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

Chapter 149 Beijing View
The nomadic habits of the Xiongnu people.

Generally, activities and relocations are more frequent during the spring and autumn seasons.

This is because the pasture grass has not yet grown after a long winter, and resources are scarce, so grazing sites need to be changed to prevent livestock from grazing the land bare.

In autumn, livestock need to be encouraged to move around more, eat more, and fatten up for winter. At the same time, the remaining pasture from spring, summer, and autumn should be cleared to delay their entry into the life-saving winter pasture.

Therefore, in summer and winter, nomadic tribes often enter a semi-settled state, and their settlements are relatively fixed. Although the grasslands are vast, there are not many places suitable for seasonal group living and settlement.

In late spring, just before summer, grassland tribes would choose to settle in places with many mountains and rivers, both to ensure that livestock could give birth smoothly and to avoid three major threats in summer: plague, water shortage, and mosquitoes.

Choosing a mountainous area offers advantages such as strong winds, abundant snowmelt, and fewer mosquitoes. In particular, mountainous areas with abundant water are undoubtedly the best places for people to live together.

But the shortcomings are also obvious.

The Han Dynasty's 40,000 light cavalry spread out on both flanks in the twilight and mist, completely blocking the mountain pass. The entire headquarters of the Xiongnu Right Wise King was trapped inside, with no possibility of escape.

No matter how the Xiongnu people shouted or surrendered, Huo Qubing simply ordered repeated attacks, not allowing a single Xiongnu person to live before him.

Under the threat of death, the grassland child, with a ferocious expression, pushed his Han mother into the midst of the weapons and turned to run away.

Many tribal children were immediately intrigued and began to imitate the behavior, while countless Han mothers were pushed into the midst of war.

Looking into those hateful eyes, Huo Qubing silently gave the order, "Shoot them all."

They drew their bows and nocked arrows, raining down like locusts, chasing after one tribal child after another, and completing the slaughter.

Corpses lay strewn across the field, and blood gushed forth.

Before sunrise, the Xiongnu Right Wise King's main force was almost wiped out. They rushed to the riverbank and knelt down, wailing and crying loudly.

The crimson cavalry surrounded them, their blood-stained swords hanging menacingly overhead.

Pale-faced Huo Guang trembled uncontrollably and whispered, "Elder brother..."

"Ok?"

Beneath the red banner, Huo Qubing's right arm was still trembling, and blood dripped continuously from the blood-stained sword in his hand. He had killed too many people and was losing his strength.

A gust of wind carried a foul stench, causing Huo Guang, who was lying on his horse, to gag uncontrollably. "Brother, let them go?"

"Let go?"

Huo Qubing stared in shock at his brother, who was practically pleading with him. "Zimeng, do you know they are all wolves! Purebred steppe wolves!"

"But among those people, there is blood of my people." Huo Guang pointed to the Xiongnu sons who clearly had Han and Xiongnu blood, and said with reluctance.

“Zimeng, look into the eyes of those people you’re talking about.”

Huo Qubing said coldly.

Huo Guang looked over upon receiving the order and felt a chill run down his spine.

"The Xiongnu are human in appearance but beast in heart. They are not of our race. When they are strong, they are always bandits and thieves; when they are weak, they are always subservient. They do not care about kindness and righteousness. This is their nature."

Huo Qubing described the true nature of the barbarians as "fearing power but not virtue": "They have half the face of our people, but they have the heart of a human being and the heart of a beast. We can only know this by opening their chests."

He didn't read many books.

They still knew about the "calamity of the Rong and Di tribes".

At the end of the Western Zhou Dynasty, Marquis Shen allied with the Zeng state and the Quanrong, agreeing to attack Haojing at a set time. The allied forces of Shen and Zeng, along with the Quanrong, breached the Zhou royal domain. King You of Zhou fled with the help of Duke Huan of Zheng, but was attacked by the Quanrong at the foot of Mount Li. Duke Huan of Zheng, King You of Zhou, and others were killed, and Bao Si was captured.

