"Helian Heng has always harbored ambitions of raising an army and declaring himself emperor. He likely intends to hold onto Shu and usurp the throne!" Monk Longyue stated with a stern face.
The eyes beneath the brocade-robed king's mask narrowed slightly. "Fortunately, we arrived in time. If we press on now, we can prevent him from taking Hanzhong. Otherwise, we'd return empty-handed, with no hope of even a sliver of spoils! If not for the might of the Great Gan, which makes internal conflict unadvisable, his greed alone would make me want to seize his Western Shu territory while it's vulnerable and simply take over!"
With the two army commanders reaching a consensus, they also charged out of Jian'ge.
Concurrently, General Zhuo Ying, who had been stationed in the Jiangnan region, calculated the timing and began an urgent mobilization.
"All units prepare! Follow your general upriver to conquer the rebel Helian family in Western Shu!"
It turned out that Zhuo Ying had long received secret orders from Liang Xiao. He was to wait for Liang Xiao's army to reach Hanzhong, and then use the Yangtze River to invade Western Shu!
Zhuo Ying, Shi Liuyun, and Gongsun Dingjun divided their forces into three routes. Fifty thousand troops simultaneously headed towards Western Shu, advancing on Jiangzhou, Baidi, and other locations. This was to force the Helian family to divide their forces for defense, thereby reducing the pressure on Liang Xiao's army attacking Jian'ge.
Two months had passed since Liang Xiao left the capital, and the entire nation was focused on the situation in Liaodong.
The officials and subjects of the Guishuang Dynasty rejoiced upon learning that Liang Xiao had gone to Liaodong. They finally felt at ease to station troops along the border and confront Lü Yi. They neither attacked nor retreated, using their over two hundred thousand cavalry to pin down the western armies of the Great Gan, threatening the Western Regions and the Great Gan's western territories day and night.
The Western Region states, led by the Kingdom of Qiuci, finally felt emboldened to band together and face the Guishuang Dynasty, with the support of Lü Yi.
The reason the Guishuang Dynasty had not yet attacked the Western Region states was that these countries still served as excellent transit points for merchants of the Guishuang Dynasty to trade with those of the Great Gan.
Furthermore, the Guishuang Dynasty held no interest in the resources of the Western Region deserts, with only the golden treasures of Qiuci being coveted by the Guishuang King.
A consort of the King of Qiuci had fled to the Guishuang Dynasty and leaked the secret of the treasure to the Guishuang King.
The Guishuang Dynasty learned of it, followed by the Tianri tribe. The King of Tianri dispatched Valentine, even willing to sell weapons to the barbarians to dig for treasure in the great desert.
The Peacock Dynasty soon learned of it as well…
However, Valentine had searched for months with a large entourage without success in finding the treasure, finally leading the Tianri tribe to suspect it was a ruse.
The fugitive consort was deemed a witch and sentenced to be burned at the stake.
Yet, the Great Gan's buyback of all national land and the subsequent implementation of "Tan Ding Ru Mu" (a tax reform) made the Tianri tribe suspicious again.
Had the Great Gan found one of the treasures?
The message revealed by the consort indicated that in addition to Qiuci obtaining gold, there was a treasure deep in the desert north of Yinshan.
As for the Great Gan's treasure, not a word was mentioned, and the Guishuang King could not ascertain its location.
As the Great Gan Daily announced nationwide, a large number of tycoons and imperial merchants, led by Liang Xiao and Gongsun Ye, donated funds to show their loyalty. This further confused them.
The wealth of Liang Xiao and Gongsun Ye was genuinely in the tens of millions of taels. Especially after the Ouyang family revealed their wealth, the people nationwide became even more convinced of the donation drive.
After all, the fertile land and silver the Ouyang family had contributed were worth over forty million taels of silver!
One day, Attila and his brother Bleda, who were campaigning on the western continent, met with the King of Tianri with a contingent of personal guards to discuss a peace treaty.
