Among them were fifty thousand soldiers from Jiaozhou.
Compared to their past selves, they were now like entirely different people.
Even though they had not yet been trained by the elite generals of the Great Gan, their spirit and faith were now no less than that of the Yizhou legions.
Everyone gazed at the figure of the white-robed marshal on the platform, their hearts surging with emotion!
It was he who had peacefully liberated Jiaozhou, saving countless soldiers and civilians!
It was also he who had allowed the people of Jiaozhou to live and work in peace and contentment!
Based on the population of Jiaozhou, with an average of five people per household, each family would receive close to sixty mu of land after equal distribution!
Every household also received one tael of silver, and for daily living, even with the consolidation of taxes, the entire populace and military would be exempt from land tax for three years!
Such immense benevolence and virtue were difficult to repay, even with their lives!
The soldiers of Jiaozhou had already sworn an oath to charge into battle and face death as if it were home.
Because their families had their livelihoods secured, they would defend this hard-won peace from being destroyed by the Peacock Dynasty with their lives!
Liang Xiao, on the high platform, finally spoke.
"Jiaozhou has recently been pacified, and the populace requires a stable environment. Therefore, our army must temporarily set aside the expedition to the Peacock Dynasty. However, I, your general, assure the citizens of the Great Gan: Those who offend the Great Gan, even from afar, shall be vanquished!"
"One day, the banners of the Great Gan will fly in the palace of the Peacock Dynasty, and the head of the Peacock King will be a sacrifice to appease the suffering people of Jiaozhou!"
As his words fell, a thunderous roar of response erupted from below.
"Offend our Great Gan, and even from afar, you shall be vanquished!!"
Liang Xiao, seeing the morale of the army below like a surging rainbow, felt deeply gratified.
"Since the founding of the Great Gan by its High Ancestor, the land has been divided, with Great Liang and Great Gan coexisting across the river for over a century. However, the Kingdom of Great Liang has torn up the covenant and brazenly invaded our lands south of the river, resulting in heavy losses for our army. The time for reckoning is now!"
"And now, our army will turn southeast to rendezvous with the forces from Luzhou and Wurongzhou. The time to recover Great Liang is at hand! Are you tired? Are you afraid!"
"We will brave fire and water, without hesitation! Unify the two kingdoms, recover Great Liang!" The cries from below were like an overwhelming tide.
"Excellent! The entire army will rest for several days before marching south with me. The unification of the two kingdoms is the will of heaven!"
The news of the Great Gan army's imminent recovery of Great Liang quickly spread across the land, north and south of the great river.
Countless commoners, filled with joy, excitement, and trepidation, prayed before the shrines and murals of Liang Xiao's achievements...
Was this finally the dawn of unprecedented history?
For the people south of the river, accustomed to the division and coexistence of the two kingdoms, this was a path they had never dared to imagine.
"Jiaozhou has been recovered!!"
The news finally reached the capital. Xiao Qing covered her mouth, exclaiming in disbelief.
Recovering Jiaozhou without bloodshed, her Xiao Gege had actually done it!
"Among the ancient good generals, none could surpass this!"
The civil and military officials, long accustomed to Liang Xiao's monumental achievements, could usually maintain their composure. But at this moment, they could no longer control themselves. Some even clutched their chests, fearing they might die on the spot from excessive joy.
They, the old ministers, knew far too well how remote and difficult Jiaozhou was to recover.
The difficulty far surpassed that of Xichuan!
Jiaozhou had the support of the Peacock Dynasty!
And Liang Xiao had taken it without a single soldier lost?
"My dear ministers..."
Xiao Qing's voice trembled slightly as she held the stack of carrier pigeon messages, as if murmuring to herself: "My Xiao Gege is preparing to recover Great Liang!"
Recover Great Liang!
The civil and military officials were both surprised and delighted, so overwhelmed with emotion that they overlooked Xiao Qing's affectionate address to Liang Xiao.
"The Qilian Mountains, the deserts, the vast seas, the Southern lands! Your Majesty, our dynasty's territory has already surpassed that of the Great Heng Kingdom..." Zhuo Wuluo spoke, his words tumbling out in his excitement, "If, if he can recover Great Liang, our dynasty's territory will be, unprecedented! Truly unprecedented!!"
