Millions of Provisions Rush to Aid Northern Liang The Xiongnu King Retreats

Northern Liang.

For a thousand miles, not a single wisp of cooking smoke could be seen.

The once-green trees were stripped down to bare trunks.

Even the grass along the roads had been plucked clean, exposing the dark brown earth.

Soldiers clad in crimson armor, emaciated and sallow-faced, squatted on the ground. With lifeless eyes, they gnawed on the turf.

They chewed in large mouthfuls, as if it were some rare delicacy.

A soldier, as thin as a monkey, boiled a bowl of wild vegetable soup over a firewood flame. Smelling the aroma and drooling, he ran toward the city walls.

"General Meng Tian, please have a bowl of vegetable soup."

The skinny soldier brought the bowl before a tall, burly man, offering it up like a precious treasure.

Meng Tian stood atop the city wall, gripping his long spear. His massive, imposing frame remained motionless, like a statue.

His exhausted eyes were completely bloodshot.

Piercing through the sky full of wind and sand, he seemed to be keeping watch over something.

The skinny soldier immediately grew anxious.

"General Meng Tian, it has been seven days! You have been standing guard here without eating or drinking. Even a man made of iron couldn't endure this!"

"None of the brothers believe that the Great General would forget us after becoming the Emperor. The Great General must have encountered some difficulties. General Meng Tian, please eat a little, or at least have a sip of water."

His eyes reddened as he pleaded earnestly.

Upon hearing "the Great General," the tall, burly man's cracked lips moved.

"The Great General went to the capital and entrusted the million soldiers of Northern Liang to me in a time of crisis. Now, the major grassland royal courts are glaring at us like tigers. If I do not hold the fort here, they will definitely seize the opportunity to launch a war!"

Seven days!

For seven whole days, he had neither slept nor rested!

He stood alone on the city wall, wearing the Great General's armor to deter the enemy forces.

Although everyone knew that Qin Xiao had gone to the capital.

But the grassland tribes did not dare to gamble!

And Meng Tian did not dare to fall!

Once he collapsed, everyone would realize that Qin Xiao was truly gone.

What would face Northern Liang next would be the fiercest retaliation from the grassland tribes!

If they had provisions, it would be fine; they could easily keep these barbarians out of the city.

But as it was, the soldiers had been starving for days, surviving only on water, and had long lost their combat capability.

Meng Tian sighed, a trace of despair revealing itself in his eyes.

"I apologize, Great General. It is I who failed to guard Northern Liang well for you."

"No matter what, I will hold on until the very last moment!"

He shifted his already numb body, causing layers of sand to rustle down from his armor.

In his heart, he felt both despair and guilt toward Qin Xiao.

As one of the four great battle generals under Qin Xiao, he had earned his deep trust.

Yet now, the Northern Liang army was going to be ruined under his watch.

He did not blame Qin Xiao for not sending provisions; he only felt that he was too incompetent.

When Qin Xiao was here, even without rations, he could lead his men deep into the Mobei grasslands to plunder.

But when it was his turn, he could only put on Qin Xiao's armor and stand like a statue on the city wall.

Meng Tian stood there numbly. He did not know how much time had passed, but his body felt as heavy as lead, and every bone and limb ached.

His eyelids were fighting to stay open.

He desperately wanted to sleep, to lie on the ground forever.

But his remaining willpower, like a stabilizing anchor, kept him enduring until now.

Just as he was about to give out, a figure came sprinting from the distance.

"General! General! We have provisions!"

A young soldier shouted, gasping for breath.

Hearing this, Meng Tian violently opened his eyes, a sharp light bursting from them. He spun around, rushed to the soldier, and grabbed his shoulders.

"What did you say!"

He suspected he had misheard.

"Provisions, His Majesty sent provisions! The empty granaries are full of grain... and it's refined rice! There's meat too..."

"And this food is enough to last us a whole year!"

The soldier's face was flushed red, dancing with joy and speaking incoherently.

At this, not only did Meng Tian hear it clearly, but even the slouched city guards pricked up their ears and scrambled up from the ground.

Their eyes were filled with excitement and ecstasy.

For the half month since Qin Xiao left, they had survived by gnawing on turf and drinking wild vegetable soup.

If this continued, they feared they would literally drop dead from exhaustion!

"Hahaha, we have food!"

"We won't starve to death!"

"Long live the Great General!"

"Long live His Majesty!"

......

Their morale instantly surged, and even Meng Tian couldn't help but show his excitement.

