Wait, please don't call me Emperor Zhaolie

Chapter 369: The Huns Surrender
A few days later, before Liu Bei received any news about the Liangzhou bandits' dispatch of troops, he received a document and an envoy sent by the Xiongnu Chanyu Huhuxuan to persuade the tribal nobles to surrender to Luoyang.

Liu Bei looked at the attire of the Huns in front of him. It was no different from the Huns cavalry he defeated on the banks of the Huanshui and Qinshui rivers several years ago. They were still wearing the same loose robes, with long hair braided behind their heads. Their swords and bows and arrows had been checked and taken away by the soldiers of the Ruichong Camp.

Although the envoy was a close confidant of the Chanyu, he knelt down on the ground as soon as they met and kowtowed to the King of Han.

"Your Majesty, since the Xiongnu Chanyu submitted to the Han Dynasty, whenever there was an imperial edict to summon him, he would stay up all night sharpening his sword and preparing his bow and arrow to fight against the rebels."

"The former Chanyu Yufuluo was bewitched by Yuan Shao, a traitor to the Han Dynasty, and therefore he repeatedly opposed the king, causing many casualties among the tribes, and everyone hated him."

"So the Right Great Danghu Qubei and the tribal nobles supported the new Chanyu to succeed the throne, and also executed the son of Yufuluo who threatened to rebel against the Han Dynasty, and the envoy of the Baibo thief Yang Feng, and brought the heads of the two to the king to apologize. It was not the Xiongnu's intention to rebel against the Han Dynasty in the past."

"I hope the king will see the sincerity of our tribe, put aside the old grudges, and bring the Xiongnu back to the Han dynasty."

After the messenger finished speaking, he bowed his head again and then pointed to the head wrapped in cloth in the hands of the Han soldier behind him.

Seeing the King of Han's eye signal, the soldiers of Ruichong Camp immediately opened the cloth, revealing the head pickled in lime.

Liu Bei took a look and found that this son of Yu Fuluo was probably less than ten years old.

It is not known whether the other party spoke too quickly and brought disaster upon himself, or whether Huochuquan and the Xiongnu nobles chose to kill him on purpose in order to make amends.

Liu Bei placed the parchment document of the Xiongnu Chanyu's surrender on the table, looked at the envoy kneeling on the ground, and asked: "How many Han people have you captured and killed since you occupied Pingyang County in Hedong?"

"Even if you want to surrender, you must first release the civilians, as well as the women and children you kidnapped, all alive and without new scars. I will then send officials to verify the deaths and injuries. After the Han family has spent more than a month to verify and inquire about the matter, I will let Huchuquan come in person to discuss the many matters of surrender with me."

Liu Bei stared at the other person for a long time and spoke in an unquestionable tone.

As the King of Han finished speaking, the atmosphere in the tent suddenly became tense, causing the Xiongnu envoy's smile to stiffen slightly. Cold sweat broke out from his forehead, and for a moment he didn't know where to put his hands.

"Great... Great King, this, this..."

Some of the envoys were hesitant and difficult to answer, and usually they asked for surrender to the Han officials. After the two sides reached an agreement, some Han people were released. The Han officials gained face and the Huns did not suffer much loss.

Unexpectedly, the King of Han wanted to release these Han people as a prerequisite for surrender. He also wanted to prevent the Xiongnu nobles from taking revenge and deliberately killing the captured women and children. He also sent people to investigate.

If any tribal noble dares to do this, he will have no chance to go back when the Chanyu comes.

These are just ordinary women from the countryside, like the weeds in the fields and mountains, growing endlessly.

If she is not the daughter of one of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers of the Han Dynasty, is it necessary to spend so much manpower to verify it?

"Your Majesty, these women are nothing more than the wives and daughters of the common people..."

The Hun envoy warned carefully.

Although he didn't know why the clerk in the military tent did not persuade the King of Han, he needed to make the King of Han understand that this was a thankless task.