Almost every civil and military official held their breath for a moment.
The territory of the Great Heng Kingdom encompassed Jiaozhou, Xichuan, and Great Liang.
In fact, after recovering Jiaozhou, the territory of the Great Gan Kingdom had already surpassed that of the Great Heng Kingdom, but only slightly.
If they were to recover the ever-expanding Great Liang Kingdom, then... the Great Gan Kingdom's territory would be far beyond comparison to the Great Heng Kingdom!
Xiao Qing, unable to conceal her excitement and joy, led two shadow guard commanders and her two children to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices.
"To all my ancestors, Father, Mother, Imperial Brother, this is Shuang'er's intended. Shuang'er has found her courage. I will await his return!"
"From this day forward, the people of this land will remember that they belong to the Qian clan, regardless of their origin, united in spirit, resisting foreign invaders, and jointly creating a prosperous and peaceful era!"
At this moment, she did not even mention that it was the ancestors and her family who had led her to meet Liang Xiao.
This was the grand achievement he had striven to create, and now no one, including herself, should claim credit!
After the prayer, Xiao Xun and Xiao Qian dutifully bowed with Xiao Qing, their young faces still showing childish innocence, and their voices soft and tender.
But their eyes were equally resolute.
"Xun'er (Qian'er) respectfully informs the ancestors that in the future, we will also inherit the great undertaking of our parents and create eternal peace."
Xiao Qing's face was filled with pride as she embraced her children, her gaze full of affection.
These were the fruits of their love, and the children were growing more sensible.
But soon, Xiao Qing's brow furrowed with a hint of worry.
Her beloved would have to face the Minister of War of Great Liang, the one most skilled in naval warfare in the world.
Qin Feng!
The news of the Great Gan army's impending southward advance also reached the Kingdom of Great Liang, sending shockwaves across the nation!
When the commoners of Great Liang heard the news, they looked at each other, utterly bewildered.
"Is the Marquis of Anguo truly coming?"
They knew that Great Liang had no justification for tearing up the treaty.
However, their lives were quite good now, weren't they?
At least, the powerful noble families no longer dared to arbitrarily oppress the common people and commit acts of tyranny.
They had only recently regained their sense of belonging to Great Liang, and they were looking forward to a better life.
Suddenly, the Great Gan Kingdom was about to attack, and the leader of the army was the person they most admired.
The Marquis of Anguo of the Great Gan, the Heavenly General, Liang Xiao!
The commoners who had previously supported Zhi Rou and Qin Feng suddenly found themselves unsure of what to do.
That man loved his people as if they were his children, and loved his soldiers as if they were his own!
Even during his diplomatic missions to Great Liang, he spoke gently to them, never with arrogance...
The capital of Great Liang suddenly became somber.
The commoners dared not discuss the matter openly, only whispering about it in hushed tones.
Should they support the unification of the two kingdoms?
Several days later, amidst the farewells of the soldiers and civilians of Jiaozhou, Liang Xiao led the elite cavalry of the Great Gan, one hundred thousand soldiers from Zhongzhou, and fifty thousand soldiers from Jiaozhou, turning southeast.
The young men of Jiaozhou voluntarily served as porters, transporting grain and fodder for the army, asking for no reward. However, Liang Xiao insisted on paying them their full wages, leaving both parties content.
Nan Jiyun was ordered to return to the capital to report and, incidentally, to receive Xiao Qing's bestowed marriage to Meng Wuxin.
Lü Changhe also took Yan Huaixi, returning to the capital with Nan Jiyun. The two brothers were preparing to get married in Yanzhou.
As for Liang Xiao, he spurred his horse eastward, and the entire army was filled with excitement.
They would follow their marshal to create an unprecedented, even a never-to-be-equaled, grand achievement!
To unify Great Liang, achieving an unparalleled territory for this land!
Several days later, Liang Xiao encountered an envoy from the Kingdom of Great Liang on the road.
The commander of the Xuanwei Guard, Ye Chengxiu.