"The Protector-General only needs to stay in Gaochang; Shao will handle the rest. Of course, I am here on the Protector-General's orders!"

Seeing that Liu Yu was willing to fully support his actions, Yuan Shao also expressed his attitude at the right time, bringing Liu Yu into the picture to share in the credit for forcing the Xiongnu to migrate westward.

"Haha~, Benchu, just go ahead and do it. If there are any problems, I, the Protector General of the Western Regions, will take care of them for you!"

Upon hearing Yuan Shao's words, Liu Yu laughed heartily and offered words of encouragement.

"This humble official will certainly not fail the Protector's expectations!"

Yuan Shao smiled and agreed, then bowed and retreated.

After leaving the government office, Yuan Shao first ordered his men to ride at full speed towards Wusun, and then arrived at the post station where the Xiongnu messenger was located.

"This humble servant pays respects to General Yuan!!"

As soon as Yuan Shao pushed open the door, he saw the Xiongnu messenger bowing to him, clearly having been waiting for a long time.

Yuan Shao's brow furrowed: "Are you one of Chou Chan's men?"

Xiongnu messenger: "Yes!"

"That's good. Tell me, what are Xie Zhi and the others planning?"

Yuan Shao waved his hand, then went straight to a table and sat down.

"In response to General Yuan, Xie Zhiyu didn't have any plans. He just knew he couldn't defeat the Xianbei because of the losses in the previous two conflicts, and he was worried that the Xianbei would take the opportunity to attack Kucha, thus losing his foothold..."

Yuan Shao raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Didn't he consider going to other places?"

The Xiongnu messenger shook his head: "No!"

"Ha! They've reached a point of life and death, yet they still aren't thinking of finding a way out. No wonder the Xiongnu are getting weaker and weaker!"

Yuan Shao sneered, his words revealing no concealment of his contempt for Xie Zhiyu.

The Xiongnu messenger stood to the side with his head down, saying nothing.

Yuan Shao pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Alright, go back and tell Xie Zhiyu that I intercepted your letter, and that I also managed to persuade Protector Liu to take over the mediation!"

"Yes, General Yuan!"

The Xiongnu messenger agreed and then bowed as he walked away.

After the Xiongnu messenger left, Yuan Shao got up and went to his office, where he summoned Dong Zhuo, Zhang Xiu, Hua Xiong, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Xiahou Dun, and other generals.

"Gentlemen, we have been in the Western Regions for nearly two years. All the eastern kingdoms have been brought under the control of the Han Dynasty, and the kingdoms of Wusun and Kucha have been destroyed by the Xiongnu and Xianbei."

Before long, there will be no other country's influence in the entire Western Regions. As long as the Xiongnu are also driven out of the Western Regions, then the Western Regions will be completely incorporated into the territory of the Han Dynasty.

Our mission here will be successfully completed, and the glory of expanding our territory will be bestowed upon each of us. Our names will be remembered for eternity, and our legacy will benefit future generations.

As he encouraged everyone, Yuan Shao's cheeks flushed with excitement.

The generals, including Dong Zhuo and Zhang Xiu, who were standing nearby, also grinned excitedly.

"Benchu, just tell me what to do, and I'll do whatever you say!" Dong Zhuo, who was standing to the side, immediately echoed loudly.

In terms of military seniority, Dong Zhuo was undoubtedly the highest.

Long before Yuan Shao and others were training in the Imperial Guard, Dong Zhuo had already led an army on the battlefield and become a powerful figure in the region.

However, with the Han Dynasty's continuous external wars in recent years, and the rise of younger generations such as Lü Bu, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Sun Jian, the situation has changed.

Dong Zhuo also increasingly felt the gap between himself and these young people.

In Dong Zhuo's view, it was probably too late to compete with these young people. The only thing he could do now was to quickly establish a great achievement, then return to Luoyang to enjoy a good life.

"This world is too big, and only these young people can go further."

This was not only Dong Zhuo's idea, but also the idea of ​​Li Jue, Guo Si, and others.

Yuan Shao, who was standing to the side, naturally saw the inner desires of Dong Zhuo, Li Jue, and others.

Yuan Shao's gaze slowly swept across the faces of Dong Zhuo, Li Jue, and the others, before he loudly proclaimed:

"Dong Zhuo, Li Jue, Guo Si!"

Dong Zhuo and his two companions stepped forward in unison: "Here!!"

Yuan Shao picked up a token and looked at Dong Zhuo: "Order Dong Zhuo to be the vanguard, with Li Jue and Guo Si as his deputies, leading one thousand Imperial Guards and twenty thousand Gaochang troops to advance towards Kucha!"

"Here you go!"

Dong Zhuo responded loudly, stepped forward excitedly, and took the token from Yuan Shao's hand.

Then Yuan Shao said solemnly, "If the Xiongnu dare to provoke us, kill them. If they remain silent, intimidate them. The decision is up to you three generals."

"Once Shao arrives and the peace talks are successful, the three generals will be credited with the greatest merit in this endeavor!"

"Please rest assured, Governor Yuan, it's just a matter of putting pressure on Xie Zhiyu. I know what to do, just you wait and see!"

Dong Zhuo smiled confidently, clasped his hands in a salute to Yuan Shao, and then walked out together with Li Jue.

"Zhang Xiu, Hua Xiong, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan!"

"Your subordinate is here!!"

Zhang Xiu and the others, who had been named by Yuan Shao, stepped forward in unison and loudly agreed.

"You all should immediately go around and recruit the idle young men in the city, and provide them with military uniforms and weapons."

Remember, these able-bodied men to be recruited must be those who have migrated from the Han Dynasty, and their recruitment fees must be the same as those for soldiers in the army.

The generals: "Yes, sir!!"

"Also, this is only a temporary recruitment. Once the matter is settled, the recruitment will be disbanded, so that all able-bodied men can answer the call without worry!" Yuan Shao added.

"We understand!!"

Zhang Xiu and the others agreed and then quickly dispersed.

After everyone left, Yuan Shao took out a letter from under the books on the table. The envelope was signed with Li Ru's code name—Han Chen.

"Wenyou, Wenyou, faced with such a tremendous achievement, you remain unmoved and willingly give it to others. I, Yuan Shao, will certainly not fail you!"

Looking at the words "Han official" below, Yuan Shao couldn't help but sigh.

The contents of this letter were precisely Li Ru's previous plan to force the Xiongnu to embark on the westward migration together.

Li Ru was the planner and executor of this plan, but the ultimate beneficiaries were the Han Dynasty and Yuan Shao, among others.

Yuan Shao sincerely admired Li Ru's willingness to remain in seclusion and not seek fame or fortune in pursuit of his ideals.

"Someone come here!!"

A guard strode in: "General Yuan, what are your orders?"

Yuan Shao handed the secret letter to his guard: "Immediately send someone by fast horse to deliver this letter to Luoyang!"

"Here you go!"

The guard acknowledged the request, respectfully accepted the letter, and then bowed and withdrew.

"Rest assured, one day, everything you have done will be remembered forever by future generations!!"

Watching the guards leave, Yuan Shao murmured to himself.