The arrival of Liang Xiao greatly boosted the morale of the soldiers at Yumen Pass.
"Heavenly General! Marquis of Anguo!"
The undefeated legend of the Qian Dynasty, the butcher of the barbarians, his past glory vividly remembered. Even though the soldiers dared not let him lead the charge again, with him presiding over Yumen Pass, everyone felt an inexplicable sense of security.
Inside the military tent, Nan Jiyun and Yue Yun sat on either side, each leading a column of officers, briefing Liang Xiao on the current situation.
"Beyond Yumen Pass lies either desert or flat land, which is indeed advantageous for the enemy's cavalry operations. Even if our army dispatches legions, we can only drive them away, not annihilate them, unless we mobilize on a large scale and strike directly at the enemy's main base. But their base is two to three hundred li outside Yumen Pass. Our army would have to march a long distance with no defensible terrain, making us vulnerable to the enemy's superior readiness..."
Liang Xiao listened to Nan Jiyun's analysis and nodded slightly.
"I have brought a portion of flintlock guns and new Shenwu Great Cannons from Yanzhou. The troops are still on their way for reinforcements. New logistics troops from Yizhou are also rushing to provide support. However, given the enemy's strength of over four hundred thousand, all the guns and cannons we currently possess are only enough to deal with either the Tianri Clan or the Xiongnu Empire. The other side will require conventional troops to defeat them."
The generals exclaimed excitedly, "Your subject requests to fight!"
Liang Xiao said, "The Xiongnu Empire consists of the barbarians who withdrew from the great desert in ancient times. A contingent of several hundred of them has broken away from the Xiongnu Empire, led by Attila's brother, Bleda, and has pledged allegiance to the Qian Dynasty. They have voluntarily accepted permanent supervision until they completely adopt the culture of the Great Qian. As for the Tianri Clan, they are our mortal enemy. Therefore, my initial strategy is to use new weapons against the Tianri Clan and then defeat the Xiongnu Empire with regular troops."
The crowd suddenly understood, and then marveled, "Who would have thought that the remnants of the Xiongnu could develop into such an empire in the West."
Liang Xiao explained, "According to the surrendered remnants of the Great Zhou and the Ayyubid dynasty, Attila, with both benevolence and might, has recruited people from various Western regions who have suffered under the Tianri Clan's atrocities, putting them to his service. Thus, the Xiongnu Empire has rapidly grown in power. This man, who once led his barbaric people from certain death to survival, cannot be underestimated."
As he spoke, Liang Xiao couldn't help but sigh.
The Scourge of God, Attila?
He had long been convinced that the history and geography here differed from his homeland.
The history of the Wu Dynasty was incomplete, but there were still the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Great Heng Kingdom, and the Great Qian as records... If the era he was currently in were calculated by the calendar of his homeland, it would be between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries.
And Attila of his homeland's world did not belong to this era, yet he had also become the Scourge of God...
However, even if time had reversed, he would not have dared to lead troops in pursuit of Attila at that time.
Among the barbarians, Attila was not an uncommon name.
Coupled with the limited resources of the Great Qian at the time, rashly venturing into such a dangerous barren land would have resulted in a loss of seven or eight out of ten, or even complete annihilation. Not only would the effort have been in vain, but the dire consequences for the domestic and international situation were unimaginable.
Now, the Xiongnu Empire had become a major threat to the western borders. However, in recent years, they had also somewhat slowed down the Tianri Clan's sweeping progress across Europe and Africa, thus easing the burden on the Great Qian Kingdom.
Conflicts had primary and secondary aspects. Some Westerners under the Xiongnu Empire had the possibility of being incorporated by the Great Qian and utilized, otherwise, the difficulty of the Great Qian soldiers campaigning against the Tianri Clan alone would greatly increase.