Upon the throne sat a gold-haired, blue-eyed elder whose appearance resembled that of the Peacock King. Dressed in an extremely luxurious imperial robe, his aquiline nose was striking. However, his expression was stern, exuding an imposing aura as he gazed at Attila and Bleda, like a lion eyeing its prey.
Even Attila felt a jolt of apprehension, marveling inwardly.
"We hear that the Great Gan's Marquis An Guo, Liang Xiao, drove you to this continent. Is it appropriate for you to lord yourselves here?" the Tianri tribesman asked calmly, but his eyes betrayed a murderous intent.
Attila straightened his posture and said, "Our tribe still possesses the strength to fight, but the Great Gan's military might is overwhelming, and their cavalry is too numerous. They are no longer a target for our southern ambitions. The Tianri tribe should also understand that the Great Gan is our common enemy, rather than seeking to continue a mutually destructive conflict with us Xiongnu."
The King of Tianri nodded slightly, his gaze intense, and his words carried an irresistible authority. "The territory has been allocated to you. You may proceed with your conquests with peace of mind. I hope to see the Xiongnu cavalry regain their glory on the battlefield at the western border of the Great Gan in the future, and I trust you will not disappoint us. As for that Liang Xiao… our tribe will find a way to deal with him. He is a taboo name for you Xiongnu, and centuries ago, this name was also a taboo name for the Tianri tribe. We have shared hardship together."
"However, the Tianri tribe will soon let the whole world know who the true masters of this world are. Our tribe has prepared for two thousand years, and that day is not far off," the King of Tianri said, changing his tone with a confident smile.
Attila finally breathed a sigh of relief and immediately signed a treaty with the tribe, vowing to resist the Great Gan together. The barbarians would be responsible for conquering the southwest of this continent, with no interference from either side.
Upon returning to their yurt, Bleda's face was grim, and he gritted his teeth, "The Tianri tribe is so arrogant! One day, we will trample them under our feet!"
"We must not underestimate our enemies. That King of Tianri indeed possesses the qualities of a ruler," Attila sighed for a moment, then couldn't help but ask, "How does the King of Tianri compare to Liang Xiao?"
Bleda's brow twitched, and he shook his head. "There's no comparison! While the King of Tianri is valiant, his majesty is overt and unreserved; I do not fear him at all. But Liang Xiao, who appears peaceful and calm, is decisive in his actions, ruthless in his methods, and skilled in wielding both rewards and punishments. This makes me feel despair and helplessness! I have no doubt that if we had remained in the desert, we would have been captured by him sooner or later..."
Attila was speechless and gazed eastward, his face filled with resentment.
While Liang Xiao marched to pacify Western Shu, the world underwent changes. The Izumo Kingdom began to secretly court the increasingly powerful Xianbei.
All arrows pointed towards the land of the Great Gan, and the Great Gan could not afford a single major defeat.
On Dingjun Mountain, Liang Xiao waited quietly for news.
For the past two days, he had meticulously compared numerous maps, including those of the Dongye clan's terrain, referencing them against each other. He had thoroughly understood the topography of the region.
Everything depended on when Helian Heng took the bait. Royal power truly could blind a person.
According to intelligence from the Stealth Wolf Guard and the Shadow Guard, some of the troops from the Sun Moon Army and the Spring Revival Sect were also in Western Shu.
His objective was no longer solely the Helian family.
"My Lord, ninety thousand soldiers, not one missing. No one has gone AWOL to this day. The enemy likely does not yet know that the Marshal himself is leading the army!"
Only after Liu Fan reported this did Liang Xiao show satisfaction.
It was already night. A messenger flew in from the front.
"Scouts have observed the rebel army's marching time and estimated that the enemy is currently within a hundred li of Dingjun Mountain, where they are setting up camp!"
After repeatedly confirming the reports from all scout teams, Liang Xiao was overjoyed.
This meant that Helian Heng, in his haste to capture Hanzhong, would continue his rapid march tomorrow morning.
Liang Xiao made a decisive command to the entire army.
"Silence the drums and flags, prepare to march. This Marshal will personally lead the great army."
"Pacify Western Shu, punish the disloyal!!"