The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 286 Lü Bu: It's been too long, it's finally my turn to make my appearance (with a map of the standoff in Liaodong)

Liaodong, Xuantu Commandery.

Now, let's talk about Xuantu Commandery, since Emperor Wu of Han expanded the territory.

It was a vital border town, defending against the northern barbarians and suppressing the eastern barbarians.

It was the early years of the Jian'an era, a time of chaos in the Central Plains and fragmentation of power among warlords.

The imperial court's prestige has waned, and border defenses have gradually weakened.

In the northeastern region, there was a powerful kingdom called Goguryeo.

The vassal states of Han, seeing China's constant warfare in recent years, have developed wolfish ambitions.

King Gao Yiyimo secretly gathered elite troops and frequently took advantage of the chaos to plunder the borders of the Han Dynasty.

On this day, the autumn sky was high and the horses were fat.

Gao Yimo convened a meeting of his ministers and said:
"Now the Han dynasty is in decline, Liaodong is empty, the garrison of Xuantu Commandery has no more than three thousand soldiers, and the food and fodder are also in short supply."

"If we raise an army to attack them, we will surely return with a great victory!"

Both sides praised it.

Therefore, he selected a thousand elite cavalry and three thousand infantry, with General Yan You as the first to lead the charge.

They crossed the river overnight and headed straight for Xuantu.

At that time, the Prefect of Xuantu was Wei Xu, a valiant general under Lü Bu.

Liaodong was originally part of Youzhou.

After Gongsun Du established himself as the ruler of Liaodong, Liaodong naturally fell out of Youzhou's jurisdiction.

Gongsun Du established Pingzhou himself and became its governor.

Later, Prime Minister Li pacified Liaodong and recovered the six prefectures of Liaodong.

Because the control over Youzhou was already quite weak, the control over Liaodong, which was even more harsh and remote, and was also an important border town, was even weaker.

Li Yi granted greater autonomy to the prefectures of Liaodong.

Following the old system established by Gongsun Du, Pingzhou was still established.

It governs five prefectures:

Liaoxi Commandery, Xuantu Commandery, Zhongliao Commandery, Lelang Commandery, and Daifang Commandery.

The capital of the prefecture was Zhongliao, with its seat in Xiangping.

Lü Bu was appointed Governor of Pingzhou, in charge of the military and political affairs of Pingzhou, and responsible for defending the border.

His elite soldiers all came from the border regions and held important positions such as governors of various prefectures.

For the past few years, Liaodong has been peaceful.

Thanks to Li Yi's personal campaign in Liaodong, his prestige was renowned both at home and abroad.

However, after Li Yi left, the military preparedness in Liaodong gradually relaxed.

That night, suddenly the sound of thunderous hooves could be heard outside the city, and a scout rushed to report:

"The Goguryeo army is pressing in and has already breached the outer defenses!"

Wei Xu was greatly alarmed and immediately summoned Wang Xiong, the prefectural commandant, to discuss the matter.

Wang Xiong was a veteran general from Youzhou. Although he was nearly sixty years old, his bravery and fierceness remained undiminished.

He immediately said to Wei Xu:
"The bandit chieftain has arrived suddenly. Your Excellency should first inform the garrison troops of the other prefectures."

"After we have gathered all the reinforcements, we will launch another attack to repel the enemy."

Wei Xu said worriedly:
"The enemy's forces are pressing us very hard, and we may not be able to resist them in a short time."

Wang Xiong then said:

"Let this old soldier defend the prefect!"

So he donned his armor, mounted his horse, and led over a thousand defenders to scale the city walls to fight the enemy.

Flames soared into the sky outside the city as Goguryeo troops surged in like a tidal wave.

Arrows flew like locusts, striking the city walls.

General Yeonwoo of Goguryeo shouted loudly:
"The Han people should surrender soon!"

Wang Xiong was furious and shouted angrily:

"We are paid by the imperial court to guard this border; how can we allow the barbarians to run rampant!"

He then ordered the archers to fire a volley, sending logs and rocks raining down.

Although the Goguryeo army was numerous, they could not get close for a time.

Seeing that the siege was not going well, Yan You ordered his soldiers to set fire to the city gates from all sides.

