20demayo Chapter 139 Famous Throughout the Northern Barbarians
Chapter 139 Famous Throughout the Northern Barbarians
Just as Lu Yuan made his move, the army of the Barbarian Camel Tribe approached the imperial camp and charged straight in without any hesitation.
But the next moment, a strange scene unfolded. When the soldiers guarding the gate saw the enemy attacking the camp, they not only did not panic, but jumped directly onto their horses.
It fled backwards and disappeared in a moment.
When the army stormed into the camp, there was no one there at all.
"What's going on?" someone shouted.
The chieftain of the camel tribe's expression changed drastically: "Oh no! An ambush! Retreat, retreat quickly!"
However, it was too late for him to speak.
Just after the sound fell.
Lu Yuan had already led his army, cutting them off midway into the barbarian camel camp.
They arrived too suddenly and too fiercely, like a ferocious beast that stormed into the battlefield.
As Lu Yuan rode his warhorse forward, he could even see the terror on the face of the barbarian camel general in front of him.
The sword was swung.
"laugh!"
A huge head flew high into the air, and perhaps seeing blood again, the Green Dragon Crescent Blade seemed very excited.
A dazzling luster flashed across the blade.
Lu Yuan didn't stop at all, his blade continued forward, and the cavalry behind him went even crazier, howling and their faces were filled with excitement after seeing blood.
It must be said that the Northern Barbarian cavalry does have unique strengths and is much stronger than the border army of Dayong.
In other words, there are now major internal problems, otherwise...
They have no fear of Da Yong at all.
At this moment, the two armies clashed, and the advantage became immediately apparent.
The "Shocking Divine Pagoda Formation" was deployed, and a dark, dense fog appeared behind the army, as if it were capable of destroying the world.
Within it, sparks and electric snakes coiled.
The entire army of the barbarian camels was filled with terror.
Their bodies were trembling.
This is the first time I've ever seen such a celestial phenomenon.
Some people turned to run away, but the Northern Barbarian army held them firmly in their grasp.
The barbarian tribe was thrown into chaos in an instant; those at the back rushed forward, while those at the front retreated.
In the chaos, some people fell to the ground and were instantly trampled into a bloody pulp.
The neighing of warhorses rang out, mingling with the screams of warriors, creating chaos.
In less than a quarter of an hour, the Mantuo tribe was completely routed.
As the saying goes, a defeated army collapses like a mountain falling, and even the chieftain of the camel tribe was powerless to reverse the situation.
In fact, when fighting on the battlefield, when there are fewer people, it often depends on the strength and willpower of both sides, and sometimes the battle can last for a long time.
On the contrary, in such large-scale battlefield battles, once the first wave is repelled and morale collapses, the army is completely finished.
Like a flood bursting its banks, even the bravest warriors who try to fight back will be swept away by others.
The chieftain of the barbarian camel tribe was also caught in the formation. Although he was incredibly strong, every time he swung his spiked club, a large number of warriors were swept away.
However, on Lu Yuan's side, the formation was already complete. As long as someone was killed, more people would come in to replace them. Even though he was incredibly powerful, it was extremely difficult for him to fly into the sky and escape directly under the pull of the formation.
Not only the "Shocking God Floating Pagoda Formation," but any formation, once it reaches the highest level, will become a hindrance to powerful individuals as long as there are enough people using it.
He sensed the growing number of people around him watching as his own soldiers were completely wiped out.
The chieftain of the camel tribe had no choice but to break out of the encirclement on his own.
"kill!"
But at that moment, Xiao He had already approached without anyone noticing. He rushed out from a cloud of black mist, his bronze armor gleaming.
The spear pierced the air, as if tearing the sky apart.
Behind him, a huge black misty figure materialized.
He led a force of ten thousand men. Under the influence of the formation, not only were his own speed and defense doubled, but more importantly, he could also mobilize the power of the ten thousand men behind him.
When the robe tore through the air, the surrounding air trembled like ripples on water.
"boom!"
The chieftain of the camel tribe was struck in the chest by a spear and fell backward.
His eyes showed horror.
He coughed up blood. He was stronger than Xiao He, but with the support of this military formation, he was defeated by his opponent.
