Chapter 407: Suhe

The seventh month's heat is like fire, the *liao* flowers blow like snowy waves, and the horse hair is thick and clean like ripples.

In Liangzhou, outside Shengtou Mountain, ten *li* outside Wushi County of Anding Commandery, a cavalry procession numbering in the thousands was slowly moving forward.

Shengtou Mountain is known in later generations as Liupan Mountain.

This place is the origin of the Wei River that runs through Anding Commandery.

Behind the cavalry procession of thousands, large herds of cattle, sheep, and horses were being driven, vast and boundless, with no end in sight.

The common people and carriages passing by on the official road all gave way one after another.

At the very front of the procession, black banners fluttered in the wind, flapping loudly, exuding an air of solemnity and killing intent.

On the great banner on the left, several rows of large characters were outlined in white thread and gold trim.

Colonel Protector of the Xiongnu.

And on the great banner on the right, the words "Administrator of Hanyang Commandery" were embroidered.

Although not many among the common people were literate, they still had common sense.

What surprised the common people even more was that half of this procession was Han Chinese, while the other half was actually of alien tribes.

The common people in the borderlands all had a certain understanding of the local alien tribes.

Just by looking at their clothing and facial features, one could distinguish whether they were Qiang, Hu, or Xiongnu.

Undoubtedly, the three thousand cavalrymen following behind Duan Yu's procession were all Xiongnu.

Near the very center of the procession, there was a divine horse, fierce as fire, red as the evening glow, with a shoulder height of over nine *chi*.

The horse was like its color, named the Red Dragon Cloud-Treading Beast.

When it walked, the red mane on its body looked like flowing flames, lifelike.

Look at the rider on the horse.

Reflecting a black metallic sheen, behind him was a black cloak embroidered with a soaring, wing-flapping mythical beast.

The rider's height, combined with the height of the warhorse, made him stand out like a crane in a flock of chickens, even when amidst ten thousand troops.

If it wasn't Duan Yu, then who could it be?

Beside Duan Yu was Suhe, riding a date-red warhorse.

At this moment, Suhe was wearing a set of red leather armor, with a cloak behind her.

A fine bow hung from the saddle.

Beside the bow and arrows were two quivers, filled with arrows.

It was not only the men among the Xiongnu who were good at archery.

Women could also mount horses and use bows.

More than ten days had passed since Duan Yu left the Xiongnu.

After returning from his mission to the Xiongnu, Duan Yu had traveled all the way south.

But because the number of people had increased by more than double, the speed of the march had obviously slowed down.

Not only had the number of people increased, but a large number of cattle, horse, and sheep herds had also been added to the procession.

And these were all the dowry given to Suhe by Duan Yu's new father-in-law, the Great Chanyu of the Southern Xiongnu, Qiangqu.

After the night they stayed at Tanhan Mountain, Duan Yu had confirmed his relationship with Suhe.

Qiangqu had also been promoted to Duan Yu's father-in-law.

Originally, Duan Yu was still hesitating.

After all, Suhe was a Xiongnu, and also a princess of Qiangqu.

If this news were to spread to the imperial court in the future, would someone use this matter to make an issue?

Duan Yu was not worried about the current situation, but it was hard to say for the future when issues involving the Xiongnu arose; he feared someone would jump out.

But...

But there was no help for it; Qiangqu gave too much.

It really was too much.

When he married Dong Yi, Duan Yu felt that Dong Zhuo had already given enough.

But what Qiangqu gave was far more than what Dong Zhuo had given.

After all, he was the Xiongnu Chanyu.

Although the Xiongnu were far less wealthy than the Great Han, Qiangqu had been Chanyu for decades, and his foundation was not something Dong Zhuo could compare to.

Just take these cattle, horse, and sheep herds, for example.

Qiangqu calculated them in the hundreds of thousands.

This time, just the cattle given numbered five thousand, sheep ten thousand, and warhorses three thousand.

Besides that, things like furs and such were almost not calculated by quantity.

There were also gemstones, meteoric iron, silver utensils, and slaves.

The Southern Xiongnu connected to the Western Regions, and the Western Regions were rich in gemstones. ===== CHAPTER 409 =====