In an instant, black smoke obscured the moon, and flames soared into the sky.

Seeing the critical situation, Wang Xiong personally led a hundred elite soldiers to open the city gates and fight back.

The Goguryeo soldiers were overjoyed to see the city gates suddenly open and swarmed in.

Wang Xiong brandished his spear, leaped onto his horse, and stabbed several riders in quick succession, shouting:

"Kill the thieves! Kill the thieves!"
The old general's heroic spirit remains, and all the soldiers around him are filled with high spirits.

They all rushed forward and fought fiercely with the Hu chieftain, their battle robes stained with blood.

They fought all night until dawn.

The defending troops at the pass were ultimately outnumbered.

Despite being struck by several arrows, Wang Xiong still fought bravely with his sword.

Finally, exhausted, he was hacked to death by the chaotic army.

Wang Xiong's death bought Wei Xu time, allowing him to successfully lead his troops to retreat.

Having narrowly escaped death, Wei Xu couldn't help but look back at the city gate one last time.

"You audacious barbarians, how dare you do this!"

The inherent pride of the Han people made them look down on the neighboring nomadic regimes.

Since Xuantu County had been peaceful for the past few years, Wei Xu embezzled some military pay to enrich himself.

This resulted in a relatively lax military preparedness in Xuantu County.

However, Wei Xu believed that the existing military strength was sufficient to resist the invading enemy forces.

Unexpectedly, the Goguryeo people launched such a large-scale "surprise attack".

Moreover, these soldiers are quite capable in combat, and it is clear that they were dispatched in an organized and planned manner by the highest leadership.

When faced with such a situation, Wei Xu could only accept his bad luck.

When it was time to withdraw, some generals advised against it:
"Now that the Goguryeo people have invaded, General, you are guarding the border for the country. We have not yet made sufficient preparations to resist, so we have led our troops to withdraw."

"What if the imperial court punishes us? How will we explain this?"

Wei Xu, however, said:

"We are located outside the Great Wall; how could the imperial court possibly know everything that is happening in Liaodong?"

"Moreover, the Hu chieftain is coming with great force, and with the troops I currently have, we are no match for him."

"It would be better to preserve our strength and wait until we meet the Prefect before we can discuss this further."

The general who guarded the pass just now, Wang Xiong, was a local veteran, and the troops under his command were government-sponsored soldiers.

In other words, it was the money that Liu Bei was supporting, or more specifically, the money that Li Yi was using to pay for it with Hebei currency.

Because Liaodong was running a deficit, Li Yi's policy of governing Liaodong was to grant it a high degree of autonomy.

In Hebei, only some military horses for the border region are raised.

Its equipment, supplies, provisions, and personnel were all provided by Hebei Province.

The rest was left for Lü Bu and his men to feed themselves.

No matter how you raise your troops, Li Yi doesn't care.

Anyway, Hebei will only give Liaodong a certain amount of money each year, and the rest is up to you.

All I want is peace and stability in Liaodong, to avoid any trouble or mishaps.

It's that simple!
This was the policy for governing Liaodong established by Li Yi.

As a result, Wei Xu only had three thousand men under his command.

Maintaining a proper regular army of three thousand men in Xuantu County is no easy task.

If the number of bandits is small, Wei Xu will naturally resist.

But with so many bandits coming at once, the damaged equipment and lost personnel would all be Wei Xu's own losses!

Although Li Yi had given an order before leaving that all soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect their country could report to the authorities.

In other words, Hebei will pay to compensate Liaodong for its losses.

However, the border guards must first report to Lu Bu, the governor of Pingzhou.

Then Lü Bu reported it to Zhang Xiu, the Northern Garrison Commandant, who then forwarded it to the Hebei Prime Minister's Office for review.

The time wasted traveling back and forth would be at least two months.

There is also a review process in between.

This involves checking whether someone truly died for their country and whether the number of deaths was falsely reported.

Funds will be allocated after the review is completed, which may take three or four months in total.

In addition, there have been no large-scale conflicts in the past few years.

Only a few people might die, so many generals were too lazy to report it to the authorities.

Save yourself the trouble.

"The bandit leader is coming on strong, let's retreat a bit!"

