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“Advance to Shelechuan? That’s the northernmost grassland of the Barbarian tribes.”
“Not even the previous dynasty, let alone the Great Wei, has ever reached Shelechuan. But now, Oliver Sheng not only reached Shelechuan, he almost wiped out the entire Barbarian tribe.”
“Such a brilliant and dazzling achievement, it’s something that hasn’t been done in a thousand years.”
Looking at the countless cattle, sheep, warhorses, and so many captives, Jade Han couldn’t believe it.
From now on, the Moran grasslands would be part of Great Wei’s territory, a true expansion of the empire.
Jade Han couldn’t even imagine how shocked the Empress would be when she received the battle report.
At this moment, she was utterly stunned by Oliver Sheng’s terrifying achievement, her mouth agape in disbelief.
“A general’s merit will be remembered for millennia, his name resounding throughout the world!” Jade Han exclaimed in admiration.
Such a terrifying achievement was more than enough for Oliver Sheng to be granted a noble title.
In the Great Wei Dynasty, only a Martial Saint could be granted the title of king!
Otherwise, Oliver Sheng would have been made a king!
She looked at Oliver Sheng’s young face, so young. If Great Wei had such a young noble, his fame would spread far and wide.
“You’re joking. This bit of military merit is hardly enough to be remembered for millennia,” Oliver Sheng shook his head. “If I had truly wiped out the Barbarian tribe, that might be closer to the mark.”
“Felix, those over three hundred thousand captives are your responsibility. Have the women and children herd the sheep and cattle; the rest should be sent to build the city. We need to get the city built as soon as possible,” Oliver Sheng instructed Felix Wu.
“Yes, General. I will ensure the city is built quickly,” Felix Wu accepted the order.
The ruins of the city had been cleared, stones quarried, and timber harvested. With so many captives, it wouldn’t take long to rebuild the city.
The millions of cattle, sheep, and warhorses were the wealth of their River West Army. Properly raising them could bring considerable profit.
With so many cattle and sheep, Oliver Sheng naturally had plans. They couldn’t all be used as meat for the army.
“Tonight, we’ll hold a victory banquet.” Returning to the base, Oliver Sheng decided to hold a celebration.
Now, on this grassland, apart from the Huns, there were no strong enemies left.
Oliver Sheng’s troops had no fear of being attacked.
“Celebrate! Celebrate!”
The subordinate generals were all overjoyed.
They had fought the Barbarians on the grasslands and won, but couldn’t celebrate. Now that they were back, they could finally celebrate.
“Isn’t that our General Xiao? How have you been lately?” Jade Han approached Xiao Chuyi with a smile.
“Very well. Fighting on the grasslands, killing enemies on horseback, riding freely, it’s exhilarating,” Xiao Chuyi replied with a smile.
She was born into a family of military generals and had always yearned for leading troops and fighting battles.
Jade Han could see that Xiao Chuyi genuinely enjoyed this life.
“How is His Majesty doing lately?” Xiao Chuyi asked Jade Han.
“His Majesty has been very busy every day, handling state affairs and dealing with ministers,” Jade Han replied.
The two hadn’t seen each other for a long time and were happily chatting when Jade Han suddenly noticed a white-robed figure.
“Who is that?” Jade Han finally noticed the Divine Mother of the Dark Moon Palace.
Such a stunning woman, following the army, was hard to miss.
“That’s the Divine Mother of the Dark Moon Palace, a Martial Saint,” Xiao Chuyi said cautiously.
A female Martial Saint, Xiao Chuyi felt inferior and ashamed in front of the Divine Mother.
Not all Great Grandmasters could break through to the Martial Saint Realm.
If one in a hundred Great Grandmasters could break through to the Martial Saint Realm, it was already remarkable.
Many Great Grandmasters spent their entire lives stuck at the Great Grandmaster level.
And female Martial Saints who could break through to the Great Grandmaster level were even rarer.
“Dark Moon Palace? That great sect in the extreme north? Why would a Martial Saint follow General Sheng?” Jade Han frowned.
Whether in terms of appearance or cultivation, she was peerless. How could such an extraordinary person end up in the Great Wei army?
“I have no idea,” Xiao Chuyi admitted. She didn’t understand why such a significant figure would follow Oliver Sheng.
Although she knew the Divine Mother must have her reasons, it was impossible to guess the thoughts of a Martial Saint.
