Chapter 325: Conquering Hearts Lies in Strength, Not in Schemes

New wars come as soon as they are called, which forced Gongsun Xun to set aside his urgent desire to see his mother and seek confirmation and expression, and once again lead his troops across the river, forming ranks with their backs to the water.

Of course, although it was a so-called last-ditch battle, this engagement clearly held no military risk whatsoever; it was more like a political performance, meant to display the authority of the Han army.

After all, in late April, many days after the heavy rains, right now before their eyes... first, the Han army outnumbered the enemy two to one; second, after capturing Liucheng, the Han army had reacquired the large number of warhorses the Wuhuan had painstakingly tended, and after Lou Gui arrived with the rear army, supplies and baggage were also plentiful, so from an equipment standpoint they also crushed the opponent; moreover, the Xianbei had marched a long distance to get here, while the Han army was rested and waiting.

However, the most important point was that the overall situation in Liaoxi was laid out before them — the Liaoxi Wuhuan and Liaodong Wuhuan had now both effectively been annihilated, Guanzi City and Liucheng were both in Han hands, and from Chaoxian City in Lelang Commandery at the easternmost edge of Youzhou to Gaoliu Fortress in Shanggu Commandery, the route was completely unobstructed, the entire situation firmly in hand, while the Xianbei had come as an isolated army, without a single foothold.

In fact, when they first heard that Kebineng was leading his army here, according to the speculations of Gongsun Xun and Zhao Bao, this young Xianbei chieftain was clearly also fighting a "political battle"!

This man obviously intended, after Qiuliju was captured, Tadun died in battle, and Yan Rou surrendered, to step forward against adversity and use an almost certainly doomed battle to tell the hundred mixed barbarian tribes in the Liaoxi hills, and tell the Xianbei people on the steppe who had split into a tangled mess, that there was still someone who dared to oppose the Han army!

Beyond the frontier, there was still a great hero worth trusting, worth entrusting the future of all tribes to!

And he, Kebineng, was that man!

Since both sides were putting on a performance, the opening of the battle became rather interesting.

The day before, after a pontoon bridge was set up at Liucheng, Lou Gui, Han Dang, Gao Shun, and others organized the overall situation and led the main Han army across the river to establish a camp. And early the next morning, Gongsun Xun and Zhao Bao together, father-in-law and son-in-law, raised their full ceremonial regalia, displayed all their banners, and while leading the six hundred White Horse Volunteers who had just been resupplied with horses, and eight hundred Liaodong elite cavalry, crossed the river in a grand and mighty procession.

At the same time, several hundred Liaoxi tribal chieftains dressed in white, along with their trusted followers, also formed a small cavalry unit, flying a motley assortment of banners, and followed behind the two generals bearing imperial tallies in a dazed and trembling manner, crossing the river to form ranks.

In the late morning, the Xianbei army appeared as agreed from the west, the two sides separated by two or three hundred paces, each standing firm on their positions, and then the first person to make a theatrical entrance was, as expected, none other than Louban, son of the Wuhuan Chanyu Qiuliju. However, instead of weeping blood and crying out for vengeance over his tribe's destruction, pleading for revenge, he disregarded everything, cast aside his armor and weapons, and pressed directly to a spot a few dozen paces before the Han army formation, kneeling and begging before Zhao Bao and Gongsun Xun.

"Lord Zhao!" Louban, after recalling the stories of how his father and Zhao Bao had once fought side by side, kowtowed forcefully on the ground and cried out with effort and emotion in the Han tongue. "In the past, when Lord Zhao's own mother was seized by the enemy, Lord Zhao, wise and mighty, had my father and my elder brother to ride forth for him, and thus was able to fulfill both loyalty and filial piety. But I, Louban, am merely a youth with none to rely on, and lack Lord Zhao's ability, so I can only trade my own life for my father's. I beseech Lord Zhao, in consideration that we are both sons, to show some pity!"