This is the power of a military formation.
It is no exaggeration to say that it can almost achieve a dimensional reduction attack against those who do not have formations.
When the two armies are entangled.
The army of the camel tribe was already shrouded in a dark, heavy fog.
With weapons at your side, who wouldn't be afraid?
Ignoring his injuries, the chieftain of the camel tribe charged headlong in one direction.
The spiked club swung as if it were straw.
Blood splattered wherever he went, completely disregarding the fact that his own injuries had been aggravated.
Regardless of whether those killed were his own people or not, he had only one thought: to rush out.
Otherwise, I would surely die in this battle formation.
As time passed, before anyone knew it, dawn broke and the battle was completely over.
Lu Yuan stood on a small hill, his feet covered in blood that had already frozen over.
A large number of barbarian warriors were escorted towards Guhe Pass.
Xiao He dragged two people over; their collarbones were pierced, and their faces were pale.
His body fell to the ground, and he screamed in agony.
Blood seeped from his shoulder blade as he struggled in the snow, but Xiao He paid no heed.
One of them was the chieftain of the Crocodile Clan, and the other was the chieftain of the Hun Clan. They were captured after being exhausted during last night's battle.
At this moment, Xiao He excitedly said, "Your Highness, in this battle we killed more than 20,000 enemies and captured more than 50,000. The rest have scattered, and we have already sent people to pursue and annihilate them."
This time, it can be described as a great victory.
Lu Yuan said calmly, "This is just the beginning. In the coming days, we will unite the people of the three tribes into one."
"Leave some men to guard the prisoners, and take these two tribal chiefs with you. We'll control the Camel Tribe first, and then deal with the other two tribes."
"Yes, sir!" Xiao He replied hastily.
However, just as he turned to leave, Lu Yuan seemed to remember something and looked up, saying, "Oh, right, there's one more thing. Where is Chief Barbarian Camel?"
"He escaped with serious injuries, but he didn't return to his tribe. We don't know where he went," Xiao He said quickly.
Lu Yuan waved his hand: "Never mind him."
After saying that, he jumped onto his warhorse, waved to Xiao Hua in the distance, and then she rode over.
Xiao He also gathered his army together and followed Lu Yuan, quickly heading towards the Barbarian Camel Tribe.
Meanwhile, the Northern Barbarian Army's Martial Hall was completely silent.
No one slept all night. The tea in their hands had been refilled countless times and was now pale in color.
"Snapped!"
A moment later, Xiao Gu slammed his hand on the table and said, "Good, good! I thought the King of Qin would lose, but I didn't expect them to win so easily."
He is truly a master strategist. I think in a few years, our King of Qin will be listed among the great generals.
At that time, we northern barbarians will no longer have to be at the mercy of others.
This battle not only left the surrounding vassal states speechless, but also secured the capture of three tribes, further strengthening the imperial court.
From now on, we won't have to worry about Guhe Pass anymore.
The Grand Master of Ceremonies had an unprecedentedly rosy complexion.
Fu Chuan also smiled: "I underestimated the King of Qin. After this battle, who in the world dares to underestimate him?"
Prime Minister Li Qing nodded: "Indeed, it's quite good. With these three forces, plus the grain they've stockpiled, we can delay the battle against the barbarians for a while longer."
The atmosphere in the room immediately relaxed considerably.
No one is as bitter and resentful as they were last night.
Li Qing even joked, "Although this King of Qin is a brilliant strategist, he is rather poor at business. I heard that his steward has already purchased land in the southern part of the city."
A full 6,000 acres, all to be used to build houses and sell.
We've hired quite a few people, and according to the schedule, it should be almost finished by next spring.
More than 40 million taels of silver are going down the drain.
Xiao Gu raised an eyebrow and said, "It's because you people are occupying the toilet without doing your job that the King of Qin has to look for new ways to make money. If he loses this time..."
We must help him out and prevent the Prince of Qin's mansion from going bankrupt. After all, he's still young, and we need to oversee his business dealings."
"Sigh, Grand Master, you know our current situation. None of our businesses are making any money. The caravans in the buffer zone are all using the money to buy grain."
