Chapter 581: Have you ever eaten ice cream?

The entire Hanlin Academy was shocked.

This sudden outbreak of war frightened more than just the Longyan.

The members of the Hanlin Academy's inner court, represented by Chen Qian, gathered early in the morning, their faces grave as they discussed the matter intensely.

"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

Someone shouted directly: "It has only been two days, two days! As the saying goes, troops move only after provisions! Theoretically, traversing the Xiongnu Grassland in two days is basically impossible to achieve!"

Once these words were spoken.

The expressions of everyone present became unnatural.

Yes.

It was too fast!

Simply too fast!

Chen Qian stroked his beard and said, "Could this be the Lightning War of the Liangzhou Army?"

Lightning War!

This had always been the Liangzhou Army's specialty. Once Liu Zheng introduced the Lightning War, it sparked intense discussion within the entire Longyan military sphere. Many factions vied to imitate it. However, they eventually gave it up.

Because a Lightning War requires not only the army's superior mobility, coordination, and logistical support capabilities, but more importantly, it requires perfect cooperation in all aspects. And...

And a massive amount of preliminary preparation!

As the saying goes, the layman watches the spectacle, while the expert watches the method. How could these military experts of the Hanlin Academy not be shocked by the Liangzhou Army's swift, decisive, and unstoppable nature!

What is more critical is...

The message revealed behind this incident is even more terrifying.

That is to say...

The Liangzhou side had long since made strategic preparations for the war against the Xiongnu, the war against the Nanzhao Kingdom, and even the war against the Qi! He had long been planning to strike these places. He simply chose this current opportunity...

Shock.

This is what truly shocked them.

It was hair-raising!

That a person like Liu Zheng, who always seemed to have a warm smile on his face, actually possessed such immense ambition and such a heart for the world!

The strategy of the Liangzhou side was actually this astonishing.

From north to south, from west to east...

Ready for battle at any time.

Invincible!

For the Longyan Dynasty, is such a Liangzhou Army truly a sharp blade, or a scourge?

"This matter..."

"Must be reported to the Emperor!"

"Agreed!"

"Attack!"

"Do not stop!"

"Do not give them a chance to catch their breath!"

In the Nanzhao Kingdom, the flames of war in Dali City continued, even intensifying.

From morning to night.

From night to morning.

Outside Dali City, the flames of war lit up the sky as if it were broad daylight. An inexhaustible supply of Quelehuoduo ignited this thousand-year-old city. Huobu Quli felt so satisfied and delighted in his heart! Having fought for so many years, when had he ever fought such a luxurious war! Swords and blades made of Refined Steel were used like they cost nothing, arrows like they cost nothing, Quelehuoduo like it cost nothing...

Smash!

The consumption of war is incomparably huge.

But as long as one followed Governor Liu, it seemed there was no need to consider such things. Just keep smashing!

Facing such an army, how could the Nanzhao Kingdom still have the ability to resist?

Just on the second day.

Two hours after nightfall.

The Nanzhao Kingdom's Dali City was finally breached.

Over a hundred thousand Liangzhou Army and Liangshan Army troops surged in like a tide.

A slaughter finally truly began.

The Qi Grassland.

This should have been a peaceful night.

Batu, the head of the household, had just driven his cattle and horses into the pen and could already smell the fragrance of the butter tea his wife had prepared.

In the tent, his two children were still playing.

Batu grinned; the rainfall had been plentiful this year, and the grass on the grassland had sprouted quickly. The cattle and sheep had fattened up, and it would likely be another good season.

Just at this moment.

Suddenly, a few shouts broke the peace.

"Who are you people?"

The alert Batu shouted; in the darkness, just by listening to the sound of the hooves, one could tell that at least several hundred horses were coming! This was his own pasture! Anyone intruding must be coming with ill intent!

However, before the words had even faded.

The murderous aura rushing toward them was already extremely turbulent.

"Get out of the way!"

"Kill!"

"I'll borrow your horse for a moment!"

This group of remnants from the Grassland of the Xiongnu had been slaughtered by the Liangzhou Army until they lost all humanity. Several blades hacked into the shoulder of Batu, and fresh blood sprayed out.

"Quick, run!"

Batu felt his life force already slipping away, and he shouted toward his own camp.

However...

It was already too late.

Several hundred remnants began all sorts of slaughter and looting.

Finally, a fire ignited this patch of grassland.

Raging fire and fresh blood began to spread wildly across the Qiang Grassland.

"This Prefect Liu, this Prefect Liu!"

In the Eastern Palace, Crown Prince Xie Fang looked gloomy.

Seeing that Liu Zheng was in a situation where he was sure to die this time in Jinghua! Who could have imagined that he would suddenly launch these few wars, directly causing his name to be praised once again throughout the Longyan Dynasty...

Domineering!

It brought glory to Longyan!

The Liangzhou Army is invincible under heaven! At a time when the undercurrents of the upcoming Christmas Ceremony were surging, it was Prefect Liu who helped Longyan fiercely slap these barbarians in the face and taught them how to behave!

It was as if.

The once incomparably powerful and peerless Longyan Dynasty had returned! It was as if the glory and pride belonging to the Celestial Empire had returned!

These past few days, the commoners in Jinghua looked at those barbarians with eyes full of arrogance and disdain.

Weren't you all very smug?

Be smug again now!

If you have the ability, don't go to Yangxin Hall to cry!

Under such circumstances, how could Liu Zheng still die?

How could Xie Ling not be angry?

The Strategist beside him chuckled and said, "Your Highness, please stay calm. This subordinate, however, believes that Prefect Liu exposing the Liangzhou military strength to such an extent is not a wise move. Heh heh, given the Emperor's personality, he will absolutely not allow the existence of anything within the entire Longyan Dynasty that he cannot control..."

Xie Fang's eyes lit up as he heard this: "You mean... the Liangzhou Army is showing its edge too much?"

The Strategist nodded: "A tree that stands above the forest will be destroyed by the wind; it has been so since ancient times. Heh heh, when the time comes, we will add fuel to the fire with this kind of rhetoric and accuse Prefect Liu of conspiring to usurp the state. Even if it doesn't succeed, it will become a thorn in the Emperor's heart!"

Brilliant!

Xie Fang was incomparably excited as he heard this and nodded.

"Hmph, tomorrow is the Christmas Ceremony!"

"Let's first see how he manages to realize his 'Winter Is Coming'! Hahahaha, perhaps we won't even need to do anything, and he will be a dead man all the same!"

The others followed suit and laughed.

"What are you saying?"

Gu Jin looked completely bewildered.

Look at the ice cubes he manufactured?

She rubbed her ears; was she sure she hadn't misheard?

Ice cubes?

And they could be manufactured?

Deng Wenhui chuckled: "Miss Gu, please..."

"Playing tricks!"

Gu Jin spat and snorted coldly: "Fine, this young lady would like to see what kind of nonsense he can conjure up!"

Manufacturing ice cubes?

She wouldn't believe it even if she were beaten to death!

Following Deng Wenhui into the Shichang, her eyes darted around.

Ice cubes?

Where were the ice cubes?

Soon, she was led by Deng Wenhui to the backyard of the Shichang. Good heavens, at a single glance, the entire vast space of the Shichang's backyard was, at this moment, piled into a small mountain by a certain type of stone!

And in front of this small mountain were countless large and small basins.

Standing before the large and small basins were several hundred yamen runners and Liangzhou soldiers.

Just this?

Gu Jin sneered: "Prefect Liu, where are the ice cubes you spoke of?"

Liu Zheng turned his head and smiled: "Miss Gu, have you ever eaten ice cream?"

"What the heck is that?"