A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 104 Subduing Power
"Sever the right arm of the ribcage."

It was upgraded to "using barbarians to control barbarians".

As a top-tier strategist, Zhang Qian possessed considerable knowledge, insight, and ability.

And their ambition is also immense.

Zhang Qian aimed to use his strategic brilliance to completely annihilate the Xiongnu tribe, who had dominated the northern deserts for hundreds of years.

Many civil and military officials in the hall were captivated by him.

"How does Marquis Bowang intend to persuade the Wusun people?" The aged voice of Chancellor Gongsun Hong rang out, and his overwhelming aura immediately dispelled Zhang Qian's domineering spirit.

It was almost a devastating blow. In this world, perhaps no one understood or knew better than Gongsun Hong how to break the techniques of the Hundred Schools of Thought.

The eloquence of strategists might be enough to deceive those crude and uncouth warriors, but it's utterly insignificant in front of Gongsun Hong.

Even if the hatred between the Xiongnu and Wusun was truly as irreconcilable as Zhang Qian had heard, what made Zhang Qian so certain that he could persuade Wusun?

Zhang Qian had already failed with the Yuezhi, so how could he succeed with the Wusun?

Even grand plans and magnificent structures must be based on reality.

Zhang Qian pondered for a moment and said, "Barbarians are known for their greed. If we bribe them with substantial wealth, we should be able to entice the Liejiaomi and Wusun people."

What kind of wealth is considered substantial?

Gongsun Hong smiled kindly, but his words were sharp: "Is it cattle, sheep, horses, gold, silver, and silk, or everything?"

Zhang Qian was speechless.

There are dozens of large and small states in the Western Regions, some of which have only a few thousand people. Wusun is one of the largest, with 120,000 households and more than 600,000 people, and an army of tens of thousands. By the standards of the Han Dynasty, it was a powerful state.

The Nanyue Kingdom was not even as good as the Wusun Kingdom.

However, for the sake of the Nanyue Kingdom, His Majesty spent more than a decade in the preparation stage alone. If it weren't for the fact that the Supreme Ruler subdued the Crown Prince Zhao Yingqi of the Nanyue Kingdom, the time for Nanyue to become a vassal state would have been delayed for several more years, or even decades.

Of course, it is far less difficult to win over a powerful king than to destroy him, but it still requires a great deal of sincerity.

Zhang Qian was a strategist who knew very well how much it would take to get a powerful nation to contribute its manpower and resources. He needed at least ten thousand cattle, sheep, and horses, and countless amounts of gold, silver, and silk.

Gongsun Hong's cloudy eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts. "Even if the Grand Chancellor desires all the riches and gifts, our dynasty will satisfy them. What if that Liejiaomi Kunmo of Wusun Kingdom then proposes alliance conditions that the Supreme Ruler cannot accept?"

"What does the Prime Minister mean?"

"Marriage!"

This statement came out.

Officials from both the Chinese and foreign dynasties couldn't help but get excited.

One of the reasons why the Han Dynasty fought the Xiongnu for so many years was to wash away the shame of the marriage alliance. If the price of destroying the Xiongnu was a new humiliation, no one present could accept it.

"Lord Bowang, even if Lie Jiao Mi's condition wasn't a dragon princess, but merely the daughter of a feudal lord, the Supreme Lord still wouldn't agree," Gongsun Hong reminded him.

Gongsun Hong emphasized the words "Shangjun" (上君, meaning "the supreme ruler").

The current situation in the court is unlike anything before, incredibly complex, and the power struggle between Your Majesty and the Supreme Ruler is multifaceted. Since Your Majesty's time, the Han Dynasty has rejected the policy of marriage alliances. Over the years, not a single Han woman has gone beyond the Great Wall for such a purpose. If the Supreme Ruler were to form an alliance with Wusun through marriage, regardless of the purpose, Your Majesty, the Confucian scholars, and all those who oppose the Supreme Ruler would not miss this opportunity and would spare no effort to smear the Supreme Ruler.

This is unacceptable to the emperor, officials of both the central and foreign dynasties, and the common people.

In order for the ruler to maintain a long and stable reign, his governance and moral character must always be superior to Your Majesty's.

