Chapter 166

In history, Cao Cao sent Man Chong as an envoy to solicit Xu Huang, easily turning Xu Huang against them and disintegrating the White Wave.

And now.

Gu Yi sent Fa Zheng to solicit Xu Huang, which was actually a sure thing.

You must know that the White Wave now is much weaker than the White Wave in history.

Even if Fa Zheng didn't come to solicit Xu Huang.

I fear Xu Huang himself would be looking for an opportunity to jump ship from the White Wave!

Therefore.

After listening to Fa Zheng’s persuasion.

Xu Huang immediately responded:

"What the gentleman said, I already know."

"It’s just that, I have not yet achieved any merit."

"If I leave the White Wave directly, I fear it wouldn't be good, right?"

Hearing this.

A flash of brilliance flashed in Fa Zheng’s eyes.

Subsequently, he said with a smile:

"General Gongming, could it be that you want to offer the heads of Han Xian and Yang Feng?"

Xu Huang saw that the thought in his heart was dismantled by Fa Zheng.

Simply stopped pretending.

And laughed out loud.

Expressing agreement with what Fa Zheng said.

Xu Huang saw things very clearly.

If he left White Wave Valley directly with Fa Zheng, I fear that after joining Dong Zhuo’s army, he would at most be a commander of a thousand men.

After all, official positions are not given just because you have ability; they value seniority and merit more!

Xu Huang had not yet achieved any merit, even if Gu Yi had the heart to promote him, it was impossible to enfeoff him with a high official position all at once.

But if Xu Huang killed Yang Feng and Han Xian, and then took their heads to defect to Gu Yi, wouldn't this merit be there all at once?

Xu Huang calculated this account very clearly.

And.

As a general beside Yang Feng.

Xu Huang wanting to take action against him, it couldn't be simpler!

Poor Yang Feng and Han Xian.

At this moment, they still didn't know that their heads were already on Xu Huang’s must-kill list!

At nightfall.

After Yang Feng and Han Xian finished their discussion, they were just about to go to sleep.

However, a personal guard beside them suddenly reported:

"Chief, Xu Huang is here to see you."

Yang Feng couldn't help but knit his brows. Why would Xu Huang come to see him at this hour?

However.

Given that Xu Huang was the number one fierce general of the White Wave, Yang Feng usually relied on him heavily.

Naturally, he couldn't afford to slight Xu Huang at this moment.

Moreover, in Yang Feng's view, Xu Huang’s personality was relatively calm and steady.

A late-night visit must mean there was an important matter to discuss.

Thinking of this, Yang Feng ordered his personal guard to bring Xu Huang in.

However.

A full five minutes passed, yet the personal guard did not return.

Yang Feng couldn't help but feel suspicious.

The next moment.

Before he could even react.

He saw the tent curtain suddenly ripped open by a pair of large hands!

What appeared before Yang Feng’s eyes was none other than Xu Huang and his exclusive weapon, the Piercing Rock Axe!

"Xu... Xu Gongming?"

"What is the meaning of this?"

Yang Feng exclaimed in shock.

Before the words had even faded, the Piercing Rock Axe in Xu Huang’s hand had already hacked toward Yang Feng!

"Splat!"

Yang Feng fell into a pool of blood.

His expression was filled with confusion and bewilderment.

After finishing off Yang Feng.

Xu Huang’s expression remained unchanged.

To him, he had never felt any sense of belonging to the White Wave.

Yang Feng was merely a rebel leader who had coerced him into joining the White Wave.

He quickly tidied up the tent.

Before long, Xu Huang used Yang Feng’s name to send someone to lure Han Xian over from outside.

"Didn't we already discuss everything?"

"Why did you send someone to find me again?"

Han Xian had already gone to sleep, and being woken up by "Yang Feng’s" messenger left him feeling thoroughly annoyed.

However, when he lifted the curtain and entered.

There was no sign of Yang Feng in his field of vision.

