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

Two days later.

Duan Yu led three thousand cavalrymen from Dunhuang, heading west.

The eight generals accompanying him on this journey were Tie Shitou, Wang Hunu, Zhao Yun, Zhao Feng, Lü Bu, Zhang Xiu, Hua Xiong, and Gao Shun.

However, there were only three thousand cavalry.

Of course, these three thousand are the elite of the elite.

Hua Xiong led eight hundred Flying Bear Cavalry, along with Duan Yu's four hundred personal guard cavalry.

Besides these, there were the elite troops each of them had selected.

Li Ru and Cheng Yu have already led the remaining troops back towards Hanyang County.

Xun You and Xi Zhicai, who were preparing to conquer the Western Regions, followed along westward.

The environment in the Western Regions is harsh. Apart from the areas with water sources near the tributaries of rivers, most of the region consists of mountains and deserts.

There is only one road to take.

This time, Duan Yu chose Loulan, also known as Shanshan (later collectively referred to as Loulan), which was closest to Dunhuang.

Since Xun You and Xi Zhicai arrived in Liangzhou.

Duan Yu had been considering how to settle the two of them.

Their talents are undeniable.

They are all top-notch.

However, at present, many crucial matters concerning Liangzhou cannot be disclosed to the two of them.

For example, he confronted Jia Xu, Li Ru, and others about the general situation of Liangzhou in the future.

Although Xun You came to Liangzhou on his own initiative, this does not mean that Xun You was no longer a member of the Xun clan.

Duan Yu couldn't say for sure what direction the Xun family would take in the future.

Of course, Xun You was no fool.

He could naturally understand this as well.

As a member of the Yingchuan gentry, he seemed somewhat out of place in Liangzhou.

Now, besides the foundation he built in Bingzhou, the rest of Duan Yu's forces are basically local forces from Liangzhou.

It's not easy for a gentry family from the Central Plains to gain a foothold here.

As intelligent as Xun You was, he probably saw this as well, which is why he took the initiative to manage the Western Regions.

Duan Yu was slow to realize this, only coming to his senses after Xun You had explained the situation in the Western Regions that night.

This is a smart person's choice, and also a way to demonstrate their abilities.

Three thousand soldiers, carrying only a few days' worth of rations, bid farewell to Gai Xun and set off from Dunhuang.

Half a day later, on the afternoon of the day of departure.

Instead of rushing forward, Duan Yu led his troops to the outside of Yumen Pass.

Outside Yumen Pass.

Riding a black tiger and clad in armor, Duan Yu saw the Western Regions desert, outside of the Han Dynasty, for the first time.

The setting sun was like blood, and the evening glow painted the walls of Yumen Pass red.

As the end of October approached, howling north winds swept up clouds of yellow sand, swirling and echoing across the desert sky.

Behind Duan Yu, thousands of armored figures reflected the golden sunlight.

The warhorse stood still, its front hooves occasionally pawing at the yellow sand beneath it. The sound of its hooves striking the dry earth seemed to urge the riders onward on their journey to the distance.

Duan Yu stood alone at the forefront of the army formation, riding on a black tiger.

Behind them, Xun You and Xi Zhicai were both wearing thick black cloaks and had their heads wrapped in silk to prevent yellow sand from getting into their mouths and noses.

Iron Stone, Wang Hunu, Zhao Yun, Zhao Feng, Lü Bu, Zhang Xiu, Gao Shun and others rode strong warhorses, their nostrils emitting a slight stream of heat, and the long weapons in their hands radiated a chilling light.

Duan Yu's gaze was deep as he stared at the western horizon.

Suddenly, a sense of grand ambition, transcending thousands of years, welled up within me.

Standing in this position, he seemed to see the powerful Qin Dynasty driving the Yuezhi out of Hexi hundreds of years ago.

They saw Zhang Qian and dozens of horsemen braving the endless yellow sand as they traversed the desert of the Western Regions.

They also witnessed tens of thousands of Han troops, led by Li Guangli, launching a massive campaign to conquer Dayuan, which was thousands of miles away.

We also saw Marquis Ban Chao of Dingyuan, and his son Ban Yong, roaming the deserts of the Western Regions.

