Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Three days passed in a flash, and it was the day Ma Chao was preparing to march his army. The army had already arrived at Yanmen Pass and was waiting. On this day, Ma Chao bid farewell to Gongsun Zan, intending to go to Yanmen Pass to lead his troops. Gongsun Zan, however, refused to allow him to leave and insisted on seeing him off, escorting him all the way to Yanmen Pass.

After killing Hu Tai, Ma Chao assembled his army and recruited his generals. This time, when he attacked Bingzhou, he brought with him 40,000 Western Liang cavalry and 20,000 new recruits, totaling 60,000. He also brought 30,000 Western Qiang and 30,000 Eastern Qiang. In addition to the 50,000 Jie tribesmen forcibly recruited by Jia Xu, the total force was 170,000.

After several months of attacking Bingzhou, the Eastern Qiang and Western Qiang tribes each lost approximately 5,000 soldiers, while the Western Liang cavalry suffered approximately 8,000 casualties, many of whom were newly recruited soldiers. The Jie tribe suffered the most severe losses, losing 16,000 to 17,000 soldiers, leaving only 33,000 Jie soldiers.

Now, excluding the 30,000 casualties, Ma Chao still had nearly 130,000 troops under his command. The troops were arranged in an orderly manner according to their respective divisions, with clear positions.

The Western Liang cavalry wore heavy black armor, held spears in hand, and had stern expressions, like black iron towers, emitting a murderous aura; although the recruits were a little immature, their eyes were full of determination and expectation, eager to prove themselves in this expedition; the warriors of the Western Qiang and Eastern Qiang wore colorful costumes, held scimitars, and had the heroism and unruliness of the children of the grassland; the Jie soldiers stood in particularly neat order. After experiencing the baptism of war, Ma Chao no longer had so much resentment towards them. There was a bit more ease in their eyes. Although they were fighting for survival on the battlefield, it was better than the fate of the Di people, who died and their clan was wiped out.

Ma Chao stood on the Killing Hu Terrace, overlooking the well-organized army below, his heart filled with pride. He knew that this expedition to the grasslands would be arduous, but he firmly believed that with the bravery of this 130,000-man army, they would strike fear into the hearts of those foreign tribes and bring lasting peace to the Han frontier.

Ma Chao's expression was resolute. He slowly extended his right hand and steadily drew the gleaming longsword from his waist. He raised it high, the blade pointing toward the sky. He channeled his Qi into his Dantian and shouted, "Men! We did a great job in this battle for Bingzhou! Thank you all for your hard work!" Ma Chao's voice echoed like a bell across the empty field.

"However, this is absolutely no time for us to slack off and rest! Today, I will personally lead you into battle across the grasslands, pursuing the enemy northward, determined to annihilate all those foreign races that have invaded the borders of the Han Dynasty! Why are we fighting? To protect our homeland, to make those foreign races clearly understand that the Han Dynasty must not be bullied! We will crush their camps like a whirlwind, and make them pay a heavy price for their countless evil deeds! Do you have the confidence?"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone from the generals to the ordinary soldiers became excited and raised their arms and shouted: "Yes! Yes! Yes!" The shouts surged like a tidal wave and reached the sky.

As soon as Ma Chao appeared before the crowd, their eyes were filled with passion. While others might have different perceptions of Ma Chao, in the hearts of the Xiliang people, he was a truly worthy and well-deserved God of War. Therefore, Ma Chao didn't need to deliberately inspire morale; his mere presence and words successfully galvanized the emotions of everyone present, immersing the entire army in an atmosphere of high spirits and a desire to defeat the enemy.

The cheers were earth-shaking, echoing over the battlefield for a long time, difficult to calm down. Ma Chao raised his hand and waved, signaling everyone to be quiet. Then he said loudly: "For this march to the grassland, we really don't have much experience to rely on. Therefore, for this expedition, we will not formulate overly complicated military regulations. I plan to divide the army into three parts. After all, the grassland is vast, and it would be inconvenient to move all the troops together. We will advance from the center and then split into two groups to form the left and right wings." The generals listened attentively, their eyes full of anticipation for the next battle deployment.

