Jinting Han people

Chapter 168 Huhanye's Career (4k)

"What's your name?"

As soon as Liu Xian entered the room, he saw a tall and burly man with a weathered face. He looked at him quietly, his eyes calm.

The man sat in the middle, a silver-sheathed sword at his waist, and the people around him stood by him, all silent. It was obvious that he was Hao Duyuan, the current biggest headache for the Western Expedition Army.

Liu Xian replied, "I am Liu Xian, the governor of Xiayang. I have come here to see Chief Hao on orders from the Western Expeditionary Army."

According to the previous plan, Liu Xian originally intended to meet Hao Duyuan in the name of a businessman. However, after discovering that his identity had been discovered by Qi Wannian, Liu Xian gave up this plan.

The worst thing to do during a negotiation is to discover that one party is cheating. If he were to continue to persuade according to his original plan, he would lose all credibility.

So he now chose to use the most direct way and state his name directly.

At this point, Liu Xian was under immense pressure. He had no idea how much the other party knew about him, while he knew very little about them, which was a significant disadvantage in negotiations. But even so, he had to persevere in order to increase his chances of success.

Hao Duyuan obviously thought the same thing. After saying that, he deliberately didn't speak again, but just stared at Liu Xian quietly.

As a superior, he naturally has a stern aura, and with these tall and brave subordinates around him, people dare not look at him directly.

But for Liu Xian, who has seen big scenes, this kind of courage is not enough.

When he thought about how a man like Wei Guan could die in such an undignified way, it was hard for him to be shaken by a mere act of courage, so he looked straight ahead and responded silently to Hao Duyuan's gaze.

After five breaths, seven breaths, ten breaths... Hao Duyuan finally realized that this kind of oppression was ineffective, so he smiled and shook his head, and finally spoke again:

"You should have heard of my name. I am a thorn in the side of the Zhengxi Army. You should also know that I hate the people of the Zhengxi Army the most."

But Liu Xian didn't answer directly. Instead, he said, "I heard that Chief Hao is a hero."

"Haha! Do you want me to let go of my hatred just by saying something nice?"

"No, no one can make others let go of hatred. I never dream of such a thing."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Because I believe that heroes all understand one thing: hatred only prevents people from making correct judgments."

Hearing this, Hao Duyuan couldn't help but burst into laughter. Everyone present was a little stiff, because everyone could hear that there was some anger in the laughter.

"You came here to teach me a lesson? This is a bit ridiculous."

Liu Xian, however, remained undaunted and said calmly, "If Chief Hao believes that he can achieve great things by continuing like this, then I'm afraid it won't be me who becomes a laughing stock in history."

"Hahaha, what you said is true. If I am going to become a laughing stock, then why did you come to me? The Western Expedition Army sent you here, didn't they want you to die?"

"You really are asking me to come down here and die."

When Liu Xian said this, everyone was speechless. They all looked at him in disbelief as he continued, "I have offended Sun Xiu, the Chief Clerk of the Zhao King who is in charge of the Western Expedition Army. He sent me here with ill intentions, to send me to my death."

Everyone present remained silent, only Hao Duyuan looked at him with pity and said slowly:

"So, you are a discarded pawn of King Zhao, and the Western Expedition Army has no sincerity in negotiating with me."

"That's it."

"Then you have no right to talk to me. I should kill you immediately."

"Then may I ask, is Chief Hao Sun Xiu's subordinate? Should Chief Hao do whatever he wants to do?"

After saying this, everyone laughed. Originally, there was some hostility in the room, but with just a few short words, Liu Xian had become a completely harmless person.

And no one would kill a person who poses no threat, especially when the enemy wants him to do so.

Hao Duyuan smiled and said, "You're right. I won't kill you, but there's no need for me to see you. As an abandoned child, how can you bring any benefit to me?"

"Of course, because there is a golden opportunity to quickly make the leader stronger."

"Powerful? Am I not powerful now?"

"Does the chief think that herding can make one powerful?"

This rhetorical question was so pointed that Juquzha and others could not help but look at Hao Duyuan's face, because this was exactly the strategy that most of the Hu people secretly criticized. But it is undeniable that it was this strategy that made Hao Duyuan grow and become stronger.

So Hao Duyuan, still smiling, asked, "What else? Back then, my ancestors roamed the desert and even forced the Han emperor to surrender on Mount Baideng. Wasn't that thanks to their herding skills?"

Liu Xian said, "Is Chief Hao in the desert?"

