In the course of four months, Tan Weiran, Chi Lei, and others pushed their troops to their limits. Aside from the necessary rest between battles, almost every unit was working around the clock. The potential of each unit, its maximum endurance, combat effectiveness, and subtle differences in management and command were gradually revealed. Tan Weiran's methods in the Gobi Desert showed him to be a decisive prince. After all, the sand bandits were different from any opponent they had encountered before. Whether it was the Northern Liao, Western Ling, or any other army, they all had their own organization and discipline, but the sand bandits were different. They were a completely chaotic organization, and even after surrendering, there was no guarantee that they would not rebel or that they would submit to Dongping's rule. Tan Weiran, Chi Lei, and the others knew that they would not have much time or manpower to invest in the Gobi Desert. Although Yunzhou gave them full support, it came at the cost of a large overdraft of Yunzhou's financial resources in a short period of time, as well as the loss of the Ye family's wealth. Tan Weiran had no intention of allowing this overdraft to continue.

Several times, Tan Weiran almost started fighting during negotiations with the sand bandits. Later, the sand bandits learned about Tan Weiran's style. If they didn't want to fight, it was simple: unconditional surrender, reorganization, and dispersion to the new towns established on the borders of the Northern Grasslands, Benlang Plains, Yunzhou, and Northern Liao for six months to a year of control and training, after which they would become civilians. If the sand bandits-turned-civilians committed crimes in the future, they would be punished one degree higher than normal, and the leaders and chieftains among the sand bandits would be punished according to military law without trial…

Although these terms were laid out there and seemed very generous. Becoming a resident of Yunzhou was not a simple matter, and many herdsmen on the Northern Grasslands, and even many tribal members on the Benlang Plains, did not understand such generous conditions. But for the sand bandits, these generous conditions were invisible and intangible. What they saw was a very simple choice: fight or surrender. The former at least allowed them to keep some autonomy in their hands, while the latter completely lost any control, especially the dispersal and resettlement clause, which these people could not tolerate. However, as battles that seemed evenly matched or even where the sand bandits had an absolute advantage in numbers, but ultimately ended in a complete rout, took place around them, as Yunzhou's powerful army gradually penetrated deep into the Gobi Desert, as more and more Yunzhou and grassland troops became familiar with the Gobi environment and began to develop various targeted tactics, and as Yunzhou's supply lines became smoother and more thorough, the sand bandits' living space became smaller and smaller. Trade routes had been cut off for a long time, and the sand bandits' stockpiles of various necessities were dwindling. The consumption of food and other supplies had also become unsustainable due to the fighting. But even in this situation, Tan Weiran did not relax his offensive. As the sand bandits began to contract their forces and concentrate their defenses, Tan Weiran and Chi Lei developed a tactic of large-scale searches and heavy strikes against individual points. Airships and scouts moved blatantly, and the heavy ordnance battalion also marched, deployed, and attacked with extreme loads. Under the attack of the heavy ordnance battalion and with the close cooperation of the airships, no matter how long the sand bandits had been in business or how solid their camps were, they never lasted more than two days. Later, the sand bandits in the vicinity also heard that because the heavy ordnance battalion fought for two days, greatly delaying the subsequent marching and combat plans, Tan Weiran and Chi Lei even issued a special document questioning what was going on.

The deterrent force formed by the accumulated corpses subdued the sand bandits after all. After four months of high-intensity combat, the troops under Tan Weiran and Chi Lei had controlled at least one-third of the eastern Gobi Desert, and could relatively swaggeringly send detachments to penetrate deeper into the Gobi Desert. They had controlled a series of relatively stable key points and strengthened them according to Yunzhou's construction standards, making them impregnable fortresses for the sand bandits in the Gobi Desert, who lacked technical skills. Although they still launched frequent attacks, the sand bandits surrendered at the mere sight of them. But apart from a series of migrations, Tan Weiran had no interest in pushing the control line forward any further. In these same four months, the grassland tribes, having been fighting alongside Yunzhou's army, realized how fortunate they were not to have chosen to become Yunzhou's opponents. Not to mention Yunzhou's main battle battalions, even the supply battalions, veteran battalions, and the tribal cavalry on the Benlang Plains who were learning the standard equipment and training of the Jingyun Cavalry, were already something these grassland tribes looked up to. Basically, what the Gasa tribe and the Kyrgyz tribe did was patrol, block, provide lateral support, and attack when the battle was going smoothly… Tuolei and Tanan cracked down on the army and promised high rewards to the warriors of the tribe, which prevented the auxiliary army of Western Zhejiang on the Northern Grasslands from dragging the main army down. When the overall situation was settled, Tan Weiran specially summoned several tribal leaders and important military leaders to a banquet, highly praising their performance and progress in these short four months, and allowing them to join the ranks of the tribes on the Northern Grasslands who had surrendered to Yunzhou before them, and participate in the division of the spoils of war.