Ma Chao suddenly called out, "Pang De, Jia Xu, and Yue Ji!" The three men hurriedly bowed and responded in unison, "We are here!" Ma Chao said solemnly, "You will command the left wing of the army. Pang De will be the commander-in-chief of the left wing, and Jia Xu will be the military advisor. I will allocate 20,000 soldiers to you, plus Marshal Yue Ji's 25,000 soldiers, for a total of 45,000 soldiers, forming the left wing of the army. You will advance from the left." Upon hearing this, the three men immediately knelt, clasped their hands together, and shouted, "I will obey your orders!"

Ma Chao shouted again, "Xu Huang, Xu Shu, Zhang Liao, E He Shao Ge, Shao Chan, step out!" The generals quickly stepped out and stood in line. Ma Chao's eyes were piercing, and he continued, "I appoint Zhang Liao as commander of the right wing, and Xu Shu as military advisor. I will allocate you 20,000 troops, plus the remaining 25,000 from the Eastern Qiang, for a total of 45,000. Set out from the right wing." The three generals saluted and responded in unison, "Understood!"

Ma Chao once again called out his generals, announcing, "I will personally command the Central Army, Lu Su will be the Central Military Advisor, and Zhang Xiu, Niu Jin, and Wang Fang will all accompany me." Several men hurriedly stepped forward to request his orders. At this moment, the Jie leader, Moshilige, immediately stepped forward and eagerly demanded, "Your Majesty, what about me? I, a Jie, swear to die for you!" Ma Chao smiled faintly and said, "Alright! Moshilige, the remaining 33,000 Jie soldiers under your command will form the Central Army with me."

When Mosesilige heard this, his face was filled with excitement, as if all the blood in his body was ignited.

Ma Chao continued, "This time, our boundary will be the North Sea, which will be our final destination. We haven't prepared much baggage for this expedition. We must emulate the lightning-fast tactics of our former champion, Hou Huo Qubing, and replenish supplies wherever we arrive. This operation isn't about capturing territory or seizing valuables; our sole goal is to annihilate their vital forces!"

Pang De and Zhang Liao looked at each other, and Pang De asked, "My lord, what should we do with the prisoners?" Ma Chao's eyes suddenly became sharp, and he said firmly, "What I want is that in the next 30 years, there will be no sound of grazing on the grassland!" The two generals immediately understood that Ma Chao wanted to kill all the enemies.

Zhang Liao then asked, "What should we do with the captured cattle and sheep?" Ma Chao replied, "The food and fodder we've provided you with isn't sufficient. You'll have to find what you can on the spot. It's August now, and the weather on the grasslands is gradually cooling. Keep enough for food and drink, and untie the rest. But as the weather gets colder, I'm sure you've captured quite a few warhorses. Each of you will have two horses, with one dedicated to carrying them. Try to haul as much uneaten beef and mutton as possible onto the horses, for emergency use. I have only one request: that we meet safely at the North Sea. No matter what happens along the way, even if only one soldier remains, you must reach the North Sea!"

The soldiers were all horrified upon hearing this, knowing that this journey would be extremely difficult. But they also understood that Ma Chao's goal was to pacify the grasslands and bring eternal peace to the Han frontier.

Ma Chao went on to say solemnly: "By then, if there are no grazing people on the grassland, these released cattle and sheep will reproduce on their own, and there will naturally be herds of cattle and sheep in the future. I hope you don't think I'm too cold-blooded. All this is for the peace of our Han people and for the long-term stability of the border. Otherwise, on this vast grassland, the enemies will be endlessly killed and driven away. They will grow stronger at any time and invade our Han Dynasty again at any time!" When the soldiers heard this, a sense of mission surged in their hearts, and they shouted in unison: "For the peace of the Han Dynasty! Flatten the grassland!" The cry echoed over the grassland for a long time, with the determination to burn their boats and the belief that they would win.