Instead, Xu Huang was sitting in the seat that should have belonged to Yang Feng, carrying his Piercing Rock Axe.

"Xu Gongming?"

"Where is Yang Feng?"

Han Xian asked suspiciously.

However, when he caught a glimpse of Yang Feng’s corpse in the corner, he was instantly scared out of his wits!

The next moment.

Just as Han Xian was about to flee the tent.

An extremely sharp arrow from not far away tore through the air toward him!

With a "swish!"

Han Xian’s corpse, along with the arrow, was pinned to the tent curtain.

The one who had drawn the bow and released the arrow was none other than Huang Zhong.

Seeing this, Xu Huang hurriedly cupped his hands and said:

"General Hansheng’s peerless archery is truly unmatched in the world!"

Huang Zhong waved his hands repeatedly to show humility.

Little did he know.

The shock in Xu Huang’s heart was already like a surging river, continuous and unending.

Xu Huang’s martial arts were roughly between the peak of the first-rate and the threshold of the super-first-rate.

Looking across the entire Hedong.

Apart from Guan Yu, a man from Jieliang in Hedong who was currently in exile, no one else was Xu Huang’s match.

Therefore, Xu Huang had actually always been somewhat proud of his own martial arts.

But Huang Zhong’s martial arts level could be called one of the top fierce generals of the current age!

If Xu Huang were to tangle with Huang Zhong.

Although he wouldn't be defeated quickly.

After dozens or even a hundred rounds, Xu Huang would likely still fall at Huang Zhong’s hands.

One must know.

Even an elderly Huang Zhong could be called one of the "Five Tiger Generals" and could still slay Xia Houyuan under Mount Dingjun!

Not to mention a peak-prime Huang Zhong?

Therefore.

After witnessing this extraordinary archery of Huang Zhong.

Xu Huang completely put away the small bit of pride he had previously held.

There is always someone better, and there is always a sky beyond the sky.

Besides Huang Zhong.

The Dong Zhuo Army also possessed two other top-tier super fierce generals: Lu Bu and Zhao Yun!

Thinking of this, how could Xu Huang dare to be arrogant about his martial arts?

"Hahahaha."

"General Gongming is truly brave."

"However, since Yang Feng and Han Xian are both dead."

"How does General Gongming plan to settle the remaining White Wave bandits?"

Behind Huang Zhong, Fa Zheng walked over with a smile and asked Xu Huang.

Xu Huang straightened his posture slightly and cupped his hands:

"Please rest assured, Mr. Xiaozhi and General Hansheng."

"As for the remaining White Wave bandits."

"Although a small portion of them are heinous criminals who made a living by plundering the people."

"Most of them were actually local people from Hedong who joined the White Wave after being coerced or because they could no longer survive."

"I believe that apart from those heinous criminals, the majority of the remaining White Wave bandits can be recruited and pacified."

After hearing what Xu Huang said, Fa Zheng nodded slightly.

Although these White Wave bandits were not very effective in combat.

They added up to a population resource of over a hundred thousand.

In this era of the late Han.

Apart from land and grain.

The most important resource was undoubtedly population.

With over a hundred thousand people, it was impossible for either Gu Yi or Dong Zhuo to simply throw them away for no reason.

Soon.

Under Xu Huang’s recruitment.

Most of the White Wave bandits chose to submit to the Dong Zhuo Army.

Only a small portion of Yang Feng and Han Xian’s die-hard loyalists intended to resist Xu Huang.

But with their strength, how could they compare to Xu Huang?

Moreover, Xu Huang had long been on guard against these die-hard loyalists of Yang Feng and Han Xian.

Just as they intended to make a move, Xu Huang had already struck first.

In the end, these people died one after another under the Piercing Rock Axe.

And the White Wave Valley, accompanied by a great fire, completely became a thing of the past.

At the same time.

On the vast and boundless Bingzhou grasslands.

