In Gaochang, outside the city to the east, two squads of brightly armored Imperial Guards stood in neat rows on both sides of the official road.
Water was also sprinkled and yellow soil was laid on the official road that extended two hundred meters from the city gate.
At the city gate, Yuan Shao, dressed in black court robes and wearing a black turban, calmly watched the approaching procession in the distance.
Generals Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and Hua Xiong, among others, were also dressed formally and stood behind Yuan Shao with serious expressions.
These people, who were used to being carefree and undisciplined when they followed Yuan Shao, were dressed so formally for the first time since arriving in the Western Regions, and they felt quite uncomfortable.
However, there was no way around it. Although Liu Yu was a kind and generous person, he was also an old-fashioned person, especially admiring the Three Rites: the Rites of Zhou, the Book of Rites, and the Book of Rites.
When he served as the head of the imperial clan, he severely punished many members of the imperial clan who did not respect the three rites.
Now, Liu Yu, by order of the emperor, has become their superior. No matter how unwilling they are, they have to behave properly and act in accordance with etiquette.
Before long, Liu Yu's carriage arrived at the gate, and the Imperial Guards on both sides dismounted first.
Then the carriage curtain was lifted, and Liu Yu leaned out of the carriage. He was then helped down by an officer.
Upon seeing this, Yuan Shao and the others quickly stepped forward and bowed to Liu Yu.
"This humble official greets Protector Liu!"
Liu Yu smiled and waved his hand, "No need for such formalities, everyone!"
"Here you go!"
Yuan Shao and the others agreed in unison, and then stood up straight.
Liu Yu looked at everyone with a smile and said in a deep voice, "You have all fought here for a long time, saving the people of the Western Regions from the slaughter of the Xiongnu and maintaining the prestige of our Great Han in the Western Regions. You have made great contributions. On behalf of His Majesty, I would like to extend my greetings to you all!"
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty!"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao and the others became solemn and immediately bowed in the direction of Luoyang.
Liu Yu smiled and nodded, then looked at Yuan Shao and said with a laugh, "Benchu, why don't you introduce these young talents to this old man?"
"Please, Protector-General!"
Yuan Shao smiled slightly, then led Liu Yu to the front of the generals, first pointing to the rather old Li Jue.
"Protector, this is Li Jue, General Li. He comes from the Liangzhou army and is known for his courage, loyalty, and bravery. In battles against the Xiongnu, he always leads from the front and is a rare and valiant general!"
Li Jue, who was introduced first, immediately saluted Liu Yu and said, "I greet Protector Liu!"
"Excellent! General Li is clearly a seasoned veteran, possessing the fierce and valiant spirit of a Liangzhou man. Not bad!"
Liu Yu returned the greeting with a smile and also made a few words of praise.
Li Jue straightened his posture: "Thank you for the compliment, Protector Liu!"
Liu Yu smiled and nodded, then, guided by Yuan Shao, looked at Guo Si standing to the side.
"Protector, this is General Guo Si. He also comes from the Liangzhou army. He is meticulous and bold. In battle, he has led his troops to launch surprise attacks on the enemy's rear many times and has made outstanding contributions!"
Liu Yu nodded with admiration in his eyes: "Good, General Guo is clearly a shrewd man, and he has quite a bit of General Duan's style!"
Guo Si also showed a delighted expression: "Protector-General, you flatter me!!"
Yuan Shao smiled and then introduced Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Hua Xiong, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, and others to Liu Yu one by one.
Liu Yu, a member of the imperial clan, treated these young officers, who came from the Imperial Guard and were personally trained by the emperor, with great affection, much like a kind elder.
In Liu Yu's eyes, these young military officers were all the emperor's direct descendants and the strongest supporters of his Liu clan. As a member of the royal family, he naturally had to show the appropriate attitude of closeness.
Liu Yu's dignified demeanor earned him the respect of Yan Liang, Xiahou Dun, and others.
Then, Yuan Shao led Liu Yu to Zhang Xiu and Lan Zhi, who were standing at the very back.
Liu Yu also looked at Zhang Xiu and his wife with a loving expression, especially his gaze towards Zhang Xiu, which was filled with admiration.
According to seniority, Zhang Xiu should have been ranked ahead of Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and others, but he was willing to stand at the very back for Lan Zhi's sake, which shows his love and respect for his daughter.
"Your son-in-law greets your father-in-law!"
"Your daughter greets Father!"
Meeting Liu Yu's gaze, Zhang Xiu and his wife Lanzhi immediately bowed deeply to him.
"Okay, okay, get up now!!"
Liu Yu quickly stepped forward and helped the two of them up.
"Father, you've gotten old..."
Looking at Liu Yu's slightly tired face and graying temples, Lanzhi's eyes reddened involuntarily, and tears fell down her cheeks.
"Silly child, your father is already this old, how can I not be old?"
Seeing his adopted daughter in tears, Liu Yu lovingly reached out and wiped away Lanzhi's tears.
"Father, your daughter misses you...!"
Feeling her father's long-lost love, Lanzhi choked up and buried her head in Liu Yu's chest.
At this moment, Lanzhi no longer resembled a queen in front of Liu Yu; she was merely a young daughter who had been married off thousands of miles away and reunited with her father.
"Alright, silly child, I've come to be with you, haven't I? Don't cry anymore, it would be bad if your people saw you like this."
Looking down at his sobbing daughter in his arms, Liu Yu patted her head to comfort her.
Upon hearing this, Lanzhi softly hummed in agreement before leaving Liu Yu's embrace.
Zhang Xiu, standing nearby, also took out a silk handkerchief with a look of tenderness and stepped forward to wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes.
Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Xiahou Dun, and the others who were still single saw Zhang Xiu showing affection in front of them, and couldn't help but twitch their lips and turn their heads away, unwilling to watch any longer.
Yuan Shao stepped forward and said, "Protector, it's windy outside. Let's go into the city and talk!"
"Alright, let's enter the city!"
Liu Yu smiled and nodded, then, guided by Yuan Shao, walked into the city.
The tens of thousands of young men who followed Liu Yu entered the city in an orderly manner under the arrangement of their accompanying instructors.
The group arrived at the government office, and Yuan Shao led Liu Yu to sit on the guard's seat.
After everyone was seated, Liu Yu glanced at them and said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, I have come here on His Majesty's orders. Although I am called the Protector-General, I am only in charge of political affairs. As for military matters, they are the responsibility of Benchu and you all."
I hope that you will all do your utmost to ensure the peace and stability of the Western Regions, so as not to fail His Majesty's great trust!
"Here you go!"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao and the others all agreed.
Liu Yu then looked at Yuan Shao and said in a deep voice, "Benchu, please tell me about the situation inside Gaochang City first!"
Yuan Shao nodded and said slowly, "Protector, there are still 25,000 soldiers in Gaochang City, and all kinds of supplies are plentiful."
The city's inhabitants are mostly young women, numbering about 30,000. The 20,000 vacant houses are enough to accommodate the young men and women who have come to settle down and start families!
As he spoke, Yuan Shao ordered someone to fetch the population register of Gaochang City and hand it over to Liu Yu.
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