The man frowned and thought for a moment: "I heard they came from some villages and towns on the border."

These people heard rumors from somewhere that the Di people had occupied Pingliang Fort and were going to invade the Wu Dynasty, occupy the capital, and turn the people of the Wu Dynasty into slaves.

They set off with their families in tow.

Alas! They don't even consider that the Zhenbei Army has been in Yunzhou for over twenty years, and when have they ever been attacked by the Di barbarians? Besides, where can they go without a travel permit?

"Young lady, young master, if you leave the city, be careful not to let them stop you. Without soldiers around, they'll just be trying to rob you," the shopkeeper kindly warned.

Song Liyun was speechless and somewhat saddened.

Whenever social order is disrupted, the most pitiful are the ordinary people who have no access to any information.

If the Di barbarians really attacked, defending one's homeland would surely mean death, but ordinary people would also be living in constant fear as refugees, with even settling down and finding a place to live being difficult.

When driven to desperation by hunger, refugees become bandits, and are thus ostracized by all sides.

Land and water are indispensable resources for survival and are also the wealth of every household.

Villages don't readily take in outsiders and let them take away their belongings, unless the refugees find a deserted area to set up their own homes.

This is...too difficult!

In fact, the root of the problem lies in the stability of the border.

If the Di barbarians had not invaded the Wu Dynasty, and everyone had lived in peace and prosperity, this situation would not have occurred.

Song Liyun knew that this was just wishful thinking on her part.

The Di people were not a unified country; each tribe had no jurisdiction over the others, and they were constantly on the move, with dozens of them riding horses for hundreds of miles and suddenly invading the borders.

All the Zhenbei Army could do was monitor the grasslands and prevent large-scale invasions by the Di tribes.

After a long day of travel, the three siblings were exhausted and had no interest in shopping. They went to rest before the curfew was announced.

At this time, the Dilu grassland, under a sky full of stars, was still covered with withered grass.

In low-lying, sheltered areas, patches of snow lay scattered, resembling white sheets under the starlight.

The horse kicked away chunks of snow with its hooves and nibbled at the grass stalks close to the ground.

Several Di people dressed in fur robes and wearing fur hats scrambled and rolled down the hillside.

He pulled on the reins, mounted the horse, and the horse simply reared up without neighing, galloping away through the snow.

The man on horseback shouted in the Di language while controlling the reins: "Quickly tell the chieftain that the Wuda tribe is located by the Chacha River."

The news quickly reached the campsite.

Inside the cowhide tent, lamb sizzled and dripped oil from the fire on the grill.

A female slave girl from the Wu Dynasty, dressed in a sheepskin coat, knelt by the fire, carefully sprinkling finely ground seasoning powder onto the mutton.

On a mat covered with several layers of sheepskin, a burly man in his forties was unleashing his wild desires on a young female slave.

Ignoring the female slave's painful groans, he continued to thrust wildly, panting and shouting, "Uyaar, Uyaar, you will always be mine! I'm coming! I've arrived! Ahhh!!"

A strange smell suddenly filled the air.

Upon hearing the violent shout, the female slave who was roasting meat lowered her head and her trembling hands betrayed her terror.

Soon, the shouting stopped, and the female slave on the wool mat hurriedly wrapped her fur robe around herself and staggered out of the tent.

The burly man sat up nonchalantly, putting on his fur robe as he said to the female slave who was roasting meat, "Bring over a leg of lamb."

The female slave quickly placed a roasted lamb leg on a silver platter, but before she could deliver it, the tent door was opened.

A barbarian strode in and whispered a few words in the burly man's ear.

The burly man's spirits lifted: "The Wuda tribe is also by the Chacha River?"

"Yes, the Uda tribe is right by the Chacha River. Chief, we couldn't get close. We encountered a patrol of ten White Wolf Riders about ten miles away, who were resting. From their conversation, we learned that the tribe had just set up camp and they were rushing back to help. We've left one person there to guard the area."

"Good, well done, Zhelian. I'll reward you with that fiercest female slave later."

Upon hearing that they were about to approach the Uda tribe, the burly man's eyes suddenly flashed with the gleam of a wild wolf, and he gripped the soft cashmere mat beneath him tightly with his large hands, as if touching someone's soft skin.

She was a proud and beautiful woman. When she was only sixteen years old, wearing a fiery red cloak and riding a horse across the grassland, she was the most dazzling sun on the grassland.

Uda tribe, Uyaer! Twenty years have passed, and you have finally returned to the grasslands.

Even if it takes fifty years, as long as you live, I, Abuli, will possess you for every single day. I will kill your son and make you repay me for twenty years of longing.

Half an hour later, a fierce cavalry force led by Abli rushed straight to Chacha River, fifty miles away.

On the gentle slope outside the Chacha River, the White Wolf Knight rode up to Zhao Tingduo: "Young Master, there's movement from Abli's side! Their men left behind are still on the slope."

Zhao Tingduo suddenly stood up: "Let's go back!"

Before Abli arrived, the White Wolf Riders had all withdrawn.

"Damn it! Those little brats are pretty fast."

Abli cursed fiercely, waving his hand at the others around him, "Charge straight into the Uda tribe. Whoever snatches a woman is theirs. Kill all the men, leave no one alive."

His words immediately drew howls and screams from his cavalry.

It was originally said that as long as the Uda tribe was conquered, each of them would receive five female slaves; now, they can take as many as they want.

Furthermore, the gold, silver, agate, cattle, sheep, and horses from the Uda tribe will ensure that everyone who goes into battle earns a very substantial income.

Hearing that his tribe's knights were so enraged by the money and women that their eyes turned red, and that they couldn't wait to rush into the Uda tribe and wreak havoc, Abuli's lips curled into a cold, sinister smile.

His current Dongyue tribe ranks second in strength among the Di-Lu alliance.

The current Khan of the royal court should have been replaced long ago.

As long as we can annex the Uda tribe, which has just fought a few battles and has not had a long time to recover.

The population of the Dongyue tribe alone exceeds two thousand, giving them the strength to overthrow the Khan and take the top spot in the alliance.

Along the Chacha River, rows of cowhide tents of varying sizes stand side by side, stretching for more than a mile. The thawed river water gurgles along, and the occasional neighing of horses can be heard from the fenced area in the distance.

It was already late at night, and the butter lamps in each tent had been extinguished.

The Uda tribe, who had just set up camp, were exhausted and had already rested; even the slaves had fallen asleep in the sheep pen.

Abuli's hundred cavalrymen silently stood atop the high slope of the riverbank, like a pack of hungry wolves looking down at the tents below.

Although there were still several hundred meters between the high slope and the riverbank, Abuli's gaze fell on the largest tent in the middle, as if he could already see a still-attractive woman loosening the belt of her fur robe...

His heart blazed with excitement: Uyar! Uyar!

The most beautiful woman on the grassland, the sun in my heart!

As long as we charge forward, these cattle and sheep will be ours, and these women will be ours.