Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 420 Frog

In Anding County, the wind howled fiercely.

Inside the giant pit, 20,000 Qin soldiers struggled like ants, but as soon as they climbed out, they were met with the swift horses and sharp blades of the Xiongnu. With a single swipe of the blade, blood splattered and heads fell to the ground.

More than 10,000 cavalrymen stood motionless in the cold wind. Compared to a few years ago, the Xiongnu army was now much more organized, with 30% of them wearing armor and their equipment being quite sophisticated, consisting of long spears and long swords.

Liu Bobo gazed with great interest at the Qin army in the large pit.

“When a wise king leads his army, he governs the people with virtue, not violence. Moreover, Chang'an is besieged by the Jin army, and the people of Qin are filled with fear. This is the time to demonstrate our benevolence. If we slaughter them now, the people will surely turn their backs on us and turn to Jin. I hope Your Majesty will consider this!”

The only person who dared to advise Liu Bobo in this way was Wang Maide, the military advisor.

This man came from the Wang clan of Taiyuan. He was originally a military advisor in the Northern Garrison of Yao Qin. Seeing that Qin was beset by internal and external troubles and knew that it was doomed, he led his people to join the Xia state. Because of his brilliant strategies, he was highly valued by Liu Bobo.

"Don't try to preach with those Jin people's ideas. Let me ask you, is Qin and Liang a place that values ​​benevolence and righteousness?" Liu Bobo turned his face, his gray eyes staring at Wang Maide.

“No…no…” Meeting that gaze, Wang Maide felt a chill run down his spine, as if he were being stared at by a ferocious beast.

"If I spare them, will they remain loyal to me?"

"Won't……"

The Qiang people are known for their toughness and fought intermittently with the Han Dynasty for over a hundred years.

"Should we kill Bai Qi? Should we kill Xiang Yu? If we don't, we can't establish our authority. Shi Le, Shi Hu, and Tuoba Gui all killed countless people before they gained their kingdoms. Only Fu Jian and Murong Chui were too soft-hearted and ultimately allowed outsiders to take advantage of them."

Liu Bobo withdrew his gaze and turned to the Qin army in the pit.

"King Xia, spare our lives! We are willing to serve you like dogs and horses!" Qin generals Yao Dayong, Yao Anhe, Yao Lipu, and Yin Di, who were trapped in the pit, pleaded for their lives.

"Hmm, I already have enough dogs and horses." Liu Bobo tilted his head back, his face full of rapture.

"The Xia king desires to conquer Guanzhong, and he cannot do so without our service!"

The more fearful a person is, the less morals they have.

Countless Qin generals have died tragically at the hands of Liu Bobo over the years.

"Gouge out their eyes and point them toward Guanzhong, so they can see how I conquered Guanzhong and swept across the world!" The louder the pleas for mercy, the more excited Liu Bobo became.

A group of armored soldiers carrying short swords descended into the pit and gouged out the eyes of the Qin generals one by one.

The screams were heart-wrenching, but none of the Qin soldiers around dared to step forward to stop them, and they simply let the armored soldiers gouge out the eyes of the men.

Liu Bobo clapped his hands and laughed, "Hahaha, how wonderful!"

Everyone present, whether from the Xia or Qin army, wore expressions of terror.

As he was laughing, Liu Bobo's expression suddenly changed. "The time has come! Dig!"

Countless clods of earth were poured into the pit, and the Qin soldiers struggled to rise again, scrambling to climb out.

But Xia Jun kicked them all down.

Tens of thousands of hands dug together, and the pit was gradually filled in, burying the 20,000 Qin soldiers bit by bit.

Liu Bobo also ordered his cavalry to tamp down the earth to prevent anyone from climbing out.

"Send messengers to inform Qifu Qian Gui, Tufa Rutan, and Juqu Mengxun that if any of them fails to send troops in ten days, I will lead an army of 100,000 fierce warriors to annihilate them!"

The Jin army besieged Chang'an for several months. Liu Bobo had long since contacted the three kingdoms, but none of them were willing to provoke the Northern Army and made various excuses.

Qifu Qian Gui occupied the entire territory of Longxi and restored Western Qin.

Tufa Rutan proclaimed himself King of Liang, moved the capital to Ledu, changed the era name to Hongchang, and occupied the Hehuang region. People at the time called his country "Southern Liang".

Juqu Mengxun skillfully navigated the complex relationships between the powerful factions of Lü Guang, Fu Deng, and Yao Xing, gradually conquering the Hexi Corridor and establishing his capital at Guzang, which was known as "Northern Liang" at the time. Although these three kingdoms were small, their rulers were all ruthless warlords who had emerged from the chaos of war, and together they commanded over 100,000 infantry and cavalry, making them a force to be reckoned with.

