Lu Changhe frowned, gazing at the wind and sand engulfing the west.
The White Robe Army was not recklessly pursuing the Xiongnu Empire. On the contrary, they brought guides, and one hundred cavalry in the troop were soldiers from the Ayyubid dynasty who had defected to Great Gan with Barbaris.
"Marshal Lu, further southwest lies the most treacherous terrain, where the people should have all perished…" Captain Abdullah, the guide, reminded him.
"Perished?" Lu Changhe turned back in surprise, looking at Abdullah.
Abdullah nodded. "That is the territory of the Guishuang Dynasty. We scouted it before. The able-bodied men were all migrated to the supply lines in the western regions, and those who couldn't run became food for the Tianri soldiers! The crucial point is that there are only a few oases there. The warhorses can occasionally replenish their fodder. It's almost impossible for thousands of soldiers to find food, and as the General has seen, the supply lines are not laid out here…"
Other guides chimed in, their faces filled with regret.
They already considered themselves citizens of Gan, and naturally wished that Gan would not let go of the Xiongnu Empire, these traitors.
Lu Changhe looked west again, gritting his teeth. "Back then, we followed the Emperor deep into the great desert, and Attila also led hundreds of thousands of barbarians to escape from a dead end. If this man is not eliminated, I fear the western regions will never have peace! It's a pity our rations are almost depleted. We shall report back to the Emperor first!"
Deep within the Tianri supply lines, in the largest military camp, dead bodies were strewn everywhere, and blood flowed like a river.
Liang Xiao looked around, gnashing his teeth.
When the Tianri retreated, they had obviously killed all the slaves and prisoners of war to prevent Great Gan from capturing people.
The more they did this, the more determined Liang Xiao became to eradicate the Tianri.
Such a nation was too terrifying. If one day they unexpectedly developed military technology superior to that of Gan, Gan would inevitably face a catastrophe.
Relying on the uprising of the population in the Tianri territory to overthrow them was also unrealistic. The tens of millions of indigenous people in the Peacock Dynasty who had become "lowly citizens" were a bloody example.
Several thousand prisoners of war from the Xiongnu Empire were brought before Liang Xiao, bound and kneeling.
"Your humble slaves pay homage to the Emperor of Great Gan…"
The Xiongnu Empire's grain transport officer, over fifty years old, prostrated himself, not daring to look up.
"There are mountains of grain and fodder here. Where is the manifest?" Liang Xiao asked.
The grain transport officer replied, "The manifest is with the Tianri, but the grain and fodder obtained by our Xiongnu Empire are enough to support the soldiers for a year and the warhorses for half a year. If you include the pasture grass in the horse farms, it's enough for the warhorses for a year! The Tianri have no less, only more!"
The generals were overjoyed.
When they arrived, they had seen countless supplies and provisions, but because the quantity was too large, they couldn't count them all in a short time, nor could they find the manifest.
For a forty-odd-thousand-strong army, half a year's worth of provisions, after deducting about one-sixth burned by fleeing soldiers from the Tianri rear, was still enough for at least three hundred and fifty thousand men and two hundred thousand warhorses!
To establish this supply line, the Tianri had overdrawn the foundations of the Guishuang Dynasty for several centuries, and countless people had died during transportation and forced labor!
"Is there any human flesh mixed into the grain and fodder from the Xiongnu Empire?"
"No!"
…
No matter what Liang Xiao asked, the grain transport officer answered truthfully. Several grain transport officers were divided into three groups. The other two groups were interrogated by Nan Jiyun and Qin Feng separately, and the answers were similar.
"Your Majesty, spare my life!"
The Xiongnu captives wailed and begged for mercy.
Liang Xiao said, "You followed Attila to invade the western regions. Your death sentences are commuted, but you will not be spared punishment. You will be dispatched to the western regions for labor in the near future. After three years, if you sincerely repent, Great Gan will forgive you."
The captives were relieved and grateful.
"Your Majesty is wise!!"
After the captives were taken away, the soldiers cheered and shouted, overcome with excitement.
