The army also had to move rapidly, and it was normal for soldiers to travel a hundred li in a day for some special missions. However, even the fastest army couldn't reach half of these people's speed. It was even more impossible for them to maintain an orderly formation while sprinting at high speed like them.
When tens of thousands of powerful soldiers moved in the same manner and marched in the same manner, the impact and shock they produced was indescribable!
"Impossible!"
"These soldiers are so strong! They're so obedient, and there's not even the slightest bit of chaos. Where did Marquis find such a formidable force! "
"What a powerful aura! It's even more formidable than the White Braves attacking the city last night!"
"Are these the helpers Marquis found?"
… …
Inside and outside the walls, the craftsmen and guards were all sighing in amazement.
"These are the Wushang soldiers that Marquis found?"
On the southwest wall, Zhang Shouzhi was currently inspecting the walls, and as he saw the Wushang soldiers from the east, he couldn't help but sigh. He was one of the few people who knew of the existence of Wushang Village, but this was his first time seeing the soldiers of Wushang Village.
Truly formidable! This aura … no wonder Marquis would send General Li!
Zhang Shouzhi quietly said to himself.
He had experienced the bitter battles of the southwest. In the war of the southwest, those who had survived the assault of the Mengshe – Ü-Tsang army had essentially been the elite of the elite.
But Zhang Shouzhi felt that not even the most elite of the Southwestern Protectorate army could compare to the Wushang army that Li Siye was leading from the east.
The Wushang soldiers were very fast, and in a few moments, they were less than several hundred zhang from the City of Steel. At this moment, the gate opened, and Wang Chong rode out with Cheng Sanyuan and the others.
"Marquis!"
When he saw Wang Chong, Li Siye got down from his horse and strode over. He bowed in front of Wang Chong.
"Fortunately, I have completed the first phase of the Wushang soldiers' training. Please inspect them, Marquis."
"Mm."
Wang Chong nodded. His gaze shifted from Li Siye to the five thousand Wushang soldiers. These Wushang soldiers were completely different from when Wang Chong first met them. They were fully equipped with armor, and had already begun to take on the shape of the Wushang Iron Cavalry.
"Not bad, you've worked hard."
Wang Chong patted Li Siye on the shoulder and turned his head.
Li Siye truly was very capable. In a short month, he had been able to train these five thousand Wushang soldiers into their current state. They were as immovable as a mountain and as aggressive as fire. There were probably only a few people in the army who could do this. He truly was worthy of being the future Invincible Great General.
"Go and rest. Leave the army in the back to me!"
Wang Chong said.
From the isolated villagers of Wushang to the world-renowned Wushang Iron Cavalry, this process had not been accomplished in a single step. They had still not cultivated the martial arts that had been specially created for them, nor had they cultivated the Wushang Halo that had been named after their village. Most importantly …
They had still not obtained the warhorse that was the most important thing to a cavalry soldier.
Everything is ready. All that's missing is the east wind and Hulayeg's warhorse.
Wang Chong quietly said to himself.
The five thousand Wushang Iron Cavalry needed five thousand warhorses, and only Hulayeg could obtain the finest Turkic warhorses.
"Looking at the time, it's about time. I wonder how his preparations are going.
There was a long border between Qixi and the Turkic steppe, where the Qixi Protectorate, the Beiting Protectorate army, and the Western Turkic Khaganate were garrisoned. These soldiers normally kept each other in check, maintaining peace and tranquility on both sides of the border.
But at a time like this, it had become the greatest obstacle to Wang Chong's warhorses. Five thousand warhorses was no small number, and such a large herd could not possibly be hidden from the eyes and ears of the Qixi Protectorate army, the Beiting Protectorate army, and the Western Turkic Khaganate.
Given Wang Chong's relationship with the two Protector-Generals, if he was discovered, there was an eighty to ninety percent chance that he would end up helping someone else. Moreover, such a large warhorse transaction would not be able to get past the Western Turkic Khaganate. After all, the Western Turkic Khaganate was currently hostile to the Tang dynasty.
Now, it's up to him to use his own methods.
Wang Chong quietly said to himself.
It was rumored that as the number one horse merchant of the Turkic steppe, Hulayeg had many secret channels to trade in warhorses that allowed him to evade the eyes and ears of the border guards.
Now was the time to test the veracity of those rumors.
"Everyone, follow me!"
Wang Chong quickly came back to his senses and waved his hand, leading his soldiers into the City of Steel.
… …
The Turkic steppe stretched as far as the eye could see, a vast expanse of wild grass extending to the ends of the earth. Time seemed to stop here, the steppe blooming and wilting, a cycle that would continue until the end of time.
"Hyah!"
