Bingzhou
Zhang Huan adopted Lü Bu's suggestion and sent people to various parts of Bingzhou to issue recruitment orders for cavalry.
Bingzhou was full of chivalrous wanderers, who also had a passionate heart to serve their country and hoped to emulate their predecessors during the reign of Emperor Xiaowu, using their own passion and skills to vindicate their community.
Riding a warhorse, galloping across the grasslands, and fighting against barbarians—this is the dream of countless passionate young people.
Soon, news of the recruitment notice spread throughout the Bingzhou region, and countless young men and wandering knights bid farewell to their families and set off together for the Bingzhou camp.
Because the Bingzhou army was a border army, it was unable to recruit more soldiers to guard the border due to insufficient food and supplies. As a result, it was often found by tribes on the grasslands to break through and come into the territory of the Han Dynasty to burn, kill and plunder.
As early as when Zhang Huan arrived in Bingzhou, Liu Hong and his officials made a decision that the border defenses of Youzhou, Bingzhou and Liangzhou must be strengthened, otherwise they would not have been put in charge of the tax revenue of the three provinces.
Therefore, Zhang Huan used the recruitment order to build up his cavalry while also recruiting the Bingzhou army to full strength to relieve the pressure on the border troops.
In just a few days, nearly 20,000 young men and wandering knights arrived at the Bingzhou camp to answer the call, and the recruitment office outside the camp was bustling with activity.
Inside the camp, Zhang Huan looked at the crowd of people eagerly signing up outside and nodded in satisfaction. These people could be formed into an army with just a little training, and there shouldn't be any problem in them guarding the city.
Lu Bu followed beside Zhang Huan, his sharp eyes sweeping over the young men who had signed up, selecting suitable candidates from among them.
Due to the emperor's requirement that the soldiers' family circumstances and backgrounds be recorded in detail, the recruitment work was barely completed after two days of enthronement and registration.
All the newly recruited young men and wandering knights changed into military uniforms and were taken to the training ground to assemble. Touching their uniforms, everyone seemed to feel a sense of responsibility and mission in an instant.
Lu Bu, who was in charge of selecting cavalry, came to the high platform and looked at the group of Bingzhou men on the training ground. A sense of pride welled up in him. In the future, he would lead these Bingzhou men to fight their way into the grasslands and let those barbarians see what the might of the Han Dynasty was all about.
Lu Bu stepped forward, focused his energy into his dantian, and said loudly, "I am Lu Bu, a fellow native of Bingzhou with you all. Since childhood, I have witnessed the brutality of the barbarians who harmed my compatriots. My parents and elders were all slaughtered, leaving only me to survive in this world."
I once ventured alone into the grasslands and escaped death many times. In the end, I realized that I alone could not kill all those barbarians.
So I came back, joined the army. I need more people who have suffered the same fate as me, to fight alongside me into the grasslands, to avenge our people and our families, and to let those barbarians know that we Han people are not people they can come and go as they please! If they come, they will pay the price.
Lu Bu's breath was long and deep, his voice booming like thunder, and every word he spoke clearly reached the ears of all the soldiers.
All the newly enlisted young men looked at Lü Bu on the stage with flushed faces and excited hearts. Lü Fengxian's name and his proud achievements, thanks to the deliberate spread by Zhang Huan and the soldiers of Bingzhou, were well-known among the youths of Bingzhou, and countless young people regarded him as their hero and idol.
However, after listening to Lü Bu's speech, everyone's excitement at seeing their idol turned into anger and hatred. Many of them, like Lü Bu, had relatives and family members who had suffered more or less at the hands of the barbarians of the grasslands, which was one of the main reasons why they actively answered the call.
On the silent training ground, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted: "Kill the enemy and avenge our defeat! Uphold the might of the Han Dynasty!"
"Kill the enemy and avenge our defeat, and uphold the might of the Han Dynasty!"
"We will not turn back until the Xiongnu are destroyed!"
"We will not turn back until the Xiongnu are destroyed!"
The passion and enthusiasm of everyone were completely ignited by these two slogans. The 20,000 new recruits stared wide-eyed and shouted with all their might.
The shouts of the new recruits shook the entire Bingzhou camp, and countless veterans joined in, venting their pent-up frustration and hatred, simply because they had witnessed far too many horrific scenes.
Looking at Lü Bu, who was shouting along with him on the high platform, Zhang Huan was impressed by Lü Bu's personal charisma and also felt gratified. An army and a country need heroic role models to inspire them.
Sensing that the crowd's morale had reached its peak, Lü Bu stretched out his arms and pressed down, immediately stopping the shouts. Everyone quietly looked at Lü Bu on the platform.
Lu Bu stared at the crowd below and shouted, "Those who have a blood feud with the barbarians of the grasslands, step forward!"
"tread!"
As soon as Lü Bu finished speaking, everyone took a step forward at the same time.
"Those who are only children, step forward!"
Most people hesitated for a moment, feeling that if they stepped forward at this moment, they would probably be eliminated.
For a moment, everyone stood still, wanting to join the cavalry and fight for their country.
Lu Bu on the stage frowned. He understood what everyone was thinking, but the battles to come would be very dangerous, and he didn't know how many people would die. Killing the enemy was important, but continuing the family line was also important.
Lu Bu said loudly, "You are already wearing military uniforms. Soldiers must obey military law. I know your roster very well. Don't lie to me."
I'll say it again! Those who are only children, step forward!
As soon as he finished speaking, Lü Bu's sharp, eagle-like gaze swept over the crowd. Feeling Lü Bu's gaze, nearly ten thousand people lowered their heads in dejection and walked out of the ranks.
"Good! Although you cannot join my cavalry, you are still soldiers of the Bingzhou Army, and the heavy responsibility of protecting your home and country remains!"
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