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Chapter 196 The Northern Barbarians Knock on the Gate
Northern Xinjiang.

Yanmen Pass.

Yanmen Pass is a formidable pass in the northern frontier and a crucial barrier against the northern barbarian tribes.

As long as the barrier of Yanmen Pass remains intact, the surrounding passes of the Great Wall will remain as stable as Mount Tai.

At this moment, outside Yanmen Pass.

More than 200,000 Northern Di cavalry were stationed outside.

The eyes of these Northern Di cavalrymen were filled with intense savagery.

For a mere border pass to have blocked several charges by their Northern Di cavalry was an utter disgrace to them.

Meanwhile, the walls of Yanmen Pass were already ravaged by war, with constant fighting.

Dismembered limbs and corpses lay scattered everywhere.

The bright red blood had gradually stained the top of the city wall.

"The Great Zhou Empire truly lives up to its reputation as a celestial empire that suppresses all directions. Back then, it almost suffocated my Northern Di."

"Even though the Great Zhou Dynasty is now in decline, my Northern Di took advantage of the situation and rose up, gathering more than half of the country's military strength. After several charges, we still cannot break through this border gate."

"There's no need to boost their morale. Our Northern Di cavalry has roamed the borderlands, and the Great Zhou has never been our match. The reason we've been blocked is simply because they're relying on our formidable pass and offering lives as bait."

"Judging from the current situation, this formidable pass that has blocked the Northern Di for so many years will not hold for much longer. Once the Northern Di cavalry breaks through this formidable pass, we can march south all the way and hunt down the Central Plains. No one will be able to stop the advance of the Northern Di cavalry."

……

At the front of more than 200,000 Northern Di cavalry, several Northern Di generals in armor gazed at the flames of war at Yanmen Pass and discussed in hushed tones.

"It is said that the reason why we sent troops to the Great Zhou was that the people of the Great Zhou who had just surrendered to us persuaded the Grand Preceptor to make this happen."

“That’s right. Those people from the Great Zhou who just surrendered to us seem to be from the seven great families of the Great Zhou. The emperor of the Great Zhou killed their entire families, and then these people managed to escape to our Northern Di and surrendered to us.”

"These people of Great Zhou wanted to avenge their families by finding their emperor, so they asked the Grand Preceptor to help them."

"However, this is exactly what we Northern Di want. We Northern Di have always wanted to go south, but we just haven't had the opportunity."

"Now that we have these people from the Great Zhou who have come to our aid as inside agents to guide us, that would be perfect."

"Yes! These people from the Great Zhou who have come to join us are from the seven great families of the Great Zhou. They have considerable influence in the Great Zhou. With their help and guidance, our journey south will be much easier."

"Then we can plunder properly, women, money, people, everything..."

These Northern Di generals spoke with great interest.

In their view, it was only a matter of time before Yanmen Pass was breached.

Once Yanmen Pass is breached, over 200,000 Northern Di cavalry will march south. With their agility, no one will be able to stop them...

……

In front of these Northern Di generals, a burly general sat on horseback, watching the flames of war at Yanmen Pass with a calm gaze.

This imposing general was none other than Moha, the commander of the Northern Di army's southward advance.

Maha was a warrior and general of the Northern Di, and his reputation in the Northern Di army had been long established.

Beside Maha, a young man who seemed out of place among the Northern Di people rode on horseback, listening to the discussions of the Northern Di generals behind him, his fists clenching slightly in secret.

This young man, who was completely out of place among the Northern Barbarians, was none other than Fan Shaohe, a remnant of the Fan family who had escaped from the Guanzhong Plain in Jiexiu.

Although Fan Shaohe had submitted to the Northern Di and outwardly received their warm welcome and understanding, many of the Northern Di people still looked down on him and would occasionally make sarcastic remarks.

After all, Fan Shaohe was a stray dog, and he even led the Northern Di people south to invade the Great Zhou, which was originally his homeland.

Such behavior would be despised even by a foreign race like the Northern Di.

Fan Shaohe loosened his tightly clenched fist, calming his turbulent emotions.

No matter what, as long as he can avenge those who were killed in the Fan family of Jiexiu, what does it matter if he has to bear a lifetime of infamy?
Fan Shaohe glanced at the fighting scene at Yanmen Pass, then looked at Mohe; "General Mohe, it seems that our previous plan was not to break through Yanmen Pass."

"We've already agreed with the Marquis of Zhenbei that we'll only feign an attack on Yanmen Pass, while secretly breaking through the defenses of Jiuyuan and Mayi, and then marching south from those two lines."

"But right now I think General Maha is going to break through Yanmen Pass."

"This violates the previous alliance with the Marquis of Zhenbei. If the Marquis of Zhenbei receives the news, he will definitely mobilize the Zhenbei Army."

"This will affect our plans to head south."

Fan Shaohe looked at Maha and frowned as he spoke.

Some people don't understand what Maha is trying to do.
They had previously agreed with the Marquis of Zhenbei that the Northern Barbarians would feign an attack on Yanmen Pass, and then secretly launch a direct assault on the two defensive lines of Jiuyuan and Mayi.

