Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 116: Suppressing the Huns

December, Pingcheng.

The wind was cold and the snow was flying. In the open countryside, the riders galloped on their horses, leaving hoof prints on the snow, which were soon covered by snowflakes.

At this time, Zhang Yu, who had nothing to do, thought about the end of the year, so he organized an archery competition among the generals, and the loser would punish himself by drinking.

"Whoosh!"

Zhang Liao took aim and shot the arrow, hitting the bull's eye.

"Zhang Liao hit the bull's eye with two of his three arrows, Kobe hit the bull's eye with three of his three arrows, Kobe wins!" the attendants sang.

Kirby bowed to Zhang Liao and said with a smile: "I drank two bottles in a row, now it's Wenyuan's turn to drink!"

“My hands are shaking!”

Zhang Liao said depressedly: "I'll let you win today!"

"Wenyuan, drink it!"

Zhang Yu personally poured a bottle of wine and said with a smile, "Who would like to compete with Shi Yi in archery?"

"Lain?"

"No!"

Kirby was very self-aware and said, "To save you the trouble, I'll drink one myself first!"

"It seems that no one is willing to compete with Shi Yi. I wonder if Shi Yi is willing to compete with me?" Zhang Yu asked.

"I don't want to!"

Shi Yi hurriedly shook his head and said, "Your Excellency's archery skills are superb. I would like to drink with Kobe."

"Ha ha!"

Seeing this, everyone couldn't help but smile good-naturedly. In the army, Shi Yi and Zhang Yu were both recognized as having outstanding archery skills, but Zhang Yu and Shi Yi had never competed with each other. Every time Zhang Yu wanted to compete, Shi Yi would directly admit defeat. Gradually, everyone had a ranking. The best archer in the army was Zhang Yu, followed by Shi Yi.

"Brother-in-law, let me compete with Guo Boji!"

In the crowd, the plump Wang Ling stood up and said, "Guo Boji cheated me last time, I must defeat him this time!"

In autumn and winter, Wang Hong was summoned by He Jin to Luoyang, leaving Wang Ling in Taiyuan. After Wang Hong left, Wang Ling was restless and wanted to travel to Pingcheng. Wang's mother disagreed at first, but she had to agree because of Wang Ling's insistence.

After arriving in Pingcheng, Wang Ling and Guo Huai were of similar age, so they naturally got to know each other and were inseparable every day. They had a very good relationship. Although they had a good relationship, for a young man, the desire to win was more important. Therefore, in today's archery competition, Wang Ling had always been unwilling to admit defeat to Guo Huai.

Guo Huai came out holding the bow and said, "Since Yan Yun is not convinced, I am willing to fight with you again and make you convinced!"

"Come!"

Wang Ling was the first to go outside the tent, standing in the white snow, and aiming at the target.

"Whoosh!"

"Hearts!" sang the squire.

"It's your turn, Boji!" Wang Ling raised his chin and said proudly.

Guo Huai took aim at the bow, adjusted it, and when he was about to shoot, he suddenly saw someone appear in front of him, so he had to aim elsewhere.

"Missed the target!"

"You will lose~"

"Urgent report!"

Before Wang Ling could finish, he saw the scout covered in snow quickly enter the tent and said breathlessly, "My Lord, urgent news!"

"What's the matter?"

Zhang Yu calmed down and asked, "Did the Xianbei invade?"

"no!"

The scout calmed down and said, "According to the Taiyuan military report, the Xiongnu tribes rebelled together, destroyed the Zuoguo city, and killed the Chanyu Qiangqu. They also destroyed the county seat Lishi and attacked and killed the county governor Xing Ji. Now they have set up another Xiongnu Chanyu and rebelled against our dynasty."

As he spoke, the scout handed over the official document and said, "Here is the military information written by Governor Zhang. Please check it."

"Please drink warm wine to warm yourself up!"

"Thank you, Lord!"

Zhang Yu handed the warm wine to the scout, then checked the ink and opened the letter.

In the letter, Zhang Yi told Zhang Yu about the rebellion of the Southern Xiongnu, especially the current situation of the Southern Xiongnu. After killing the Chanyu, the Xiongnu Xiutuhu united with the troops of Zuo Xianwang, and recommended Xubu Guduhou as Chanyu under the recommendation of the nobles of various tribes.

