth tactics employed. Finally, the formidable Jiaozhou forces arrived.
General Zhuo Ying, the Grand General who Conquered the South, personally took command in Luzhou, accompanied by generals such as General Zhennan Shi Liuyun.
"The enemy should have two hundred thousand troops. Our forces in the Luzhou area are only one hundred and twenty thousand. To ensure no mistakes, we cannot rashly attack for now."
Zhuo Ying personally planned the defenses while also strengthening the garrisons of surrounding prefectures, coordinating with Jiangnan and Yizhou.
The warlords of Jiaozhou, facing the now formidable Luzhou and other cities, and gazing at the city walls, which were two zhang higher than a few years ago, were at a loss.
Led by King Nan Xiao Chang and King Jin Pao, with Gongyang He and Dugu Qun as strategists, and Jian Bei as the main general, the Jiaozhou contingent sat in the military tent, looking at the map with angry expressions.
"The enemy seems to have anticipated this. This city is as solid as gold. We can only attack by force, but I fear it will come at a considerable cost!" Xiao Feng said urgently.
Xiao Chan, whose arm was severed by Liang Xiao years ago, was also furious, roaring, "The foundation of my Hui Chun Sect in Xichuan for hundreds of years was destroyed by Liang Xiao overnight, and the Helian family also lost their roots in Xichuan. If we do not conquer Da Gan, we will not rest in peace! I am willing to lead the army to attack the city!"
"Second brother, what do you think?" Xiao Chang looked at King Jin Pao.
King Jin Pao, with a gloomy expression, said, "Let's wait for news from the Daliang Kingdom. After all, Mu Xuan has returned home. When both armies attack Jiangnan simultaneously, victory will be ours!"
Dugu Qun agreed, "We are facing the enemy's main force, and even the elite cavalry of Jiangnan has been sent to Luzhou by Old Man Gongsun. It would be best to feign a stalemate. When the Daliang Kingdom's navy heads north, and the enemy hastily retreats to Jinling, we can seize the opportunity to launch an attack, and victory can be decided in one battle!"
The plan was decided, and they set up camp in the Luzhou area, wary of Zhuo Ying launching a surprise attack.
The barbarian tribes south of Yizhou also responded to King Nan's call, dispatching troops to harass the Yizhou border, which finally angered the Yizhou forces. Nan Jiyun personally led an army south to suppress them, eliminating future trouble.
Two hundred thousand Daliang troops gathered on the south bank of the Heng River, preparing warships and awaiting news from the capital.
And in the center of the military camp, a familiar face, with a sinister expression and his former demeanor completely gone.
Su Wanqing's elder brother, formerly the envoy between Da Gan and Daliang, Su Wencheng, had now become the Grand Marshal of the North Expedition for the Daliang Kingdom.
"If I hadn't worried about Mu Cheng's suspicion back then, I should have let Wanqing have relations with the Third Prince first, and then offered her to Mu Cheng. Perhaps she could have given birth to the Third Prince's heir, and it wouldn't have come to this..." Su Wencheng muttered, still regretting the inadequate arrangements of the past.
"My lord, the grain and fodder have been collected!"
After the logistics officer reported, Su Wencheng immediately ordered, "By the decree of my Emperor, the entire army shall cross the river and take advantage of the situation to capture Jiangnan!"
North of the Heng River and south of Jiangnan, the old Marquis Ding Guo, Gongsun Ye, led his troops to defend along the river, with generals such as Gongsun Dingjun assisting in the defense.
The entire army was filled with righteous indignation, with every soldier ready for battle.
"Has the Daliang Kingdom truly turned against us?"
Meanwhile, in the western region of Da Gan, the cavalry of the Guishuang Dynasty, mixed with a large number of Tianri cavalry, had finally reached fifty li outside the western frontier. The infantry could reach Yumenguan in a day's forced march.
Yumenguan, built over a hundred years by the Da Gan Kingdom, had become the largest barrier in the western region, separating it from the Guishuang Dynasty's cavalry.
On the city wall, Lü Yi looked out from a high vantage point, his eyes sharp.
"Hirakuru and the Hidden Wolf Guard have the same intelligence: the enemy uses a siege weapon that can break through cities, with strength and range comparable to our own trebuchets, and it is invincible wherever it goes... Bring up the three-bow bed crossbows!"
