We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Deputy General Wang opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but couldn't find a more compelling argument.

Although the number of firearms was small and replenishment was difficult, they did solve the immediate problem at the time and made them feel somewhat favorably toward the young emperor.

"Besides," General Han said, turning his tone cold as he looked at Deputy General Wang, "if His Majesty really does send a large number of troops and supplies, and the lists you casually put together don't match up, then if we're accused of falsifying or omitting information, who will take the responsibility?"

"Or should we let all the brothers in Tiger's Might Fort suffer with you?"

Deputy General Wang's expression changed, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

False reporting in the military is a serious crime.

He could distrust the court and complain, but he would never gamble with his own future and that of all his brothers in the fort.

"This subordinate understands." Vice General Wang finally lowered his head, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I will take care of it right away. I will check it carefully and not be careless."

General Han nodded, his expression softening slightly: "Go, and make things clear with the soldiers. This is a good thing; it's a favor from His Majesty and the Commander-in-Chief to our old brothers."

"Let everyone feel at ease, and let them think for themselves whether to stay or leave."

"Here."

Similar scenes were constantly playing out in military towns, fortresses, and camps along the vast northwestern defense line.

An investigation that affected the entire Northwest Frontier Army and concerned the fate of tens of thousands of people quietly began.

Mid- to lower-ranking officers like General Han and Deputy General Wang began to dig out dusty military registers and check and question each officer one by one.

. . . . . .

Several days later, in Lanzhou.

As autumn deepens, the sky is high and the clouds are light, and the wind carries a distinct sense of desolation, causing the flags on the city walls to flutter loudly.

Li Che ascended the city walls of Lanzhou, his gaze calmly fixed on the distant horizon beyond the city.

Behind him, on his left, was Ma Jing, dressed in a slightly worn military uniform, yet radiating energy as if he were ten years younger.

On the right is a familiar face, Shu general Yu Daliang.

Yu Daliang is the commander of the reinforcements from Sichuan. He arrived in Lanzhou three days ago, handed over some grain and supplies, and his troops are temporarily stationed outside the city.

At this moment, Ma Jing was pointing with his finger at several newly built camps outside the city, his face full of excitement.

Behind the camp were endless convoys and Shu soldiers lined up in square formations.

"Your Majesty, please look! That new camp to the east is the garrison of General Yu's elite troops."

"The grain, salt, and medicinal herbs we brought have all been stored and counted. The quantities are clear and there is nothing missing."

As he spoke, he cast a grateful glance at Yu Daliang, who was standing to the side.

Yu Daliang bowed slightly, clasped his hands, and said, "This humble general is acting on His Highness Prince Jin's orders and dares not fail. The men of Shu are willing to defend the borders and protect the enemy for His Majesty!"

Li Che nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the group.

The Shu soldiers' armor was relatively distinctive, and their spirit was completely different from that of the battle-hardened Northwest Army.

Although the long journey had left them somewhat exhausted, discipline was strict, and the camp was set up in a very orderly manner.

This is a carefully selected Shu army, whose elite status is no less than that of the Qing army, and they are absolutely qualified to defend the border against enemies.

On the other side of the dusty official road, a long convoy of vehicles was slowly approaching.

The soldiers transporting the goods, carrying flags bearing the character "Qin," drove one vehicle after another into the city.

"Your Majesty, that is the first batch of emergency provisions from Guanzhong."

"As per His Majesty's decree, supplies of millet and wheat, beans, and hay, totaling 8,000 shi, 2,000 shi, and 50,000 bundles of hay, along with 2,000 fur coats for warmth, were allocated from nearby Jingzhou and Yuanzhou in Qin Province. Two batches arrived yesterday, and this is the third batch today."

"The messenger from Qin Province arrived first, saying that three more batches will follow, and all will arrive within ten days."

Ma Jing's voice trembled slightly.

For so many years, when had the Northwest Army ever seen so much grain at once?

With so much food, we're sure to get through this winter.

Li Che remained silent. Qin Sheng had performed reasonably well this time, so it seemed that his influence was still effective.

Even the most audacious rats wouldn't dare embezzle military rations right under their noses.

Qiu Bai, speaking from behind, said, "News has come from Liangzhou that the first batch of reinforcements from the capital has left Tongguan, escorted personally by General Wang."

"There are 3,000 newly made cotton armors, 5,000 finely forged swords, 5,000 strong bows, 100,000 arrows, and 200,000 taels of silver specially approved by His Majesty for procurement. It is expected to arrive in Longyou within half a month!"

"The remaining troops are also being assembled one after another. Twelve thousand soldiers selected and reorganized from the surrendered soldiers of the Southern Army have also gone north. At the latest, the first batch will be able to join the defense."

Yu Daliang listened quietly from the side, his heart also filled with turmoil.

When he first arrived in the Northwest, he was also shocked by the desolation of the place.

I thought the predicament in Sichuan was difficult enough, but I didn't expect the neighboring Northwest to be even more difficult.

Although there was turmoil both inside and outside the Shu region, at least supplies were plentiful, and the Shu army was treated well.

The Northwest... is simply a complete mess.

Fortunately, with His Majesty in charge, government orders are being implemented efficiently, and support from all sides is being provided swiftly and effectively, which has led to the current situation.