"The Mobei steppes are thousands of miles wide and freezing, making them unsuitable for farming. That's why the Xiongnu simply followed the grass and water, grazing their livestock everywhere. Even so, didn't the Xiongnu build cities like Dragon City?"

"Chief Hao is currently living in Shuofang. To the north are the Tuoba Xianbei, to the south are the Zhengxi Army, to the east are the five Xiongnu tribes, and to the west are countless Qiang and Di people. The land they occupy is only three hundred miles. How many people can they support by grazing?"

"When I came here, I saw that you already had over ten thousand men under your command, but I guess you haven't had any new ones for a while now, as you've been moving around so much."

After Liu Xian finished speaking, everyone looked at Hao Duyuan's face again and found that the smile on his face had disappeared without a trace, which obviously hit his sore spot.

Indeed, the power under his command has reached a bottleneck and has not expanded for several months.

When Liu Xian saw this scene, he knew that he had the initiative in the conversation. He immediately took advantage of the situation and said to everyone:
"Compared to herding, I can tell you, Chief, that farming has three advantages that are worth boasting about in front of you."

Sure enough, Hao Duyuan could only ask:

"Oh! Then tell me about it."

"The first thing, of course, is to be able to reproduce and thrive. Shuofang has a lot of farmland. Although it's not as good as Guanzhong, according to the "Book of Han", two hundred years ago, Shuofang was divided into three counties: Xihe, Shangjun, and Shuofang. As long as we grow some millet and wheat, we can support nearly 1.5 million people. Even if it's not as good as it was back then, with frequent natural disasters, it should still be able to support 500,000 people, right?"

"Oh! What about the second one?" "The second one is that the leader can build a city, recruit craftsmen, and mine iron ore and salt ponds in Shuofang. This will make them self-sufficient and no longer need to trade with the outside world for supplies."

"And the third?"

Hearing this, Hao Duyuan became a little impatient and leaned forward slightly.

Liu Xian replied dignifiedly, "Third, it can win the hearts of the people."

"Throughout history, those who have aspired to achieve great things have always succeeded by settling down and establishing a empire. It wasn't just Maodun Chanyu who roamed the northern desert, but Tan Shihuai who rebuilt the Xianbei by establishing his royal court in Danhan Mountain. Wasn't it that the Green Foresters were able to achieve great things because they established their capital in Wancheng? Wasn't it that the Red Eyebrows lost the support of the people because they were homeless and had no foundation?"

"For a leader, his conduct can be like water, without any fixed pattern, making him unpredictable."

"But at the same time, he must be like a mountain, where everyone can see him, so that the common people can gain courage by looking at him."

"If I conceal my whereabouts and keep the people unaware of my location, I might be able to confuse my subordinates for a short period of time, but in the long run, once the people's patience wears off, my hegemony will slip away."

Everyone present listened intently to Liu Xian's explanation. Some parts of his explanation were clear to them, but others seemed unclear. With the exception of a few people, most could only sense Liu Xian's courage. This man was no ordinary human; they could understand.

Hao Duyuan was silent for a long time. He was repeatedly savoring Liu Xian's words. He was obviously moved by them, but he couldn't make up his mind.

During this period, he was indeed confused about his future. He would often decide on something, but when he woke up the next day he would feel something was not right, but he could not find a definite answer.

Liu Xian's words almost perfectly captured the dilemma and problems Hao Duyuan was facing. It seemed he had no other choice. However, he was extremely reluctant to abandon his original strategy and join the Western Expedition Army.

So after thinking it over, Hao Duyuan still asked: "But even so, if I switch to the Zhengxi Army, can I accomplish these things?"

"According to what you said, Sun Xiu, who is in charge of the Western Expedition Army, would even try to frame a talented person like you. I'm afraid we are even more incompatible."

Liu Xian gave a wry smile and replied, "Chief Hao, haven't you ever seen me?"

"Little man?"

"There's a type of person in this world who treats others solely based on the power they hold, completely devoid of morals. They'll wantonly abuse those with less power than them, and fawn over those with more. They're unwilling to take any risks, yet at the same time, they enjoy messing up the things within their power."

"Are you saying that the person in charge of the Western Expedition Army now is a jackal who can only tear apart corpses but dares not fight against wolves?"

"Yes, that's what I meant."

After hearing this, Hao Duyuan let out a long breath. He stood up, wandered around for a moment, and then asked:

"Do you have anything else to say to me?"

