East of the city of Kucha, inside the Xiongnu camp, the Kucha envoy once again arrived at the main tent.
"Your Majesty, my king is willing to provide your army with 500,000 shi of grain, 3,000 top-quality beauties, 5,000 jars of fine wine, and gold and jewelry worth nearly 50 million coins."
Finally, my king has decided to send 15,000 warriors from Kucha to assist your army in attacking Wusun!
As the envoy from Kucha spoke, he took out the letter of state written by the King of Kucha to Xie Zhiyu.
After reading the letter from the King of Kucha, Xie Zhiyu smiled broadly.
"Very well, your country's sincerity is truly commendable. I am very satisfied. Go back and tell your king to send the supplies here first, and then in three days, both armies will set off together and head straight for Wusun!"
"yes!"
The envoy from Kucha respectfully agreed, and then asked, "May I ask Your Majesty Xiezhiyu if you could withdraw the soldiers attacking the city and those catapults?"
"That won't do. To prevent you from going back on your word, the siege forces and equipment must not retreat an inch before we take Wusun!"
Upon hearing the other party's request, Xie Zhi refused without even thinking.
"this……"
When the Kucha envoy saw that Xie Zhiyu had actually turned around and suspected them of being untrustworthy, he was speechless.
"Alright, see them out!!"
Xie Zhiyu was too lazy to argue with the other party anymore and directly issued an order to leave.
The Kucha envoy sighed helplessly and turned to walk out of the tent.
Faced with Xie Zhiyu's refusal to withdraw his siege forces, the King of Kucha and his nobles felt a lump in their throats, but they were at the mercy of the enemy and had no choice but to cooperate fully.
Soon, cartloads of supplies were hauled out of the city of Kucha and transported to the Xiongnu camp.
To show his sincerity, Xie Zhiyu also withdrew the 30,000 Xiongnu cavalry that had besieged Kucha.
Taking advantage of this, the King of Kucha dispatched a messenger with a letter of his willingness to submit to the Kushan Empire in the west.
Soon, three days later, the 15,000 garrison soldiers dispatched by the King of Kucha assembled on an open area north of the city.
Xie Zhiyu also ordered Chou Chan to lead 30,000 Xiongnu cavalry to join forces with the Kucha soldiers.
Looking at the mostly infantrymen of Kucha, Chou Chan frowned, then rode his horse to the front of the Kucha army's formation and looked at a Kucha general leading the troops.
"Let your people march ahead under the banner of Kucha, while my Xiongnu army follows behind!"
"yes!"
Upon hearing Chou Chan's instructions, the Kucha general dared not ask any further questions and quickly relayed the order.
Soon, the order spread throughout the army, and the soldiers of Kucha began to slowly march towards Wusun.
It wasn't until the Kucha army had traveled five li that Chou Chan led 30,000 Xiongnu cavalry to follow.
Behind the two groups followed a long transport caravan of 40,000 people from Kucha.
On a high ground within the Xiongnu camp, watching the northward-bound troops, Xie Zhiyu's lips curled into a smug smile.
"By my order, send the three thousand beautiful women and gold and jewels presented by the Kingdom of Kucha to Gaochang as a small gift from me."
Also, tell the brothers in the army that the provisions sent by the Kingdom of Kucha are available for immediate consumption, so that everyone can eat their fill and conserve their energy!
"Yes, Your Majesty!!"
Xie Zhi's personal guard responded loudly and then quickly left.
Soon, Xie Zhiyu's order spread throughout the entire army, and all the soldiers cheered.
Although these soldiers were all young men from various countries who had been forcibly conscripted into the Xiongnu army, their hometowns had also been destroyed by the Xiongnu.
However, after being coerced and oppressed by the Xiongnu for more than a year, the able-bodied men of these subordinate troops had long been worn down, forgotten their initial hatred, and learned to submit.
After receiving the order to have a full meal, they, who were often hungry, truly considered themselves as members of the Xiongnu army.
When someone has been oppressed for a long time and is suddenly treated kindly by the oppressor, they will inevitably feel a sense of relief and gratitude.
Before long, wisps of smoke rose from the Xiongnu camp, along with the aroma of cooked food.
The able-bodied men of the Xiongnu army gathered together, chatting and laughing, and began to enjoy this rare opportunity to have a full stomach.
As previously agreed, Xie Zhiyu allowed the able-bodied men of the Xiongnu army to eat their fill for three consecutive days.
Meanwhile, news of the joint military expedition by the Xiongnu and Kucha also reached the Wusun.
"This King of Kucha not long ago sent a messenger to ask us for help, but now he has colluded with the Xiongnu and invaded our territory. He is truly a fickle and despicable man!"
Inside the palace, the Wusun king's furious curses echoed through the hall.
Mo Chen, the Right Chancellor of Wusun, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, now that Kucha has broken its alliance and sent troops to attack us together with the Xiongnu, our army may not be able to withstand it. Your Majesty should immediately send someone to ask the Han Dynasty for help!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, we cannot overcome this crisis without the help of the Han Dynasty. Please make a decision quickly!" The Left Prime Minister chimed in.
Hearing that his two ministers unanimously advised him to seek help from the Han Dynasty, the King of Wusun frowned, then said hesitantly:
"Our country has not paid tribute to the Han Dynasty for many years, and we previously refused Yuan Shao's order to conscript soldiers. Will they still lend a helping hand?"
The Left Chancellor stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, rest assured. I have heard that the Emperor of the Han Dynasty has re-established the Protectorate of the Western Regions, and the Protector-General is Liu Yu, a member of the Han imperial family.”
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