The Shadow Guards, Da Qian soldiers, and Da Qian laborers who were gritting their teeth to transport the gold were suddenly invigorated by the news of victory from the east.
"Marquis of An Gu is a divine strategist! General Tian possesses mighty power! Da Qian soldiers are valiant!!"
"The Marshal has decreed that we shall slaughter oxen and sheep to reward the three armies, and all soldiers will eat meat! Upon returning to the country, in accordance with His Majesty's will, everyone will receive substantial rewards. Laborers will start with fifteen taels of silver, soldiers with thirty taels. Compensation for those who have fallen will be double the reward silver or more, with no upper limit on rewards!"
All command officers in the north and south urgently transmitted orders, and they immediately set up camp and prepared meals on the spot.
The millions of people from Da Qian had journeyed to the desert solely to transport gold back for the nation. Ordinary laborers, unless they were assigned arduous tasks, had little opportunity to eat meat, yet they harbored no complaints. Their only wish was for the nation to be strong and prosperous, ensuring their descendants would no longer live in fear.
The immense spoils of war were enough to sustain several months of rewards, and it was a way to assuage their guilt towards them.
Upon learning of the rewards, the Da Qian personnel deep in the desert erupted in cheers.
Without the burden of the head tax, even fifteen taels could sustain their entire families for at least two years!
After Liang Xiao led his troops back to the main camp, he finally reunited with the venerable monk Hong Xiu.
After removing his armor, Liang Xiao immediately changed into a cotton-padded jacket.
In truth, he was no longer afraid of extreme cold or heat, but with his modern medical knowledge, he dared not be careless.
The legendary "back carbuncle," the "wind of shedding armor" in summer, various "plagues" in winter... he had no desire to contract any of them.
The story of General Tian's "miraculous appearance" once again boosted morale.
All the laborers and ordinary soldiers of Da Qian mutually cautioned each other, actively avoiding contact, and under no circumstances would they approach the gold without the permission of the Shadow Guards.
The million-strong contingent, relying on the captured Xianbei provisions, enjoyed extra rations daily and then headed south.
Da Qian had finally stabilized the situation in the desert.
Meanwhile, in Da Liang, a total of two hundred thousand troops had been gathered and had crossed the river to march north, invading various parts of Jiangnan!
Within the Regent's Estate, Qin Feng was overwhelmed and urgently summoned his subordinate generals to discuss how to stabilize the current situation.
Finally, a General who had campaigned in the south could not resist standing up and said, "Your Highness the Regent, this subordinate has something to say, but it may be a capital offense!"
Qin Feng remained silent for a moment, then sighed, "I was entrusted by the late Emperor's dying wish to oversee the nation's military affairs. Speak freely, and I grant you immunity. All those present are confidantes of the late Emperor and my comrades of over a decade."
The General of the South angrily declared, "The ruler is foolish and rashly engages in war, tearing up the alliance with Da Qian. Your Highness the Regent cannot depose him. I believe Your Highness the Regent is wrong!!"
The generals fell silent.
The General of the South trembled and said, "Before welcoming the new emperor, Your Highness the Regent should have gathered the officials and surrendered to Da Qian..."
Ye Chengxiu retorted angrily, "Things are not as simple as you think! Neither the Regent nor I are foolishly loyal, nor do we cling to power! How can nationwide surrender be so easy? These aristocratic clans would be the first to object, and this cannot be solved merely by having military power in the capital! Would the generals of so many noble families across the country be willing to be controlled!"
The General of the South lowered his head, speechless.
Qin Feng finally spoke, "I understand everyone's intentions. Now I give you an opportunity. Anyone who wishes to pledge allegiance to Da Qian, I can dispatch the Xuan Guards and the Northern King's Imperial Guards to escort their entire families to surrender secretly, without any retribution."
Everyone was astonished, "This is..."
Qin Feng looked at the Regent's seal given to him by Mu Cheng and felt a surge of sorrow.
"I have four grave sins: I cannot support the new emperor, I cannot bring peace to the populace, I cannot control the aristocratic clans internally, and I cannot restrain the army externally. Ten thousand deaths would not atone for them. The reason I am merely surviving today is that I cannot bear to see the great undertaking painstakingly established by the late Emperor ruined, nor can I bear to see internal strife and millions of people plunged into dire straits."