Lu Bu and Zhao Yun were riding on the Red Hare and the Night-Shining Jade Lion, respectively.

(PS: The Night-Shining Jade Lion, also known as the Night-Illuminating Jade Lion; both terms are correct.)

Behind them were six thousand Bingzhou Wolf Riders and ten thousand Xiliang Iron Cavalry!

Zhang Yang had taken more than half of the Shangdang Commandery’s military strength to participate in the alliance at Suanzao.

This resulted in the local defense forces of Shangdang being severely insufficient.

Facing the Xiliang Iron Cavalry and the Bingzhou Wolf Riders, how could they possibly resist?

Therefore.

After several days of campaigning, the entire territory of Shangdang surrendered at the mere sight of them.

But Lu Bu and Zhao Yun clearly did not intend to stop there.

Bingzhou was close to the Xianbei tribes and the Southern Xiongnu tribes.

During the reign of Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, nearly half of Bingzhou’s land had fallen into the hands of the Xianbei and Southern Xiongnu.

Although Ding Yuan later recovered some of the land.

With the Bingzhou Army marching into the capital, these lands fell back into the hands of the Southern Xiongnu.

Why was it called "Southern Xiongnu" instead of "Xiongnu"?

Because during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the Xiongnu had split into the Western Xiongnu and Southern Xiongnu due to repeated campaigns by Wei Qing and Huo Qubing.

The Western Xiongnu were gradually absorbed and dismantled by other tribes.

By the late Han era, only the Southern Xiongnu were still lingering on.

In recent years, the Southern Xiongnu had fallen into civil war due to a dispute over the Chanyu title.

In Gu Yi’s view, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to recover lost territory!

Historically, the Southern Xiongnu civil war lasted until after the Battle of Guandu before a winner was decided.

The victorious new Southern Xiongnu Chanyu, Huchuquan, chose to be on good terms with Cao Cao.

The defeated Left Worthy Prince followed Yuan Shao to the bitter end.

His original intention was to use Yuan Shao’s power to regain the Chanyu position.

But what he didn't expect was.

Yuan Shao passed away in a hurry two years after the Battle of Guandu.

The eldest son, Yuan Tan, and the third son, Yuan Shang, became embroiled in a struggle for succession.

In the end, when Cao Cao attacked Bingzhou, the Left Worthy Prince was annihilated by Xia Houyuan and Xu Huang, who were dispatched by Cao Cao.

Huchuquan was recruited into Yecheng to serve as an official.

From then on, the power of the Southern Xiongnu was gradually dismantled.

By the era of Cao Rui.

The Southern Xiongnu attempted to rebel.

They were again suppressed by the Bingzhou Inspector Tian Yu and the General of Valiant Cavalry Qin Lang.

The remaining few Southern Xiongnu people fled to the Xianbei after their defeat and were absorbed and integrated by the Xianbei.

Just like that, the Xiongnu tribe, which had dominated the northern grasslands during the Qin and Han dynasties, completely headed toward decline.

And now.

The Southern Xiongnu, busy with civil war, naturally could not be a match for Lu Bu and Zhao Yun.

Relying on the elite Xiliang Iron Cavalry and Bingzhou Wolf Riders, what was there to fear from the mere Southern Xiongnu?

In fact.

It wasn't just Lu Bu and Zhao Yun.

Old Dong and Liu Yan had also campaigned against the Southern Xiongnu in Bingzhou when they were young.

Liu Yan had even held a serpent-headed spear and fought seven Southern Xiongnu armored cavalrymen in single combat, which was truly majestic!

The facts were exactly as Lu Bu and Zhao Yun had anticipated.

The Southern Xiongnu were busy with civil war and had long since lost the ability to control that part of Bingzhou’s land.

From this, it could be seen that Zhang Yang, the Administrator of Shangdang, was truly incompetent to the extreme!

Apart from Zhang Yang, there were no other warlords entrenched in Bingzhou.