On the walls of Xi'an, the setting sun bleeds like blood.
The dragon flag bearing the character "胤" and the general's flag bearing the character "赵" were tinged with a magnificent gold.
Surrounded by generals such as Lin Feng, Huan Naxue, Wu Shangzhi, and Tang Yanhai, as well as the forces that had submitted to Xijing, Zhao Muyun rode his horse into the imperial capital that had just been baptized by blood and fire.
On both sides of the street, soldiers and civilians stood solemnly to welcome them, their eyes filled with a mixture of awe, expectation and a hint of barely perceptible fear.
Zhao Muyun went directly to the Grand Commander's Headquarters, which had been converted from Yang Yan's Prime Minister's residence.
As soon as he sat down, he immediately summoned the core generals and those who had surrendered from Xijing.
The main hall of the headquarters was brightly lit.
Zhao Muyun sat in the main seat, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd below.
"General Chen Xuan!"
He first looked at Chen Xuan, who was dressed in military uniform but had a look of shame on his face, and said, "General, you are a man of great righteousness. You have realized your mistake and returned to the right path. At the critical moment, you abandoned the darkness and turned to the light, and the city rose up to welcome the royal army!"
"This action not only spared the people of Xijing from the suffering of war, but also saved the city of Xijing. It is a great achievement!"
"Since Governor Lin Feng has already stated that he will not hold past grievances against us, let us not bring it up again. I hope that in the future, General, you can put aside past grievances and work with me and my colleagues to restore the Great Yin's lands!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan felt a great weight lifted from his heart and excitedly knelt on one knee:
"This humble general, Chen Xuan, thanks the Grand Commander for his mercy in not punishing me! I will certainly do my utmost to repay the Grand Commander's trust and respect!"
Zhao Muyun nodded slightly and then spoke a few words of comfort to the heads of the prominent families of Xijing who had come to pay their respects.
He promised to reward those who had performed meritorious service and to stabilize the businesses of each family. Everyone was deeply grateful and expressed their loyalty.
After appeasing the allied forces, Zhao Muyun turned his gaze to Lin Feng, Wu Shangzhi, and others, a look of approval on his face.
"Lin Feng, Commander Lin!"
His voice was steady, “In this battle of Xijing, you commanded skillfully, made decisive decisions, and deployed your forces meticulously.”
"Applying pressure head-on and winning hearts and minds is the best approach, especially the strategy of sending Xi Sheng to raid Longmen Pass, which was a stroke of genius!"
"Cutting off the enemy's eastward advance and locking down the vital passage to Xijing are the keys to victory! I, the Governor, will credit you with the greatest achievement!"
Lin Feng quickly bowed: "You flatter me, Grand Commander. This is my duty. It is all thanks to your strategic planning and the soldiers' bravery!"
After this battle, Lin Feng and Han Zhong, the two commanders Zhao Muyun had favored in Yinzhou, had matured and were now capable of leading independently.
In the Battle of Shuozhou, Han Zhong proved his ability with his tenacity; and in the Battle of Xiazhou and the Battle of Xijing, Lin Feng also proved himself.
Liu Bang established the Han Dynasty using only the talents from Pei County.
Zhu Yuanzhang used the Huaixi team to establish the Ming Dynasty.
Now, Zhao Muyun has used his brothers from Yanqingdun Beacon Tower in Shuozhou to build a force that controls three territories and can fight against Li Jingang.
While talent may be required for leadership, it is more often honed and honed in the brutality of war that one emerges from the ranks.
“Wu Shangzhi! Tang Yanhai!” Zhao Muyun looked at the two of them again.
"Your subordinates are here!" the two replied, chests puffed out.
"You two led the Liangzhou army, traveling day and night, leaving the Longshan Mountains and rushing hundreds of miles along the Wei River. Like divine soldiers descending from the heavens, you arrived at the battlefield in time, forming a pincer attack with Governor Lin. Your merits are indispensable! The brave Qiang and Rong warriors should also be richly rewarded!"
Wu Shangzhi grinned and said, "Grand Commander, we brothers from Hedong are just looking forward to a tough battle!"
Tang Yanhai, whose face had been fierce, had now become relatively calm: "Grand Commander, I have not failed in my mission!"
Zhao Muyun then commented on and praised the other generals one by one, making them feel refreshed and full of energy.
Zhao Muyun's gaze inadvertently swept over Huan Naxue, who was standing to the side.
Although she was travel-worn, her heroic spirit remained undiminished, and there was a hint of barely perceptible expectation in her eyes.
His heart stirred slightly, but he didn't say anything in front of everyone. He simply nodded slightly to her, and everything was understood without words.
He knew that his praise for her and his concern after their brief separation should be reserved for a private moment when no one was around.
Then, he changed the subject, his tone becoming serious:
"It's a pity that we failed to capture or kill Yang Yan, Yang Yi, and Li Hu, allowing them to escape and cause endless trouble."
Everyone's expression froze.
"Guo Luo!"
Guo Luo stepped forward.
"I order you to lead your cavalry to set off immediately and pursue them towards Jiannan Road! If you fail to catch up, choose a key pass to garrison, closely monitor the movements of Jiannan Road, and await the arrival of reinforcements!"
"Understood!" Guo Luo accepted the order and left.
"Liu Yi!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"I order you to lead your troops to reinforce Longmen Pass! Longmen Pass is our eastern gateway and must not be lost! Make sure to strengthen the city's defenses and be vigilant against any invading enemy!"
"clear!"
Liu Yi responded.
"Wu Shangzhi, Murong Chunhua, you and Chen Xuan will reorganize the prisoners of war in Xijing and station them there."
"Yes, sir!"
“Chief of Namtso, your tribe can rest in Xijing for a while before returning to Huangshui!” Zhao Muyun looked at the Qiang and Rong chieftain he had subjugated. “I have already spoken with Zhang Jiedu, and that place will henceforth be your resting place!”
"General Tian, we do not wish to leave for the time being, but wish to serve you."
However, Namtso and Urgan touched their chests and said with great piety.
"Very well! Then your unit shall be stationed at Niushou Mountain, and you will be richly rewarded with fine wine and meat." Zhao Muyun smiled slightly.
The way to deal with foreign tribes has never been to first use benevolence, but to first subdue them with force, and then apply benevolence.
After arranging the military deployment, Zhao Muyun instructed Fan Bingbing:
"Immediately send a messenger to Jinyang with urgent news of the victory! The Western Capital has been recovered, and the Guannei Road has returned to the Yin family!"
"Your Highness Prince Jin, please discuss the relocation of the capital and subsequent matters with Han Sima, Fan Changshi, and others as soon as possible."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
