Two years after their parting, Gongsun Ye beamed with joy upon seeing Liang Xiao again.
The two then announced to the entire army stationed in Yuzhang.
"The Great Qian army will march from Yuzhang on a chosen date to retake Jiaozhou!"
The people and soldiers of Yuzhang were overjoyed. Every household burned incense and prayed for the army's victory.
Inside the military tent, Gongsun Ye, in front of all his generals, handed the marshal's seal of the Jiangnan region to Liang Xiao, but Liang Xiao pushed it back.
"The old marshal understands the situation in Jiangnan better than I do. He should remain in Yuzhang to oversee the overall command."
In the end, Gongsun Ye and Liang Xiao jointly commanded the Jiangnan army, with Liang Xiao still in charge of the Central Plains troops.
Gongsun Ye was already over seventy. Although still vigorous, the important task of conquering Jiaozhou was a heavy responsibility that required a young commander like Liang Xiao.
After deducting the Yuzhang local garrison, the elite forces of the Jiangnan region numbered a total of 170,000 men, assembled in Yuzhang. The commanders were Liang Xiao and Gongsun Ye, with generals such as Zhuo Ying and Yue Yun, and vanguards including Yue Qingtian and Shi Liuyun.
Large quantities of grain and fodder were transported from the Luzhou area to Yuzhang.
Concurrently, the elite cavalry of Great Qian rushed to arrange their crossing of the river to reinforce Yuzhang.
"Our army annihilated ten thousand enemy troops in the battle of Luzhou the day before yesterday. The enemy is demoralized. Their only reliance is the Peacock Dynasty. The Peacock Dynasty is tens of thousands of miles away in the southwest of Great Qian. Our intelligence on this enemy is limited, so we must not be careless..."
In the military tent, Liang Xiao pointed to the map on the wall and briefed the generals on the military situation.
"Is this map reliable?" Gongsun Ye asked, voicing his doubts as he looked at the map.
"Not very," Liang Xiao replied.
The others were taken aback.
Liang Xiao explained, "This map was drawn by me based on the descriptions of Elder Chen Changqiu, who had been to the Peacock Dynasty. Later, I also inquired with Western merchants, and they confirmed that this is likely the topography of the Peacock Dynasty, but its territory might be larger than this."
In fact, Liang Xiao had drawn an Asian map based on his homeland knowledge, and then asked Chen Changqiu, Shi Liuyun's younger brother, to verify it, roughly determining the geographical location and extent of the Peacock Dynasty.
Later, when Babari, the leader of the merchants sent by Attila, visited the capital, Liang Xiao learned that he had been to the Peacock Dynasty and showed him the map for inquiry. He received the man's confirmation.
The territory of the Peacock Dynasty was said to extend beyond the boundaries of ancient India, bordering the Kushan Empire, encompassing Central and South Asia, with some of its territory extending south of Jiaozhou and west of the Great Liang Kingdom.
Babari further revealed a startling secret: the Aryans who had once occupied that land were replaced by the Tianri people, who then adopted the ancient name "Peacock Dynasty" for the region and continued the Aryan caste system. This was to conceal the history of the land of ancient India and thus achieve oppressive rule over the Peacock Dynasty.
Great Qian, in the south, was facing an ancient kingdom consolidated by the Tianri people. This ancient civilization, under the guise of the Peacock Dynasty, had developed an unprecedented mobilization capability, much like the Kushan Empire, capable of deploying millions of slaves at will.
"Then it is reliable!" Gongsun Ye was finally reassured.
Following Liang Xiao's arrangements, Zhuo Ying, Yue Yun, and Shi Liuyun each led an army to camp outside Yuzhang city, deterring the enemy.
The Jiaozhou troops remained stationed in the mountainous terrain a hundred miles southwest of Yuzhang, posing a constant threat to the Yuzhang area.
After the generals departed, Liang Xiao and Gongsun Ye rode in the same carriage to inspect the city defenses outside the camp.
Along the way, the soldiers and civiliansSaluted Liang Xiao, their faces filled with reverence and fervor.
Gongsun Ye witnessed this and sighed, "Guess who was the first person to praise you so highly in front of me back then?"
