Conquering the grasslands to eliminate future troubles was Liu Hong's goal from the very beginning.
Although the Han Dynasty cannot do it right now, Liu Hong is confident that as long as the Han Dynasty is guided onto the right track, conquering the grasslands in the future will not be a problem.
The reason why generations of Chinese sages looked down on this place was simply because the grasslands were unsuitable for farming. However, what they did not understand was that the value of the grasslands was not limited to farming.
What Liu Hong needed to do was to gradually guide the people of the Han Dynasty so that they could see and enjoy the many benefits that the grasslands could bring.
Thinking about this, Liu Hong felt it was necessary to make preparations in advance. If he wanted to conquer the grasslands, then the geographical conditions there would be of particular importance.
"Besides Dong Zhuo, I also plan to send the Imperial Guards there."
Upon hearing Liu Hong's words, Chen Fan and the other two exchanged glances.
"Your Majesty, is it inappropriate to send the Imperial Guards on this expedition?"
Li Ying looked at Liu Hong with some hesitation.
The Imperial Guards have not participated in foreign wars for nearly a century, and they are quite worried that this young emperor will become an emperor like Emperor Xiaowu.
Seemingly sensing their concerns, Liu Hong explained, "My lords, there's no need to worry. I merely want them to gain some experience. After all, the Imperial Guards are known as the most elite troops of the Han Dynasty, but their true combat strength still needs to be tested in war!"
Chen Fan couldn't help but ask, "I wonder how many troops Your Majesty plans to send?"
Liu Hong laughed and said, "A thousand cavalrymen are enough. As for the expenses, they will all be provided by the Imperial Household Department."
"In that case, let's do as Your Majesty wishes."
Dou Wu expressed his support, and Chen Fan and Li Ying also agreed. After all, the number of people was small, and the national treasury would not have to pay for it, so there was no need for them to argue with the emperor on this matter.
After taking the three away, Liu Hong summoned Gongsun Zan and Ma Teng to Deyang Palace.
Liu Hong then handed Zhang Huan's memorial to the two men for them to read.
After reading Zhang Huan's memorial, the two men were filled with rage and resentment.
Ma Teng was from Liangzhou, and Gongsun Zan was from Youzhou. Both places were frequently invaded by barbarians, so the two hated the barbarians who wantonly slaughtered the border people more than ordinary people.
Looking at the resentful Gongsun Zan and Ma Teng, Liu Hong nodded to himself. It was most suitable for them to carry out Zhang Huan's plan. They were very familiar with those barbarians and would surely be able to turn the grasslands upside down.
Liu Hong then looked at the two men and said in a deep voice, "The Xiongnu owe a blood debt. I want you to go to the grasslands and avenge this blood debt for me and for those who perished!"
Upon hearing this, Ma Teng and Gongsun Zan immediately replied in unison, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, we will make the Xiongnu pay for their blood debt!"
"Good! You will not be under anyone's command or orders. Moreover, once you enter the grasslands, I will not give you a single grain of food. Do you understand?"
"clear!!"
"Furthermore, you should not go too deep into the area. Record the routes and the distribution of water sources that you can remember."
"promise!"
As night fell, Gongsun Zan and Ma Teng each led a squad of Imperial Guard cavalry, took off their Imperial Guard uniforms, and quietly left Luoyang, speeding towards Bingzhou.
Huang Zhong, Gongsun Du, and the other soldiers watched the departing team with envy.
In Jiuyuan, Lü Bu, who had been in a coma for many days, finally turned his life around under the careful treatment of the military doctors, and his vital signs began to slowly recover.
Everyone was astonished to see how quickly Lü Bu recovered from his injuries, but they were relieved to hear that Lü Bu had single-handedly killed more than thirty Xiongnu people.
On that very day, after the centurion had his soldiers bury the bodies of the civilians who had perished, he brought the heads of the Xiongnu people to report back to Zhang Huan.
Zhang Huan then believed the soldier's story and praised the centurion.
It should be noted that the heads of more than thirty Xiongnu people could be counted as part of the war merits.
If this centurion had taken the opportunity to kill Lü Bu and distributed the credits among his men, Zhang Huan would have had a very difficult time finding out.
In no time, Lü Bu's reputation resounded throughout the entire camp, and all the soldiers knew of his fierce battle record.
That afternoon, Lu Bu, lying in his military tent, finally slowly opened his eyes. Feeling the pain in his body, Lu Bu only frowned slightly before struggling to sit up.
Looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings, Lü Bu felt somewhat lost.
"Hey bro, you're awake?"
Just then, a soldier in charge of guarding him walked in. Seeing Lü Bu sitting up, he quickly went over to him with a look of surprise and delight.
Seeing that the newcomer's attire was exactly the same as that of the Han soldiers before he fell unconscious, Lü Bu finally felt relieved.
Where is this?
The soldier laughed and said, "This is the Han army camp. You've been unconscious for many days, you must be hungry. I'll go find you some food right away!"
"Thank you! I wonder... about the baby in my arms?"
"Don't worry, the baby is fine. The general even found her a wet nurse."
"That's good....."
Hearing that the baby was unharmed, Lü Bu was finally relieved.
Before long, the soldier brought a bowl of millet rice, a bowl of meat soup, and a plate of vegetables into the tent, with the centurion following behind him.
Looking at the food in front of him, the extremely hungry Lü Bu didn't even bother to greet the centurion. He picked up the soup and drank it all in one gulp, then picked up his chopsticks and began to wolf down his food.
After Lü Bu finished eating, the centurion stepped forward with a smile and said, "Brother, I am Gao Shun from Yanmen, courtesy name Gongren. May I ask where you are from?"
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