Super Cultivation System of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 297: Abnormality on the Grassland
It has been more than twenty days since Liu He's army set out from Shanwu City.

At this time, the army was marching on a vast grassland. Looking around, there was no obstruction and all the scenery was in sight.

However, except for a few livestock and wild beasts, Liu He and his companions could no longer see any trace of any living creatures.

"Brother, something is wrong. Our army has entered Yunzhong County for hundreds of miles, passing through the four cities of Wujin, Shanan, Jiling, and Chengle. We have already covered nearly half of the territory of Yunzhong, but we haven't seen a single person. It's really strange."

Guan Yu looked around at the deserted area and said.

Ye Xiang also came over: "Could it be that after the Xianbei people learned the news, they gathered all the scattered soldiers and brave men from all over the place in one place, just like the Xianbei people in Dingxiang County back then, waiting for a decisive battle with our army?"

Zhang Yong nodded and said, "Well, this possibility cannot be ruled out. The Xianbei tribe gathered in Yunzhong County is much stronger than the Yilan tribe at the beginning. If they gather all their forces and fight a decisive battle with our army in one place, it will probably be a tough battle."

Zhu Ye, however, did not care: "What are you afraid of? It's just 50,000 or 60,000 cavalry. Back then, Kuitou's army of 70,000 was defeated and fled. Now our strength is much stronger than when we were at Yanmen Pass. Are you afraid of these 50,000 or 60,000 people?"

"I like what Lao Wu said. No matter how many people there are, I will just beat them up when I see them."

Cheng Liang shouted.

However, Gao Shun on the side had a solemn expression.

"There is no strategic location to defend. The situation is different. We cannot underestimate the enemy."

Cheng Liang was about to refute Gao Shun but was stopped by Liu He.

"Bo Ping is right. Defending Yanmen Pass from a strategic location will naturally achieve twice the result with half the effort. Now on this vast grassland, if we fight head-on, even if our army is not afraid, it will be difficult to win easily. If the casualties are too great, I am afraid that this Northern Expedition will be interrupted."

Cui Jun came up to comfort them, saying, "Things may not be so serious. Perhaps the battle between Budugen and Qianman for power has become very intense, so all the tribes have moved to help the people they support. I think it would be better for the army to rest in Yunzhong City ahead, and then send people to find out the whereabouts of the Xianbei people."

Liu He thought about it and decided to do so.

Hundreds of military scouts were sent out, and Liu He also released a carrier pigeon.

This carrier pigeon was naturally meant to convey orders to the brothers You Lang and You Ming. When it came to gathering information, those in the Flying Eagle Guard who had transformed from wandering knights were much better than those scouts.

Now, there are more than 400 Flying Eagle Guards. One group is hidden in various cities in Dingxiang County, Yanmen County, Taiyuan County, Shangdang County, and Jizhou Zhongshan County, responsible for real-time monitoring of various unusual movements in the city. Another group follows Liu He in secret all year round, ready to take Liu He's orders at any time.

One afternoon a few days later, Liu He and Cui Jun went up to the Yunzhong County tower and looked out into the distance.

"I have heard for a long time that the Hetao region is a fertile land with thousands of miles of rivers. Seeing it today, I find that it is indeed worthy of its reputation."

Liu He looked at the scenery in front of him. Except for a mountain range in the north, the rest of the area was vast grassland, and there were also many wastelands with vague signs of having been cultivated.

There is a big river flowing on the northwest and southeast sides of the city, named Huanggan River and Baiqu River respectively. Around the two big rivers, there are many small rivers flowing into them, and many wild animals are drinking water on both sides of the rivers.

Cui Jun sighed, "Yes, the Hetao region is more than just a fertile land. A hundred years ago, Yunzhong, Dingxiang, Wuyuan, Shuofang, Xihe, and Shangjun produced countless grains and livestock every year. Their prosperity was almost the same as that of the Guanzhong region. Who would have thought that after the Xianbei and Xiongnu's iron hoofs ravaged the area, it has now become a wasteland. It's sad and lamentable."

