Seeing that Pei Jie remained silent, Xie Yushu did not disturb him. She quietly held the teacup, and after a moment, she heard Pei Jie say...
"The nearest army is 200 li away from here, and the furthest is 500 li away. The grain and fodder allocated by the emperor will take at least ten days to get here. By then, the troops that arrive later should have rested enough. The main army will set off in about eleven or twelve days."
However, the Tatars were originally nomadic tribes of the grasslands. They would often stay in one place for a while, and when they ran out of resources and food nearby, they would move to another place to set up camp.
Finding them won't be easy, and I'm not sure when I'll be able to find them.
Moreover, as far as I know, the current Tatar king, Yelü Sheng, only led a few capable generals to recover the six tribes of the grassland a few years ago. Now, only the Rouran can still contend with him.
In other words, besides the Suhebalu tribe, which had suffered heavy losses, Yelü Sheng also had at least the people from the six grassland tribes that he had subdued.
It's estimated that there are at least 200,000 people.
"His Majesty's decree only orders the Tatars to pay the price and avenge Prince Xiaoyao. You should know that with our army of over 100,000, it's impossible to annihilate the Tatars completely. Moreover, the national treasury is currently insufficient to support a protracted war. Therefore, I hope you will reconsider!"
Xie Yushu understood Emperor Qingyuan's thoughts. If someone bullies you and you don't fight back, it will make you look like you're easy to bully, and where will you put your face?
The current national strength does not allow for the complete annihilation of the Tatars. War is always a matter that affects the whole country. Not to mention the domestic burden of exhausting the people and resources, even the neighboring countries cannot stand by and watch the Great Qi annex such a large territory of the Tatars.
Xie Yushu had anticipated this outcome, which is why she made preparations well in advance.
Pei Jie sincerely analyzed the current situation for her, and she appreciated it. However, she was determined to go to Tatars, so she said...
“I have thought this through carefully. The Tatars are cruel, warlike, and ambitious. They are like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, waiting for their chance to strike. Sooner or later, they will be a menace.”
A single blow can prevent a hundred more. Only by hurting them and scaring them will they calm down, and only then can the people of the Great Qi border live in peace. So, you don't need to persuade them anymore.
Since your army will set off in ten days, I'll go in first and scout the way for you. Wherever I go, I'll leave a five-pointed star symbol.
Once I find them, I'll lie in ambush. When your armies are engaged in battle, I'll lead my men to raid their base. I hope you'll cooperate and not cause any trouble.
We'll be waiting for you in the Tatar capital to enjoy roasted whole lamb!
Hearing Xie Yushu say this, Pei Jie unconsciously wiped his face.
"You're so confident!"
I admit you do have some extraordinary abilities, but that's the grassland!
Sometimes there are hundreds of miles of deserted land, and there are also packs of wolves and the like.
You can't get lost, can you?
Moreover, in the dead of winter, it's freezing cold at night; your pee will freeze solid before it even hits the ground..."
"So verbose!"
Xie Yushu didn't know what other meaningless things he would say if she listened any longer, so she only left one sentence.
"The Divine Eagle Guards are not to be trifled with."
Then he left with his men.
Seeing that she was determined to leave, Pei Jie had no choice but to give up.
It seems he can only win this time, he can't afford to lose. What if a woman leads a group to take down the Tatar capital, and he collapses halfway through? He'll lose all face for the rest of his life!
Alexander!
Xie Yushu and her group left Hangu Pass and went directly to the valley to meet Qingfeng and the others. They abandoned the carriage, leaving only the horses and some food behind. The others carried explosive packs on their backs and began to enter Tatar territory along the Xihot Mountains.
The word "Xihot" itself means that there are few animals, indicating that the environment is harsh.
However, this mountain range stretches all the way to the Ngari River basin in the heart of Tatarstan, but the further you go, the lower the mountain becomes, resembling a hill, which provides some cover.
Once we're inside the Tatar territory, we'll decide based on the situation.
Xie Yushu was right when she said that the Divine Eagle Guards were not to be trifled with. In the past, these 500 people were all scattered in various places to carry out secret missions, including those of the Tatars.
There were indeed people from the Divine Eagle Guard who had been to Tatar territory, but the grasslands were too vast and the Tatars were unpredictable, so even those who had been there could not find them immediately.
However, having a good understanding of the terrain still gives them an advantage.
Since someone had already been here, Xie Yushu simply asked Qingfeng to call the person out to lead the way.
A moment later, two young men in their early twenties came forward and greeted Xie Yushu.
One of them was thin and somewhat frail, named Daozi; the other was slightly chubby, with a round, smiling face, named Pangmao. They had come here once two years ago to find medicine for Xuanyuan Che.
The two men looked like a scholar who couldn't even kill a chicken, and a simple-minded, somewhat naive, landlord's son.
Xie Yushu did not question the two men's abilities based on their appearance. Everyone has their own protective shell, and those who can join the Divine Eagle Guard are certainly not fools.
So after the two exchanged greetings, Xie Yushu directly asked them to lead the way.
The wolves and wild beasts were not a major concern; their main concern was the Northern Yan and Rouran people who were still fighting against the Great Qi nearby, as well as the scattered remnants of Suhebalu's forces, so as not to expose their whereabouts.
At the beginning, they encountered small groups of Rouran troops twice, but Xie Yushu and her group decisively avoided them. Their goal was to reach the heart of the Tatar territory, and there was no need to cause any trouble along the way.
After walking another day, they didn't encounter any more people, but they did see a few pheasants and rabbits, which became the source of their misfortune.
The further you go in, the lower the mountains become. Without the mountains to block the wind, the howling north wind blows like knives on your face, and the temperature drops by about ten degrees.
They were afraid to light a fire during the day, as the smoke would reveal their location. So, for the past few days, they had been eating dry rations during the day and only cooking at night in a sheltered place. Since they were currently just traveling, they hadn't touched the dried meat they brought. They would cook whenever possible.
After all, only a normal meal can guarantee physical strength; jerky and candy are only a last resort when conditions are unavailable.
During breaks, several large bonfires are lit, and the fire piles are spread out and laid flat to heat the ground. Then the charcoal is pushed away, so that the heated ground can stay warm for a long time, and people won't feel cold when lying on it.
As long as it wasn't during a battle, Xie Yushu always tried her best to ensure that her team got plenty of rest and recovered their strength.
After sleeping like this for two days, the sheepskin coat, which was originally the color of withered grass, turned dark and patchy, with yellow and black patches, giving it a full camouflage look. It made it look even more like a herdsman on the grassland. From a distance, no one could tell whether it was a Daqi person or a grassland person.
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