Only three seconds? He's already the Lord of All Realms, so it doesn't matter.

After staying in Tianshui County for nearly a month, the army finally set off again, stopping in other counties in Longxi to settle the local people.

After staying in Longxi County for a total of two months, the new National Army continued its advance into the Qiang region along the ancient Qiang Central Road.

It was summer, and when the army entered the Huangshui Valley, the altitude suddenly increased, and many soldiers experienced altitude sickness.

Facing the vast mountains and plains, the howling mountain wind, carrying countless grains of sand, lashed against Liu Xiu's handsome face.

He glanced at the setting sun and the army suffering from the unfamiliar environment.

Even in the height of summer, the temperature in the Qiangzhong Valley at night can reach nearly zero degrees Celsius, and the army needs to wear thick clothes to keep warm.

Faced with numerous soldiers suffering from "qi deficiency" symptoms and insufficient supplies, the army had to repeatedly slow down its march. Whenever they encountered a peak on the road, they would stop to rest after climbing several hundred meters.

This resulted in the army of over 200,000 lingering in the Huangshui Valley for nearly ten days, with the rear guard not yet fully deployed.

Liu Xiu was well-versed in military strategy. He was not in a hurry because he had no other choice when faced with such a dangerous place.

Back in the central camp, Liu Xiu summoned Zong Tiao, Wang Feng, and others to discuss the upcoming marching route in the tent.

He pointed to a strategic pass on the map and said:

"If the vanguard goes another ten miles or so, it will encounter the territory of the Qiang people."

According to the Immortal Venerable, the Qiang people are hostile to our new kingdom, and conflict will likely be unavoidable.

The generals understood that the army's purpose in leaving Longxi County was to first take over the Qiang territory.

Immortal's decree—

Looking across the five lakes and four seas, across the vast land, there are no outsiders!

Not only must the former territories be recovered, but the long-standing threats to the Central Plains from previous dynasties—the Qiang people in the northwest and the Xiongnu in the northern desert—must also be eliminated. Only in this way can the new country enjoy peace and tranquility.

The current challenge is how to deal with the local Qiang people, whom the army is ill-suited to, as they will be fighting tomorrow.

"Which general dares to lead the vanguard?"

Liu Xiu looked at the group of people, whose faces all appeared somewhat haggard. Zong Tiao immediately stepped forward, sword in hand, and said:

"This humble general is willing to accept the order, to serve as the vanguard, and to secure the first victory for the army!"

Liu Xiu nodded, his eyes filled with satisfaction, and then discussed the follow-up matters with the other generals.

Near the end, he heard Ye Xuan's telepathic message—

"Please, Immortal Venerable, offer some guidance on this journey!"

However, Ye Xuan did not interfere with their battle strategy, letting them do as they pleased, leaving only one sentence:

"I have a backup plan for tomorrow's battle."

Liu Xiu listened attentively until he heard Ye Xuan's plan. He couldn't help but laugh, but he also praised it as a brilliant plan.

However, this so-called backup plan is not due to the supreme power of the Immortal Venerable or the divine might of Heaven, but rather depends on human effort...

The next morning, after a full night's rest, Dajun's face occasionally showed a hint of fullness.

The vanguard, a force of ten thousand men, led by Zong Tiaoyou, steadily advanced towards the high plateau not far away.

He came to a relatively flat open space, looked up diagonally upwards, and sighed:

"This place is treacherous, easy to defend and difficult to attack!"

But facing the isolated village before him, and with over ten thousand New Nationalist soldiers behind him, he had the greatest confidence. Zong Tiao immediately made a decision:

"All troops, follow my command! Charge with all your might and achieve a swift victory!"

For a time, the vanguard army was beating drums and waving flags, and the shouts of battle were so loud they made people's eardrums vibrate.

Zong Tiao took the lead, carrying a large sword, and rode his horse at breakneck speed, rushing up the muddy path along the valley to the mountain cliff camp.

Upon seeing this, the Qiang people in the village immediately drew their bows and shot arrows, aiming at the low targets from above.

