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

With Zhang Yi's bow, the last weight was lifted from Li Che's heart.

He quickly got up and personally helped Zhang Yi up.

The arm was firm and strong; although Zhang Yi was thin, his arms were as hard as iron.

Based on Li Che's experience, he judged that Zhang Yi possessed genuine martial arts skills, and were definitely not weak.

This man was not only loyal and brave, but also a true military talent.

What Li Che valued even more was the Shazhou army behind Zhang Yi, and the veterans in Shazhou City who had survived twenty years of dire straits.

Their familiarity with the geography, climate, tribes, and even the internal situation of Tibet in the Western Regions is irreplaceable by any map or guide.

Next, they swept through the Tibetan forces in the Western Regions; these men were worth ten thousand elite soldiers.

"General Zhang, please rise." Li Che's tone became even gentler. "The soldiers and civilians of Shazhou have endured hardship in this remote region, and I feel deeply ashamed, but also deeply respect them."

"If you join the Qing Army in the future, I hope that you will spare no effort to expand the country's territory."

Zhang Yi stood up, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

"Your Majesty is too kind. We only ask to live up to the blood of the Chinese people. Now that we have gained Your Majesty's approval, we are content and dare not fail to do our best."

Li Che smiled and nodded, his heart filled with joy as he looked at Zhang Yi.

The two sat down again, and the conversation turned to the current situation in Shazhou.

Zhang Yi's answer was concise and clear, and Li Che listened attentively.

The situation in Shazhou is indeed dire; it is surrounded by enemy forces and suffers from a lack of manpower, food, and weapons...

Besides the frequent harassment from Tibet, the various countries of the Western Regions also regarded it as a stray dog.

Because of the Tibetan order to blockade the city, no country dared to openly trade with Shazhou City. Even those that did do so secretly demanded exorbitant prices to take full advantage of the situation.

Of course, after the Qing army arrived, these problems were no longer problems.

On the contrary, Shazhou's unique geographical advantages provided Li Che with an excellent springboard for conquering the Western Regions.

As for those hostile forces, Li Che wasn't afraid of them having too many; he was only afraid that they were too weak.

The severed heads are not enough to distribute to each soldier; the soldiers would be disheartened.

Finally, Zhang Yi asked, "When does Your Majesty plan to move into the city? I will then lead the soldiers and civilians to prepare the ceremonial guard and respectfully welcome Your Majesty."

Upon hearing this, Li Che pondered for a moment.

He looked up toward Shazhou, already imagining the state of panic and unease that must be taking place in the city at that moment.

The approaching army of an unfamiliar imperial court presented a great deal of uncertainty for a group of soldiers and civilians who had struggled to survive for nearly twenty years.

“In that case… General Zhang.” Li Che withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhang Yi, “You shall return to the city first.”

Zhang Yi was slightly taken aback.

Li Che continued, "Go back and reassure the soldiers and civilians, and truthfully tell them about the circumstances of today's meeting."

"Let them know that it is not the Tibetans who are coming, but the royal army to take them home. My provisions and medicine will arrive soon."

"As for me, I can wait until the afternoon to enter the city."

Zhang Yi understood instantly.

The emperor was giving him enough time to prepare; otherwise, the sudden arrival of the army would have caused chaos among the refugees.

Zhang Yi felt a warmth in his heart at the emperor's consideration, having never experienced such boundless imperial favor before.

His throat tightened slightly, and he clasped his hands in a deep bow: "This humble general obeys the decree and will certainly not fail Your Majesty's trust!"

"Go ahead," Li Che nodded with a smile. "Tell the elders of the city that when I come this afternoon, there is no need to clear the streets or kneel to welcome me."

"I want to see what Shazhou is really like."

"Yes!"

Zhang Yi's voice was firm and resolute. He said no more, turned around, and strode towards his warhorse.

He mounted his horse, glanced at Li Che one last time, respectfully clasped his hands in a fist salute, then turned his horse and galloped towards Shazhou City.

Watching his departing figure, Li Che instructed Qiu Bai, who had walked to his side, "Have the accompanying medical officers and the supply battalion prepare medicine, millet, and dried meat, and send them to the outskirts of Shazhou City to await Zhang Yi's orders."

"Tell Luo Yueniang that this afternoon I will only bring three thousand personal guards into the city. Tell her to keep the army stationed in Liucheng and not to approach within ten miles of Shazhou without orders."

“Yes.” Qiu Bai hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, “Your Majesty, one should be wary of others…”

Li Che waved his hand: "Zhang Yi is a smart man, and more importantly, a man of integrity and loyalty. I treat him with sincerity, and he will surely repay me with sincerity."

Qiu Bai said no more. His Majesty had never made a mistake in judging people, so he bowed and withdrew to make the arrangements.

On Hanhai Lake, the Qing army's iron formation still stood solemnly like a forest.

Li Che sat alone behind his desk, watching the smoke rising from the chimneys of Shazhou City, a sign that life was still stubbornly continuing.

He was waiting, waiting for that city to be ready to welcome the new era.

. . . . . .

In the afternoon, as the sun began to set, Li Che arrived with his army as promised.

The gates of Shazhou City were wide open, and there was no longer any intention to refuse entry.

Behind the crenellations of the city wall and on both sides of the gate, there were crowds of people.

The soldiers' gazes, complex as the tide, silently poured over the slowly approaching Daqing army.

The Qing army was not fully present; according to Li Che's orders, only three thousand personal guards accompanied them.

However, these three thousand men were also clad in black armor, their ranks were so orderly that they seemed to have been cut by a knife and axe, and the only sound as they marched was the uniform sound of their footsteps.

Seeing such a strong army, the soldiers of Shazhou had mixed feelings.

