Seeing another group of men charging towards them from afar, Zhang Yi's main force was engaged in a fierce battle with the horse bandits and was unable to send reinforcements. The two hundred men who remained on guard immediately tensed up. Niu Mang hurriedly rushed to Shen Mu's side and shouted: "Third Brother, let me escort you out of here first!"
Shen Mu glared at him and before he could speak, Yang Fan suddenly said: "Wait a minute, they may not be our enemies!"
"En?" Shen Mu turned his head and saw the sudden appearance of the men from afar. Not only did Zhang Yi and his men get a shock, even the horse bandits quickly gathered and got into a defensive position. From the looks of it, this group of men that suddenly appeared are not their accomplices.
When the men rushed to the left, most of the cavalry drew an arc and went diagonally to the side of the horse bandits. Only twenty to thirty riders split off and rushed towards Shen Mu. If they have evil intentions, how can they come so close? Shen Mu cupped his hand over his eyes and squinted to take a closer look. He laughed loudly: "Not bad! They are on our side! "
With that, he urged his warhorse to meet them.
Yang Fan and Niu Mang also urged their horses to catch up. Seeing that they are about seven to eight feet away from the enemy, the burly man in front flew down from his horse and threw the reins. He took a few quick steps forward and cupped his fists towards Shen Mu. In a loud and clear voice, he said: "Young Master Shen, I am late to welcome you, please forgive me! Please forgive me! "
Shen Mu flipped down from his horse and welcomed him with a big smile: "You came at the right time. Let's chase away those annoying flies first."
That man laughed: "That's what I was thinking!"
At this moment, there was a 'woo woo' sound of a bugle horn. Upon hearing the sound of the bugle horn, the riders who were on their horses to cut off the Horse Gang's escape route suddenly turned back like a raging tide. They turned in unison and pounced towards the Horse Gang. Zhang Yi did not know that help has arrived. He was instantly energized and roared: "Let's go together and f * ck them over!"
On the other side, Yang Fan had already dismounted with Shen Mu and was sizing up this person who led a large group of cavalry to rescue them. This man's face was dark and scarlet, his shoulders were broad and thick, and he looked exceptionally sturdy. When he stood there, he looked as steady as a deep pool resting on a mountain; he looked very imposing.
As Yang Fan got closer to Shen Mu, the man glanced at him. His gaze was as sharp as a sword.
Shen Mu smiled. "Come, come, Erlang, let me introduce you. This is the person I wanted to bring you to see. He is Mohedagan (Turkic official title, military commander) of the Western Turkic Khagan Hussero, the Great Leader of the Turkic Cavalry Division, Wuzhile! Oh, Wu Zhile, this is the Yang Fan that I mentioned to you in my letter! "
Wuzhile clearly knew about Yang Fan's background. Upon hearing these words, he immediately strode forward and gave him a Turkic hug, heartily laughing. "Brother Yang, I've heard a lot about you!"
When Yang Fan heard that this person was a general under Ashina Hussero, he instantly felt a sense of familiarity and returned the hug. But the moment the two parted, Yang Fan suddenly recalled the words Shen Mu had said to him last night: "A person who can become Khagan!"
The Western Turks already had a Khagan, and that was Ashina Hussero, but Shen Mu was saying that he wanted to bring him to see a person who could become Khagan. Just what kind of Khagan did this Wuzhile want to become?
At this time, Wu Zhile's army, which had just joined the fray, had already begun fighting with the mounted bandits. Their tactics were different from Zhang Yi's, but their attacks were just as fierce. Wu Zhile had brought no less than three thousand cavalry with him this time, and he had the advantage in numbers. Their fighting power was even greater, and they either wandered about or attacked ferociously, killing them cleanly.
Seeing that the situation was bad, the mounted bandits immediately broke out of the encirclement and fled. In the chaotic battle, less than three hundred managed to escape before Wuzhile's subordinates split off to pursue them.
Zhang Yi excitedly ran over, and Shen Mu introduced him to Wuzhile.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the confused Gao Sheji asked Yang Fan, "Erlang, I've heard of the Tuqishi Tribe before. They're part of the Western Turks, and after Hussero fled back to Luoyang, he was temporarily in charge of the ten tribes of the Western Turks. They're Turks loyal to the Imperial Court, but … what are we doing here?"
Yang Fan coughed and said, "This person has often fought with the Eastern Turks, and he's currently in the territory of the Tufan Empire. He has the greatest understanding of both sides. Don't you think that we can learn a lot of useful information from him?"
Gao Sheji and Big Bear glanced at each other, and Big Bear couldn't help but ask, "If that's the case, what are we doing here?"
Yang Fan thought to himself, If it were any other one hundred cavalry, wouldn't they be relying on you to fight to the death?
But he laughed and said, "If you listen to one side, you'll be in the dark, but if you listen to both sides, you'll be in the light. We naturally can't just listen to what he says. We have to verify it for ourselves."
As Yang Fan spoke, he recalled what Shen Mu had said to him, and the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became. He and Hussero had met in Luoyang, and they had fought together to defeat the Tufan Empire. Later on, Hussero, as a Great General, had not hesitated to lower himself to befriend him. Yang Fan had always kept this friendship in mind. If Shen Mu's plan was for Wu Zhilei to replace Hussero, Yang Fan would find it somewhat difficult to accept.
No, I have to get to the bottom of this matter!
Yang Fan quietly thought to himself.
