Chapter 459: Return

Latest website: "Nonsense, the Copper Bull Royal Tent and the Curved Blade Royal Tent have been guarding here the whole time; how could Yan Wang's troops reach An County?"

In the tent, Lamu's expression changed drastically.

This time, he was responsible for attacking Yanguan.

Even though news of Wulanba's crushing defeat at sea had reached here.

They could not leave without authorization before receiving orders from Mule Hongzhen.

"Great Administrator, it is absolutely true. The livestock and Warhorses in An County have also been snatched away. The methods used in this matter are exactly the same as those encountered by the Black Iron Royal Tent," the soldier said urgently.

Lamu's face sank immediately.

The miserable situation of the Black Iron Royal Tent was now known to everyone on the Grassland.

Enke was dead, and the livestock of the Black Iron Royal Tent had basically all been snatched away clean.

The Northern Di commoners under the Royal Tent had suffered heavy casualties under the encirclement of Yan Wang's Cavalry, leaving only some remnants and defeated soldiers.

"Great Administrator, I must lead my troops back!"

At this moment, a Northern Di general shouted, his expression panicked.

He was Gurtu, the Great King of the Curved Blade Royal Tent; the An County where the incident occurred was precisely a small tribe under the Curved Blade Royal Tent.

Hatred that cut to the bone erupted in his eyes, and he said: "Yan Wang killed my brother, and their troops have attacked my tribe again. As long as I find them, I will definitely skin them alive."

He was precisely Sa'erge's younger brother.

During the first attack on Yanguan, Yan Wang's Artillery had killed his brother.

After inheriting the position of Great King, he had sworn to take revenge in front of the people of the Royal Tent.

He had originally thought that this carefully laid plan of the Northern Di would succeed.

His Curved Blade would be able to personally sever Yan Wang's head.

But he had not expected that Wulanba would be attacked by a group of sea bandits at sea and his entire army would be wiped out.

"You cannot go; this must be Yan Wang's conspiracy," Lamu shouted. "No one can leave without the Khan's order."

"

Gurtu's face turned a deep purple.

Gritting his teeth, he stomped his foot fiercely.

Although he wished he could return immediately, he dared not defy the Khan's order.

Yet, just three days later, he could no longer hold on.

Another battle report arrived: Yan Wang's troops had attacked the Gourd Horse Farm, killed Northern Di soldiers, and snatched away a large number of Warhorses.

Then, the next day, more urgent news arrived: Yan Wang's troops were closing in on Ningjin.

Upon learning this news, neither Lamu nor Gurtu could remain calm.

The Workshop currently manufacturing Artillery for the Northern Di was inside Ningjin, and that Missionary captured from the Ross nation was also in Ningjin.

And Ningjin only had two thousand soldiers defending it.

Most importantly, many of the Curved Blade Royal Tent generals' relatives were in Ningjin.

If Ningjin were taken, they would suffer heavy losses.

"Even if the Khan wants to punish me in the future, I must go back." Gurtu dropped this sentence and walked out of Lamu's tent.

Lamu opened his mouth but said nothing.

Even if his own Royal Tent had encountered such a thing, he would not be able to handle it calmly either.

Before long, the soldiers of the Curved Blade Royal Tent began to break camp and head north.

……

Yanguan.

The movements of the Northern Di camp were reported to Zhao Xu at the first opportunity.

Zhao Xu immediately climbed the city wall to observe.

Seeing one of the Royal Tents heading north, a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Bai Shang and Zhou Yi have already stirred up trouble in the Ningjin Dusi; not bad, not bad," Zhao Xu laughed.

Mo Yu looked at the only remaining Northern Di Royal Tent, his eyes flashing with brilliance.

He said: "Your Highness, as long as General Chang leads the troops back, with one hundred thousand against one hundred thousand, we will definitely be able to win."

Zhao Xu nodded.

In fact, it was not that he could not win if he dealt with both Royal Tents at the same time.

It was just that if he did so, he would inevitably suffer a considerable proportion of casualties.

Having so many young and able-bodied men sacrifice themselves on the battlefield would be a heavy blow to the North Four Commanderies.

After all, young and able-bodied men were not something one could have as many of as one wanted.

Furthermore, retraining troops would also consume a massive amount of time, manpower, and material resources.

Therefore, his current philosophy of warfare was to minimize his own casualties as much as possible.

There was no other way.

In fact, war consumes resources.

These resources include population, land, mineral deposits, wealth, and so on.

A small country might be able to achieve victory in one war, but that battle would basically exhaust its foundation.

A large country might lose once, but it does not fear losing; by fighting once, twice, it will eventually exhaust the small country to death.

If the North Four Commanderies were compared to a small country, then these were currently his shortcomings.

As for wealth, he could still make up for it through trade, and he could currently purchase mineral resources from within Da Song.

But population resources were not something one could just grab at will.

This is also the reason why he tried every possible means to introduce population into the North Four Commanderies.

Including his dealing with the Yuan Family this time, it was also for this purpose.

As the two were speaking, suddenly a Cavalryman climbed onto the city wall and knelt on one knee, "Your Highness, General Chang Wei has led the troops back, and is still thirty li away from Yanguan."

Hearing this, Zhao Xu revealed a smile; truly, speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives.

Come to think of it, it has been five or six days since Chang Wei led the troops south.

Facing the Southern Three Commanderies that had no resistance whatsoever, it should be time for the matters to be finished.

In the afternoon, a streak of dust appeared on the official road south of Yanguan.

Chang Wei had returned.

Following Chang Wei were countless commoners.

These commoners were dragging their families along, with packs on their backs.

Despite their exhaustion, their eyes all glowed with a luster akin to rebirth, and they curiously sized up Yanguan one by one.

At the same time, behind the procession followed one Baggage Cart after another.

Inside these Baggage Carts were gold, silver, jewelry, antiques, paintings, calligraphy, grain, cloth, and other items.

"Your Highness, this time this subordinate has scraped the entire Southern Three Commanderies clean; even if Yuan Li returns, I fear he will be left wanting to cry but having no tears." Seeing Zhao Xu, Chang Wei laughed heartily.

"Mm, well done. One must have a bit of bandit spirit; in the future, the enemies you face may be even more vicious and cruel than the Northern Di, so being refined and gentle won't do." Zhao Xu patted Chang Wei's shoulder heavily.

This time, his raiding of the Northern Di and plundering of the Southern Three Commanderies was to temper the bandit spirit of the Prince's Personal Army.

Barbarians are just barbarians; it is useless to reason with them.

Only by striking until their hearts and gallbladders are chilled will they be honest, put down their bows and arrows and Curved Blades, and become capable of singing and dancing.

Now, he treats the Northern Di this way, and in the future, he will treat the Western power bandit gangs of this world the same way.

Chuckling twice, Chang Wei's eyes revealed anticipation, "Your Highness, how are Bai Shang and Zhou Yi doing?"

"It is done. Now there is only one royal tent left outside Yanguan, just waiting for you all to return to formally challenge them," Zhao Xu said.

If Zhong Li is sufficiently smooth, he should be arriving at Xian City soon.

It is also time to make the commotion in the east larger to create pressure for Mule Hongzhen.

If his plan for the east and west this time can succeed.

In this contest with the Northern Di, at the very least the outcome will be a fifty-fifty split, and he will not end up losing too miserably.

However, all of this still depends on Mule Hongzhen.

If he insists on slaughtering the remaining troops in Xian City, the Great Song will have lost everything this time.

While he was deep in thought, in a forest twenty li from Xian City in Qinzhou, Zhong Li was leading soldiers to chop down trees.

Here, they were to build a launch site for a Hot Air Balloon.