They were overjoyed that strong reinforcements had finally arrived, and they no longer had to worry about dying at the hands of foreign tribes.

Fearing that the reinforcements were too powerful, they didn't know whether their future would be good or bad.

Zhang Yi led dozens of his generals to stand solemnly outside the city gate to welcome them.

Looking at these generals, the old ones had graying temples and weathered faces; the young ones had their naivety worn away by the frontier winds and sands, their eyes sharp as eagles in the Gobi Desert.

They stood together, silently watching the dragon flag draw ever closer, and the figure in black robes beneath it.

Li Che's gaze swept over the group of people, his face calm and expressionless, but inwardly he was increasingly delighted.

What a formidable group of fierce and powerful generals!

Standing to Zhang Yi's left was a burly, towering man with a thick beard and bulging muscles in his arms; he was the makings of a fierce general ready to charge into battle.

The man on the right has a dark complexion and calm, serene eyes; he is surely a promising talent capable of standing on his own.

Those few white-haired old men... well, they were quite old, but their eyes were filled with the accumulated experience of blood and fire.

Twenty years of being trapped in a desperate situation have yielded only the most resilient talents.

Anyone you pick and put in the Qing Army's new army would be more than qualified to be a regimental commander.

This is definitely a great gift package for a mid-level general!

But he also increasingly felt that most of the gazes directed at him, except for a few, were still filled with suspicion and vigilance.

When they reached ten paces from the city gate, Li Che reined in Hei Feng, dismounted, and moved swiftly and decisively.

He casually handed the riding whip to Qiu Bai, who had followed him, and walked alone toward the group of silent, waiting generals from Shazhou.

Zhang Yi stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and began to speak: "Your Majesty..."

Li Che raised his hand and gently stopped him.

He stopped three steps in front of the crowd, his gaze calmly sweeping over each face.

The next moment, to everyone's astonishment, Li Che straightened up, raised his hands, and solemnly clasped them in front of his chest.

At the same time, Qiu Bai behind him took a deep breath and shouted hoarsely:

"All troops, listen to my command!"

boom--

Upon hearing the sound, the three thousand black-armored guards seemed to be pulled by the same thread, instantly standing still, their armor clashing together to produce a muffled and synchronized loud bang.

Everyone faced the city gate of Shazhou, facing the weathered garrison generals, like a black iron forest.

Zhang Yi and his generals were momentarily bewildered, not knowing what kind of ritual this was.

Li Che kept his hands clasped in a fist salute, his gaze calm.

Then, towards the group of Shazhou garrison commanders, towards the mottled city walls behind them, towards all the souls who had stood guard for twenty years behind those walls...

He bowed deeply and paid his respects.

Qiu Bai's voice followed closely behind, echoing throughout the city gates:

"To my fellow countrymen who hold fast to this place—"

All three thousand armored soldiers raised their right arms in unison and pounded their fists heavily against their left breastplates.

"salute!!!"

boom!

The sound of fists clashing suddenly rang out, and a deathly silence fell over the city walls and surrounding areas.

Zhang Yi was stunned.

The generals behind him also stared wide-eyed, their eyes filled with disbelief.

The burly, bearded man's lips trembled slightly, the dark-faced young general clenched his fists, and even the usually composed veteran generals couldn't help but twitch at the corners of their eyes.

What an honor it is for a monarch to bow to him.

But everyone knows that this is soldiers paying tribute to soldiers, compatriots to compatriots, and those who came after paying tribute to those who went before.

Twenty years of wind, sand, and hunger, the sacrifices made in constant battles, all the grievances and resentment... were given a meaning that transcended success or failure in this heavy chest-pounding salute.

It's unclear who uttered the first sob.

Immediately, as if a dam had burst, the eyes of many Shazhou generals instantly turned red.

Someone turned their head away, their shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

Some people clenched their teeth, but something scalding hot still broke through the barrier and slid across their dirty cheeks.

Zhang Yi took a deep breath, suppressing the sob in his throat.

He straightened his worn-out armor, then faced Li Che, straightened his back, raised his right arm, and pounded his chest heavily.

Behind him, dozens of Shazhou generals raised their arms and pounded their chests in unison.

There were no slogans, no words.

Only the muffled thuds of armor and fists echoed and reverberated beneath the ancient city walls.

The wind swept across the Gobi Desert, stirring up fine dust.

A brand-new black flag with a golden dragon on a black background was raised on the city wall, fluttering in the rising wind.

. . . . . .

Li Che's first order upon entering the city was to take over the defense of the four gates, maintain order within the city, and prohibit any disturbance of the people without orders.

Qiu Bai was then instructed to distribute provisions and medicines, and the military medical battalion immediately opened a clinic to prioritize the treatment of the seriously wounded and the elderly and weak.

Although Li Che sympathized with these Shazhou soldiers, sympathy did not equate to complete trust.

Now that he has taken up residence in Shazhou City, the defense must be handed over to his own people. This is the vigilance a qualified emperor should have.

The black-armored Qing army silently dispersed and infiltrated the streets and alleys of Shazhou, where they began to relieve the exhausted Shazhou garrison.

The Shazhou army did not have any negative or opposing sentiments, and the transfer of military power proceeded smoothly.

Bags of millet, pieces of dried meat, and packets of medicine were unloaded from the pack animals and piled up in several open spaces in the city.

The soldiers and civilians of Shazhou watched from afar, and gradually a look of gratitude welled up in their eyes.

Li Che himself did not go directly to the government office, but said to Zhang Yi beside him, "General Zhang, accompany me for a walk and take a look at Shazhou."

Zhang Yi felt a slight tightness in his chest and nodded in agreement.