Unexpectedly, Liu Bei smiled and did not look at the Xiongnu envoy again. Instead, he looked around at the clerks in the tent and explained, "When Duke Mu of Qin's horse was lost and eaten by the people, he did not blame him. Instead, he was afraid that the people would be hurt, so he quickly sent wine."

"Duke Mu of Qin was able to put the common people first, so could it be that I, Liu Xuande, am not as broad-minded as the ruler of the Spring and Autumn Period?"

"No matter how noble or humble one's status is, as long as one is a Han Chinese, one cannot tolerate being bullied by others. This is the responsibility of the Han family."

"If any of the Hu people repent and surrender to the Han, they will also be herdsmen of the Han Dynasty. Officials and foreign Hu should not be allowed to humiliate them easily. Otherwise, they will be dismissed from their posts and investigated thoroughly. Foreign Hu will also raise troops to fight against them." "Yes!"

Many clerks bowed in unison in response.

This can be regarded as Liu Bei telling them in advance that they must strike a proper balance between leniency and severity in governing the border counties, and must not be lazy or take a one-size-fits-all approach.

Either use killing to push people to the opposite side, or just appease them and allow the Hu people to bully the Han people. From extreme to extreme, both are unacceptable.

When the Hun envoy saw this scene, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

The King of Han treats the common people even better than their Chanyu treats the lowest-level herdsmen.

As he was thinking about it, the envoy suddenly had a bad premonition. Would it be possible that after a few years, even the lower-class herdsmen of the Xiongnu would be willing to shed blood and serve the King of Han, draw their bows and arrows, and fight with their own food and fodder?
"Impossible. The King of Han is the ruler of Han, not Chanyu Chengligutu. How could he be so friendly to the Xiongnu?"

The Hun envoy immediately put aside the ridiculous ideas that arose in his mind and rejected them one after another.

Seeing that the King of Han had already stated the preconditions for surrender, the envoy felt a headache but at the same time he was relieved.

To surrender does not mean to give up rebellion and submit all at once.

As long as the leader of the Han family is not determined to kill them all, no matter how harsh the conditions are, they can be negotiated.

After all, they had been defeated twice, and the tribal herdsmen they had brought with them were already few in number, and they would be no match for the Han army if they fought again.

The rebellious tribal kings who occupied the city of Chanyu Tingzuo probably wished that they would all die outside and would never let these people get what they wanted.

"I have kept your words in mind and will inform the Chanyu so that he can make the decision."

In order to show his sincerity, the Hun envoy did not stand up during the conversation, which led to him almost stumbling and falling when he left.

He was so frightened that he bowed again and then retreated.

When the messenger's back was completely out of sight, Liu Bei could not help but sigh, shook his head and laughed at the officials, saying: "I'm afraid the fact that the Xiongnu asked for surrender cannot be hidden from the Liangzhou thieves in Guanzhong. With the convenience of Xiongnu cavalry grazing cattle and sheep, they can pass through the counties and directly attack the grain routes of Li Jue and Guo Si."

"I think these two thieves will never dare to leave the border again."

"It's such a pity that we prepared a banquet but the 'guests' didn't show up!"

Hearing that the king was worried about the small number of enemy troops, all the generals and captains in the camp laughed.

Gao Lan bowed his hands and asked for battle, saying: "Li Jue and Guo Si are as good as dead even if they are alive. Once we defeat the counties in Hedong, Your Majesty will lead the army into Guanzhong and we will surely capture them in one battle."

"It is better to attack Anyi as soon as possible and kill Yang Feng and Zhang Ji to boost the morale of the army. Although I am not talented, I am willing to fight for the king and die first to reach the top of the city!"

"He is also like this. I hope the king will allow it!"

When Zhang He heard Gao Lan's request for battle, he was not willing to be outdone. He immediately stepped out of the crowd and bowed to ask for a fight.

(End of this chapter)