All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

This person also gave rise to a famous idiom, "killing one's father with a whistling arrow," referring to his father, the old Chanyu.

Modu Chanyu was both brave and resourceful. He first killed his father and became the king of the Xiongnu. Then he devised a plan to destroy the powerful Yuezhi Kingdom, then the Donghu, and successively destroyed dozens of small kingdoms in the Western Regions and the northern grasslands. Finally, he completely unified the northern grasslands.

At its peak, the Xiongnu Empire covered six million square kilometers, larger than both the Qin and Han dynasties. With hundreds of thousands of cavalry, it swept away all unruly forces, prompting the Han dynasty to undertake a seventy-year-long policy of appeasement through marriage alliances.

Of course, these are all things of the future. The Xiongnu have not yet reached their peak. Modu is still a young man under thirty years old, and it will be a few years before he kills his father.

Modu's father, the old Chanyu, was also a great ruler. Under his leadership, the Xiongnu, who were originally tribal, gradually unified and their territory expanded several times over. However, as he grew old, the Xiongnu's current position became awkward.

The Xiongnu were located in the northern desert, bordered by the Donghu to the east and the Yuezhi to the southwest. These two tribes were also fierce peoples who wielded curved knives and preyed on cattle and sheep in the vast wilderness, and their customs were similar to those of the Xiongnu.

The three countries were roughly equal in strength, and the Xiongnu were even slightly weaker at this time. Modu Chanyu had been sent to the Yuezhi as a hostage since childhood and had only escaped back to the Xiongnu in recent years. Now he was the Xiongnu commander of ten thousand men, with ten thousand cavalry under his command.

To the south of the Xiongnu was the powerful Qin Dynasty, a formidable opponent. To the west of the Xiongnu were dozens of small states, including the Long Kingdom, which were originally virtually unknown.

The Dragon Kingdom, which had been virtually invisible, suddenly bared its fangs, and the Huns, who had been preparing to attack Gem City, learned of this immediately.

Although the Xiongnu were powerful, they also had many enemies in this era, so they dared not act rashly. They had previously sent a large number of spies to Gem City.

At this moment, in the Xiongnu capital, the Chanyu's court, Xiongnu scouts who had returned after several days of raids hurriedly went back and reported the news of the Dragon Kingdom to the old Chanyu as soon as possible.

The old Chanyu was greatly surprised and immediately summoned the tribal generals to discuss the matter.

Previously, the old Chanyu had already decided to have his Right Wise King lead 10,000 cavalry to launch a surprise attack on Gem City and wipe out the Dragon Kingdom.

Their original plan was to acquire the wealth of Gem City, obtain the technology for manufacturing glass, mirrors, and paper, and then build a city similar to Gem City in the Xiongnu homeland.

The Xiongnu had even prepared their battle plans, ready to be implemented the following spring. However, they never expected that the Dragon Kingdom's strength was even greater than they had imagined.

Now they had to change their battle strategy, but no matter how strong the Dragon Kingdom's muscles were, the Xiongnu didn't take them seriously.

The Dragon Kingdom had at most 10,000 to 20,000 troops, while the Xiongnu had 100,000 cavalry; they were not even in the same league.

Their concern was that if they sent troops out, their enemies might take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack from behind.

This is also why they allowed the Dragon Kingdom to develop under their noses for several years, because the Xiongnu were not the only country eyeing the Gem City.

The Yuezhi on the other side had long planned this, partly because they were worried about a sneak attack by the Xiongnu and Donghu. Now that the Dragon Kingdom had suddenly shown its strength, it was giving the old Chanyu a headache.

To fight or not to fight?

Chapter Twenty-Five: Defeating the Xiongnu

We definitely have to fight, but the most important thing is deciding who to send.

Although the Xiongnu were already considered a state, the state adopted a feudal system, with each extended family having its own territory.

Although they are family, they still maintain the tradition of fighting over meat from the same pot; family rule is a characteristic of this era.

For the Xiongnu, the Dragon Kingdom was a piece of fat meat; whoever occupied the Dragon Kingdom would be well-fed and clothed.

This naturally included the powerful and ambitious Modu Chanyu. Modu Chanyu proposed to his father several times that he could send troops and promised that he could bring the Dragon Kingdom under his control in just one month.

However, the old Chanyu had no such intention. Although Modu was the nominal crown prince of the Xiongnu, the old Chanyu had a son with his concubine a few years ago.

The youngest son was extremely intelligent and was greatly favored by the old Chanyu. Under the influence of his concubine's pillow talk, the old Chanyu was already planning to give the position of crown prince to his youngest son.

For some reason, Modu found out about this. He was furious, but he only had 10,000 cavalrymen under his command, and the old Chanyu had a very high prestige, so it would be difficult for him to achieve his goal by force.

After learning that his father wanted to take his position as crown prince, Maodun temporarily lost the desire to attack the Dragon Kingdom. He began to train his 10,000 cavalry day and night, making them his loyal followers.

