You get Lu Bu as your starting character.

Chapter 227 Northward Exit from Yanmen Pass

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

"This humble general greets Your Majesty."

After Huo Qubing entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he bowed respectfully to Zhou Chen on the dragon throne.

Zhou Chen glanced at Huo Qubing; "How are the preparations going?"

After the announcement of sending troops to the border region at the court meeting, Zhou Chen instructed Huo Qubing to begin preparations for the expedition.

After all, sending troops is no trivial matter; there are many things to prepare beforehand.

"Your Majesty, this humble general has completed all preparations."

"This humble general is ready to depart for the border at any time."

Huo Qubing bowed and said.

"Then I entrust the war against the Western Rong to you."

"I have only one request, and that is to destroy the Western Rong for me."

Zhou Chen's tone was unquestionable.

His long and arduous expedition beyond the Great Wall was not simply a retaliation against the previous incursions of the Western Rong.

It was not to force the Western Rong to submit and pay tribute, or to make them bow down and become vassals.

Instead, the goal was to completely annihilate the Western Rong.

Non-my family, its heart must be different.

Historically, the people of the Central Plains have made the mistake of prioritizing propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame, believing that as long as they treat foreign tribes with courtesy and do not exterminate them, the foreign tribes will submit and be grateful.

Little did they know that wolves can never be truly tamed.

When you are strong, wolves fear your power. Under the threat of your power, wolves will obediently submit.

However, if you show weakness and lose your intimidating power, the wolf will pounce and bite, even delivering a fatal blow.

This is a conclusion Zhou Chen drew from the lessons of his past life.

Therefore, in Zhou Chen's view, the only way to solve the problem of alien races is to completely exterminate them.

"The general will obey the order."

Huo Qubing bowed and accepted the imperial decree.

As the Marquis of Champion who once wiped out the Xiongnu, Zhou Chen's attitude towards foreign tribes was exactly what Huo Qubing wanted.

Huo Qubing believed that the only way to deal with foreign tribes was to completely eliminate them by force, while appeasement could only solve the immediate problem, not the long-term one.

"Go!"

"Set off immediately for Xiliang to hunt beyond the Great Wall. I await your good news."

Zhou Chen waved his hand and said nothing more.

"I will retire at the end."

Huo Qubing turned and left the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

……

Outside Luoyang City.

Shenwu Guard South Camp.

The Southern Camp, with its six guards and 180,000 Divine Martial Guards, is fully prepared for battle.

This is the entire army of the Great Zhou Dynasty heading to the border. Beside them are three thousand White Horse Cavalry dressed in white armor and riding white horses.

Zhao Yun and his White Horse Cavalry have also returned to Luoyang.

This time, Zhao Yun, along with his White Horse Cavalry, will also travel to Xiliang with Huo Qubing.

Click on the table.

Huo Qubing stood there expressionless, surrounded by Zhao Yun, Hua Xiong, Pan Feng, Wei Xu, and other generals of the Divine Martial Guard.

"Set off."

Huo Qubing glanced at the army below and coldly uttered two words.

With a command from Huo Qubing.

The 180,000-strong Divine Martial Guard army, led by several generals, left the Southern Camp one by one and headed towards the border.

……

Xiliang.

Outside Xijing City.

Zhang Liao and Dong Jun, along with some generals from the Xiliang army, waited outside the city gate.

Zhang Liao and Dong Jun had already received news that the imperial army was about to arrive.

Zhang Liao and his generals from the Xiliang army waited outside the city gate to welcome the imperial army.

"General Zhang, who is this General Huo?"

"Why would the imperial court appoint General Huo as the commander-in-chief of the Western Route Army instead of General Zhang?"

Dong Jun asked, puzzled and curious.

After spending this time together, Dong Jun had come to know Zhang Liao's abilities and recognized him as a truly exceptional general.

Dong Jun found it strange that the court would not use a rare general like Zhang Liao, but instead appointed Huo Qubing, whom they had never heard of, as the commander-in-chief of the western army.

Could this General Huo be even stronger than Zhang Liao?
Hearing Dong Jun's question, Zhang Liao glanced at him and said, "The imperial court has its own arrangements; we should simply follow orders."

"As for who General Huo is, you'll find out when he arrives."

Zhang Liao said calmly, without saying anything more.

After Jia Xu left, Zhang Liao became very cautious.

Even against Dong Jun, Zhang Liao took precautions.

Although Dong Jun had indeed previously defected to the imperial court, helping it to capture the Marquis of Xiliang and take over the Xiliang army.

But Dong Jun was forced and lured into it; it's hard to say whether he truly sided with the imperial court.

Therefore, Zhang Liao followed the principle that one should always be wary of others.

No sooner had Zhang Liao finished speaking than the sound of horses' hooves came from afar.

Zhang Liao and Dong Jun glanced around and saw several thousand cavalrymen dressed in white armor and riding white horses galloping from afar.

"What elite cavalry."

Upon seeing the White Horse Cavalry charging towards them, a glint of light flashed in the eyes of both Zhang Liao and Dong Jun.