The many Han army officers and mixed barbarian chieftains before the formation looked at one another, then unanimously turned their gazes toward the two generals beneath the White Horse banner.

"I did not expect that among the barbarian captives there would be one so utterly sincere, loyal, and filial," Gongsun Xun remarked with a sigh, then turned to look at his father-in-law. "At such a young age — I fear when you, Father-in-law, governed Liaoxi back then, he was still riding sheep — yet now he knows to call you 'Lord Zhao' at every turn, and can recount the past deeds of his father's generation with such earnestness and emotion... Even I, who was involved in those events back then, have forgotten those matters, yet he still remembers them. It seems that innate knowledge does exist."

Zhao Bao glanced at his son-in-law and shook his head repeatedly: "I already said, this campaign is under your command. You decide as you see fit; no need to ask me about every little thing..."

Gongsun Xun gave a derisive laugh, then suddenly composed his expression, and without turning his head, raised a hand.

Within the army formation, Duan Riyuming, his face somewhat pale, did not dare delay and immediately led several riders forward. He passed by Louban without a glance, and finally, right between the two armies, shouted curses at Kebineng in the Xianbei tongue right before the battle lines... And this time, Duan Riyuming, usually so inarticulate, proceeded to recount the entire joint rebellion of the Liaoxi Wuhuan and Xianbei, from the ambush and siege of the Duan and Mohu tribes at Mount Bailang, to the breakthrough at Lulong Fortress and the plundering of the interior, to the enthronement of Zhang Chun as Son of Heaven — everything, down to the smallest detail, spoken publicly, with clear logic and solid facts. Finally, when he spoke of Qiuliju's actual rebellion and Kebineng's prior betrayal of their alliance, his words were fierce and filled with indignation.

Such an outstanding performance naturally drew Gongsun Xun, behind him, to applaud publicly in acknowledgment.

In truth, whether it was Louban's plea or Duan Riyuming's "exposure," both were utterly meaningless in themselves. But without this exchange, today's battle would inevitably seem forced... It was nothing more than meeting each move as it came.

"To presume to establish a Son of Heaven — what crime could be greater? How can it be pardoned?" Seeing that after Gongsun Xun finished applauding, and as Duan Riyuming turned and returned to the formation, a momentary silence fell over the battlefield, Han Dang suddenly spurred his horse personally before the several hundred Liaoxi mixed barbarian chieftains and asked them loftily. "What are your views on the handling of Qiuliju?"

The assembled mixed barbarian chieftains fell silent for a moment... No matter how poor or ignorant they were, they had been mixing in the Liaoxi region for decades; how could they not know what crime it was to presume to establish a Son of Heaven? Besides, Han Dang was clearly asking this on behalf of Gongsun Xun. Even if they had some thoughts, what view could they express?

Thus, after a brief silence, they swarmed forward to declare their positions.

"Qiuliju, with the savage ambition of a wolf, should be punished according to the law!" This came from a tribal chieftain with a higher degree of Han acculturation. He spoke with lingering indignation; Han Dang had some impression of him — he was among the first to answer Gongsun Xun's call and lead troops to assist, so these words carried considerable conviction.

"Whether by the rules of the Great Han or the Xianbei, anyone who rebels has only one road — death!" Someone spoke up, even taking universal values into account.

"When Qiuliju rebelled back then, did he not consider his own fate? Whatever punishment the Grand General decides, we will have no complaints whatsoever."

"We could follow the Wuhuan's own custom and administer the dog punishment!" Another chieftain with Wuhuan blood suddenly spoke, steering the topic directly toward an execution method with ethnic characteristics. "We Wuhuan not only herd horses but also raise dogs. Smear horse blood all over him, then release several dozen dogs before the formation and let them bite him to death in public, to demonstrate the Grand General's majesty."

"We could use the Goguryeo method — fifteen oxen to tear the body apart!" This came from someone who had followed Gongsun Xun to Goguryeo.