After Xubu Guduhou ascended the throne, he attacked the counties of Xihe and plundered Taiyuan and Hedong. He also used the banner of rebellion against the Han Dynasty to gather the Xiongnu scattered on the Ordos Plateau. The current rebellion is so powerful and the number of troops is unknown, which is probably not less than the Southern Xiongnu rebellion that broke out in the fifth year of Yonghe (140 AD).

Seeing Zhang Yu's serious expression, Zhang Liao asked, "Sir, is the Xiongnu rebellion serious?"

Zhang Yu sighed slightly, handed the letter to everyone to read, and said: "Xiongnu Xiu Tu Hu rebelled, and rebelled together with the old Zuo Xianwang tribe, and established Xubu Gudu Hou as Chanyu. Xiongnu Hu cavalry has penetrated deep into Taiyuan, and the counties of Bingzhou are shaken. Now I don't know what the Southern Xiongnu intends to do, and it is even more difficult to know how many troops they have."

"Hush Tuhu?"

Yu Yi asked in confusion: "At the beginning of our dynasty, eight tribes of the Xiongnu invaded the Great Wall. I wonder which tribe Xiu Tuhu came from?"

"Xiutuhu is a descendant of Xiongnu King Xiutu. He entered the Great Wall earlier than the eight Xiongnu tribes. During the reign of Emperor Shizong (Liu Che), he and King Hunxie surrendered to our dynasty. Jin Midi, a minister of the Former Han Dynasty, was a descendant of Xiutuhu. Therefore, most Xiutuhu people took Jin as their surname. There was also a Dugu tribe."

Li Song hesitated for a moment and said, "After entering the Great Wall, Emperor Shizong placed Xiu Tu Hu in the five counties of Longxi, Beidi, Shangjun, Shuofang, and Yunzhong. When our dynasty was revived, we were afraid that the Northern Xiongnu would plunder the border, so we moved Xiu Tu Hu to Shuofang."

"When the eight Xiongnu tribes returned to the frontier, the Xiutu tribe was under the jurisdiction of the Xiongnu Chanyu. But because the Xiutu tribe was dispersed and the Chanyu's prestige was not strong, it was difficult for the Chanyu to control the Xiutu tribe. Now the Xiutu tribe has rebelled because they are dissatisfied with Yu Fuluo leading 3,000 cavalry to the expedition to Youzhou. They took advantage of the loose defense of Zuocheng to kill the Chanyu to avoid the trouble of our dynasty to mobilize troops."

Li Song's mother's tribe was Xiongnu, and he was now the protector of two Xiongnu tribes. Therefore, he had in-depth research and understanding of the internal situation of the Xiongnu. Even Zhang Yu occasionally needed to consult Li Song about the situation of the Xiongnu tribes.

Yu Yi frowned and said, "If what Li Changshi said is true, then the Xiutu Hu people have been multiplying in Henan for hundreds of years. I wonder how many of them there are?"

"I don't know!"

Li Song shook his head and said, "When Emperor Shizong moved in, there were only about 40,000 people. Now, after hundreds of years of multiplication, they are scattered all over the mountains and plateaus and scattered in various counties. They are not under our control. Song really does not know their number, but it may be no less than 200,000, or it may be equal to the number of the eight Xiongnu tribes."

After two or three hundred years of reproduction, the Xiutu Hu gradually migrated to Henan, and lived in Shangjun, Beidi, Anding, and Xihe counties, living together with the Dongqiang who migrated eastward, and invaded the northern Shaanxi Plateau in later generations.

When the Eastern Han Dynasty was prosperous, the Xiutuhu were still able to accept the rule and exploitation of the Eastern Han Dynasty. When the Eastern Han Dynasty was weak, the Xiutuhu were difficult to control, and once they were exploited, they would easily revolt.

"If what the Chief Secretary said is true, and Xiu Tuhu has united with the Xiongnu tribes, wouldn't their rebellious troops number tens of thousands?" Zhang Liao said.

"Probably so!" Li Song said vaguely.

Zhang Liao thought for a long time and said, "Now the governor of Xihe County has died in battle, and the Xiongnu cavalry has invaded Taiyuan. According to the governor's opinion, my troops may need to go south to provide assistance." Zhang Yu paced and thought deeply, and said, "My troops are under the military order of the court, and the governor of Bingzhou cannot protect them. Now without the Luoyang imperial edict, my troops cannot go south and need to stay in Yanbei."

"Where is Wenyuan?"

"The general is here!"

"Call all the soldiers and officers who have returned home to visit their families, and start training non-stop from today." Zhang Yu ordered.

