Subsequently, Li Mu asked people to find information about the Qiang people in the northwest of the Han Dynasty. It turned out that during the Han and Han dynasties, the Qiang people were widely distributed and had many tribes. In order to isolate the connection between the Xiongnu and the Qiang, the Han Dynasty set up four counties of Dunhuang, Jiuquan, Zhangye and Wuwei in the Hexi Corridor, established a local administrative system, and set up important official positions such as the Qiang school captain to manage the affairs of the Qiang people.

The Qiang people were capricious, sometimes subordinating themselves to the imperial court, sometimes rebelling against the imperial court. The attached Qiang people moved inward in large numbers and were geographically divided into East Qiang and West Qiang. Dongqiang, which entered Anding County, Beidi County and other places in Liangzhou, was slightly milder than Xiqiang. However, with the corruption and decline of the Eastern Han court, Dongqiang also began to move and wantonly plundered the Han realm.

It turned out that in December 183, Li Mu defeated and killed the Qiang people Dian Wu, which was the largest tribe in the Eastern Qiang.

Most of the Xiqiang that did not enter the Central Plains are scattered in the northwest and southwest regions, including the Wuqiang in the southern edge of the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang, the Faqiang and Tang Yak in the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin, and the Yak Qiang, Baima Qiang, Tsing Yi Qiang, Shenwolf Qiang and Ranjun Qiang in the southwest region. Among them, the yak Qiang was originally distributed in Shenli County (the county was in present-day Jiuxiang Town, Hanyuan County, Sichuan), and then continued south to Yuewang County (present-day Anning River Basin and the lower reaches of the Yalong River in Sichuan). Baimaqiang is mainly distributed in the northwest of Mianzhu in Yizhou and the south of Wudu County in Liangzhou. Tsing Yi Qiang lives in the Ya'an area in the west of Yizhou. Ginseng Wolf Qiang, mainly in Wudu County, Liangzhou, especially in the area of Bailongjiang.

Li Muxin said: Dongqiang has been defeated by him, and he is left to survive, unable to rebel. Xiqiang is very strong. In this Xiqiang rebellion, Liangzhou will not bear the brunt of the rebellion in addition to Beidi County and Anding County, and the rest such as Dunhuang County, Jiuquan County, Zhangye County, Wuwei County, Xiping County, Jincheng County, and Longxi County are the first places where Xiqiang bore the brunt.

In a blink of an eye, the time came to October 184, and Zuochang, the assassin of Liangzhou, was still drunk and dreamed of death, nesting in Ji County, Hanyang County, and ignoring the wanton plundering of the Qiang people in Liangzhou.

On October 13, Li Mugang got up and washed up and prepared for breakfast. Xu Shu hurriedly came to the Taishou Mansion, Li Mu saw Xu Shu like this, and hurriedly asked, "Yuan Zhi, why are you so flustered?" ”

Xu Shu hurriedly replied: "Lord, the Qiang people have officially rebelled, Dunhuang and Zhangye counties, except for the county rule has not been broken by the Qiang people, the rest of the cities are no longer owned by the Han Dynasty. The Qiang people in Longxi County and Heguan and Wudu County have broken through several cities and are preparing to go north to Jincheng County and Hanyang County. ”

Li Mu nodded and said in a deep voice: "Liangzhou Assassin Shi Zuochang and Huqiang Captain Leng Zheng, how do they react?" ”

Xu Shu replied: "Zuo Chang only stuck to Hanyang County, and did not send a single soldier to other counties, but sent an edict to Jincheng County, asking the lord Keri to lead the army eastward to defend Hanyang County. ”

Xu Shu paused, and then said: "Leng Zheng, the captain of the Qiang Guard, personally went to the Huangzhong area of Xiping County, it is said that he wants to gather the Qiang tribe and the Xiaoyue tribe who are attached to the imperial court to jointly fight against the Xiqiang rebellion!" ”

Li Mu slammed his fist on the table, and said in a deep voice: "Zuo Chang, ignorant puppeteer, ignoring the military and people of Liangzhou, greedy for self-preservation. How can Hanyang County stay for a long time? Leng Zheng, smug, wishful thinking, how can the Qiang people and the Xiaoyue tribe help the court with peace of mind, this person will die at the hands of a foreign race. ”

Li Mu continued: "Yuan Zhi, immediately order the civil and military forces of Jincheng County to come to the Taishou Mansion to discuss matters. ”

In about a quarter of an hour, Li Mu and Jincheng County were both civil and military. Li Mu glanced around, and said loudly: "Xiqiang rebels, and will plunder Jincheng County in the near future. Chen Zhi, the commander of the herald department, led an army of 3,000 towns to guard the front line of Lingju and Yunjie; Xu Huang, the commander of the herald department, led an army of 4,000 towns to guard the line of Yunwu and Zhiyang; Huang Zhong, the commander of the herald department, led an army of 4,000 to guard the first line in Yuzhong; Zilong led an army of 5,000 to defend the front line of Ningcheng, Ancheng and Jincheng. ”

Because Chen Dao, Zhao Feng, and Zhen Yao are in Lingju, Xu Huang, Zhang Cheng, and Jufu are in Yunwu City, and Huang Zhong, Pei Yuanshao, and Hu Du are in Yuzhong.