The generals finally felt ashamed and wept, covering their faces.
Ye Chengxiu said with a wry smile, "Don't you still understand? The great mansion is about to collapse, and a single pillar cannot support it! With the Regent's prestige, surrendering to Da Qian would undoubtedly bring high official positions and generous salaries, preserving the prosperity of his family for generations. Yet, he still chooses to stay and strive to protect the populace from harm! Without the Regent, think carefully, where would the provisions for the two hundred thousand troops come from?"
"Naturally, by extorting the people's sweat and blood..." the generals said in unison, their faces filled with shame.
Zhi Rou, standing behind Qin Feng, then tearfully explained, "Because Brother Qin is still holding down the fort in the capital, the new emperor and the officials dare not act with impunity. Brother Qin feigns weakness towards the emperor and officials in order to lure the snakes out of their holes. Now, all the armies supporting them have been deployed to the north, which is an opportunity for Brother Qin to completely control the court and local affairs, ensuring that the people's wealth is not completely plundered..."
Upon hearing this, the generals' eyes lit up, "Could it be..."
Qin Feng then explained, "I have been waiting for this day for a long time. To save the people, we must take risks. Now it is clear how many armies support the aristocratic clans and are not under our military command. We must use the Northern King's Imperial Guards in conjunction with the Zhenbei Army to take over cities across the country and protect the people. At the same time, the Xuan Guards and some of the Northern King's Imperial Guards will continue to guard the capital, restraining and monitoring the aristocratic clans to ensure they dare not act recklessly."
"As long as we control these rear areas and forcibly take over the Ministry of Revenue, we can guarantee the people's livelihood. Then, we can cut off the supply to the front-line army, and the conflict can be resolved!" Ye Chengxiu said sternly.
However, Ye Chengxiu hesitated and ultimately did not reveal that Qin Feng was thoroughly investigating the affair between the imperial concubine and her lover from years ago.
Once Mu Xuan was discovered to be the product of the imperial concubine's adultery, Qin Feng's thunderous methods would await Mu Xuan!
The generals suddenly realized, "We have wronged the Regent..."
"I reiterate my words, if any of you wish to ensure the safety of your families and loved ones, you may go and seek refuge with Da Qian. I will have no complaints," Qin Feng said solemnly.
The generals shook their heads one after another, "We have received immense imperial favor; how can we stand by and watch the nation decline? We are willing to fight alongside Your Highness the Regent!"
That day, after completing his arrangements, Qin Feng led the Xuan Guards to take over the Ministry of Revenue.
Anyone who refused was immediately apprehended by the Xuan Guards, and replaced with personnel previously prepared by Qin Feng, thus taking control of the Ministry of Revenue.
Dong Chen was the first to be dismissed and investigated.
"Qin Feng! Does this Da Liang empire belong to me or to you!!"
Mu Xuan rushed over, his hair bristling with rage, and confronted Qin Feng in public.
Qin Feng calmly replied, "This empire belongs to the people of Da Liang."
Mu Xuan's expression changed, "You traitorous rebel!!"
"This subject is a rebellious traitor, but he knows well how to maintain national stability and the peace of the populace. Your Majesty, as the ruler of a nation, has rashly engaged in war, betraying the late Emperor's dying wish. By the way, I remind Your Majesty and all you esteemed officials not to trouble the common people any further, otherwise, this Prince will not hesitate to perish with you," Liang Xiao said without hesitation.
"You wait for me!" Mu Xuan, furious and humiliated, turned and left.
"Your Majesty! The Zhenbei Army and the Northern King's Imperial Guards have suddenly departed the capital in large numbers, their whereabouts are unknown!"
Upon receiving the news, Mu Xuan, Dong Chen, and others were shocked and enraged.
With no armies supporting them to guard the rear provinces, and having been exposed to Mu Cheng's newspaper propaganda for a long time, they feared they would be easily controlled by Qin Feng...
Mu Xuan gritted his teeth and said, "It seems he had long planned this. By controlling the rear, my march north has instead fallen into his 'luring the tiger away from its mountain' scheme! Quickly, notify the southern barbarians to march to our aid with generous rewards!!"