The Quanrong destroyed the Zhou king's ancestral temple, causing the Zhou people to suffer a devastating disaster. Marquis Shen had no choice but to invite the states of Zheng, Qin, and Wei to come to the capital to defend the king and drive out the Quanrong.

After the Quanrong were driven out, the feudal lords and ministers disagreed on the succession. Some feudal states believed that Ji Yijiu had murdered his father and king, which was against the rites and therefore he could not inherit the throne. A group of feudal lords and ministers, led by Guo Gonghan, supported Ji Yuchen as king, who became King Xie of Zhou.

Marquis Wen of Jin, Marquis Shen, Duke Xiang of Qin, Duke Wu of Zheng, and others established Ji Yijiu as king, namely King Ping of Zhou. This period is known as "two kings coexisting," and King Ping of Zhou had no choice but to move the capital to Luoyi.

In the twenty-first year of King Ping of Zhou, Marquis Wen of Jin, in an attempt to curry favor with King Ping, attacked and killed King Xie of Zhou.

After this, the Zhou emperor became a figurehead, and history entered the Eastern Zhou period.

The Rong and Di tribes gradually lost their reverence for the Central Plains, and have continued to cause trouble to this day.

Under no circumstances should we try to negotiate with a tiger for its skin, much less let it return to the mountains.

He, Huo Qubing, never intended to leave what he could accomplish in this life to future generations, nor did he believe in the so-called wisdom of posterity.

Why create trouble when a simple knife could solve the problem?

What if something changes and the Rong and Di tribes invade China again?
"Elder brother, China is the foundation, while the surrounding barbarians are the branches and leaves. Only by stabilizing the foundation can we achieve lasting peace and stability..."

Huo Guang disagreed with the notion that barbarians feared power but did not cherish virtue. He believed that the right wing of the Xiongnu had already been defeated, and that if they could be subdued and brought under the control of the empire, it would be a greater victory for the Han Dynasty.

"hypocritical!"

An unprecedentedly harsh rebuke exploded in Huo Guang's ears, causing him to stop debating the classics. "Zimeng, you can be close to Confucianism, but you cannot be controlled by Confucianism and lose your own mind. I ask you, what makes you think you can tame a prairie wolf into a watchdog?"

Huo Guang had no answer.

With his elder brother's imposing presence, he believed that the grassland wolves would be the most loyal watchdogs. However, this statement proved the truth that the barbarians feared power but did not appreciate virtue.

Huo Qubing seemed to see through his thoughts and sneered, "What they fear is me. As long as I am here, they can be watchdogs or hunting dogs, if I want. But what if I'm not here?"

"How come my elder brother isn't here?" Huo Guang retorted, unconvinced.

"I am a warrior. Can I fight for a year, ten years, or even several decades? Can I fight for a hundred years?"

Huo Qubing looked at Huo Guang with disappointment in his eyes, "To entrust the fate of a nation and a people to one person is foolish and stupid."

Zimeng, remember this: until the empire possesses the enduring power to make nomadic tribes sing and dance, until you find a way to completely subjugate and submit them, the most bloodshed is always the best method.

Kill them, and this starry sky will be free from barbarian calamities for twenty years. This is the principle of 'it's better to cut off one finger than to injure ten!'

Say it.

Huo Qubing ignored his stunned brothers and rejoined the hunting grounds where the Xiongnu were being hunted, amidst flashes of sword light and mournful roars.

As the sun climbed over the mountain, the plains were littered with severed limbs, and the surging Qing River was stained red with blood.

"Whether they're dead or alive, give them two more blows."

Huo Qubing was not blinded by the victory; he remained cautious as a general, declaring, "The corpses were burned, and the heads were used to build a mound of skulls!"

"Yes, General!"

Several mass graves, each containing tens of thousands of people, were doused with volatile oil, and flames erupted instantly. At the same time, a mound of corpses, several meters high, rose from the ground...

(End of this chapter)