"I'm going back to Danyang tomorrow. I'll leave everything here to you. Yunzhou's main battle battalions will be withdrawn one after another, and then it will be up to you to defend this front." Tan Weiran said solemnly to the tribal leaders.

"Your Highness, then, what should we do?" Tuolei asked as the representative of the Northern Grassland tribes.

"You also know something about Yunzhou's various military regulations. I will have the General Staff Department send some officers to assist you in reorganizing the army. Yunzhou is currently in the process of expanding its army. I would like to select soldiers from the Northern Grasslands to form four to six main battle battalions, which will be deployed in the future. As for the standards of the garrison battalions, or how many of your own troops each tribe wants to create, this… I think it's best to leave it to the tribal council to coordinate. Although the conditions in the Gobi Desert are harsh, it is a good place to hone one's will. These days of continuous combat have greatly improved the Jingyun Cavalry under my command, as well as the Shuanglang and Yinyi armies in Chi Lei's hands. Since not many troops need to be stationed on the front line, I think, why not make the Gobi Desert the main training and activity ground for the army? Establish two military camps centered on Jinmen Flag, forming a triangular defensive formation. Station a small number of troops in each of the fortresses on the front line, and maintain the mobile forces on the front line through a large number of army exercises…" Tan Weiran gave his suggestion. Chi Lei nodded repeatedly. Tan Weiran's suggestion was very tempting. How could Chi Lei not know how much the combat effectiveness of the entire army had improved after four months of combat, even though they had suffered some losses? Yunzhou provided the two tribes, as well as the tribes who came to help later, with a large number of weapons, armor, and military equipment, as well as a great deal of very practical and systematic knowledge and experience in battlefield logistics, battlefield communications, supply management, and battlefield first aid. It also broadened the horizons of the military leaders of these tribes. Chi Lei knew that Tan Weiran's arrangement would allow him to guarantee that the front line would always be in a state of organic movement with a limited number of troops. The front-line troops would remain tense and alert, constantly training and patrolling, and could be rotated from time to time, allowing the army to have both work and rest, and also allowing everyone time to digest the experience and knowledge they had gained. Although the details still needed to be refined by everyone, it should already be one of the best plans.

"Yes, we will obey Your Highness's orders." Tuolei bowed with his hand on his chest. After that, Tan Weiran and Chi Lei finally headed south. As the leaders who entered the Northern Grasslands and then the Gobi Desert for combat for the first time in many years, they attracted the attention not only of the entire Dongping, but also of the entire Central Earth Continent. Chi Lei had certainly jumped from a simple scout cavalry leader, a battlefield reconnaissance master, to become a general who could stand alone and command a mixed-arms force. Tan Weiran, with his superb means in military affairs, politics, personnel, and human relations, had become a marshal that Dongping could absolutely rely on. In the rumors circulating in the streets, Tan Weiran had even been rated as the new generation of military god in the Dongping military after Zhuo Mang. Once a great war broke out, Dongping, such a country, would have at least four marshals with actual combat experience: Zhuo Mang, Ye Tao, Chi Yun, and Tan Weiran… What a luxurious lineup. Tan Xiaopei's own practical experience and ability were also quite extraordinary, but he might not have the opportunity to go to the battlefield and do it himself.

However, at the same time as Tan Weiran's reputation rose, rumors also began to emerge. The expansion of Tan Weiran's prestige in the army, his high prestige and huge influence among foreign tribes, and the entire Yunzhou, Benlang Plains, Zhenzhou, Northern Grasslands, and now a small part of the Gobi Desert, which were becoming less and less like Dongping's territory, already exceeded half of Dongping's area. In terms of military strength, although Ye Tao was not too active in expanding the army, he already held one of the most powerful heavy army groups in the world… In this situation, it was only natural for people to make some associations.

But Ye Tao didn't care. He was staying with his family in the Ye Mansion in Danyang, inspecting the increasingly large and professional Ye Clan Workshop technology system. No one would ever pass these rumors to him. The people around Ye Tao, and the members of the Tan family, understood that these rumors were malicious attacks and unfounded… However, behind the calm of the Ye and Tan families, investigations were quietly underway. Rumors do not arise for no reason, and they certainly do not spread through the streets and alleys at such a strange speed. No one would deliberately nurture conspiracies and malice.