Chapter 306

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

If Xu Huang were to engage in a protracted battle with Huang Zhong.

Although he wouldn't be defeated immediately.

After several dozen or even a hundred rounds, Xu Huang would still, in all likelihood, eventually fall at the hands of Huang Zhong.

One must know.

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

Not to mention a Huang Zhong in the prime of his youth and at his peak?

Therefore.

After witnessing this extraordinary archery of Huang Zhong.

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

There is always someone better than you, and there is always a heaven beyond the heaven.

Besides Huang Zhong.

The Dong Zhuo Army also possessed two equally top-tier super fierce generals, Lu Bu and Zhao Zilong!

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

"Hahahaha."

"General Gongming is truly valiant."

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

"How does General Gongming intend to settle the remaining group of Bai Bo 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 group of Bai Bo bandits."

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

"But the majority were actually just local commoners from Hedong who joined the Bai Bo bandits because they were coerced or because their lives were so difficult they could no longer survive."

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

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

These Bai Bo bandits, although their combat effectiveness was not great.

But added together, they possessed a population resource of over a hundred thousand.

In this era of the late Han.

Apart from land, money, and grain.

The most important resource was undoubtedly the human population.

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

Very quickly.

Under Xu Huang's recruitment.

Most of the Bai Bo 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 taken the initiative to strike first.

In the end, these people died one after another beneath the Rock-Splitting Axe.

And Bai Bo Valley, accompanied by a great fire, completely became a thing of the past.

……

At the same time.

On the vast and boundless grasslands of Bingzhou.

Lu Bu and Zhao Zilong 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 ways of saying it 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 military strength of Shangdang Commandery to participate in the alliance at Suanzao.

This resulted in the local garrison strength 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 had surrendered at the mere sight of them.

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

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

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

Although Ding Yuan later recovered some of the land.

But with the Bingzhou Army entering the capital, these lands had once again fallen into the hands of the Southern Xiongnu.

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

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

The Western Xiongnu were later gradually absorbed and dismembered by other tribes.

By the late Han era, only the Southern Xiongnu remained, lingering on in a precarious state.

In recent years, the Southern Xiongnu had fallen into civil war due to a struggle for the position of Chanyu.

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

Historically, the Southern Xiongnu civil war had continued until after the Battle of Guandu before a victor was decided.

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

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

His original intention was to borrow Yuan Shao's strength to reclaim the position of Chanyu.

But what he hadn't expected was.

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

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

By the era of Cao Rui.

The Southern Xiongnu intended to rebel.

They were again subjected to campaigns by the Bingzhou Inspector Tian Yu and the Fierce Cavalry General Qin Lang.

The few remaining Southern Xiongnu people, after being defeated, fled to the Xianbei and were absorbed and integrated into them.

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

And now.

The Southern Xiongnu people, busy with civil war, naturally could not be the match of Lu Bu and Zhao Zilong.

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

In fact.

It was not just Lu Bu and Zhao Zilong.

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

Liu Yan had even once held a serpent-headed spear and fought seven Southern Xiongnu armored cavalrymen in single combat, which could be described as majestic and awe-inspiring!

……

The facts were just as Lu Bu and Zhao Zilong 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, this Administrator of Shangdang, was truly incompetent to the extreme!

Apart from Zhang Yang, there were no other warlords entrenched in Bingzhou. ===== CHAPTER 307 =====