A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

"This old minister has lived for eighty-one years and served three dynasties, and this is the first time I've heard of such a thing—"

He turned and glared at Lu Song, his voice old but loud.

"It's unreasonable to not reward someone for winning a battle, but only after winning again!"

"Prime Minister Lu, if your servant brings you a bowl of fine tea, do you expect him to bring you another bowl before you'll give him a tip?"

Someone in the court couldn't help but chuckle, then quickly suppressed it.

Lu Song's eyebrows twitched slightly, but his face still wore a gentle smile.

"Please calm down, Lord Zheng."

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, his tone almost gratingly humble.

"This old minister does not intend to withhold the rewards for the Wei family army, but at present, Yumen Pass is in imminent danger. If the rewards are given first and then the military orders are issued, I am afraid that the soldiers will become lax in their fighting spirit after receiving the merits."

"Fighting first and then rewarding is actually meant to motivate the army."

"fart."

Zheng Anshi's eighty-one years of upbringing vanished at this moment.

"The nine sons of the Wei family sacrificed their lives for their country; the entire family was loyal and righteous!"

"The tenth prince just finished a war that wiped out a nation, and you're telling me I won't even reward him?"

He took another step forward, leaning on his ceremonial tablet, his cloudy old eyes fixed on Lu Song.

"Two hundred thousand soldiers fought valiantly, and thirty thousand perished at Yanmen Pass! Their blood hasn't even dried yet, and you're already in a hurry to send them off to fight the next battle? You won't even let them have a sip of hot soup?"

"Since ancient times, clear rewards and punishments have been essential to winning the hearts of the people. Failure to reward merit will chill the spirits of soldiers across the land!"

Zheng Anshi turned around and bowed deeply to the dragon throne.

"Your Majesty, this old minister dares to suggest—immediately issue an edict to commend the Wei family army!"

"Even a simple imperial edict or a few words of praise is the court's way of showing its respect to the soldiers on the front lines! Rewards can be simple, but they must not be absent!"

There was a moment of silence in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Emperor Yuanxi looked at Zheng Anshi's hunched back and his eyelids twitched twice.

To be honest, is there any truth to what I'm saying?

Have.

He's not truly stupid. If he wins a battle and doesn't reward the victors, what kind of reputation would that make? What would the world think of him as emperor?

But the problem is-

The person who said this was Zheng Anshi.

That old bastard who had been hitting him on the hand for fifteen years.

Emperor Yuanxi shifted his gaze from Zheng Anshi to Lu Song's face.

Lu Song said nothing, only bowing his head slightly, looking respectful.

But in those half-closed eyes, there was a very faint smile.

He knew this emperor all too well.

Emperor Yuanxi hated two types of people the most in his life:

One type is someone who is stronger than him and still tries to control him; the other type is someone who makes him lose face in public.

Zheng Anshi possessed both qualities.

"Alright."

Emperor Yuanxi sat back on the dragon throne, his face stern.

"What Minister Lu said makes sense. With war still raging on all sides, we should discuss the matter of bestowing rewards at a later time."

He didn't even glance at Zheng Anshi.

"Issue the imperial decree—order the Wei family army to immediately advance westward and rush to the aid of Yumen Pass. Once the siege of the Western Qiang is lifted, I will bestow rewards upon them to recognize their great achievements."

Zheng Anshi stood frozen in place.

He slowly straightened up, and something shattered in his cloudy old eyes.

He's eighty-one years old. He's seen it all.

But every time, it still hurts.

It's not for myself. It's for the 30,000 lives buried outside Yanmen Pass.

"Your Majesty is wise." Lu Song bowed respectfully, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for the entire Hall of Supreme Harmony to hear clearly.

The eunuch in charge of the seal rang out in a high-pitched voice: "Draft an imperial edict—"

Zheng Anshi's hand, gripping his official tablet, bulged with veins. He opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing, slowly retreating back into the ranks.

