The Da Qian army set out from the banks of the Heng River, heading east to rendezvous with the forces advancing from Luzhou and Wurongzhou.
According to Liang Xiao's plan, the vanguard numbered two hundred and fifty thousand.
Even so, Liang Xiao felt uneasy.
He was about to face the strongest opponent of his life. There were too many uncontrollable factors on the water, and modern warfare concepts were not applicable here, as even steamships had not yet appeared.
Ye Chengxiu gazed up at the young Marshal of Da Qian with awe.
He was less than half his age, yet had already achieved unparalleled feats. Now, he was about to attack the Great Liang, a country he held dear.
Yet, he couldn't bring himself to hate him.
"Marquis An, for the sake of Emperor Wu and the King of the North, can you abandon the southern campaign..." Ye Chengxiu pleaded, but with no confidence, he sighed repeatedly, "Our Emperor said that apart from ceding territory, everything else is negotiable..."
The generals on both sides looked dejected.
After Liang Xiao's explanation, they had a general understanding of Great Liang's situation.
But no matter what, Great Liang was their enemy now, and there was no room for leniency.
"Commander Ye, if it were you, would you give up?" Liang Xiao asked, holding the imperial edict from Zhi Rou and Qin Feng's official document.
Ye Chengxiu could only offer a bitter smile, finding himself speechless for a moment.
He had prepared countless words for his journey, but facing this young man, they all became stuck in his throat.
All his arguments seemed so weak and powerless.
World-renowned achievements were within reach. For both public and private reasons, he had no reason to retreat!
His father had even saved Great Liang once!
But he also knew that if he didn't try his best, the Great Liang empire he cherished would eventually turn to dust, betraying Mu Cheng!
"Marquis An, must the soldiers and civilians of two nations be like fire and water, expanding casualties..." Ye Chengxiu lamented.
"General Ye, are you threatening our Marshal? If your Great Liang Empress worries about her people suffering from war, why not surrender the entire nation and integrate into Da Qian? From then on, everyone will be a member of the Qian clan!" one general couldn't help but exclaim.
Ye Chengxiu was taken aback, shook his head, and tried to argue.
Liang Xiao said, "Everyone understands the principles, but putting them into practice is difficult. Principles that everyone understands are often the grandest yet most useless. Our army is heading south, and we will not rest until Great Liang is recovered. I hope you can understand this, and then we can talk."
Ye Chengxiu understood that nothing could be salvaged and took his leave.
Liang Xiao's forces marched east along the river.
Thousands of warships departed from Jinling Shipyard and the East Sea Shipyard, heading for Wurongzhou.
Finally, they reached the Heng River. Liang Xiao gazed southeast, his heart filled with melancholy.
There was no strait in this world. The Heng River ran east to west, and its tributaries separated the Peacock Dynasty and Great Liang by half.
The southern bank was a vast expanse of connected land, inhabited by many barbarians.
The unification of the two nations, long cherished by the ancient sages of Da Qian, must be achieved!
Ten days later, Ye Chengxiu, who had rushed day and night, returned to the imperial palace in the capital, disheveled and dust-covered.
"Your Majesty, Marquis An absolutely refused to give up..."
Before Ye Chengxiu could finish, Zhi Rou said sadly, "Is that so..."
Zhi Rou then looked at Qin Feng, who remained expressionless, and her heart ached even more.
"Commander Ye, are you absolutely certain that he intends to recover Great Liang and that no one can change his mind?" Qin Feng suddenly asked.
"Yes!" Ye Chengxiu nodded.
"Good." Qin Feng responded calmly and sent someone to escort Ye Chengxiu.
A day later, Ye Chengxiu and Cheng Qing met Qin Feng and his wife in the imperial study.
Zhi Rou sat side by side with Qin Feng, a neat stack of official documents spread on the table.
Seeing this pile of documents, Ye Chengxiu and Cheng Qing's hearts sank.
"Chancellor, Commander Ye, are there any remaining fugitives or innocent people?" Qin Feng asked, his eyes fixed on the documents, which he was flipping through without pause.
The two immediately stepped forward, opened the documents Qin Feng handed them, and examined them carefully.
It turned out to be a dense list of names, with their alleged crimes written next to them.
After repeated examination, Cheng Qing said with a bitter smile, "Regent, you certainly know better than us. We cannot guarantee there are no fugitives, but there are definitely no innocent people."
"Mm." Qin Feng merely nodded slightly, lost in thought.
"Regent, this register... do we really have to settle the score? And how?" Cheng Qing asked urgently.
Qin Feng retorted, "If it can allow the common people to live better lives, will the Chancellor support it?"
"Of course I will support it!" Cheng Qing said helplessly.
Ye Chengxiu understood and declared loudly, "Your Majesty, leave the dirty and tiresome work to this old servant. The Regent need not act!"
Zhi Rou could only shake her head and sigh.
After putting away the register, Qin Feng sighed, "A thousand years of infamy is enough for one person. Why add another? I only wish that in a thousand years, there will be no more clan rebellions, no more exploiting the common people."
Ye Chengxiu immediately turned around, revealing the shocking scars on his back.
Years ago, in gratitude for Mu Cheng's favor, he had leaked information and was almost chopped into mincemeat. These scars were the result of the fierce battle then.
"If I dared to fight to the death in life, why fear infamy after death? I am a coarse man, but as long as the Regent upholds Emperor Wu's belief, this life is yours to command!"
The next day, the generals in the Regent's mansion were as anxious as ants on a hot pan.
"The enemy is almost upon us, why has the Regent been so slow to act? With his capabilities, he must see that the northern defense line is not impregnable. Marquis An and Da Qian's Heavenly Fire can incinerate the fleet of the Guyun Kingdom, which numbers over a hundred thousand men..."
While they were whispering amongst themselves, Qin Feng finally emerged, holding a three-foot sword, followed by Ye Chengxiu and a host of Shadow Guards and Northern King's Imperial Guards.
"By imperial decree, I am here to purge the century-long chaos of the noble clans!"
On this day, the capital of Great Liang was under an unprecedented curfew, strictly forbidding civilians from leaving their homes.
A bloody storm suddenly erupted.
The Yan family, the Dong family...
The aristocratic clans that had once vied for power in Great Liang, taking turns to lord over the land, usurping imperial authority, and even worse, exploiting the common people and committing wicked deeds with impunity, yet managing to do so without leaving a trace.
Later, Qin Feng placed all these people under house arrest in the capital.
But on this day, tens of thousands of Xuan Guards and Northern King's Imperial Guards sealed off the capital and then rushed to various residences.
Within a single day, screams echoed throughout the capital, and blood flowed everywhere.
"Qin Feng!! My family has already pledged allegiance to His Majesty, why are you still hunting us down like this!!"
The new head of the Yan family, in the midst of a secret discussion at home, emerged from the secret chamber to find his family almost completely slaughtered, letting out a desperate, heart-wrenching cry.
"It's too late." Qin Feng, sword in hand, his body covered in blood, his expression calm, slit the man's throat with a single stroke and turned to issue orders in a stern voice.
"The innocent recorded in the archives, and children who cannot yet understand, have been taken out of their families. The rest... are to be killed without mercy."
The army that Qin Feng had meticulously prepared finally launched an attack on the noble clans.
"By order of the Regent, we shall exterminate all wicked elements of the noble clans and confiscate their assets!" On this day, the capital of Great Liang was a sea of blood. On almost every street, the corpses of members of noble clans were hung on signposts as a warning.
The people of the capital finally felt fear.