"If the Grand General, mindful of his past meritorious service, wishes to follow the steppe custom, how about strangling him with a bowstring?" Someone was also thinking of Gongsun Xun's reputation.

Hearing these people spout such nonsense, even Han Dang, who after years of playing dumb had nearly become a genuine fool, could not help but laugh. Seeing this, the mixed barbarian chieftains, who had been chattering so animatedly, instantly fell silent, as quiet as mute birds, utterly docile.

"Since everyone agrees that Qiuliju deserves to die, my lord has sent me to ask you: are you willing to carry out the execution on his behalf?" After his laughter subsided, Han Dang once again composed his expression and asked.

The chieftains felt a jolt in their hearts, yet without hesitation, they spurred their horses forward one after another, bowing from horseback with hands pressed to their bellies, even vying to be first... What kind of joke was this? Who among those present had not fought in battle, who had not killed a man? It was just slaughtering a dead dog — why would they hesitate?!

Besides, they had come on this campaign precisely in fear and trembling, waiting for Gongsun Xun's judgment. If killing one man could earn a pardon for their entire tribe, they should be rejoicing!

"That is well, then." Han Dang's expression grew even more solemn. "Since every man is willing to serve my lord, let all the chieftains step forward and form a horizontal line at the front to await the order!"

"Bring out Qiuliju!" Gongsun Xun, beneath the canopy, finally turned his head and signaled.

The great army stirred, and a passage split open within the formation, leading straight to the camp behind them. Then, under the gaze and anticipation of tens of thousands of troops, Qiuliju, the Chanyu of the Liaoxi Wuhuan, was dragged out in public. He was dressed in silk clothes, clearly not having been mistreated before, but now he was tightly bound and his mouth was gagged. Moreover, the man probably knew his life was finally at its end, so he could not help but hang his head in dejection, his eyes closed in a daze.

At this sight, Zhao Bao, beneath the canopy, showed no particular reaction, as if he did not even see this man.

It must be said that this General of the Right bearing an imperial tally and acting as Liaodong Administrator had come hurriedly to Liucheng. While he did have the intention of intervening in the Liaoxi aftermath, that was mostly out of indignation that Gongsun Xun actually wanted to discuss Liaoxi matters with his mother, Lady Gongsun, without even greeting him first... He had come in a fit of pique, so to speak. And after arriving in Liaoxi, not only was he doused with a bucket of cold water by his son-in-law regarding the situation in Luoyang, which threw his mind into turmoil, but even if he truly wanted to intervene in Qiuliju's disposal, he, Zhao Bao, had nothing to say.

After all, the matter of presumptuously establishing a Son of Heaven had likewise touched the bottom line of him, Zhao Weihao. Just now, saying to leave everything to Gongsun Xun to handle was also partly to avoid the awkward matter of ordering Qiuliju's execution right before the battle lines. Otherwise, if he truly cared about their old ties, he would have intervened days ago; why wait until the eve of battle to speak?

Even taking ten thousand steps back, even if he, Zhao Bao, did indeed cherish old ties and truly wanted to protect Qiuliju, in the current situation before him, as one of the two Han commanders-in-chief, how could he undermine his own son-in-law in front of the Xianbei and the various mixed barbarian chieftains?

There is a distinction between those within and those without.

Think back to a few months ago in Luoyang — even someone like the Son of Heaven, when facing Grand General He Jin, only engaged in both struggle and compromise; it was never said that one wanted to harm the other, or kill the other... Ultimately, they were not fundamentally enemies.

At the same time, the Xianbei army formation opposite them also stirred for a moment before falling silent. Only a few Xianbei warriors who had cast aside their weapons stepped out to drag Louban back, making no superfluous moves... Come to think of it, what had Kebineng come here for? Was it truly to rescue Qiuliju? He probably wished for Qiuliju to die a miserable death, so that the Xianbei chieftains beside him would henceforth fear and loathe the Han people, and turn to flock to him instead!

