Chapter 164
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After winning the battle, Chu Hechao ordered the slaughter of over a thousand sheep to reward the army.
The campfire was blazing, and the aroma of the roasted meat filled the air. The camp was lively, as if it were a festival, with soldiers eating heartily.
Chu Hechao sat at the head, holding a wine jar, gazing at the sky above the grassland.
Countless stars seemed as if they could fall down, just within reach. Chu Hechao thought that he would bring Yuan Li to see the grassland scenery sooner or later.
The soldiers who were responsible for delivering livestock from the rear also arrived and handed over their packages to Chu Hechao with both hands, “General, this is what you ordered your subordinate to request from Duke Wen.”
Chu Hechao raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised and flattered.
He had originally just teased Yuan Li, never expecting him to actually send him anything personal. Unexpectedly, there was a pleasant surprise.
Chu Hechao put down the wine jar and took the package, gently feeling the texture of the package.
The flickering campfire illuminated him, melting away the fierce and resolute aura he had displayed on the battlefield a few days ago, replacing it with a more approachable warmth. Even the smile on his lips carried a sense of contentment.
Seeing his appearance, those around him became even more curious. They glanced at the package as if trying to figure out what Yuan Li had sent.
However, Chu Hechao ordered them not to pry, and only then did he open the package.
To his surprise, the package contained his old worn-out clothes.
Chu Hechao: “…”
Unwillingly, he took out his clothes and threw them aside. The package was empty, and there wasn’t even a note.
The people on both sides, having received permission, turned back to look, and Yuan Congyun peered over, sighing disappointedly, “General, it’s just your clothes. Why did you tell us not to look?”
He thought it was another set of armor!
Chu Hechao was amused and coldly smiled as he stuffed his clothes back into the package. “Yes, I didn’t expect it to be my own clothes.”
Yuan Congyun felt as if he could hear a trace of gnashing teeth in Chu Hechao’s tone, but when he looked at Chu Hechao’s smiling face, he thought he must have misheard. “The grassland is cold at night, and the dew is heavy. Duke Wen must be concerned about you catching a cold, that’s why he sent you these clothes as a gesture of care.”
Chu Hechao didn’t tell him that the clothes were torn and couldn’t keep him warm at all. He just smiled and said, “You’re right. With Duke Wen’s concern for me, I should find a way to return the favor. Let’s rest here for a few days and then set off as soon as possible.”
Everyone agreed in response.
After the rest, Chu Hechao led his army to join forces with Lu He’s army.
Zuoxian Wang’s tribe were larger than those of the Youxian Wang’s tribe. Lu He couldn’t stop all of the people, and about twenty thousand remaining Xiongnu soldiers escaped to the northern desert.
Lu He felt guilty, “I had too few troops with me. I wanted to completely eliminate… sigh, but I let some of the remaining soldiers go.”
“No problem,” Chu Hechao had expected this and said, “The remaining remnants of the Xiongnu cannot pose a threat. After this battle, there will be no more royal court in the south of the desert. The main forces of the Zuo and Youxian Wangs have almost been annihilated by us. The Xiongnu have fled far away, and they are no longer capable of coming south to threaten our borders. The Xiongnu, who troubled our border for hundreds of years, can no longer pose a threat to us.”
These seemingly plain words made Lu He couldn’t help but be moved, his eyes brimming with tears. Many words swirled in his throat, but he couldn’t say them out loud. In the end, he reached out and patted Chu Hechao’s shoulder with force.
Indeed, the Xiongnu had been completely defeated and had no ability to confront them head-on anymore.
They had achieved what their ancestors could not.
This battle would surely make them leave their names in history!
After the excitement subsided, Lu He looked around and asked in confusion, “General, where are the Wuwan people?”
As soon as he asked this question, Lu He watched as Chu Hechao’s face turned cold, a hint of disgust in his tone. “The Wuwan people conspired with the Youxian Wang’s tribe. They pretended to let Huyan Huntu and the Youxian Wang go. If I hadn’t arrived in time, the Xiongnu Chanyu would have escaped long ago.”