… …
Unfortunately, Yang Fan did not have a chance to be alone with Shen Mu. Wu Zhilei and Shen Mu seemed to have many matters to discuss, and the two were inseparable as they traveled in the same carriage. Who knew what they were discussing?
Yang Fan saw that there was no chance to communicate with Shen Mu, but he was in no rush. After all, this matter was not something that needed to be carried out immediately. As they traveled, he carefully observed the three thousand cavalry of the Turkic Cavalry Division. He felt that these cavalry were not only brave in battle, but also disciplined.
Yang Fan thought to himself that they were able to mobilize three thousand cavalry just to welcome Shen Mu. This was enough to show that the Turkic Cavalry Division was strong and well-trained. Judging from this troop, Wu Zhilei also had good command over his troops. No wonder Shen Mu thought so highly of him. But he did not know how good Hussero was at ruling the Ten Families Tribe. It was a pity that he did not go to Chang 'an on his way here. Apparently, he was recuperating there.
Three days later, they finally arrived at Big Dipper Valley. Big Dipper Valley was backed by a snowy mountain, and there was a hot spring at the foot of the mountain. The water from the snow on the mountain flowed down and merged with the hot spring at the foot of the mountain, forming a lake with a circumference of several dozen li. The Turkic Cavalry Division was camped next to this lake.
By the time Shen Mu and the others arrived, it was almost dusk. Above the sea, fish were leaping between the waves, water birds were flying low, and herds of cattle and sheep gathered on the shore. Shepherds on horseback were singing ancient pastoral songs. Among the lush weeds that reached the knees, a group of half-grown children who looked like calves were wrestling with their backs bare. There were also a few little girls with rosy cheeks, carrying buckets filled with milk as they skipped towards their homes.
Their arrival was immediately welcomed by the entire tribe. Shen Mu, Yang Fan, and the others dismounted and walked with Wu Zhilei into the camp. They had not gone far when they saw a dozen or so burly men in leather robes hurrying towards them. There were old and young people in this group, and the youngest among them was in his early thirties.
Yang Fan had thought that they were all people with a certain level of authority in the tribe, but when he reported their identities, he found out that they were the chiefs of the Mukun Tribe, the Hulu Tribe, the Shushu Tribe, the Ashijie Tribe, and the Geshu Tribe. Wu Zhilei smiled at Yang Fan and Shen Mu. "These chiefs live closer to me. When they heard that our esteemed guests were coming, they hurried over. The chiefs of the other four tribes are too far away from the Land of Nomadism, so they couldn't make it back in time. However, there will be a chance for us to meet in the future. "
The chiefs were all very polite to Shen Mu, and when they heard that Yang Fan was Shen Mu's brother, they also treated him with great respect. As Yang Fan returned the greeting, he was secretly alarmed. Look at how these people treat Wu Zhilei. They do seem to be following his lead, and they clearly know about his deal with Shen Mu. Even if Wu Zhilei isn't telling the truth, the other four tribes aren't coming because they are too far away, but because they are not on the same side as Wu Zhilei. Wu Zhilei already controls the majority of the power in the Ten Families Tribe.
That night, the tribe held a grand banquet to welcome their most esteemed guests. The entire tribe was in a state of jubilation. Inside the tent, Wu Zhilei and the other five chiefs clustered around Shen Mu, Yang Fan, and Zhang Yi, constantly urging them to drink. A few beautiful girls from the tribe danced to the accompaniment of the flutes and zithers, adding to the fun.
Wu Zhilei was a forthright person. Even in front of the most esteemed guests in his heart, he did not put on any airs. He drank in large bowls, then used a small knife to stab large pieces of beef, lamb, and blood sausage on his plate and began chewing on them.
"Everyone! Everyone! "
After the dancing girls retreated with smiles on their faces, Wu Zhilei picked up a bowl of wine and said loudly, "Chiefs, under the combined oppression of the Tubo people and the Gulu people, our Ten Families Tribe has had a very difficult time. Now, we have finally found a place to settle down so that our tribesmen can live and reproduce here.
The most difficult days are not over yet. Many of our cattle, sheep, and horses have been stolen by the enemy. We need to endure through the winter and wait for the livestock to give birth to more offspring next year before we can regain our strength. These days are all thanks to Young Master Shen's righteous help. If in the future, we can have a prosperous population and have herds of cattle and sheep, it will all be due to the merit that Young Master Shen has bestowed upon us. Let us toast to Young Master Shen! "
The chiefs all responded, raising their cups to Shen Mu to express their thanks. Shen Mu smiled and drank his cup.
At this time, two maids carried over a whole lamb that was roasted until it was a glossy yellow. Wu Zhilei personally walked up and picked up a silver knife from the side of the wooden plate. First, he nimbly shaved the meat from the tenderloin onto the plate and brought it to Shen Mu, followed by Yang Fan and Zhang Yi.
Yang Fan tore off a strip of roasted lamb, dipped it in the fine salt on the plate, and gently stuffed it into his mouth. This roasted lamb was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The skin was crispy and the meat was smooth. It was abnormally fresh and delicious.
He gently chewed on the delicious lamb as he watched Wu Zhilei's actions. After Wu Zhilei personally served the lamb to the three of them, he did not return to his seat. Instead, he personally served the other chiefs and elders of the tribe, not leaving a single person behind. This man, who looked as rough as a lion, was far more meticulous than his appearance suggested.
… …
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