At this point, Ma Chao perked up!
With the initial formation of 100,000 iron cavalry, he Tiandu, his mind filled with the blitzkrieg tactics his lord had described. To crush the enemy with lightning speed—that was the true meaning of an iron cavalry!
When the time comes, we will defeat Tuoba Yu in one fell swoop, conquer the entire Northern Region Barbarians for our lord, and spread the fame of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry across the northern sky. How exhilarating that will be!
If I could truly do that, I would die without regrets!
Seeing Ma Chao secretly enjoying himself, Zhang Liao couldn't help but show an envious expression.
He has only just joined the lord's ranks and still needs time to hone his skills before he can command an army of 100,000.
Cough cough!
Lin Yi interrupted Ma Chao's reverie and asked, "What about those prisoners? How did you deal with them?" This time, so many forces were wiped out, and those forces had quite a few subordinates. Although most of them were killed, some were spared.
Moreover, the number of people is quite large, at least forty or fifty thousand.
If these people are not handled properly, they will become a menace sooner or later, so we must be cautious.
"Rest assured, my lord, I have entrusted those ordinary people to Chen Qun for city construction, and only the elite troops have been incorporated into the army. Moreover, I have scattered those people in different places; they will all be your men from now on!"
Ma Chao nodded, looking confident.
Once you enter our camp, there's no such thing as an outsider or enemy; you'll all eventually become our lord's men.
kindness!
Lin Yi was satisfied with this arrangement.
These people are just working for those forces; they have no loyalty whatsoever. They only need to be trained for a while, and they will know who their true masters are.
Just like taming animals, they can tell whether they need a full meal or not.
He beckoned to Zhang Liao and said in a deep voice, " Mengqi, I'm entrusting the Xiliang Iron Cavalry to you. I believe you can complete the mission. I'll also give you a deputy general; with his help, we'll surely achieve twice the result with half the effort."
Their eyes met instantly, both brimming with fighting spirit, their eyes practically glowing – the aura of powerful individuals.
Zhang Liao!
" Ma Chao!"
Neither of them backed down, their eyes locked on each other. If Lin Yi hadn't been there, they probably would have started fighting.
Lin Yi was both amused and exasperated. He said in a deep voice, " Zhang Liao is your deputy general, responsible for assisting you in training the Xiliang Iron Cavalry. You two must be diligent. If the results are unsatisfactory, you can go and plant sweet potatoes with Zhou Cang!"
Forehead!
Zhang Liao's momentum instantly crumbled, and the image of the lewd boy Zhou Cang clutching his crotch flashed through his mind, causing him to shudder.
If I were to go and plant potatoes with that White Asura, wouldn't I end up like Zhou Cang, with monkeys stealing my peaches, having to carry manure, and being bossed around by an old man?
That's absolutely unacceptable. We're here to lead troops into battle; how can we go and grow sweet potatoes?
He shook his head vigorously and said solemnly, "My lord, rest assured, Zhang Liao will do his utmost. Otherwise, I am willing to die to atone for my sins!"
Holy crap!
Ma Chao was taken aback. This was too outrageous! Was it really going to involve atonement with death?
I don't understand, but it sounds impressive!
This sweet potato planting is so terrifying! Even someone who's on par with me is so afraid of it. It seems I absolutely must not plant sweet potatoes.
After dealing with those two, Lin Yi looked at Wang Yue. With this guy back, things would be much easier for him.
He can understand your thoughts without you having to say a word, which is incredibly convenient.
He somewhat understood why Zhu Di was able to tolerate Ji Gang in history; having a capable person by one's side is definitely a monarch's greatest help.
"My lord, this time..."
Wang Yue, of course, was unaware of his lord's thoughts, and reported on his achievements this time.
This time, he completely eradicated those hidden forces. The entire Xiliang Commandery is now basically a clean slate. Apart from some newly arrived spies, all the old forces have been eliminated.
Throughout the entire Xiliang Commandery, the Crown Prince truly held absolute power, and no one dared to disobey him. There was only one problem: the recent spies had become quite arrogant!
If the Crown Prince hadn't previously said to leave them alone for the time being, he would have already taken action.
Lin Yi shook his head and smiled, "They have people who can handle them; the Net only needs to keep an eye on them. This time, our target is quite large; we need to go all out!"
"A new goal?"
Their eyes lit up; a new storm was brewing.
Seeing their expressions, Lin Yi waved his hand and smiled, "There's no rush. Now that you're back, the core of my Xiliang Commandery team is basically complete."
In that case, rewarding merit is naturally indispensable.
Even though they are military generals within the system, they are still independent individuals and must be respected.
"Strategist Jia Xu has provided excellent advice and strategies for this young master, and has rendered outstanding service. He is hereby rewarded with two thousand taels of gold, a mansion, and a considerable amount of jewels!"
"Commander Ma Chao, who has fought many battles for this young master, is a veteran under his command. He is hereby rewarded with three thousand taels of gold and a mansion..."
" Wang Yue, the commander of the Net of Heaven), has served this young master faithfully, controlling intelligence All Under Heaven. His contributions are truly immense. He is hereby rewarded with three thousand taels of gold and a mansion..."
"Prefect Chen Qun, who worked diligently and conscientiously for the planning of Xiliang Commandery, is rewarded with a thousand taels of gold and a mansion..."
"General Zhang Liao, the Northern Expeditionary Army, has not yet distinguished yourself, but I, the Crown Prince, will still reward you with a thousand taels of gold and a mansion. As for other rewards, that will depend on your performance. I hope you will not disappoint me!"
"..."
Among them, Ma Chao and Wang Yue received the heaviest rewards, after all, they had followed him from the beginning and worked hard without complaint, devoting themselves wholeheartedly to him, so they naturally could not be treated unfairly.
Then there's Jia Xu. Although he's somewhat cunning and treacherous, he's utterly loyal to me.
Then there's Chen Qun. These past few days, he's been working tirelessly to build the power structure of Xiliang Commandery, often staying up until midnight. He's truly dedicated and deserves a reward.
The three were thrilled to see the gifts bestowed upon them by their lord.
Only Zhang Liao felt unworthy of the reward and couldn't help but step forward, saying in a deep voice, "My lord, Zhang Liao have not yet rendered any service. I beg you to rescind your order! It will not be too late to reward me after Zhang Liao have rendered great service."
"Haha, I believe in your abilities, so I'm giving you these rewards in advance. As for the greater achievements you can make in the future, I will certainly not be stingy with rewards. You should know that the title I'm giving you is General Who Conquers the North, so don't let me down!" Lin Yi said solemnly.
This is Zhang Liao, the foremost of the Five Elite Generals and enshrined in the Martial Temple. How could he not deserve such a reward? He absolutely deserves it.
With tears welling in his eyes, Zhang Liao suddenly knelt down and said, " Zhang Liao thanks you for your trust, my lord. I will not let you down. I will definitely help you destroy the Northern Barbarians!" Such trust can only be repaid with my death!
Since my lord has granted me the title of General Who Conquers the North, then I will take down the Northern Region Barbarians for the Crown Prince. How could one Tuoba Yu be a headache for my lord!