"Yes!" Zhang Liao responded with a serious expression and bowed.

"Where are Bosong and Shiyi?"

"exist!"

"Bo Song should immediately return to Chanhebi to take charge and prevent Zuo Nan and Lan's tribes from being affected by the Xiongnu rebellion. If there is any unusual movement, the leader should be killed immediately to deter those who commit crimes. Shi Yi will lead his tribe to Qiangwo, and the Protector General Lan will be in charge of the two tribes." Zhang Yu said.

"The last general takes command!"

"The rest of the officers and soldiers should return to the camp, organize the baggage, and wait for the order to dispatch troops at any time," said Zhang Yu.

"promise!"

The generals looked solemn and retreated one after another.

Wang Ling was eager to try, and said, "Brother-in-law, can I go with the army?"

"cannot!"

Zhang Yu rejected the suggestion and said, "The Xiongnu rebels have many soldiers and horses, and the Xiutuhu are unruly and unruly. You should not underestimate them. When I lead my troops south, I will send you and Boji back to Taiyuan."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ling and Guo Huai became depressed instantly.

Seeing this, Zhang Yu patted the two men on the shoulders and encouraged them, "When you two come of age, I will accept you as my subordinates. Now you and Bo Ji are still young and have no experience in battle, so it is not convenient for you to go with the army!"

"promise!"

If he was the deputy commander of the Xiongnu, Zhang Yu might have been responsible for suppressing the rebellion. But now Zhang Yu is the commander of the Xianbei, responsible for fighting and diplomacy with the Xianbei. Therefore, if he wants to suppress the rebellion of the Southern Xiongnu, he needs an imperial decree to go south.

However, Zhang Yu knew very well that it was only a matter of time before he went south to quell the rebellion. After all, Hedong and Taiyuan were key counties and could not be easily lost.

While Zhang Yu was gathering his troops and waiting for the imperial edict to march south, the court was divided on whether to quell the Hun rebellion.

In the Chongde Hall, Liu Hong's face was full of fatigue. He had finally waited for the good news from Youzhou, but now the rebellion of the Southern Xiongnu in Bingzhou made him helpless.

He had learned from the lesson of withholding the military expenses of the Wuhuan Cavalry last time, and thought that if he paid the military expenses, the Xiongnu Cavalry would go to war for him. Unexpectedly, the Xiongnu still rebelled, and even killed their own Chanyu and rebelled. He really didn't understand the reason.

Liu Hong coughed and asked, "Now the Xiongnu have killed their Chanyu and rebelled. What are your opinions?"

Yang Biao, the Grand Secretary, held up a tablet and said, "Your Majesty, the Xiongnu have now established their own Chanyu and are unwilling to accept our protectorate. In my opinion, we should order the governor of Bingzhou to lead the troops of all counties to attack them, so as to prevent the Xiongnu from causing chaos and affecting Guanzhong."

Sikong Dinggong shook his head and said, "It is easy to send troops now, but because of the suppression of the bandits in Jingchu and Youyan states, the treasury is empty, and it is difficult to raise another army."

Yang Biao looked at him coldly and said, "According to what Sikong said, can we just sit back and watch the Xiongnu rebel and invade Guanzhong?"

Ding Gong did not want to argue with Yang Biao, and said calmly: "If Your Majesty can pay the money of Shaofu and Xiyuan, you can order the counties of Bingzhou to fight against the Xiongnu."

Hearing this, Liu Hong frowned. Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he had contributed a lot of money to the national treasury every year. Now he had to pay for the expedition to quell the Xiongnu Rebellion himself.

"Do you really have no money?" Liu Hong asked.

"I really have no money!"

Seeing that Liu Hong did not believe him, Ding Gong bowed and said, "If Your Majesty does not believe it, you can order the attendant to check the treasury."

Taiwei Cao Song hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, Bingzhou is surrounded by mountains and passes. It is better to seal the passes now to prevent the Xiongnu from looting. We will pacify the Wuhuan in Youzhou next year and then conquer the Xiongnu."

After a pause, Cao Song added: "The registered population in Xihe County is sparse. Now we can order the officials of Bingzhou to relocate the people and have them temporarily live in the counties of Bingzhou. When the Xiongnu are pacified, we can relocate the people back to their hometowns, following the example of the old county relocation."

"How can the general say such a thing?"