In the end, Wei Xu decided to make a "tactical" retreat in order to preserve his troops.

The Goguryeo army was then able to breach the city and immediately began to plunder.

All men in the city who resisted were slaughtered.

Women and children were all driven into slavery.

The granaries and government warehouses were looted completely.
The civilian houses and government offices were all burned to the ground.

The cries of agony echoed across the fields.

"...Kill...Kill!"

Among these Goguryeo soldiers were also some Xianbei cavalry.

The relationship between the Xianbei regime in the north and the Han Dynasty is actually quite good.

However, good relations between the two regimes do not necessarily mean that the people of the two countries will live in harmony.

The Xianbei were, after all, a nomadic regime, and every year when the winter came, they would take the opportunity to raid southwards.

Border trade has been established in the border areas.

Therefore, there was actually no large-scale conflict between the Xianbei government and Youzhou.

Indeed, there have been no wars in the past few years.

However, some Xianbei people still did not like trade and commerce.

They prefer simpler, more direct plundering, and they inherently enjoy the thrill of plunder.

Therefore, some young people in the Xianbei tribes spontaneously formed a team to plunder the people in the south.

The Youzhou authorities couldn't easily blame the Xianbei for forming such a spontaneous small group.

Moreover, such small teams are unlikely to pose a threat to border defenses.

For the leaders above, as long as you don't threaten the security of the border.

Then I can explain to the central government.

As long as the central government knows that the border is safe and sound, my official position is secure.

Therefore, they didn't care about these small teams that were gathering grass and grain.

But the people living on the border are suffering terribly.

The Xianbei people, who were "bloodthirsty," were even more traditional and cold-blooded, and retained many barbaric customs.

For example, turning people into dried meat and storing them for the winter.

Young women are even less likely to escape the clutches of these predators.

This all aligns with their traditional lifestyle of eating raw meat and drinking blood.

……

Liaodong, Xiangping.

Now, let's talk about Lü Bu, the governor of Pingzhou. Since he took over Xiangping, he has been the undisputed "King of Liaodong".

There was no one around me who could offer advice.

Thus, he became arrogant and self-satisfied, relying on his courage and arrogance, and indulged in wine and women all day long.

On this day, he was holding a grand banquet in his mansion, drinking and reveling with a group of beautiful women.

The music and dancing were delightful, and everyone was having a great time.

Suddenly a scout galloped in, knelt down, and urgently reported:

"My lord! Something terrible has happened!"

"The Goguryeo people launched a surprise attack on Xuantu County, the defending army was routed, and the city has fallen!"

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu smashed his wine cup on the ground with a "crack".

Wine splashed everywhere, eyes wide with anger, and he shouted:
"You barbarians from Goguryeo, how dare you invade my territory!"

Lu Bu was furious. He had never seen the Xiongnu so arrogant when he fought them in Bingzhou.

What's wrong with these Goguryeo people? How dare they mess with us?

Upon hearing this news, all the generals on either side changed color.

Cheng Lian, Song Xian, and other generals eagerly volunteered for the battle.

Lü Bu slammed his fist on the table and stood up, shouting sternly:

"Order the three armies to muster their troops immediately."

"I will personally lead an expedition against Goguryeo and raze their country to the ground!"

After saying that, he glanced at the broken wine cup on the ground.

I couldn't help but feel a little heartbroken, because it was a glass cup presented by a small overseas country.

It was a rare and precious item, and Lü Bu greatly admired it.

Seeing it shattered on the ground, anger surged within him, and he cursed:
"In this battle, I will capture its king and behead him."

"Use its skull as my wine cup!"

Just as they were about to mobilize troops, a man suddenly strode into the palace; it was Liu Ye, the Protector of Goguryeo.

When Li Yi left Liaodong, he feared that Lü Bu and his gang were all brawn and no brains.

Therefore, the position of Protector of Goguryeo was established, with Liu Ye appointed to exercise supervisory power.

This was to restrain Lü Bu and prevent him from becoming a second Gongsun Du.

Liu Ye was nearly thirty years old at this time.

In the prime of his life, at the peak of his wisdom and strategy.

He is no longer the naive and impetuous Liu Ziyang he once was.