At this moment, they finally understood Liang Xiao's painstaking efforts.
Taking the enemy by surprise, seizing the grain and supply lines, the Tianri's centuries of effort, invested at any cost for many years, all served as a stepping stone for Great Gan!
This must be at least tens of millions of shi of grain?
Warhorses consume far more than soldiers, so wouldn't the fodder and concentrated feed be over a hundred million shi?
With this supply line filled with farmland and pastures, they could rest briefly and immediately march west to conquer the Guishuang Dynasty!
Such an opportunity only came once. If they failed, the enemy would immediately retreat, or reinforce their defenses, destroy the supply routes, and prevent Gan from marching west.
Even Liang Xiao was in high spirits and couldn't help but laugh heartily. But as he laughed, he fell silent again.
This grain was exchanged for the lives of millions of indigenous slaves of the Guishuang Dynasty.
"The Tianri have ravaged the west with inhuman cruelty, and our Gan will surely destroy them!"
Only then did the soldiers remember the origin of the provisions and become serious again, cheering, "Your subjects request to battle and eradicate the Tianri!"
An hour later, Lu Changhe also returned to report.
"Your Majesty, your subjects request to battle and capture the Guishuang Dynasty!" Nan Jiyun and others stepped forward.
Lu Changhe also immediately said, "Your subjects, the White Robe Army, only need a day to rest…"
Qin Feng reminded him, "Your Majesty, the western expedition is arduous. Several princesses are waiting for Your Majesty to return and report your safety…"
Liang Xiao knew Qin Feng was referring to Zhen Mi and others who were pregnant. Seeing everyone's morale boosted, but now with worried expressions, he announced loudly, "All generals shall rest for a day, prepare provisions, and then march west!"
Moreover, none of these marshals wanted to return to the capital. They all wanted to see the foreign scenery?
Immediately, Liang Xiao appointed Yue Yun as the Protector-General of the Western Regions, leading troops to subdue the entire Western Regions.
With Nan Jiyun as commander, Qin Feng as strategist, and the other marshals leading cavalry to assist, they would launch a surprise attack on the Guishuang Dynasty.
Twelve thousand Great Gan cavalry set off simultaneously, with twenty thousand cavalry and eighty thousand infantry following Yue Yun to the Western Regions. One hundred thousand cavalry, using the supply lines along the way, would charge directly into the heart of the Guishuang Dynasty, with fifty thousand infantry following behind!
Twenty-five thousand troops divided into two routes, marching spiritedly and confidently.
The news of the great victory in the western regions greatly boosted the morale of the army and the people. The western regions opened their granaries to reward the army and simultaneously reduced taxes for three years.
With the autumn harvest approaching, a large number of people responded to Liang Xiao's call, accepting wages double the usual rate, and went to work on the western supply lines.
The spoils of war, in addition to grain and fodder, included a large number of Tianri military equipment, live and dead horses, and only one hundred and ten thousand taels of gold and two million taels of silver. These were all used by Liang Xiao to reward the soldiers. The soldiers who participated in the western expedition received their rewards through their families.
Liang Xiao knew that he was now the Emperor of Great Gan, carrying the destiny of the revival of the Gan people. No matter how much the soldiers supported him, they could only return to the capital.
As Liang Xiao made his way back to the capital, the western expeditionary army led by Nan Jiyun was also racing against time to conquer the Guishuang Dynasty, which was mainly composed of tents and had few cities.
The soldiers advanced like a broken bamboo, conquering hundreds of towns and approaching the Guishuang Dynasty's capital.
On the other side, the Xiongnu Empire fled in disarray, all the way back to the holy city of Jerusalem.
"Our Xiongnu Empire has been defeated! Defeated again by Liang Xiao of Great Gan, utterly defeated!!"
The soldiers were overcome with fear, and even Attila could not stop them. The news soon leaked out, and the country was filled with grief and weeping.
"Even in utter defeat, as long as I am here, the Xiongnu Empire will never collapse!" Attila, dragging his tired legs, returned to his yurta.