In other words, at this moment, with the two armies facing off — Han, Xianbei, mixed barbarians alike — from top to bottom, from left to right, except for Louban, Qiuliju's own son, everyone was hoping that Qiuliju, that former ambitious hero of Liaoxi, would die swiftly and miserably! So that the storm of this rebellion could finally settle.

However, in the very next moment, something suddenly went wrong.

Because the matter did not end there. Just after Qiuliju was dragged before the formation, the Han army formation that had split open earlier showed no sign of closing. Instead, several dozen more people were dragged out from the rear camp by Han soldiers, also tightly bound and gagged.

The mixed barbarian tribal chieftains who had just formed a horizontal line before the formation could see clearly — these people were clearly the great nobles of the Liaoxi Wuhuan tribes, with whom they had often associated in the past. But seeing them all being disposed of together now, though their hearts were shaken, they had nothing to say.

But the matter was still not over. Just as the tribal chieftains were already somewhat shaken, the Han army formation continued to drag people out in an endless stream, all of them Wuhuan nobles... By the end, densely packed before the formation, a full five or six hundred people had been dragged out!

For the Liaoxi Wuhuan, with their five thousand-plus households, this number likely represented the concept of every single chieftain above the family-clan unit level!

Thereupon, the hands and feet of the various tribal chieftains turned ice-cold, and the sense of relief they had felt earlier vanished completely... Some instantly understood certain things; some could not grasp it all at once, but keenly sensed that behind this execution might lie something particularly fatal to themselves.

But regardless, under the effect of this double fear, not one of these tribal chieftains from around Liaoxi dared to raise any objection.

"Qiuliju!" Gongsun Xun looked at the Wuhuan Chanyu before him, who, after the gag was removed, still seemed as wooden as a puppet, and spoke with utter bluntness. "If you do not die, my heart cannot be at ease... But as for the others, never mind. You, after all, are the Wuhuan Chanyu. In consideration of your past service to Liaoxi, I grant you the right to keep your corpse whole. You may name your own manner of death."

Qiuliju, standing before the horses of Gongsun Xun and Zhao Bao, was startled by these words, and a trace of life actually appeared on his face. Then he fixed his gaze unwaveringly on Zhao Bao, making Zhao Weihao, already stunned by the scale of this execution, feel even more uncomfortable.

"Forget it then!" The fact that the other man only looked at Zhao Bao made Gongsun Xun appear helpless. He waved his arm and immediately urged things forward.

Hearing the order, several hundred Han armored soldiers immediately released those Wuhuan nobles and returned to the formation on their own. Han Dang also turned to look at the several hundred local tribal chieftains beside him, preparing to give the order for these men to step forward and carry out the execution.

However, just as two soldiers were about to drag away Qiuliju, who had remained silent all along, the hitherto numb and mute Qiuliju suddenly spoke: "I know why we lost that day."

"So you can speak after all?" Gongsun Xun immediately laughed. "I had thought that ever since you were captured that day, you had truly become a fool..."

Qiuliju, his hair and beard graying, was dragged back. He steadied himself with effort, first turning his head to look at the hundreds of nearly despairing Wuhuan nobles behind him, then could not help but turn toward Zhao Bao, tears streaming down his face: "Lord Zhao... upon seeing you today, I have already come to realize what this battle was all about... Back in the battle with Kezuotan, I swore an oath to you that I would not withdraw my troops until the Xianbei were driven past Liucheng, or else I would die a miserable death beneath horses' hooves. Yet afterward, I secretly broke that oath and allowed the Xianbei to escape... Thinking on it now, my fate today is truly the manifestation of Heaven's will, long since decreed! But what crime did my tribesmen commit, to be dragged down by me to the same fate? Alas, the Liaoxi Wuhuan, lasting a hundred years in unbroken line, have been destroyed in a single morning by my hand..."

