Three Kingdoms: Ten Times Speed, Diao Chan Says I'm Too Fast

In the scorching heat of July, the smartweed flowers sway like snow in the wind, and the horsehair coat is thick and clean as waves.

In Liangzhou, a dozen miles outside Wushi County of Anding Prefecture, outside Shengtou Mountain, a cavalry force of several thousand men was slowly advancing.

Shengtou Mountain was later known as Liupan Mountain.

This is the origin of the Wei River, which flows through Anding County.

The cavalry, numbering in the thousands, were followed by a vast herd of cattle, sheep, and horses, stretching as far as the eye could see.

People and carriages that occasionally passed by on the official road all gave way.

At the very front of the procession, rows of black banners fluttered and rattled in the wind, exuding an air of solemnity and gravity.

On the left side, a large banner is outlined with a row of large characters in white with a gold border.

He was appointed as the General of the Xiongnu.

On the right side of the banner were the words "Prefect of Hanyang Commandery".

Although not many people are literate, they still have common sense.

What surprised the people even more was that half of the group were Han Chinese, while the other half were from other ethnic groups.

The people in the border areas all had some understanding of the local ethnic groups.

Just by looking at their clothing and physical features, one can distinguish whether they are Qiang, Hu, or Xiongnu.

Without a doubt, the three thousand cavalrymen following behind Duan Yu's troops were all Xiongnu.

Near the very center of the procession was a magnificent steed, fiery red as the sunset, and over nine feet tall at the shoulders.

The horse's color matched its appearance, and it was named the Crimson Dragon Cloud-Treading Beast.

When it walks, its red mane looks like flowing flames, so lifelike.

Looking at the knight on horseback.

Reflecting the black metallic sheen, behind him was a black cloak embroidered with a soaring, winged beast.

The knight's height, combined with the height of his warhorse, made him stand out even among a vast army.

If it's not Duan Yu, then who is it?

Beside Duan Yu was Su He, riding a chestnut-red warhorse.

At this moment, Suhe was wearing a set of red leather armor and a cloak.

A delicate bow hung from the saddle.

Next to the bow and arrow were two quivers, filled with arrows.

The Xiongnu were not only skilled archers among their men.

Women can also ride horses and use bows.

More than ten days have passed since Duan Yu left the Xiongnu.

After returning from his mission to the Xiongnu, Duan Yu headed south.

However, because the number of people had more than doubled, the marching speed slowed down significantly.

Not only did the number of people increase, but the herds of cattle, horses, and sheep also increased significantly.

All of these were dowries given to Suhe by Duan Yu's new father-in-law, Qiangqu, the Great Chanyu of the Southern Xiongnu.

After spending the night at Tanhan Mountain, Duan Yu and Su He confirmed their relationship.

Qiang Qu also became Duan Yu's father-in-law.

Duan Yu was still hesitating.

After all, Suhe was a Xiongnu, and also the princess of Qiangqu.

If this news reaches the imperial court in the future, will someone use it to make a fuss?

Duan Yu is not worried about the current situation, but it is inevitable that when issues involving the Xiongnu arise in the future, someone will likely jump out.

but......

But there was nothing we could do; the Qiangqu tribe had given us too much.

There are just too many.

When Duan Yu married Dong Yi, he felt that Dong Zhuo had already given him more than enough.

But Qiangqu gave far more than Dong Zhuo.

After all, he was the Xiongnu Chanyu.

Although the Xiongnu were far less wealthy than the Han Dynasty, Qiangqu had served as Chanyu for decades, and his foundation was something Dong Zhuo could not match.

Let's talk about things like cattle, horses, and sheep.

The number of Qiang people is in the hundreds of thousands.

This time, they gave out 5,000 cattle, 10,000 sheep, and 3,000 warhorses.

Apart from that, furs and the like are hardly counted in terms of quantity.

There were also gems, meteorites, silverware, and slaves.

The Southern Xiongnu connected with the Western Regions, which were rich in gemstones.

They gave out ten boxes full of all sorts of gems.

There are also meteorites.

Perhaps due to geographical reasons, the Xiongnu received an unusually large number of meteorites from outer space.

After learning that Duan Yu's weapon was made of meteorite iron, Qiang Qu sent Duan Yu ten thousand catties of meteorite iron.

These meteorites are all valuable.

In particular, the high-density meteorite iron is exactly what Duan Yu urgently needs to forge the weapons and armor he will use in the future.