Lu He was shocked, and then furious. He cursed angrily, “I knew these barbarians were not good people. Each one of them is heartless and unscrupulous, just like wolves and dogs. They were given an opportunity to attack the Xiongnu, and they used it to secretly let the Xiongnu Chanyu escape! How despicable, truly despicable!”
Chu Hechao listened calmly as Lu He vented his anger and then said in a deep voice, “When I return, I will question those Wuwan people thoroughly.”
Lu He supported the idea and patted his chest, saying, “We have fought two battles together, General, if you need any help, just tell me, and I, Lu He, will definitely lead my troops to assist you!”
Chu Hechao smiled and replied, “Thank you, General Lu, for your support.”
In the campaign against the Xiongnu, they had completely wiped out over 150,000 Xiongnu soldiers, captured 200,000 of them, and acquired a total of 500,000 livestock, including a massive 100,000 horses. Additionally, they obtained leather goods and tents, as well as gold and silver, which greatly replenished their military resources.
Because Chu Hechao had the largest number of soldiers and expended the most effort, he divided the spoils into four portions. He took two portions as the main force, another portion that the Wuwan people should have taken, and the last portion was given to Lu He.
Although he only received a quarter of the spoils, Lu He had no complaints and was rather pleased. The captured Xiongnu soldiers were of no use to him, so Chu Hechao allowed him to have all of them, using livestock and gold and silver as compensation.
Just from this one battle, Lu He gained over ten thousand livestock, which was several times more than the losses he suffered in his campaign against the Xiongnu.
After receiving these spoils, Lu He’s first thought was to slaughter and eat all the livestock except for the horses, which would feed his troops for several years. However, he remembered the flourishing Youzhou and Bingzhou that Yuan Li had governed well, so he approached Chu Hechao and asked for advice, “General, do you know how Duke Wen deals with these livestock?”
Chu Hechao glanced at him and said in a few words, “Keep them and establish livestock farms. The horses will be used in the military, while the cattle and sheep can be used for military rations or sold to the south.”
Cattle and sheep in the south were much more expensive than in the north.
Lu He suddenly realized, “Is it because you and Duke Wen’s troops regularly consume meat that they are so powerful?”
Chu Hechao nodded slightly.
Lu He pondered for a moment and decided to follow Yuan Li’s example and try it out.
Without needing Chu Hechao to personally teach the Wuwan people a lesson, after receiving the news that Chu Hechao had killed Puyan and Da Dan’s eldest son with arrows, Yuan Li acted swiftly and sent troops to surround the remaining Wuwan forces in Youzhou’s Shanggu County and Yuyang County.
He appointed Jia Qing as the main general, Zhou Gongdan as the military advisor, to deal with Da Dan. He also instructed Wu Kai and Guo Mao to cooperate and handle the remnants of Puyan’s forces.
Except for Jia Qing, these four individuals rarely led operations themselves. Zhou Gongdan and Guo Mao, who were newly appointed military advisors, were excited to take on the task.
The Wuwan forces in Youzhou were diverse and amounted to about 100,000 people. Although they were scattered and busy with livestock, it still presented considerable difficulty. For them, this was a great opportunity to achieve military merits.
After discussing how to deal with the Northern and Southern Wuwan tribes, the four of them quickly set off.
Wen Principality and the military movements in Youzhou had always been quite active, especially during the campaign against the Xiongnu. When Da Dan learned that a military force was coming towards Shanggu County, he didn’t pay much attention, thinking that this army was just passing by to provide support to Chu Hechao on the grasslands.
However, when the city where the Wuwan people were located was surrounded by Yuan Li’s troops, Da Dan was alarmed and almost fell off the bed.
Da Dan was angry and anxious. What did Yuan Li want to do?