"Stop flattering yourself!" Gongsun Xun, irritated by these words, finally erupted in fury. "What manifestation of Heaven's will? It is nothing more than the constancy of the Heavenly Way, the great momentum like a wave. You people could neither keep up nor were willing to submit to others — what else can you do but die? As for being destroyed by your hand, that is even more laughable! The Liaoxi Wuhuan, lasting a hundred years, were already annihilated that very night along with Tadun, the only one who met the enemy in the military camp. Every single one of you nobles who hid in the city to escape the rain is a gravedigger of the Wuhuan! And dying beneath horses' hooves? Am I the sort of brutal man who would do that? I'll just kill people properly — why would I trample you to death? You may not mind the pain, but I mind the risk of breaking my horses' legs!"

With that, not waiting for the other to speak further, Gongsun Xun waved his hand in signal, and the two soldiers before him forcefully pinned down Qiuliju, who had just been lamenting Heaven's will, stuffed a wad of something back into his mouth, and then, as if dragging some cargo, tossed him onto the open ground before the formation.

Two hundred paces away, Louban had long since knelt before Kebineng’s horse, clutching its legs and begging him to rescue them… And Kebineng, watching the Han army’s formation — clearly wider than his own, especially the dense cavalry on both wings — though his face had already gone pale, was actually hesitating and wavering!

In truth, the young Kebineng was not moved or hesitating because of Louban’s pleas. In fact, earlier, when he guessed that the Han army intended to carry out a public execution, he had even felt some excitement and faint anticipation. But when he saw a full five or six hundred Wuhuan nobles all dragged before the battle lines, he actually grew timid and doubtful… Because this meant the Han people had made up their minds — they would take over the Liaoxi Wuhuan directly, bypassing the Wuhuan nobles entirely!

This implication had already exceeded his expectations, and his preparations!

Yes. Exactly!

The Han people’s execution of rebellious Hu chieftains could indeed make some people recognize their own place anew, and thus understand that he, Kebineng, was the Hu people’s true support — this was also the fundamental reason this young Xianbei headman had steeled himself to fight this battle.

But what if the Han people made it clear to everyone: you are dispensable; without you, we can still control Liaoxi? Then what? Would they instead become so fearful that they would never dare to resist lightly again?

A horn sounded. Under Han Dang’s gaze, and under the gaze of tens of thousands of Han soldiers, over a hundred tribal headmen of Liaoxi forced themselves to rally, dismounted and stepped out of formation one after another, drawing blades or leveling spears as they took positions behind the Wuhuan nobles.

Another horn sounded. The headmen gritted their teeth and raised their weapons, hacking or stabbing to death the Wuhuan nobles before each of them.

A third horn sounded. The headmen wiped the blood from their weapons, advanced once more, and came to stand behind yet another Wuhuan noble. This time, Duan Riyuming, who originally had no need to take part, in order to demonstrate his resolve, even left his own formation specially and came in person, blade in hand, to Qiuliju’s side.

Truly, as Gongsun Xun had said, he was no pervert — it was merely an execution to establish authority. Even if, for the sake of registering the Liaoxi Wuhuan into households and making them common subjects, he was killing rather many nobles, it still wouldn’t go so far as trampling people to death alive just to save trouble, would it?

Burying them alive would be more efficient than that!

However, just at that moment, another horn sounded — this one coming from the Xianbei army’s formation. Immediately, the entire Xianbei army stirred with commotion; they were actually about to charge straight at the Han army’s front lines, attempting to rescue these Wuhuan nobles.

Gongsun Xun flew into a great rage. He too drew his blade to signal. At once, the well-prepared Han army formation erupted with the rumbling of drums. Large cavalry forces on both wings surged forth under the leadership of mid-level officers, while the infantry formation in the center, at Gao Shun’s signal, advanced densely and planted their shields. And the tribal headmen carrying out the executions before the lines, under Gongsun Xun’s furious glare, not one dared to delay — they all swiftly brought down their blades in rapid succession, and only then hurried back to their formations and mounted their horses.

