As per Cao Cao's request, He Lian and Xie Zhiyu, after two days of preparation, each dispatched 20,000 troops to Cao Cao's command.
"Indeed, the soldiers have resolute expressions, the warhorses are strong and powerful, and even Lian and Xie Zhiyu did not do a perfunctory job!"
On the open ground west of Wusun City, Cao Cao nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the 40,000 troops lined up in neat formation.
Dong Zhuo, standing to the side, said with a smile, "These soldiers have all been trained by our military and political instructors and staff officers, so naturally they won't be too bad!"
"Ben Chu left me a good foundation; otherwise, commanding these soldiers would be really difficult!"
Looking at the Xiongnu and Xianbei cavalrymen before him, who bore a resemblance to the Han army, Cao Cao couldn't help but silently thank Yuan Shao.
Just as Cao Cao and Dong Zhuo were talking, Li Ru also came over with a group of generals from the Xiongnu and Xianbei.
"My name is Li Ru, and I greet General Cao!"
"Oh, Mr. Wen, there's no need for such formalities. I hope you can give me some guidance on this expedition!"
Facing Li Ru, Cao Cao also put away his previous indifference, stepped forward and returned the greeting with a cupped hand, and spoke very politely.
Li Ru smiled and said, "I wouldn't presume to offer guidance. General Cao, if you need anything, just give the order!"
Cao Cao laughed loudly, then pointed to an open space not far away: "Haha~, very good, sir, please come this way to talk!"
"Alright!" Li Ru agreed, then looked at the group of officers following behind him: "You all wait here for a moment!"
"Yes, sir!"
The generals respectfully agreed and then stood still.
Li Ru followed Cao Cao and walked together toward an open space not far away.
Watching the two figures depart, a Xianbei general approached Dong Zhuo and whispered, "Brother Dong, this General Cao you just sent seems to have a rather bad temper, doesn't he?"
"Sigh~, to be honest, this guy is indeed a bit difficult to get along with. Since coming to the army, he has set a lot of rules, and my life is not easy now!"
Upon hearing the question, Dong Zhuo couldn't help but sigh, his face full of sorrow, as if he had suffered a great injustice.
"Does this mean we're in trouble?"
Seeing that even Dong Zhuo had been subdued, the officers of the two divisions, who were used to being lax, couldn't help but show bitter expressions on their faces.
Dong Zhuo said solemnly, "You can't say that. Although General Cao has a lot of rules, he's not a bad person. As long as you behave well, he won't make things difficult for you, and you might even get some benefits!"
"Yes, I'll have to ask Brother Dong for your help!"
Upon hearing Dong Zhuo's words, all the officers present put aside their own thoughts.
On the other side, Cao Cao and Li Ru also arrived at a secluded place.
"Mr. Wen, please accept my bow!"
Finding no one around, Cao Cao then solemnly bowed to Li Ru.
"Oh, General Cao, there's no need for that!"
Seeing this, Li Ru quickly stepped forward and helped Cao Cao up.
Cao Cao looked at Li Ru with respect: "I have often heard His Majesty and Yuan Shao mention you, sir. I truly admire you!"
Li Ru smiled and said, "General Cao, you flatter me. Anyone can sacrifice for the Han Dynasty. It's just that I have sacrificed more!"
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao's heart stirred, and he said directly, "Sir, your noble character surpasses even that of Su Wu and Zhang Qian!"
Li Ru smiled and waved his hand: "Oh, I dare not compare myself to them!"
Cao Cao said solemnly, "By the way, sir, His Majesty asked me to send his regards to you and hopes that after you bring the Xiongnu and Xianbei to the northern steppes of Rome, you will return directly to the Han Dynasty. His Majesty will make arrangements for other matters!"
Is that so?
Li Ru's expression shifted slightly, then he nodded: "I understand!"
Cao Cao smiled and then asked, "By the way, sir, what advice do you have for me on this expedition to Dayuan?"
"General Cao, please rest assured. As early as last year, I arranged for 8,000 elite troops from Gaoliu to be stationed on the border of Dayuan. The second prince of Dayuan is also under my control. You can lead your army directly to the capital of Dayuan...!!"
"Sir, you are truly righteous. I, Cao, am deeply grateful!"
Upon hearing that Li Ru had already made all the arrangements, Cao Cao was overjoyed and bowed to Li Ru once again.
Regardless of the circumstances, the expedition to Dayuan was, after all, a feat that resulted in the destruction of a nation, and now that Li Ru had simply handed it over to him, Cao Cao was naturally extremely grateful.
Li Ru simply smiled and said, "Alright, General Cao, it's getting late, the army should set off!"
"Alright, sir, please!"
Cao Cao nodded, and then walked with Li Ru toward the front of the army formation.
"Greetings, General Cao!!"
As soon as Cao Cao arrived at the front of the battle, the generals and officers of the Xiongnu and Xianbei armies immediately stepped forward to pay their respects.
After Dong Zhuo's reprimand, these people understood Cao Cao's position here and naturally dared not slack off in the slightest.
Cao Cao waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Alright, this expedition to Dayuan is entirely due to everyone's hard work. As long as we win, I will reward you according to your merits and will not treat you unfairly!"
"Here you go!!"
The generals responded in unison, without the slightest hesitation.
Seeing how obedient these foreign generals were, Cao Cao couldn't help but turn to Dong Zhuo and cast an admiring glance at him.
Dong Zhuo raised an eyebrow, curled the corners of his mouth, and revealed a smug smile.
Subsequently, under Cao Cao's arrangement, the 40,000-strong army of the Xiongnu and Xianbei was divided into five groups of 8,000 men each. Dong Zhuo, Zhang Xiu, Hua Xiong, Xiahou Dun, and Xiahou Yuan each led one group, and they sped off towards Dayuan in turn.
After two days of travel, Cao Cao's 40,000 troops finally arrived at the border between Wusun and Dayuan.
Looking at the camp in the distance with a Dayuan flag flying, Li Ru waved to a messenger beside him. The messenger understood and immediately spurred his horse toward the camp.
Before long, the gate of the village opened, and the second prince of Dayuan, Kemora, who was stationed here, also came to the front of the village with a group of soldiers to greet him.
When Li Ru was still 300 meters away from the camp, Kemora ran up to him.
"I pay my respects to you, sir!"
Li Ru gave a faint "hmm," then pointed to Cao Cao beside him and said in a solemn voice, "This is General Cao of the Great Han Dynasty, who has come to punish those disloyal people who have offended the majesty of the Great Han Dynasty!"
Camorra's expression changed, and he hurriedly bowed to Cao Cao, saying, "I am Camorra, paying my respects to General Cao!"
"Hmm!" Cao Cao waved his hand, then asked, "What is the current situation in Dayuan?"
"Replying to General Cao, my father is seriously ill and unable to attend to state affairs. All the affairs of the kingdom are now being handled by my elder brother..."
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