Seeing that Lü Bu had already begun to mobilize his troops, Liu Ye quickly stepped forward to advise him:
"My lord, please calm your anger!"

"Although Goguryeo is rampant, Wei Xu, the governor of Xuantu, is still alive."

Why not first inquire about their responsibilities in battle and defense?

Oh, right~
Only after Liu Ye reminded him did Lü Bu remember.

Xuantu has a garrison commander.

He sent his brother-in-law to Xuantu to guard the border.

The money that Hebei Province distributes every year is basically invested in border areas.

Logically speaking, Wei Xu should have had quite a few guns and cannons, so how could the city have fallen so quickly?

Those around Wei Xu who disagreed with him secretly informed Lü Bu, saying:
"...General Wei, while stationed at the border, embezzled all the money sent from Hebei every year."

"This is why the military preparedness of Xuantu County has become lax."

what! ?

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu immediately remembered that Wei Xu, as one of his former subordinates, had been guarding Xuantu for several years.

Every year, Hebei Province issues huge subsidies, most of which are invested in Xuantu.

As it turned out, his brother-in-law took the most money but did the most pathetic thing.

Enraged that Goguryeo had breached the city so easily, Lü Bu roared:

"Wei Xu is incompetent, which led to the loss of the border. He deserves to be beheaded!"

"Guards! Go to Xuantu immediately and bring him to justice!"

Lu Bu was truly angry this time.

It should be noted that Lü Bu's principal wife was "Lady Wei," and he was related to Wei Xu by marriage.

Lu Bu, a man who was "short-tempered as a hero and tender-hearted as a man," was relatively good to his relatives.

Historical records indicate that he preferred Wei Xu and disliked loyal military generals such as Gao Shun.

Lü Bu often seized Gao Shun's elite troops and handed them over to Wei Xu, which shows his likes and dislikes.

However, having spent so much time in Liaodong, Lü Bu's mindset has changed.

In the past three years, Lü Bu has only married twenty wives.

Women from all ethnic groups are included.

She gave birth to eight children, five of whom died young. She had one daughter and two sons, all still nursing.

Don't say that Lü Bu didn't take care of his brother-in-law.

The position of Prefect of Xuantu may seem like a frontier post, but in Pingzhou it is actually a lucrative one, and many generals are vying for it.

This was thanks to Li Yi's diplomatic policies and the direct external communication between Tian Yu, Qian Zhao, and others in Youzhou.

The border defense pressure in Pingzhou is actually very small.

However, the subsidies they receive from Hebei Province each year are substantial.

Therefore, Lü Bu sent Wei Xu to Xuantu to take care of his own people.

What Lu Bu never expected was that Wei Xu had worn away all his "heroic spirit" during his years in Xuantu.

They only know how to fatten themselves up, while neglecting border defenses.

This naturally enraged the ever-arrogant Lü Bu.

Not to mention that if Lü Bu, as the governor of Pingzhou, were to cause trouble on the border, Wei Xu's direct superior would also be implicated.

Seeing that Lü Bu was about to punish Wei Xu, Liu Ye quickly stopped him and whispered:
"My lord, please wait! Although Xuantu is now trapped, if Wei Xu is still resisting, we may force him to surrender to the enemy if we rashly punish him."

"It would be better to let him atone for his crimes by serving a good cause and hold his ground until our troops arrive, and then deal with him accordingly."

"My army has not yet arrived; if they find out I will punish them."

“If he harbors disloyal intentions, then Xuan Tu will be beyond redemption.”

Liu Ye, as expected of an old fox, strongly advised Lü Bu to first stabilize Wei Xu.

Once our army arrives, we can punish Wei Xu however we wish.

Don't rush to speak.

They still have troops at their disposal; what if they scare people away or force them to rebel?

That would be difficult.

Lu Bu was in a fit of rage and ignored Liu Ye's words.

They insisted on sending someone to arrest Wei Xu and bring him to justice.

Liu Ye tried to persuade them again, and the two argued for a while without reaching an agreement.

In the midst of the discussion, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the tent.

A female general, clad in armor and holding a sword, strode in.

It was Lü Bu's daughter, Lü Lingqi.

