At this moment, night has fallen.
On the vast land, a group of knights galloped like ghosts.
Leading the way was Prince Liu Wei, who was heading to Guanzhong.
His gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, fixed intently on what lay ahead.
He led the eighteen riders of Yanyun southwards until they reached the vicinity of Baitu City.
They unexpectedly encountered Zhang Xiu, the spear king of the north, and his uncle Zhang Ji, who were ambushing and killing the Qiang and Hu people.
Seeing that Zhang Xiu was trapped in a tight encirclement, Liu Wei ordered the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun to come to his rescue.
Liu Wei did not reveal his identity to Zhang Xiu.
After Zhang Xiu returned to the city, he told Zhang Ji about it, and Zhang Ji guessed Liu Wei's identity.
Zhang Ji instructed Zhang Xiu to keep the fact that Liu Wei saved him a secret.
After leaving Baitucheng, Liu Wei crossed the Tuwei River and soon entered the vicinity of Sheyanze.
Since he decided to go to Beijing, five or six days have passed since he traveled from the Hetao region.
Since I promised to return to Luoyang, I naturally cannot linger on the road for too long.
If he hadn't learned from Yao Guangxiao that Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, would have lived for another two years, he wouldn't have been traveling at such a leisurely pace.
If they were to travel day and night, galloping along the straight road, they would have already arrived in Xianyang.
But Liu Wei was determined to eradicate this group of Xiongnu people within the territory of the Han Dynasty.
Even if they surrender to Dong Zhuo, they cannot be let go.
The debt for those thousand soldiers in Shaling City must be settled with Shi Tugu!
In addition, it was also for the purpose of seizing Guanzhong.
Although we cannot openly take over Guanzhong, we must still conceal our military might here.
This is why Liu Wei dared to bring only a small number of guards into the capital.
Regardless, Liu Wei and his group sped south along the straight road, with Sheyanshui and Hengshan already in sight in the distance.
Liu Wei and Shen Lianwang Fangyi marched in three separate routes.
The deception will inevitably attract the attention of Shi Tugu, but it's unknown which squad Liu Wei will be in, so the only option is to send troops from all three directions to surround and kill him.
"My lord, the Sheyan River is just ahead, and the city of Fushi, which is located on the banks of the Sheyan River, is about thirty miles ahead. Shall we stop in the city to rest?"
One of the eighteen riders from Yanyun had already scouted out the situation ahead.
Fushi City, which later became Yulin, had by this time fallen into the territory of the Qiang people.
However, the Qiang people did not occupy the city; instead, they looted it completely.
"Let's get there first and then decide!" Liu Wei's eyes narrowed, and he didn't make a decision immediately.
Judging from the previous encounter with Zhang Xiu, Dong Zhuo had already sent troops to this area to compete with the Qiang people for territory.
Shangjun is located in the Shaanxi Plateau and the Ordos Plateau, which are not suitable for agricultural civilization.
Cities like Fushi and Baitu, which were built during the Qin and Han dynasties, must have been places that Dong Zhuo wanted to seize and station troops in.
Fushi was already a town of considerable size in Shangjun, so Dong Zhuo certainly wouldn't give it up.
"Yes, my lord. We will plan carefully once we arrive in Fushi."
As the words fell, the group mounted their horses, waded across the Sheyan River, and headed resolutely toward Hengshan.
As they were traveling, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly thundered ahead, approaching them.
The sudden appearance of the cavalry, like an undercurrent, shattered the previously tranquil atmosphere.
"Quickly ascertain whether they are Bingzhou troops or Hu cavalry!"
Liu Wei frowned and turned to the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun.
As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Shisan spurred his horse and galloped away.
The rest of the group lay prone in the ravine, waiting quietly for a response.
Before long, Yan Shisan returned.
"My lord, there are about three hundred riders; they are Xiongnu cavalry!"
Without a doubt, they were definitely soldiers under the command of Shi Tu Gu.
"My lord, should we make a move? We should be able to annihilate over three hundred cavalrymen in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."
Yanda looked arrogant.
But these are the renowned and unfathomably powerful Eighteen Riders of Yanyun; they certainly have the right to be arrogant.
That day, Liu Wei heard that the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun had wiped out all three thousand Xiongnu people in the city before they even met him.
Previously, near Baitu City, the Ten Riders of Yanyun had already demonstrated their formidable strength.
Although Liu Wei believed in their abilities, seeing is believing.
"In that case, you can use them as practice subjects!"
Liu Wei chuckled.
"Yes, sir! Then please rest here, my lord, and watch how we eighteen brothers fight the enemy."
Upon receiving Liu Wei's permission, Yan Da immediately bowed and accepted the order, then gestured to the others.
Immediately, the eighteen riders gathered together, adjusted their equipment, and then drew their crescent-shaped swords.
His eyes, like those of an eagle, were fixed on the direction from which the Xiongnu cavalry were coming, waiting only for the order to be given.
......
The Xiongnu cavalry that Liu Wei and his group unexpectedly encountered was one of the elite troops carefully selected by Shi Tugu and ordered by Li Ru to ambush Liu Wei.
Shi Tu Gu carefully selected two thousand elite warriors from his ten-thousand-cavalry legion.
These warriors were equipped with sturdy iron armor sent by Li Ru through Niu Fu, as well as arrows with sharp iron arrows.
Their weapons were also replaced with the fine ring-pommel swords and spears of the Han Dynasty, which greatly enhanced their overall combat effectiveness.
Shi Tugu cleverly divided them into two teams, one thousand of whom had already been ambushed at Hengshan Pass, Liu Wei's only route to Guanzhong.
Like hunters, they waited quietly for their prey to arrive.
The other thousand men were divided into three groups, specifically targeting Liu Wei's southward advance from Guluo City, where the Imperial Guard and the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun were separated into three teams.
This means that the three hundred Xiongnu cavalry were targeting one of Liu Wei's groups, and they didn't even know where Liu Wei was.
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