The rewards were flooding in, and apart from a few main rewards, the rest were all rewards for the submission of the Western people, which were just ordinary supplies.
However, the initial reward left Lin Yi with lingering unease.
The Last Anxi Army!
Just by glancing at the reward's attributes, Lin Yi seemed to hear the sorrow of countless soldiers. This was a loyal and brave army that guarded the country's borders with their lives.
They took the defense of their homeland to the extreme, dedicating forty years to it and putting it into practice with their lives.
Suddenly, a tear slid down Lin Yi's cheek. Rang Rang couldn't help but sigh, lamenting, "Iron-blooded Guo Xin, the last of the Anxi Army, truly a pitiful and lamentable figure!"
He was already as hard as iron, but he was still moved by the army's tragic fate; it was truly heartbreaking.
For over forty years, the iron-blooded Prince Guo Xin Anxi alone. A powerful army fought to the very end, leaving only white-haired soldiers in the city, yet they still did not give up in the slightest. What a tragic and heroic story!
Compared to the generals he had acquired before, Guo Xin was the most impressive.
This army's combat effectiveness is absolutely extraordinary and cannot be measured by common sense, because it has been elevated to the level of military spirit.
The Tubo Empire was incredibly brutal, and other foreign tribes were also extremely powerful, yet Guo Xin still managed to hold out for over forty years. That's truly remarkable.
It was only when they grew old that the city was breached; otherwise, they could probably have held out for their entire lives.
To think that those small Western countries could muster this Anxi Army is giving them too much credit. Perhaps this is some kind of compensation for the Anxi Army.
Even though there were only 10,000 men, Lin Yi had no complaints whatsoever. This was an army with a soul, a truly iron-blooded army.
As long as the iron-blooded military spirit of Anxi exists, I can use it as a foundation to create countless Anxi Army, which would be the most terrifying force.
Then came the second reward, and Lin Yi was pleasantly surprised by Tian Feng's appearance.
With the beginning of a peaceful and prosperous era, the number of civil officials under his command has become somewhat scarce, so the appearance of Tian Feng is undoubtedly a huge surprise.
Tian Feng was a strategist under Yuan Shao during the Three Kingdoms period. He possessed exceptional strategic foresight and talent, as well as profound insights into military affairs, making him a top-tier strategist.
Unfortunately, due to his upright character and the misplaced trust he placed in the wrong person, he ultimately met a tragic end.
If he had been under a different lord, under Cao Cao, he could have shone brightly. Unfortunately, he encountered the legendary stubborn Yuan Shao, which sealed his fate.
If Yuan Shao had listened to even a little advice, he wouldn't have ended up like this.
Now that it's in his hands, Tian Feng can finally unleash his talents and shine brightly on this land, achieving lasting fame.
As for the other rewards, apart from Wang Xuance, who caught Lin Yi's eye, he really didn't care about those warhorses and supplies.
Today, the Great Liang possesses a complete Northern Region Barbarians, which is the best training ground for warhorses in the Great Liang. There are also warhorse breeding grounds in the Western Regions, so the Great Liang has no shortage of warhorses.
In comparison, the so-called 100,000 Western warhorses were not as important as Tian Feng in Lin Yi's mind.
Wang Xuance was no ordinary man; he was capable of single-handedly destroying a country, making him an exceptionally capable individual.
Zhang Zizai's ability to summon Wang Xuance clearly shows he has some skill.
This man was originally just a minor civil official in the Great Tang, but he achieved a remarkable feat that will be remembered in history: he single-handedly destroyed a country.
With his own abilities, he managed to destroy Central India by borrowing troops; his capabilities are absolutely not to be underestimated.
Unfortunately, during the Great Tang age, conquering a country was as easy as inviting Great Tang to dinner, so although he was richly rewarded, he didn't have much opportunity to demonstrate his abilities.
However, his aura speaks volumes; he is no ordinary person.
With a thought, Lin Yi summoned them directly.
"Your subjects Guo Xin, Tian Feng, and Wang Xuance pay their respects to Your Majesty!" The three of them immediately bowed and knelt down upon their arrival.
"No need for such formalities, gentlemen!"
Lin Yi waved his hand, helping the three of them up while also sizing them up.
Of the three, Guo Xin was undoubtedly the most eye-catching, because he possessed an almost visible aura of menace that made him impossible to ignore.
To put it bluntly, he's the kind of guy who can stop a child from crying just by looking at him; he exudes a murderous aura and looks like a tough, ruthless general.
In comparison, the other two were much more refined-looking, with the appearance of scholars.
Lin Yi looked at Guo Xin, Guo Xin was still young at the moment. He had probably only been Anxi for a few years. Who would have thought that he would end up so tragically?
He couldn't help but exclaim, "You've held out for forty years, and when the city fell, it was filled with white-haired soldiers. My dear minister, you are truly admirable!"
"Staying alone for forty years?"
Guo Xin was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized, and said with a wry smile, "So I've been guarding this place for so long, and I still don't know how my brothers are doing. Are they all old soldiers with white hair?"
He doesn't remember these things, but that doesn't affect his understanding.
What the Emperor said probably foreshadowed my own future. Could my fate really be so dire?
"For forty years, the city has been defended alone; now, the soldiers are all white-haired!"
Tian Feng and Wang Xuance couldn't help but gasp, and both couldn't help but take another look at Guo Xin, who was in such a terrible state.
Tian Feng cupped his hands and said solemnly, "Brother Yuanhao's righteousness is admirable!"
Wang Xuance couldn't help but exclaim with admiration, "Brother Guo, you have guarded this place for forty years; you are truly a hero of this world!"
Imagine an army that fought from youth to old age, their hair turned white – how magnificent that is! It's enough to bring tears to your eyes and stir your heart.
Such loyalty and bravery are rarely seen in this world!
A hero?
Guo Xin smiled bitterly, a hint of loneliness rising in his eyes, and sighed, "You two are too kind. If this is my future, then I only feel sorry for my brothers."
A trapped beast in a besieged city—where can heroes emerge?
From the emperor's description, he had already guessed the ending: his ten thousand brothers would likely suffer a tragic fate, with probably no one surviving.
"It's not your fault. You've done everything you were supposed to do. Blame the times!"
Lin Yi gave him a fair assessment: Guo Xin had done everything he could, even exceeding his limits, risking his life.
Unfortunately, the later Great Tang was corrupt and unworthy of the loyalty of such an army.
"Yes, it's none of your business!"
Tian Feng and Wang Xuance nodded silently. If a country with such an army couldn't be saved, then the country was nothing but a pile of shit.
Guo Xin smiled and said in a deep voice, "There's no going back on a move once it's made. That was my choice at the time, and it was also the choice of my brothers. I don't think they will regret it."
"I am now Guo Xin of the Great Liang, and from now on I will fight for the Emperor!"
Excellent!
Upon hearing his words, Lin Yi's eyes lit up. He realized he had underestimated the iron-blooded Prince Guo Xin.
This person is probably not only exceptionally brave and skilled in martial arts, but also possesses considerable military strategy and resourcefulness. He recovered so quickly and even expressed his loyalty.
The world underestimated Guo Xin. If he had received support at that time, the outcome of the war in Great Tang Western Regions would have been uncertain!