Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3398 Year

Zhang He opened a passage in Youzhou, but Zhao Yun in Mobei did not immediately enter Youzhou through the passage. Instead, he met with several tribal leaders in the desert.

In the desert, there is order, but also no order.

The reason for the order is the natural law of the survival of the fittest. The reason for the lack of order is that the strong here often take turns to be the boss.

During the development of the desert, some heroes have appeared, but they are often unable to continue the rules and can only be like a flash in the pan, fleeting. This has led to a rare formation of order or legal concepts in the desert. Taking advantage of the situation to rob and steal is not a big problem in the eyes of the desert shepherds. The problem is whether they will be caught after robbing and stealing.

Not getting caught is a talent, being caught is bad luck.

If Zhao Yun wanted to attack Youzhou, his main force would certainly be placed in the Youyan area. However, these nomadic Hu people in the desert at this time had no tradition of waiting patiently for Zhao Yun and Cao Chun to decide the outcome. They might have already prepared to take advantage of the situation to rob and steal.

Zhao Yun summoned these nomadic Hu people to come for a meeting in order to solve this problem.

Obviously, Zhao Yun could not completely restrain those scattered Hu people, but these Hu leaders could, provided that these Hu leaders had a certain prestige.

The Han people had never known much about the Hu people until the appearance of the General of the Cavalry. If Fei Qian had not pointed out the differences between the Hu people and the Han people in the Military Academy, it is possible that Zhao Yun would not have been able to deeply understand the system and military system of these Hu people until now.

The management system of the Hu people was very loose, and there was no inevitable inheritance. They might be able to command a hundred thousand soldiers at one moment, but might be beheaded the next.

This is the complete difference between the Hu people and the Han people.

Both the Xiongnu and Xianbei were composed of tribes. Although they were connected to each other to some extent, such as positions such as Wanhu Qianqi, the Hu people were still loosely governed and not centralized enough. The Khan's tribe actually only directly governed his own tribe, and the rest belonged to other wise kings. Therefore, the Khan's life was either spent on guarding against wise kings or being killed by them in the end.

The herdsmen, along with their women and children, could fight on horseback and herd livestock on foot. Even the women and children could hunt. The Hu people did not need to govern the herdsmen, manage the army, or worry about food and supplies.

This is an advantage that the Han army will never have.

But this is also the disadvantage that the Hu people will never develop civilization.

Without division of labor, specialization, and fully dedicated scholars, it will be impossible to climb the technology tree.

Without the ability to climb the technological ladder, there is naturally no way to fight against the powerful technology and productivity of the Han Dynasty...

Therefore, when Gan Feng appeared in front of these Hu people with fully armed and armored heavy cavalry, all the Hu people seemed to be suddenly strangled by the throat, and even breathing seemed extremely difficult.

Anyone with a little bit of common sense would know that Zhao Yun’s move was a demonstration, but what could be done?

The Hu people have no iron, but the Han people have iron.

  If it weren't for the Five Barbarians' Invasion, it would have been harder than climbing to heaven for the barbarians to catch up with the Han people!

If you take one step slowly, then you will take every step slowly!

As long as China does not stop, the Hu people will not be able to catch up even if they have more four legs.

"How do you think?" Zhao Yun pointed at Gan Feng and the others and said with a smile, "Do you think these soldiers of mine are worthy of your attention?"

The leaders of Jiankun and Rouran immediately praised Zhao Yun highly, saying that he was a divine messenger from heaven, and Gan Feng and others were divine soldiers from heaven...

  what?

General of the Cavalry Fei Qian?

That must be the god in heaven!

The person who was boasting did not seem embarrassed, but the person who was listening did. What was interesting was that not every Hu leader had the qualification to flatter. For example, the defeated Xianbei and Wuhuan people sat far away and could only smile.

Zhao Yun waved his hand and said, "Don't flatter me like that. I summoned you all here today for no other reason than to keep the desert peaceful..."

