The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 641

To ensure the fastest possible capture of the Yarkand Khanate, Zhou Chu directly transferred the Xuanwu Army to Lin Lu, and appointed Zhao Zhenji and Hu Zongxian, who had already passed the imperial examinations, as the vanguard generals of the left and right routes, respectively leading the Tiger Army and the Xuanwu Army to advance from Datong to the west of Wuhai.

However, this is conditional. To reach the Yarkand Khanate efficiently and accurately, one needs Mongolians from the steppe as guides.

When Lin Lu led the Tiger Warriors and the Xuanwu Army to Datong, Xie Pi and Dada Buhua, along with other Datong officials, had already received Jiajing's decree and were waiting for a long time.

"General Lin."

Upon seeing Lin Lu, Xie Pi bowed and greeted her.

"Thank you, sir. We've kept you all waiting."

Lin Lu dismounted.

The Xie Pi of today is not the Xie Pi of the past. As the Protector-General of the Western Regions Protectorate, a high-ranking official, Xie Pi received an order from the emperor to bring Dada Buhua and some Mongols to Datong to meet Lin Lu.

"Lord Lin, you flatter me. This is Lord Dada Buhua, who is extremely familiar with the grasslands. This is General Lin, the Fuyuan General I told you about."

Xie Pi looked at Dada Buhua beside him and introduced him.

Dada Buhua looked at Lin Lu with some fear in his eyes. Although it was Zhou Chu, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who completely pacified the grassland, before that, Lin Lu, as the garrison commander of Datong, had plowed the grassland more than once. Back then, Dada Buhua and his tribe were chased all over the place by Lin Lu.

Many Mongols may not know the name of the General Who Pacifies the Distant Regions, but many would feel genuine fear when they hear about the former garrison commander of Datong.

“I know General Lin. Back when General Lin was the garrison commander of Datong, he was a fearsome figure on the grasslands. The Mongols on the grasslands would tremble at the mention of General Lin.”

Dada didn't flatter him.

Xie Pi and Lin Lu both smiled when they heard this.

"His Majesty has ordered me to lead an army to conquer the Yarkand Khanate. However, this place is far from the Yarkand Khanate, and it is very easy to get lost on the grassland. I hope that Lord Dadabuhua can find some guides for us who know the way."

Lin Lu approached Dadabuhua and bowed.

This made Dada Buhua feel flattered. Although he was now the deputy protector-general, with a high official position and great power in the Western Regions Protectorate, and he was in charge of many things, Xie Pi mainly played the role of monitoring and restraining him.

But Lin Lu had really terrified them back then, so seeing Lin Lu being so polite to him now made him feel like he was in a dream.

In reality, Dada Buqa was always the most dove among the Mongols, advocating for peace talks with the Ming Dynasty and actively submitting to it. However, his tribe was too small and his voice carried little weight, so no one listened to him.

Now, as the deputy protector of the Western Regions Protectorate, Dada Buhua is thriving. He has power, money, and manpower, which is many times better than his previous precarious life.

If any Mongol were to rebel against the Ming Dynasty, no one else would need to lift a finger; Dada Buqa would be the first to lead his men to eliminate him, because Dada Buqa was afraid of causing the Ming emperor to misunderstand.

"General Lin, rest assured, I will definitely help you select some of the best guides."

Dada Buhua patted his chest and assured him.

"Lord Xie, General Lin, Lord Dada Buhua, I have prepared a banquet to welcome General Lin and wash away the dust of his journey. Please make yourselves at the banquet."

Seeing that everyone had finished their discussion, the prefect of Datong, who was standing at the back, came up to them and said respectfully.

"I'll pass on the alcohol; I have military duties to attend to, and drinking would interfere with my work. But I can still eat."

Lin Lu said.

"We will listen to General Lin. It is indeed not appropriate to drink alcohol at this time."

Xie Pi echoed.

"You two are right, it was my oversight."

The prefect of Datong slapped his forehead, somewhat annoyed.

That was just his performance. In reality, the banquet should be prepared in advance. The leaders may not eat or drink, but you must prepare beforehand. If you don't prepare, it will be seen as disrespecting them.