On days without battle, Sheng Huai'an led his subordinates in relentless training. They rose in the morning to cultivate the army's martial art, Ferocious Ox Strength.
In the afternoons, they practiced horsemanship, archery, coordinated cavalry combat, and military formations.
He was now the commander of an army, after all, so naturally he had to train his men and improve their combat strength.
In order to keep Sheng Huai'an's unit, County Magistrate Chen never let their provisions run short, ensuring Sheng Huai'an's men ate their fill and had the strength to train.
They recruited more soldiers from the county town, and lightly wounded soldiers returned to service as well, bringing Sheng Huai'an's force back up to two thousand men.
At the same time, Sheng Huai'an had County Magistrate Chen issue an order to recruit another thousand County Soldiers as reserve manpower. County Magistrate Chen agreed, recruiting a thousand common laborers into the County Soldiers and placing them under Sheng Huai'an's training.
After the Rong Di army withdrew, a full half month passed without them returning with troops to seek revenge.
In mid-October, heavy snow fell over Hexi County.
Goose-feather snowflakes drifted through the air, and overnight, the northwestern border became a world of pure white.
The snow was knee-deep, leaving heaven and earth blanketed in white.
With such heavy snow, the temperature naturally plummeted, and the cold was bone-piercing.
Gazing at the white world, Sheng Huai'an stood atop the gate tower, taking in the snowy scenery.
Only after the snowfall did this border county truly welcome peace. With the heavy snow covering everything, the Rong Di army would find even heading south difficult, much less launching another attack on Hexi County.
The entire northern frontier was covered in ice and snow. At Anning Pass, the Xiongnu army had completely retreated deep