He immediately sent his subordinates to the city walls to inquire. They were vassals of Northern Zhou, and they had formed an alliance with Chu Hechao and Yuan Li. They had sent troops to assist Chu Hechao in attacking the Xiongnu. Now, Yuan Li had sent troops to besiege them. What did this mean?
Did Chu Hechao think they were useless after defeating the Xiongnu? Did he intend to come and deal with them? This kind of double-dealing and ungratefulness, wasn’t Yuan Li afraid of being cursed by people all over the world?
In warfare in the Central Plains, one had to seize the moral high ground and have a valid reason. Yuan Li’s actions were indeed not righteous, and Da Dan was very confident. The subordinates he sent to inquire also had great confidence.
Zhou Gongdan calmly stated the reasons that Chu Hechao had previously mentioned to Lu He, “The Wuwan people conspired with the Xiongnu and let the Xiongnu Chanyu and Youxian Wang go when they were about to achieve a major victory. Tell your leader that his son and Puyan have done foolish things and have both been beheaded by the Grand General. The Wuwan people have betrayed Wen Principality, the General, and Northern Zhou. Our military intervention is entirely justified!”
Da Dan, who was anxiously waiting inside the house, heard that his son had been killed by Chu Hechao, and he spit out a mouthful of blood, fainting from anger.
When he woke up again, half of his body was paralyzed, and he could barely speak clearly, unable to form a complete sentence.
The subordinates were in a panic, and chaos erupted among the Wuwan tribes.
The outcome was clear – victory.
Chu Hechao left in early spring and returned in early summer.
When he arrived back in Youzhou, the war led by Zhou Gongdan and Jia Qing against the Wuwan people was coming to an end. Chu Hechao took a glance at the city that had been occupied by the Wuwan people for twelve years, standing before the ruins for a long time.
Twelve years ago, these cities became the territory of the Wuwan people. The local people were forcibly relocated to other places, and the buildings were seized by the Wuwan people openly.
Twelve years ago, after defeating the Wuwan people and making them submit to Northern Zhou, Chu Hechao was hailed as a hero and war god of Northern Zhou. However, the people of the five counties in Youzhou, who constantly lived in fear under the rule of the Wuwan people, did not see Chu Hechao as a hero.
Jia Qing and Zhou Gongdan stood behind Chu Hechao in silence, both guessing what was on his mind.
To every person of Northern Zhou, the destruction of the Xiongnu was a joyful event that seemed too good to be true. For the people of Youzhou, getting rid of the Wuwan people meant they could finally call it their home.
“Oh,” Zhou Gongdan sighed softly, but then smiled, looking up at the grayish sky with unparalleled tranquility. “Finally, it’s over.”
Jia Qing’s eyes also seemed to be moistening.
Yes, the external enemies were finally gone.
The Xiongnu were no more.
Chu Hechao ordered his men to bring wine and poured three cups in front of the Wuwan city, mourning all the brothers and civilians who lost their lives during the twelve years of Wuwan rule.
“Shanggu, Yuyang, Liaoxi, Liaodong, and You Beiping –” Chu Hechao said softly, “all of you can rest in peace now.”
He stayed in Youzhou for a day and set out early the next day, leading the army and rushing to Jizhou.
Along the way, the news of the Xiongnu’s annihilation and the end of their rule in the Southern Desert spread rapidly.
Elderly people leaning on crutches stumbled out of their courtyards, kneeling on the ground with tearful faces, kowtowing and crying loudly. Middle-aged men raised their axes and hoes, cheering and shouting in the streets, informing others about the news.
Women wiped their tears inside the house, sobbing uncontrollably. Children innocently wiped away the tears from their mothers’ faces, asking in confusion, “Mom, why are you and Grandma crying?”
The old woman’s rough and withered hand touched the child’s tender face as she choked back her tears and said, “This is tears of joy.”
The child asked, “Joy for what?”
“Joy for the future, where no one will ever come to take you away from your mother, and no one will ever come to snatch our food from our home again…”
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