The carrying capacity of the Crimson Dragon Cloud-Treading Beast is clearly incomparable to that of the Ink Jade Qilin Beast.

Therefore, Duan Yu also prepared to use meteorite iron to upgrade his equipment.

And then there were slaves.

The Xiongnu nobles did not have servants; they only had slaves.

Those who served the Xiongnu nobles, whether they were Xiongnu people or other races who were plundered, were all called slaves.

Qiangqu was even more generous.

With a wave of his hand, he sent Suhe away with a thousand slaves.

This included able-bodied male slaves.

There were also young female slaves from the Western Regions, the Xianbei, the Yuezhi, and several other ethnic groups.

Duan Yu even asked Su He about this.

Aren't you worried that her father sent so many young female slaves at once?

However, Suhe's answer greatly surprised Duan Yu.

Suhe's answer was that she would treat all the children born to these female slaves as her own.

And these children will all become her children in the future.

In the Xiongnu, slaves were the private property of their masters and had no surnames or names of their own.

These slaves belonged to their masters for their entire lives.

Even children born from birth are the same.

They will remain slaves forever unless their masters grant them freedom.

In addition to valuables, Qiangqu also dispatched three thousand Xiongnu cavalry.

These three thousand Xiongnu cavalrymen, acting as volunteer followers, will assist Duan Yu in his campaign against the Qiang in Liangzhou.

Although it was called a "righteous procession," it was actually just Suhe's dowry.

From now on, it will all be Duan Yu's private property.

With such a large dowry, Duan Yu was even considering marrying a Xianbei princess in the future.

If this cycle continues, what's the point of conquering the world? Just marry a princess.

This trip to the Xiongnu directly doubled Duan Yu's wealth.

Of course, in order to avoid being criticized behind one's back, the necessary things still need to be done.

Therefore, when Duan Yu was sending cattle, horses, and sheep to Luoyang, he also sent Liu Hong two thousand warhorses.

He also sent a letter to Jia Dong in Jinyang, asking Jia Dong to send ten million coins to Zhang Rang in Luoyang.

Since I left Luoyang last time.

Duan Yu found that he didn't feel so bad about giving money to Liu Hong and Zhang Rang.

After all, the wool comes from the sheep.

After he left Luoyang last time, He Lingsi and He Lingman, the two sisters, returned 100 million yuan to him.

Who knows when we might get the money we sent out this time back?

Duan Yu didn't feel sorry for him at all.

And then there's the Qiangqu area.

As a return gift, he certainly couldn't afford to offer the same betrothal gifts as Qiangqu.

But we still have to do something, no matter what.

So Jia Dong was also instructed to send some snow salt to Qiangqu as a token of gratitude.

that's it.

Duan Yu returned from the Xiongnu with a full load of goods.

...........

After passing through Boluo Valley from Shengtou Mountain, you enter the territory of Hanyang County.

It was midday.

The blazing sun overhead grew even hotter.

It was by a forest road near a main road close to Boluo Valley.

A group of dozens of people were resting in the shade of the woods.

The group consisted entirely of young and strong Han Chinese.

Moreover, each of them carried a longbow on their back.

Among them, a tall young man, about nine feet tall, stood out.

The young man had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, exceptionally strong arms, and his long hair was simply tied into a bun on top of his head. He wore a military cap.

Dozens of young men in the woods seemed to be sitting around the youth, or leaning against the trees to drink water and rest.

Or they might lean against a rock to cool off.

Only the young man sat cross-legged on the ground, like an old monk in deep meditation.

Before the youth, the weeds were pushed aside.

The black soil on the ground was exposed.

The young man was holding a twig and drawing something on the ground.

Upon closer inspection, it appears to be two armies engaged in battle.

The young man stared intently at the ground, as if deep in thought.

Suddenly, a call from afar broke the young man's reverie.

"My lord, they're here! They're here!"

A young man dressed in coarse linen clothes ran from the distant official road into the woods, shouting as he ran.

Upon hearing this, the burly young man raised his head again and stuck the branch in his hand into the ground.

Then stood up.

His tall and imposing figure immediately exuded a strong sense of oppression.

"My lord, General Duan's troops have crossed Boluo Valley and are heading this way."

The young man stood up and brushed the dust off his back.

"Walk."

At the command, the young man was the first to walk out of the woods.

Dozens of young men followed the young man out of the woods.

Under the blazing sun overhead.

The young man stood on the official road, watching the approaching procession ahead.