"The prince is so domineering!"

"With just a few words, we managed to stop the 50,000-strong army from Liangzhou in Zhangye. We are impressed."

"My lord is mighty!"

"With just a few words, you made tens of thousands of troops hesitate to advance. Our admiration for our lord is like a never-ending river..."

The people on the city wall watched from afar as Lü Bu, Han Sui, and others left, and they thought that the enemy would soon organize troops and launch a large-scale attack on the city.

But after waiting for a long time without any movement, the other side began to retreat and set up camp.

Xue Rengui, Li Siye, Shen Lian, and Geng Chun immediately began to shower Liu Wei with compliments.

"Although Lü Bu is brave, I have General Xue to match him."

"Moreover, we have a legitimate reason and are in the right. Lü Bu is simple-minded and at a loss in this situation. He can only wait here to consult Ding Yuan before taking any further action!"

Even if Lü Bu's messengers are fast, it would still take at least five days for them to travel back and forth.

"Five days is enough time for our cavalry battalion to annihilate the Yuchi Xianbei tribe that fled to Dunhuang."

"This time I've come to Hexi, I want the head of the Yuchi Xianbei, and I also want the territory of the three counties of Hexi!"

Liu Wei glanced at the four men who were spitting and flattering him, and slowly revealed his strategic intentions with a smile.

"What you say is absolutely right, my lord!"

Xue Rengui immediately replied, "Three thousand five hundred cavalrymen have already taken over the entire territory of Jiuquan the day before yesterday, and their forces have reached the Mingshui Marsh."

"By now, they should have captured Dunhuang and are marching towards Kunlun Pass and Sanwei Mountain."

"Once we capture these two places, we can more easily take Yangguan and Yumenguan."

"With the two passes recaptured, Dunhuang has been taken back from the hands of the Yuchi Xianbei."

Shen Lian said, "My lord, General Xue, according to the latest news from my Northwest Intelligence Division..."

“The remnants of the Yuchi Xianbei army in Dunhuang are already showing signs of retreating.”

"They split into two groups, one going through Yangguan to enter Puchanghai, and the other going through Yumenguan, intending to go to Cheshi Kingdom."

"It seems they plan to meet at the West Sea, then travel through Wutu Valley, cross the Tianshan Mountains, and return to the northern desert."

Xihai, the ancient territory of Yanqi Kingdom, is today's Bosten Lake, located on the southern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, and is also the source of the Peacock River.

The intelligence force under Shen Lian's Northwest Division is growing larger and larger, and according to incomplete statistics, it now numbers as many as two thousand.

They infiltrated every corner of the northern and western regions of the Gobi Desert, gradually gaining a thorough understanding of the situation of the foreign tribes and the geography.

"The prince said he would completely annihilate this Yuchi Xianbei, so that they would never return."

"In my opinion, we must reach Wutu Valley before the Yuchi Xianbei people."

Shen Lian added.

Li Siye had a stern face, seemingly unconcerned about what Liu Wei and the others were discussing.

Geng Chun was shocked once again.

The Western Sea, Wutu Valley, and Kucha were all places under the jurisdiction of the vast Protectorate of the Western Regions.

It sounds simple, but getting there is actually hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

However, the prince, General Xue, and Commander Shen talked at length, as if they had been there before and knew it clearly.

He didn't know how many times he had been shocked; it had become a habit.

"No!"

Liu Wei shook his head. "What would Yuchi Gu or Yuchi Jiong do if they went west out of Yangguan to Loulan?"

"They definitely want to make a quick buck before they leave, otherwise this trip would have been a waste with all the losses."

Therefore, they must have stayed in Loulan.

"We can stop them at the Peacock River."

Xue Rengui exclaimed in surprise, "Aren't we going to rescue Loulan?"

"Save them! Of course we must save them!"

Liu Wei gave a cold laugh, "I was just planning to take this opportunity to take control of the Western Regions Protectorate. Loulan and Cheshi are perfect examples to make an example of them."

"My lord, the Cheshi Kingdom is secretly colluding with the Northern Xiongnu, so it's fine to give them a warning." Xue Rengui asked, puzzled, "But the Loulan Kingdom has always revered the Han Dynasty, so why should we attack them as well?"

Liu Wei said expressionlessly:

"Over the years, the Loulan Kingdom has become incredibly wealthy thanks to the Silk Road of our Han Dynasty, and its people have become restless and harbored ulterior motives."

"This time, we'll use the Yuchi Xianbei to teach them a lesson and remind them not to forget their place."

The Cheshi Kingdom and the Loulan Kingdom were two representative groups of small kingdoms among the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions.

The Cheshi Kingdom defected to the Northern Xiongnu, betraying the Han Dynasty. The Loulan Kingdom, however, remained loyal to the Han Dynasty.

"General Xue led the Xuanjia Cavalry and the cavalry battalion to accompany me on the western expedition, pursuing the Yuchi Xianbei, pacifying Hexi, and intimidating the Western Regions."

"Lieutenant Li and Commandant Geng, you two will lead your troops to garrison this place. When General Di arrives, you will be placed under his command to manage the Hexi region and defend against the Liangzhou army."

Immediately afterwards, Liu Wei returned to the government office in the city and announced the promotion of generals and the troop relocation.

Liu Wei couldn't stay idle during this battle in the Western Regions and planned to personally command it.

He first promoted Di Qing to the rank of General of the Central Army, in charge of the military and political affairs of the three prefectures in Hexi.

Di Qing's abilities went far beyond that.

Now things are running smoothly at Juyan Lake. The 10,000 laborers that Liu Wei assigned to Di Qing are building one fortress and camp after another around Juyan Lake, according to Di Qing's plan.

Every three miles there is a fort, and every five miles there is a stockade.

North of Juyan Lake, the passage from the northern desert to this area has a depth of over a hundred miles.

Di Qing can now leave his post and go to Zhangye to support the military and political work in the three prefectures of Hexi.

Originally, Di Qing was allocated 10,000 troops, but now, with the addition of Li Siye's 1,000 Mo Dao battalion, there are also 20 triple-bow crossbows.

Di Qing's troops suddenly became much stronger.

Liu Wei only needs to keep the Liangzhou army from advancing westward.

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