All thirteen tribes of the Dangxiang, three tribes of the Tuyuhun, and five tribes of the Uyghurs in Hexi submitted to the Tanguts.
Wu Shangzhi selected 5,000 cavalrymen from various units and incorporated them into the main army.
Thus, the unrest among the foreign tribes in Hexi was temporarily quelled.
Zhang Zan grasped Wu Shangzhi's hand, tears streaming down his face: "Thank you, General Wu, Liangzhou... is saved."
Wu Shangzhi nodded: "General Zhang, I'm entrusting Hexi to you. Stabilize the situation and restore trade routes; the court will not forget your contributions."
He looked eastward.
Five days have been wasted; we must speed things up.
March 18th, thirty li outside Xijing City, at the Triumph Pavilion.
The newly built pavilion, with its flying eaves and brackets, still has its vermilion lacquer wet. It was specially built by the Ministry of Rites to welcome the Western Regions army.
The road outside the pavilion was already crowded with people eagerly waiting.
Men, women, and children held colorful flags and bouquets, wealthy merchants displayed wine, meat, and fruits, and countless young girls held sachets and embroidered handkerchiefs, their faces flushed as they gazed westward.
"They're here! They're here!"
Someone shouted first, and the crowd immediately stirred.
On the western horizon, first a large banner with the character "武" (wu, meaning martial arts) fluttered in the wind, followed by a torrent of iron cavalry stretching for miles.
Despite the long journey and the weariness of the troops, their military bearing was impeccable and their morale was high.
Especially the Tangut cavalrymen in the ranks, dressed in fur coats and felt hats, although their attire was different from that of the Central Plains army, each of them stood tall and proud, their eyes sparkling with excitement and anticipation.
"General Wu! General Wu is back!"
"A great victory in the Western Regions! The royal army returns in triumph!"
Cheers erupted like a tidal wave.
The people knelt down one after another, and many elderly people wept.
They had already heard that the Western Regions had been pacified and the territory had returned to the Great Yin Dynasty.
Wu Shangzhi reined in his horse at the pavilion, looking at the magnificent scene before him, and was filled with emotion.
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