Chapter 1411

"War means people will die. If you only want to pay with some weapons, armor, and grain to trade for the lives of the Xianbei people, neither I nor my tribe will agree to this kind of cooperation."

"I can give you one more chance. If you still cannot convince me, then please return to where you came from."

Guo Tu smiled and shook his head, saying: "Of course, it is not just that."

"Chanyu, do not be impatient. If it were only this, my Master would not have sent me thousands of miles to the Xianbei."

"My Master said that if you, Chanyu, are willing to cooperate, then after the Xiongnu are eliminated in the future, the Hejian region of Bingzhou will be gifted to the Xianbei, gifted to you, Chanyu, as a place for the Xianbei to multiply and thrive. Presumably, you, Chanyu, are also clear about the importance of the Hejian region."

"That place has abundant water and grass and a suitable climate. If you can graze there, you will no longer have to worry about the cold winds and blizzards on the grasslands in winter."

The Hejian region.

A look of wavering appeared on Budugen's face.

The areas surrounding Hejian include the Huangshui River basin, the Taoshui River basin, the Luoshui River basin, the Weishui River basin, the Fenshui River basin, the Sangganhe River basin, the Zhangshui River basin, and the Hutuo River basin.

The developed water network combined with the plains created a perfect natural pasture.

Having the Yinshan Mountains to block the cold winds coming from the north also meant that one would no longer have to be exposed to the biting cold winds on the grasslands in winter.

It is extremely suitable for grazing and survival.

In the late Warring States period, King Wuling of Zhao extended the territory of the Zhao state to the Yinshan Mountains, established Yunzhong Commandery, located in the eastern part of the Tumochuan Plain, and occupied the Hejian region, using it to raise horses, which created the once-powerful Hu-style clothing and archery.

After the Qin Dynasty unified the Central Plains, it relocated 30,000 households there to guard the border and established Yunzhong and Jiuyuan commanderies.

However, at the end of the Qin Dynasty, the Hejian region was occupied by the Xiongnu. At that time, the common people relocated there by the Qin Dynasty, apart from those who were killed, all returned to the Central Plains, and the Hejian region was occupied by the Xiongnu for a long time.

During the Western Han Dynasty, the Great Han rose strongly, and Wu Di of Han sent Wei Qing out of Yunzhong to defeat the Loufan and Baiyang kings of the Xiongnu and occupy Hejian.

The official Zhufu Yan submitted a memorial suggesting the construction of cities in the Hetao region to station troops and raise horses, serving as a base for defense and offense against the Xiongnu.

From then on, the Great Han grazed warhorses there, which formed the Great Han pasture and also laid the foundation for the main source of warhorses for the cavalry used by the Great Han in its hegemony over the grasslands.

North of Hejian are the Yinshan Mountains, and thus Hejian also became the first barrier against the Xiongnu heading south.

The Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry is known as the elite of the world, precisely because of the support of the horse farms in the Hejian region.

As the saying goes: "The Yellow River has a hundred harms, only the Hetao is rich," "The Yellow River of the world enriches the Hetao; once the front Hetao is rich, the back Hetao is rich."

The Hetao here is a description of Hejian.

Seeing that Budugen was already wavering, Guo Tu immediately pressed his advantage: "Chanyu, please rest assured. Although the Southern Xiongnu are indeed powerful with Duan Yu's help, in my view, they are not an unbreakable whole."

"I naturally have a way to assist you, Chanyu, in defeating the Xiongnu."

"I will remain by your side, Chanyu, to help you defeat the Xiongnu," Guo Tu said with full confidence.

After thinking it over carefully, Budugen looked up at Guo Tu.

"I can agree to your request, but I have one more condition: all the spoils of war from defeating the Xiongnu will belong to the Xianbei."

"Of course!" Guo Tu agreed with a smile without hesitation, and then said: "I believe that it will not be long before you, Chanyu, will feel fortunate for today's decision!"

The remaining spurs of the Wolf Mountains in late winter were still covered in mottled snow armor, but the Kundulun River had already torn through the ice, rushing eastward while carrying yellow sand and broken ice.

The reed grass on both sides of the riverbank struggled out of the frozen soil with inch-long green buds, and flocks of sand grouse swept across the sky, their wingtips brushing against the frosted yak-hair tassels on the soldiers' leather hats, startling a series of trembling sounds from the bronze cymbals.

The south wind rolled up fine dust from the Mu Us Sandy Land, beating against the red tooth-flags on the city walls until they snapped loudly.

Shoujiang City.

This border city, built with rammed earth, sat on the west bank of the Shimen River. The city walls were over three zhang high, with horse-face bastions protruding like the fangs of a giant beast, and arrow holes as dense as a beehive.

Inside the southwest corner tower, ceramic listening jars were hidden, which could distinguish the slight vibrations of horse hooves breaking through ice thirty miles away.

