Liu Bei: My younger brother is a deity.

Chapter 70 On the Eve of the Great Battle

Gaoliu Pass.

The Han army camps were densely packed like clouds, with banners fluttering in the wind.

Xia Yu stood in the large tent, a huge sheepskin map spread out in front of him, with mountains, rivers, passes and roads clearly visible.

This time, the army was divided into three routes.

He himself led 15,000 cavalrymen out of Gaoliu Pass; General Tian Yan, who defeated the Xianbei, set off from Yunzhong County; and General Zang Min, who led the Southern Xiongnu cavalry, marched north from Yanmen Pass.

The three armies, each with over ten thousand cavalry, agreed to advance together and encircle the Xianbei.

Among them, Xia Yu's route was closest to Tanhan Mountain, where the Xianbei royal court was located, only about 300 li away.

Therefore, his task was the most important: he had to use a mere 15,000 troops to hold back the main force of the Xianbei royal court and create opportunities for the other two routes.

Xia Yuzhi stood up, put his hands behind his back in front of the map, and showed little fear in his eyes.

During his time as the governor of Beidi in Liangzhou, he had fought against the Xianbei tribes that raided his territory on several occasions and felt that he knew their true nature.

Although these Xianbei people were skilled in horsemanship and archery and moved like the wind, their individual combat strength was not actually that strong.

In close combat, one Han soldier can be worth three Hu soldiers.

Moreover.

He turned to look outside the tent.

Outside the Han army's camp, there were several other camps.

The campsites were scattered here and there, not organized at all.

You can see groups of wandering knights sitting or standing in the open space; some are sharpening their swords, some are feeding their warhorses, and some are herding cattle and sheep.

Since he established his camp at Gaoliu Pass, wandering knights from You, Bing, and Liang prefectures have flocked to him.

This group brought their own horses, weapons, and food (cattle and sheep).

It did not cost the imperial court a single grain of rice or a single penny.

In terms of discipline, these wandering knights were certainly not as disciplined as the regular army.

But they were all men from the border regions, skilled in archery and horsemanship, and fearless in the face of death.

If a real fight breaks out, it's still uncertain who will win and who will lose.

In any case, those Xianbei bandits had no discipline whatsoever; they were mostly just a motley crew that came and went like the wind.

Xia Yu composed himself and turned his gaze back to the map.

After a moment, he said in a deep voice to his personal guards, "Send orders to all battalions that we will leave the border in three days."

…………

Tanhan Mountain.

Tan Shihuai rode on his horse, looking radiant.

At around forty years old, he was considered old age on the grasslands.

For ordinary men, at this age, physical strength and energy gradually decline, and ambition also fades away.

However, the sandalwood tree is different.

He flicked the whip in his hand, took a deep breath of the dry air of the grassland, and felt a surge of heroic spirit in his chest.

Perhaps it was the impending battle that stimulated his blood and energy, but he felt as if his body had returned to its youth, and he was full of inexhaustible strength.

He was surrounded by nearly a hundred bodyguards.

These guards were all fierce and strong, with shaved heads and braids.

He was dressed in exquisite leather armor, with a curved sword at his waist and a horn bow on his back.

Their horsemanship was superb; their bodies rose and fell on the horse's back as if they were one.

His gaze swept around like that of a hawk.

These men were all elite warriors selected by Tan Shihuai from various Xianbei tribes. They were trained from a young age, were extremely loyal to him, and their fighting prowess was unmatched by ordinary tribesmen.

"My lord, the Yellow-Headed Xianbei tribe is just ahead." A guard rode forward and pointed into the distance.

Tan Shihuai cracked his whip: "Let's go, let's go take a look."

Tanshihuai attached great importance to the Huangtou Xianbei.

This tribe is one of the few tribes on the grasslands that excels in foot combat.

Their warriors were in well-organized formations, heavily armored, and carrying shields.

This might have a surprising effect in this confrontation with the Han people.

The camp of the Yellow-Headed Xianbei was located in a river valley on the eastern foothills of Tanhan Mountain.