His training methods were unique; he ate and lived with the soldiers, and whatever he trained, he made the soldiers train as well. Everyone followed his training, and he wanted to be a role model for the entire army.

Whether it was riding, archery, or swordsmanship, his training results were better than all the other soldiers.

He wanted his 10,000 cavalrymen to be fearless in the face of death, to obey his orders, and for his orders to be absolute. Anyone who disobeyed would be killed!

After training for a period of time, Maodun led his cavalry to the grasslands for training. As they passed a river, they saw a small tribe living on the other side, with groups of herders grazing their livestock.

Upon seeing the herdsmen opposite him, Maodun suddenly drew his bow, pointed it at them, and roared.

"Everyone, obey my command! Kill every single person from the opposing tribe, regardless of gender or age!"

After saying this, he drew his bow and nocked an arrow, took the lead, and shot and killed a herdsman with a single arrow.

The cavalrymen behind him exchanged bewildered glances. The tribe opposite them looked like ordinary nomadic herders from the Xiongnu tribes. Why would the eldest prince want to kill them?

But military orders are absolute, and the vast majority of people still followed Maodun, drawing their bows and arrows, and charged into the tribe. Soon, blood flowed like a river, and the tribe of hundreds of people was slaughtered by tens of thousands of cavalry, leaving no one alive.

Afterwards, Maodun ordered his men to check the arrows in each soldier's quiver. Those who had not fired a single arrow were personally killed in front of all the cavalrymen by taking out his scimitar and cleaving them in two.

Having killed nearly a hundred people, Maodun roared at all his cavalrymen without changing his expression.

"My own orders are the absolute truth. Anyone who dares to disobey my commands will be killed without mercy!"

This incident effectively silenced all of Maodun's cavalry. Maodun rewarded and punished them accordingly, and the dozens of men who fought most fiercely with him each received gold and beautiful women as rewards.

After this incident, Modu's prestige rose even higher among this 10,000-strong cavalry force.

Just as Modu Chanyu was increasing his prestige through cruel methods, the old Chanyu and his generals finally decided who would lead the troops.

On this day, a general under the Right Wise King of the Xiongnu led 5,000 cavalrymen on a night raid of over 1,000 li to the homeland of the Dragon Kingdom, intending to completely conquer it.

Han Chunming had been preparing for the Xiongnu for a long time, and had already made a series of combat plans against the Xiongnu in recent years.

Although the Dragon Kingdom is not yet capable of traveling thousands of miles to conquer the Xiongnu, it is still 80% confident in defending against their attacks, especially since the Xiongnu have underestimated the Dragon Kingdom this time, sending only 5,000 men.

On the very day the enemy launched their attack, five thousand cavalry and eight thousand infantry were already waiting for a long time at the place the Xiongnu were bound to pass through.

One evening, the Dragon Kingdom launched an attack. The Black Bear tribe brought out the Dragon Cannons that they had prepared beforehand and fired first, suppressing the Hunnic army's charge.

Immediately, Han Chunming led three thousand cavalrymen to launch an attack from the front, while Yin Tian launched an attack from the rear. The infantry formed ranks and advanced steadily.

The outcome of the battle was a foregone conclusion. The well-prepared Chinese army achieved a great victory over the Xiongnu, annihilating more than 3,000 enemy soldiers and capturing nearly 2,000. The Xiongnu army was completely wiped out.

In this battle, Han Chunming personally took to the field, slaughtering over a hundred people single-handedly, thus solidifying his divine status once again.

At the same time, this battle ignited the morale of the Dragon Kingdom's army. With superior equipment, the Dragon Kingdom's cavalry were not afraid of the Xiongnu at all. In fact, after three years of training, they were stronger and more skilled than the Xiongnu.

This time, our side suffered only over 300 casualties, including over 120 cavalry and over 200 infantry, achieving a ratio of 10 to 1. Although we launched a surprise attack on the enemy with ample preparation, this battle thoroughly demonstrated the prestige of the Dragon Kingdom.

Previously, the Xiongnu were the dominant horsemen in the Western Regions, and the smaller states in the Western Regions always held a sense of fear towards them.

After this battle, those countries that wanted to show their strength completely fell silent and dared not provoke the Dragon Kingdom.

After conquering two neighboring countries, the Dragon Kingdom quickly integrated its resources and began to further expand its military.

The people of this era lived a truly miserable life. Due to low productivity, they not only lacked food and clothing, but also had to bear heavy taxes.

The Dragon Kingdom is now rich, and due to technological advancements, its agriculture is far more developed than that of other countries, resulting in a large stockpile of grain in recent years.

Most importantly, the management of Gem City over the past few years has given the Dragon Kingdom enough wealth to support the upcoming war, thus eliminating the need for severe exploitation in the occupied countries.

After conquering the other country, the Dragon Kingdom quickly transported a large amount of food and other necessities there.

The Dragon Kingdom needs their mineral resources and human resources, which are the cheapest for them. Instead, the food and other necessities transported by the Dragon Kingdom are what they need most.

