Grinding to Martial Emperor from the Border Army

Chapter 171: Chapter 137: Advancement

Even if I were to go myself, the outcome would be the same.

We face not only external threats but also internal turmoil. The Mantuo Tribe stopped paying tribute ever since Your Majesty ascended the throne, and they’ve only grown more defiant.

Prince Qin, this battle to establish your authority is crucial. It will determine your future prestige among the Northern Barbarians. I don’t want you to act on impulse and put yourself in a difficult position later on.

Furthermore, this battle must be won quickly. Once winter arrives, our provisions won’t be enough to sustain a prolonged war of attrition.

Every day the army is in the field costs a tremendous amount of silver.

The Grand Commandant first laid out the difficulties of the coming battle, then analyzed it from both Lu Yuan’s and the imperial court’s perspectives.

His assessment was brutally honest, without a hint of sugarcoating.

The atmosphere in the Military Hall grew heavy.

While the Northern Barbarians have Beast Riders and Tiger Warriors, they serve to deter threats from all sides, and mobilizing them would be even more costly.

Besides, the war absolutely cannot be allowed to escalate to that level. If it does, the Shengman will deploy their own elite forces in response.

At that point, the Northern Barbarians would face true catastrophe.

If the Beast Riders are deployed, the Imperial City’s deterrent force will be insufficient, which could make others see an opportunity for the taking.

It would throw the imperial court into chaos.

But if we don’t deploy them, the front line won’t be able to hold.

Therefore, our only option is to use the forces near Ancient River Pass. They should have been sufficient for a defensive campaign, but the Mantuo Tribe’s actions...

...have put the Northern Barbarians at a complete disadvantage.

Cavalry, by nature, are ill-suited for defending cities and can’t leverage their strengths. Moreover, the Northern Barbarians have historically neglected Defense, so the walls of Ancient River Pass are low.

Trying to just defend the gates without sallying forth will be extremely difficult.

Lu Yuan looked up at the Grand Commandant and chuckled. "Someone has to fight this battle, don’t they?"

The Grand Commandant fell silent.

’Lu Yuan is right. If he doesn’t go, someone else will. And whoever goes will face the same risk of defeat.’

Prime Minister Li Qing, a white-haired old man, looked up and mused for a moment before speaking. "If you take the initiative to fight outside the pass, defending in the field, our provisions can last one month. By then, winter will have truly begun. If you haven’t won, you’ll need to slaughter local livestock to fend off starvation.

For the common people, that is an absolutely unbearable burden.

Therefore, Prince, it would be best to bring the army back within the pass to defend before winter arrives.

While Dayong has started trading grain with us, the breakaway factions buy up most of it. The price is also several times the normal market rate. The situation with Great Yu is much the same.

Only one-third of the Northern Barbarians’ territory is suitable for cultivation. Of that third, a significant portion has been occupied by disloyal tribes. This is why Dayong’s army once dared to march deep into our Wasteland. If their own internal conflicts hadn’t led to the news being leaked, the Northern Barbarians might have collapsed back then. So, you should understand the gravity of our current situation."

Unconsciously, the Xiao Clan’s expression had darkened.

’The longer I am on the throne,’ she realized, ’the weaker the Northern Barbarians’ national power seems to become.’

’We are even worse off than we were two years ago.’

But Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow. "If I’m not mistaken, the Shengman’s food situation should be even more desperate than ours."

"Yes. Their lands are harsher than ours, but the Shengman are an incredibly unified tribe. They can make a tight fist. We Northern Barbarians, on the other hand, have been plagued by breakaway factions for years. Our internal structure is a mess; we can barely open our hand, let alone strike with it. We’ve been on the defensive for years.

The more factions break away, the lower our tax revenue. Less revenue means less money to support our army.

And this is just the beginning. If we don’t find an effective solution, things will only get harder. Those breakaway factions are hoarding vast amounts of grain and resources," Li Qing took a fruit from his sleeve, popped it in his mouth, and added faintly.

He had suffered an injury in his youth and now needed to consume a Spirit Fruit every so often to soothe his lungs.

"Yuan, if you’re not confident, I..."

"Your Majesty, I’ll go," Lu Yuan interrupted the Xiao Clan.

Xiao Hua looked over, her expression unreadable.

’I’m not the little girl I used to be,’ she thought. ’And besides, I’m going with him no matter what.’

’As long as I can be with Lu Yuan, there’s nothing to be afraid of.’

"Alright. You’ll depart tomorrow morning. I will not see you and Hu’Er off. If we can just get through this winter, things will be much better.

All the Shengman really want is grain to survive the winter. If the situation becomes impossible, you must prioritize your own survival. We can find another way."

The Xiao Clan advised, looking at Lu Yuan and Xiao Hua with lingering concern.

’These two are the closest members of the younger generation to me. One is my own daughter, and the other is the man I’ve chosen in my heart to be my son-in-law.’

’The kind I’ve truly come to see as a son.’

Lu Yuan rose to his feet. "As you command!"

After a few more moments of discussion, the ministers dispersed and returned to their homes.

In truth, Lu Yuan was quite confident about this battle.

Sixty thousand cavalry. He had never commanded such a well-resourced campaign before.

So, upon returning to his residence, Lu Yuan rested.

The next morning, before the sky had lightened, Lu Yuan mounted his warhorse and led one thousand Beast Riders out from his residence.

At that moment, Xiao Hua had already left the palace. A smile spread across her face when she saw Lu Yuan. This time, she wasn’t in a carriage but was mounted on a horse of her own.

Clad in Body Armor, she cut a dashing, heroic figure.

A large contingent of cavalry was arrayed behind her as well.

"Yuan, let’s go," Xiao Hua said, brandishing her riding crop.

"Let’s move out!" Lu Yuan nodded, leading his men away from the Imperial Palace.

Meanwhile, within the nation of Dayong, the Seventh Prince sat in his residence.

A look of surprise crossed his face as he stared at the person before him. "Are you saying Lu Yuan went to the Northern Barbarians and was made a Prince?"

Zhao Yu bowed. "Yes, Your Highness. He is now Prince Qin of the Northern Barbarians. And I’m told the Northern Barbarian Empress treats him exceptionally well."

"Explain in detail," the Seventh Prince said, raising an eyebrow.

Zhao Yu gave a bitter smile. "Your Highness, the details are unclear. Our agent was discovered by their Observatory and killed in his residence just after he passed the message along.

Now, we don’t have many spies left there—only low-level assets who have no access to the inner circle."

"Hmph. It seems the Northern Barbarians are truly desperate, treating someone like Lu Yuan as a treasure. If there’s no more information, then don’t bother me with it. I’m going drinking with the Unparalleled Marquis shortly. That will be all." After speaking, the Seventh Prince waved a hand, dismissing Zhao Yu.

As for the prince himself, he rose and prepared to leave for the banquet.

Since the Unparalleled Marquis’s return, he had been treated with the utmost respect in Dayong.

Though he had only just returned, he was already a high-ranking member of Dayong’s Central Hub.

According to the Yong Emperor’s intentions, once the Unparalleled Marquis had a period of rest, they could begin considering outward expansion.

Currently, Dayong’s national power was on a steady rise.

The court ministers, the Yong Emperor included, were all of a mind to expand their territory.

They had only lacked a suitable commander to lead the armies. With the Unparalleled Marquis’s return, that gap had been decisively filled.