Emperor Zhaolie of the late Han Dynasty: Rising to power in Liaoxi

The day after the order to divide the troops was given, the silence of the northern grasslands was shattered by the iron hooves.

Since the great victory at Black Pine Forest, Liu Bei's army has been fully transformed into cavalry, with 4,500 riders each riding two horses, taking turns to gallop, increasing their raiding capabilities several times over.

Liu Bei devised a strategy of "plundering smaller camps separately and then attacking the main camp together".

If they encounter small towns or villages with fewer than a hundred tents, the generals may divide their troops and take them themselves.

If you encounter a medium-sized camp with more than 300 tents, you can attack it in pairs to break it.

If you encounter a large camp with more than a thousand tents, immediately send a message to the central army and launch a full-scale attack.

Within five days, good news kept coming from the grasslands, and more than ten Xianbei settlements were captured one after another.

The generals split and reunited, each displaying their unique abilities, showcasing the might of the Han cavalry on this vast grassland.

More than ten days of battlefield baptism transformed his generals and the entire army.

Gongsun Zan's White Horse Cavalry expanded from the initial two hundred riders to five hundred, and their raids became increasingly fierce.

The wandering knights under Han Dang's command have also transformed from lone warriors into elite light cavalry units of five, working seamlessly together to intercept scouts and launch night raids on camps with unparalleled success.

Yan Gang's 800 border troops and Xianbei auxiliary soldiers were well-coordinated and strictly implemented the organization of one Han leading three Hu. When charging into battle, they were like a snow mountain collapsing, and when defending, they were like an iron wall across the river, becoming the sharpest spear in the entire army.

Cheng Pu continued his cautious approach, employing a strategy of encirclement without attack and persuasion to win over the enemy's hearts and minds. He captured five towns without bloodshed, and his casualties were consistently the lowest among all his generals.

Xu Rong personally led 500 of Liu Bei's personal guards, whose discipline was ingrained in their very bones. They were always victorious in rushing to the aid of the enemy and always able to defend their positions. They were the undisputed pillars of the entire army.

Tian Yu perfected the cooperation between the Han and Hu peoples, and with the help of the Xianbei righteous troops' familiarity with the grasslands, he repeatedly launched surprise attacks behind enemy lines, and the number of Xianbei tribesmen he persuaded to surrender far exceeded that of other armies.

In the Battle of Hongliutan, the six armies joined forces and broke through the core camp of two thousand tents guarded by Que Ji's nephew.

They killed the Xianbei general in battle, captured more than 5,000 warhorses, and accepted the surrender of 1,500 Xianbei able-bodied men.

After this battle, Liu Bei's forces surged from 4,500 cavalry to 9,500 cavalry.

Liu Bei immediately ordered the reorganization of the entire army, with 3,000 core Han soldiers as the backbone and 6,500 Xianbei volunteers as auxiliary troops, thus completely establishing the Han-controlled Three Auxiliary Regions system.

Each Han army unit was accompanied by three Xianbei righteous followers, and the Han army was in charge of military discipline and command, and frontal assault.

Yi Cong was in charge of reconnaissance, archery, and flank attacks. The entire army consisted of elite steppe cavalry who were skilled in battle, and their strength had increased several times since they left the border.

The series of great victories also pushed the arrogance of the entire army to its extreme.

Inside the central command tent, victory reports piled up like mountains, and the generals chatted and laughed loudly around the map.

Gongsun Zan slammed his iron halberd into the ground, his voice booming like a bell: "My lord! Our army now numbers nearly ten thousand iron cavalry. The Queji tribe has long been terrified of us, surrendering at the mere sight of us along the way!"

"Why not march north now, strike directly at the camp of King Queji, and annihilate this barbarian in one battle, thus ending the threat to the Liaoxi border forever!"

Han Dang immediately chimed in, "Brother Bo Gui is right!"

"The Xianbei are utterly vulnerable; we haven't encountered any significant resistance on our way here!"

"Now that our military strength is at its peak, it is the perfect time to strike directly at Que Ji's stronghold!"

The generals inside the tent nodded in agreement, their spirits high, all believing that the annihilation of the Xianbei was just around the corner.

Even veterans like Yan Gang and Zou Dan showed their approval, feeling that the consecutive victories over the past ten days had completely broken the backbone of the Queji Department.

But Liu Bei, sitting in the main seat, showed no sign of joy.

His brows furrowed even more deeply, and his fingertips tapped lightly on the map on the table.

