Because Liu Hong's edict only instructed Dong Zhuo to serve under Zhang Huan without specifying a return date, Zhang Huan temporarily kept Dong Zhuo and his men in the Bingzhou army camp to prevent further attacks by the Xiongnu.
After a good night's sleep, Dong Zhuo stepped out of his military tent early in the morning, breathing in the fresh air, and felt all the fatigue from half a year of fighting on the grasslands vanish.
"Hey~ Drink~ Ha~"
Dong Zhuo, who was taking a leisurely stroll, heard shouts coming from the direction of the training ground and went over to investigate.
On the training ground, five thousand soldiers, lined up in neat rows, were training under Gao Shun's command. They changed formations constantly as Gao Shun directed them, advancing and retreating in an orderly manner, appearing as a unified whole from a distance.
"If this infantry were deployed on the battlefield, even our Xiliang cavalry would have a hard time defeating them in one blow!" Dong Zhuo thought to himself in surprise.
"This humble general, Gao Shun, pays his respects to General Dong!"
Upon seeing Dong Zhuo arrive, Gao Shun stopped training. The army had a very clear hierarchy, and although they were not in the same system, the always strict and self-disciplined Gao Shun still stepped forward to salute.
"General Gao, there's no need for such formalities! Did you personally train these infantrymen?"
Gao Shun said in a deep voice, "Replying to General Dong, it is indeed this humble general!"
Dong Zhuo couldn't help but look Gao Shun up and down. The young man in front of him was well-behaved and had the typical demeanor of a regular soldier.
"Excellent! General Gao is truly a rare talent. With such elite troops, what is there to fear even if those barbarian tribes of the grasslands number ten times larger?"
Dong Zhuo glanced at the upright Bingzhou infantrymen on the training ground and couldn't help but admire them, saying that they gave him the feeling of a solid and immovable city wall.
"These mere barbarians are nothing to speak of. If given the chance, I will surely exterminate them all!"
"Haha~ Excellent! General Gao speaks well. These mere barbarians are nothing to be trifled with!"
Gao Shun's words, full of murderous intent and disdain for those barbarians, seemed to suit Dong Zhuo's taste.
Dong Zhuo stepped forward, patted Gao Shun on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Alright, General Gao, please continue your training. I'll go take a stroll elsewhere!"
"This humble general respectfully sees General Dong off!"
After leaving the training ground, Dong Zhuo was filled with mixed thoughts. He had originally thought that apart from the Imperial Guards, the Liangzhou Army was definitely one of the most elite forces in the Han Dynasty.
But seeing the infantry that Gao Shun had trained today, he realized that he had indeed underestimated the people of the world. If the emperor had tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of such troops, there would be nowhere in the world he couldn't go.
Unbeknownst to him, Dong Zhuo arrived at the gate of the Bingzhou army camp.
"General Dong!"
"Yes! Stay at your post!"
"promise!"
Dong Zhuo smiled, gave the two men some instructions, and then looked towards Luoyang. He suddenly wanted to go to Luoyang to pay homage to the emperor he served.
Who goes there?
The sudden shout interrupted Dong Zhuo's thoughts. Dong Zhuo looked up and saw a chestnut horse carrying a boy and two children coming towards him.
Lü Bu reined in his horse, bowed to the two soldiers on guard and Dong Zhuo, and said in a deep voice:
"I am Lü Bu from Jiuyuan, here to pay my respects to General Zhang, the Protector-General of the Xiongnu. Please inform him of my arrival!"
"You are Lü Bu, Lü Fengxian?"
The two soldiers on guard couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. They had heard of Lü Bu's great name. He had single-handedly killed thirty Xiongnu, a feat that was truly unparalleled.
"Alright! Please wait a moment, I'll go and inform General Zhang right away!"
Immediately, one soldier turned and ran towards the main tent, while the remaining soldier looked at Lü Bu with excitement and admiration in his eyes.
Dong Zhuo, who was standing nearby, noticed the unusual behavior of the two soldiers and began to look Lü Bu up and down.
Although Lü Bu was not as murderous as he was on the grasslands, the faint aura he exuded, mixed with a hint of bloodlust, coupled with the fierce look in his eyes, told Dong Zhuo that this young man must be a very terrifying person who had killed many people, and no fewer than Dong Zhuo himself!
Sensing Dong Zhuo's gaze, Lü Bu nodded slightly to the Han general. His intuition told him that this man was no ordinary person and had probably killed as many people as he had.
Lu Bu then carried the blushing Yan Jin and her younger brother off their horse and stood there waiting.
Dong Zhuo seemed very interested in Lü Bu and stepped forward to ask, "Where do you come from?"
"I come from the grasslands!"
"What?"
Lu Bu's simple answer surprised Dong Zhuo for a moment, then Dong Zhuo couldn't help but burst into laughter, "Haha~ What a fine name, 'from the grasslands'!"
Dong Zhuo looked at Lü Bu and liked him more and more. He laughed and said, "This man is Dong Zhuo, Dong Zhongying. He is the vanguard general under the Marquis of Dingbian. Boy, are you interested in coming with me to the Xiliang Army? I'll make you my centurion!"
"Haha~ You, Dong Zhongying, have come here to poach people from me. Duan Jiong is so arrogant with you guys around. If Fengxian goes there, wouldn't he be unstoppable?"
Just as Lü Bu was wondering how to respond, Zhang Huan's hearty laughter came from behind.
"This humble general was merely joking with you, General, please don't take it seriously!"
Seeing Zhang Huan walking briskly towards him, Dong Zhuo chuckled and stepped forward, but inwardly he couldn't help but sigh.
Zhang Huan smiled and waved his hand, "Who wouldn't like a brave and skilled young man like Fengxian? But he's mine now, and none of you can take him away!"
Upon hearing Zhang Huan's explanation, Dong Zhuo could only give a helpless bitter smile and shake his head.
"Fengxian, you're finally back!"
Zhang Huan approached and carefully examined Lü Bu. He was much taller and stronger than he had been six months ago, and his aura was much more imposing. Looking at Lü Bu, Zhang Huan's eyes were full of admiration and affection.
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