Some of the Hu leaders looked slightly pale, and some moved their butts uneasily.

Because most of the time, following the slogan of "Peace in the Desert", it is followed by reducing manpower and handing over livestock.

Zhao Yun looked around and smiled, "Everyone, words are not enough... Come on, bring the head over!"

Zhao Yun's guard brought up three lacquer square boxes, opened the lids, and pushed them in front of the Hu leaders.

"Everyone, please take a look." Zhao Yun gestured with his hand.

No matter whether they were Hu people or Han people, everyone present had seen life and death before, so naturally they had no fear of the three shriveled human heads, and they passed them around to look at them.

The features of the human head in the box are very obvious.

"Semu people!"

"I know, this guy is from Northern Desert!"

Different colored hair and pupils make it easy to identify.

The pale skin, light-colored hair, and the shriveled shape caused by long-term drying make these heads look ugly and cruel from any angle.

"These Semu people..." Zhao Yun said slowly, "are cannibals. When we found them, there were cooked human limbs in their camp, and shepherds whose stomachs were opened and hung on trees... That's right, just like how you hang cattle and sheep to dry..."

As Zhao Yun described, a Hu leader who was holding a bowl of water and preparing to drink it was suddenly choked and sprayed the water out with a "plop", wetting a large area of ​​the fur coat of another Hu leader next to him.

"These heads..." A Hu man held up a head and looked at the degree of muscle atrophy and shriveling at the severed end of the head. "At least half a year..."

Zhao Yun took a look at the man and recognized him.

Mo He of the Rouran tribe.

Zhao Yun smiled and said, "It was indeed captured last winter."

"Last winter?" The leader of Jiankun, Jierjiz, also stared at the Semu head. "Most of the people we Jiankun had contact with before were red-haired Semu people. These white-haired Semu people are rarely seen... I heard that some herdsmen tribes were attacked by Semu people last winter... Could it be these Semu people who did it?"

"There are differences among the Semu people," Zhao Yun said, "the civilized ones are civilized, while the uncivilized ones are like wild beasts. These Semu people are not afraid of the cold and are strong. Even my men may not be their opponents in a one-on-one fight. When they are injured, they become even crazier, as if they don't feel pain. They are very troublesome."

The Hu leaders were talking about it.

"In order to capture these Semites alive, I lost many of my men." Zhao Yun said slowly, "These guys don't speak the same language, and they are barbaric and extremely violent. It's impossible to communicate with them. No one can understand the language they use. They won't eat ordinary beans and millet, and will only eat raw or cooked meat..."

When the Hu leaders heard this, their faces turned pale.

Zhao Yun watched and added weight to the hearts of these Hu leaders, "According to the investigation of my scouts, these Semites actually appeared in the desert a few years ago... The reason they were not discovered is that the people who discovered them... Yes, that's right, they are all dead, eaten by them... I believe you have heard rumors about evil spirits eating up the entire tribe, or some ferocious beasts taking advantage of the heavy snow to attack a certain place... In fact, most of them did it."

In that era when information transmission was extremely backward, and in the severe snowy winter, even if some individuals managed to escape the clutches of the Semites who attacked the tribe, they might not be able to walk far in the wind and snow. Even if they were lucky enough to meet someone from other tribes, they might not be able to describe the events clearly under the strong stimulation.

Moreover, in the desert, the tribes may not be harmonious with each other, and their languages ​​may not be intelligible. As for writing...

For the Hu people in the desert today, Chinese is the only standard, popular and practical "foreign language". Most tribal leaders and some tribal nobles regard learning and proficient Chinese as a demonstration of their own abilities.

"This winter..." Zhao Yun looked around, "Do you think the Semites... will come? They ate a wave last year, a part this year, and some next year... These Semites ate your people, so they could survive the harsh winter and reproduce, and what about you? How many tribes do you have that can give them food?"

The expressions of all the Hu leaders were more or less stern.

The snow is the same every year, and people eat each other every year.

