Liang Xiao's expression grew solemn after he understood the situation.
"The Xianbei cavalry are a nomadic people. They have mobilized nearly two hundred thousand men, but if so many of them can remain entrenched on the grassland, it means the Taiji Kingdom must be providing them with a massive amount of provisions. These provisions were likely prepared at least two years ago. The Taiji Kingdom truly knows how to stir up trouble for us!"
"Our army's provisions are sufficient to last until early spring next year, but if the Xianbei refuse to retreat and continuously harass us, it will significantly slow down the transport of gold, requiring us to increase our logistical support further," Ding Wuyi said with concern.
The combined number of laborers and soldiers was approaching a million, an unprecedented figure.
If it weren't for the new crops that replaced some staple foods in recent years, allowing the Great Gan Kingdom to store more grain, this war would be impossible to sustain.
Monan was two thousand li from Yanzhou, but only thirteen hundred li from the Xianbei encampment. Furthermore, the Xianbei were accustomed to extreme heat and cold, giving them a significant advantage in mobilization efficiency.
The Great Gan Kingdom was relying entirely on its national strength to outlast the Xianbei in a war of attrition.
Mu Hong also reminded them, "Our army has discovered that the overall quality of the Xianbei's weaponry is far superior to before. Many cavalrymen are equipped with iron armor and helmets. It is impossible for the Taiji and Izumo Kingdoms alone to supply such a massive quantity of iron. This indicates that the Marquis of An's speculation is correct: the Xianbei have long been in league with the Tianri tribes west of the northern desert!"
Liang Xiao stated, "If my prediction is accurate, the Gui Shuang Dynasty will also launch a major offensive on the western border at this time. The barbarians south of Jiaozhou and Yizhou in the southwest, and even the Great Liang Kingdom under Emperor Mu Xuan, might all march out. Our army must defend multiple fronts, and no single line can afford to be lost."
"You are now the commander of the army. We have gathered twenty-seven thousand troops, which appears to be more than the Xianbei, but in reality, our available forces are far fewer than the enemy's. How should we drive them out?" Ding Wuyi asked after handing over the commander's seal and sword.
The more critical the situation for the Great Gan Kingdom, the more crucial the gold became.
Liang Xiao pondered for a moment and smiled, "Follow me!"
At the same time, three hundred li west of the Great Gan Kingdom, a force of two hundred thousand men was marching in haste.
Behind the army were nearly a million slaves, transporting provisions for them.
Any slight mistake by the slaves, or even a moment of laziness, would result in a bleeding gash from the overseer's iron whip.
Some were even beaten to death on the spot and turned into "human jerky," terrifying the slaves.
In a mountain valley, a group of Hidden Wolf Guards, disguised as Arabs, observed from a hilltop on horseback.
"The enemy has launched a general offensive. Hurry back and inform the Great General!"
The ten Hidden Wolf Guards detoured, traversing the mountain valley.
Just as they emerged from the mountains, a furious roar echoed from the distance.
The Hidden Wolf Guards looked back and immediately turned their horses to flee.
It turned out that over a hundred men from the Tianri Dynasty were rushing towards them, their eyes glinting fiercely, shouting, "Kill those spies!"
These Hidden Wolf Guards were more skilled in infantry combat and intelligence gathering. Moreover, it was inconvenient to carry pole arms when infiltrating the Gui Shuang Dynasty, making mounted combat not their forte.
However, the horses of these Tianri cavalry were as fast as the fine horses of the Great Gan Kingdom, their speed comparable to the Hidden Wolf Guards' steeds.
And the horses of these Hidden Wolf Guards were exhausted from days of travel, even after resting.
A life-or-death race ensued. Within two quarters of an hour, the ten Hidden Wolf Guards were overtaken by a hundred Tianri cavalry in the wilderness.
At the critical moment, a whistling sound came from afar. The leading cavalry general was shot in the left eye with an arrow and fell from his horse with a scream.
Everyone turned back in shock to see a young man lowering his bow and arrow, drawing his saber, and leaping onto his horse.
He had a powerful build, with slightly sunken eyes and temples, a broad forehead, and a furrowed brow, with black hair and black eyes.
It was none other than Heraclius, who had been saved by Liang Jing, a descendant of the Great Zhou refugees in the West, in those days!
Heraclius's warhorse galloped like the wind. His long saber flashed coldly under the scorching sun. Wherever he went, the iron-armored Tianri cavalry were cut in half, and in a blink of an eye, he had slain ten men!
