Chương 715: Two years at the earliest, five years at the latest

Ren Hongchang stood on tiptoe, fastening the collar buckle on his neck armor, and hummed:

"And you know what? Last time during the northern tour, he thought it was too much trouble and wore an extra layer of back protection. When he came back, his back was chafed and he didn't say anything. I only noticed it when he was changing clothes."

This westward expedition covered thousands of miles, involving harsh weather and sleeping outdoors. The wind in the desert was like a knife; how could we manage without being well-dressed?

As she spoke, she pulled a finely sewn amulet from her sleeve, embroidered with a small tiger, the stitches dense and numerous. She tucked it into a hidden pocket inside his armor and gently pressed it with her fingertips.

"Keep this you obtained at Baima Temple close to your body, don't lose it. Don't charge too recklessly into battle, you are the commander-in-chief."

"How old are you? Still believing in this stuff?" Liu Ce teased with a smile, but obediently stood still and let her stuff it in.

Zhen Jiang brought over a bowl of warm ginseng soup and held it to his lips, even bringing the spoon to his mouth.

"Husband, have a couple of sips to tide you over, your voice will be strained when you give the oath-taking speech later. Don't just focus on the journey, eat on time, don't be like when you were young, you forget the time when you're fighting, and you'll get stomach problems and pain from hunger."

"I know, I know, you're nagging me like a child." Liu Ce took two sips of ginseng soup, the warm broth going smoothly into his stomach.

Zhen Mi stood at the very edge, holding a soft cloth in her hand. After he finished drinking the soup, she gently wiped the corner of his mouth and whispered:

"My dear husband... it's cold in the west, and the temperature difference between day and night is huge in the desert, so remember to wear more clothes. Also... write home more often."

Her eyes were a little red, her long eyelashes trembled, but she held back her tears and tried to smile.

Looking at the women in front of him, Liu Ce felt a surge of tenderness in his heart.

Having fought half his life, when he raised an army in Zhuoxian, he risked his life and left whenever he wanted, never feeling any attachment.

Things are different now. With a wife and children, a warm bed, and a stable and comfortable life, going on a mission again feels like having a tether to me, as if I'm tied to a string.

"Don't worry." He reached out and patted each of their hands, his tone as relaxed as if he were going out hunting.

"Those three countries to the west combined are not enough for us to fight. I will be back in two to five years at the earliest.

I'll take you to the Mediterranean Sea to watch the sunset; it's much more beautiful than the one in Luojing. The seawater is as blue as a jewel, and there are grapevines along the beach where you can eat as much as you want.

"All you do is say nice things to coax people." Cai Yan rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't help but smile slightly.

"You don't need to worry about things at home. The Crown Prince is overseeing the country, and with our help, there won't be any trouble. Just take care of yourself on the front lines. Don't always rush to the front; you are the commander-in-chief, not the vanguard officer."

"Okay, okay." Liu Ce nodded perfunctorily... He had heard these words for over a decade, but he had never taken them to heart.

In war, who doesn't charge forward?

Once he was fully dressed in armor and had his helmet on, Liu Ce spun around in place, the armor plates clattering loudly, looking majestic and awe-inspiring, like a golden-armored god.

He looked at himself in the mirror, stroked his chin and smiled: "Not bad, not old. Wearing armor, I still have that same vibe as when we started our uprising in Zhuoxian."

Ren Hongchang chuckled and said, "You're over forty years old, yet you're still acting like a young man, all vain."

Joking aside, when Liu Ce was about to leave, his twenty-odd wives and children still accompanied him to the palace gate.

The little princes and princesses peeked through the door frame, shouting:

"Father! Come back soon!"

Liu Ce waved his hand, not daring to linger... If he took another look, he might really be reluctant to leave.

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

Outside the Ganlu Hall, Dian Wei was already waiting with the Longxiang Imperial Guards.

