My brothers are all warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men; I'll roam freely in the Thr

"General Xiang... General Xiang is joking." He Lian's throat was dry and his voice trembled.

"It's not that I, Wang, am unwilling to submit to the Han Dynasty, but rather... I am truly powerless to do so!"

"Since my late father's departure, the royal court's authority has declined daily. The tribal chiefs outwardly comply but inwardly defy, each acting independently. The likes of Queju and Murong obey orders but not summons. The eastern tribes are even further away, separated by mountains and rivers... Even if I... even if I, the young king, wish to lead my people to submit, emulating the stories of the Southern Xiongnu and Wuhuan, I fear... I fear that my decrees will be difficult to issue beyond Tanhan Mountain, only causing strife and hindering the general's important affairs, and betraying the benevolent heart of the Han emperor!"

He spoke rapidly, shifting all the blame to the various departments for their insubordination, portraying himself as a powerless and pitiful leader, attempting to gain some leeway and at least avoid the worst possible outcome.

Upon hearing this, a barely perceptible hint of mockery flashed in Xiang Yu's double pupils. He raised his hand as if to reassure him: "Chief Helian, there's no need to be so tense. Although the process of helping us find the two traitors Zhang Chun and Zhang Ju was not entirely satisfactory, we still managed to cooperate. Since we have cooperated, it is fate."

He then changed the subject: "Since we have cooperated before, it proves that there is no insurmountable barrier between us. The friendship between the Han and the Hu people, turning hostility into friendship, is an act that is in accordance with the will of Heaven and the people. It is a great blessing for you and for the Xianbei people. As for what you just said about not being able to do it..."

Xiang Yu drew out his words slightly, his gaze falling on He Lian's panicked face.

"This is indeed a difficult problem. Since the leader feels it is difficult to unite the various tribes and promote the king's rule, why not... take a step back and see if things will improve?"

He Lian's heart clenched suddenly, and an ominous premonition reached its peak.

Xiang Yu continued in his calm yet piercing voice, "Why not abdicate and pass the leadership of the Xianbei to your son? You yourself can return with us to the Han Dynasty and go to Luoyang. I've heard that your nephew, Kui Tou, is currently a guest in Luoyang, where the Emperor treats him very well. You and your nephew have been separated for a long time; this is a good opportunity for you to reunite and enjoy family time. You will then witness firsthand the prosperity of the Han capital and bask in the Emperor's grace. Wouldn't that be far better than toiling away in this harsh, cold frontier, subject to the control of others?"

He leaned slightly forward, lowering his voice, yet making it all the more imposing: "As for those unruly and stubborn tribes... the current emperor is wise and benevolent, and most compassionate towards the hardships of his vassal states. At that time, he will surely send capable ministers and elite royal troops to 'assist' your son, to properly 'educate' them, so that they understand etiquette, know when to advance and retreat, and forever serve as a bulwark for Han territory. In this way, the chieftain can be relieved of his heavy burden and enjoy wealth and honor, while also ensuring the stability of his descendants' foundation and the long-term peace and stability of his people. Isn't that the best of both worlds?"

abdicate!

He wanted one of his own sons to succeed him!

How old is her own son, Qianman?

Six years old!

Why should a six-year-old child succeed as the leader of the Xianbei?

He himself is going to Luoyang to be a hostage!

They also wanted the Han army to use the pretext of "assisting in education" to further infiltrate, control, and even violently suppress disobedient tribes!

This is hardly a suggestion.

This is clearly an ultimatum!

It's a blatant plan to absorb and puppetize!

He Lian was struck dumb, his body swayed violently, and he staggered backward. Fortunately, he was supported by the guards behind him, so that he did not collapse on the spot.

His face turned from white to green, then from green to gray, his chest heaving violently. He pointed at Xiang Yu, his lips trembling, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Anger, fear, humiliation, despair... all sorts of emotions gnawed at his heart like venomous snakes.

He wanted to roar, to refuse, to rally the tens of thousands of royal troops outside the tent to fight these Han people to the death!

But what he could see was the cold certainty in Xiang Yu's deep, heavy eyes, the impatient hands of the four fierce generals behind him pressing on their sword hilts, and the chilling, uniform clanging of metal and the muffled thud of hooves from outside the tent, the sound of the Jingnan Army cavalry training.

He thought of the annihilated Kezui tribe, the ferocity of this army that swept through small parts of the grasslands in half a month, and his own demoralized and lazy subordinates...

spell?

What can we use to put it together?

I fear that once war breaks out, the first one to be torn apart will be himself, the "adult"!

"General Xiang... this... this matter is of great importance, could you... allow me to discuss it with my men..." He Lian pleaded, making a last, futile struggle to buy time.

"Discuss?"

Lu Bu snorted coldly, and the tip of his halberd lightly touched the ground, making a soft "ding" sound that was particularly jarring in the silent tent.