Ma Chao's eyes were like torches, and he shouted to Zhang Liao and Pang De, "Zhang Liao, Pang De!"

Upon hearing this, the two men's expressions instantly grew serious. They immediately stepped out of line and knelt on the ground in unison, their postures erect, silently awaiting Ma Chao's orders. Ma Chao fixed them with a firm gaze and spoke slowly, "You two have a crucial mission this time. I will personally lead the central army directly to the North Sea. By comparison, our march should be slightly faster than yours."

Ma Chao paused briefly before continuing, "The grasslands are unlike the Central Plains. The area here is vast and boundless, making it extremely difficult to discern directions, and delivering information is even more challenging. Therefore, I intend to assign the two brothers, Hu Che'er and Hu Chi'er, to each of you. They are both Hu generals and are more familiar with the grassland's environment and terrain. With them around, discerning directions will be much easier. Furthermore, these two have incredible stamina, and can be responsible for delivering information at critical moments."

Zhang Liao and Pang De were delighted when they heard this and quickly accepted the order: "Thank you, lord!"

Ma Chao continued solemnly, "During this campaign, don't be overly concerned with captured property or the sheer number of enemies killed. The key is to annihilate as many Hu forces as possible. The Central Plains is now a land of numerous warlords, and the situation is complex. We in Chang'an, Xiliang, cannot remain without a strong military presence for too long. Otherwise, if the warlords learn of the situation, they might seize the opportunity to stir up trouble, and peace on the border would be unrest. Therefore, we must meet at the North Sea by August of next year at the latest. If the grassland tribes truly unite and become too powerful to be conquered immediately, we will decisively move on to our next target and refrain from engaging them in a head-on confrontation."

Zhang Liao and Pang De knelt on the ground and said in unison, "Your Majesty, we understand!"

Ma Chao personally stepped forward, lifted each of them up, patted their shoulders gently, and said earnestly, "Your mission is immensely difficult, but everything I, Ma Chao, do is not for personal glory, but to safeguard peace on the Han border. Brothers, this journey will undoubtedly be filled with hardships. Thank you for your hard work! I look forward to our successful reunion in the North Sea."

Zhang Liao and Pang De looked at Ma Chao, their eyes full of determination and loyalty, and responded in unison: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, we will live up to our mission!" After that, the two turned around and returned to their team, ready to lead their respective armies on the journey.

Seeing everything ready, Ma Chao, with a dignified expression, suddenly shouted, "Move!" In an instant, the order was as strong as a mountain, and all the troops immediately took action, pouring out of Yanmen Pass in an orderly manner, rushing to all parts of the grassland like a tide. The central army, led by Ma Chao, waited until the other armies had moved out in an orderly manner before taking the final step.

Gongsun Zan stood on the city wall, gazing at the army's march from afar. Ma Chao looked up at Gongsun Zan and said loudly, "Brother, go back! Defend Bingzhou well. When I return, we'll have a drink together!" Gongsun Zan's eyes moistened slightly when he heard this. He replied with a firm and emotional voice, "Brother, go ahead and rest assured. I will defend Bingzhou like a rock, and nothing will go wrong!"

Ma Chao roared with laughter, his voice echoing through the air. He declared, "That's not my Bingzhou, that's your Bingzhou, brother!" With a dashing wave of his hand, he gently clamped his legs around the horse's belly. The steed neighed, and like an arrow from a bow, it swiftly joined the central army, marching deep into the grasslands. Gongsun Zan stood for a long time atop the city wall, his gaze fixed on Ma Chao's departure, silently wishing his junior brother a smooth journey and a swift triumphant return. Meanwhile, the army gradually faded against the grassland skyline, yet with lofty ambition and fervor, they bravely pressed forward towards the unknown challenge.