The Three Kingdoms: Rise of the Western Liang Cavalry

As the sound of hooves gradually subsided, the three thousand Qiang and Hu cavalrymen stopped a hundred paces outside the camp. The dust they kicked up slowly settled, revealing their weathered faces.

The air was filled with a strong smell of beef and mutton, along with a fierce and murderous aura.

Grandpa.

Qin Lie dismounted and respectfully bowed to the old man.

The word "Grandpa" instantly brought a touch of warmth and complexity to Dianwu's sharp eyes.

He looked at Qin Lie, the only bloodline left by his daughter, and sized him up.

According to legend, the generals of the Xiliang army were mostly crude and tyrannical, but the grandson in front of him was as upright as a pine tree and as calm as an abyss. He showed no signs of the arrogance of a fierce general, but instead exuded a calm and dignified aura that put people at ease.

"Good, good boy."

Dianwu dismounted, his movements still agile. He took a few steps forward and patted Qin Lie's shoulder heavily with his rough hand.

"I received your letter."

"The men of Shaodang Qiang and your Qin clan have always shared weal and woe."

"Those officials in Chang'an killed Grand Tutor Dong and now they want to exterminate us Liangzhou people who have guarded the frontier for the Han Dynasty our whole lives? I, Dianwu, will be the first to object!"

His voice was loud and direct, full of the simplicity and boldness of the nomadic people of the grasslands.

"I brought not only three thousand soldiers,"

Dianwu turned around and pointed to the huge procession behind him.

"They also brought three thousand cattle and sheep, five thousand fine horses, and one hundred thousand of our Qiang people's best wolf-tooth arrows!"

"My grandson's soldiers cannot go hungry, nor can they lack good horses and arrows!"

Qin Lie felt a warmth in his heart and bowed again.

"Thank you, Grandpa."

He knew how significant this support was.

This has almost emptied out most of the resources of the Shaodang Qiang people.

This bond is not just kinship, but also the only option for two forces driven to the brink of despair to band together for mutual support.

Qin Lie straightened up, his gaze passing over Dian Wu and looking at the three thousand pairs of eyes behind him, filled with scrutiny and curiosity.

He said loudly.

"Pass on my order! All Qiang brothers are honored guests of my Qin family army!"

"Slaughter the cattle and sheep immediately, and bring out all the fine wine so that our brothers who have come from afar can eat and drink their fill!"

He then turned to Qin An beside him, his voice suddenly turning cold, carrying an undeniable authority.

"Issue another military order! Throughout the camp, Han soldiers and Qiang soldiers alike are comrades!"

"If any Han soldier dares to discriminate against or bully our Qiang brothers, they will be executed without mercy upon discovery!"

"Any Qiang brothers who cause trouble without cause will be dealt with according to military law!"

"Did you all hear me clearly?"

"Yes, sir!"

Qin An loudly agreed and immediately rode back to camp to relay the order.

This order instantly silenced the previously somewhat agitated Qiang and Hu cavalry formation.

Their gazes toward Qin Lie shifted from initial scrutiny to a newfound respect and awe.

They had never received such clear equality and respect in Han Chinese territory.

As Dianwu looked at his grandson's series of arrangements, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

He originally thought Qin Lie had only come to ask for help, but he never expected that he would actually want to truly fuse the two completely different forces of Han and Qiang into one.

This breadth of vision and courage far exceeded his expectations.

Qin Lie invited Dianwu into the main tent and personally arranged a camp for his son, Ehe Shaoge, who was the actual commander of the Qiang and Hu cavalry.

He organized the three thousand Qiang and Hu cavalry into a separate battalion, named the "Yi" Battalion, and appointed Ehe Shaoge as its captain. He also assigned several Qin family soldiers who were fluent in the Qiang language as his deputies to coordinate the operation, but not to interfere with its internal command.

This perfectly timed trust and delegation of authority greatly impressed the upright and honest Ehe Shaoge, who immediately expressed his willingness to obey all of Qin Lie's orders.

As night fell, campfires burned everywhere in the Fufeng camp.

The Han soldiers roasted large chunks of beef and mutton until they sizzled, and the rich aroma of meat filled the cold air.

Somewhat awkwardly, they handed the best roasted meat and full bowls of wine to the still somewhat wary Qiang people.

The initial barriers and silence gradually melted away under the influence of wine and meat.

An old Qin soldier, speaking in broken Qiang language, gestured to praise the enemy's warhorse; a young Qiang knight, meanwhile, curiously stroked the cold iron armor of a Han soldier.

At this moment, two completely different cultures began a wondrous yet fragile fusion, illuminated by the campfire.

Inside the central command tent, Qin Lie and Dian Wu sat facing each other.

"Lie'er, your army is unlike any Han army I've ever seen before."

Dianwu took a sip of strong liquor, his gaze fixed intently on the clearly defined yet subtly intertwined camp area outside the tent.

"They exude a murderous aura, but not a chaotic one."

"Disciplined, yet without a sense of lifelessness."

"How did you do that?"

"I simply told them what we were fighting for."

Qin Lie answered calmly.

"It's not for any general, nor for robbing money or grain, but for survival, so that my family and friends back home can have a peaceful life."

"So that the name 'Xiliang Army' will not be forever nailed to the pillar of shame for being a traitor to the country."

Dianwu remained silent for a long time before drinking the wine in his bowl in one gulp and slamming the bowl heavily on the table.

"Well said!"

He looked at Qin Lie with an unprecedented admiration and determination in his eyes.

"I'm too old to fight anymore."

"But as long as I have a breath left, the Shaodang Qiang will be your strongest support!"

"That kid, Eheshaoge, is straightforward, but he's a master at fighting. Just give him a shot."

"If three thousand men aren't enough, just ask, and I'll contact other units to gather ten thousand cavalry. It won't be difficult!"

Qin Lie stood up and solemnly bowed to the old man.

He knew that from this moment on, the power he held had undergone a qualitative change.

Five thousand Han soldiers and three thousand Qiang cavalry.

The total strength is 8,000, of which 5,300 are elite cavalry capable of field battles!

This force may not be enough to sweep across the world, but it is enough to shift the balance that determines the fate of countless people on this crumbling Guanzhong Plain.

Qin Lie stepped out of the tent, gazing at the clear, cold moon in the night sky, his eyes turning towards Chang'an, a hundred miles away.

Wang Yun, Lü Bu, Li Jue, Guo Si...

The chessboard was set up, and he finally had his first heavy chess piece.

This chess piece still carries the fierce winds of the grasslands and the stench of cattle and sheep; it is rough and wild, yet it is also full of unparalleled vitality.

Qin Lie withdrew his gaze from the direction of Chang'an and returned it to the camp in front of him.

Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, the sounds of clashing metal and deep shouts could be heard from the Han army camp. It was the veterans urging the new recruits to perform their daily equipment drills, each step precise and disciplined, full of the stubbornness and discipline that belonged to the men of Guanzhong.

On the other side, in the "Yi" camp, the Qiang knights appeared more relaxed and free. They were in groups of three or five, some carefully maintaining their bowstrings and horse tack with oil, while others wrestled and grappled in the open ground. Shouts and laughter mingled together, full of primal energy.