"Chief Helian, our army's provisions are limited, and our return is imminent. This matter must be decided soon, or things may change. Could it be... that you are unwilling to relinquish the glory and honor of the Khanate, preferring to fight against our army rather than seek a way out for your people and a life of wealth and honor for yourself?"

The threat in his words was made without any attempt to conceal it.

Ran Min didn't speak, but the cold hatred and killing intent in his eyes made He Lian feel that it was even more terrifying than Lu Bu's words.

Yang Zaixing looked at him calmly.

Li Cunxiao patted the sword at his waist, his meaning couldn't be clearer.

He Lian's last shred of hope and courage was utterly shattered under this silent coercion.

He slumped his head, as if all his energy had been drained away in an instant, his whole body hunched over, his voice barely audible, filled with endless weariness and resignation: "...I understand...everything...is left to the general's...arrangements."

He knew that from the moment he uttered those words, the last vestige of Xianbei glory left from the Tanshihuai era would be completely ended in his hands.

He became the first "Great Khan" in Xianbei history to be besieged by Han troops, forced to abdicate, and to request to be taken hostage, thus destined to be infamous for eternity.

But at this moment, the thought of surviving and preserving his direct bloodline and some followers overwhelmed everything else.

A few days later, an edict issued "voluntarily" by Helian and stamped with the golden seal of the Xianbei royal court bearing the wolf's head spread across the grasslands at an astonishing speed, instantly causing an uproar!

The edict declared: "The Great Khan of the Xianbei, Helian, deeply felt the turmoil on the grasslands and the suffering of his people in recent years. He himself was of meager virtue and talent and was unable to unite the various tribes. In accordance with the will of Heaven, he decided to follow the example of the ancient sages and abdicate the throne to his six-year-old eldest son, Qianman."

At the same time, in order to perpetuate the friendship between the Han and the Xiongnu and to ensure that the Xianbei people will forever enjoy the benevolence and grace of the Han Dynasty, He Lian will personally go to the capital Luoyang to submit to the Han Emperor and pay tribute. He will also "earnestly request" the Han Emperor to send capable officials to assist the young Khan Qianman in "civilizing" the grasslands and jointly maintaining peace. From this day forward, the Xianbei are willing to be vassals of the Han Dynasty forever and to abide by their duties as subjects.

"He's insane! He's such a stupid pig! A coward!"

"Surrendering before even fighting! Surrendering to the Han people who forced him to abdicate! Lord Tanshihuai's spirit will not forgive him!"

"Making a baby a grown-up? Letting Han Chinese 'civilize' us? What's the difference between this and causing the extinction of our Xianbei people?!"

"He Lian is unworthy to be king! The royal court's dignity has been swept away! From this day forward, Tanhan Mountain has no right to command the grasslands!"

Anger, contempt, and resentment surged like a storm, sweeping across the major Xianbei tribes from east to west.

The two strongest factions in the central region, Queju and Murong, reacted most fiercely.

They were already dissatisfied with Helian's incompetence and increasingly disregarded the authority of the royal court, and now they had found the perfect excuse for a complete break.

Queju publicly tore up a copy of the royal edict in front of his large tent, roaring at the gathered tribesmen and envoys from neighboring tribes: "Helian is a coward who has disgraced our late Khan! He is no longer worthy to be the lord of our Xianbei! The Han people are wolves in sheep's clothing, using military force to coerce us Xianbei into slavery! My Queju tribe will never submit! From this day forward, our tribe is independent and will no longer obey the orders of Tanhan Mountain! All Xianbei warriors with blood in their veins should unite to resist the Han aggression and defend our grasslands and freedom!"

Although Murong did not publicly hurl insults as fiercely as Que Ju, he quickly gathered his confidants and made a substantive decision to become independent.

On the one hand, he secretly sent envoys to contact Queju, agreeing to support each other from both sides to guard against possible attacks by the Han army.

On the other hand, they intensified their efforts to shrink their population and migrate to more northerly or more dangerous mountainous areas. At the same time, they sent out their cavalry to contact the more powerful tribes in the east who had always been distant from the royal court, in an attempt to form a loose alliance against the Han and the puppet royal court.

At the same time, a considerable number of tribes, especially those small tribes in the central and eastern regions that were shocked by the destruction of the Kezui tribe last year, or suffered heavy losses in this Jingnan Army's sweep, as well as some nobles who were originally closely related to the Helian family, or who were intimidated by the Jingnan Army's military might and were exhausted by the continuous war, chose to accept reality.

They openly or covertly pledged allegiance to the newly established puppet regime in Tanhan Mountain, centered around the six-year-old Qianman, and prepared to accept the fate of "submitting to the Han Dynasty".

For them, survival and a relatively stable order are more tangible than the ethereal "glory of the grasslands".

Thus, the Xianbei, who had briefly unified during the Tanshihuai era, completely split apart.

The "Submission Faction" was roughly divided by the Tanhan Mountain and the southern grasslands near You and Bing.

