November 8th, early morning, west of Cheshi City.
He Lian led a magnificent warhorse to Li Ru, his expression quite solemn.
"Sir, when you lead the army to conquer Wusun, remember not to risk your life on the front lines!"
As he spoke, He Lian handed the reins of the warhorse to Li Ru: "This horse has served me for many years. Today I present it to you, sir, to serve as your mount!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will certainly live up to your expectations!"
Li Ru, also deeply moved, took the reins, then stepped into the stirrups, leaped onto the horse's back, and bowed to He Lian, saying, "Your Majesty, we Wusun meet again!"
"Haha, great!"
He Lian also laughed loudly, and then waved to Li Ru.
"Set off!!"
Seeing the 30,000 cavalrymen already arrayed in formation ahead, Li Ru shouted loudly and then spurred his horse towards the direction of Wusun.
Thirty thousand Xianbei cavalry, led by their respective officers, followed closely behind Li Ru.
Only after the army had completely disappeared did He Lian lead his men back to Cheshi City.
Upon returning to the Cheshi Palace, Helian immediately summoned all his men.
"Gentlemen, we have been here for quite some time now. It is time to set off. Order all our people, as well as the women from the Western Regions whom we have taken in, to pack their belongings immediately and prepare to head to Wusun!"
"yes!!"
Everyone agreed in unison, and then quickly dispersed.
Soon, He Lian's order spread throughout the city. The Xianbei herdsmen, who had been resting there for a long time, also began to pack up quickly. The 30,000 Western Region women they had taken in also actively cooperated with the people's actions.
After three days of preparation, the 60,000 Xianbei herdsmen and 30,000 Western Region women who had stayed in Cheshi, led by Helian, finally left Cheshi City and headed towards Wusun in a grand procession.
Just as He Lian led the people away from Cheshi, Li Ru led 30,000 cavalrymen, who, after traveling day and night, finally arrived at a place 20 miles east of the Wusun capital.
Because the Xianbei cavalry were now fully equipped with horseshoes, stirrups, and saddles, the 30,000-strong army did not suffer many losses despite their hasty march, and the soldiers' formation remained intact.
Looking up at the setting sun and the distant Wusun capital, Li Ru's lips curled into a slight smile. He then gave an order to the messenger beside him:
"Order the army to set up camp here tonight, and march on Wusun at dawn tomorrow!"
"Yes, sir!"
The messenger respectfully agreed and then spurred his horse to gallop away.
After receiving Li Ru's order to set up camp, the Xianbei cavalrymen began to move quickly.
During their training under Dong Zhuo and a group of instructors and advisors, the Xianbei cavalrymen had already divided up their respective roles.
The logging team soldiers, in groups of three, began cutting down trees, with the camp as the center.
The engineers began to construct necessary facilities such as camps, stockades, and arrow towers in an orderly manner.
The cooks also began to set up their pots and cook, and wisps of smoke drifted into the twilight sky.
If viewed from above, the entire Xianbei army resembled a colony of ants with clearly defined roles, operating in perfect order.
The sheer scale of the project involved in building a camp capable of housing 30,000 cavalrymen, and also strong enough to prevent enemy raids.
Fortunately, these Xianbei soldiers had received rigorous training from Dong Zhuo and others, and their speed in setting up camp was not much worse than that of ordinary Han troops.
Before it got completely dark, two large banners were erected next to the main tent in the camp. One banner had a large "Han" character on it, and the other banner had the large characters "Xianbei Conquering the West King" on it.
After the meal, Li Ru, who was sitting in the main tent, summoned one of his close attendants and handed him a letter.
"You immediately infiltrate the Wusun capital, find A-Yue, and give her a letter to prepare her!"
"Yes, sir!"
The attendant agreed, then respectfully accepted the letter, bowed, and withdrew.
At the same time, news of the arrival of the Xianbei army also reached the Wusun Kingdom.
The King of Wusun was also terrified and turned pale. He hurriedly summoned a group of nobles and officials to the palace overnight to discuss countermeasures.
Inside the council hall, the disheveled King of Wusun sat on his throne, looking anxiously at the group of nobles and officials.
"The Xianbei have suddenly come to the city gates. What are your thoughts on this?"
The Wusun King's voice, trembling slightly, echoed in the hall.
Faced with the question from the King of Wusun, all the nobles and officials in the hall lowered their heads and remained silent.
The Xianbei people appeared suddenly twenty miles east of the city without even giving a heads-up. They must have ill intentions. What else could we possibly think?
Seeing that no one was speaking, the King of Wusun's face darkened, and then he looked at the Right Chancellor standing at the head of the group.
"Right Chancellor, you speak!"
The Right Chancellor, who had been called out, stepped forward and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, it has been reported that this Xianbei cavalry is flying the banner of the Great Han's King of the West."
Although it's unclear what this King of the West's role is, he's likely acting under the orders of the Han Dynasty!
The King of Wusun's expression shifted: "Hmm... does the Right Chancellor mean that they're not coming for us?"
"In my opinion, that should be the case. The Left Chancellor is currently in Gaochang City. If the Han Dynasty is indeed going to attack our country, news should come from there."
Therefore, I believe that the Xianbei people came here because Dayuan failed to send them the supplies they needed, which not only angered the Xianbei people but also embarrassed the Han Dynasty.
Therefore, the Xianbei people, under the guise of the Han Dynasty, launched a military campaign against Dayuan.
As for why they stationed troops east of the city, it's probably because they wanted to pass through our country, since it's the shortest route to Dayuan..."
"That makes sense!"
After listening to the Right Chancellor's analysis, the King of Wusun nodded thoughtfully, and the panic on his face subsided considerably.
Then, the King of Wusun looked at the Right Chancellor and said in a deep voice, "You shall immediately issue an order that the garrison in the city shall not act rashly, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble."
Furthermore, arrange for men to go out of the city early tomorrow morning to visit this Xianbei cavalry, see what they need, and try to meet their needs as much as possible!
"It is the King!"
The Right Chancellor respectfully agreed, then bowed and returned to the ranks.
"Alright, everyone go back and rest!"
After giving his orders, the King of Wusun yawned, waved to his subordinates, and then got up and walked towards the inner palace.
"Farewell, Your Majesty!"
After a chorus of shouts, the noble officials followed the Right Chancellor out of the council hall.
Upon returning to his residence, the Right Chancellor immediately sought out his wife and recounted the matters they had discussed.
"My lord, the Xianbei have arrived now, and your opportunity has come!"
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