Tiger Guards

Chapter 554: Showing Power
It's quite normal for blizzards to suddenly strike the grasslands near the time of spring.

However, the climate south of Yinshan is generally milder than that north of Yinshan.

Even so, in late January, a blizzard swept through, once again turning the vast plains near Wuyuan white.

The fresh snow was over a foot thick and had a soft, fluffy texture, which Zhao Ji could easily knead into dense snowballs.

Zhao Ji, accompanied by several guards, carried wooden buckets to collect fresh snow in the courtyard. The fresh snow was densely packed inside the buckets, and they carried this snow back to the side hall.

Ten lambs born in winter have already been slaughtered here. They are only three or four months old. These lambs, which are slaughtered at any time, are all young males.

As spring approaches, these six-month-old male rams will also undergo surgery to remove or use special methods to cause testicular necrosis.

From herds to tribal development, these rams, who lack the ability to reproduce, are often the first to be sacrificed.

Zhao Ji returned with Xin Xue. The ram, whose testicles had been cut off shortly before its death, had been skinned and was hanging on one leg, with Hu Ben, who was skilled in or fond of dissection, slicing the tender mutton.

The shaved mutton slices were placed on top of the snowballs, and the mutton bones, with the outer layer of meat slightly removed, were constantly thrown into the boiling iron pot.

Some dried ginger slices were placed in a large iron pot, and the mixture was simmered.

As Zhao Ji examined the foam and the color of the soup, Guan Shang hurried over: "Grand Marshal, the Right Wise King has arrived."

"Finally here."

Zhao Ji handed the wooden spoon to Hu Ben, and then led Guan Shangwai out to greet Liu Qubei.

Liu Qubei arrived with the famous kings and over thirty commanders of the Xiongnu, chatting and laughing. When he saw Zhao Ji walking out of the courtyard gate, Liu Qubei immediately stopped laughing, hurried forward, and his movements were particularly contorted and uncoordinated.

Combined with the bright, innocent smile on her face, it gave Zhao Ji a strange feeling of a cute, bearded young girl.

The other Xiongnu kings and commanders who followed Liu Qubei were all smiles, as if they had seen their closest and most respected relatives.

"What merit or ability do I, a mere prince, have to trouble the Grand Marshal to leave the camp!"

Liu Qubei reached out and grabbed Zhao Ji's left hand, his expression excited and his voice passionate, seemingly deeply moved, to the point that tears streamed down his face.

If Zhao Ji hadn't pulled his hand back, it felt like this guy would have even wanted to grab the back of his hand and kiss it a few times.

“Your Highness, there’s no need for that. We are allies. I invited you to a banquet, and you accepted. Shouldn’t I go out to greet you?”

Zhao Ji turned to the side and stretched out his arm, patting Liu Qubei's shoulder and back with his other hand: "Wise King, everyone please come quickly, the mutton soup is almost ready, drink the mutton soup first to dispel the cold."

"I dare not, Grand Marshal, please go ahead."

This time, Liu Qubei was very principled. He planted his feet firmly on the ground, bent his knees and stretched out his arms: "If the Grand Marshal is unwilling to go first, I will stand here and not move."

"The wise prince is as stubborn as ever."

Zhao Ji smiled and looked at the other Xiongnu kings and commanders. Xiutu Dada, standing in the order of the kings, bowed deeply and said, "I humbly request the Grand Marshal to go first."

"Grand Marshal, you shall go first."

The other Xiongnu commanders all spoke up, showing great humility.

Seeing this, Zhao Ji nodded and said, "If you are all in such a difficult position, then I, Zhao, will be impolite."

"Don't dare."

Liu Qubei adopted a more standard long bow posture, making his whole body look like the number 7. Other famous kings and commanders also performed long bows on the spot, performing the grand long bow ceremony.

Seeing how polite these people were, Zhao Ji didn't bother to argue anymore. His smile faded, and he turned and strode away.

Once he was out of sight, Liu Qubei, who had been holding his breath, finally let out a long sigh of relief and looked up to wipe away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead.

He glanced at the other nobles and commanders, noticing the presence of elite guards around them, all of whom remained silent and generally wore expressionless faces. A new round of rotation and deployment of Xiongnu volunteer troops began, with Zhao Ji primarily mobilizing the volunteer troops from the Marquis of Pingyang.