"Open the granaries and cook!"

"Today, everyone will have a full meal!"

Meng Tian immediately issued the order.

With food, the soldiers' morale was restored.

Even if the grassland tribes came to attack, he was not afraid in the slightest!

Before long, wisps of cooking smoke rose across the lands of Northern Liang.

From time to time, shouts of "Long live!" echoed through the heavens!

Countless soldiers revered Qin Xiao like a god!

"Hmm? What's going on? Didn't they say Northern Liang had run out of food?"

On a sand dune not far away.

A group of cavalrymen was watching this scene inside the city.

"Damn it! We were deceived by Qin Yu!"

"He told us that Northern Liang was out of food and that Qin Xiao had rushed to the capital, but what is this situation now!"

A group of burly grassland men clad in beast armor erupted in fury.

They had originally intended to attack the city, but seeing Qin Xiao's armor, they felt a bit of fear.

After discussing it together, they decided to observe for a while first.

Since Northern Liang had no food anyway, breaching the city was only a matter of time.

But what was happening now?

Northern Liang had cooking smoke.

Upon seeing this scene, they felt that no matter what, Northern Liang could no longer be breached.

"Are we just going to retreat like this?"

"Winter is approaching. If we don't plunder food for the winter soon, what will happen to our tribesmen?"

A grassland tribe leader gritted his teeth.

They discussed until they were almost fighting, but no one could make up their mind.

That was until a figure wearing a scarlet ghost mask and riding a Silver Moon Wolf King stepped forward.

"Among the Seven Kingdoms, only Great Qin is currently in turmoil. From the looks of it, Qin Xiao is indeed in the capital. This is our best opportunity!"

When the crowd saw this person, not only did they not show any contempt, but they instantly quieted down.

Fear flashed in the eyes of many.

The person before them was the overlord of the Mobei grasslands!

Among the numerous tribes, he was the undisputed king!

With iron-blooded methods and a massive army of three hundred thousand iron cavalry under his command, he was known as the Mobei Wolf King!

"Please speak, Xiongnu King. We will all listen to you," the grassland men hastily said.

The Xiongnu King smiled faintly, his voice chilling. "According to the intelligence I have received, Great Qin's western border is currently erupting in conflict with Great Zhou. As long as we ride a hundred miles there and take advantage of the gap while they fight, we can invade Great Qin!"

"Furthermore, there are rumors that the Great Qin general and the Great Zhou female general are childhood sweethearts. The two of them treat the battlefield like child's play, and their soldiers are already exhausted. This is an excellent opportunity!"

"Of course, this requires marching for half a month. The danger is immense, but the rewards are also high. I wonder if you are willing to accompany me on this journey?"

Stirred by the Xiongnu King's words, the others nodded in succession.

Their minds were entirely set on plundering grain and the women of Great Qin. Now that they had learned of such an opportunity, they naturally would not let it slip away.

Once successful, their tribe would multiply in strength and size.

Not only would they be able to loot precious goods, but they could also humiliate Qin Xiao and take revenge for the plundering they had suffered in the past!

The Xiongnu King looked up toward the east, her lips parting to reveal cold, silver teeth in a chillingly bloodthirsty smile.

"Qin Xiao, you stole my true love. I will make you pay in blood!"

The one she loved was none other than the current Empress of Great Qin.

She was a princess of Great Zhou, one of the Seven Kingdoms.

She was also the woman married off to Qin Xiao in a political alliance.

It was a marriage arranged back then by Emperor Wu of Qin for Qin Xiao, all to curry favor with Great Zhou.

"Soon. Wait for me, Yan'er! In half a month at most, I will carve a path into Great Qin and take you away!"

The Xiongnu King tightly gripped a dragon and phoenix jade pendant, her beautiful eyes involuntarily brimming with an undeniable, deep affection.

This was the very pendant Yan'er had secretly slipped to her on the day of her wedding three years ago.

Even now, she still remembered Yan'er's tearful words from three years ago, saying that for the sake of Martial Zhou and the Empress, she had no choice but to submit to Qin Xiao.

Whenever she thought of this, the Xiongnu King felt a stabbing pain in her heart, as if it were being pierced by a knife!

"Yan'er, I am coming to save you. I will personally take you away right in front of Qin Xiao's eyes!"

As the Silver Moon Wolf King leapt high into the air, the scarlet ghost mask on the Xiongnu King's face slipped slightly, revealing a peerlessly beautiful face with an exotic allure.