He had originally planned to gather the first three items before finally heading to that mysterious kingdom. Now, it seemed, whether he liked it or not, he had to head east.
He took out a map from his spatial inventory and studied the marching route.
From the Volga River to Egypt, and then here, his journey had been along waterways or plains, with almost no obstacles.
But heading east was different.
There were deserts, snow-capped mountains, and plateaus – a path of extreme difficulty.
He suddenly recalled that the thirteen people he had just summoned, six men and seven women, were all from the East. He stopped Jack Sparrow, got out of the car, and told him to continue practicing his driving.
In the vast plains, he could drive however he pleased; even crashing the car wouldn't matter, as he had his spatial inventory.
"Warriors, this Emperor has an announcement to make!"
Motorola held the map and approached Meng Ben and the others.
"Come, look. This is our current location, and our next destination is here."
"That place is your homeland. Therefore, this Emperor needs your advice. Which route should we take?"
As he spoke, he spread the map on the ground and pointed with his finger.
The followers, who had initially dismissed his words, became instantly interested when they saw his finger stop at the location of Chang'an.
They exchanged glances, a smile appearing on each of their lips.
Li Xiuning, as the eldest princess of the Great Tang, had the most say in this matter. She stepped forward and pondered the map.
"Sir, if we go east from Sasan, it may not be advisable.
This route passes through countless small kingdoms, and crossing borders with troops would cause numerous problems. Furthermore, the Tubo region alone is not easy to traverse.
I have heard that outsiders who go there experience dizziness and disorientation, and in severe cases, it can be fatal."
Upon hearing this, Motorola shivered.
"Oh my god, that's altitude sickness! This Pharaoh has decided. We won't go that way. Miss Xiuning from the East, are there any other routes available?"
Li Xiuning smiled gracefully and drew another route on the map, heading south along the Arabian coastline, then through Tianzhu, past Piaoguo, and entering Nanyue from Linyi.
"Sir, please look at this route. Although it is smooth sailing, once we enter the Tang territory, there are countless poisonous insects and creatures, as well as miasma.
Even the soldiers from the northern regions of Tang dare not venture there lightly. Therefore, I believe this route is also not feasible."
Motorola slapped his thigh. "This Pharaoh once heard a saying."
"They say women from the East possess both beauty and wisdom, gentleness and fortitude. Truly, what those netizens said is true!
We will follow Miss Xiuning's advice and not take this route!"
Meng Ben, Xiang Yu, Hua Mulan, and the others stood silently nearby. Out of Motorola's sight, they gave Li Xiuning a thumbs-up.
Li Xiuning, catching sight of their movements from the corner of her eye, discreetly waved her hand behind her back a couple of times, signaling them to remain silent for now.
Then, she continued to analyze the marching route for Motorola.
"Sir, please look. If we go north from here, then bypass these areas, and enter Tang from the north.
This way, we will avoid the altitude sickness you mentioned, as well as the miasma and poisonous insects of southern Tang.
Moreover, according to this map of yours, there is no shortage of water sources along this route, which is very convenient for the army's movement."
If one were to compare the route she drew with a modern map, it would be from Iraq, through Azerbaijan, and upon reaching the Caspian Sea, follow the coastline through Turkmenistan.
Then, it would pass through Uzbekistan and finally Kyrgyzstan.
The most crucial point here is that Suyab City is located within present-day Kyrgyzstan!
Looking at the route Li Xiuning had drawn, most of it was plains with very few large mountains.
Motorola grinned.
Indeed, the mysterious East has profound depth. While his subordinates were loyal, their capabilities were truly troublesome.
Let alone devising strategies for marching, he couldn't even find anyone who could understand a map.
And among the people he had just summoned, a single woman possessed such outstanding military knowledge; it was like striking gold.
"Hahahaha, we will follow the last route Miss Xiuning suggested!"
"The warriors have been working hard in the Sasanian royal city for a few days and should be tired.
Therefore, this Pharaoh has decided to give you a benefit. Today, we will not march. Rest well tonight, and we will set off tomorrow!"
"Warriors, to reward you for bringing back the Code of Hammurabi, besides not pursuing your previous disrespect towards this Emperor, I will also reward each of you with a motorcycle!"
"Once you ride a motorcycle, you will be my most trusted people!"
Motorola was overjoyed. He waved his hand, and thirteen Ural three-wheeled motorcycles appeared before them.
Then, he made a gesture that he considered very gentlemanly towards Li Xiuning.
"Beautiful Miss Xiuning, I wonder if I have the honor of personally teaching you how to drive a motorcycle?"
"There is no need for your trouble, sir. This general is not interested in this item. This general already has a preferred mount!"
Although she didn't know what these suddenly appearing strange objects were for, seeing Motorola walk over and ride one, Li Xiuning had guessed most of it.
After rejecting Motorola, she took her weapon and walked out of the crowd.
The place where the Pharaoh had clashed with the Byzantines two days prior, although most of the corpses had been buried, some were still exposed.
Countless hyenas had uninvitedly arrived, digging out the corpses below to feast upon them.
Even lions and leopards had been attracted.
Li Xiuning, holding her weapon, walked towards a group of lions in the distance.
Xiang Yu and the others saw this and became interested. They bowed to Motorola and said, "Sir, we appreciate your kindness, but compared to this, we prefer ferocious beasts!"
Having said that, they all carried their weapons and followed Li Xiuning.
Motorola was utterly confused!
Looking at the prides of lions, all he could think was, "Can you tame one for me too!"