Thinking of this, Yu Daliang's gaze towards Li Che's retreating figure was filled with even more awe.

Li Che listened silently, without a hint of smugness on his face.

These were the result of his forceful suppression using imperial power, not a smooth resolution; ultimately, they were only treating the symptoms, not the root cause.

If I leave now, the situation in the Northwest will immediately return to what it was before within a few months.

But now is not the time to dwell on these things.

The matters in the rear can be dealt with gradually; that is Daqing's internal affair, and Li Che has plenty of ways to resolve them.

The situation at the front was different; the Tibetans did not obey his orders.

"The pace is not slow, but we cannot let our guard down," Li Che said. "The Shu soldiers have just arrived and need to be properly settled in and familiarized with the climate of the Northwest as soon as possible."

Yu Daliang quickly clasped his hands in acceptance.

Li Che then said, "The men of Shu have come from afar to help us fight despite the hardships, which greatly pleases me."

"However, the border region is bitterly cold, and the two armies have very different tactics. You still need to work with your comrades in the Northwest more to get to know each other."

"Ma Jing will arrange experienced officers to assist your unit in adapting as quickly as possible, and you should cooperate fully."

Yu Daliang solemnly clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general obeys the imperial decree! I will certainly work together with my comrades in the Northwest to live up to His Majesty's trust!"

Li Che nodded, his gaze sweeping over the vast wilderness outside the city.

He pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Minister Ma, there is something I don't understand."

"Your Majesty, please give your instructions."

"Why did you start by recruiting new soldiers from Lanzhou and other cities in the rear when you drafted the rotation regulations?"

"Logically speaking, the most critically short-supply military towns should be the front-line garrisons, which directly face the Tibetan army. Why are they being placed in the back instead?"

Ma Jing stepped forward, his voice lowering: "Your Majesty is wise. It is not that I am unwilling to consolidate the frontier first, but rather that the timing is wrong."

He paused for a moment and then explained, "The Mid-Autumn Festival has passed, and the weather on the border turns cold very quickly."

“Every year at this time, until the mountains are sealed off by heavy snow in the depths of winter, is the most active season for the Tubo people.”

"Although the soldiers at the front are old, they are very experienced. Only they can deal with the Tibetan attacks and prevent our army from suffering too many losses."

"Oh?" Li Che raised an eyebrow. "The autumn is here, the horses are fat, and they've come to raid for hay? These Tibetans have actually learned the skills of the steppe barbarians?"

“Your Majesty is only half right,” Ma Jing shook his head and said. “They did come to plunder, but their targets were not just grain and livestock.”

"Or rather, looting was just a side effect; their real purpose was destruction, to keep our border troops from having peace!"

Li Che looked over with a serious expression: "Explain in detail."

“They would sneak in in large numbers during the dry autumn season, avoiding direct confrontation with our main force and targeting their weak points.”

"Tibetan soldiers carried oil and rockets to harass supply convoys, burn grain and fodder in farmland, and preferred to besiege fortresses and beacon towers that were mainly made of earth and wood."

Ma Jing's words contained anger: "The earthen fortress is inherently afraid of fire, and once it catches fire in the autumn, it is often difficult to put out."

“Even if the garrison soldiers in the fort were able to repel the enemy, the fortress on which they depended for survival would be reduced to ruins. By the time our army arrived to provide reinforcements, the Tibetans had already fled far away and retreated back to the plateau.”

"When the harsh winter came, the destroyed fortress could not be repaired, and the soldiers had nowhere to stay, so they had no choice but to retreat."

"The following spring, that land fell under their actual control. Over the past few decades, they have used this method to gradually push our defenses back."

Li Che listened quietly, his eyes growing colder.

Having long heard that the Tibetans were difficult to deal with, Li Che felt indignant upon hearing Ma Jing's words.

After so many years of fighting, we've always been the ones tormenting others. When has it ever been our turn to be tormented by others?

Li Che snorted coldly, his tone full of murderous intent: "The barbarians of the grasslands have only learned the basics of their plundering and plundering skills, but they use them to carry out this insidious scheme of cutting flesh with a dull knife."

He turned around and faced west, which was the direction of the Tibetan Plateau.

The wind was stronger on the city wall, causing his cloak to billow backward.

"They like to raid haystacks?" Li Che's voice was icy. "Then let's change it this year!"

He looked at Ma Jing and Yu Daliang, his eyes flashing with a sharp light: "How about we burn them down this year? Let's make sure they don't have a peaceful autumn either!"

Ma Jing was startled and looked up abruptly: "Does Your Majesty intend to take the initiative?"

A cold smile curled at the corner of Li Che's lips: "That's right! We'll repay them the way they treated us!"

“If they send people to burn the farmland, then let them burn it. We might as well not defend it and instead launch an offensive to take down their camps and cities.”

Ma Jing hurriedly said, "But... wouldn't all our frontline garrisons fall into enemy hands in this way?"

"What's there to be afraid of? It's okay if we lose these odds and ends. It's our turn to gather grain soon!"

"I expect they will not expect us to launch a large-scale attack, and they will certainly be caught off guard."

"If they retreat, that's fine. But if they dare to fight us to the death and refuse to withdraw, we'll march on their capital, Lhasa, this year!"