Chapter 30

"Host, you will possess Zhang Qian this time, at the moment when he leaves Chang'an and is about to enter the Xiongnu's sphere of influence! Task one: Lead the envoy group to avoid the Xiongnu's ambush and successfully reach the Yuezhi! Task two: Form an alliance with the Yuezhi to attack the Xiongnu, and successfully return to Chang'an! The task deadline is three years, and failure will result in your elimination!" The voice of the Tiger Talisman woke Li You from his sleep.

Facing the rising sun on the eastern horizon, Zhang Qian, holding the Han flag, walked out of the tent and looked towards the distant west, "Leading the envoy group to the Yuezhi and forming an alliance to attack the Xiongnu! This task is no easy feat! Do I have to stay in the Xiongnu territory for ten years like in history?"

"This journey, if placed in the modern world, would be equivalent to starting from Xi'an, crossing the Hexi Corridor to reach the Amu River in the northwest. Even in modern society, it's not something an ordinary person can accomplish by foot! Let alone in the Han Dynasty!" Li You's face was grim, and now everything west of Tianshui Commandery was within the Xiongnu's sphere of influence. How difficult would it be to cross through the Xiongnu's pursuit and interception!

Do I have to be captured by the Xiongnu for ten years like in history and then find a chance to escape? Hey, if you send me to herd sheep for the Xiongnu, you might as well kill me! Li You believed he did not have the resilience and perseverance of Zhang Qian and Su Wu to endure such harsh conditions! Moreover, the Tiger Talisman gave him a time limit to complete the task. If he failed to return to Chang'an within three years, he would be mercilessly eliminated!

This task is much more difficult compared to the Three Kingdoms world! How can I find a way out of this desperate situation? Li You found a flat stone and sat down, planning to check the Tiger Talisman's interface to see what resources were available.

"Sir!" A man's voice suddenly came from behind. Li You quickly put the Tiger Talisman back into his chest and turned around to see Tang Yifu walking towards him.

Tang Yifu bowed and said, "Sir, if we set off early today, we can reach the last checkpoint before entering Xiongnu territory by nightfall!"

"Then let's set off! We must reach the checkpoint before nightfall!" Li You got up and returned to the tent, taking out his sword and other items to pack. By this time, Tang Yifu had already organized the team and was ready to depart, which made Li You secretly relieved. Without such a guide familiar with the routes in Xiongnu territory, he would have no way to complete this task!

The team was ready, and the envoy group continued on their journey. Li You called Tang Yifu to his side to understand the situation along the way, "Tang Yifu, tell me about the various countries in the Western Regions!"

"Sir, when the old chanyu Lao Shang ascended the throne, he defeated the Yuezhi, captured and killed their king, and made a drinking vessel from his skull to intimidate the various tribes in the Western Regions. Since then, the Yuezhi people have split into two groups: a small group remained in the Hexi Corridor and mixed with the local Qiang people, known as the Lesser Yuezhi; the larger group migrated west to the north of the Amu River, defeated the Da Xia, and established their court, known as the Greater Yuezhi!" Tang Yifu rode alongside Li You, explaining the situation of the Greater Yuezhi.

"This is what I heard when I was young in the Xiongnu. It has been over ten years now! However, the current state of the Greater Yuezhi and whether they still have a desire for revenge against the Xiongnu is uncertain!" Tang Yifu was not very confident about this journey to the Western Regions.

"Can a nation's hatred for its destruction ever go unavenged?" Li You knew that if they started with no hope of success, this journey would definitely not end well. He interrupted Tang Yifu, "Moreover, the Central Plains have lost the Hexi Corridor for a long time. This time, our mission to the Western Regions is not only to contact the Yuezhi but also to map the geography of the Western Regions. If we can bring back the map to guide the Han army's advance into the Western Regions, the emperor will certainly reward us generously. When we return home, we will be wealthy and honored!"

The members of the envoy group were all troublemakers from Chang'an. They did not understand the greater good of the nation. They were willing to risk their lives to follow Li You to the Western Regions for the chance of wealth and honor. Li You's words struck a chord with them, and they all smiled and talked about their future glory. The morale of the entire envoy group was instantly lifted.

Li You finally breathed a sigh of relief and continued to ask Tang Yifu about the distribution of power and customs in the Western Regions, memorizing these crucial pieces of information.

The Han Dynasty had not yet mastered the high-bridged saddle and stirrups, and the saddle Li You was riding on was extremely uncomfortable. However, he did not dare to modify it easily. From tomorrow, they would enter Xiongnu territory, and if the Xiongnu got this technology first, it would be a disaster for the Han. Fortunately, his 23 points of strength were far above average, and he barely managed to endure it.

As the sun set, a small checkpoint finally appeared before them. After reporting their identities to the guards, the deputy commander of the checkpoint personally came out to welcome Li You and set up a banquet to entertain him.

"The subordinate has learned that the Xiongnu have dispatched elite cavalry to intercept along the way. The previous envoy group that left the checkpoint has already met with misfortune!" The deputy commander immediately told Li You a bad piece of news, "There are two survivors from the previous envoy group now inside the checkpoint. Sir, you may inquire from them!"

"Thank you, General!" Li You frowned upon hearing this. He had expected the journey to be fraught with difficulties, but he did not expect to face such a dire situation from the start. He immediately asked the deputy commander to see these two survivors to learn about the Xiongnu's intercepting forces.

Shortly after, two injured men were led to Li You. "Zhao Guang and He Wu pay our respects to Sir!"

"Please rise!" Li You did not waste time on formalities and directly asked, "Did you encounter Xiongnu cavalry on your journey? How many were there? Where did they intercept you? Who was leading them?"

"Sir, after we left the checkpoint with Envoy Li, we traveled for several days and encountered Xiongnu cavalry at a small hill by the river!" The two men looked fearful, "Over a thousand Xiongnu cavalry came and went like the wind. The envoy group was caught off guard and suffered heavy casualties. With the enemy outnumbering us, even though Envoy Li tried his best to gather the troops and fight, they were ultimately killed or captured by the Xiongnu! We were sent to search for lost items and managed to escape this fate and survive!"

"A thousand Xiongnu cavalry!" Li You's expression became serious. Such a force was beyond what he and his hundred or so followers could handle. How could they escape the interception?

"Sir, we saw that the leader of the Xiongnu cavalry seemed to be a Han person!" He Wu revealed a new piece of information.

A Han person, and with such a high status in the Xiongnu! Li You quickly guessed the identity of the person—it must be Zhong Xing, the first major traitor in Chinese history!

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