Climbing to the Top: A Reborn Queen's Journey

Chapter 822: National War Side Story (Part 6)

The one who achieved great merit was a young man with delicate features and an average build. It was precisely Xiao Tian, the archer from the Nanyang Guard Camp.

Xiao Tian led dozens of Divine Archers, hiding in the trees, watching the Rouran Barbarians from above. Heaven indeed favored those who work hard; they accomplished a great feat!

At that time, Fu Mingdun had changed into the clothes of an ordinary Rouran Barbarian and was mingling with dozens of trusted aides, not drawing attention at all.

Upholding the principle of not missing a single one, Xiao Tian swiftly shot five or six Rouran Barbarians down. Instead of scattering and fleeing, the remaining quickly gathered around an ordinary-looking Rouran Barbarian, protecting him with their lives.

Xiao Tian knew then that they had caught a big fish. While instructing his subordinates to continue shooting, he quietly drew his long knife, and when most of the Rouran Barbarians were dead or injured, he leaped down from the tall tree. The group paid the price of a few lives, but finally captured the tightly protected Rouran Barbarian alive.

Nearing sixty, with a hooked nose and a mole between the brows.

Wasn’t this the legendary Rouran Khan, Fu Mingdun?

Xiao Tian, being very astute, first tied up the Rouran Barbarian tightly, ensuring that he couldn’t move a finger, then stuffed a piece of rag into his mouth, making biting his tongue to commit suicide impossible. Only then did he ask in Rouran Language: "Are you Fu Mingdun?"

Facing imminent death, Fu Mingdun remained unyielding, directly closing his eyes.

Xiao Tian had the other surviving captives brought over, questioning them one by one. Remarkably, they were all tough nuts, refusing to speak.

Without blinking an eye, Xiao Tian began killing them.

The hands of these Rouran Barbarians were stained with the blood of Da Liang’s citizens, and they deserved to die. Among the Left General’s military orders, one stated to leave no prisoners, to kill as many as possible.

When they reached the fourth, the last remaining captive finally broke down, begging for mercy and shouting that this was indeed the Rouran Khan, Fu Mingdun.

Having confirmed Fu Mingdun’s identity, Xiao Tian breathed a sigh of relief and immediately took people to see the Left General.

Upon seeing the Rouran Khan tied up like a pig or dog, the Left General, whose emotions never showed on the battlefield, laughed heartily for a long time.

He had defended the border for the court for twenty years, suffering incursions from the Rouran Cavalry for twenty years. The last defeat had nailed him to the pillar of shame. The more triumphant he was, the harder it was to forget this disgrace.

This time, leading the court’s army to the border, his goal was to annihilate the Rouran Cavalry. Now, being able to capture the Rouran Khan alive was an extraordinary feat.

"Good!" The Left General forcefully patted Xiao Tian on the shoulder, full of admiration: "You’ve achieved great merit. This Great General will definitely petition for your reward."

Xiao Tian, not losing himself in the moment, smiled and cupped his hands in thanks to the Left General.

The Left General looked Xiao Tian up and down, then suddenly turned to ask Liu Hengchang: "What’s his name?"

Liu Hengchang, with his vast experience, immediately knew the Left General had taken a liking to Xiao Tian. Among all the rough soldiers, Xiao Tian, with his refined features, could be called the handsome man of the military camp. Moreover, Xiao Tian was skilled, a Divine Archer, and had achieved significant merit, with limitless potential.

Perhaps, the Left General was even considering him as a son-in-law! The Zuo Family had several young ladies of marriageable age.

Liu Hengchang, without changing his expression, smiled and said: "His name is Xiao Tian, a prized confidant of Commander Meng from the second battalion, a Divine Archer. Back when the Emperor was still the Nanyang County Princess, he greatly appreciated Xiao Tian. Upon returning to the Capital City after this war, the Emperor will likely bestow a marriage upon Xiao Tian."

The Emperor had two close maids; Yin Zhu was married to Meng Sanbao, and they had a daughter the following year. The other, Tu Bai, had not yet married. The Emperor had long taken a liking to Xiao Tian, hinting privately to Meng Dashan.

Meng Dashan had also mentioned this to Xiao Tian, who was, of course, very willing.

Upon hearing this, the Left General abandoned the thought of taking a son-in-law and highly praised Xiao Tian.

This capture of the Rouran Khan marked a complete victory in this national war.

However, the battle was not over yet. Many Rouran Barbarians were still at large and had to be completely eradicated to prevent future troubles. Moreover, the continuous fierce battles resulted in heavy casualties on both sides.

The Wounded Soldier Camp in the military was filled with the injured. Accompanying military doctors were so busy they couldn’t touch the ground. Fortunately, the court was well-prepared, bringing dozens of carts of medicinal supplies. Several wagons full of ready-made medicine were available. Lightly wounded soldiers could bandage and apply the medicine themselves without needing the military doctors.

Additionally, fallen soldiers needed to be gradually counted and registered, and arrangements for pensions had to be prepared.

All in all, it would take at least a few months before the return journey could commence.

The victory report had to be sent to the court immediately, as quickly as possible.

...

This national war resulted in a great victory for Da Liang!

Having endured for several months, Jiang Shaohua let out a long breath of relief upon seeing the war report, a smile appearing in his eyes: "Chancellor Chen! Convey my decree, summon the Six Ministers to the palace to discuss post-war rewards and pension arrangements."

Having achieved a great victory, the ministers all felt very pleased.

Especially Minister Feng, who was exhausted from organizing military supplies and expenses, was visibly delighted. Such a great victory, even capturing the Rouran Khan alive, was worth depleting the Da Liang National Treasury and exhausting the country’s resources for the next three years.

Jiang Shaohua smiled at Minister Feng and said: "The past few months have been hard on you, Minister Feng."

Minister Feng did not hold back, smiling and sighing: "Indeed, this old minister is quite exhausted. The daily consumption of food and military supplies for the 200,000-strong army is an appalling figure. Fortunately, Da Liang has had good harvests in recent years, and requisitions from various States can be met. Had it been six or seven years ago, even if you squeezed this old minister dry, you wouldn’t have been able to produce so much military grain."

Even a skillful wife cannot cook without rice. This truth applies just the same here.

This was the sixth year of Jiang Shaohua’s reign, and high-yield crops had been widely promoted in Da Liang’s states. Especially in the Northern Land, large amounts of corn and sweet potatoes were grown yearly, feeding the populace and allowing them to pay taxes. To gather military grain this time, Minister Feng used all his means, calculating repeatedly, and transported grain from Taiping Grain Warehouses across the States for military use.

In the process, some corrupt officials were executed, and a few prominent families were confiscated—events that occurred naturally and did not need further mention. In short, Minister Feng hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep for the past few months.

At last, he could take a breather.

Jiang Shaohua also cared for his Chief of Staff: "Minister Feng, go home and rest for a few days. The Left General mentioned in his memorial that he plans to remain at the border for a while before returning to the Capital City. There’s still three or four months’ time to slowly prepare the soldiers’ rewards and the pensions for those who died in the war."

Minister Feng agreed.

After leaving the palace, he finally slept peacefully for a night. The next day, he went energetically to the Ministry of Revenue.

The officials of the Ministry of Revenue internally lamented and gathered their spirits to get down to work.