The leaders of the Hu people looked at each other and were silent for a while. Then the leader of Jiankun, Jierjiz, asked: "Grand Protector... I don't know, what do you want?"

Zhao Yun smiled, like a Buddha holding a flower, "My lord, as long as there is peace in the desert, I will naturally do the same."

"Peace……"

The Hu leaders murmured and repeated.

  This thing is more expensive than anything else!

Suddenly, the Xianbei leader at the bottom raised his voice and said, "Grand Protector, tell us what you want us to do! We will do whatever you say!"

Zhao Yun pretended not to understand what the Xianbei leader meant, and said with a smile: "When the Han Dynasty was founded, Emperor Gaozu entered Guanzhong and made a three-article agreement with the elders: those who killed people would be killed, and those who injured people and stole would be punished."

Zhao Yun looked around slowly, "Now my master wants to make three laws with you and all the tribesmen in the desert. Those who kill will be killed, and those who injure and steal will be punished. I wonder if you have any opinions?"

  What else can I say about this?

And no matter from which angle you look at it, these three rules are a good thing.

At least it looked like a good thing. Seeing that no one had any objections, Zhao Yun pointed at the head of the Semu man and said, "This is the murderer. According to the three articles of the agreement, he should be put to death! If there is another murderer this year...what will you do?"

Rouran Mo He clapped his hands and said, "Kill him!"

"Yes! Kill these guys!" Jiankun Kyrgyz also shouted, "We can't let these guys wantonly kill our people!"

All the leaders also expressed their opinions angrily.

  This is a very simple and direct answer, there is no second choice. Are these Semites coming to eat people? Do I have to wash my neck and send it to them?

These Hu leaders are not stupid. If they are timid and dare not express their attitude on this occasion, when they go back and spread the rumor, the people in their tribes may collapse!

This is the desert. There is no Han people who have a monarch and subjects, and there is no household registration system. If the herders pack up and leave, who can tell who these people belong to? And what is the value of following a leader who can't even protect his own herders?

So no matter whether it is true or false, these Hu people must express their stance.

After all the chaotic statements, someone finally said, "It's just that... Grand Protector, it's not that I'm timid, but these Semites... even the men under the Protector have trouble fighting each other, and my men... would probably die if they go up..."

Zhao Yun smiled and waved his hand, "Come here, bring the armor up!"

Soon, the guards brought up the armor support.

On the bracket, hung a complete set of armor.

That is the same set of armor that Gan Feng and his men used before.

A complete set.

From the helmet to the neck guard, to the battle skirt, from top to bottom, it's a complete set.

"This kind of armor," Zhao Yun said, "can be sold to you. It is my lord's support to you."

The desert lacks iron, and even more so armor.

It is true that a set of armor can be passed down for three generations.

"Huh? You're not giving it to me..."

Among the Hu leaders, a voice blurted out, but it died down halfway through.

Zhao Yun smiled and said, "Is there anything in this world that can be gained without any effort?"

The Hu people looked at the armor with some greed in their eyes.

Although the armor did not have any clear markings on it to indicate its grade, everyone present had been in battle and could make a rough judgement at a glance without even touching it.

"Are they all this... this kind of armor?" Rouran Mohe couldn't help but ask, "I mean, are all the armors for sale the same as this one?"

The gap between samples and real objects has always been a nightmare for transactions, whether it is for the Hu people or the Han people.

"I can't say they are exactly the same, but they are not much different." Zhao Yun said very seriously, "After all, the production of armor requires many processes, so it is impossible to make them completely the same."

"No, no, that's not what I meant..." Rouran Mohe quickly explained, "I meant... this... um, that..."

Zhao Yun nodded slightly, "I know, the quality of the armor is definitely the same as this one, there will be no difference!"

When Zhao Yun said this, everyone's eyes became hot.

"But I don't know... how much does this kind of armor cost?" Kyrgyz asked, "If it's too expensive, we won't be laughed at by the governor, and we can't afford it."

