My brothers are all warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men; I'll roam freely in the Thr

The winds from beyond the Great Wall carried the scent of blood and scorched earth as they traveled south.

The news of the destruction of the Kezui tribe, the beheading of Wuyan, and the capture of Kuitou and Kezui spread like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples across the vast grasslands north of Youzhou and spreading outwards at an astonishing speed.

The first to receive definite news were naturally the other two Xianbei leaders in the central region, Queju and Murong, who were adjacent to the Kezui tribe.

"What?! Ke Zui's headquarters has been destroyed?!"

Inside the tent, Que Ju, a man as burly as a bear with a ruddy face, suddenly stood up from the tiger-skin-covered chair and slammed the wine bowl in his hand to the ground, scattering wine and shards everywhere.

His eyes were filled with unbelievable rage and disbelief.

When Queju and Murong led nearly a thousand cavalrymen from their respective tribes to the former territory of the Kezui tribe, all they saw was devastation.

The once continuous white domes have been reduced to charred ashes, with wisps of smoke rising from the still-burning wooden frames.

The air was filled with a strong, acrid smell of burning and a nauseating stench of blood.

The grassland was littered with the corpses of dead people and livestock, and vultures and wolves had begun to gather, emitting greedy howls.

A section of the Sanggan River was stained dark red with blood, the stains not yet completely dissipated.

Que Ju was about forty years old, with a broad face and a bushy beard. He was one of the more senior men in central Taiwan and was known for his bravery.

Murong was slightly younger, with a face that was thinner than that of the average Xianbei, and his eyes were more shrewd.

The two men looked at the scene of devastation, their faces so grim they could drip water.

The massacre of a large tribe along with its core members was an extremely serious event, occurring after Tan Shihuai's death and during a period of weakened alliance among the Xianbei tribes.

"Search! See if there are any survivors!" Que Ju suppressed his shock and anger and gave the order in a stern voice.

The cavalry dispersed to search.

Soon, several guards dragged a shivering man and woman out of a dense thicket of grass far from the center of the camp and near a river bend.

The man was wearing tattered leather armor, typical of the Kezui tribe, while the woman was dressed as an ordinary herdsman. Both were pale and had unfocused eyes, clearly terrified.

"Sir, we only found these two people. The soldier said... he's from the Kozui tribe," the guard reported.

Queju rode forward, looking down at the man and woman who had narrowly escaped, especially the soldier: "What happened here? Where is Kezui? How did the tribe become like this?"

Under Murong Bing's icy gaze, the soldier's teeth chattered, and he stammered out what he knew: "Yesterday... Lord Ke took almost all his warriors to... to encircle and annihilate the remnants of the traitor Wuyan... saying they wanted to seize horses and men... They set off early in the morning, and then... in the afternoon, when the sun was setting... the Han cavalry suddenly charged from the other side of the Sanggan River! Like... like demons!"

Extreme fear flashed across his face, as if he could see that black torrent of death again: "They were carrying a huge flag with a single character written on it... I don't recognize Han Chinese characters... but I heard someone shout 'Ji' when they were captured! They were terrifying; their crossbows could fire dozens of shots in a row, just kept firing... Master Ke hasn't returned... Master Kui, Master Kui, he came to our tribe yesterday to discuss matters, and he was also... also captured!"

"Kuitou?" Murong frowned and exchanged a glance with Que Ju.

"What is this idiot doing in the central region?" Que Ju cursed under his breath, his mind filled with doubt.

What is Tan Shihuai's grandson, a nobleman of the Eastern Xianbei, doing in secret in the tribe of Kezui in the Central Plains?

This is probably more than just ordinary interaction.

"How many Han soldiers are there? Which direction did they go?" Murong asked in a deep voice, his tone gentler than Que Ju's, yet carrying an undeniable pressure.

"There weren't many people... maybe only seven or eight hundred. They killed everyone who could carry weapons, burned the tents, and killed the cattle and sheep that couldn't be driven away... Then, they went southwest, probably back to Han territory..." The soldier tried to recall, his body still trembling.

"Seven or eight hundred people!?"

"What a bunch of useless trash! Two thousand men couldn't even stop seven or eight hundred Han cavalry. It's no wonder that Ke Zui died with such useless subordinates!" Que Ju angrily rebuked.

"Southwest direction..." Que Ju, having calmed down, looked in that direction with a sinister gaze.

"That's the direction of Shanggu and Daijun. Hmph, this Han army is quite bold, daring to penetrate deep into my grasslands and annihilate one of my troops!"

Murong seemed lost in thought, his fingers unconsciously twirling the horse's reins: "The Ji-character battle flag... I seem to have heard news from the south that there's a newly appointed Han Chinese governor in Zhuojun, Youzhou, surnamed Ji, who is quite capable and has even defeated the Yellow Turbans and Wuhuan..."