"Zhuo Lingjun, perhaps," Liang Xiao replied without hesitation.
Gongsun Ye stroked his beard and laughed heartily, "You know him quite well! When I first heard his elaborate description of you, I was skeptical. Even upon meeting you, I still thought you were merely a young prodigy, perhaps like Zhuo Mingfeng or my ancestor, the Marquis of Dingguo, who were brilliant in their youth."
As he spoke, Gongsun Ye looked around with deep emotion.
"Look at Great Qian today. The people live in peace and contentment, and the army is full of vigor. I never imagined that soldiers would one day consider defending the nation a lifelong honor, and that the common folk would regard soldiers as household guardians. The people of Jiangnan, from all regions, do not steal what is left on the road and do not bolt their doors at night."
"Although I am a warrior, I remember my ancestors' teachings, I have read widely and delved into history, and I have never seen such a prosperous era. It can be called unparalleled, with no predecessors and no successors."
Liang Xiao understood and replied humbly, "It is not the achievement of one person alone."
Gongsun Ye scoffed, "You mean to say it's with the Emperor's support and the efforts of all officials? But in his letters to me, the Emperor mentions you in almost every three sentences and repeatedly states that all this is actually your sole achievement. You are truly a good husband."
Liang Xiao was stunned.
Gongsun Ye had already learned about the Empress from the shadow guards and still fully supported him.
Seeing Liang Xiao's dazed expression, Gongsun Ye couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"You haven't changed at all. You are just as you were when I first met you—young and full of spirit. Zhuo Lingjun often mentioned you during his time in Jiangnan. He would have been willing to trade ten or twenty years of his life for you to live one year longer. Look at the regions of Jiangnan, just like Yuzhang, where you can hear the common folk praying for you every day."
"If I were ten years younger, I would undoubtedly be the one to lead the counteroffensive into Jiaozhou. I believe you are invincible, but Jiaozhou is hot. If you were to fall ill due to the climate there and something were to happen to you, even if I were to donate all my wealth and life, I could not atone for even a fraction of the consequences."
Liang Xiao said with shame, "You need not worry. I have been to Great Liang, where it is even hotter, and I was perfectly fine."
However, in his heart, Liang Xiao was deeply moved.
The current Great Qian, from the sovereign and officials to the common soldiers and citizens, cared too much about his safety. It was as if they were afraid he would melt if held in their mouths or break if held in their hands; he was treated like a "national treasure."
He could understand people's feelings, but this concern weighed heavily on him.
Even an old marshal like Gongsun Ye, who had weathered many storms, couldn't help but be overly concerned for him.
Gongsun Ye merely smiled, looked up at the clear blue sky, and murmured to himself, "Actually, I am like Zhuo Lingjun. I truly wish you could live forever, and that the subjects of Great Qian would never lose their Marquis of Anguo. Perhaps then, true eternal peace could be achieved, and I could meet my ancestors and past emperors in the afterlife with a smile. Regardless, you must at least live to be a hundred. Whatever you need, just ask. The Marquis of Dingguo's residence will provide anything within its means."
Liang Xiao thanked him repeatedly.
As Great Qian planned its counteroffensive, the situation in the Great Liang Kingdom also saw new developments.
Numerous Xuanwei dispatched with Qin Feng's orders across the country to rescue the families of front-line soldiers. These families were brought back to the capital for protection, and they were also asked to handwrite letters to inform the soldiers at the front.
The newspapers of Great Liang remained under Qin Feng's control. These families, having learned about the front-line situation, were eager for their family members to return home as soon as possible and readily agreed.
Meanwhile, within the imperial palace of the capital, Qin Feng used Mu Cheng's birthday as an excuse to arrange for Emperor Mu Xuan and the officials to visit the Grand Ancestral Temple for sacrifices.
Although Mu Xuan and Dong Chen were furious, they had no choice but to proceed to the Grand Ancestral Temple in the face of propriety and ritual.
A group of shadow guards finally seized the opportunity to control the area around Mu Xuan's chambers and swiftly searched various floorboards for records from Consort Yan's time.