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

Chapter 188 German War
A bloodied person.

It was carried up to the Xuan Shi Hall.

The feudal lords, ministers, marquises, and members of the imperial family of both the central and outer courts did not know who he was, but they could guess that he was a "witness".

"Your Highness, do you know who he is?" Zhang Tang asked deliberately.

At this moment, Liu Pengzu's face turned ashen, and he was drenched in cold sweat. In an instant, he understood the whole story of Wei Qing's success in taking over the territory. He realized that Wei Qing had turned the tables on Liu Pengzu.

Looking at the composed figure on the throne, he couldn't understand how someone so young could possess such shrewdness and cunning.

Despite being ignored by the king, Zhang Tang showed no resentment. Pointing at Zhongxing Fa, he addressed the princes and nobles, saying, "This man's surname is Zhongxing, and his given name is Fa. He was originally a citizen of our great Han Dynasty, but his ancestors committed a crime and fled to the Xiongnu to avoid disaster. That man is the number one traitor of our dynasty, 'He who is sure to harm the Han,' Zhongxing Fa."

The main hall instantly became lively, with over a hundred people of all kinds. There were many who hated the Han and were considered traitors, but those officially designated as traitors by the imperial court were rarely seen on ordinary days.

Especially, alive!

The conflict between the Han and Xiongnu over the past century and its basic countermeasures can be summarized in one simple sentence.

The struggle between the Han and Xiongnu was characterized by a stalemate between the two sides, with the Han seeking peace through marriage alliances.

By using marriage alliances, the intensity of the struggle was maintained—neither too high nor too low. As the saying goes, "A stick can't fight a wolf without both sides being afraid."

The Han and Xiongnu used each other's traitors and surrendered generals, hoping to find a way to destroy the other side.

The Xiongnu Chanyu hoped to acquire Han Chinese agricultural, textile, and iron-smelting technologies from the Han people he married, and also sought to transform the Xiongnu tribal system into an imperial system, creating a civilization belonging to the grasslands and nomadic people.

Only civilization can destroy another civilization.

This statement has been a consensus among the successive Great Chanyus of the Xiongnu, starting with Modu Chanyu.

Therefore, over the past century, the Xiongnu have been drawing wisdom from the Central Plains civilization, developing their own language and arts, but their education and skills have developed slowly.

It's like a lame giant.

Moreover, the different ethnic groups and customs were vastly different. As the Xiongnu advanced their civilization, intense conflicts broke out within the group, exacerbating internal strife.

If it weren't for the ever-growing power of the Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu's chieftains might have been able to forcefully suppress any resistance within their tribes and establish a steppe civilization through sheer force.

However, the Han Dynasty also had its own calculations. Starting from the reign of Emperor Wen, the Han emperors and ministers intended to use the Xiongnu traitors who surrendered to the Han Dynasty and other barbarians to deal with the Xiongnu, that is, "using barbarians to control barbarians".

In addition, the Han emperor and his ministers intended to "transform" the Xiongnu. It was Jia Yi again who, in his memorial to Emperor Xiaowen, volunteered to serve as an official in a vassal state to govern the Xiongnu.

This is the famous "Three Tables and Five Bait".

The three tables form the system, and the five baits represent the measures.

Three-Table System:

Establish credibility: To gain the trust of the Xiongnu people by building a trustworthy image.

The expression of love: showing care and concern for the Xiongnu people.

Good people's skills: to praise the excellent skills of the Xiongnu as a sign of respect.

Five baiting methods:

Gifts of fine clothes and carriages: Inducing division within the Xiongnu aristocratic class through material gifts. Provision of delicacies: Weakening the Xiongnu's fighting strength by altering their dietary habits.

The woman who presented music: to use music to dissipate the Xiongnu's martial spirit.

Building grand halls and treasuries: changing the habits of the Xiongnu people by adopting a settled lifestyle.

Implement appeasement and win over the upper echelons of the Xiongnu through rewards and gifts.

At the time, it was called the "German War".

The Han emperor and his ministers believed that after the "three edicts and five baits," "among the Xiongnu, there was discord and mutual suspicion, causing the Chanyu to be unable to sleep or eat properly. He would hold his sword and bow and squat in the corner of the yurt, looking left and right as if he were his enemy." Therefore, the ministers "though they wanted not to flee, it was as if a tiger was behind them. They wanted not to come, fearing that they might be attacked. This was the inevitable situation... Their return to the Han was like a weak child longing for a loving mother."