The wealthy merchants have money, but they spend it all elsewhere, not at all in our northern barbarian lands. Everyone knows that our region is harsh and cold, and internally unstable, so we can't retain people here.
When Li Qing got to this point, his expression was very unpleasant. He had lowered the prices of many items, but no one was buying them.
Xiao Shi, sitting at the head of the table, said, "Let the Prime Minister worry about these matters. I won't interfere. In short, since A Yuan has lost money in this business, you must not let the Prince's Mansion go bankrupt."
After saying that, he stood up and smiled, a rare sight for him: "Alright, you've been nervous for so long, go back and rest."
The battle at Guhe Pass should be over soon.
After she finished speaking, she left the main hall.
And at that very moment.
At this time, Lu Yuan also began to lead tens of thousands of troops to unite the people of the three tribes.
The Mantuo tribe basically surrendered after the army arrived.
After all, they were originally from the northern barbarians.
I didn't have much of a conflict with it.
Over the next five days, the army moved between three locations.
The Manhun and Mane tribes also surrendered completely.
Both of their tribal chiefs had been captured. When the tribesmen saw their chiefs bound to the imperial army in front of the battle formation, they made almost no move and immediately chose to surrender.
On the seventh day, Lu Yuan returned to Guhe Pass, bringing with him an army of 150,000 men from the three tribes.
As for the chieftain of the Barbarian Camel Clan, without the support of his tribe, he was like a rootless duckweed. His entire family was captured, and he, along with the other two chieftains and their families, numbering in the hundreds, were loaded onto a cart and escorted by the army and the powerful warriors of the Prajna Temple towards the imperial city.
The wanted notice for the chieftain of the Mantuo tribe has been issued throughout the entire Northern Barbarian region.
With the assistance of local government offices, the Observatory and the Prajna Temple in the pursuit, it is believed that they will be found soon.
Inside the tent, a bright orange flame burned fiercely, with a large pot resting on top.
There was a lamb stewing inside, along with a lot of medicinal herbs, including the Northern Barbarian Six-Bearded Red Ginseng. This stuff is extremely precious; even a Core Formation Realm expert would benefit greatly from it. Lu Yuan and Xiao Hua were enjoying their meal immensely.
The latter would thoughtfully pour wine for Lu Yuan from time to time.
She sat quietly next to him, very well-behaved.
"Da da!"
Footsteps sounded outside the tent, and the curtain was suddenly lifted.
Xiao Hexing hurriedly walked in: "Your Highness, the supplies from the three tribes have been inventoried."
Lu Yuan looked up at him, nodded, and said, "Tell me about it."
"This time we captured 800,000 shi of grain, enough fodder for our warhorses to last until next year, more than 500,000 horses, over a million head of cattle and sheep, and 500 million taels of silver."
"There are probably a million spirit stones, millions of various pills, and countless rare and precious materials." Xiao He rubbed his hands together, his face full of excitement.
Lu Yuan nodded, a smile appearing on his face. According to regulations, if a general on a campaign has any spoils...
Upon his return to the capital, he will receive one-tenth of the reward.
This time, they really made a fortune.
So he smiled and said, "We'll leave 200,000 shi of grain, and transport the rest back to the imperial court. These things weren't stolen from the people, were they?"
"No, no, these are all the private property of several tribal chiefs. These regional generals occupy a piece of land. In recent years, due to the war in the court, no one has paid attention to them. They have been desperately plundering the people and have also been secretly doing business with other courts, accumulating a lot of wealth," Xiao He hurriedly said.
He dared not lie to Lu Yuan now.
"That's good. Are the arrangements for the three tribes complete?"
"As you commanded, each tribe has left behind a commander of ten thousand men and ten thousand elite cavalry, while we have brought all three groups of troops with us," Xiao He said softly.
Lu Yuan glanced at Old Huang to the side without making a sound.
Lu Yuan didn't interfere much in the affairs of the various tribes, leaving Lao Huang to handle them.
The other person nodded slightly.
Clearly, what Xiao He said was true.
"Alright, then go and do as I say. Remember to come over tonight so we can discuss how to fight the barbarians."
"Does Your Highness intend to directly attack the barbarians?" Xiao He asked, somewhat surprised.