Suddenly, an idea flashed in Liu He's mind.

"Military Advisor, if we can recapture these places and utilize the Hetao area to develop agriculture and grazing, and use it as a base camp for our army's future supplies, is that feasible?"

Cui Jun's eyes lit up.

"My lord, this ceremony is excellent!"

But soon his eyes dimmed again.

"Well, it's easier said than done. Although the soil along the Yellow River is fertile and the river network is dense, the Yellow River has a small disaster every year and a big disaster every ten years. If too many people are really mobilized to settle and work here, once the Yellow River floods, I'm afraid the damage will be serious."

Liu He didn't think of this.

"Well, it was my negligence. Never mind, let's talk about it later."

As the two were chatting, Guan Yu and others suddenly climbed up to the city wall.

"Brother, the scouts are back!"

Liu He hurriedly asked: "How?"

Guan Yu shook his head and said, "The scouts have traveled almost all over Yunzhong County and have not seen a single living person. Only..."

Guan Yu paused, then continued, "There are only some piles of corpses and bones of our Han people in some cities and rural areas. Some are piled with dozens of people, and some are piled with hundreds of people..."

When Guan Yu said this, his body trembled slightly, and his face showed that he was trying hard to suppress his anger.

Liu He and Cui Jun thought of the same word at the same time.

"Build a Jingguan!"

Cui Jun’s brows were almost twisted into a frown.

"My lord, this seems to be a serious matter. Those bodies must be the Han people who refused to follow the Xianbei army when they withdrew and fought to the death. They were killed by the Xianbei army as a warning. They would rather kill so many slaves than leave in a hurry. This is definitely not a small matter."

Cheng Liang almost roared, "Brother, don't bear it! Keep marching. I don't believe we can't find these bastards!" Zhang Yong said to Cheng Liang, "Third brother, these Xianbei troops are indeed hateful, but their whereabouts are unknown now. Where can we find them? We can't drag such a large army around, right?"

Cheng Liang opened his mouth, but he seemed to be unable to think of any good ideas or words. In the end, he could only sigh heavily, lower his head and sulk.

"There is something really strange on this grassland. Where did all the Xianbei people go..."

Ye Xiang held his chin in his hand and thought.

"Pullingleng..."

When several people were in a dilemma, a carrier pigeon suddenly flew over and landed on the city wall.

Liu He was cheered up and hurried over, grabbed the pigeon, and removed the piece of cloth wrapped around its leg.

Everyone knew that this was the news sent back by the Flying Eagle Guard, and they all gathered together to take a look.

Cheng Liang asked anxiously: "Brother, what's going on?"

Liu He's expression seemed to have improved slightly, with a hint of joy on his face.

"The Eagle Guards have indeed found some clues."

"Great! The You brothers really have some skills!"

Liu He said: "They found out that not only did the Xianbei people disappear without a trace on this grassland, but even the governor who had been fighting the Xiongnu not long ago suddenly lost the trace of the Xiongnu army these days. Secondly, they found many traces of campfires on some grasslands in Wuyuan County. Judging from the condition of the campfires, someone must have passed by here a few days ago."

Cui Jun hesitated and said, "Hmm? The Xianbei and Xiongnu disappeared at the same time? What's going on..."

Cheng Liang didn't care: "Hey, now that we know the Xianbei are heading west, what are we waiting for? Let's catch up with them. Once we catch them, we'll know the answer by asking them."

As he spoke, he was about to go down the city wall to assemble the troops.

"Wait a minute, third brother. This matter is very strange. According to the signs, it seems that all the Xianbei tribes are heading to Shuofang, but what are they doing there? The Xiongnu army is also gone. Is it true that, as the previous news said, the two sides are preparing for a war in Shuofang? But this doesn't make sense..."

Cheng Liang said impatiently: "What's unreasonable about this? They want to fight for the grassland and fight to the death. It's just right for us to sit back and reap the benefits. This is a godsend opportunity!"