"What a fine saber! What excellent swordsmanship! What superb horsemanship!"
The Hidden Wolf Guards praised him one after another and were about to rush to his aid.
"Fall back!"
Heraclius turned and shouted. He parried a thrusting spear with ease, then with a backhand stroke, he severed half of the opponent's head, blood splattering everywhere.
The Hidden Wolf Guards, fearing they would be a hindrance, had to retreat to the periphery to observe, ready to support at any moment.
Under the astonished gaze of the Hidden Wolf Guards, Heraclius quickly slew more than half of the hundred Tianri cavalry. Only a dozen or so escaped, but they were still caught up by Heraclius's divine steed and killed one by one.
"Thank you for saving us!" the Hidden Wolf Guards stepped forward to express their gratitude. The captain took out a piece of gold, preparing to offer it.
"Please take me east!" Heraclius waved his hand.
Without daring to delay, they immediately led Heraclius to a valley in the east to rest.
"Are you all Arabs? Why were they chasing you?" Heraclius asked anxiously after dismounting.
"You all? Why?"
Hearing that the other party's accent was very similar to that of the Great Gan people, the Hidden Wolf Guards were also puzzled. However, considering their safety, the captain quickly explained, "We were planning to surrender to Great Gan, and they discovered us..."
Heraclius was overjoyed. "Then do you know a safe route to the Great Gan Kingdom? Can you take me with you?"
Everyone was overjoyed. "With your assistance, we are sure to return safely!"
The captain of the Hidden Wolf Guards was still a little curious and asked, "You are clearly a Westerner, why are you so eager to defect to Great Gan?"
The young man before them, whose long saber could cut iron like mud, and whose warhorse was a divine steed comparable to a thousand-mile cloud, had an unknown origin, which was truly strange.
But if he were a spy, he wouldn't need to use a ruse involving nearly a hundred elite Tianri cavalry.
Heraclius explained, "Because I have a reason to see the Marquis of An of Great Gan and the Son of Heaven of Great Gan. No matter what, I cannot fail!!"
Seeing Heraclius's agitated emotions, the Hidden Wolf Guards exchanged glances and removed their fake mustaches and beards.
"Actually, we are soldiers of Great Gan, responsible for intelligence gathering. You saved us and are enemies with the Tianri tribe. You are certainly not a spy. We have a common enemy! But can you tell us the specific situation?"
Heraclius looked at the people whose true appearances were revealed, feeling both surprised and delighted. He explained, "In the West, there are descendants of the Martial Sage of Great Zhou who are leading the mountain people of the West in resisting the Tianri tribe. I was also saved by them and have lived with them for some time! Our leader, Liang Jing, specifically arranged for me to have a fine horse and a sharp saber, hoping I could deliver all important intelligence to Great Gan!"
"How did the descendants of the Martial Sage of Great Zhou end up in the West?" everyone exclaimed in surprise.
They had some knowledge of the historical records of the Great Zhou.
While resting, Heraclius spoke faster, explaining.
"The Tianri tribe was once driven out of your land by the Martial Sage of Great Zhou. However, the Martial Sage of Great Zhou learned that the Tianri tribe annihilated entire tribes, practiced cannibalism, and that this race was adept at assimilation and disguise. Therefore, he later dispatched his own offspring to lead an expedition, and they established themselves over several centuries. But later, the Tianri tribe won over our Western nations, striking at this army from the East..."
As he spoke to the end, Heraclius lowered his head in shame.
"After that army was defeated, they were forced to retreat to the mountains and engage in guerrilla warfare. Later, the Tianri tribe instigated infighting among our Western tribes, then took advantage of the chaos to conquer us one by one,滅族 (exterminate our entire clans), steal and alter all our civilizations. They even took the titles of our strongest famous generals, gods, and heroes, having their own renowned generals inherit them by renaming themselves, or simply recruiting them directly."
"Mars, Achilles, Alexander, Scipio, Hannibal, Aetius, Caesar... I must deliver all intelligence on the Tianri tribe, as well as the token of leader Liang Jing, to Great Gan, to prove my identity!"
"The ancestors of Liang Jing later received a portion of the Great Zhou royal family who escaped from that land. They possessed knowledge of the exact whereabouts of the Imperial Seal of the Qin Dynasty, carved from the Heshibi jade. After the invasion of the ancient Xiongnu King Hrolov, that Imperial Seal was hidden by the Great Zhou royal family! That is the true Imperial Seal, the symbol of legitimacy of your eastern lands..."