"Of course, we have plenty of troops and supplies. What else would we do but fight them? Besides, I have other matters to attend to and need to get back as soon as possible. The sooner we resolve these issues, the sooner we can enjoy our newfound wealth. Once we've defeated the barbarians, you can handle things here for now." Xiao He was a member of the imperial clan and possessed both personal strength and the ability to lead troops.
Lu Yuan received a message from the Xiao family a couple of days ago, most likely instructing him to observe Xiao He more closely.
If possible, let him command 30,000 troops and garrison Guhe Pass.
The three nearby tribes formed border cavalry, and later sent trusted officials to take over.
Now, Lu Yuan can be said to have become the most trusted person in the Xiao family.
If he has already investigated, then there is probably no problem.
After shaking off his bear-patterned cloak, he said to Xiao He, "Go and get it done. Come back early, and we can have a drink tonight."
"Yes, sir!"
After responding, Xiao He withdrew.
After he left, only Lu Yuan and Xiao Hua remained in the tent.
The latter looked up and asked, "Brother Yuan, are you really going to send troops ahead of schedule?"
"It's true, of course. And this time, we'll wipe out the entire Shengman army. Things should calm down in the north next year, and then we can focus on internal affairs."
"Once we integrate these few regional military governors, we won't have to fear threats from others anymore," Lu Yuan said softly.
"Why do I get the feeling that you're in a hurry?" Xiao Hua asked, puzzled.
"How can we not be anxious? I've heard that the number of Imperial Guards in Dayong has been increasing every year. Now that Wushuang Hou has been replaced, there's never a shortage of food and supplies. Border soldiers can even exchange heads for money."
How wealthy do you think they are?
Having reached this point, it's natural that they want to go to war.
This was the reason why we launched our last offensive against the Northern Barbarians.
However, that time, due to obstruction from powerful officials in the court, it ended up being a half-hearted effort.
But I heard that Emperor Yongzheng has been searching for a way to balance the power of these nobles, and now it seems that he has found a solution.
"At that point, who do you think he'll attack?"
Lu Yuan's words stumped Xiao Hua.
Looking at him, his eyes were filled with clarity.
"Naturally, it's the Northern Barbarians. Although the Western Barbarians are also poor, they are strong in battle. The power of the Great Yu Kingdom is even greater than that of the Great Yong Kingdom. The Eastern Yi and the Southern Frontier have also been stable in recent years. Only the Northern Barbarians have shown signs of decline."
"If they don't attack us, who will they attack?" Lu Yuan sighed as he said this.
Xiao Hua nodded.
They were not speaking.
However, a hint of worry flashed in his eyes.
But then, her resolve hardened, and she vowed to support Lu Yuan no matter what.
After finishing his business, Lu Yuan patted Xiao Hua's head and said, "I'm going to cultivate for a while, don't disturb me."
After saying that, he sat cross-legged on the spot.
He opened the system panel and saw that he had improved many of his techniques after the battles of the past few days.
After saying that, he sat cross-legged on the spot.
He opened the system panel and saw that he had improved many of his techniques after the battles of the past few days.
They just didn't have time to make a breakthrough.
Now that I have some free time, it's the perfect time.
Meanwhile, in the barbarian camp outside the pass, Hunza sat in his tent, listening angrily to his subordinates' reports.
The hand holding the wine bowl was trembling slightly.
"In just a few days, the Northern Barbarian court has suppressed the three tribes of Mantuo? Why am I only getting the news now? Bang!" Hunza slammed his wine bowl to the ground.
His face flushed even redder. The adjutant beside him said, "They've sent out too many scouts to harass us. Our scouts can't get close and can only run away from the Northern Barbarian scouts. It's only today that things are a little better. I heard that the three tribes have gathered 150,000 border cavalry, plus nearly 100,000 elite cavalry from the imperial court. The food supply can also keep up now. What should we do next?"
Hunza scratched his head vigorously and said, "What do you suggest we do? The three tribes together have a population of nearly 30 million. If we add the other tribes near Guhe Pass, the Northern Barbarians could fight us for a whole winter without any problems."
Most importantly, we can't defeat them with our current numbers.
We came here to extort grain, but given the current situation, we have no choice but to go back.