If they were to unite, they could not only sweep through Guanzhong, but also rival the states of Wei and Jin.

Although Liu Bobo had defeated them before, they were extremely tenacious. They retreated to their respective territories, licked their wounds, and continued to fight against Liu Bobo.

"I sent an envoy yesterday, and news will arrive soon." Wang Maide's posture lowered slightly without him realizing it.

Liu Bobo spared his life, which made him feel a sense of favor.

Liu Zhili, who was standing to the side, said, "Although the Three Kingdoms are small, they will surely rely on the natural defenses of their mountains and rivers to resist the Heavenly King's orders."

Liu Bobo said, "I never thought they would actually send troops!"

"Why?"

“The Three Liang regions are all remote and desolate places, with no meat to eat and requiring a lot of effort. But if we ignore them, they will surely invade our rear. I massacred 20,000 surrendered soldiers to intimidate them and make them think that I have designs on Longyou and Hehuang, thus consolidating my troops and defending themselves. In this way, I can advance eastward and compete with Liu Daogui for Guanzhong!”

Guanzhong was Liu Bobo's true objective.

Liu Zhili said, "The Northern Army is formidable, as everyone knows, and they are not easy to obtain."

Wang Maide quickly said, "The Jin army has been unable to capture Chang'an for several months. As soon as the heavy snow falls, the Jin army will be caught in a dilemma. It's like the snipe and the clam fighting, and the fisherman benefits. This is Heaven's way of bestowing Guanzhong upon the Heavenly King so that he can achieve great things."

"Indeed, it doesn't matter if the Jin army breaks through Chang'an. The Qiang people will definitely fight back to the death. Unless Liu Daogui doesn't return to Jiangdong and stays in Guanzhong, Guanzhong will be ours as soon as he leaves! Guanzhong is now a place where various tribes stand side by side. I massacred 20,000 surrendered soldiers to warn all tribes that those who submit to me live and those who oppose me die!"

Liu Bobo was very shrewd and understood the nature of the Hu people very well.

The Hu people only submit to the strong. When the Han and Wei dynasties were strong, all ethnic groups were willing to be their lackeys. Later, when the Jin dynasty was weak, a pack of wolves rose up and vied for supremacy.

By massacring these 20,000 surrendered soldiers, Liu Bobo established his reputation as a powerful ruler.

Liu Zhili said excitedly, "That's right, that's right! Guanzhong has long been our territory. The Jin people will go back sooner or later. They can't hold Guanzhong!"

Wang Maide also joined in with blatant flattery: "Your Majesty's virtuous lineage has brought glory to the northern frontier, your divine martial prowess surpasses that of the Han emperor, and your sagacious strategy surpasses that of the Wei ancestor!"

"Wrong! Emperor Wu of Han was old and senile, his wife and children were separated from him, and he almost lost his country. Cao Cao of Wei could not unify the Three Kingdoms in his lifetime. How can he be compared with me!" Liu Bobo laughed loudly, arrogant and domineering.

Just then, several scouts came running, reporting to the Heavenly King that the Jin army had captured Chang'an! Yao Xing had surrendered, and all the armies in Guanzhong had surrendered to the Jin court!

Liu Bobo's laughter stopped abruptly.

He never imagined that a pioneering ruler would surrender...

Whether Yao Xing dies in battle or commits suicide, it will incite the Qiang people to hate the Jin people. Liu Daogui, who is stationed in Chang'an, may be able to suppress it with his outstanding military achievements, but once he leaves, Guanzhong will inevitably be in chaos.

But Yao Xing actually surrendered...

With the Qiang ruler surrendering, the Qiang people had no reason to continue resisting.

It is even possible that the Qiang and Jin dynasties will unite.

This kind of thing has happened many times in the past few hundred years. There were many Qiang people in the armies of Duan Jiong, Dong Zhuo, Ma Chao, and Cao Wei.

Among the various northern ethnic groups, the Qiang and Di tribes were the most lenient towards the Jin people. When Yao Xiang fought across the north and south, he had many scholars from Guanzhong who offered him advice and strategies.

The most numerous ethnic group in Guanzhong is the Qiang people, and the Di people also originated from the Qiang.

Liu Bobo killed so many Qin soldiers, and his hatred for the Qiang people ran deep. He had only himself to blame, placing himself in opposition to the Qiang people.

Liu Bobo, once so arrogant, now only roams the Qin, Liang, and Henan regions. Compared to Liu Daogui, who decisively defeated the Northern Wei and swept through Guanzhong, he is nothing more than a frog in a well…

(End of this chapter)