Chaos of the Three Kingdoms Summons

Chapter 2787 Drinking from the Vast Sea, Devastating News Arrives

In January of the fifth year of Jian'an, Li Xiang's army of 50,000 caught up with Liu Cong's troops who were about to migrate and defeated them decisively.

In February, Huo Qubing captured the rebel general Wei Shugui, and Li Xiang ordered his men to kill him with five horses.

Meanwhile, from the conversations along the way, Li Xiang learned that Yue Wan, a high-ranking official of the Yuan Dynasty, and Yang Wu had died of a cold during their northward migration.

Also in February, Li Xiang caught up with Wuyan Yanshou, who was migrating north. In this group, he also saw several Han Chinese officials of the Yuan Dynasty, such as Huangfu Zhen, Fu Yan, and Feng Yi.

Knowing they had no way out, the group fought to the death, and all perished.

In March, they defeated Murong Yan again, beheaded him, and also beheaded Huo'er Huosun. In this battle, Jihuduhu was also lost.

In May of the fifth year of Jian'an, a full year has passed since the expedition began in April or May of Jian'an.

Li Xiang's journey to the north is finally coming to an end.

In fact, starting in March, the scene became increasingly desolate as their army continued to advance.

The greenery has completely disappeared, replaced by boundless Gobi Desert, withered sand dunes, and wastelands beginning to be covered with a thin layer of snow.

They continued northward, clearing the land as they went. The resistance they encountered grew weaker and weaker, and the population became increasingly sparse.

It was as if the entire world consisted only of this silent and resolute army, fighting against both heaven and earth and the remaining enemy forces.

Finally, on a particularly bitterly cold afternoon, news came from the vanguard.

Huo Qubing rode swiftly to the emperor's presence. His brows showed the weariness of a long journey, but his eyes shone brightly like cold stars. He raised his hand and pointed ahead, his voice trembling slightly with excitement and cold.

"Your Majesty! Ahead! If nothing unexpected happens, it should be the Vast Ocean!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiang's spirits lifted, and he spurred his horse forward, with his generals following closely behind.

Climbing up a tall sand dune, the view suddenly opened up before me.

It was an incredibly vast body of water, or rather, a vast sea that looked like a sapphire.

The azure lake stretches to the horizon, merging seamlessly with the sky of the same color in the far distance, making it difficult to distinguish the boundary.

The gale whipped up the icy lake water, slapping against the sand and icicles on the shore with a deafening roar.

The air was thick with moisture and the chill of early spring.

This place, also known as the Hanhai or Beihai, is called the Hanhai.

Of course, later generations called it Lake Baikal.

At that moment, all the soldiers who had followed held their breath.

They traversed thousands of miles of yellow sand, defeated countless powerful enemies, and endured extreme cold, finally standing on this land that existed only in legends and dreams.

Li Xiang reined in his horse and gazed for a long time at the vast, magnificent, and wild waters.

What surged within me was an unprecedented sense of accomplishment and a desire to conquer.

He saw some scattered, simple tents and traces of campfires along the lake shore, clearly recently abandoned.

That was perhaps the last remnant of the Yuan-Mongol army to escape to this place. After seeing the banners of the Jin army, they continued to flee in panic into the endless wilderness of Siberia, no longer able to pose any threat to their Great Jin or its people.

From this moment on, the northern desert was completely wiped out by him.

After a long silence, Li Xiang suddenly laughed loudly, his voice piercing through the howling north wind.

"Bring me my bow!"

Xing Tian, ​​his hair now completely white, personally handed over the emperor's precious bow, the Shooting Wolf Bow. This bow, which had been with Li Xiang for decades, still did not diminish his brilliance, just as it had when the young man first received it.

Li Xiang drew his bow and nocked an arrow, but instead of shooting it at any enemy, he mustered all his strength and hurled the arrow at the surging, vast sea!

The arrow pierced the sky, but ultimately fell helplessly into the cold lake water, where it was instantly swallowed by the waves.

This symbolic gesture stirred the hearts of all the soldiers!
This means that from this moment on, the military power and rule of the Great Jin Empire have extended to the shores of the North Sea!

From then on, all that was illuminated by the sun and moon belonged to Jin.

"Fetch water!" Li Xiang ordered.

Xing Tian personally led several guards on horseback to the lakeside, carefully filled leather bags with the icy lake water, and respectfully presented them.

People eventually have to accept getting old. Xing Tian, ​​who once regarded hundreds of thousands of troops as nothing and could fight his way in and out of a hundred thousand troops seven times, was once ranked number one among the generals.

Now, when he lifts his heavy axe again, weighing several hundred pounds, he can only swing it a few times before he is out of breath.

Fetching water from the North Sea for the emperor he served was perhaps one of the few things he could still do.

The emperor took the leather bag, uncorked it, and actually tilted his head back and took a big gulp.

The icy lake water slid down his throat, carrying an indescribable fishy taste, yet it made him feel incredibly refreshed!
"I have tasted the waters of the vast ocean!"

Li Xiang handed the leather pouch to Huo Qubing beside him, his gaze sweeping over the countless excited and expectant faces behind him. He suddenly drew his longsword, pointed it at the sky, and spoke in a booming voice.

"I hereby declare! The lands of the northern deserts and the shores of the vast sea shall forever be the territory of the Great Jin! Wherever my horses hooves reach and my arrows pierce, that is the border of Jin!"

"Long live the Great Jin Dynasty! Long live His Majesty! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

A thunderous roar of cheers erupted once again, even drowning out the sound of the ocean waves!

Countless weapons pointed straight to the sky, their cold light reflecting off the vast expanse of water, creating an incredibly breathtaking scene.

Looking at his soldiers, at the conquered land, and at the endless sea, Li Xiang felt a surge of pride.

Drinking from the vast sea! This is not only the ultimate military victory, but also the pinnacle of glory that every emperor of the Central Plains has dreamed of!

He did it! His army did it!
"Inscribe it on stone!" Li Xiang ordered.

"Erect a monument here and inscribe this record of our achievements! Let future generations know that the sons of our Great Jin once watered their horses here!"

Soon, a stone stele several meters tall was erected using materials found on the spot. Craftsmen inscribed on it an inscription recording the achievements of this expedition, as well as a phrase that would surely be passed down through the ages.

"The Emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty swept away the northern deserts and then watered his horses at the vast sea!"

The north wind still howls, and the vast sea continues to surge.

But on this day, the memory of this land was forever changed.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the achievement 'Drinking Horse in the Vast Sea.' The reward is ten years of favorable weather for the Great Jin Dynasty and fifteen years of good health for the host. Even if there are disasters or illnesses, things will eventually turn around."

With double happiness upon him, Li Xiang let out a hearty laugh.

Adding to the previous ten years, for at least twenty years from now, the people of the Great Jin will have no worries about food and clothing.

After a year of continuous fighting, the soldiers were already exhausted. Therefore, Li Xiang did not rush to take the next step, but instead gave the soldiers a rare opportunity to rest and recuperate on the shores of Beihai, preparing to give them a short holiday.

However, at the end of May, just as it was about to enter June of the fifth year of Jian'an, a messenger from Luoyang hurriedly rode his horse at full speed.

A piece of bad news also struck Li Xiang at his most triumphant moment.