Lü Wen, courtesy name Lingqi, was originally from Jiuyuan County, Wuyuan Prefecture.

He was eighteen years old and had been practicing martial arts since childhood, and was skilled in archery and horsemanship.

Moreover, he was strong-willed, no less so than a man.

At this moment, her phoenix eyes held a commanding presence, and she clasped her hands in a fist salute, saying
"Father wishes to conquer Goguryeo, and I am willing to go with him!"

If it weren't for the fact that she had several more children in Liaodong.

Lü Lingqi was practically Lü Bu's only daughter.

Five of the previous eight children had died young.

Lu Bu was somewhat "emotional" at heart. Upon seeing that it was her, he was first taken aback, then shouted:

"Military matters are not to be interfered with by women! Return to your quarters immediately!"

Instead of retreating, Lü Lingqi stepped forward, raising her head and saying:

“My father always said, ‘Like father, like daughter.’ Now that Goguryeo has humiliated our borders, how can I sit idly by?”

"Moreover, my child has admired Fu Hao's achievements since childhood and has always wanted to emulate them."

"Now I serve the country and guard the border."

"My daughter would rather die in battle than live a life of humiliation."

Seeing his daughter's boundless enthusiasm, Lü Bu felt both proud and heartbroken.

However, this applies to both men and women living on the Liaodong border.

If you don't know martial arts, you will definitely suffer a great loss.

After all, this is not a place for etiquette.

Seeing this, Liu Ye smiled slightly and advised:

"Since the young lady has such ambitions, why not let her lead a light cavalry unit to support the main army, which will also be a good opportunity for her to gain experience?"

Lu Bu pondered for a moment, then finally nodded:
"In that case, you may lead five hundred cavalry and accompany me."

"Any mishap will be dealt with according to military law!"

Lu Bu was, after all, a father, and he entrusted his five hundred most elite veteran soldiers to his daughter.

He also had her lead those five hundred cavalrymen to support him, but in reality, it was so that he could keep an eye on her and prevent any trouble.

Lü Lingqi was overjoyed and clasped her hands in agreement:

"I will certainly not fail my father's trust!"

After saying that, he glanced around again, then stepped closer and whispered:

"...Father, what Mr. Ziyang said just now is not without reason."

"Since our formidable enemy is Goguryeo, why not let my uncle atone for his crimes by performing meritorious service?"

When Lü Lingqi was three years old, her uncle Wei Xu was already carrying her on his shoulders.

It's impossible to say that Lü Lingqi had no feelings for her uncle.

Seeing that things had come to this, she couldn't help but speak up for Wei Xu.

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu pondered for a moment. Although he was still angry, he had largely calmed down.

If Wei Xu is really killed, I'm afraid the lady will be sad.
So he said:

"In that case, spare Wei Xu's life for now."

"He is holding out with his remaining troops to the death. If they lose even an inch of land, he will be executed without mercy!"

The following day, Lü Bu officially took charge of his troops.

Lü Bu took command of the central army, leading three thousand iron cavalry.

The majority of them were veterans from Bingzhou, with a small number of local soldiers recruited from Liaodong.

The left-wing army was commanded by Hou Cheng, who led two thousand soldiers.

Swords and shields stood like a forest, exuding a chilling aura of killing intent.

The right-wing army was led by Cheng Lian, who also commanded 2,000 elite troops.

Their armor was gleaming, and their steps were perfectly synchronized.

The rear army was led by Cao Xing, and all of them wore red armor and carried short bows.

With a ring-pommel sword hanging at his waist, he looked imposing.

The three armies lined up in battle formation, their banners obscuring the sky.

Lu Bu rode his horse to inspect the camp. Seeing the army's disciplined appearance, he was greatly pleased and brandished his halberd, shouting:
“The Goguryeo barbarians have repeatedly invaded our territory.”

"Today we must sweep away their capital and eliminate this threat forever!"

The soldiers shouted in unison, their voices echoing throughout Liaodong.

Lü Lingqi also drew her sword and shouted, "I am willing to follow Lord Wen and wipe out the barbarians!"

"His voice was clear and melodious, and it was no less heroic than that of a man."

The army set off, raising clouds of dust.