"The reason we have not actively attacked for a long time is also a temporary show of weakness. Based on the enemy's current actions, they are unwilling to give up their invasion of the Great Qian. At the very least, they want to tie down our Great Qian soldiers in the western borders, preventing us from entering the hinterland of the Kushan Empire. But this plays right into our hands, as our objective is also to induce them to establish long supply lines."
"Because, our objective has never been to annihilate the enemy solely at Yumen Pass. For the Qian Dynasty to stand at the pinnacle of world nations, we must annihilate the Tianri Clan! The supply lines established by the Kushan Empire may be captured by our country after their defeat. Even if they destroy the supply lines, the expenditure of manpower and resources would be enough to cripple them."
"Even if the supply lines are ultimately destroyed by them, the land they painstakingly cultivated still possesses a certain quality, which will be beneficial for our country to continue developing and utilizing. We must establish a permanent supply line with absolute strength that is immune to enemy harassment, to ensure the army's expedition. The conflict between the two races may last for ten, twenty, or even a hundred years."
"But no matter how long it takes, we must eliminate the greatest threat for our descendants, and show no mercy to the Tianri Clan!"
The generals suddenly had a clear understanding and expressed their commitment, "We are willing to sacrifice ourselves to ensure that future generations enjoy eternal peace!"
The Great Qian Stele Forest, especially the five large stone steles, had become widely known.
In addition to Liang Xiao inscribing one stele as Marquis of Anguo and another as Heavenly General, there were also inscriptions by the founding ancestor of the Great Qian, Zhuo Mingfeng, and Gongsun Wuji.
"Willing to sacrifice oneself to bring peace to the world" was the inscription by Marshal Gongsun Wuji, the founder, and had become an indelible part of the Great Qian's military spirit, passed down for eternity.
Liang Xiao then issued orders, saying, "At present, we must find ways to eliminate the enemy's lookouts on the north and south sides and recapture the high ground. Led by scout units, primarily using the White Robe soldiers, the Divine Archer Corps, and the Central Plains cavalry, this matter must be resolved within a month. If necessary, lure the enemy deep and surround and annihilate them!"
On the other side, the Western Allied forces were also urgently discussing how to lure and annihilate the defenders of Yumen Pass.
The slave soldiers of the Kushan Empire, though their lives were like ants, could not withstand long-term siege attrition.
Both sides were considering how to lure the enemy deep and had temporarily slowed down their offensive...
After leaving his troops in the East Sea, Qin Feng rushed back to the capital day and night to report.
For the Expeditionary Eastern Army, each soldier who saw action received a reward of at least fifteen taels of silver. The remaining troops each received more than five taels of silver.
The national treasury was now overflowing with wealth, so these rewards were not a problem. Moreover, that peninsula possessed abundant mineral resources and served as a barrier to ensure the eastern safety of the Great Qian, its profits far exceeding tens of millions of taels of silver.
Qin Feng and Nie Yuan each received a reward of ten thousand taels of gold.
After expressing his gratitude for the imperial favor, Qin Feng's expression turned solemn.
"Your subject asks, what is the situation on the western front?"
Xiao Qing looked at Zhuo Wulue, who understood and replied, "General Qin need not worry. The Emperor personally leads the army, and our forces are advancing step by step!"
Qin Feng exclaimed, "Your subject requests to join the battle and travel to the western front within half a month to support the Emperor, out of lifelong admiration!"
Xiao Qing was taken aback and stifled a laugh with his sleeve.
Did this Minister Qin truly wish to fight alongside him?
"Minister Qin has just returned to the capital, and you wish to rush to the western front?" Xiao Qing asked after regaining his composure.
Qin Feng replied without hesitation, "As long as the Tianri are not extinguished, I dare not stay at home! The Taiji Peninsula is guarded by General Nie and managed by Minister Mo, which is sufficient for development."
Xiao Qing consulted the officials, who all stepped forward in support.
Thus, Xiao Qing appointed Qin Feng as the Deputy General of the Expeditionary Western Army, leading supplies from Yanzhou to provide support.