The "independence faction," led by powerful figures in the central region such as Queju and Murong, controls the north, west, and parts of the east, accounting for about 50% to 60%. The two camps are hostile to each other and are in a state of confrontation.

The power structure of the grasslands was completely reshaped by the Jingnan Army's expedition, which began with "searching" and ended with "forcing the emperor to abdicate."

Preparations for the Jingnan Army's main camp at Tanhanshan to break camp and return south are nearing completion.

The captured cattle, sheep, horses, and other valuables "offered" by the royal court flowed into the procession in an endless stream.

The heads of Zhang Chun and Zhang Ju, which had been specially treated and placed in wooden boxes, became the most important "trophies of war".

Meanwhile, the former Xianbei leader and Lian were sitting in a specially prepared, fairly spacious carriage, surrounded by elite Jingnan Army soldiers who were "guards" but actually monitoring them, as if they had lost their parents.

He will be brought back to Luoyang as a vassal leader who "voluntarily entered the court and became a "great gift" presented by Ji Xuanyuan to the court, as well as a poisonous thorn stuck in the spine of the Xianbei independence.

Xiang Yu, Ran Min, Lü Bu, Yang Zaixing, Li Cunxiao and others stopped at a high slope outside the camp, looking back at the vast grassland to the north and the faint outline of the Tanhan Mountain in the distance.

This northward expedition, lasting nearly two months, was ostensibly to "search for traitors," but in reality, it aimed to intimidate, divide, and puppetize officials. The results and impact far exceeded expectations.

"After this battle, the Xianbei will find it difficult to gain any real power within the next ten years," Yang Zaixing said.

"Internal divisions and mutual checks and balances mean that both the allies and the independents need time to heal their wounds and deal with each other. This will greatly alleviate the pressure on the northern frontier of our Great Han."

Ran Min said coldly, "It's fine if they split. When the time is right, we can defeat them one by one. The Xianbei problem will eventually be eradicated."

He never forgot to completely resolve the Hu problem.

Lü Bu, however, seemed somewhat unsatisfied: "It's a pity I couldn't have a proper fight with Que Ju, Murong, and the like! They just went and established their own rule for nothing."

Xiang Yu's gaze was far-reaching, his eyes reflecting the drifting clouds on the horizon: "What my elder brother wants is temporary stability in the northern frontier and the recognition of military achievements, not a full-scale war with the Xianbei at this moment, which would drag us into a quagmire. A divided Xianbei would be most advantageous to me. Now that I'm back, my elder brother's plans will be even more successful."

Just as everyone was talking, a fast horse galloped from the southern official road, its hooves flying and kicking up a trail of dust.

The red flag carried by the mounted knight was a symbol used by the Jingnan Army to transmit urgent military intelligence.

The knight charged straight up the hillside, tumbling off his horse in front of Xiang Yu's steed. He knelt on one knee, panting heavily, and reported: "Report! General Xiang! Generals! A secret letter from Military Advisor Guo of Zhuojun, delivered by urgent messenger from 800 li away! Also, urgent reports from scouts in various counties of Youzhou!"

Xiang Yu's expression hardened. He took the copper tube sealed with wax, quickly opened it, and took out the silk inside.

Ran Min and the others also gathered around.

The letter was short.

In his letter, Guo Jia briefly described the following: A violent upheaval had occurred within the Southern Xiongnu in northern Bingzhou and the Hetao region. Yufuluo, the son of the Xiongnu Chanyu Qiangqu and the Right Wise King, and his brother Huchuquan, were dissatisfied with the rule of the Chanyu Qiangqu and, it is suspected, launched a rebellion in alliance with some nobles.

Currently, fierce fighting has broken out in the Meiji area where Shanyuting is located, and the situation is chaotic.

The rebellion also seemed to involve the remnants of the Black Mountain bandits who were roaming Bingzhou, as well as some other non-Han peoples who coveted Han territory.

Zhang Yi, the governor of Bingzhou, has urgently mobilized troops for defense, but Bingzhou's military strength is already insufficient, and it also has to guard against the Qiang and Hu tribes in Xihe and Shangjun, making the response quite difficult.

If this matter is not handled properly, it may affect the western side of Youzhou and even the overall situation of the northern frontier.

"The Southern Xiongnu are also in chaos..." Xiang Yu put down the secret letter.

The dust had barely settled on the division of the Xianbei when war broke out again in the Hetao region.

The signs of this chaotic world are indeed becoming increasingly apparent.

Lu Bu chuckled and said, "We just dealt with the Xianbei, and now the Xiongnu are acting up again. It seems it's not time for us to sheath our swords yet."

Ran Min's eyes flashed even colder: "The Xiongnu... fine too."

Xiang Yu carefully put away the secret letter, looked south, and slowly said, "Order the entire army to speed up reorganization. At dawn tomorrow, we will break camp and return south!"