Lu Song returned to his seat and began to slowly and deliberately move the prayer beads in his hand again.

His confidants behind him exchanged glances.

They all breathed a sigh of relief.

……

Seven days later, outside Yanmen Pass, a cold wind howled.

Wei Zhao rode on his horse, wearing a heavy black cloak.

He looked up and saw 150,000 Wei family soldiers ready to go.

In addition to the 50,000 men left behind to guard Yanmen Pass, there were also 50,000 cavalrymen that Zhao Chen'an had taken with him.

Those were warhorses stolen from the Northern Rong people. Although they were not as docile as the warhorses native to the Great Wei, they had excellent endurance.

The 50,000 heavily armored soldiers were all impeccably dressed, exuding an aura of grim determination.

The remaining 50,000 light infantry were the elite troops who survived this battle.

This battle made the Wei family army famous and gave them confidence.

"Commander, all the provisions have been loaded onto the wagons, and the caravan will meet us outside the three post stations."

Su Qingyun rode a chestnut horse and arrived beside Wei Zhao.

Today she changed into a neat Hu-style dress, with her signature abacus hanging at her waist. Her eyes and brows showed less of her usual gentleness and more of a shrewd and capable air.

Wei Zhao glanced at her and nodded, saying, "You've worked hard. The journey to Yumen Pass is long, and you'll have to keep an eye on the money and supplies."

"Don't worry, my husband." Su Qingyun smiled, a hint of cunning flashing in her narrow phoenix eyes.

"As long as these 150,000 men can bring back the heads of the Western Qiang, I will never let the army go hungry, no matter what the money is."

She was genuinely laughing, but Wei Zhao could hear the heaviness in her laughter.

This journey was not only a military expedition, but also a drain on resources.

Wei Zhao withdrew his gaze and looked ahead.

The army set off, the sound of horses' hooves shattering the morning frost.

"Set off."

He only said two words, his voice was not loud, but it was steady and powerful.

The march was tedious and long.

The journey from Yanmen Pass to Yumen Pass is long and takes at least a month.

Wei Zhao's goal was clear: not only to provide aid, but also to expand the army.

"The training cannot stop," Wei Zhao said to Liu Jingshuang beside him.

Liu Jingshuang, dressed in full military attire with a long spear slung across her horse, said coldly upon hearing this:

"Don't worry, I'll have people recruit soldiers whenever we pass through a prefecture. But most of these new recruits are peasants who have never seen blood. Getting them to the battlefield won't be that easy."

"Then we'll keep fighting until they dare to come up." Wei Zhao said calmly, as if he were talking about something trivial.

"Su Qingyun will provide plenty of food. Eat your fill before you start training. Train until you're exhausted, or train until you're dead."

Liu Jingshuang glanced at him, a faint smile playing on her lips:

"You said it yourself. Don't come crying to me later when I've ruined the recruits."

"As long as we can kill the enemy, even if we are crippled, it is a worthy death."

Wei Zhao rode forward, his gaze sweeping over the green-faced new recruits in the ranks.

He knew very well that if these 150,000 men wanted to defeat the Western Qiang, they would need to be expanded by another 100,000.

Su Qingyun's wealth supported the army, but money could only buy food, not loyalty.

The soul of this army must be forged by Wei Zhao.

On the tenth day of their march, the army passed through Pingliang City.

This is a key area for recruitment, and Su Qingyun had already sent people to spread the word in advance.

The Wei family army was renowned, and with the generous compensation and rations offered, a total of three thousand able-bodied men signed up.

Wei Zhao personally watched over the new recruits at the drill ground.

Some were burly and strong, while others were skin and bones.

But it doesn't matter. As long as you have some strength, you can be tempered into steel once you get to the Wei family army's camp.

"Qingluan, this group of people is now in your hands."

Wei Zhao looked at Huo Qingluan, who was standing to the side directing the formation.