Therefore, only Zhao Yun, Luo Xian, and Fu Wei got up, clenched their fists and arched their hands: "The last general will be ordered!" We will live up to the trust of the Lord! ”

Li Mu groaned: "Zhang Wei will listen to it under the account of Zhao Yun, the commander of the department. ”

Zhang Wei replied loudly: "The last general will be ordered!" ”

Li Mu groaned: "Xu Shu stayed in Ningcheng and dispatched the affairs of Jincheng County, supplemented by Zhang Ji and Li Hui, and immediately issued an order to let the people of all counties in Jincheng County retreat to the city, and the government will bear the losses of the people." ”

Xu Shu, Zhang Ji, and Li Hui replied loudly: "Obey the order of the lord!" We will live up to the trust of the Lord! ”

Li Mu nodded, and then said: "I personally rode 17,000 people, first broke the Qiang thieves in Xiping, and then waved my army to the south to defeat the Qiang thieves in Longxi and Wudu counties. On this expedition, Zhang Liao led an army of 4,000 as the vanguard, and Jiang Wei and Feng Xi as deputy generals; Wang Ping and Zhang Nan escorted grain and grass; I led the Chinese army, with Deng Zhi as the military advisor and Dian Wei and Fu Tong as the deputy generals. ”

Zhang Liao, Deng Zhi, Dian Wei, and Wang Ping stood up and clenched their fists and arched their hands: "The last general will be ordered!" We will live up to the trust of the Lord! ”

Li Mu nodded, and said loudly: "May you all work with one heart and one mind to destroy the thieves together!" Without further ado, go down and prepare! ”

Everyone promised to leave!

Seven days later, Tanmalai reported that Huang Zhongyi, who was recruited by Captain Leng Zheng of Huqiang, suddenly mutinied and killed Leng Zheng. The leaders of the Huangzhong Yi army, Beigong Boyu and Li Wenhou, have formed an alliance with the Xiqiang traitors, plundering the Han realm, burning, killing, and plundering, and doing all kinds of evil.

Tan Malai reported that the Liangzhou overseers were engaged in Bian Yun and Liangzhou were engaged in Han Yue, and they had rebelled against the imperial court, and the two had joined forces with the Huangzhongyi army of Beigong Boyu and Li Wenhou, and erected the banner of "Qing Jun's side eunuchs", and they were starting from Xiping County to attack Jincheng County.

Li Mu thought about it in his heart: Han Yue, the word Wenyue, later changed his name to Han Sui, a native of Jincheng County, Liangzhou, this person is very deep in the city, too scheming, known as the "Jiuqu Yellow River", and has dominated Liangzhou for more than 30 years in history. Bian Yun, later renamed Bian Zhang, did the new security order of the Han Dynasty, and about his death in history, one was killed by illness, and the other was killed by Han Sui.

Li Mu received the report from Tanma, and no longer hesitated, and decided to leave Ningcheng on October 21 and march west to the traitors in Huangzhong.

That night, Diao Chan and Zhen Mi also knew that Li Mu was going to go on the expedition tomorrow. The two of them were reluctant to give up, and there was no longer the laughter and laughter of the past.

Li Mu looked at Diao Chan and Zhen Mi, and then looked at the child in their arms, pretended to smile, and said: "Cicada, Mi'er, don't worry about your husband, our family is a blessed person, and your husband will definitely return triumphantly like the previous times." ”

Diao Chan and Zhen Mi nodded, choked up and couldn't speak, and after a while, Diao Chan sobbed and said, "Amu...... You are now their lord...... No...... Rush to the front every time......"

Li Mu was just about to reply, but Zhen Mi sobbed and said, "Ah Mu...... You have to think more about Mi'er and Sister Cicada...... There are also Huang'er and Jia'er...... I must come back safely......"

Li Mu nodded, choked his throat, and said in a firm tone: "Cicada, Mi'er, husband knows, for the sake of the two of you and the two children, I will return safely!" ”

This night, the three of them saw that parting was imminent, and many reluctances were contained in the exhortations and instructions.

The next day, there was heavy snow in Ningcheng, Diao Chan and Zhen Mi hugged Li Huang and Li Yao, and sent Li Mu out of Taishou Mansion with tears in their eyes. Li Huang seemed to feel the atmosphere of the adult world, stretched out his arms, and shouted softly: "Rake ......" Li Huang looked at Li Mu, stretched out his arms, kicked his legs, and shouted "babbling".

When Diao Chan and Zhen Mi saw it, there were more and more tears on their faces, but they just couldn't hold back their voices. Li Mu's eyes were red, his eyes were moist, and his throat was tight. Li Mu hugged Diao Chan and Zhen Mi for a while, and said, "Take care!" He turned sharply, stepped onto the red dragon, and whipped away.

Diao Chan and Zhen Mi watched Li Mu get farther and farther away, and cried, and Li Huang and Li Mi cried even more and burst their lungs.

Li Mu came to the school camp in the outer city of Ningcheng, boarded the general's platform, glanced around, and shouted loudly: "Raise soldiers for a thousand days, use soldiers for a while." Xiqiang traitors, robbed the Han realm, killed my comrades, lewd my sisters, and did not take revenge! Swear not to be a man! ”

The Han army roared in unison: "Revenge!" Settle an old score! Settle an old score! ”

Li Mulang shouted: "The army is on the march!" ”

Subsequently, 17,000 Han troops slowly drove out of Ningcheng, along the Yellow River, and westward into Huangzhong in the low and majestic sound of horns!