"Ji Xuanyuan?" Que Ju clearly hadn't heard of this name before.

"How could a Han Chinese prefect command such a powerful army? And how could he penetrate deep into the grasslands, defeat Wuyan and Kezui in succession, and even capture Kui Tou?"

He still harbored doubts; the soldier's claim of "a crossbow firing dozens of shots in succession" was simply too far-fetched.

"Hmph, that's alarmist. If the Han army had this thing, I would have been riddled with bullets ten years ago at Hantanshan. I think you're just scared out of your wits and talking nonsense!"

"Whether it's true or not, this matter is of utmost importance." Murong's expression was solemn.

"Ke Zui's forces have been wiped out, and Kui Tou has been captured. This is no ordinary border conflict. Kui Tou is a descendant of Lord Tan Shihuai and the nephew of Lord Lian. If this matter is not handled properly, it may trigger a full-scale war between the Han court and our Great Xianbei, and even... shake Lord Lian He's prestige."

Que Ju waved his hand impatiently: "Let He Lian figure out these headaches himself! He's the one in charge of the three departments! Let's report the situation here and the movements of that Han army in detail! Also, send more scouts to closely monitor the southern Han border, especially the Shanggu and Dai counties! I want to see if this Ji Xuanyuan really has three heads and six arms!"

Just as Queju and Murong were clearing away the remnants of the Kezui tribe and urgently reporting to the Prince of Tanhanshan, a detailed battle report on the great victory of the Jingnan Army had already been sent back to Zhuojun via the 800-li express courier service, traveling unimpeded along the newly built cement road.

Afternoon sunlight streamed through the window, falling on the desk covered with maps and documents.

Ji Xuanyuan was discussing matters such as the autumn grain storage, the allocation of winter clothing for the border troops, and the next phase of road planning for the Youzhou Transportation Group with Ju Shou, Tian Feng, Guo Jia, Lu Zhi, and others.

Thanks to the meticulous care of Zhang Zhongjing and Hua Tuo, and his own persistent exercise, his complexion was no longer as pale as before. Although he was still thin, his complexion was rosy and his eyes were bright. The sickly and weak aura that had plagued him in the past had largely dissipated, replaced by the calm and composed demeanor of a person in a high position.

"...In summary, by the end of the year, the main road connecting Zhuojun with Guangyang and Yuyang will be able to remain open. At that time, the time required to transport grain from Zhuojun to the border will be reduced by more than 40%." Ju Shou held a project progress report and summarized in a calm voice.

Tian Feng added, "However, the financial burden is enormous. Although the shares from various counties have been arriving one after another, road construction is a long-term project. Subsequent maintenance, widening, and even extension to Jizhou will all require continuous investment. As for the Zhen family, since the death of Lord Zhen, although Young Master Zhen Yan has tried his best to maintain cooperation, there seems to be some discord within them. Subsequent payments are not as prompt as before, so we need to be careful."

Mentioning the Zhen family, Ji Xuanyuan's eyes flickered slightly as he recalled Zhen Yi's suicide note and Zhen Mi...

He sighed inwardly, but showed no sign of it on his face. He simply nodded and said, "Please take good care of this matter, Fengxiao. Keep in touch with Zhen Yan. If necessary, I can write a letter myself."

Guo Jia leaned lazily against the armrest, his peach blossom eyes curving into a smile upon hearing this: "Don't worry, Senior Brother, Zhen Yan is a sensible man. He knows what's important and what's not. If he can't control the petty squabbles within the family, he wouldn't deserve to sit in that position. As for the north..."

He put away his jest and said seriously, "General Yu has been deep in the grasslands for more than half a month now, and no news has come back. The main force of Wuhuan Zhang Chun's rebel army is still dealing with Gongsun Zan and Meng Yi in Liaoxi and Youbeiping, and has not made a major westward advance. However, under the calm border, there may be undercurrents. The Wuhuan tribes are accumulating resentment, and the Xianbei's attitude is ambiguous. We must be on guard."

Lu Zhi stroked his beard and pondered: "Bo Gui is hot-tempered and eager to avenge his previous humiliation. He is bound to be rash in his military operations. Meng Yi is experienced and mature and may be able to restrain him to some extent. However, the rebel army is powerful and may not be able to be quelled in a short time. On Wen Lie's side, General Yu and others are training troops to strengthen the border. Although this is a good strategy, we must also be wary of the Xianbei taking the opportunity to raid southward."

Just as Ji Xuanyuan was about to speak, suddenly, a series of hurried and powerful footsteps came from outside the hall, accompanied by the soft sound of armor plates rubbing together.

Dian Wei, who was guarding outside the gate, announced in a low voice: "My lord, there is an urgent military report from the north!"

"Go!" Ji Xuanyuan's spirits lifted.