Zhang Yong shook his head and said, "Third brother, although the Xianbei and Xiongnu are not as prosperous as our Han culture, they are not fools. They knew that our Han army was marching north, but they still went there to fight to the death, giving us an advantage? I think there is something fishy about this."

Zhu Ye also advised Cheng Liang, "Alas, Third Brother, you are too impatient. The eldest brother hasn't said anything yet. I'm not trying to bully you. Among all the brothers, Third Brother is the one who doesn't like to study the most, so your thoughts and ideas must be the worst, haha!"

Cheng Liang glared at Zhu Ye angrily: "You are the only one who is smart, so what do you think we should do?"

Zhu Ye grinned and said, "Hehe, I am smarter than you. Third brother, you have to admit it. If you ask me, it is best to send a small group of light cavalry with good combat effectiveness to go deep into the grassland and investigate carefully. If you encounter a small group of Xianbei troops, you can directly destroy them or capture them for questioning. If you encounter a large group of Xianbei troops, they will definitely not be as agile as a small group, so you can't catch up with them. How about it, isn't it great?"

Cheng Liang was stunned: "Don't tell me, this idea sounds quite reasonable..."

Zhu Ye had a smug look on his face, and no one noticed that a hint of satisfaction appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Cui Jun suddenly shouted, "No! General Dehui is talking about your five hundred Thunder God Cavalry, right?"

Zhu Ye grinned and said, "Of course, who else is more suitable for this mission than our Thunder Knights?"

Cui Jun shook his head and said, "Yes, in terms of combat effectiveness, even if General Guan's Purple Gold Dragon Cavalry is picked out of 500 people, it is no match for your Thunder God Cavalry. However, after all, the number of people is too small. Once you go deep into the grassland and encounter the Xianbei army, your situation will be very bad! You must know that now all the Xianbei tribes are gathering in the west. By then, the Xianbei cavalry you will encounter will be at least tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands. This is no joke!"

Zhu Ye, however, looked indifferent.

"Then you don't have any other options, right? Besides, when it comes to war horses, the war horses I ride are carefully selected from the army. When it comes to soldiers, all of them are extraordinary in martial arts. It's no problem for one person to fight against dozens of Xianbei soldiers. Even if I'm outnumbered, I can always run, right? With our riding skills and war horses, I don't believe they can catch up with me!"

Liu He, Guan Yu and others shook their heads.

"No, no, this is too risky. You are absolutely not allowed to do anything reckless!"

Zhu Ye, however, became anxious, as if he was unexpectedly very determined about this matter.

"Hey, your army is following me, I am just exploring the way ahead. If I encounter danger, I will run back and will be able to meet you in less than half a day. What is there to worry about? No matter what, I must go anyway."

Liu He said with a stern face, "Nonsense! I know you are eager to make achievements, but this is a war, not a joke! You may face hundreds of thousands of Xianbei cavalry. Let alone 500 people, even if you are given 5,000 people, it will be in vain! They are more familiar with the terrain than you are, and they have more people and horses than you. If they chase you for a long time, they may catch up with you. Don't joke about this!"

Zhu Ye scratched the back of his head and laughed, "Hehe, I, Zhu Ye, have always disobeyed anyone except my eldest brother, even my second, third, and fourth brothers. But this time, I really can't listen to my eldest brother."

Upon hearing this, Liu He looked at Zhu Ye in surprise. This guy had followed him for many years, but he had never been so disobedient. It was really abnormal.

"Dehui, you..."

Zhu Ye smiled and said, "During this Northern Expedition, my second brother's Purple Gold Dragon Cavalry performed outstandingly. As cavalrymen, my Thunder God Cavalry always followed my eldest brother's army and cleaned up the battlefield from behind. Why?"

Although his words might have the meaning of comparing himself with Guan Yu, he had always been innocent by nature, and everyone knew that he had no jealousy towards Guan Yu at all.

However, despite this, Zhu Ye's current performance still surprised everyone. Although he was careless and nonchalant on weekdays, he was the one who obeyed orders the most when it came to the critical moment. No one expected that he would dare to refute Liu He and Guan Yu now.

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(End of this chapter)