Chương 588: Marching Off! Marching Off! Marching Off!

Marching Off! Marching Off!

Then, the two argued back and forth, their faces turning red, neither willing to give in.

Yuchi Gong, who was munching on grapes nearby, watched the two arguing and suddenly interjected:

"I think the winner should buy drinks! The loser should buy drinks for a month!"

Xue Rengui and Cao Cao turned their heads at the same time and glared at him:

"Shut up!"

Yuchi Gong shrank back, continued eating grapes, and dared not speak again.

The two argued for a long time, and finally looked at Su Lie, waiting for him to make a decision.

Su Lie pondered for a moment, then picked up a pen and drew three thick black lines on the sand table, each crossing the desert and the oasis. He smiled and said:

"Advance along three fronts simultaneously, quickly and steadily, and combine your ideas."

He pointed to the first line, and drew a black line on the sand table with charcoal:

"The first route, led by Xue Rengui and Yuchi Gong, consists of 20, 000 cavalrymen taking the southern route. They are all lightly armed, without cannons, only tiger-squatting cannons and muskets."

"Ride at full speed to Shanshan and force them to surrender; then march day and night to launch a surprise attack on Khotan, catching them completely off guard before they can react."

"No problem!" Xue Rengui and Yuchi Gong replied in unison, exchanging a glance that sparked a lively discussion.

"The second force, with 60, 000 troops, will be led by me personally, with Yuwen Chengdu and Qu Yi as the vanguard. We will take the northern route, first launching a surprise attack on the rear of Cheshi, annihilating them, and then directly crossing the Tianshan Mountains to attack the Wusun royal court, Chigu City. Speed is of the essence in war; we cannot give them time to react. We must take Chigu City before they can assemble their army, catching them completely off guard."

"The third force, led by Cao Cao, Zhang He, and Lü Bu, will take 20, 000 cavalry, take the central route, and launch a surprise attack on Yanqi. After destroying Yanqi, they will immediately advance westward to cut off the rear of Kucha and prevent them from escaping."

"Finally, the three armies converged at Shule. After destroying Shule, we'll see how the Kushans react. If they behave, we'll return to the capital; if they dare to be arrogant, we'll cross the Pamir Mountains and teach them a lesson. Let them know the might of the Han Dynasty."

The tent was silent as everyone pondered the plan.

"Excellent! Excellent!" Yuchi Gong was the first to applaud.

"It catches them off guard without cutting off their escape route! Commander Su is indeed Commander Su!"

"I think it's feasible," Xue Rengui nodded.

"It fully utilizes our cavalry advantage, giving them a time advantage. By the time they react, we'll have already wiped out their stronghold."

"I have no objection either," Cao Cao said, stroking his beard with an appreciative smile on his face.

Su Lie looked around at his generals, and seeing that no one objected, he slammed his hand on the command table with a loud "bang".

"Okay! It's settled then!"

He drew his sword from his waist and slashed down, breaking off a corner of the general's desk, sending splinters flying.

"Gentlemen! This land of the Western Regions has been separated from the Central Plains for almost a hundred years! Countless Han soldiers and civilians are buried here, their bones never even able to return home! Countless soldiers shed their blood and sacrificed their lives for this land, and their heroic spirits are still watching over us from heaven!"

Today, our great Han Dynasty is rich and powerful, with guns and cannons, and an army of 100, 000! This is the best opportunity for us to recover the Western Regions!

"This western expedition is a one-way street, with no possibility of retreat! It's a fight to the death!"

"We will not return until we have conquered the Western Regions!"

"Restore the might of our Great Han Dynasty!"

"Restore the might of our Great Han Dynasty!"

The generals roared in unison, their voices shaking the dust off the tent ceiling, the sound piercing the deep night, and even the warhorses outside the tent began to neigh, one after another.

Outside the tent, a bright moon hung high in the sky, its cool light shining on the continuous military camp and the soldiers' armor, giving it a silvery-white glow.

One hundred thousand soldiers stood ready for battle, their muskets gleaming coldly in the moonlight, and their cannons raised their muzzles, dark and menacing, poised to roar at any moment.

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

Outside Yumen Pass, yellow sand filled the sky.

One hundred thousand troops stood in formation, ready to go. Banners blotted out the sun, swords and spears were like a forest, and the red "Han" character flag fluttered in the wind.

The sunlight shone on the armor, reflecting a blinding light that made it impossible to open one's eyes.

Su Lie, mounted on his warhorse, drew his sword, pointing it at the vast desert to the west, the blade gleaming coldly in the sunlight: "Let's go!"

"Marching to war! Marching to war! Marching to war!"

One hundred thousand soldiers shouted in unison, and the cannons roared, shaking the earth. Yellow sand flew everywhere, blotting out the sun.

One hundred thousand Han soldiers set off simultaneously in three routes, their horses' hooves crushing the morning frost, billowing dust as they headed west, like three black dragons plunging into the vast sea of sand.

Yuchi Gong charged ahead, brandishing his whip and shouting:

"Brothers, charge! Destroy Khotan and collect the jade! Destroy Kucha and drink the fine wine! Destroy Shule and eat the grapes!"

Xue Rengui was dressed in bright silver lamellar armor, the plates gleaming coldly in the morning light.

Holding a halberd, and riding a swift steed, he charged ahead, his white robes fluttering behind him, looking like a white lightning bolt from afar.

Yuchi Gong, holding two whips and carrying two flintlock pistols slung across his back, followed closely behind, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, looking quite nonchalant.

Ma Chao and his young generals were at the very back. Ma Chao, young and impetuous, spurred his horse forward, twirling his silver spear in his hand, and shouted to the soldiers behind him:

"Keep up! Don't fall behind! Those who fall behind won't get meat tonight!"

Cao Cao stroked his beard, watching the departing army, a smile playing on his lips, and murmured:

"I, Cao Mengde, have arrived in the Western Regions. This time, I will make sure that all the kingdoms of the Western Regions remember my name."

Lu Bu patted the Crimson Flame horse, which neighed loudly and reared up.

He snorted coldly, his eyes filled with contempt: "A bunch of chickens and dogs, daring to block my path, Lü Bu!"

The endless yellow sand could not obscure the military flags of the Han Dynasty; the long journey could not stop the soldiers' steps.

The countries of the Western Regions, hundreds of miles away, were unaware of the impending catastrophe that awaited them.

They were still drinking and making merry, still vying for power and profit, and still attacking each other.

Unbeknownst to them, a steel torrent from the East, armed with cannons and muskets, was sweeping towards them.

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