Yu Chijiong was somewhat bewildered.

He thought that with his five thousand elite cavalrymen, he would at least be able to fight the enemy to a standstill.

Unexpectedly, only half an hour later, only two thousand men remained, having returned defeated.

If Di Qing broke through the blockade with the fire ox formation earlier, it was because he couldn't fight a herd of mad oxen head-on.

But now, facing four thousand cavalrymen head-on, it was a real battle.

Moreover, it was an attack by light cavalry. Fortunately, it wasn't heavy cavalry that came; otherwise, out of five thousand elite cavalry, probably not a single one would have escaped.

"Brother, we're sorry! It's not that we're afraid to fight, it's just that the enemy is too strong!"

"A head-on confrontation will only result in defeat; the only option now is to preserve our strength and retreat."

Previously, when Yuchi Jiong besieged the city, Geng Chun used defensive weapons to reduce his men by six thousand.

Subsequently, Di Qing used the Fire Ox Formation to annihilate all 10,000 men of Yuchi Gu's brother-in-law, Bald Guili, and Di Qing also took Bald Guili's life.

The 10,000 men led by Yuchi Jiong, and the 10,000 men who stormed into Dunhuang and Jiuquan, were the last elite of the Yuchi Xianbei tribe.

If all 20,000 of them were to perish in the Hexi Corridor, it would mark the end of the Yuchi Xianbei tribe, which had been entrenched in the western part of the Gobi Desert.

When Yuchi Jiong realized that the enemy still had nearly two thousand heavy cavalry, he knew that staying here would only lead to his own demise.

Seven thousand Xianbei cavalrymen, under the command of Yuchi Jiong, quickly retreated westward.

Three thousand five hundred white-robed cavalrymen followed behind, pursuing and killing for ten miles, and reaped the heads of nearly a thousand Xianbei cavalrymen.

When they arrived back outside Juyan City, 1,900 Xuanjia cavalrymen had also arrived at the city.

The armored vehicles stood tall and imposing.

With the neighing of horses and the whistling of the wind, a large number of cavalry appeared in neat formation, especially the heavily armored riders and horses, each wearing a mask, exuding a powerful aura.

Di Qing led his three generals, Zhang Yi, Li Er, and Geng Chun, out of the city to welcome them.

"This humble general, Di Qing, the Blackwater Captain, leads the Blackwater Army to respectfully welcome General Xue!"

At this moment, Di Qing could clearly see that the one who brought these elite cavalry to relieve the siege of Juyan was not his lord himself.

Instead, it was Xue Rengui, the top general in the army under the lord's command.

However, the fact that the lord sent Xue Rengui must mean that he also attaches great importance to Juyan Lake, a strategic location.

"Welcome, General Xue!"

The generals behind Di Qing also shouted loudly.

As the former garrison commander of Juyan, Geng Chun was utterly shocked.

After being subdued by Di Qing for more than ten days, they learned that Di Qing's army came from the Hetao region.

The newly appointed King of Yunzhong and Protector-General of Mobei, under the command of Prince Liu Wei.

Now, seeing four thousand cavalrymen effortlessly repel the ten thousand Xianbei cavalrymen who were besieging Juyan.

Thinking of how he was driven to despair by the Xianbei while defending the city, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

When Geng Chun saw the nearly two thousand heavy cavalry appear, his eyes almost popped out of his head.

When did the Han Dynasty acquire such a powerful weapon?

He held this mysterious prince in even higher esteem.

"Lieutenant Di, please rise!"

"My lord said that when Commandant Di set out, he only had a hundred men."

"Now, looking at them, they number three thousand, and they killed more than ten thousand Xianbei cavalry with the fire ox formation."

"My lord has ordered me to commend Commandant Di and to provide him with three thousand sets of armor, weapons, bows and crossbows, and a military flag."

Xue Rengui dismounted to return the greeting and had his attendants bring him a flag.

Chen Ji, who was standing next to him, was taken aback.

The General Xue who was traveling with him was a ruthless man, but he never expected that the general with tattoos on his face would also be such a formidable figure.

Growing from a hundred to three thousand men was already incredibly powerful, but unexpectedly, they also killed tens of thousands of Xianbei cavalry.

The King of Clouds has many capable and fierce generals under his command, each one extraordinary!

"Thank you, my lord!"

Di Qing was overjoyed, solemnly accepted the military flag, and bowed deeply towards the Hetao region.

Liu Wei appointed him as the Blackwater Colonel, and his troops became the Blackwater Army, the first numbered army under Liu Wei's command.

The delivery of the military flag now is an acknowledgment of Di Qing's contributions at Juyan Lake and a full affirmation of his achievements.

After Di Qing received the military flag, Xue Rengui looked around at the crowd behind Di Qing, nodded emphatically, and finally fixed his gaze on Geng Chun.

"Commander Geng, you defended Juyan City with a thousand men and annihilated six thousand enemy soldiers."

"Upon hearing of such a record, the Prince was very impressed and called you the Great Wall of the Han Dynasty."

"Now that you are under Commandant Di's command, you should be greatly rewarded."

"However, Your Highness holds the position of Grand Protector of the Northern Desert, so the rewards are limited. But your merits will be recorded."

"You and your troops will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver, and the fallen soldiers will receive double the amount in compensation, all to be covered by the Prince of Yunzhong's estate..."

Geng Chun was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes.

He never expected that the King of Clouds would not only know about his deeds, but also give them a separate reward and compensation.

If it weren't for the intervention of Di Qing and Xue Rengui, they would probably have all died heroically in Juyan City.

Ding Yuan, the governor of Liangzhou, was busy quelling rebellions in Wuwei and Jincheng, so he had no time to spare for Geng Chun and his men.

"On behalf of the fallen soldiers, this humble general thanks Your Highness!"

Geng Chun knelt down on one knee with a thud.

......

After Xue Rengui entered the city, he remembered Liu Wei's instructions and specially ordered the Xuanjia cavalry to enter the city in an orderly formation to demonstrate their military might.

The people in the city were already extremely excited to see such a powerful cavalry force entering the city.

One by one, they sprinkled water on the ground, lined the road to welcome them, and shouted "Long live the Great Han!"

Subsequently, the Xuanjia cavalry and the Baipao army cavalry were stationed outside the city, while the city's defenses were left to Di Qing's Blackwater Army.

Xue Rengui, along with Di Qing, Chen Ji, Geng Chun, and others, followed the Xuanjia cavalry into the city and arrived at the council hall of the city's government office.

Along the way, they received cheers and worship from the people.

At this moment, Xue Rengui seemed to understand Liu Wei's intention in having him bring the Xuanjia cavalry along.

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