Duan Yu did not have such feelings until he personally visited the outside of Yumen Pass.

A general's highest honor is to fight for the country and expand its territory.

The grand struggles of the Three Kingdoms period were merely a power game among the Han people.

But the westward expedition!

expedition!

Bringing other countries' territories under rule is the true achievement that will benefit future generations.

"Mengde, I have done what you dreamed of doing."

Duan Yu's lips curled slightly behind his cold mask, and then he raised a finger and pointed westward.

With a command given, the column began to move slowly forward, leaving a trail of footprints of varying depths in the path of the armored vehicles.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the cavalrymen, lengthening their shadows, as if bestowing a golden blessing upon these warriors who were about to embark on a distant journey.

Dust billowed as the procession moved further and further away, until it disappeared behind the heavy gates of Yumen Pass, leaving only the afterglow of the setting sun and the endless yellow sand to witness this historic moment.

..............

A day and a half later.

The streams that converge from the Tianshan Mountains flow through canyons and valleys, gradually forming countless streams at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains to the south. Eventually, they converge into a main stream flowing south, forming Puchanghai in the northwest direction of Lop Nur.

The Book of Han, in its section on the Western Regions, states that it was "three hundred li in circumference".

The locals also call this place Salt Marsh.

In later generations, this place has had many other names, such as "Fu Ri Hai", "Lao Lan Hai", "Lin Hai", "Luo Pu Chi", "Bu Yu Er Hai", "Luo Bu Nuo Er", and so on.

The tributary flowing south from Puchanghai, after crossing the Lop Nur Desert (which was not yet called Lop Nur at that time, and its exact name is unknown), flows south and west.

Hundreds of miles away, a city has been built here.

Loulan.

Nourished by water, this land is like a green pearl in the desert.

But it's already late October, and the yellow leaves in the tree canopy have been swept away by the howling winds and disappeared without a trace.

The yellow dust further obscured the view, making it appear somewhat desolate.

Compared to the magnificent cities of the Han Dynasty, it is more like a low wall formed by the surrounding low walls of a village.

All the buildings in the city were constructed using rammed earth.

From a distance, it all looked like a patch of yellowish-brown earth.

Only near the northernmost part of the main city is a cluster of buildings covering tens of acres, supported by earthen walls, with painted murals on the roofs of the original buildings.

The complex was separated from the city by a low wall about two meters high. A small number of soldiers with spears but no armor stood on the wall.

Within this cluster of buildings, in the largest palace, the floor was covered with a magnificent red carpet.

At this moment, a girl dressed in a colorful brocade robe, with a graceful figure and silver ornaments on her waist and forehead that jingled as she walked, was hurrying towards the palace.

As she passed by, several servants and maids bowed to the young woman.

The vibrant red carpet stretched from the palace gates into the palace grounds.

The walls and dome surrounding the main hall are painted with vibrant colors, making them incredibly beautiful. The addition of several gold-painted decorations further enhances its noble atmosphere.

At the deepest part of the main hall, on a large chair, a middle-aged man dressed in gold robes was resting his head on his arm.

He looked slightly anxious.

The girl with brown eyes knelt down on the red carpet at the foot of the steps in front of the middle-aged man, her right hand on her chest.

"Father, are you really going to marry your daughter to that devil?"

The girl's delicate eyebrows were furrowed, and her bright eyes, beneath her long, curved eyelashes, seemed to be filled with mist.

The middle-aged man did not open his eyes upon hearing the girl's voice.

He could only say weakly, "My daughter, my dear Andyloga, if I could, I would never have done this."

"But Yutian's envoys and troops are still outside."

“If we do not grant their request, they will slaughter our people.”

"At that time, our country will cease to exist."

The middle-aged man slowly opened his eyes.

Tong Geruojia is now the king of Loulan.

The girl kneeling before Tonggeluojia was named Andiluojia, Tonggeluojia's eldest daughter, and a princess of Loulan.

After hearing her father's words, Andy Luojia slowly lowered her head and shed two lines of clear tears, as if she had resigned herself to her fate.

But at this moment.

A soldier rushed into the palace in a panic.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! An army has arrived and is fighting with the army of Yutian!"