Tiger Guards

Chapter 528 Swift as a Rabbit
In the clouds, Xinpi and the others retreated and reunited with Budugen.

Before they could catch their breath, a series of bad news came from the Xianbei nobles who had fled from eastern Wuyuan and come to join them.

Budugen was once again caught in a dilemma. The Han army's actions were no longer aimed at the Tanshihuai family, but at the entire Xianbei tribe.

If left unchecked, the anger of the various Xianbei tribes will rise.

At this point, if Budugen ignores the common appeal of the Xianbei tribes, he and his descendants will lose their reputation and will no longer be able to compete for the throne.

But that's where the problem lies: Budugen really doesn't want to fight the Han army anymore.

Faced with Zhao Ji's fierce attack, after the annihilation of the royal court's elite forces, the other hastily assembled Xianbei tribal forces, though numerous, could not match the royal court's elite forces in their fearlessness and willingness to fight.

The weaknesses of tribal militias are obvious. When they are winning, they become increasingly fierce. If you don't let them charge ahead, they will dare to turn against you.

But when you're fighting a losing battle, even if you put him in the front lines, he might still turn against you.

Even if they don't dare to turn against each other, they will hold a grudge and wait for an opportunity to betray and flee.

The role of the royal court's elite troops is crucial. When the situation is unfavorable, they can act as the vanguard to hold back the elite Han army, thus creating a relatively easy fighting environment for other Xianbei tribal forces.

Only with a favorable combat environment can these Xianbei tribes be as fierce as wolves and tigers... Otherwise, they are afraid of open battle, and the larger the decisive battle, the more lax and careless they become, with no resilience whatsoever.

To win a field battle against the Han army, a force willing to sacrifice itself is needed to hold off the enemy's offensive.

Even without such elite field troops, there must be sufficiently well-constructed fortifications to provide support for tribal forces, thus holding back the Han army and giving other armies an opportunity.

It is clear that Budugen cannot find such an elite army now.

Only after he becomes the king and rebuilds the royal court can he, under the royal court system, recruit the second sons of nobles and disgruntled warriors from various tribes to form the royal court's elite force.

And now, he has nothing.

The only good news is that Qianman is still alive and the royal army is still there. The real test is for Qianman's troops.

If Qianman fails to make the right choice, the reputation of Qianman's faction will be tarnished, and it will be abandoned by various departments.

Budu didn't want to summon Xinpi to ask for help and resolve the current predicament; subconsciously, he had already concluded that Qianman was finished.

If Qian Man did not want to be betrayed and abandoned by his followers, he had no choice but to abandon Heyin and lead his army across the river to fight a decisive battle with the Han army around Wuyuan City.

After Ke Qianman's death, Budugen, as the elder among Tan Shihuai's descendants, will face this problem.

If it really comes to that, the various Xianbei tribes will likely calm down and give up fighting the Han army; the key will be how to help the tribes escape this disaster.

Therefore... it seems that the blame for the Xianbei's attack on the three commanderies can be shifted to Yuan Shao.

The former king, his own good elder brother Kui Tou, was deceived by Yuan Shao's envoy, which led him to commit the disrespectful act of offending the Grand Marshal.

As for himself, he naturally tried to persuade his elder brother but could not change his mind... When the Grand Marshal finally defeated Qianman and the main force of the royal court, if he could make the Han army retreat, he would naturally be a great hero of the Xianbei tribe!
Having figured this out, Budugen walked briskly out of the tent and said to his trusted slave warriors on duty near the tent entrance, "Take more men and surround Lord Yuan's envoys. Do not let a single one escape."

"Yes~!"

The Xiongnu slave warrior responded loudly, led a few people around him and quickly left. He then selected some more slave warriors from the outer perimeter and spurred his horse toward Xinpi's location.

When they arrived, the dozens of Sinpi men had already left the Budugen camp, having exchanged their horses for a large sum of money, and their whereabouts were unknown.

The Xiongnu slave warrior had no choice but to report back to Budugen.

Upon hearing this, Budugen remained silent for a long time, then looked up to the sky and exclaimed, "The Han people are indeed cunning, just as the proverb says."

"Should we pursue them or not?"

“Xinpi is so intelligent. If we don’t pursue and kill him, he will hold a grudge against us. Let’s leave this matter here. I feel the situation has changed, and he will come looking for me again.”

After offering a few more words of comfort, Budugen returned to his tent to rest, feeling quite exhausted.

He was also suspected by the leader, so the only people he could rely on were slave warriors.

The orthodox Xianbei tribes either supported Kuitou or Qianman, the son of the former king Helian.

Those who could befriend him were mainly the conquered Xiongnu tribes. These Xiongnu tribes had changed their allegiance to Xianbei overnight, but their overall status was not high. Whether it was when they gathered with other Xianbei nobles, when the tribe allocated pastures and grasslands, or even in marriage, they were at the bottom of the social hierarchy.