It is possible to subjugate the Xiongnu to the Han Dynasty without a fight.

Although it contained some elements of fantasy, it did have some feasibility. However, before the Han dynasty's "war against Germany" could even begin, it was ruined by one person.

This person is Zhongxing Shuo.

At that time, Emperor Xiaowen issued an edict to send a woman from the imperial clan to the Xiongnu for a marriage alliance, and selected eunuchs such as Zhongxing Shuo to accompany her.

Zhongxing Shuo feared the desolation and loneliness of the north, and reluctantly said, "If I am forced to go to the Xiongnu, it will threaten the Han Dynasty."

He kept his word and surrendered to the Xiongnu after arriving in Xiongnu territory, becoming an important strategist for the Xiongnu Chanyu.

Zhongxing Shuo taught the Xiongnu Chanyu from multiple perspectives, instigating the Xiongnu to confront the Han Dynasty.

At that time, the Xiongnu people greatly admired the clothes and food of the Han Dynasty. The Chanyu Laoshang accepted the marriage alliance with the Han Dynasty, which changed their customs and habits. As a result, many Xiongnu people admired Han customs, wore Han clothes, ate Han food, and indulged in comfort and pleasure all day long.

Zhongxing said to the Chanyu, "Do you know that the Xiongnu population is less than that of a single prefecture in the Han Dynasty? So why are they so strong?"
It's because their food and clothing are different from theirs, so they don't need their supplies. Now, if you change your good habits and start to like things from the Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty can buy out the entire Xiongnu by giving them 20% of their wealth.

He arranged for people to wear the loose and gorgeous clothes sent by the Han Dynasty and ride horses through the grass and thorns. The clothes were quickly torn and tattered to prove that Han clothes were no match for the leather clothes that the Xiongnu people often wore.

Then, he ordered all the food sent by the Han Dynasty to be thrown away, making people feel that it was not as easy to eat and delicious as the food the Xiongnu themselves ate.

Zhongxing Shuo not only strengthened the Xiongnu people's sense of self, taught them methods of production and life, and established the idea that the Xiongnu people were stronger than the Han people, but also taught the Xiongnu people to be superior to the Han people in terms of diplomatic etiquette.

The Han Dynasty's official letter to the Xiongnu was written on a wooden board one foot and one inch long, with phrases such as "The Emperor respectfully inquires about the well-being of the Great Chanyu of the Xiongnu."

Zhongxing Shuo told the Xiongnu Chanyu that the Han Dynasty's policy of marriage alliances was a sign of its eventual triumph, and that a decisive battle with the Xiongnu was inevitable. He advised the Xiongnu to seize the Han Dynasty's resources while it was still relatively weak, in preparation for future wars.

It was on Zhongxing Shuo's advice that the Xiongnu outwardly accepted the Han Dynasty's marriage alliance, but inwardly they launched large-scale raids on the Han Dynasty's borders, plundering cattle, sheep, grain, and border residents.

From Laoshang Chanyu to Junchen Chanyu and then to Yizhixie Chanyu, the three generations of Xiongnu Chanyu trusted Zhongxing Shuo. Zhongxing Shuo, based on his understanding of the Han Dynasty, told the Xiongnu when and where to plunder the Han people.

Under the instigation and guidance of Zhongxing Shuo, the Xiongnu made unreasonable demands on the Han Dynasty. If these demands were not met, they would resort to arms. Over the decades, the Xiongnu's invasions of the Han Dynasty became increasingly rampant.

Although the "German War" was not completely destroyed by Zhongxing Shuo, it forced Han officials such as Jia Yi to change their plan to directly intervene in the Xiongnu and instead subtly infiltrate the Xiongnu.

They ruined the grand plan of the Han dynasty, and all the emperors and ministers of the Han dynasty gnashed their teeth in hatred. Now, seeing the Zhonghang clan, the princes and dukes all turned red with envy.

Traitors must die. Zhang Tang reminded the princes to return their attention to the person they should be focusing on: "This man conspired with the Prince of Zhao in a secret room. Your Highness, this can no longer be called a casual chat, can it?"

"Please answer!"

(End of this chapter)