Then, seeing the enemy cavalry right before his eyes, Gongsun Xun waved his hand once more. At his side, Tian Yu leading the White Horse Volunteers and Taishi Ci leading eight hundred cavalry immediately reined in their horses and charged forth to meet them.

The two armies thus joined battle. No one paid any more heed to the Wuhuan noble remnants left on the ground, nor did anyone know that Duan Riyuming’s single blade-stroke had indeed not killed Qiuliju outright — instead, just as this Wuhuan Chanyu had hoped for himself, he died beneath the trampling hooves of the chaotic army’s horses.

But in this battle, with tens of thousands of troops engaged, both sides together committed far more than ten thousand cavalry to the charge… Those who died beneath horse hooves numbered not merely in the hundreds or thousands.

A mere Qiuliju — why should anyone remember him?

Everyone knew full well that on that rainy night over half a month ago, Qiuliju had already died.

The two great armies clashed on the flat hills across the river west of Liucheng. And very quickly, because of the cavalry, the battlefield kept expanding, until it finally evolved into a typical pursuit battle.

There was nothing worth elaborating on. Kebineng got what he asked for — a great defeat and a rout. He was even pressed so closely by Taishi Ci that he nearly died beneath the other’s arrows.

By dusk, the Xianbei had retreated westward along the entire line, and the Han army returned in great victory. Gongsun Xun, utterly bored, walked back to Liucheng across the pontoon bridge together with Zhao Bao.

“I have one matter to ask you.” Midway across the pontoon bridge, Zhao Bao suddenly stopped.

“Father-in-law, please speak.” Gongsun Xun halted and stood with his hands clasped respectfully.

“The Han people live by tilling the land, dwelling in houses of brick, wood, earth, and stone — thus they can be registered into households and made common subjects. But the Wuhuan live in tents, fishing and hunting, herding horses and raising dogs, migrating no fewer than twice each year… You have killed all their nobles. How do you intend to govern the Liaoxi Wuhuan from now on?”

“One must at least try to govern them, no?” Gongsun Xun responded at once in a deep voice. “Liaoxi, after all, is encircled and protected by the Daling River, and has several cities on its periphery to isolate it — there is no fear of them leaving Han territory. That being so, we might as well let them use their tent-settlements as a basis, levy taxes based on their cattle, sheep, and horses, use military service as corvée labor, and have the Anli Trading Company act as a tax farmer…”

“Setting aside for now whether this matter is even feasible, and disregarding your private interests, Wenqi,” Zhao Bao said with a solemn expression, facing him directly, “I ask you: if you implement this method, how will the many tribes of Liaoxi view this matter? If we can directly rule the herders, then what are these headmen of theirs worth? Have you considered their reaction?”

“That is precisely why I had them come to watch the battle and carry out the executions,” Gongsun Xun said. At this point, there was no need to conceal anything. “Today was meant to tell them: those who submit to me prosper, those who oppose me perish. Liaoxi connects to Youzhou and occupies a vital position. I absolutely will not permit anyone ever again to possess the kind of power Qiuliju had — disrupting communications and ruining my greater plans once more. And now, with the great army here and the prestige of a great victory still fresh, we must employ thunderous measures to completely devour the Wuhuan and these miscellaneous Hu populations! If even the mighty Wuhuan and Xianbei meet this fate, what can they do but submit to my governance?”

“They may not be able to do anything to you, but they can always flee, can they not?” Zhao Bao pressed on. “Those miscellaneous Hu are of mixed and tangled origins to begin with. Today, with your power ascendant in Liaoxi, they will naturally be docile for a time. But once you return within the passes, they can leisurely flee to the western grasslands… When Kebineng committed his troops during the execution today, was that not precisely to tell those people this very truth? And Wenqi, I have only seen ‘those who oppose me perish’ — I have not seen ‘those who submit to me prosper.’ In this battle, I too have come to understand some things. You cannot, simply because you harbor resentment, rely solely on force.”