In the second year of Yuanshou, the Cavalry General Huo Qubing attacked the Xiongnu in the north, and the Hunxie King of Hexi led forty thousand people to surrender.

Wu Di ordered Gongsun Ao to build this city, taking the meaning of "the Hu people dare not head south to graze their horses."

But Shoujiang City, which once symbolized the peak of the Great Han's military power, had long since fallen into disrepair.

If it were not for Duan Yu subsidizing the Southern Xiongnu and using Shoujiang City as a base, this city would have long been desolate and abandoned.

Heading south all the way from Shoujiang City, crossing the Yinshan Mountains and climbing over the Great Wall, one reaches Bingzhou.

At this time, tens of thousands of Xiongnu troops were gathering in Shoujiang City.

Ever since Duan Yu came to the Southern Xiongnu four years ago, Duan Yu had maintained a friendly relationship with the Southern Xiongnu.

Last year, during the campaign in the Western Regions.

The Southern Xiongnu also sent troops to contain the Northern Xiongnu.

During these four years, Duan Yu sent a large amount of weapons, armor, and salt to the Southern Xiongnu to subsidize them in attacking the Northern Xiongnu.

At the same time, it also prevented the Southern Xiongnu from heading south to raid the borders of Bingzhou.

Although Bingzhou was not in Duan Yu's hands, Duan Yu always believed that as long as they were Han people, they should receive his protection and not be harmed by foreign races.

After four years of development and recuperation, the current Southern Xiongnu had basically annexed the Northern Xiongnu.

Although they were not as powerful as they once were, compared to four years ago, they were naturally much more formidable.

But Chanyu Qiangqu did not abandon Duan Yu because of the current prosperity of the Xiongnu.

Compared to the Xianbei and Wuhuan, the grassland peoples living east of Mobei, the Southern Xiongnu were naturally the ones who understood Duan Yu the best.

In the four years, although the Xiongnu had become stronger.

But Duan Yu's development was even more powerful than that of the Southern Xiongnu.

In these few years, Duan Yu had fought south and north without a single defeat; the battle in the Western Regions last year was even more like plowing a field and sweeping a den, plowing through the entire Western Regions.

The Northern Xiongnu participated in the war and were blocked at the Tianshan Mountains, killed until not a single piece of armor remained.

It was precisely because after that battle, the Northern Xiongnu were weak, that Qiangqu had the opportunity to annex the Northern Xiongnu.

At this time, more than forty thousand Xiongnu soldiers were gathered inside and outside the abandoned Shoujiang City.

The reason for gathering so many Xiongnu tribes this time was because they had received Duan Yu's summons.

In a large tent in the city.

Chanyu Qiangqu, who had aged quite a bit compared to a few years ago, his eldest son Yufuluo, his second son Chuchuquan who had returned from Chang'an, and some chieftains of the Xiongnu tribes were all gathered in the camp, eating and drinking to their hearts' content.

On the tables in front of them were freshly slaughtered and boiled mutton.

Using a small knife to cut off the tender and juicy mutton, dipping it in a little snow-white salt, one bite filled the mouth with oil and juices.

Accompanied by a sip of mare's milk wine.

Qiangqu, whose appetite was not as good as in his early years, placed a lamb rib that he had scraped clean with a small knife on the table, picked up a rag from the side to wipe the grease off his hands, and then picked up the mare's milk wine and took a small sip.

Seeing his father put down the small knife in his hand, Chuchuquan also immediately put down the mutton in his hand; although he was not yet full, he immediately stopped his movements.

Chanyu Qiangqu looked at his youngest son with some curiosity and asked: "Why is my son not eating?"

Chuchuquan's posture, kneeling behind the table, was already like that of a Han person well-versed in etiquette.

After hearing his father's question, he immediately replied in a disciplined manner: "The 'Book of Rites: Qu Li' says: 'When the elder has not yet finished drinking, the younger does not dare to drink.' If the elder stops using chopsticks, the younger continuing to eat is considered a violation of ritual."

"This is the Han etiquette taught to me by my brother-in-law."

Qiangqu was slightly stunned after hearing this, and then laughed out loud.

Chuchuquan's statement also caused everyone in the tent, except for himself, to look up at him.

"It seems my son has learned a lot by the side of the Prince of Liang in these four years. Not bad, not bad!" Qiangqu expressed his praise.

But at the same time, these words of Chuchuquan also attracted a different kind of gaze.

Opposite Chuchuquan, there was a young man who looked somewhat similar to Chuchuquan.

The young man did not kneel like Chuchuquan, because the young man only had a left leg.

Where the right leg should be, there was only an empty pant leg.

"My brother, it seems you have been trained by Duan Yu to be truly obedient," Yufuluo said with a cold laugh.

Hearing Yufuluo's voice, the atmosphere in the camp suddenly turned cold, and all the Xiongnu tribal chieftains immediately lowered their heads, pretending they had heard nothing.

PS: Thanks to (Yuan Shou Fuehrer) for the generous reward!