The people of Liaodong brought food and drink, lining the roads to see him off, all saying:

"The daughter of the Lü family is truly a model of military virtue!"

……

Let me talk about two things.

As Lü Bu's army set out, Zhang Xiu, the Northern Garrison Commander, also received news of the fall of Xuantu.

They immediately mustered 5,000 elite troops and marched north under the cover of night.

During the march, Zhang Xiu was deep in thought on horseback.

Suddenly, he asked his advisor Jia Xu:
"...Sir, there is something I don't understand."

"Goguryeo is but a tiny, insignificant country; how dare it offend our mighty Han?"

"Do they think we have no one to rely on in Liaodong?"

The saying "One Han man is worth five Hu barbarians" is not a joke.

Even during the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty, no Han person believed that the Hu people could be on equal footing with the Han people.

Jia Xu stroked his short beard and said slowly:

"General, you are unaware that the nature of barbarians is like a dog barking at the sun."

"Although it cannot harm people, it is incessantly noisy."

“They dare to invade the border not because they are not afraid of the Emperor’s might, but because they are certain that the court will not be able to keep a large army in this bitterly cold place for long.”

Zhang Xiu frowned and said, "If that's the case, why not just destroy their country in one fell swoop and eliminate future troubles?"

Jia Xu shook his head and sighed:

"General, have you not heard of the old stories of Emperor Guangwu?"

"In the past, Goguryeo rebelled repeatedly. Although Emperor Guangwu was able to conquer them, he ultimately abandoned their territory. Why was that?"

"In Liaodong, the snow is thick and the ice is solid, and the mountains are dangerous and the roads are long."

"Even if we win a temporary victory, if the army stays there for too long, it will be difficult to keep up with the food supply, and it will only waste the country's strength."

"Therefore, wise rulers throughout history have mostly adopted the strategy of appeasement."

"It's not that we can't fight, but that the losses outweigh the gains."

Ironically, the Goguryeo people burned, killed, and looted in Xuantu County, but their ancestors actually originated from Xuantu.

At that time, there was a Goguryeo County in Xuantu, inhabited by Goguryeo people.

They lived among the surrounding Huimo tribes and the Buyeo people.

After living together and integrating, the Goguryeo people came into being.

In many people's minds, Goguryeo seems to have gained its fame because of the repeated attempts by the Sui and Tang dynasties to conquer it.

However, since its founding, it has always been a formidable enemy of the Han Dynasty in the northeast.

For example, in the 25th year of Emperor Guangwu's reign (1666), Goguryeo launched a large-scale attack on Liaodong.

In the first year of Emperor He of Han's Yuanxing era, Goguryeo attacked six counties in Liaodong Commandery.

In the fifth year of Emperor An of Han's reign (1120), Goguryeo attacked Xuantu Commandery again.

Three years later, Feng Huan, the governor of Youzhou, organized a counterattack against Goguryeo.

The Goguryeo people used a "feigned surrender" tactic to keep the Han army bogged down in the Changbai Mountain area.

They then took advantage of the situation to launch a surprise attack on Xuantu County, which was sparsely defended, as well as Liaodong County.

That same summer, the Goguryeo people, in alliance with the Xianbei people, attacked Liaodong Commandery once again.

Moreover, this time, they went directly deep into the lower reaches of the Liao River.

Cai Feng, the governor of Liaodong, pursued and attacked the Goguryeo people, and was eventually killed in battle.

These struggles clearly demonstrate that Goguryeo was a major threat to the northeastern region of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

At that time, the Goguryeo people abducted a large number of Han Chinese.

The Eastern Han Dynasty previously advocated using force to reclaim these people.

However, it was later discovered that the money burned in the war was far more than the money they had spent on redemption.

So they changed it directly to a redemption policy.

In other words, the Eastern Han Dynasty directly exchanged silk for the Han people captured by Goguryeo.

This policy, in effect, encouraged the Goguryeo people to abduct people.

Therefore, he was despised by many people in later generations.

People believe that if it were Emperor Wu of Han, he would definitely have used force to take it back.

That's absolutely true.

However, the Eastern Han Dynasty's policy toward Goguryeo was always quite pragmatic.

The war cost so much money that even the Goguryeo people managed to exploit the situation.

