Surrounded by a crowd, Liu Hong arrived at the top of Juyan City.

A gentle breeze carrying the scent of earth and grass blew by, and Liu Hong subconsciously took a deep breath.

For Liu Hong, who was used to the mild climate of Guanzhong, the weather in Juyan in June, although very pleasant, still made him feel a little uncomfortable.

This discomfort, aside from physical discomfort, mainly stems from psychological factors.

The sky was a clear, cloudless blue, and the sunlight was dazzling. Looking out from the height of the city wall, the distant north stretched out into a vast grassland, with undulating grasses swaying in the wind like green waves constantly surging.

Behind Liu Hong, Jia Xu, Lü Bu, Huang Zhong, Dian Wei, and others also gazed at the beautiful scenery of the distant grassland with relaxed expressions.

Of course, there was also Cao Cao and his ten "beauties".

"Gentlemen, how far is the vast ocean from here?"

Gazing at the distant horizon, Liu Hong asked a question while a look of longing appeared in his eyes.

Jia Xu stepped forward and replied, "Your Majesty, the Han Sea is about three thousand li from here!"

Three thousand miles?

Liu Hong's expression shifted slightly: "I really want to go and see for myself, to experience what it must have felt like when the Marquis of Champion drank from the vast sea."

As he spoke, Liu Hong's eyes were filled with anticipation and longing.

Lü Bu immediately said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to protect you and go straight to the vast sea!"

"Your Majesty, we are willing to protect you, even to the ends of the earth!!"

Huang Zhong, Dian Wei, Cao Cao, and others standing nearby also shouted in unison, their determined eyes filled with longing.

"Protect His Majesty, straight to the Vast Sea!!"

Upon hearing the commotion, the surrounding soldiers joined in the cheers.

The calls lingered, drifting towards the distant grasslands.

To drink from the vast sea was not only Liu Hong's wish, but also the greatest hope in the hearts of all the soldiers.

Liu Hong turned to his soldiers and proclaimed loudly, "When we reach the vast sea one day, I will drink with you all until we are all drunk!"

"We swear to follow His Majesty to the death!!"

The excited roars of the soldiers echoed once again atop Juyan City, drawing the attention of the people inside the city.

With a smile on his face, Liu Hong looked at the flat land north of Juyan City, and unconsciously began to imagine the scene of the final battle with the Xianbei army.

"Tan Shihuai, I'm waiting for you here!!"

...

Tanhan Mountain, the royal court of the Xianbei.

"What? You mean the Emperor of Han has gone to Juyan?"

Upon hearing the news brought back by the spy, Helian, who had just led his troops back to the royal court, jumped up, his words filled with a hint of surprise.

"In reply to the eldest son, this is absolutely true. The Emperor of Han arrived in Juyan three days ago with only five thousand Imperial Guards. Moreover, he plans to stay in Juyan for ten days before returning to Luoyang!"

"Mr. Wen, what do you think?"

After listening to the spy's report, He Lian had his own thoughts, but he immediately asked Li Ru for his opinion.

Li Ru pondered for a moment before saying, "Young Master, now that the King is conquering the Yuwen tribe, his entire army has been mobilized. Our tribe's accumulated resources over the years have been completely depleted. To recover as soon as possible, we need the support of a large amount of resources and the stability of the previous period."

But all of this can only be obtained from the Han Kingdom, and now that the Han Emperor has arrived in Juyan, it is an excellent opportunity!

He Lian's brow furrowed: "Sir, are you saying we should send troops to Juyan?"

"good."

Li Ru nodded and said in a deep voice, "Back then, Liu Bang was besieged by the Xiongnu at Baideng. In order to redeem himself, he signed a compensation agreement and paid a large amount of grain and supplies to the Xiongnu for decades, which brought the Xiongnu's strength to its peak."

"Now, the Emperor of the Han Dynasty has arrived in Juyan, which is only a thousand miles from here. If our army can reach there before he leaves, surround him, or even capture him, we can force him to sign a compensation agreement, thereby further strengthening our forces!"

Li Ru's words gave He Lian a glimmer of hope, because that was exactly what he was thinking, but his hopes quickly faded again.

He Lian hesitated and said, "But sir, our entire Xianbei army is with my father right now. We are probably not enough with just our numbers. Moreover, we don't know what my father is thinking. If we act on our own, will it...?"

Li Ru smiled and said, "Young Master, there is no need to worry. The King is an ambitious man. If he learns that the Emperor of Han has arrived in Juyan, he will surely seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at all costs!"

As for manpower, there are about 40,000 able-bodied men in the royal tribe. The eldest prince can order all of these able-bodied men to be gathered together.

Although these able-bodied men couldn't compare to the elite troops of Gaoliu, they were skilled in horsemanship and archery, and still possessed considerable fighting ability. They should have no problem dealing with five thousand Han soldiers.

"But if we take all these able-bodied men away, what can we expect from the elderly, weak, women, and children? Without the care of the able-bodied, what will happen to the cattle, sheep, and horses? The losses will be considerable!"

Although He Lian knew that Li Ru was right and that there were many benefits, he still couldn't make a decision.

"Young Master, compared to capturing the Emperor of Han, what is that little loss? You are the King's successor, and you should be like the King, looking further ahead and not focusing on petty gains that could ruin the bigger picture!"

Seeing He Lian's indecisive appearance, Li Ru did not hold back in admonishing him.

He Lian nodded, looking enlightened: "Sir, you are right. We will do as you say. I will send someone to deliver a message to my father right away!"

If someone else had said such things to He Lian, he might have immediately turned hostile, or even drawn his sword to help. But when facing Li Ru, he didn't get angry at all.

After spending time together, faced with Li Ru's erudition and elegance, as well as his constant teachings, He Lian has unknowingly developed a psychological dependence on Li Ru.

Therefore, He Lian took Li Ru's admonitions to heart and subconsciously believed that Li Ru was genuinely good to him.

Subsequently, following Li Ru's instructions, He Lian dispatched dozens of teams of soldiers to various tribes to urgently conscript able-bodied men. At the same time, he also sent a team of scouts to find Tan Shihuai and report on the situation of the Han emperor.

...

On June 11th, on the vast grassland, Tan Shihuai led 30,000 elite Gaoliu troops, marching rapidly towards Tanhan Mountain.

From Tan Shihuai to the ordinary soldiers, everyone's eyes were bloodshot and their faces showed deep fatigue.

At noon, the army finally entered its territory and arrived near a tribe.

"What's going on? Where are the tribespeople?"

Looking at the empty tribe ahead, Tan Shihuai's face was full of doubt.