After an unknown amount of time, a sudden shout broke the silence of the grassland. In an instant, the ground rumbled, and the dense sound of hooves rang out. Thousands of tall and handsome warhorses with glossy fur galloped over from the southeast.
"Hyah!"
In the blink of an eye, another shout came from the southwest, and another large group of Turkic warhorses galloped out. And then from the northwest, the northeast … more and more warhorses were gathering.
In the blink of an eye, all these warhorses had gathered together into a massive herd of more than ten thousand warhorses.
Neigh!
In the midst of the shouts, the Wranglers rode their horses and galloped around the herd of horses. They kept driving the horses to prevent them from getting separated.
"Boba, all ten thousand warhorses have arrived from the various tribes. They're the best warhorses and don't need to be trained. Saddles are all that's needed."
While the other Wranglers were driving their horses, a burly Turkic man with sideburns dismounted in the howling winds and swiftly made his way through the herd, stopping in front of a middle-aged Turkic man with two bronze skulls hanging from his shoulders. He was rather stout and had a slight belly.
Boba was a title of respect. In the Turkic language, it meant revered master and most welcome guest. There was only one person on the Turkic steppe who could obtain this title and be welcomed by all the tribes: the number one Turkic horse merchant, Hulayeg.
"Hahaha, good! Help me tell the various chiefs that if they follow me, Hulayeg, they will be able to eat and drink well. I, Hulayeg, will definitely not mistreat them! I can now inform the Young Marquis to carry out the first transaction! "
Hulayeg sat on a scarlet Ferghana horse, looking at the vast herd of horses before him with a bold and forthright air. His laughter echoed over the steppe.
… …
"Crash!"
Two days later, a pigeon flew into Wang Chong's residence in the City of Steel. Within the residence, Wang Chong was seated behind a desk, silently flipping through the 'Journey to the Western Regions' that Yang Hongchang had sent over.
This was a book introducing the various kingdoms of the Western Regions. Wang Chong had Yang Hongchang find it for him.
Suddenly, Wang Chong's eyes widened when he saw the pigeon fly into the study.
"Hulayeg!"
A black ribbon was tied to the right leg of the pigeon. Wang Chong immediately recognized it. He had given this to Hulayeg so that he could communicate with him at any time.
"So fast!"
A hint of surprise flashed through Wang Chong's eyes as he swiftly grabbed the pigeon and removed the letter from its leg. Hulayeg's handwriting was crooked, but the contents of the letter were exactly what Wang Chong wanted to hear.
"Young Marquis Wang Chong, the first batch of ten thousand warhorses has been prepared. We can begin the transaction in two days. We will hand over the money with the goods. I will personally deliver the warhorses to Sir's City of Steel!"
Although Hulayeg had done his utmost to imitate the official language of the Tang Dynasty, he had still ended up with something that sounded neither right nor wrong. But this was not important. The most important thing was that Hulayeg had truly prepared ten thousand of the best Turkic warhorses.
"As expected, I didn't make the wrong choice! This Hulayeg truly does have some skill. I didn't take the risk of sneaking into the Western Regions just to find him in vain! "
Holding the letter, Wang Chong's eyes lit up with joy. Hulayeg had truly given him a pleasant surprise.
Ten thousand warhorses, and the best Turkic warhorses at that, was no small number. Such a large number of warhorses was like a great fire in the dark night, easily attracting the attention of others, especially the Western Turkic Khaganate. The moment they were discovered, the transaction would immediately be halted.
But with Hulayeg's incredible skill, he had managed to gather ten thousand of the best Turkic warhorses in such a short time. And from what he had said, he actually wanted to personally deliver the warhorses to the walls of the City of Steel.
This truly was no small surprise!
"Is it Hulayeg?"
A voice suddenly came from behind. It was Li Siye's voice. In the last few days, he had returned to the city and learned from Wang Chong about Hulayeg's matter.
"Mm!"
Wang Chong nodded.
"I'll leave this matter to you. Take some people and get in touch with him."
"This general understands."
Li Siye gave a serious nod. Wang Chong didn't need to explain just how important warhorses were to cavalry. Li Siye placed even more importance on this transaction with the Turks than Wang Chong.
"Mm, this transaction involves one million taels of gold. When the time comes, Hulayeg will probably ask for a portion of the payment in advance. The gold is with Senior Zhang Shouzhi, so you can take some people to get it. All matters involving Hulayeg will be left to you to handle. You can make decisions on the spot. "
"If you discover that Hulayeg is up to no good, you should know what to do."
Wang Chong said.
Although Hulayeg's reputation as the number one Turkic horse merchant resounded through the world, Wang Chong did not completely trust him, and he was also keeping an eye on him.
If something had happened to Hulayeg, or if he was plotting something from the shadows, Li Siye was completely capable of dealing with it.
"Yes!"
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