A small squad of the new Nationalist Army raised their shields to block the barrage of arrows, providing protection for the soldiers following closely behind.

However, while shield bearers were effective against arrows, they were helpless against rocks rolling down the cliffs, and the new Nationalist army had already suffered considerable casualties...

Zong Tiao forcefully withstood the pressure, fighting relentlessly amidst the chaos of the battlefield, while maintaining calm command throughout:

"Protect me there!" He broke through the center of the battlefield and, under the cover of the New Kingdom's crossbows, charged into the enemy ranks.

Before long, this isolated camp with fewer than a thousand men was outnumbered and quickly routed by Zong Tiao's aggressive and swift tactics.

He beheaded the village chief with a single stroke and shouted to the army and Liu Xiu below:

"This stronghold has fallen!"

Everyone praised Zong Tiao's bravery, and the army crossed the small hill and began to sweep through the Huangshui Valley, which was known as the granary of the Qiang people.

According to Liu Xiu's strategy, as long as the Huangshui Valley is captured first, the army will no longer need to rely entirely on Longxi County for supplies and reinforcements.

At that time, they can set up camp in the Huangshui Valley, cultivate the fertile land, and carry out long-term operations.

Once the army has adapted to the adverse weather conditions, they will launch a full-scale attack and conquer the entire Qiang region in one fell swoop!

Before nightfall, the new National Army had almost swept through half of the Qiang villages in the Huangshui Valley. Faced with the scattered Qiang people of the alliance, how could a disorganized group hold out against more than 200,000 mighty men?

The following day at noon, in the central army camp, everyone began to discuss matters related to land reclamation and how to deal with the Qiang army that was being reinforced from within.

Inside the tent at this moment, besides Liu Xiu and his group of generals, there was also a stranger who rarely appeared before.

This man was Jiang Wu, courtesy name Changge, a local from Qiangzhong.

When Jiang Wu first entered the university, he chose the Taoist Academy. Afterwards, he studied diligently and became an official in the new country, thus beginning his career.

On the eve of the army's departure from the capital, Ye Xuan instructed Liu Xiu to pay his respects to this young man named Jiang Wu.

"Jiang Wu is from a prominent Qiang family. Our army intends to take over the Qiang region, and he will be of great use to us."

So Jiang Wu followed the three armies all the way back to their homeland in Qiangzhong. The reason why the new national army was able to efficiently break through the camps in various places in the past two days was because Jiang Wu guided the three armies.

As a local, he knew the terrain of this area and the alliances of the various camps and clans better than anyone else.

Liu Xiu patted Jiang Wu on the shoulder beside him, "After we take Qiangzhong, you will have done a great service."

Jiang Wu scratched his head somewhat awkwardly. Although he had entered the capital to serve as an official, he was still a member of the Qiang ethnic group at heart.

This situation inevitably presents a dilemma where loyalty to the emperor and filial piety must be reconciled...

But he chose the greater good, believing that the new country had a bright future and that the city's reforms were advanced and enlightened, so he was willing to follow it to the death.

Liu Xiu then asked, "Are you aware of the Qiang tribal alliance that has come to our aid this time?"

Jiang Wu nodded, moved to the front of the map inside the tent, and pointed to several areas inside the Qiang region, saying:

"It should be the Jiang clan of Qiangzhong, who joined forces with the Xianling Qiang tribe and the Lejie Qiang tribe."

Upon hearing that the Jiang family was among them, Liu Xiu couldn't help but observe Jiang Wu's expression and said to him:

"Then you should go to the rear and not show yourself for now."

Unexpectedly, Jiang Wu said:

"No, General, I want to fight the enemy at the front. If I were to go out and persuade a few clans and tribes to surrender."

Several generals paused slightly upon hearing this, but Liu Xiu greatly admired him and praised him, saying:

"Jiang Changge is a man who deeply understands righteousness!"

He never expected that among the Qiang people, whose family ties were so deeply rooted in the old era, there would be someone who could abandon everything for his ideals. He was a ruthless person!