He Lian happily accepted the military equipment and supplies sent by the Han army.
After hearing Li Ru's account of the racial differences and the East-West divide, He Lian's resentment towards the Han Dynasty dissipated considerably.
Although he was forced to leave the grassland by the Han, that was only a grudge between the Easterners. When facing those different races, the barriers between them were nothing.
After watching the military equipment and supplies being pulled into the Xianbei camp, Cao Cao also took out a scroll of imperial edict and looked at He Lian.
"King Helian, His Majesty has an imperial edict to bestow upon you. Are you willing to accept it?"
"He Lian is willing to obey the Emperor's decree!"
Looking at the imperial edict in Cao Cao's hand, He Lian bowed respectfully.
Cao Cao then slowly unfurled the edict and proclaimed loudly: "The Xianbei people were originally a small tribe on the grasslands. Like the great Han dynasty of yesteryear, they suffered the same calamities at the hands of the Xiongnu. They are in the same boat and should unite to resist this powerful enemy."
However, after the Xiongnu were defeated and the Xianbei rose to power, they, like the Xiongnu, ravaged the people on the borders of the Han Dynasty.
As the ruler and father of all people, I should naturally put my people first.
The expulsion of the Xianbei from the grasslands was for the sake of ensuring the safety and well-being of the people, and was not motivated by any personal grudges.
Now that the Xianbei are about to head west, I only wish that one of them can remain safe and sound, and not diminish the prestige of our East.
"Now, in the name of the Emperor of the Great Han, I hereby bestow upon Helian the title of King Who Conquers the West. If he encounters any problems during his westward journey, he may seek military supplies and provisions from the Han armies along the way; the Han army will certainly provide full support!"
"He Lian thanks the Emperor for his divine grace!!"
He shouted loudly, then stretched out his hands, accepted the imperial edict, and formally accepted the investiture from the Han Dynasty.
Looking at the imperial edict in He Lian's hand, a hint of envy flashed deep in Cao Cao's eyes, and then he said in a deep voice:
"King Helian, we will also do our utmost to help your tribe travel west as soon as possible!"
"Thank you for your trouble, sir!"
He Lian nodded, readily accepting Cao Cao's suggestion.
Subsequently, a group of Han soldiers entered the Xianbei camp and began to assist the Xianbei soldiers in dismantling tents and moving supplies.
In the western part of the camp, several Xianbei soldiers were surrounding a military tent, removing the ropes and stakes around it, preparing to pack up the tent and take it away.
A Xianbei soldier untied a long rope, crumpled it up casually, and threw it aside.
"Hey bro, you can't throw that rope like that!"
Several Han soldiers approached with smiles on their faces. The one who had spoken earlier was a squad leader.
"What are you doing here...?"
Upon seeing the approaching Han soldiers, the busy Xianbei soldiers stopped and stared blankly at them.
"We're here to help!"
The sergeant smiled and said that, then stepped forward and picked up the long rope from the ground.
"Brother, if you leave the rope all tangled up like this, it will take a lot of time and effort to untangle it when you need it again, which will slow down the setup process and consume too much of your energy. In wartime, this is a huge disadvantage!"
As he spoke, the corporal untied the tangled rope and twisted it into a circle with both hands.
"Brother, this way, when you need it again, you can simply unzip it and use it directly!"
As the Han army squad leader spoke, he handed the coiled long rope to the Xianbei soldier.
"Oh, thank you so much for your help, sir! Your method is absolutely brilliant!"
Looking at the long rope coiled in his hand, the Xianbei soldier thanked the other party with a joyful expression.
"Haha, brother, no need to be so polite!"
The corporal smiled and then looked at the wooden stake that the Xianbei soldiers had thrown aside.
"Brother, and these wooden stakes you're using to hold the rope are all different lengths in all directions. We have to pick them out every time we set up camp, which is such a waste of time!"
As he spoke, the corporal stepped forward, picked up a slightly shorter wooden stake, then took out a dagger and carved the character "前" (qian, meaning "foremost") on it.
"Brother, look, all we need to do is carve a mark on this stake. Next time we need it, we can just use it according to the mark, saving us the time of comparing and selecting, and making it much faster to set up camp!"
"Big brother, you guys are amazing!"
After hearing the explanation from the Han army squad leader, the Xianbei soldiers' eyes lit up and their faces were full of admiration.
"Haha~, it's just a few small things. Just be careful, and you can do it too!"
The Han army sergeant smiled and waved his hand, then looked at the dismantled tent.
"And this military tent, make sure to fold it up neatly, so it can be used again easily and transported smoothly..."
As he spoke, the Han army squad leader stepped forward and directed several Xianbei soldiers on how to pack up the tent.
The other Han soldiers also stepped forward to help and explained some common sense and details about marching and setting up camp to the Xianbei soldiers.
The Xianbei soldiers listened attentively to the Han soldiers' explanation, just like well-behaved students.
For a time, the entire Xianbei camp was filled with harmony and peace.
The soldiers on both sides got along very well during the process. Everyone seemed to have forgotten their previous grudges and chatted and laughed with each other like friends who were about to part ways.
"Life is truly unpredictable. Who would have thought that soldiers who were fighting to the death before could get along so well!"
Seeing the harmonious relationship between the soldiers on both sides, He Lian couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
Cao Cao chuckled lightly: "Indeed, if given the choice, who would willingly take up arms to kill?"
"Yes, if there weren't so many disasters on the grasslands, and the people could live without worry about food and clothing, our tribe wouldn't have offended the Han so often in the past!"
He Lian sighed, and in his words, he unconsciously felt a touch of self-reproach for the things the Xianbei had done in the past.
Since Li Ru broadened his horizons, his thinking has undergone a complete transformation, no longer confined to temporary failures and gains.
Furthermore, after the big man's series of actions, combining kindness and severity, he truly saw himself clearly.
About an hour later, with the joint efforts of soldiers from both sides, the Xianbei army finally finished its preparations.
A Han soldier sergeant unfastened a sword from his waist and handed it to a Xianbei minor leader.
"Brother, this saber is for you. I hope you can use it to kill a few more Western barbarians and let them taste the power of our sabers!"
"Don't worry, brother, I will definitely not let you down!"
The Xianbei leader solemnly accepted the saber and said decisively.
Inside the Xianbei camp, soldiers from both sides bid each other farewell.
"Generals, we shall take our leave now. If there is an opportunity, we shall meet again in the West, and I will certainly treat you all to a good meal then!"
Seeing that the soldiers were ready, He Lian also led his mount over and bowed to Cao Cao and the others to say goodbye.
"Haha, it's settled then, see you in the West again!"
Cao Cao laughed loudly and returned the greeting to He Lian with a cupped-hand salute.
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