Chapter 373: Those not of our race, their hearts must be different!【1】

Inside Shoujiangcheng.

The Great Han delegation led by Duan Yu sat on the east side.

And the Xiongnu nobles led by Chanyu Qiangqu sat on the west side.

A huge circular training ground had been cleared between the two sides.

Long tables were set up in front of Duan Yu's party.

Kumis, milk crisps, beef, and mutton filled the long tables, and the same was true in front of Chanyu Qiangqu on the other side.

Gao Shun, Chen Qing'an, Zhang Liao, Zhang Xun, Tie Shitou, Wang Hunu, and others sat to the left and right of Duan Yu.

And Lu Bu's subordinates stood not far away.

Opposite, Princess Suhe sat at Chanyu Qiangqu's left hand.

Along with a crowd of Xiongnu warriors and chiliarchs, sharpening their blades.

And Lu Bu was riding the Jade Dragon, holding the Painted Halberd, gripping the reins with one hand, looking in the direction of Chanyu Qiangqu.

"General, why go to such trouble? Why didn't the General just order that Lu Bu to return the horse?" Tie Shitou frowned as he looked at Lu Bu on the training ground: "What if that Lu Bu loses? Wouldn't that be a disgrace?"

Duan Yu shook his head with a smile and said: "Shitou, let me teach you a principle."

"The saying goes... 'Those not of our race, their hearts must be different!'"

Duan Yu looked at the Xiongnu Chanyu Qiangqu in the distance with a smile: "Shitou, do you think the Xiongnu lack fine horses?"

Tie Shitou shook his head almost without thinking: "Naturally, they do not lack them."

The Xiongnu, Xianbei, including the Qiang tribes, and the Western Regions are all natural horse pastures; the last thing they lack is fine horses.

Besides those herded by nomads, there are large herds in the wild available for them to trap.

How could they lack fine horses?

"Since the Xiongnu people do not lack horses, knowing that it was given to the wrong person, couldn't they just bring out another one?" Duan Yu said.

Hm?

Tie Shitou, Wang Hunu, and Chen Qing'an and the others to the side were all stunned.

Duan Yu tapped the table in front of him lightly with one hand, his eyes very clear.

"If Qiangqu, as the Xiongnu Chanyu, only had such vision, he would never have been able to become the Xiongnu Chanyu."

"Losing decorum in front of the Great Han envoy because of a horse—how could such a demeanor be worthy of being called the Great Xiongnu Chanyu?"

Everyone suddenly realized, as if they had understood a little.

"Then..." Tie Shitou widened his eyes and said: "Does the General mean that the Xiongnu Chanyu did it on purpose?"

"Correct," Duan Yu nodded with a smile.

"Perhaps he mistook Lu Bu earlier."

"But that does not affect his subsequent actions of sowing discord."

"Clearly, this is an old fox," Duan Yu looked at Qiangqu in the distance, the smile on his face unchanged, but a sharp glint had flashed in his eyes.

"Qiangqu must have seen the rift between Lu Bu and you all from Chen Qing'an."

"Then he followed the trend."

"Using a horse, he wanted to incite internal strife among us."

Duan Yu analyzed: "If it were someone else."

"Someone slightly more narrow-minded, or someone who didn't see through Qiangqu's provocation, would naturally have ordered Lu Bu to return the warhorse."

"After all, it is a dragon-steed, worth ten thousand gold."

"But in doing so, they would have fallen into Qiangqu's trap."

Zhang Liao, Chen Qing'an, including Gao Shun and others, all looked at Duan Yu in shock.

"So... so that's how it is," Tie Shitou realized suddenly.

Duan Yu nodded and said: "This is called 'Those not of our race, their hearts must be different.'"

"Shitou, don't think that just because Qiangqu gave me a very valuable gift, it is a sign of humility and friendliness."

"The more beautiful a woman, the more vicious she might be; the luckier things seem, the greater the crisis often hidden behind them."

"Qiangqu thought I was someone simple-minded and physically strong, wanting to use a horse to trap me."

"To make me and my subordinates have disagreements and rifts, and from there find my flaws."

"That is what fits the calculations of a Xiongnu Chanyu."

Duan Yu turned to look at Tie Shitou and said: "Do you understand now?"

Tie Shitou nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

And Chen Qing'an and Zhang Liao beside him both wore thoughtful expressions.

As his thoughts shifted, the expression on Chen Qing'an's face became solemn.

Afterward, he straightened his body, cupped his hands and bowed to Duan Yu: "General, this subordinate was wrong."

Duan Yu turned to look at Chen Qing'an on his left hand and smiled: "Where was Qing'an wrong?"

"This subordinate should not have exposed his emotions in front of an alien race," Chen Qing'an said.

Duan Yu reached out and patted Chen Qing'an on the shoulder.

Duan Yu had high hopes for Chen Qing'an.

These young men brought from the village were those Duan Yu had been carefully cultivating from the very beginning.

And Chen Qing'an was the most likely of the four to stand alone and become a commanding general.

Some principles cannot be taught just by talking; they must be experienced personally.

"Excellent."

"Qing'an, you must understand, as a commanding general."

"Do not let joy or anger show on your face; do not let likes or dislikes be spoken of; do not let sorrow or joy overflow on your countenance; only when you can remain calm even if Mount Tai collapses before you can you achieve great things," Duan Yu said.

The generals nodded in unison upon hearing this.

"General, we have been taught."

Zhang Liao, Zhang Xun, and others looked at Duan Yu with eyes full of admiration.

"Of course, this is only one part."

Duan Yu continued: "There is also the management of subordinates."

"I could have completely, magnanimously, gifted this horse to Lu Bu, and there would be no need for any competition."

"But in doing so, it would be tantamount to indulging Lu Bu's arrogance."

"Sun Tzu said: 'Regard your soldiers as infants, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys... if you love them but cannot command them, if you are in chaos but cannot govern them, they are like spoiled children and cannot be used.'"

"This is the way of managing subordinates."

Duan Yu's gaze turned to Lu Bu on the training ground.