Thus, this resource integration went extremely smoothly, and the officials sent by the Dragon Kingdom took over the other party's major cities without any trouble.

After taking over, officials immediately announced the abolition of the previous tax system and that a new tax system would be implemented soon, along with a three-year tax exemption.

Even if we wait three years, the new taxes will not be too high. For ordinary herders and farmers, it will be a complete change, with a much lighter burden than before.

Apart from an increase in business taxes, most other taxes were reduced, and the country's mineral resources were all nationalized.

In other words, all resources, both in the sky and on the ground, belong to the nation.

The country began to mine large quantities of minerals and rebuild various infrastructure projects, which required a large number of workers. As a result, the grain and daily necessities that were transported here came in handy.

Previously, farmers and herders in these two countries worked hard all year round, tending sheep and toiling in the fields, yet they still couldn't get enough to eat or wear, with nothing left over.

Now, they still work, but the cattle and sheep they graze, apart from paying a portion of the taxes, can mostly be kept by themselves.

At the same time, they also received wages for working in mines and construction sites. Ordinary people in the Dragon Kingdom could earn an average of about eight silver coins a month working in a mine, which was equivalent to eight hundred copper coins. With this income, they could support their families.

Ordinary people in the occupied country will not see a decrease in wages, because they will soon be assimilated into the Dragon Kingdom and become citizens of the Dragon Kingdom.

For many of them, this is the first time in their lives that they truly have their own savings. Being able to eat and dress warmly, and having savings, is already the greatest pursuit for ordinary people in this era.

In fact, wars were quite common in this era, and the general public was very accepting of them. If they could be fed and clothed, they would almost never rebel again.

Now, the Dragon Kingdom not only provides them with enough to eat and wear, but also gives them dignity, so their sense of identity is naturally very strong.

So the two countries quickly merged into the Dragon Kingdom's territory. After they lowered their guard, Dragon God churches began to appear in their living areas in the following period of time, and then the indoctrination of their faith would begin.

Only when everyone shares a common belief can they truly be one of us. After four years of exploration, the Dragon God Cult now has a complete brainwashing process that guarantees that ordinary people will become true die-hard believers within a year.

After Han Chunming wiped out the first batch of Xiongnu cavalry, he began to rapidly mobilize military equipment.

Next, there will definitely be a second wave of Hunnic counterattacks. Only after dealing with the second wave of Huns can the Dragon Kingdom begin a new campaign.

For him, the Xiongnu were only a matter of defense; the conquests would not cease.

If it were the Xiongnu people twenty years later, he might not be as calm as he is now, because by then Modu would have become the Xiongnu king, and had eliminated the Yuezhi and Donghu, establishing a vast Xiongnu empire.

The Xiongnu are currently besieged on three sides, and they would never dare to launch a large-scale attack on the Dragon Kingdom, which gives Han Chunming time and opportunity.

After defeating the Xiongnu in their second campaign, Han Chunming prepared to take action against dozens of small states in the Western Regions. He wanted to unify the Western Regions and become the true overlord of the Western Regions before the Qin Dynasty fell.

Standing in front of the map in the operations room, Han Chunming saw dozens of countries marked on it, and a surge of pride welled up in his heart.

The map clearly marks the topography of dozens of countries, including Wusun, Kucha, Yanqi, Ruoqiang, Loulan, Qiemo, Xiaowan, Ronglu, Mi, Qule, Pishan, Xiye, and many others.

All of this is the result of nearly four years of preparation by the Dragon Kingdom. Next, it will be time for conquest!

While Han Chunming was mobilizing his troops, the remnants of the defeated Xiongnu forces returned to the Xiongnu Chanyu's court to report.

When the old Chanyu learned of the annihilation of his five thousand cavalry, he was greatly shocked and a surge of anger welled up within him. He immediately began to summon his generals to discuss a second campaign.

Upon hearing the news, Modu rushed to the old Chanyu's tent and volunteered once again to go.

This time, the old Chanyu still did not allow Maodun to participate, and with a cold expression and a reprimanding tone, he told Maodun to discipline his subordinates properly.

The massacre of over a hundred Xiongnu tribe members last time further fueled the old Chanyu's dislike for this son.

Maodun outwardly agreed with fear, but inwardly he was furious, and his hatred for his father reached its peak.

After leaving the old Chanyu's tent, Modu whipped his horse and galloped all the way to his own camp.

He then summoned his personal guards to relax. His face was gloomy as he led his cavalry across the mountains and across the grasslands.

Today, Mao Dun was in a particularly bad mood, and the whip made his horse wriggle unhappily.

Maodun almost got thrown off his horse when he wasn't paying attention. He was furious, jumped off his horse, and lashed it with his whip again. The horse, in pain, ran forward.

This horse was a magnificent steed, usually favored by Maodun. Today, Maodun was indeed somewhat angry, which is why he whipped it a bit too hard.