Before the snow and ice melt, this highly motivated and experienced volunteer force will be able to reach the Wuyuan area.

Other kings and commanders also had the obligation to contribute to the militia, but this time the mobilization was done at the last minute, with the lowest-ranking commander only assigned a squad of fifty riders.

This caused great panic among these people, who were initially worried that Zhao Ji would temporarily conscript a large number of cavalry. However, Zhao Ji only retained 3,000 cavalry from the right wing and the Tu Ge cavalry, and issued military notes to the rest before disbanding them on the spot.

Now, the various Xiongnu tribes in the northern parts of Shangjun and Xihejun are migrating one after another. Under the accumulated power of the Grand Marshal's office, the tribes began to migrate after receiving orders.

Even if there were delays, some tribes of a hundred households were allowed to migrate first, while other tribes packed their belongings and set off later.

So far, no tribe has dared to refuse Zhao Ji's order to migrate.

This is also why Zhao Ji stayed in Wuyuan and refused to move; he was the ballast of the Xiongnu.

His continued presence here is crucial to maintaining a stable flow of power among the Xiongnu. Otherwise, if a few Xiongnu tribes were to unite and cause a rebellion, it would lead to hesitation and observation among many other Xiongnu tribes.

In this case, the plans would not be able to connect, and breaking a few gears would be a minor issue; more serious problems could cause the war machine to collapse.

Therefore, it is necessary to have a meal with these core kings and commanders first to get their information; these are tribes that have followed the Grand Marshal's shogunate in its campaigns and benefited from them.

If they remain stable, they will be able to suppress Chanyu Huchuquan and Zuo Xianwang Liu Bao.

These famous kings, commanders, and Liu Qubei had no time to compose themselves and could only follow Zhao Ji into the courtyard and into the hall through the newly built snow-covered corridor.

The front hall had three large iron pots for cooking. These people walked around the screen and came to the inner hall.

The newly crafted pine wood long table was pieced together to form a huge "口" shape, and the tabletop was covered with a layer of coarse silk.

Zhao Ji sat in the main seat, with empty tables on either side. Liu Qubei, led by Hu Ben, sat at the lower seat, facing Zhao Ji.

This made Liu Qubei even more nervous and restrained, and the other Xiongnu nobles took their seats on either side of Liu Qubei according to their status.

Thirty-five people were seated somewhat crampedly, but since everyone's arms were bound, the average width occupied was limited, so it wasn't actually that crowded.

The guards continuously served dishes, meat, wine, and small barbecue grills burning charcoal.

After the Tiger Warriors left, Zhao Ji fiddled with the small charcoal stove in front of him: "I have known and fought alongside the Wise King for several years. The Wise King should know my character. I am not the kind of person who would abandon someone after they have served their purpose."

"Why do you say that, Grand Marshal?"

Liu Qubei looked surprised and glanced at the other Xiongnu nobles: "Could it be that some villainous person is spreading rumors? Ever since I first met the Grand Marshal, I have believed that the Grand Marshal is a great man who can quell the chaos of the world. Since then, I have thought of following the Grand Marshal and contributing my meager strength to the peace of the world."

Without Zhao Ji speaking, Liu Qubei continued, "Later, the Grand Marshal's divine might became unparalleled, and I, too, made some contributions, but I never dared to be arrogant. I earnestly request the Grand Marshal to see clearly that my loyalty to the Grand Marshal is absolutely genuine. If I harbor any disloyalty, I will die under a hail of arrows one day."

"No, I do not doubt the wise king, nor do I doubt any of you."

Zhao Ji raised his hand to interrupt the others who wanted to express their loyalty. He looked around at them and said calmly, "If you were in my position, you would understand my difficulties."

Liu Qubei immediately cupped his hands and said, "We earnestly request the Grand Marshal to speak plainly. We will do our utmost to comply and will not cause the Grand Marshal any trouble or worry."

Upon seeing this, the other Xiongnu nobles also bowed and said, "We humbly request the Grand Marshal to speak plainly, and we dare not disobey."

Now that things have come to this, they no longer expect to gain anything from the four prefectures of Shuofang and the three prefectures of Beidi... They should be content with maintaining their current status and keeping it there for a long time.

If the situation worsens, no one can predict what will happen next.

Even now, Zhao Ji sits there with his imposing figure, and the slightest movement of his brow is enough to unsettle them and fill them with secret dread.

(End of this chapter)