The three thousand elite imperial guards were all burly men, eight feet tall, clad in black armor with red tassels, holding long halberds, standing ramrod straight like a row of iron towers, even their breathing was synchronized.

Dian Wei stood at the very front, clad in black armor, with two halberds strapped to his back, looking like a small mountain. Upon seeing Liu Ce emerge, he snapped to attention and gave a sharp military salute, his booming voice loud enough to scare away the birds on the rooftops.

"Brother! The Dragon Cavalry Imperial Guards have assembled and are ready to be deployed at any time!"

"Hmm." Liu Ce nodded, his gaze sweeping over the Imperial Guards... Each one was full of energy, their armor gleaming, even the tips of their halberds were polished to a shine. As expected of the Emperor's personal guard, their spirit and morale were truly exceptional.

A eunuch led over his mount, "Ta Xue," which was pure white without a single stray hair. It was a Ferghana horse brought from the Western Regions years ago and had been with him for several years. It was very intelligent and intelligent.

Liu Ce mounted his horse with swift, decisive movements, showing no sign of being over forty years old.

He reined in his horse, instinctively turned around, and looked at the top of the steps of the Ganlu Hall.

Cai Yan, Zhang Ning, Ren Hongchang, Zhen Jiang, Zhen Mi... stood there side by side, their clothes fluttering gently in the wind, all looking at him.

Liu Ce couldn't help but laugh, raised his hand, and waved at them.

The morning light shone on his golden armor, making it gleam and dazzling.

The women on the steps waved, smiling, but their eyes were full of worry.

There was no crying or whining.

For members of the royal family, going to war was commonplace; they were used to it.

But habits may be habits, but worries can't be hidden; they're like hands clenched tightly in a sleeve.

Liu Ce didn't look at it any longer, afraid that if he looked too much, he wouldn't be able to bear to look at it anymore.

He turned his head abruptly, waved his hand, and said in a crisp voice:

"Walk!"

"promise!"

At Dian Wei's command, the Imperial Guards of Longxiang formed two lines, escorting Liu Ce's imperial carriage as they marched out of the palace in a grand procession.

The horses' hooves clattered on the bluestone pavement, and the sound of their armor plates colliding was crisp and rhythmic, like music.

The palace maids and eunuchs along the way all bowed and saluted, no one dared to raise their heads, and the sound of horses' hooves could be heard growing fainter and fainter.

Once outside the palace gates, the streets instantly became bustling.

The people, who had been waiting on both sides, were packed together like two human walls. When they saw the emperor's procession approaching, they burst into cheers.

"Long live Your Majesty!"

"The Han will surely prevail!"

"Defeat those Western barbarians!"

......

The sound grew louder and louder, making my ears ring.

An old man with a white beard carried a bowl of wine to the front of the procession, calling out in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty! Drink this bowl of farewell wine! This old man toasts you!"

An elderly woman stuffed boiled eggs and steamed buns into the soldiers' pockets, making their pockets bulge, and the soldiers kept saying "Thank you, ma'am."

Some teenagers ran alongside the group, shouting, "I want to be a soldier too! I want to fight those Western barbarians!"

He was dragged back by the back of his neck by his parents, kicking his legs and yelling.

As Liu Ce rode on his horse, he nodded and smiled at the people from time to time, feeling quite at ease... With the support of the people, this battle was already half won.

The people's thoughts are the most practical: whoever makes their lives better, they will support. The peaceful life of the past ten years or so was given by the Han Dynasty; now that they want to go out and expand their territory, the people will naturally give their full support.

They didn't walk for long before they arrived at the Central Theater Command's main camp.

The more than 100, 000 elite troops were all handpicked from various war zones. They were all strong and muscular, tanned dark, and when they stood there, their eyes were full of murderous intent, like a group of leopards ready to pounce.

When Liu Ce arrived, the army of over 100, 000 men was already lined up in formation, neatly arranged on the training ground, stretching as far as the eye could see, like a black ocean.