Kristi arrived in Yanzhou ahead of Jianqin to await Liang Xiao, informing him of news regarding her cousin, Xilakelo.
Liang Xiao was surprised and delighted, "I checked the genealogy, and it seems that Great Zhou's Martial Saint is indeed our ancestor."
This was good news, but it also meant that Great Gan and Liang Xiao had to find a way to rescue the Liang family army, which was still fighting in the west, as soon as possible.
After all, they had sent the Imperial Seal, thus perfectly completing the legitimacy of Great Gan.
The events of the Great Zhou Dynasty back then were probably not as simple as recorded in Great Zhou's historical records.
Xilakelo was also a fierce general, seemingly skilled in cavalry tactics, and had somewhat improved the combat effectiveness of the western cavalry.
The people of Yanzhou celebrated day and night, singing praises of the Marquis of Anguo and the Heavenly General.
Liang Xiao took advantage of a day's rest in Yanzhou to entertain the local populace. The next day, he, along with his wives, rushed to the capital.
In a chess pavilion in the capital, Zhuo Xun, Yue Wenxin, and Zuo Jing were playing chess together.
The three were animated, their faces beaming with pride.
With the stabilization of the desert, people all over the empire praised the Great Gan Holy Emperor and the Imperial Twin Stars. Everyone considered it an honor to be an official or to serve in the Marquis of Anguo's mansion, even as a mere servant or laborer.
As Liang Xiao's prestige reached new heights, the businesses of the Liang brothers, especially Liang Xiao's, became even more popular among the people. Coupled with their fair dealings, even their low-margin books and white sugar could yield substantial profits.
Liang Xiao's assets, converted into silver, had long exceeded one hundred million, ensuring that the national treasury would not be strained.
Great Gan was not lacking in money or manpower for military preparations, only materials!
Upon hearing that the nation needed materials, people from all regions sent their surplus ironware, cotton, and linen to the government in exchange for money and provisions.
Many timber merchants were also diligently planting trees, hoping to provide more yew wood in the future, as yew wood itself was quite expensive.
Great Gan encouraged commerce and industry, which flourished even more than before, contributing millions of taels of silver in taxes.
The art of chess in Great Gan also saw a revival within the year. When the people learned that Liang Xiao was promoting Chinese chess, they enthusiastically began to learn.
"Madam! The Marquis has returned!"
After the female shadow guards arrived with the news, the eyes of Zuo Jing and the other two lit up. They quickly said their goodbyes, leaving behind envious and dejected chess pavilion girls.
On the day Liang Xiao returned to the capital, the people could not help but line the streets to welcome him, expressing their gratitude for the desert campaign.
The newspapers had already clearly publicized that the nation had more money, which could be used to improve people's livelihoods, and ultimately, the people would be the beneficiaries!
After thanking the people and paying respects to his elders, Liang Xiao, with his wives, headed to the imperial palace to reunite with Xiao Qing and others.
"Brother Xiao!"
In the West Palace Villa, with the children not present, Xiao Qing was the first to rush into Liang Xiao's embrace, like a clingy kitten.
He had worked too hard, and all they could do was manage everything in the nation and at home for him.
Liang Xiao simply held Xiao Qing tighter, speaking softly, his eyes filled with tenderness.
The younger Zhuo Xun and Yue Lian could not help but rush over as well, burying themselves in Liang Xiao's embrace together.
Ning Xuejun brought a treasure box and carefully placed it on the table, opening the lid.
"Fuma, this is the Imperial Seal of the First Emperor!"
Xiao Qing walked over excitedly and carefully took out the Imperial Seal, placing it on the table. She spread out the gold foil, finally revealing its true form.
Liang Xiao walked to the table and peered at it, nodding with a smile, "Good, good..."
It was four inches square, with five dragons entwined at the top, and inscribed with eight characters in small seal script on the front.
"By the Mandate of Heaven, Long Live and Prosper!"