“Of course I know that matters on the grasslands are not the same as here in Liaoxi,” Gongsun Xun fell silent for a moment, but still spoke with conviction. “So I have no intention of exterminating them completely. Once my mother arrives to take over matters here, I will go and annihilate the Mohu tribe. At that time, I will still need to support some tribes to serve as a buffer on the periphery — for instance, the Sifen clan, which rendered great service this time, will be sent to Chengde City. And the Duan tribe — since their message that day was indeed sent in good faith, and since Father-in-law has repeatedly defended them, I will give them a chance as well, letting them go west of the Daling River to serve as a buffer. The same applies to the rest. If they are obedient, they may all attach themselves to us and establish themselves on the grasslands.”

“You have spoken for half the day, yet you still have no lasting solution.” Zhao Bao shook his head repeatedly. “Once they reach the grasslands, we Han people can no longer control them. Those who are loyal and devoted today may, once the chieftain changes tomorrow, naturally rebel and become a scourge — instead, we would be nurturing a tiger to court disaster. Still… if it works for a time, then let it work for a time. At the very least, you are still doing something. Others have not even thought of a solution.”

With these words, he left his son-in-law behind and strode off alone toward Liucheng. But after walking a few steps, he suddenly recalled something and turned his head back to ask: “What did you mean just now by ‘ruining my greater plans once more’? Could it be that you have already made up your mind to answer Grand General He’s call?”

Gongsun Xun was momentarily embarrassed, but only laughed without speaking.

“Speak!” Hundreds of li away, in Chengde City, Cheng Pu was already beside himself with fury. “Where have Mohu Kou and the Mohu tribe’s several thousand troops gone?!”

“The day before yesterday, our headman sent men south toward the Yuyang road pass to seek the Commandant, while he himself mustered the troops in person and led the able-bodied men of the city hastily northward!” The man being interrogated seemed to have anticipated this long ago, and was neither servile nor overbearing. “Before he left, he told the people in the city that Commandant Cheng is a man of prudence and virtue, and would surely not wantonly slaughter women and children to vent his rage.”

“I am asking you where that wretch Mohu Kou has gone — I did not tell you to say all this!”

“I only know he went north.” This young man of the Mohu tribe, whose attire and accent were already indistinguishable from a Han person’s, helplessly pointed north and spoke yet another useless sentence.

Cheng Pu raged for a long while, but then suddenly let out a cold laugh and instead calmed down: “I would rather like to see — Mohu Kou has abandoned all the tribe’s elderly and weak in the city. Just what great deeds can he accomplish on the grasslands? Could it be that he means to abandon you all, lead a few thousand troops to dominate the grasslands, and plot a comeback?”

————— I am the dividing line of running when you can’t win —————

“With the might by which Han Gao Zu destroyed Qin and Xiang Yu, yet the Xiongnu stiffened their necks and besieged him at Pingcheng. Emperor Guangwu fought a hundred battles and triumphed in every one, thus pacifying all within the seas, yet Lu Fang allied with the Hu to harass the borders, and to the end of his life could not be subdued. The ferocity of the Wuhuan Qiuliju and Tadun was no less than that of former ages. Yan Wu, with the strength of several commanderies, campaigned against them personally — first defeated, then victorious — in a single battle beheaded them, relocated their tribes, and thus they became renowned cavalry, achieving merit wherever they went. How magnificent was that.” — From Dianlüe, annotated by Pei Songzhi of Yan

PS: I actually managed to write it out! What was that saying again? Respect the readers, refuse to lead the dog around — so whenever there’s a suspicion of leading the dog around, one must lead oneself around once, to prove one’s innocence!

I actually managed to write it out…

(End of Chapter)