Zhang Qian's face flushed red, unable to answer. The Prime Minister's guesses were all reasonable. Everyone in the hall was one of his own, so there was no point in arguing or sophistry.

"Even if we assume that His Majesty can accept the damage to his reputation and reach an alliance with Wusun, how will Marquis Bowang get through the Hexi Corridor to Wusun with so many cattle, sheep, horses, gold, silver, cloth, and even the daughters of princes and nobles?" Gongsun Hong pointed out the most fatal flaw in Zhang Qian's plan.

The sincerity to form an alliance with the Wusun Kingdom could not be conveyed through the Hexi Corridor. To this day, the Hexi Corridor is still in the hands of the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu are barbarians, uneducated, but they are not stupid and ignorant. They can't see or understand why the Han and Wusun are interacting.

It should be noted that during Zhang Qian's first mission to the Western Regions, he was captured by the Xiongnu both on his way there and on his way back.

After capturing Zhang Qian and others, the right wing kings of the Xiongnu immediately escorted them to the Xiongnu royal court. Zhang Qian was the only one among everyone present who had seen the Xiongnu Chanyu, Junchen Chanyu, at that time.

When Chanyu Junchen learned that Zhang Qian intended to go on a mission to the Yuezhi, he asked Zhang Qian directly, "The Yuezhi are to our north. How can the Han Dynasty go there? If I wish to go to Yuezhi, would the Han Dynasty allow me to go?"

This means that, from the perspective of the Xiongnu, they would never allow Han envoys to pass through Xiongnu territory to reach the Yuezhi.

Just as the Han Dynasty would not allow Xiongnu envoys to pass through Han territory to reach the Nanyue Kingdom in the south.

Even a delegation of over a hundred envoys couldn't cross the Hexi Corridor, let alone a large allied force.

The strategists always overemphasize the use of power and tactics, are profit-oriented, and achieve their goals through clever words and schemes, but often ignore the reality of the situation.

"This humble official is of limited wisdom!" Zhang Qian said with shame.

Gongsun Hong avoided Zhang Qian's bow, shook his head, and said, "It doesn't have to be that bad. The Grand Master's strategic considerations are very good. Using barbarians to control barbarians as a way to destroy the Xiongnu is also a feasible suggestion. It's just that the order is wrong."

"Please enlighten me, Your Excellency!"

"What is the purpose of the Marquis of Champion's expedition this time?"

"Clear out the remaining forces of the Xiongnu on the right flank after the general's several rounds of attacks, and completely sever their 'right arm'."

"where is that?"

"Hexi Corridor..."

Zhang Qian paused.

Seeing that he had realized the solution, Gongsun Hong continued, “The campaign of the Marquis of Champion and the mission of the Marquis of Bowang are not choices, but can be carried out simultaneously. The Marquis of Bowang can first join the Marquis of Champion in cutting off the right arm of the Xiongnu, and then enter the Western Regions with the prestige of a great victory. In my opinion, this will be far more effective in ‘moving’ the foreign tribes than cattle, sheep, horses, money and cloth. As Zuo Zhuan, Duke Xi, 25th year, says: ‘They know small etiquette but have no great righteousness, they adhere to minor matters but have no great virtue, they value trivial matters but disregard integrity and shame, they fear power but do not cherish virtue. The strong will inevitably become bandits, and the weak will inevitably submit.’ The Xiongnu, the Yuezhi, and the Wusun are all without etiquette, righteousness, integrity, virtue, or a sense of shame. They only fear power.”

The Spring and Autumn Annals clearly stated how to treat foreign tribes: nothing is more important than a single act of authority than propriety, righteousness, integrity, shame, virtue, and the four cardinal virtues.

As for the "education" that Confucianism talks about, if education could make nomadic people sing and dance, the Han Dynasty would have solved the problem of the Xiongnu decades ago.

First, we should deal with the right wing of the Xiongnu and open up the Hexi Corridor. Then, we can use our military might to negotiate an alliance with the Wusun, which will make Liejiaomi and the Wusun people realize the truth.

"Thank you for your guidance, Prime Minister!"

(End of this chapter)