In the evening, Jade Han wrote a memorial and had it sent to the Capital City by fast horse, urgent news from eight hundred miles away.
That night, the barracks were filled with the scent of roasted lamb and beef. Of course, the captives were only given enough food to survive; eating meat was out of the question.
The slave soldiers also ate ordinary food; Oliver Sheng couldn’t provide lavish meals for them.
On the grasslands, the aroma of beef and mutton filled the air, the stars shone brightly, and the barracks were ablaze with light. Loud songs echoed through the night.
“Raise your cups to celebrate our victory!” Oliver Sheng raised his cup and shouted.
The soldiers all raised their cups and shouted, “Victory! Victory!”
“Drink to your heart’s content!”
“Tonight, drink to your heart’s content!” Oliver Sheng shouted.
“Long live the General!”
The soldiers cheered and shouted. It was rare for Oliver Sheng to let them drink, so they were overjoyed.
The soldiers drank Western Wind Blaze, while Jade Han and Xiao Chuyi drank Green Ant. The two sat together, watching Oliver Sheng drink with his soldiers, sharing in their joy.
“Is this wine really that good?” The Divine Mother of the Dark Moon Palace asked curiously, watching Oliver Sheng and the others drink heartily.
She had never drunk wine before and only thought it smelled nice.
“Try it and see if you like it,” Oliver Sheng handed a jar of Green Ant to the Divine Mother.
Women generally preferred Green Ant.
From what he had learned over the past few days, Oliver Sheng was sure this was an old girl who had trained herself silly on the mountain.
Nearly three hundred years old, she knew nothing about the mortal world, as pure as a fool.
The Divine Mother didn’t refuse. She took the jar, opened the lid, and sniffed it. It had a faint fragrance.
She took a sip and found it fragrant and mellow, but nothing special.
“It’s not that good, not as good as the medicinal meals made from spiritual herbs,” the Divine Mother said with clear eyes.
Her lively eyes seemed to say, “This isn’t some divine nectar, why are you all enjoying it so much?”
Oliver Sheng felt tired. Truly, she was out of touch with the world, not understanding any of the subtleties, her training had made her a bit dull.
“General, how about a poem to enhance the drinking mood?” Wesley Hu shouted.
“Yes, General, a poem to enhance the mood,” the subordinate generals echoed.
Oliver Sheng’s poetry was excellent, and they wanted him to compose a poem.
The atmosphere was lively, and Oliver Sheng was in the mood.
“Alright, I will sing a poem for you,” Oliver Sheng stood up.
“Great!”
The subordinate generals and soldiers cheered, the atmosphere in the barracks was lively.
Jade Han’s eyes lit up as she watched Oliver Sheng prepare to compose a poem, her gaze intense.
She had always loved Oliver Sheng’s poetry.
Inspired by the moment, Oliver Sheng thought about which poem to borrow… ahem, to draw inspiration from.
Soon, he thought of one.
“Fine wine in a luminous cup, about to drink, the pipa urges from horseback.”
At first, the crowd didn’t think much of it. They were drinking Western Wind Blaze, not fine wine, and there were no luminous cups or pipa-playing girls.
So the soldiers didn’t feel deeply connected.
Until the next line.
“Drunk on the battlefield, laugh not, how many return from ancient wars?” Oliver Sheng’s loud voice fell, and the soldiers’ scalps tingled.
“Great poem, the General is amazing,” the rough man Chi Tiansheng could only say it was amazing.
That’s the downside of being uneducated.
“Great poem, ‘Drunk on the battlefield, laugh not, how many return from ancient wars?’”
Harrison Zhou, Felix Wu, Sawyer Shangguan, and others felt this poem was tailor-made for them.
Reflecting on the first line, “Fine wine in a luminous cup, about to drink, the pipa urges from horseback,” they deeply resonated with it.
They also wanted to enjoy life, drink fine wine, and watch pipa dances, but the warhorses urged them on, the war drums echoed, and the battlefield awaited them.
“Drink to your heart’s content!”
“Come, drink to your heart’s content, haha!”
“The General is truly talented, ‘Drunk on the battlefield, laugh not, how many return from ancient wars?’ is a poem that speaks to our hearts.”
“Come, tonight we drink, the sky as our blanket, the earth as our bed!”
Harrison Zhou, Felix Wu, Sawyer Shangguan, and others, reflecting on their years of fighting on the battlefield, their eyes grew misty.
Tears seemed to glisten in their eyes!
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