"No need to worry." Zhao Yun said, "My lord has ordered that we can conclude... this, um, the most-favored-treatment treaty with you, giving the biggest discount, and this winter, you can also use this..."

Zhao Yun pointed at the head of the Semu man and said, "Use this as a bargaining chip... Let's make it ten heads for one!"

"Ten Semu heads?!"

"Isn't this a bit too much?"

"Sex-eyed people are not easy to kill!" 』

"That's right, that's right!" 』

"Five, no no, how about eight?"

A chirping sound was heard.

Zhao Yun waved his hands and his face darkened.

Everyone couldn't help but gradually quiet down.

"The price of these ten Semu heads will only be available this winter." Zhao Yun's expression eased. "It is possible that the Semu people will not come this winter, or will not come in the future. Then the price will naturally be settled according to normal silver money."

The Hu people looked around, fell silent, and began to think about their own affairs.

  In fact, if they really exchanged the heads of the Semites, it would be a win-win situation. After all, the Semites ate their herdsmen, so they should have been killed. Now they could exchange the heads for armor, which was an extra benefit.

only……

"May I ask the Grand Protector, why did the General of the Cavalry do this..." asked the Kyrgyz of Jiankun cautiously, "It's just a few heads... this, um, haha..."

Zhao Yun nodded and said, "Didn't I just say that? My lord is offering this kind of preferential treatment for the sake of peace and stability in the desert... Of course, I heard that in the deep desert, in the icy land, there are gold, silver and gemstones... Well, this talk of gold and silver is just what I heard, and it can't be taken seriously..."

"oh……"

"Yes, yes, the Grand Protector is right."

The Hu people whispered to each other and believed what Zhao Yun said about the gold, silver and precious stones.

Is this right?

At the end of the meeting, the discussion was almost complete. Encouraged by several Hu leaders, Jiankun Kyrgyz boldly asked: "Grand Protector, I want to ask, if we... if these Semites are too powerful, can we, well, I just want to ask, can we give us some... more powerful weapons?"

"What weapons? For example?" Zhao Yun asked.

"For example, this, for example... the Five Elements Thunder..."

After he said the last three words, all the Hu people fell silent and looked at Zhao Yun eagerly.

Zhao Yun looked neither sad nor happy.

This was actually expected.

The Five Elements Thunder, or gunpowder, may seem like a deadly material, but to put it bluntly, it is a consumable item and has extremely high requirements for storage conditions. The key is that the Hu people do not have the relevant production conditions.

Nowadays, the gunpowder manufacturing of the cavalry in Guanzhong and Beidi has completely formed a group production, and the production process is not only safe but also fast. Not only that, Huang's gunpowder workshop has even divided the production of black gunpowder into six processes. Crushing, mixing, hammering, granulation, drying, packaging, and each process has more detailed requirements and execution standards.

As long as there are enough raw materials, once this assembly line-like workshop starts operating, the production volume can be extremely astonishing.

Moreover, ever since Fei Qian invented the cannon, he has gradually become dissatisfied with the power of black powder...

As far as Zhao Yun knew, research on new types of gunpowder was already underway in the north.

The formula for gunpowder had actually been sent to Shandong a long time ago, but the gunpowder produced in Shandong has always been of poor quality. This shows that even if these Hu people got the Five Elements Thunder or the formula for gunpowder, they are still a long way from making qualified gunpowder.

Unless one day, the Han people stopped running and fell asleep under the tree...

"Well, this matter... is not completely hopeless, but I have to report it to my master first, and then make a decision." Zhao Yun did not say no, nor did he say yes, "But, everyone should know that this Five Elements Thunder... is expensive, and it is easy to break. If you want to exchange it, you have to think carefully..."

"Yes, yes, thank you for the reminder, Grand Protector..."

Although they said so, most of the Hu leaders were obviously exchanging glances excitedly, and they obviously felt that they had to exchange a few coins no matter what. Otherwise, if others had them and they didn't, wouldn't it be embarrassing?