Upon hearing Dong Zhuo speak, Yuan Shao's expression softened, and he then looked at Li Ru with a serious expression.

"Mr. Wen just said he could help us resolve our worries. How can I trust you?"

Li Ru smiled and said, "General Yuan, we are only passing through the Western Regions and have no intention of staying for long. Therefore, we not only have no conflict of interest, but we can also cooperate with each other!"

"How can we cooperate?" Yuan Shao asked.

Li Ru smiled and said, "It's simple to deal with Xie Zhiyu's threat."

First, your army can immediately dispatch a force to cut off the main road from Kucha to Gaochang and set up camp.

Second, our troops will take over Wusun and Dayuan, thwarting Xiezhi's plan to annex the western states, and besieging him in Kucha.

Third, if your army is willing, our two armies can cooperate, attacking from both sides to wipe out Xie Zhiyu.

What do you want?

After listening to Li Ru's three suggestions, Yuan Shao asked directly.

"My unit needs 100,000 cotton-padded coats, 30,000 catties of refined iron, 10,000 sets of weapons and armor, and as many siege weapons as possible!"

"Heh~, Mr. Wen really dares to ask for so much. That's enough to equip an elite force!"

Upon hearing Li Ru's numerous suggestions, Yuan Shao couldn't help but sneer, a hint of displeasure on his face.

"General Yuan, my troops can promise that after conquering Wusun and Dayuan, we will only need to rest for a period of time before leaving. At that time, we will offer up those territories and all kinds of products with both hands!"

Your army can expand its territory without losing a single soldier.

Compared to that, what are a few meager supplies?

Is this really true?

Upon hearing the conditions proposed by Li Ru, Yuan Shao also appeared quite interested.

"Of course, if General Yuan doesn't believe us, we can swear an oath to the gods right now!"

As he spoke, Li Ru stood up, raised one hand, and made a gesture as if taking an oath. The Xianbei generals beside him followed suit.

"We hereby swear to Heaven that we will abide by the treaty of cooperation with the Han Dynasty. All the land we occupy during our westward migration will be ceded to the Han Dynasty. If we break this oath, may Heaven punish us!!"

Under Li Ru's leadership, a group of Xianbei generals also made the most solemn oath of life and death in front of everyone.

Although the people of the grasslands are ignorant and barbaric and do not pay attention to etiquette, it is precisely because of this that they have greater reverence for gods and oaths, and once they make a vow, they will never break it.

After Li Ru and the others finished taking their oaths, Yuan Shao showed a satisfied smile.

Yuan Shao then said, "We can provide refined iron, weapons, armor, and siege equipment. As for cotton clothing, there are too many to handle, so it will take some time."

If your department urgently needs cotton-padded clothing, we can provide an equal amount of cotton and cloth, which your department can then sew yourself!

Li Ru smiled and nodded: "No problem!"

Yuan Shao nodded: "Alright, let's discuss the specifics and then sign a cooperation agreement!"

Li Ru said solemnly, "Okay, but I would like to add one condition!"

Yuan Shao raised an eyebrow: "What are the conditions?"

Li Ru smiled and said, "As the general knows, our soldiers have lived on horseback since childhood and have almost no experience in attacking cities."

To ensure a successful siege and minimize losses, I request that your army send some officers to garrison with our troops and instruct them on troop deployment and siege tactics.

"No problem!"

Yuan Shao readily agreed, then turned his head and looked at Dong Zhuo.

"General Dong, how about you take charge of instructing the Xianbei soldiers?"

"Haha, no problem!!"

Dong Zhuo readily agreed to Yuan Shao's proposal.

"Haha, Brother Dong, we'll be in a lot of trouble from now on. You can't keep anything from me!"

"Remember to go easy on us, don't make things too embarrassing for us!"

The Xianbei generals opposite him also joked with Dong Zhuo with delighted expressions.

In their eyes, Hua Xiong, Xiahou Dun, and the others opposite them all had serious expressions and looked like strangers who should not be approached. Only Dong Zhuo, whom they had met before, was the one who suited their temperament best.

"Haha, no problem, just you wait and see, I guarantee I'll train you to be just like our Han army!"

Dong Zhuo patted his chest and assured the group of Xianbei generals of his jokes.

Soon, Yuan Shao and Li Ru signed a cooperation agreement.

After putting away the agreement, Yuan Shao looked at Li Ru and said with a smile, "Mr. Wenyou, you should rest well in Cheshi for a few days. The supplies will be delivered soon!"

"Thank you for your trouble, General Yuan. I shall take my leave now!"

Li Ru stood up with a smile, cupped his hands in greeting to Yuan Shao, Dong Zhuo, and the others, and then turned and left.

"Brother Dong, come over soon!"

We're waiting for you to have a drink together!

As the Xianbei generals left, they kept greeting Dong Zhuo.

"Haha, don't worry, I, Old Dong, will be there to deal with you soon!"

Dong Zhuo laughed loudly and waved goodbye to everyone.

After Li Ru and the others mounted their horses and left, Yuan Shao looked at his generals and said, "Gentlemen, the negotiations are complete. Let's go back and make our preparations!"

"Here you go!!"

Everyone agreed in unison, and then followed Yuan Shao into the city.

After returning to the government office in the city, Yuan Shao first looked at the guard beside him and asked, "Where is Protector Liu now?"

"Reporting to the general, according to the relay station, Protector Liu has already arrived in Dunhuang. Judging from the itinerary, he should arrive in another half month!" the guard replied.

Yuan Shao gave a soft "hmm," then took out the agreement he had signed with Li Ru and handed it to the guard.

"Immediately send someone to deliver this agreement to Governor Liu, and tell him that the men of Shanshan, Jingjue, and Qiemo have suffered heavy losses, leaving only women to suffer."

He was asked to conscript a group of able-bodied young men from Shanshan to these countries to protect the women who were left without care.

"Here you go!"

The guard accepted the agreement respectfully, bowed, and withdrew.

Subsequently, Yuan Shao assigned Hua Xiong, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, and others to prepare the necessary supplies for Li Ru.

Finally, Yuan Shao looked at Dong Zhuo and said solemnly, "Brother Zhongying, this trip to the Xianbei army to train their soldiers can be considered an excellent opportunity for reform. You must cooperate well with Wenyou!"

"Don't worry, Benchu. Although I, Lao Dong, don't understand those educational methods, we have so many instructors and advisors here. With them around, there won't be any problems!"

Yuan Shao smiled and nodded, then ordered his men to bring over twenty instructors and ten staff officers to accompany the army.

After glancing at everyone, Yuan Shao instructed, "Gentlemen, when you go to the Xianbei camp, in addition to teaching them how to march and fight, you must also teach them to recognize Chinese characters and understand Han etiquette, so as to increase their recognition of the Han Dynasty!"

"Here you go!!"