Chapter 22: All Forces Advance, Reinforcements Rushed to the Front

Following the empire’s land reforms, all land was nationalized. The empire strictly prohibited the resale or gifting of land in any form. Population records were re-registered, and simple identity cards and household registers were issued. This allowed individuals previously living in the shadows to walk the streets openly, which effectively curtailed the influence of the aristocratic clans. Furthermore, the empire forbade the maintenance of private armies; only those holding noble titles were permitted to keep a limited number of guards, all of whom had to be registered with the imperial court.

These institutional changes, though implemented at the cost of many lives, were eventually accepted by the noble families. In exchange for the land reforms, the court provided generous compensation, converting the fiefs and hereditary estates of marquises and nobles into military merits and subsidies.

Military merit was no longer merely a simple record; it could now be exchanged for gold, silver, official positions, and preferential policies for one’s family, kin, and children. Although the Great Qin’s system of military titles had changed completely, its efficacy was greater than before, providing the rank-and-file soldiers with clear goals.

The empire also restructured official salaries, finding that high pay was indeed an effective deterrent against corruption. While the empire prohibited incumbent officials from engaging in business, it did not forbid their relatives or friends from doing so. As the Great Qin’s commercial system gradually matured and flourished, and with the added incentives for the families of noble officials to enter trade, those who resisted the new policies dwindled in number, as they had transformed themselves into a new commercial class.

Many of the merchant caravans accompanying the army were linked to high-ranking officials. Thus, the Great Qin’s victory brought them even greater joy; unwittingly, they had been bound to the chariot of the empire, with no way to jump off even if they wished to.

As the ministers debated in the grand hall, their excitement was palpable. Had the First Emperor not been present, some might have even broken into a dance.

"Issue an edict for the press to print the battle report. I want the people of Great Qin to share in this joy. After all, they are the ones who lent me the capital for this," Ying Zheng joked, a rare moment of self-deprecation.

As the printing house worked overtime, the first five thousand copies of the newspaper were freshly produced. They were packed into the satchels of young newsboys, who dashed off toward all corners of Xianyang.

"Extra! Extra! Imperial army defeats the Xiongnu! Fifty million taels of silver captured! Extra! Extra! Imperial army defeats the Xiongnu, fifty million taels of silver captured!" The cries of the newsboys rang through every street and alley of Xianyang.

The citizens of Xianyang stopped in their tracks, pulling out coins to scramble for the papers.

"Give me one!"
"I want ten!"
"You clumsy fool, you're stepping on my feet!" Various dialects collided as people held out money, their hands already reaching to grab a stack of papers.

"Little one, get me one too!" A ragged beggar took the few coins he had begged for that day, handed them to a newsboy, and took a paper. He squatted in a corner to read it carefully. He clearly was a literate man; it was a mystery how he had fallen into such dire straits.

"Wait! You're literate?" the young beggar beside him asked in surprise.

"Goudan, if you aren't literate, how will you become a commander one day?" the young beggar replied.

"That's true! Then you be the commander, and I'll be your general," the little beggar said with a grin.

In the Qilin Hall, the jubilant ministers quieted down at a gesture from Ying Zheng, though their restless hands betrayed their inner turmoil. Even Ying Zheng’s face was wreathed in smiles.

"My dear ministers, I have ordered the Imperial Kitchen to prepare an evening banquet. Join me in celebrating this good news."

"Many thanks, Your Majesty!" the ministers bowed in unison.

"Now, let us discuss the Great General Meng's request for reinforcements."

"Your Majesty, I support the Great General's proposal," said Ying Xi, the official in charge of logistics, stepping forward.

"Uncle, explain your reasoning to me."

"Your Majesty, Great Qin has been recuperating for five years. We can endure the cost of a million-man campaign if we grit our teeth. Unlike the old tax rate of one-tenth, we now collect one-thirtieth. The people live much better and have surplus grain in their homes. The Great General previously calculated that Great Qin could field over four hundred thousand troops. With two hundred thousand infantry and cavalry already on the grasslands, the empire can sustain an increase in force.

Based on the current situation, our army has reached the heart of the Xiongnu territory, threatening their very survival. Touman will surely commit his entire army. The Xiongnu population is about eight hundred thousand; excluding those killed or captured in previous battles, they still have over six hundred thousand. If it truly comes to the brink of extinction, Touman could still muster over two hundred thousand cavalry. Adding the reinforcements he is begging from various grassland tribes, there will be at least three hundred thousand horsemen.

Against thirty thousand cavalry, any carelessness for our army on the plains could lead to total disaster. A lion uses its full strength even when hunting a rabbit; Great Qin should strike the Xiongnu down once and for all."

"Minister Feng, Minister Meng, you oversee the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Treasury respectively. What are your thoughts?" The First Emperor did not make a decision immediately, needing a comprehensive assessment.

The two men looked at each other and immediately began calculating on paper in the hall.

Minutes later, Feng Quji held up a sheet filled with figures and said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, Minister Meng and I have made a rough calculation. Without the supplies captured in this battle, the imperial treasury truly could not sustain it. But with these resources, we can guarantee the stability of the empire while deploying an additional force of one hundred and fifty thousand."

"Your Majesty, Great Qin has vast quantities of cavalry equipment in our warehouses. If we draw from the Xuanwu Army's infantry—those soldiers who are currently without horses—and send them to the Great General, we can form tens of thousands of cavalry units as soon as we capture enough horses," Xiao He suddenly added.

"Oh!" Ying Zheng pondered this.

"Uncle, are our warehouses sufficiently stocked with helmets, armor, crossbows, and blades?" Ying Zheng asked the Minister of Logistics, Ying Xi.

"Your Majesty, for five years, Great Qin has never ceased the production of military equipment. Thanks to the production line methods proposed by the Immortal Master, our armaments are plentiful. Our warehouses are enough to equip two hundred thousand cavalry, arm a million infantry, and provide enough arrows for three hundred thousand crossbowmen to fire a hundred volleys each," Ying Xi replied loudly.

"Excellent!"

"Yang Duanhe!"

"This subordinate is here!" a burly man stepped forward and saluted.

"Order the treasury to issue five thousand sets of cavalry gear to be sent to the Suzaku Camp. Furthermore, mobilize fifty thousand infantry and twenty thousand crossbowmen from the Lantian Camp outside Xianyang, and fifty thousand horsemen and fifty thousand infantry from the Xuanwu Camp. That is a total of two hundred and twenty thousand troops. Have them march to Meng Tian's location within ten days and await his orders! Anyone who delays this military movement shall be beheaded!" Ying Zheng did not hesitate, issuing the decree rapidly.

"Understood!"

"Convey the order to Huan Yi of the Qinglong Legion: mobilize fifty thousand armored troops to assist in guarding the Xuanwu Legion's base!"

"Order Wang Wan, Meng Yi, and Feng Quji to prepare the military supplies immediately, and have Xiao He oversee the transport of grain and provisions to the front lines!"

"Understood!"