Yang Biao glared at Cao Song and said, "The Xiongnu are entrenched in Henan, bordering the Xianbei in the north and Liangzhou in the west. If the Xiongnu want to rebel, they can lure the remnants of the Eastern Qiang, secretly ally with the Xianbei in the north, and support the rebels in the west. I want to ask you, what dangers can stop the three bandits from invading?"

Cao Song spent 100 million yuan to buy the position of Grand Marshal, and his reputation has long been ruined in the scholar circle. Yang Biao doesn't care about saving face for Cao Song.

Cao Song's words about abandoning the land made Yang Biao speak out to refute. Not to mention whether the Xiongnu would plunder Guanzhong, the possibility that the Xiongnu might unite with the Xianbei Qianman and the Liangzhou rebels must be eliminated. After all, if this situation really happened, the Eastern Han Dynasty would fall into war and chaos for several years or even more than ten years.

Cao Song remained calm and said, "What the Grand Master said makes sense. It's just that the treasury is short of money and it's difficult to raise another army. If Your Majesty wants to go to war against the Xiongnu, I'm afraid Your Majesty will need to pay for it."

Seeing that everyone had to pay for it, Liu Hong looked depressed, but for the sake of his own country, he could only say helplessly: "The Shaofu and Xiyuan will pay for Bingzhou to fight against the Xiongnu rebels."

"Your Majesty is wise!" everyone bowed.

Since Liu Hong had assumed the military expenses, the officials in the court quickly came to a conclusion.

Bingzhou Governor Zhang Yi had been in Bingzhou for many years and was deeply loved by Bingzhou officials, so he was appointed as the chief commander and commander of the troops of all counties. Wang Rou, the Lieutenant General of the Imperial Court who protected the Xiongnu, and Zhang Yu, the Lieutenant General who defeated the Xianbei, each led troops and joined the army to fight against the Xiongnu as deputy generals.

When the imperial decree was sent to Bingzhou, it was already the fifth year of Zhongping, that is, 188 AD.

During this period of nearly a month, because Li Song was stationed at Chanhebi, the Xiongnu tribes of Zuonan and Lan did not make any unusual movements.

However, in order to prevent the two Huns from rebelling on the battlefield, Zhang Yu did not plan to mobilize too many troops from the two Huns for this expedition. He only mobilized the 300 troops recruited by Li Song for Zhang, led by Meng Ningzhi.

Li Song, under the order of Zhang Yu, led two hundred righteous cavalrymen to continue to garrison Chanhebi, supervise the two tribes of the Xiongnu, and prevent them from being instigated by the rebellious Xiongnu.

In addition to the two Xiongnu tribes, Zhang Yu also mobilized Ke Bi's own troops and the small Wuhuan tribe in Yanbei, totaling 200 cavalry, led by Ke Bi as the cavalry general.

With the above five hundred miscellaneous Hu cavalry and eight hundred Yunzhong cavalry, Zhang Yu had gathered a total of one thousand three hundred cavalry for this southern expedition.

After receiving the decree from the imperial court, Zhang Yu issued a military order to dispatch troops three days later.

Looking at the military order sent by Zhang Yu, Wang Ji said worriedly: "My husband is only leading 1,300 cavalrymen southward. I wonder if it is too few?"

Zhang Yu put down his pen and said, "The Xiongnu soldiers dare not move rashly. Bo Song's troops need to protect the Xiongnu. Now I will only dispatch more than a thousand cavalry to the south."

After a pause, Zhang Yu said, "Although more than a thousand cavalrymen are not many, this time we are going to fight the Xiongnu, Bingzhou has mobilized troops from Shangdang, Taiyuan, Yanmen, and Dingxiang counties. Together with our troops, there are about 20,000 soldiers available for the battle."

Wang Ji thought for a moment and asked, "Even the troops from Dingxiang have to be recruited, so doesn't that mean that the troops from Chanhewu will also be sent out?"

"Of course!"

Zhang Yu nodded and said, "My father has ordered my uncle to lead 200 infantry and cavalry to the battle. I think they will meet up with us in Mayi."

"Your husband and uncle are fighting on the battlefield, please pay attention to your safety!" Wang Ji said with concern.

"Book of Tang·Biography 1": "The empress was elegant and sensible. Whenever Taizu did something, she would plan it in advance. ... At the end of the Han Dynasty, the empress knew that the world was gradually in chaos. She followed Taizu's plan and hired the evil Hu as her subordinates and showed kindness to the wives of soldiers and officers..."

(End of this chapter)