A strange chill crept up my spine.

This feeling was not unfamiliar to him; he had dreamt of wandering half his life and crawling out of piles of corpses several times, all thanks to this innate sense of danger.

Even though the entire army was winning battle after battle, its strength was increasing rapidly, and the morale in the tent was soaring, his unease grew stronger day by day.

He raised his hand to silence the noise inside the tent, and spoke in a deep voice, his tone carrying a subtle hint of gravity.

"Gentlemen, don't rush to volunteer for battle."

"Don't you guys feel that this run has been too smooth, abnormally smooth?"

The tent fell silent instantly. The generals looked at each other, all of them seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

Han Dang spoke first: "My lord, our army is formidable. The Xianbei people have suffered a devastating plague and are severely weakened. They are no match for us. Isn't it only natural that we are winning smoothly?"

"What's so unusual about this?"

Liu Bei shook his head, pointing his finger at the map, tracing the route from Yangle City all the way to the foot of Langju Mountain where his army was now located.

"Look, we have advanced more than 300 li north and captured more than 20 villages. But have you noticed that the further north we go, the emptier the Xianbei villages become?"

"The original Black Pine Forest camp also included the elderly, women, children, cattle, sheep, and fodder."

"But the few camps we recently captured are almost empty, except for a few elderly and weak people who can't move."

"Even the winter provisions and able-bodied men for fighting have disappeared without a trace."

"Only a few empty felt tents and some old, weak cattle and sheep were left behind, as if they were bait deliberately left for us."

He paused, then continued, "Furthermore, starting three days ago, small groups of Xianbei cavalry have been following our army from behind and on both flanks."

"They neither attacked nor retreated, and always maintained a distance of about ten miles from us."

"We sent scouts to pursue them, but they immediately fled far away and never made contact with us again."

"Like pairs of eyes, they are watching our every move closely, knowing exactly what we are doing and how much we are fighting."

The noise inside the tent completely subsided, and the smiles on the faces of the generals gradually faded as they began to ponder Liu Bei's words.

"What's even more strange is the road."

Liu Bei turned his gaze to Tadun, who was standing inside the tent. "Tadun, you are a steppe native, you should know best whether the road we've been traveling on these past few days has become increasingly remote?"

A flicker of realization crossed Tadun's dark eyes. He stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Lord Liu is right."

"We were supposed to take this pastoral trail, but we found pasture tents nearby, so we took a detour."

These words caused an uproar in the tent, and the arrogance on the faces of the generals was instantly replaced by astonishment.

Based on Liu Bei's earlier words, the probability that the Xianbei people had set a trap for them is high.

Liu Bei dreamt of conquering for decades, so he understood that feeling all too well.

Despite seemingly winning battle after battle and advancing rapidly, they were actually walking step by step into the enemy's trap.

Que Ji's plan was to lure them step by step into a pre-ordained dead end, and then close in and encircle them.

The atmosphere inside the tent instantly became extremely tense, and the generals, who had been so passionate just moments before, fell silent.

Cheng Pu stepped forward, bowed to Liu Bei, and said in a deep voice, "What you say is absolutely right, my lord. We were blinded by our consecutive victories and underestimated our enemy."

"Queji has roamed the grasslands for many years and is by no means someone who sits and waits for death. The smooth sailing he has encountered along the way must be a trap he has set."

Tian Yu immediately replied, "My lord, we have now penetrated more than a thousand miles into the grasslands."

"In my humble opinion, we should immediately halt our northward advance, gather all our troops, and send out all scouts to investigate the movements of the Xianbei within a hundred li in all directions before deciding on our next course of action."

Liu Bei nodded, made a decisive decision, and sternly ordered: "Pass down the order! All the troops that have been dispatched must immediately rejoin the central army, and there must be no more reckless advances for personal gain!"

"Xu Rong, you personally lead three hundred elite soldiers to immediately scout out the retreat route behind you and confirm whether there are any Xianbei troops blocking it."

"Han Dang and Gongsun Zan, each of you will lead five hundred cavalry to scout the left and right flanks and find out the movements of the Xianbei people."

"Yan Gang, Zou Dan, immediately reorganize the entire army, fortify the camps, and prepare for battle!"

"Those who disobey orders will be dealt with according to military law!"

"promise!"

The generals all accepted the order in unison, their previous arrogance completely gone, their faces filled with solemnity. They turned and quickly left the tent to carry out the command.