Watching Lanzhi's departing figure, Zhang Xiu also looked at Yuan Shao with a puzzled expression.

“Brother Benchu, even if we cannot support the women left behind by the Cheshi and other states in the long term, we can send them to the Han Dynasty to marry off to the soldiers stationed on the border. Why do you want to leave them with the Xianbei people?”

Yuan Shao smiled and said, "According to Your Majesty, this involves a matter of bloodline!"

Zhang Xiu was slightly taken aback: "A bloodline issue?"

Yuan Shao nodded and said solemnly, "General Zhang also knows that His Majesty's plan is to drive the Xianbei people to the west, let them destroy the Westerners' countries and systems, and replace them."

However, such a task could not be accomplished in one generation. Therefore, the Xianbei people also needed to raise offspring while traveling westward.

If the Xianbei people were to have children with Western women of different races, their bloodline and education would be affected to some extent. Over time, the Xianbei people would very likely be absorbed and assimilated by the Westerners.

In that case, wouldn't His Majesty's expulsion plan end in failure?

"Although these women from the Western Regions are somewhat different from those from the Central Plains, they have always been closely connected to the Han Dynasty, many of them have Han blood flowing in their veins, and they have an extraordinary yearning for Han culture."

Their offspring, raised by the Xianbei people, were more likely to accept the culture and institutions of the Han Dynasty and bring them to the West.

In this way, regardless of whether the Han Dynasty could conquer the West in the future, it could at least allow Han culture to take root in the Western world, thereby achieving cultural unification.

Zhang Xiu suddenly realized: "So that's how it is! Your Majesty's foresight and wisdom are truly astounding!"

"Yes, we mere mortals can only do our best to follow in His Majesty's footsteps to achieve this lofty goal!"

Yuan Shao also looked towards the distant west with a sigh, his eyes filled with determination.

Like most people, Yuan Shao believed that conquering a place only required force.

But after accepting the Emperor's new learning and participating in the "expulsion plan," he truly understood the horror of cultural conquest.

Thinking about the future, where people everywhere speak Chinese, wear traditional Chinese clothing, and all have Chinese roots, isn't that another kind of conquest at a higher level?

This kind of cultural conquest is far more stable and lasting than military conquest.

...

Mid-September.

After more than ten days of marching, Li Ru's vanguard finally arrived at a place twenty miles east of the Cheshi Kingdom.

Along the way, Li Ru passed through five small countries and more than a dozen oases, taking in nearly 20,000 women from the Western Regions. He also dispatched 5,000 of his 20,000 elite Gaoliu troops to guard those women.

Li Ru, standing at the front of the group, gazed at the buildings on the distant horizon with a relaxed smile on his face.

Just then, the scout responsible for scouting the situation rode up to Li Ru.

"Reporting to the sir, according to the brothers' investigation, the Xiongnu people who were originally stationed in Cheshi have left Cheshi and headed southwest, taking all the men of Cheshi with them."

Now, only a few women remain in Wangcheng, Cheshi, numbering approximately 20,000.

Before Li Ru could speak, the deputy general stepped forward and said, "Sir, we are running low on food and we are afraid we can no longer take in the women in Cheshi City."

Li Ru smiled and waved his hand: "It's alright. The Han army has stockpiled a batch of food and supplies outside Gaochang City. Let's go and fetch them. It'll be enough to feed those women!"

"Sir, are you going to rob the Han army's supplies...?"

Upon hearing this, the deputy general's expression changed, and he looked at Li Ru with surprise.

Li Ru raised an eyelid: "What? Is it not allowed?"

"But sir..."

The lieutenant said hesitantly, "You said before that we are friends with the Han army, and Brother Dong even sent us some supplies."

If we were to raid their food supplies right now, wouldn't that be a bit...?

Li Ru glanced at him and said, "Are you trying to say that I'm unethical?"

"No...I wouldn't dare!"

The deputy general, whose thoughts had been exposed by Li Ru, quickly denied it and lowered his head, not daring to say anything more.

Seeing his deputy's expression, Li Ru smiled and said, "Those food and supplies were prepared for us by the Han army. You just need to take your men to collect them!"

"Really...really?" The lieutenant's eyes lit up, and he asked in disbelief.

Li Ru smiled and said, "Of course it's true. Brother Zhongying told me this himself!"

"So that's how it is!"

Upon hearing that this was Dong Zhuo's instruction, the hesitancy on the deputy general's face immediately disappeared.

Subsequently, the deputy general dispatched 5,000 men to the place where the Han army had stored grain and fodder.

Li Ru led the remaining 10,000 troops toward the capital of Cheshi.

Yuan Shao had already received news of Li Ru's arrival and summoned Dong Zhuo, Zhang Xiu, Li Jue, Xiahou Dun, and others to the government office.

Yuan Shao glanced at his generals and then asked Zhang Xiu, "General Zhang, how is the cotton-padded clothing that Queen Lanzhi called upon the women to sew coming along?"

"All 30,000 women in the city responded to the call and cooperated actively. After more than ten days of hard work, they have sewed 20,000 cotton-padded coats. Although they are very rough, they are warm enough!"

"Great! Tell them to work even harder and try to produce as many as possible!"

Zhang Xiu: "Yes!"

Winters in the Western Regions are much colder than in Luoyang. If winter clothing is not prepared for these Xianbei people who have migrated westward, many may freeze to death or suffer frostbite, which would affect their fighting ability.

Then Yuan Shao turned to look at Guo Si, who was in charge of manufacturing the machinery.

Before Yuan Shao could ask, Guo Si said, "We have also led people to rush to make twenty battering rams, thirty siege engines, and thirty catapults, and have also included maintenance blueprints."

Although these siege weapons are small compared to those in cities within the Han Dynasty, they are perfectly adequate for attacking cities in the Western Regions.

Yuan Shao nodded in satisfaction: "Very good, these tools are enough for the Xianbei people to use!"

Nowadays, due to limited architectural skills, most cities in the Western Regions, except for Gaochang City which they guard, are extremely simple.

Even the capital cities of powerful states like Kucha and Wusun had walls no more than two zhang high, far inferior to the walls of the inner prefectures of the Han Dynasty. With just a few siege weapons, the cities could be easily breached.

With the help of these instruments, the Xianbei people's operations in the Western Regions would be more successful.

While Yuan Shao and others were discussing aiding the Xianbei people in the government office, the deputy general who was ordered by Li Ru to collect grain and supplies also arrived at the place where the Han army had stored grain.

"Pass down the order: no one is to act rashly, and do not harm the Han soldiers guarding the grain!"

Looking at the rows of granaries not far away, the deputy general gave instructions as he led the troops closer.