"How boring, you guys recognized me already?"
Shard, riding a small white horse, dressed as a guard, and accompanied by three or four attendants, reluctantly stopped, his face covered in dust and grime.
However, judging from their tired expressions, they seemed to have been wandering around here for a long time, unable to find a way out.
"My esteemed princess, I've finally found you!"
"How could you sneak out without the king's knowledge?"
Shiraishi breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he had intercepted the princess.
The stone piles of Bailongdui are densely packed, making it easy to get lost inside. Once night falls, wild wolves roam, posing a greater risk to one's life.
"As a princess, I am also sharing the burdens of my father and the people of Loulan!"
"You just said that Lord Manji invited the Han cavalry?" Shard's sapphire-blue eyes suddenly lit up.
Bai Shi said urgently, "That's right. Lord Manji said that the Han Dynasty agreed to send troops to help, and the troops are from a Han prince."
"He is now turning back to Mingshui Marsh to invite the Han cavalry to Puchanghai."
Shard exclaimed happily, "Really? A prince of the Han Dynasty..."
"Once I see him, I won't need to go to the Western Sea to find the troops of the Cheshi Kingdom."
In Shard's mind, the prince of the Han Dynasty was an extremely noble being!
Bai Shi said, "Princess, it's fortunate you didn't go to the Western Sea. The Cheshi Kingdom is full of wolves and wolves; they wouldn't be so kind as to help our Loulan Kingdom."
"In the end, not only did you fail to save the Loulan Kingdom, you also got yourself involved."
Shiraishi's words were unpleasant to hear, but they were indeed true. Shard nodded, seemingly understanding.
“Commander Baishi, then I won’t go to Cheshi Kingdom. What should we do now? Loulan City is surrounded by Xianbei cavalry. Going back now would be suicide.”
Seeing that the princess was heeding his advice, Bai Shi immediately said, "What the princess says is absolutely right. We will not return to Loulan City for the time being, but head east to Dunhuang."
"We might run into Han cavalry on the road."
"Then...what about Father and Loulan City?" Shard asked.
Bai Shi replied, "It's alright. Loulan City is well-equipped for defense. With His Majesty leading the soldiers and civilians in the city, we will surely be able to wait for the arrival of the Han cavalry."
"We need to get out of here right now, it's very dangerous."
Shard silently agreed.
So the group joined together, and led by Bai Shi, the group of about ten people walked out of Bailongdui half an hour later.
"Dunhuang is in the east, but we are now on the north bank of the Peacock River."
Bai Shi looked at the sun in the sky and frowned. "We've been going around in circles for most of the day, and we've gone in the wrong direction."
"It seems we have to go north for a while and then east, which will delay our journey even more."
"Commander Shiraishi, it's alright, let's hurry on our way!"
Seeing that even the white stone was lost, Shard stuck out his tongue.
It seems her dream of going to the West Sea was simply wishful thinking; she got lost in the mere sight of the White Dragon Mound.
Bai Shi was extremely frustrated and had no choice but to lead his team northward, bypassing Bailongdui, and heading east towards Yumenguan.
After filling the Peacock River with water and letting the horses drink their fill, the group set off.
After walking for another hour, the sun was still high in the sky. Bai Shi ran up a hill by the roadside, set up a sunshade, and looked around.
Beyond the vast desert to the north, the towering snow-capped peaks of the Tianshan Mountains seem to be faintly visible.
"By the way, if we keep heading east, we'll reach Yumen Pass!"
Bai Shi pointed eastward and spoke loudly, which eased the tension on everyone's faces.
Suddenly, Shiraishi's expression changed drastically: "Quick, everyone, hide!"
"Commander Shiroshi, what's wrong?" Shard asked.
"A cavalry unit is heading this way from the northern desert. We've been discovered!"
Bai Shi hurriedly ran down the hill, "They came from the north, they are definitely not Han cavalry, they might be troops from the Cheshi Kingdom."
Shard said, "Isn't this perfect? I can reveal my identity and ask them to send troops to rescue Loulan City."
"My princess, do you really want to marry that crude prince from Cheshi Kingdom?" Bai Shi had a headache.
This princess is really all looks and no brains! Didn't she hear what I just said?
Fortunately, prompted by the white stone, Shard remembered the prince who could eat raw, bloody camel meat, and a chill ran down her spine:
"I...I don't want to. I want to marry a noble young master from the Han Dynasty. If I can marry a prince of the Han Dynasty, then no one in Loulan will dare to bully me."
"That's settled then! The Cheshi Kingdom has already submitted to the Xiongnu. From now on, Princess, you should not harbor any illusions about the Cheshi Kingdom."
"It's too late, everyone hide quickly, it will be troublesome if these people find us."
The area is vast and boundless; if you run, you'll be more easily spotted.
Everyone panicked and hurriedly hid behind the sand dunes.
The cavalry force of about a hundred men arrived in no time.
Dressed in black and wielding scimitars, they rode around the places where Whitestone, Shard, and the others had been.
A cavalryman dismounted, sniffed the ground, and then found several clumps of horse manure on the ground.
He stuck his finger into the horse manure, then pulled it out, smelled it, and tasted it.
“Prince Anxin, this horse manure was just laid. The horse has some stomach upset and diarrhea. It looks like it has run quite a distance.”
"This shows that these people are nearby."
The cavalryman wiped his hands on his clothes, then walked up to the group of cavalrymen and spoke to the leader.
They were traveling through the desert when they saw people in the distance, so they gave chase.
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