The army was ordered to evacuate immediately; every extra day they stayed meant an extra day of food consumption.
Moreover, I feel that the general leading the Northern Barbarians this time is no ordinary person.
The three barbarians are very strong.
I might not be a match for them. Anyway, give me about ten days. Based on the situation of the Northern Barbarians, I know I can't defeat them. Let's retreat, let's retreat now.
"If it gets too late, I might not be able to escape."
Although Shengman has a fierce personality, it doesn't mean he's stupid. Lu Yuan acted too quickly this time.
The strength they displayed was too great.
Moreover, Shengman's purpose this time was indeed to extort some grain from the Northern Barbarians to get through the winter.
I really didn't have any intention of risking my life.
Now that Lu Yuan has pulled this stunt, they clearly can't stop him, so they have no choice but to leave now.
They'll be the ones who feel awkward then.
After receiving the order, the deputy general turned around and walked out of the tent, then ordered his men to begin breaking camp.
For a while, things were quite busy.
Inside the Northern Barbarian Imperial City, Li Qing and Xiao Gu stood on a high ground in the south of the city, looking at the building complex whose foundations had already been laid.
The latter said softly, "Prime Minister Li, you are most skilled at managing finances and generating revenue for the court. Do you think Prince Qin's business deal will succeed?"
Li Qing shook his head: "Anyway, if I were to do it, I would definitely lose money. Didn't you see that area of buildings? That's the project I started back then. Now it's all abandoned and turned into a beggar's den."
Lu Yuan's land spans six thousand acres, encompassing thousands of courtyards.
Who would buy it? Honestly, this courtyard of his is worse than the one I had built myself.
As he finished speaking, a confident look appeared on Li Qing's face.
Xiao Gu smiled wryly: "At this rate, I think it will be finished by winter."
"Yes, the King of Qin has put in a lot of effort this time, hiring quite a few people and even providing them with meals. In the dead of winter, how could no one come? But even if he lost money, this time it won't be too devastating for him, as he has captured quite a lot on the frontier."
"Once the profits are distributed, it will be enough for him to fill the hole," Li Qing said slowly.
At this point, Xiao Gu seemed to remember something and said to Li Qing, "My clan has been in arrears with the initial cultivation supplies for some time now. The silver that Guhe Pass sent back this time must be made up for, and it must be kept for another six months."
Otherwise, the members of the imperial clan would all be cursing me, the Grand Master of the Imperial Clan.
"Aren't you making things difficult for me? In the south, bordering Dayong, there are hundreds of thousands of border cavalry stationed, and their pay hasn't been issued yet. It's been almost two months. In the west, bordering Dayu, it's also been two months overdue."
The Imperial Guards' pay has not been paid for a month.
Officials in the imperial court have gone without their salaries for six months.
Moreover, the maintenance of armor and equipment, the fodder for horses, and the provisions for soldiers all require silver.
Who do you think I should consider first?
Once the silver is returned, each family will receive a share. We'll have to calculate how much they can give. However, it's unlikely that we can replenish your cultivation supplies for six months; at most, we can give you two months' worth.
As for reserving six months' worth of time, that's even more impossible.
No matter what, the royal family is an upper-class family. A few months without supplies won't affect them much; at most, they'll complain a bit.
However, if the Imperial Guards and Border Cavalry delay their payments any longer, something terrible will happen.
They must be given priority.
Li Qing's words left Xiao Gu speechless. He could only nod and say, "Then I'll endure it one more time, but only this once. I'm doing this for His Majesty's sake."
"Alas, Your Majesty is actually in the most difficult position. After the late Emperor passed away, he left behind such a mess. Every day, he can only rob Peter to pay Paul, and the more he tries to fix it, the more holes there are. I'm really afraid that I won't be able to hold on any longer," Li Qing sighed.
A hint of helplessness appeared between the prime minister's brows.
Currently, because the higher-ups still control absolute military power, ordinary people, apart from those regional warlords, can only endure it.
Moreover, those regional military governors wouldn't just stand by and watch; they would actually dare to take advantage of the chaos.
Whether a dynasty is strong or not depends not only on its military strength, but also on its foundation, which includes money, population, and cultivation resources—all of which are indispensable.
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