As Xiao Qing carefully turned the Imperial Seal, it even emitted green and white flashes!
The whereabouts of the Imperial Seal in his hometown were a mystery, and it might not be exactly the same as the Imperial Seal in this world.
But at least here, the Imperial Seal had been recovered. Even though Great Gan still practiced imperial rule, the Imperial Seal greatly enhanced national cohesion. Only a united nation had the potential to achieve the ultimate human society!
The Nine Cauldrons subdue the divine land, the Imperial Seal stabilizes the imperial court!
"The material for the Imperial Seal is said to be Lantian jade, while others say it is the He Clan's Bi... but that is no longer important. What is important is that Great Gan's divine artifact is stable, and the people live in peace and happiness. In fact, the greatest contributor is still Brother Xiao," Xiao Qing could not help but murmur softly, nestling in Liang Xiao's arms.
Liang Xiao couldn't help but chuckle.
Ning Xuejun explained, "The remnants of Great Zhou had been fighting in the west and were only willing to surrender to Great Gan and return the Imperial Seal today. According to that Roman prince, it was because the Marquis of Anguo and the Heavenly General pacified the four seas and terrified foreign nations, making them believe in the legitimacy of Great Gan and that Great Gan could fight against the Tianri tribe."
Liang Xiao suddenly understood.
"Therefore, Brother Xiao can have any reward he wants!" Xiao Qing said happily.
Liang Xiao pondered for a moment and pointed to his cheek.
Xiao Qing's pretty face blushed. She glanced around, confirming that the children were not present, then stood on tiptoe and gave him a lingering kiss.
The return of the Nine Cauldrons and the Imperial Seal to this land greatly enhanced Great Gan's cohesion, unprecedented in history. No one now questioned the legitimacy of imperial rule.
That day, Xiao Qing summoned the officials and announced the rewards.
"For the return of the gold and the Imperial Seal, my beloved minister Liang has made outstanding contributions! However, Minister Liang has declined any promotion or ennoblement, hoping that the nation will use the gold wisely to stabilize the populace and reward the soldiers."
"I have decided that the one million two hundred thousand civilians who went to the desert will each be rewarded with two taels of gold and one month's supply of meat! Every soldier of Great Gan will be rewarded with four taels of gold and four months' supply of meat! The compensation for the families of the deceased will be double the reward! Additional rewards will be determined by the Prime Minister's office and the Ministry of Personnel based on official rank and meritorious service..."
The civil and military officials listened to the rewards, all exclaiming, "Your Majesty is wise."
Even though a large amount of gold entered the market, its intrinsic value remained high. One tael of gold was never worth less than ten taels of silver.
Liang Xiao, despite his immense contributions, ultimately only accepted a reward of two hundred thousand taels of gold.
Nie Yuan's General of the Eastern Expedition was promoted to Grand General of the Eastern Expedition. Mu Hong, Lu Changhe, and others were recorded for their merits and would be promoted and ennobled in the future, each receiving thirty thousand taels of gold.
Even Zuo Wuji was successfully enfeoffed as the General of the North.
After the battlefield was cleared, a large number of Xianbei warhorses were confiscated by Great Gan. As these warhorses had grown weary on the battlefield, they could not run far after the Xianbei's defeat.
Each Xianbei cavalryman owned more than two spare warhorses.
In the desert campaign, over three hundred thousand live horses were captured, along with over a million live cattle and sheep. The number of dead horses and military equipment was countless. These dead horses, not rapidly decaying in the cold desert, could provide meat for the army for several days if preserved properly.
In their desperate attempt to seize gold, the Xianbei had staked everything, and the wealth and manpower accumulated over at least a century were destroyed, rendering them unable to threaten Great Gan any longer!
With the threat from the desert greatly reduced, some of the northern troops could be safely redeployed to other regions.
After the court session ended, Liang Xiao followed Zhuo Wuliang to the Ministry of War to understand the border situation.