The imperial court is ceding territory from our northern border? Then we'll rebel!

So, when the three days were up, the army assembled.

A bizarre scene, enough to leave any historian speechless, appeared on the grassland.

An army of 150,000 was arrayed on the vast plains outside the Golden Horde.

On the far left flank was Lei Lie's 30,000 Northern Frontier Cavalry. They were Xiao Jingchen's direct subordinates, their military bearing impeccable, their black armor as dark as ink, and every soldier's face radiating the composure and confidence of battle-hardened veterans. They were the spearhead of this army.

At the center stood Chen Jing's 70,000 Great Yan infantry and newly formed Han troops. Though not as conspicuous as cavalry, their imposing spear formations and chilling crossbows represented the Great Yan Dynasty's most formidable military strength. They were the backbone of this army.

The far right wing, which was also the largest and most eye-catching, consisted of 50,000 grassland cavalrymen who had just donned the uniforms of the Great Yan army.

These 50,000 cavalrymen were of diverse backgrounds. There were tribal militias led by "traitors" like Hadan and Bayin, as well as surrendered soldiers of Ashina Sun. Their equipment was varied, and in addition to the standard Great Yan military uniforms, many of them still retained their own tribal-specific leather hats and scimitars.

Their ranks were far less orderly than the Northern Frontier Cavalry, even somewhat disorganized. Each face bore an air of defiance.

But when they mounted their warhorses and formed a boundless sea of ​​cavalry, the fierce spirit that emanated from their very bones, belonging to the nomadic people of the grasslands, made the heavens and earth change color.

What's even more impressive is that each of the 150,000 soldiers had two or even three spare warhorses by his side.

Four or five hundred thousand warhorses gathered together, snorting and pawing the ground; their boundless vitality seemed to shake the entire grassland.

Xiao Jingchen rode his black warhorse slowly past the ranks.

Behind him, there was no ceremonial guard, nor any magnificent royal banner. Only Chen Jing, Lei Lie, Shen Wanqian, Hadan, Bayin, and other core generals followed.

Looking at the massive army before him, a mix of Han Chinese and nomadic people, composed of both regular troops and "servants," he felt a surge of pride.

This is the army he wanted!

An invincible army that perfectly combines the resilience of the Great Yan and the fierceness of the grasslands!

He reined in his horse, turned around, and faced the army of 150,000.

There was no pre-battle mobilization, no impassioned speeches.

He simply drew the sword from his waist and pointed it forward.

"Set off!"

Two simple yet powerful words, conveyed through inner strength, resonated throughout the entire battlefield.

"roar!"

Lei Lie's Northern Frontier Iron Cavalry roared first, and like a black tide, they surged westward.

Immediately following, the 50,000 steppe cavalrymen let out wolf-like howls, brandishing their scimitars and urging their horses onward. They didn't even have a fixed formation; they were like a spreading dark cloud, covering the entire horizon at an astonishing speed.

Finally, the central infantry formation, guided by the drumbeats, marched forward with neat and heavy steps.

At the very rear of the army, Shen Wanqian, along with his business team and countless cattle and sheep, formed a massive logistics force, slowly keeping up.

From the air, the way this army marched was extremely bizarre.

The cavalry at the forefront didn't march in a straight line, but rather spread out in a fan shape. They took turns resting on their horses, taking out dried meat from their pockets when hungry and drinking mare's milk when thirsty. When a warhorse got tired, they were immediately replaced with a new one.

Their marching speed was outrageously fast. They could cover hundreds of miles in a single day and night.

Meanwhile, the infantry in the central army, while maintaining their formation, were also desperately trying to catch up at a rapid pace.

As for the cattle and sheep at the rear, they were driven by experienced grassland herders, trailing behind at a leisurely pace. They were mobile granaries; every day, people from the Ministry of Commerce would slaughter the slowest and weakest herd at the very back of the column, and then send them on fast horses to the military camp at the front.

This was an unprecedented method of marching.

It crudely and effectively combined the mobility of nomadic peoples with the discipline of Han Chinese armies.

It abandoned the reliance on rear supply lines in traditional warfare and brought the concept of "using war to sustain war" to its extreme.

Hadan and Bayin, leading their tribal cavalry, were at the forefront. They were no longer risking their lives for Xiao Jingchen, but were now fiercely competing for their future position as "Protector of the Grasslands."

"Faster! Faster! Anyone who dares to fall behind, I'll skin them alive!" Hadan waved his whip, loudly urging his men on.

"Warriors of the Vulture Tribe! Let those fools of the Black Wolf Tribe see who is the fastest eagle on the grassland!" Bayin roared from the other side, not to be outdone.

Their competition and pursuit of each other actually increased the marching speed of the entire vanguard to a new level.

Lei Lie looked at the group of grassland people who were acting like they were on steroids, curled his lip, and said to the deputy general beside him, "See that? The prince's move was brilliant. He painted a big picture for them, and these guys charged forward like mad dogs. We didn't even have to crack the whip ourselves."

"The general is right." The lieutenant also looked admiring. "I used to worry that these grassland people would be difficult to manage. Now it seems I was overthinking it. In front of His Highness, they are just a flock of obedient sheep."

"Sheep?" Lei Lie laughed loudly. "No, they are now the prince's pets, a pack of mad dogs that bite! And we are the ones holding the chains."

The army marched westward, bypassing the vast desert and traversing the desolate Gobi.

Instead of heading towards Yumen Pass, they chose a more difficult but more secretive route, going north to circle around into the heart of the Yuezhi territory.

half a month later.

This army, seemingly crawling out of hell, had already penetrated five hundred li into the territory of the Yuezhi Kingdom without anyone noticing.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, beneath the Jade Gate Pass.

The 100,000-strong army of the Yuezhi Kingdom was still leisurely setting up camp. Their commander, Wuchan, the prime minister of the Yuezhi, spent his days in his tent drinking fine wine and enjoying song and dance performances.

In his view, Xiao Jingchen's 200,000-strong army, after the bloody battle with Ashina Sun, was already at its limit. They were probably now cowering on the grasslands, licking their wounds, and had no strength left to look westward.

All he needs to do is stand here and project a deterrent image, and the eager-to-achieve Emperor of Great Yan in the capital, and those civil officials who fear Xiao Jingchen's overwhelming achievements, will naturally provide him with everything he desires.

Cession of territory, reparations, beautiful women, silk...

He was already calculating how much of a piece of fat he could take from Da Yan this time.

However, he did not know.

The sword that would decide his fate, and the fate of the entire Yuezhi Kingdom, was already hanging over his head.