Especially Dong Jun, who had been in the Xiliang army for so many years, had never seen such elite cavalry.

The White Horse Cavalry rushed over in the blink of an eye, led by Huo Qubing and Zhao Yun.

In order to reach Xiliang as soon as possible, Huo Qubing led Zhao Yun and the White Horse Cavalry ahead of him.

As for the Divine Martial Guard's army, it was still behind them.

"But General Huo was there in person."

Seeing the White Horse Cavalry stop, Zhang Liao stepped forward and asked.

"It is indeed I, and the person opposite me is General Zhang."

Huo Qubing nodded and looked at Zhang Liao.

"This humble general is Zhang Liao."

"Zhang Liao greets General Huo."

Zhang Liao bowed to Huo Qubing with his hands clasped.

Dong Jun and several other generals from the Xiliang Army beside him also clasped their hands in salute to Huo Qubing, saying, "This humble general greets General Huo."

"No need for formalities."

Huo Qubing waved his hand.

"This general has arrived in Xiliang ahead of others; the main army is still behind and will arrive tomorrow."

Let's go into the city first!

Huo Qubing said.

"General Huo, please."

Zhang Liao and Dong Jun, along with the generals of the Xiliang army, welcomed Huo Qubing and Zhao Yun into Xijing City.

……

The General's Mansion in Zhenxi.

Huo Qubing took out an imperial edict and handed it to Zhang Liao; "General Zhang, this is His Majesty's decree. All generals, please take a look first!"

Zhang Liao received the imperial edict and, along with Dong Jun and several other generals, took turns reading its contents.

After reading the contents of the imperial edict, Zhang Liao, Dong Jun, and the other generals bowed to Huo Qubing and said, "The entire Xiliang army will obey General Huo's orders."

Huo Qubing nodded; "Since you have all read the imperial edict, then I will not stand on ceremony."

"Let me first tell you the specific situation of the Xiliang Army!"

Huo Qubing didn't mince words and went straight to asking about the current situation of the Xiliang army.

Although the Ministry of War had previously mentioned some aspects of the Xiliang Army, it was not in detail.

Huo Qubing now wanted to know the specific situation of the Xiliang army.

"Yes, General Huo."

Zhang Liao then began to explain the specific situation of the Xiliang army.

……

Northern Frontier. Zhenbei City.

The General's Residence in Zhenbei.

Lü Bu sat in the main seat.

Sitting below were Jia Xu, Gao Shun, Cao Xing, Hou Cheng, Hao Meng, Wei Xu, Pan Feng, and several others.

Jia Xu has already arrived in the northern frontier from Xiliang to advise the Zhenbei Army on military affairs.

Wei Xu and Pan Feng, on the other hand, brought the Divine Martial Guard army to the northern frontier.

Of the six guards of the Southern Camp, three were taken to Xiliang by Huo Qubing, while the remaining three were taken to the Northern Frontier by Wei Xu and Pan Feng.

Lu Bu glanced at everyone present and said, "You have all read His Majesty's decree. I will be the commander-in-chief of the northern army."

"His Majesty has decreed that I lead troops out of the pass to wipe out the northern barbarian tribes."

"I will not say anything more."

"Now that the imperial army of the Divine Martial Guard has arrived in the northern frontier, it is time for our northern frontier to send troops out beyond the pass."

At this point, Lü Bu looked at Jia Xu.

"Military Advisor Jia, how many troops do you think are appropriate to send to the area beyond the Great Wall?"

How many troops need to be left to guard the area?

Lu Bu looked at Jia Xu and asked.

Since Jia Xu was a military advisor, Lü Bu needed to consult Jia Xu about this matter.

Although they were going to send troops outside the pass to deal with the Northern Di.

But no one can guarantee that the Northern Barbarians will not send a detachment to take advantage of the situation and attack the northern border.

If the number of troops left behind is too small, and the Northern Di seize the opportunity to attack, it will cause a major problem.

"General, I believe that leaving 50,000 Zhenbei Army troops in the northern frontier is sufficient."

Jia Xu said it directly.

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu nodded.

The Zhenbei Army now has 150,000 troops. 50,000 are left behind, and 100,000 can still be mobilized.

In addition, there were the Three Guards of Divine Martial Guard from the imperial court.

In other words, the army that went out of the pass numbered nearly 200,000.

That's enough to deal with the Northern Barbarian tribes.

"Then leave 50,000 Zhenbei Army troops to guard the northern border, and all other troops..."

"Whether it is the Zhenbei Army or the Shenwu Guard, immediately convey my order and prepare to follow me out of the pass to hunt beyond the Great Wall."

Lu Bu stood up and said sternly.

"Follow the order."

Gao Shun and Cao Xing stood up and accepted the order in unison.

……

Northern Di.

Royal Court.

After receiving news of the complete annihilation of the Northern Di army that had marched south, the entire Northern Di was shrouded in a shadow.

Even the Northern Di royal court was no exception.