One thousand three-bow bed crossbows were transported to the city wall and spaced out, ready to be strung and fired at any time.
Another thousand were still on standby below the city wall, ready to reinforce any section.
And in the distant northeast, Mo Hongming, the military advisor of Liaodong, was reinforcing the defenses of Xiangping and other prefectures with his soldiers.
"It is confirmed that the Izumo Kingdom's forces are gathering in this direction!"
Mo Hongming looked at the map, his eyes blazing.
"However, according to the Marquis's instructions, our army only needs to consolidate its defenses, prepare provisions, and wait for him to arrive in Liaodong!"
Within the territory of the Taiji Kingdom.
Bones lay exposed in the fields, no chickens crowed for a thousand li, the land was ravaged, and blackened, greenish bloodstains were visible everywhere.
After their victory, the Izumo Kingdom's forces headed straight for Liaodong.
"This damned Taiji Kingdom! They actually caused us to lose nearly a hundred thousand men..." Ito Masamune was furious, taking large bites of a freshly roasted woman's arm.
"Lord Ito! Our army only has ten thousand troops left, and half of them are logistics. Can we truly take Liaodong?" the Izumo generals worried.
Ito Masamune sneered, "We don't need to take Liaodong, we only need to tie down the Liaodong defenders! The Xianbei are fighting Da Gan in the desert. As long as Liaodong cannot spare more troops to support the desert, our mission is accomplished! Once the Da Gan Kingdom is defeated in the desert, our army will join forces with the Xianbei and conquer Liaodong will be just around the corner!"
Finally, Ito Masamune smiled slyly, "During my years of traveling through the various kingdoms, I must admit that the young women of Da Gan are the most plump and tender. Don't you want to taste them?"
Upon hearing this, the Izumo generals, who had been somewhat hesitant, suddenly's eyes lit up: "We are willing to follow my lord to take Liaodong and repay Emperor Wulie!!"
That night, the Da Gan soldiers south of Yinshan built earthworks in situ overnight. They then took water from iron basins and poured it into the soil, ensuring it was thoroughly soaked.
Looking at the temporary earthen walls, the soldiers could not help but wonder.
"Can building fortifications like this truly succeed?"
They were all elite soldiers of Da Gan, veterans of Liang Xiao's Fenglangjuxu campaign. Now they were being tasked with building fortifications, which truly made them feel underutilized.
Wouldn't it be better to have the civilian laborers responsible for logistics do it?
But military orders were like mountains, so they could only grit their teeth and follow Nie Yuan's announcement.
"Building fortifications was proposed by our Marshal, the Marquis of An Guo! The Marshal is with the army!"
Just then, a bombshell news spread through the army.
"The Marshal is truly here??"
The soldiers, who had been feeling listless, suddenly worked with fervor, each one more energetic than the last.
At this moment, building fortifications well seemed to be as glorious as following their Marshal to Fenglangjuxu.
Two hours later, a wall resembling the Great Wall had been piled up in situ...
On the eastern grasslands, the Xianbei cavalry under the night sky was exceptionally anxious.
"According to the scouts' investigations for two months, we are certain that the golden convoy they are transporting is in this area!" the Xianbei king exclaimed with joy, urging his army forward.
"Your Majesty, this might be a trap set by the enemy!" a general warned.
Valentin let out a hearty laugh, "On this grassland, at night, what kind of trap can there be? Do you think setting up an encirclement requires no troops? Our army has probed for over two months and has not seen Liang Xiao leading his troops into battle. This shows that Liang Xiao must have gone to the Guishuang Dynasty! Even if Liang Xiao is truly in the desert with hundreds of thousands of civilian laborers, he cannot deploy effectively, and will not be at our mercy?"
"Exactly! It seems our army is outnumbered, but our concentrated forces are more than twice that of the enemy. The advantage is ours!" the Xianbei king declared triumphantly, then his expression turned ruthless, "Even if we fail, we must not let the Da Gan Kingdom transport the gold back, do you understand? At worst, we can retreat to Mobei!"
"All three armies, hear my command! Muzzle your mouths, bind your horses, launch a surprise attack under the cover of night, and annihilate the enemy!"
With a single command, over a hundred thousand Xianbei cavalry joined forces and marched at full speed towards Liang Xiao's main camp.