In the distance, hundreds of tents are set up along the riverbank, and herds of cattle and sheep graze leisurely.

Unlike the usual camping methods of Xianbei tribes.

The outer perimeter of the Huangtou Xianbei tribe was marked by simple trenches, behind which earthen mounds were piled up.

Several squads of warriors, clad in leather armor and wielding spears, were practicing formations behind the earthen ramparts.

Spacious passageways were left between the tents in the camp, clearly intentional, to facilitate the assembly of infantry.

Tan Shihuai rode slowly, his gaze sweeping across the camp.

Several shirtless, burly men were sharpening stone axes and iron knives by the river.

Some elderly people squatted in front of the tent, weaving rattan shields.

Women and children were busy drying meat.

These yellow-headed Xianbei also looked very different from ordinary Xianbei, mostly with white skin, yellow hair, and blue eyes.

Tan Shihuai glanced around and saw that there were many young men in the tribe, most of whom were short and stocky.

They operated in groups of three to five, and were quite disciplined.

"The foot-based warrior tribe is indeed different."

Tan Shihuai nodded slightly, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

In the center of the tribe, in front of the largest tent, several people who looked like leaders had already come out to greet them.

The leader, a man with blond hair, a bushy beard, and blue eyes, with a broad back and a burly build, greeted them from afar with clasped hands and a loud voice: "Your Excellency has arrived! We are deeply sorry for not welcoming you sooner!"

Tan Shihuai dismounted and strode forward, laughing loudly, "With a great battle imminent, I've come to share a drink with Huang Tou!"

…………

Gaoliu is located outside the Great Wall, next to the Han army's main camp.

The camp of the wandering knights stretched for miles.

Tents were scattered haphazardly, people and horses lived together, and dust filled the air.

Liu Bei and Liu Quan stood side by side on a small earthen mound, looking around.

Liu Bei exclaimed in surprise, "I never expected so many people to accompany the army; there must be at least 20,000!"

As Liu Quan mentally reviewed the live feed from the drone, he replied:

"Pretty much. For the wandering knights on the border, fighting is the only way to rise in status. Without fighting, their lives are spent farming, herding horses, or working as tenant farmers; if they fight, and can cut off a few heads, they might be able to make a living."

Liu Bei nodded and was about to speak again when he suddenly heard a commotion coming from the east.

Liu Bei looked in the direction of the sound.

The crowd was growing larger and larger.

Several Wuhuan cavalrymen wearing leather armor could be vaguely seen beating a Han man.

Judging from their size, the person who was beaten appears to be a child.

Liu Bei's face darkened, and he angrily said, "Those Wuhuan slaves have humiliated our Han people again!"

In addition to the Han Chinese men he had recruited, Xia Yu also led eight hundred Wuhuan cavalry on this expedition.

These Wuhuan people were all skilled in archery and horsemanship, and brave in battle, but they were also very unruly and difficult to control.

He listens to no one except Xia Yu himself, and often bullies the wandering knights who accompany him, relying on the fact that he is a reinforcement "invited" by the imperial court.

They would steal horses and grain, and draw their swords at the slightest disagreement.

The wandering knights had been holding back their anger for a long time.

Liu Bei saw that the chaos was growing, and more Wuhuan cavalry were pouring out of the camp from all sides.

Meanwhile, Han Chinese wandering knights were also gathering, and tensions were high between the two sides, with a major incident looming.

"Ah Quan, let's go take a look too." Liu Bei gripped the hilt of his sword and said in a deep voice, "We can't let these Wuhuan bandits bully our Han people."

Liu Quan withdrew his gaze and nodded.

A moment later, the sound of horses' hooves thundered.

Liu Bei and Liu Quan rode side by side, heading straight for the noisy place to the east.

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Han Dang, Yan Rou, Yan Liang, Zhou Cang, and others surrounded the two.

Each held a weapon, their faces solemn.

Behind them, a hundred mounted riders followed closely, their spears and lances forming a forest, raising clouds of dust.

Jian Yong stayed behind at the camp with over a hundred men to guard their belongings.