A year later.
Kucha City.
"A letter from the Imperial Tutor!"
"A letter from the Imperial Tutor!"
A messenger raced from the city gate to the protectorate headquarters and, panting for breath, handed the letter to Wei Qingping, Wang Yande, and the others who had been waiting anxiously.
Wang Yande was the first to take the letter. After reading it, his face lit up with joy!
He hurriedly presented it to Yue Qiu and Wei Qingping. "Marquis, Protector-General! Great Song has dispatched troops! The Imperial Tutor says His Majesty has mobilized thirty thousand Imperial Guard soldiers and ordered the Duke of Lu to lead them to the Western Regions in person. There is hope for the Pacified West Protectorate to reclaim the Western Regions!"
Wei Qingping and Yue Qiu were even more excited.
As they read the letter, their faces broke into delighted smiles.
"Good!"
"Wonderful!"
"After waiting so long, finally... finally, there is hope!"
Tears fell from Wei Qingping's eyes in his excitement.
How many years had it been?
Ever since Great Tang withdrew from the Western Regions, the Pacified West Grand Protectorate had struggled to hold on for more than a hundred years!
Generation after generation had died defending this land.
Until now, they had thought they might never see any hope, even on the day they died. But now, hope had come!
"Someone, come!"
"Someone, come!"
Wei Qingping shouted at the top of his voice.
He summoned everyone in Kucha City.
By now, there were no longer any so-called ordinary civilians in Kucha City.
Everyone still living here, young or old, was a descendant of the soldiers of the Pacified West Army.
He told them the good news.
"Han troops are coming!"
**"Great Song... has sent Han troops to reclaim the Western Regions! Our ancestors shall be