The news of Zhao Hao's mobilization of the Bingzhou army quickly spread throughout the land.

They all thought Zhao Hao was dealing with the Xianbei, who were known for their fickle nature. Many people applauded Zhao Hao's heroic act, calling him the pillar of the Han Dynasty and the last loyal minister.

But Zhao Hao's every move was seen by many as an opportunity to exploit.

Ding Yuan of Hanoi, Dong Zhuo of Hongnong, the White Wave bandits of Hedong, the remnants of the Xiongnu under Yufuluo, and the group of cunning people under He Jin.

They all breathed a sigh of relief at the threat from the north.

"No! Big brother!"

The Xianbei people to the north naturally also learned of Zhao Hao's military campaign.

But when they arrived at the newly built Yanmen Pass, everyone fell silent.

The more than 10,000 Xianbei prisoners who have not yet been returned, as well as Kui Tou and his group of Xianbei nobles.

Their heads were neatly hung on the newly built wall of Yanmen Pass, a truly gruesome scene!

"Young Marshal, take care of yourself! Alas, the Han people are truly detestable..."

"Fortunately, the young marshal acted decisively; otherwise, the losses of the Xianbei would probably have been far more than just ten thousand men..."

"Yes, yes, you're right. The young marshal is wise and decisive. We should cheer up!"

Budugen was no longer listening to anyone else; his mind was filled with endless anger and boundless hatred!

"Go and find out exactly how many troops are stationed at Yanmen Pass, which was newly built by the Han people! Why haven't we seen a single person leave the pass, even though Zhao Hao clearly ordered the army to march north into the desert!"

"This... Young Marshal, don't worry, I'll find out as soon as possible!"

Although Budugen was stubborn and self-willed, with the support of his kinship with Kui Tou, the power he displayed this time had exceeded his own limits.

He persuaded all the Xianbei tribes, and even the Gaoche tribe who now live near Lake Baikal, to come and fight against Zhao Hao.

Roughly estimated, Budugen has mobilized nearly 400,000 troops this time, determined to compete with Zhao Hao.

Despite Zhao Hao's boast of sending 300,000 troops on a northern expedition, they couldn't find a single Han soldier wandering in the desert; instead, they only noticed the Han people guarding the border.

The new Yanmen Pass, backed by Yanze (later known as Daihai), stands north of Qiangyin City, connecting the ancient Great Wall north of Baideng and Pingcheng, forming its own defensive structure.

In places like Yunzhong, Wuyuan, and Shuofang, which were not protected by the Great Wall, the entire population was mobilized for war. If the Xianbei dared to appear in any area, the Xianbei would have to face more than just tens of thousands of Han Chinese soldiers.

Knowing the terrifying guerrilla tactics of the three prefectures of Wuyuan, Yunzhong, and Shuofang, Budugen and his men chose to attack Yanmen New Pass, located north of Qiangyin City.

They originally thought that a newly built pass would be easier to capture, allowing them to covet Bingzhou, plunder at will, and force Zhao Hao to submit.

But when their army arrived at the foot of the new Yanmen Pass, they saw many new defensive weapons installed on the pass walls.

Catapults, crossbows, arrow emplacements—they had everything.

The Xianbei had never seen a pass of this scale before. They almost assumed that the capital of the Han Dynasty lay beyond it; otherwise, such a large amount of defensive equipment was hardly befitting an ordinary border pass...

“Brother Tiger, what my cousin said was indeed correct. These Xianbei people were indeed hesitant to attack after seeing these defensive weapons. No matter how angry they were, they dared not attack rashly.”

At Yanmen Pass, two unfamiliar generals were gazing from the city tower at the Xianbei army that was beginning to set up camp in the distance.

One was about the same age as Qin Yilu, and the other was about the same age as Zhao Hao. The two should be brothers, since they were both tall and strong. One had a beard, and the other had a handsome face and wore silver armor.

Zhao Feng, courtesy name Zihu, 28 years old

Command: 84, Martial: 90, Intelligence: 66, Politics: 52, Charisma: 74

Personality traits: 1. Heroic 2. Unyielding 3. Steadfast 4. Recruiting

Zhao Yun, courtesy name Zilong, was 20 years old.

Command: 87 Martial: 96 Intelligence: 74 Politics: 62 Charisma: 89

Personality traits: 1. Solo 2. Guard 3. Rearguard 4. Sweep 5. Drill

6. Insight (Immune to all abnormal statuses when in the army or in the city where the governor is located)

7. White Robe (Increases all abilities by 15% when the troop strength is below 8000)

8. Loyalty and Compassion (Increases all stats of the unit by 15%, and grants immunity to the negative effects of being surrounded)

As people from the same hometown and clan as Zhao Hao, their historical trajectories have been rewritten now that Zhao Hao has gained power.

Originally, Zhao Yun should have served as a government official in the prefecture or joined the White Horse General of Youzhou that year, studying cavalry tactics and fighting bandits for the country, as a candidate for the civil service examination.

However, Zhao Hu happened to catch a cold, and it was also the time when Zhao Hao's prestige was soaring and he was revitalizing Bingzhou.

Zhao Hao had already sent a message inviting everyone in Zhao Family Village to move to Jinyang in Bingzhou to rebuild the ancestral temple.

With Zhao Hao's promise, eighty percent of the villagers from Zhao Family Village moved to Bingzhou under the leadership of Zhao Hu and Zhao Feng. Zhao Hu and Zhao Yun naturally received extra care from Zhao Hao as well.

Zhao Hu's chronic illness was cured by the medical clinic in the space that Zhao Hao brought him to, and his martial arts also made further progress.

Zhao Yun was naturally brought into the nurturing building within the space, where his three unawakened golden personalities were activated, and his abilities other than martial prowess were also slightly enhanced!

Since Zhao Hao is a descendant of the Qin dynasty, then most of his Zhao family members naturally have the blood of the Qin people.

After Zhao Hao revealed the secrets of their ancestors, they were even more determined to join forces with him to restore their ancestors' former glory!

All of this began when Zhao Hao relinquished the credit for guarding the new Yanmen Pass to his two brothers...

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!