Liu Xian lowered his head and said, "The most important things have been discussed. The rest are just details. If Chief Hao agrees to join the Western Expedition Army, how much tax he is willing to pay to the army, whether he wants to send hostages, what official position he wants the Western Expedition Army to bestow, and whether he wants to point out the location of the trade, etc., we can discuss all of these matters."

Hao Duyuan smiled and said to Liu Xian, "Then please wait outside for a moment. I will discuss this with you and give you a final decision."

"This..." Liu Xian hesitated for a moment, then looked around. Most people looked serious, but Qi Wannian smiled easily. He winked at Liu Xian, giving him a look that reassured him. Liu Xian lowered his head and said, "Since that's the case, please consider it carefully."

In this way, Liu Xian retreated down the mountain valley and returned to Lu Quyang and others under the escort of dozens of Hu people.

When Lu Quyang saw Liu Xian coming back, he immediately asked, "My Lord, is everything going well?"

Liu Xian nodded and said, "We've said everything we need to say. They haven't made up their minds yet, so let's just wait here for news."

Hearing that the talks hadn't been concluded, Lu Quyang and the others were somewhat disappointed. But they also trusted Liu Xian, so they settled back in their seats, taking in the scenery of Fuxi and discussing what they had seen and heard along the way. This long journey had been incredibly interesting for them.

Liu Xian sat nearby, smiling and listening. Despite his outward composure, he felt a sense of unease. He was confident he'd performed well, but other people's affairs were not his to decide. This was the biggest lesson he'd learned from Sima Wei's death.

In fact, this time, Liu Xian's words were quite rebellious. He knew that Hao Duyuan had evil intentions, but he still gave him advice. If Hao Duyuan really became powerful and caused trouble in the future, how much responsibility would he bear?
But Liu Xian couldn't think about such distant events. After his encounter with Sun Xiu, he began to experience more and more frequent predictions that disaster was secretly gathering and would inevitably erupt in the future. Although he couldn't predict the specific time, he had to find a way to accumulate strength.

Even if he couldn't be transferred back to the capital this time, he would still try to get promoted to a higher position, at least to take charge of a county. Currently, he was only serving as the county magistrate in Xiayang County, where he couldn't fully display his talents.

But then again, when he went to Shuofang to persuade Hao Duyuan to surrender, he discovered another hero. As Qi Wannian boasted, his talent seemed far superior to Hao Duyuan's.

Did he wink at me just now to help me persuade Hao Duyuan? What plans does a man like him have for the future?

About a quarter of an hour later, someone came down from the valley and informed Liu Xian to meet the leader again.

This time, the conversation was very simple. Hao Duyuan only asked Liu Xian one question:

"Tell me, if I follow your advice, what kind of achievements can I achieve?"

Liu Xian replied, "The leader can use the Jin as a support, recruit craftsmen in the south, expand the territory in the north, unify the northern part of the country, replace the Tuoba Xianbei, and then resume the work of Huhanye."

Huhanye was a renowned Xiongnu Chanyu during the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han. During this period, the Xiongnu was in chaos, splitting into five factions. Huhanye was the first to submit to the Han dynasty. With Han support, he fought his way back to the steppes and unified the Xiongnu. He later married Wang Zhaojun, and enjoyed decades of peace with the Han dynasty.

Liu Xian's comparison of Huhanye to Hao Duyuan obviously fits the broader context of the Xianbei-Xiongnu split.

When Hao Duyuan heard this, he was also very happy. He gave him some wine and said, "If you can unify all the tribes in the south of the desert, I will be satisfied."

The implication was that he agreed to Liu Xian's request to surrender. At the same time, he said to Liu Xian: "You can discuss the specific details of this matter with Qi Wannian. He will accompany you to the Zhengxi Army Headquarters to present the surrender letter."

Liu Xian immediately turned his gaze to Qi Wannian, only to see him showing an ambiguous smile, which seemed to be both emotional and sarcastic.

Qi Wannian walked leisurely towards Liu Xian and said, "There's no time to lose. Let's finalize this matter over the next two days and try to get to Chang'an before autumn. It's funny, I've never been to Chang'an before!"

After saying that, he passed by Liu Xian and walked down the valley.

At this moment, Liu Xian seemed to hear a faint murmur of laughter: "Huhanye...hahahaha!"

These words startled Liu Xian. He turned around suddenly and saw Qi Wannian smiling at him, as if nothing had happened.

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(End of this chapter)