Beautiful Xiongnu noblewomen would marry Xianbei noblewomen, while Xiongnu male nobles could only marry Xianbei female noblewomen who had been selected.

Even widows of Xiongnu nobles who brought with them tribal property were difficult for Xiongnu nobles to marry. They would often marry into powerful Xianbei clans, turning Xiongnu people into dowry and transforming them into noble Xianbei people.

As he interacted more with the Xiongnu nobles, due to the inherent prejudices of the Xianbei people, Budugen was labeled as cunning and cowardly.

So at this point, he really didn't want to fight any more meaningless wars.

Only by using Zhao, the Grand Marshal, to crush the main force of the royal court, which harbors deep prejudice against him, can he become the new ruler with a clear conscience.

Even if he becomes the ruler in the future, the existence of the old royal family nobles will still hinder and suppress him.

After figuring out these issues one by one, Budugen's mindset became more peaceful.

The fact that he was able to escape alive from the Battle of Huze shows that his grandfather's spirit protected him and that he was the destined ruler of the Xianbei!

A sense of destiny arises spontaneously, and after the Han army kills Qianman, more and more people will recognize the destiny he possesses!

Once this idea of ​​destiny takes hold of him, Bu Dugen's entire demeanor changes.

He became more confident and composed, and no longer feared Zhao Da Sima and the Han army; in his eyes, the Han army had become a sharp weapon that could be used to help him eliminate hidden dangers.

Inspired by the idea of ​​destiny, Budugen was in a great mood and went out of his tent to inspect the camp on horseback.

At this moment, a sense of grief and anger permeated the temporary camp, and the overall morale was low.

When Budugen was on his inspection tour, his confidence and composure began to inspire and motivate the Xianbei nobles and their followers, and their morale stabilized.

Before long, they patrolled to the area where Xin Pi and the others had returned to rest. Budugen felt even more regretful. If they had captured Xin Pi, who had a blood feud with the Grand Marshal, and sent him to the Grand Marshal, they might have been able to reach a long-term ceasefire or even a further agreement with him.

Having been severely damaged by the Han army, he took the initiative to reach an agreement with the Han army... In Budugen's view, there was no emotional obstacle to this.

Especially after the Han army crushed the main force of the royal court, the Xianbei people would agree with his actions.

For both herders and herds, survival is the most important thing; as for hatred, they can fight back when the opportunity arises.

On the contrary, when the Han army suffered repeated defeats, his attempt to negotiate peace and cease hostilities with the Han army would have been met with opposition and contempt from the Xianbei tribes.

In an environment where survival is the priority, one should naturally have flexible principles.

Excessive loyalty to one's principles is a major taboo in nomadic life!
As Budugen pondered, he couldn't help but glance longingly at the tent where Xinpi was temporarily resting. He really wanted to grab this Mr. Xin.

Meanwhile, the Xinpi people galloped on horseback, paying exorbitant sums to pave the way and exchanging fodder or horses directly with the Xianbei tribes.

As dusk fell, we arrived at Wujin, the easternmost part of Yunzhong County.

The grasslands were covered in snow. The Xianbei tribes along the way could give directions, but one should not easily trust these Xianbei people.

If you are shown a path to befriend a tribe, they will catch up from behind, and you can then join forces to devour them.

“Following the Baiqu River eastward, the city ahead is Wujin, and there is a large Xiongnu tribe that has been assimilated into the Xianbei tribes nearby.”

Sinpik did not cover his face with a black veil. He squinted at the leather map, tears streaming down his face.

He simply closed his eyes and continued, "After resting for one night at the Xiongnu tribe, we will pass through Yanmen and Qiangyin tomorrow, and reach Gaoliu in Dai County by evening. There are Wuhuan people nearby. Once we reach the Wuhuan territory, we will be safe."

The others were panting heavily; they trusted Sinpi's judgment, so they had no choice but to run.

We must also get to Yuan Gong's front-line camp as soon as possible and bring this shocking news there.

Time is of the essence. If we cannot launch a fierce attack and defeat Gongsun Zan this year, Zhao Ji will be able to harass Hebei and the Central Plains with even greater impunity after severely damaging the Xianbei.

In the future, when Zhao Ji leads troops, he will not only be able to go beyond the eight passes of Taihang and Hangu Pass, but also beyond the Great Wall!
Even the Xianbei and Xiongnu people would become the vanguard of the Grand Marshal, causing the defense line of the Hebei border counties to collapse and become a mere formality!
Therefore, their haste to escape did not affect the battle situation in the four prefectures of Shuofang, but rather the battle in Youji!

(End of this chapter)