The entire army of 300,000 Northern Di soldiers was wiped out by the Great Zhou, which meant that the Northern Di might not be able to recover its strength for the next ten years or so.

The death of the Northern Di's national teacher, in particular, dealt a heavy blow to the Northern Di.

The Northern Di were all worried that the Great Zhou might take the opportunity to send troops outside the pass to deal with them.

These days, a tense atmosphere has been hanging over the Northern Di.

On this day, a scout rushed into the royal court, completely shattering the tense atmosphere of the Northern Barbarians.

In the palace.

The Northern Di King sat on the throne with a grim expression.

Standing below are the five pillar ministers of the Northern Di.

"I have just received news that the Great Zhou has sent troops to Yanmen Pass."

"The commander is that Lü Bu."

The Northern Di King glanced at the five ministers below and said in a deep voice.

It's true that what you fear most is what happens most often.

The Great Zhou Dynasty really did send troops to Yanmen Pass to deal with the Northern Di.

Moreover, the commander-in-chief was Lü Bu, the half-step celestial being who annihilated his 300,000-strong Northern Di army that marched south, and even killed the Northern Di's national advisor.

This made the Northern Di King extremely solemn.

"Your Majesty, is this news true?"

"Has the Great Zhou really sent troops to Yanmen?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of all five ministers changed.

The 300,000-strong Northern Di army that marched south was completely annihilated, and the Grand Preceptor was killed in battle. The Northern Di can be said to be at its weakest point at this time.

With the Great Zhou sending troops to Yanmen at this time, the Northern Di are truly in danger.

"The Great Zhou did indeed send troops to Yanmen, including the Zhenbei Army and the Great Zhou's Shenwu Guard."

"Furthermore, our scouts had already clashed with the Great Zhou's scouts a few days ago."

The Northern Di King's voice was somewhat low.

He never expected that the Great Zhou would actually send out the Divine Martial Guards this time.

It seems that the Great Zhou is truly determined to conquer the Northern Di.

Divine Martial Guard?
The expressions of the five Northern Di ministers changed once again.

The Divine Martial Guard was the most elite army of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The fact that the Great Zhou had actually mobilized the Divine Martial Guard made the five Northern Di ministers feel even more somber.

"Your Majesty, since the Great Zhou has already sent troops out of Yanmen and even mobilized the Divine Martial Guard."

“Then my Northern Di should immediately gather all warriors to resist the army of the Great Zhou.”

A minister spoke up urgently.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"We, the Northern Di, must immediately contact the Western Rong and the Southern Man to ask them to support us or harass the Great Zhou and relieve the pressure on us."

Another minister stepped forward and spoke.

Upon hearing this, the King of the Northern Di nodded; "This is also the reason why I summoned you to the palace."

"This time, the Great Zhou army has launched a fierce attack on Yanmen Pass, and it seems that they are determined to defeat our Northern Di."

"This concerns the life and death of my Northern Di people."

“If my Northern Di cannot withstand the army of the Great Zhou, you should all know what my Northern Di will face.”

"Therefore, I have decided that I will personally take charge of this great battle with the Great Zhou."

"Immediately issue my decree to summon all the warriors of the Northern Di to join me in fighting against the Great Zhou."

"Furthermore, immediately contact the Western Rong and Southern Man tribes and tell them that if my Northern Di are destroyed by the Great Zhou, then they will be next."

The Northern Di King gave the order directly.

what?
Is Your Majesty going to personally lead the troops into battle?
Upon hearing this, the five ministers of the Northern Di were about to speak up to persuade him, but were directly interrupted by the King of the Northern Di.

"I have already made my decision on this matter, you don't need to say anything more."

"Just do as I say."

The person who can sit on the throne of the Northern Di and be revered as king by the people around him is no ordinary person.

It should be noted that the Northern Di King ascended the throne on horseback.

Seeing the unquestionable expression on the face of the Northern Di King, the five Northern Di ministers had no choice but to swallow back the words that were on the tip of their tongues.

Since the Northern Di King has already made his decision, nothing they say will make a difference.

They could only follow the orders of the Northern Di King.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The five ministers bowed and accepted the order.

……

Western Rong.

When the King of the Northern Di received news that the Great Zhou had dispatched troops to Yanmen, the King of the Western Rong also received news that the Western Rong scouts and the Western Liang army's reconnaissance troops had clashed.

However, compared to the Northern Di, the Western Rong king had not yet received any news from the Western Liang army.

However, since the scouts of the Xiliang army have already gone out of the pass to investigate, the Xirong king knows without a doubt that the Xiliang army will probably send troops to Yumen next.

Otherwise, why would the Xiliang army send scouts out of the pass to investigate?

Therefore, upon receiving news of the engagement between the Western Rong scouts and the Western Liang army's reconnaissance, the Western Rong king immediately ordered the conscription of Western Rong warriors to prepare for the upcoming great battle with the Great Zhou.

Furthermore, the Western Rong king immediately sent people to contact the Northern Di, hoping to obtain their support.

The smell of gunpowder began to permeate the entire border region.

(End of this chapter)