The money and provisions spent on it were less than one-tenth of what was spent on direct military expeditions.

"...Wenhe's words are indeed reasonable."

"But now that the Goguryeo are so rampant, how can the border people live in peace if they are not punished?"

Zhang Xiu asked the question.

Upon hearing this, Jia Xu smiled slightly:
"Punishment is acceptable, but there is no need to pursue the matter relentlessly."

"For example, to drive away a wolf, you only need to make it feel pain and then it will retreat."

Why venture deep into the lair only to suffer harm?

Zhang Xiu pondered for a moment, then asked Jia Xu:

"...Sir, you are a wise man, may you explain it to me?"

"There are many foreign tribes in this Liaodong region."

"How can these Goguryeo people, whose power is yet to be seen, become such a great threat to me?"

Jia Xu stroked his beard and explained to Zhang Xiu in a simple and easy-to-understand way:
"...Goguryeo, being close to China, was able to observe Han customs and rituals."

"Their people are accustomed to our customs and understand our strengths and weaknesses."

"Therefore, he was able to take advantage of the chaos during the Xin Dynasty and seize Xuantu."

"When Emperor Guangwu restored the Han dynasty, the Han court indulged him and allowed him to establish himself as emperor."

"The country is located in a remote and desolate area with narrow and cramped fields."

"Even with diligent farming and fishing, it is still difficult to fill one's stomach."

"Although they controlled the Woju and Huimo tribes and obtained their fish, salt, and cloth, they were still not able to satisfy their own needs."

"As a result, the household registration system is weak and population growth is slow."

"Therefore, since its founding, its ambition to expand its territory has never slackened."

"They invaded Fuyu in the north, devoured Lelang in the south, and eyed Liaodong in the west."

"The Liaodong region is fertile and has a suitable climate, making it the land that Goguryeo has always dreamed of."

Due to geographical reasons, the Goguryeo people were able to have direct contact with Han civilization.

They were far more familiar with the internal affairs of the Han Dynasty than other ethnic groups.

Therefore, they could take advantage of the chaos during the Xin Dynasty to quickly seize most of the territory of Xuantu Commandery of the Western Han Dynasty.

Then, after the establishment of the Eastern Han Dynasty, they forced the Han Dynasty to acknowledge the fait accompli.

They tacitly approved their efforts to establish an independent nation.

As a mountainous country, Goguryeo had a very weak agricultural base.

The Goguryeo people also established some small agricultural areas amidst the treacherous mountains and rivers.

However, due to the extreme cold of Changbai Mountain, even though the Goguryeo people worked hard in agriculture and fishing, they still couldn't get enough to eat.

At the same time, Goguryeo, as a powerful state in the northeast, was able to collect various products such as fish, salt, and cloth from the Okju and Hoemo people.

Yet they still cannot achieve self-sufficiency.

This resulted in slow population growth in Goguryeo.

Therefore, they broke out of the mountains and developed towards the plains and mature agricultural areas.

This became the basic national policy of the Goguryeo Kingdom.

Therefore, we can see that after the founding of Goguryeo.

It almost relentlessly devoured the surrounding land.

They attacked northwards, gradually encroaching upon the Fuyu Kingdom, and attacked southwards, gradually encroaching upon the Lelang Commandery.

First, they attacked westward to the Liaohe Plain, where Liaodong Commandery was located.

Among them, Liaodong Commandery had the mildest climate.

This area has the largest population and the highest level of development.

Therefore, Liaodong Commandery was always the place that Goguryeo longed for.

Zhang Xiu was also moved after hearing this.

Judging from Jia Xu's words, Goguryeo is simply incapable of coexisting peacefully with the Han Dynasty.

Unless the Han Dynasty gives him Xuantu and Liaodong.

Otherwise, they will keep attacking here, because this is their national policy.

Just then, a scout from the front reported:
"Lu Bu's army has set off from Xiangping and is heading towards Xuantu!"

Zhang Xiu brandished his whip and shouted:

"Order the entire army to accelerate the march!"

"Don't let Lü Bu take all the credit!"

After saying this, the army quickly headed north.

……

(Map showing Liaodong and Goguryeo facing off)

(End of this chapter)