Chapter 513 You're smart to know what's good for you
It was late autumn again, and Qin Mo led his army out of the Great Wall to fight twice, returning in late autumn both times.
Of the 600,000 troops that set out beyond the Great Wall, less than 200,000 returned. Apart from the guards of the Protectorate General and the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who were buried far from home, many nobles and their private armies chose to stay in the Western Regions, hoping to secure a hereditary territory for their descendants.
As for how to acquire it? Of course, by assimilating the local Hu people! With advanced production technology and sharp weapons, they spread the noble Xia culture to this barbaric land with both sincerity and bloodshed. The spread of advanced civilization has always been accompanied by vivid blood and fire.
"I said we've already encountered three groups today, haven't we? Do they really think the Russians can't be defeated? That the Western Regions will be peaceful forever?"
"Qin Mo, they have no choice! The trade route to Xizhou has been cut off, and these powerful families in the Northwest have lost their most important source of income. If they don't have new sources of income, they will lose their current titles and status sooner or later. After all, the expenses of a large family are also very high."
Qin Yuanze surveyed the determined westward marching procession approaching from the road and sighed, “The families in the Northwest have never lacked courage. Rather than waiting for the Silk Road to reopen indefinitely, they might as well seize a new territory. You know, a hundred years ago there were no Four Garrisons of Anxi. It was all the territory of the Hu people. Now… it’s all the territory of the Great Xia.”
"Make way and let them go first!"
Qin Mo noticed that the group in front of him had the flags of the Imperial Guard and private armies, clearly indicating that several noble families were traveling together with rotating Imperial Guards. He then instructed his men to make way for them.
The large army halted and assembled by the roadside, allowing the private armies of nobles coming from the east to pass first.
The Da Yuan army is now a banner, and all the returning Da Xia soldiers follow suit, making way for those brave men heading west to go first.
Regardless of the purpose of these imperial guards and private armies on their westward journey, it is undeniable that the culture of the Great Xia Dynasty will spread to unfamiliar lands along with the figures of these pioneers. The vast empire was gradually expanded through such courage and sacrifice.
When the nobles' private army passed by Qin Mo's central army, Qin Mo gave a solemn Great Xia military salute to show his respect to these soldiers covered in dust.
The sound of saluting rose and fell, and the procession, stretching for dozens of miles, silently saluted each other in the military salute of the Great Xia Dynasty. Many men had tears in their eyes.
Their lives were worthless; they might be buried in a foreign land tomorrow. What sustained them, besides their meager pay, was their pride and sense of honor in the ancient empire of Great Xia.
At the very end of the westward-bound group was a large banner with the character "王" (King), its black background and gold embroidery making it very conspicuous in the entire procession. And the private army they belonged to... was even more conspicuous.
The force of about five thousand men was led by a vanguard of lightly armored cavalry. Their light armor was not the cheap leather armor, but the fine steel armor produced by the Da Yuan.
The central army consisted of riflemen in full chainmail, and their manner of marching clearly indicated that they were Imperial Guard riflemen. As for the large carts covered with tarpaulins in the rear army, Qin Mo and other discerning people could tell at a glance that they were artillery pieces.
Qin Yumu, who was once the commander of the Imperial Guard's Shenji Battalion, glanced at the guard and said in a strange voice, "Which powerful guy is this who actually pulled together an Imperial Guard to act as a private army? The one surnamed Wang, the one surnamed Wang, could it be... Damn, look who that is?"
Qin Yuanze was also somewhat stunned: "Really? What is she trying to do?"
A tall, snow-white steed emerged from the ranks, followed closely by dozens of guards in gleaming armor. The entire cavalry squad crossed the marching column from the open fields by the roadside, charging menacingly toward Qin Mo's Qilin banner.
Qin Mo's large army had strict and complex marching and combat regulations. As soon as someone tried to force their way into the central camp, scout cavalry would immediately intercept them from the outside.
"Let them come over!"
Qin Mo glanced at the arrogant woman riding the white horse and gave her a brief instruction, as a gesture of respect for her sister.
"Qin Mo, you've got quite the airs! I just came over to say hello, and your men actually drew their guns on us!" Wang Yuyan's expression seemed very amiable, but her eyes and tone carried a sense of superiority that made people very uncomfortable.
Qin Mo felt annoyed looking at Wang Yuyan in front of her. They were born of the same mother, so how could there be such a big difference? Six or seven years had passed, and Wang Yuyan was still the same mean-spirited person, without any improvement.
"Should we say hello? We already have, Miss Wang, you're very easygoing!"
“…”
In fact, Wang Yuyan was also a well-bred young lady, and she was very well-mannered in her dealings with others. However, because of the incident of refusing to marry Qin Mo back then, she developed a rift with Qin Mo. The colder Qin Mo was to her, the more her inferiority complex drove her to become more sarcastic and mean.
"Qin Mo, how dare you speak to me like that? You're where you are today thanks to my sister's help. Don't be ungrateful and turn your back on her after you've served your purpose!"
Qin Mo frowned, and the officers and soldiers around him also began to glare angrily at Wang Yuyan. In their eyes, Qin Mo was a god-like figure. Let alone Wang Yuyan, who was just a commoner, even if Wang Yushi spoke to Qin Mo like that, they would not allow it.
"Even if your sister is protecting me, what does it have to do with you? Do I need to be polite to you?"
“.......
Wang Yuyan was stunned for a long time before she came to her senses. Ever since Wang Yushi became a Heavenly Realm expert, her treatment had skyrocketed. She was always pampered and coaxed wherever she went. She had never suffered such humiliation before. She was about to lose her temper, but her guards held her back.
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