At that time, the Marquis of Zhenbei will turn a blind eye and let them break through these two lines of defense and move south.

However, as Marquis Zhenbei made it very clear, they could only launch a feint attack on Yanmen Pass, not a real attack.

If Yanmen Pass were to fall, the Marquis of Zhenbei would be unable to explain himself to the court if the imperial authorities were to investigate.

This is also a tactic employed by the Marquis of Zhenbei to feign virtue while secretly colluding with the Northern Barbarians, thus weakening the court's self-preservation.

But right now, judging from Mohe's posture, Fan Shaohe clearly intends to break through Yanmen Pass, which is different from the result they had previously reached with the Marquis of Zhenbei.

Upon hearing Fan Shaohe's words, Mohe calmly glanced at Fan Shaohe; "Young Master Fan, do you think that the Marquis of Zhenbei wants to use us to weaken the Great Zhou Dynasty for his own protection? Will we do as he wishes?"

“Now that he has made contact with us, he has no way out.”

"I'm not afraid to tell Young Master Fan that I'm determined to break through Yanmen Pass today."

"Even if the Marquis of Zhenbei wants to retreat, it's too late. Once Yanmen Pass is breached, he will have no choice but to raise the banner of rebellion and join us in sending troops."

"Unless, he wants to be killed by the imperial court."

"Otherwise, he has no other choice."

Fan Shaohe's expression changed slightly upon hearing this.

They immediately guessed the Northern Di's scheme.

It seems that the Northern Barbarians even included the Marquis of Zhenbei in their calculations. As long as the Marquis of Zhenbei turns a blind eye and lets the Northern Barbarian army break through the defense lines of Jiuyuan and Mayi, then even if the Marquis of Zhenbei doesn't want to openly raise the banner of rebellion, it will be impossible for him to send troops with the Northern Barbarians.

The Northern Barbarians will surely take the opportunity to spread the news that the Marquis of Zhenbei has allowed them to enter the pass and move south.

When the court investigates, the Marquis of Zhenbei will have no choice but to rebel.

“Marquis of Zhenbei, do you want to remain aloof and watch the Northern Barbarians and the court fight each other in order to protect yourself?”

"But little did you know, you were still tricked by the Northern Di, and it was impossible for you to remain unscathed."

Fan Shaohe thought to himself.

"So, it's the same on the Marquis of Xiliang's side?"

Fan Shaohe suddenly thought of Xiliang again and asked the question.

Maha nodded without hiding anything; "With so many troops mobilized and allied with us from all sides, do you think it's just a simple matter of raiding south?"

"The Great Zhou has lost its former glory. This fertile land should become our horse breeding ground."

Maha gazed at the great battle at Yanmen Pass and spoke with a wandering look in his eyes.

Fan Shaohe wanted to kill the emperor of the Great Zhou to avenge his family, while they wanted to hunt down the Central Plains and seize this fertile land.

It's fair to say that everyone got what they needed.

Fan Shaohe listened to Mohe's words and said nothing more.

All he wanted was revenge, to kill the emperor; nothing else mattered.

However, the Northern Barbarians' scheme might actually throw the Great Zhou into chaos and avenge him. With both the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Marquis of Xiliang forced into this mess, they'll have no choice but to raise their banners in rebellion.

In addition, foreign tribes from all directions hunted in the Central Plains.

One can imagine what the Great Zhou Dynasty would have been like at that time.

Fan Shaohe and the Northern Di's plan was quite clever, but they didn't know that the Marquis of Zhenbei was now dead and the Zhenbei Army had been taken over by the imperial court.

Their scheme to achieve their goals won't be so easy.

……

On the city wall of Yanmen Pass.

The fighting continued, and corpses kept falling.

There were soldiers from the Zhenbei Army and soldiers from the Northern Barbarians.

Soon, the Northern Di's attack was once again repelled by the Zhenbei Army stationed at Yanmen Pass.

Watching the retreating Northern Di barbarians, a general whose entire armor was covered in blood roared at another general not far away, "Deputy General Zhang, I told you to send someone to ask General He for reinforcements. Did you send one?"

"Why haven't the reinforcements arrived yet?"

The general who spoke was He Tong, the current commander of Yanmen Pass, and also a distant relative from Hezhou.

The other Zhenbei Army soldiers at Yanmen Pass were unaware of the changes in the Zhenbei Army, but He Tong had already received a message from Hezhou in advance.

It was precisely because of the message from Hezhou that he was wary of the Northern Di tribes, which allowed He Tong to prepare and repel several attacks by the Northern Di tribes.

Otherwise, Yanmen Pass would really be in danger now.

"General, I have already sent four groups of men to request reinforcements."

"This humble general doesn't know why the reinforcements haven't arrived yet."

Deputy General Zhang wiped the blood from his face and said.

Logically speaking, Zhenbei City and the Zhenbei Army camp are not far from Yanmen Pass. If one were to ride at full speed, one could arrive in half a day.

But now it has been almost a day since they sent out the messenger for help, and they haven't seen a single reinforcement, which is rather strange.

"Damn it, send more people to ask for help immediately, send several groups, and be quick."

"Half of our 30,000 men have been killed or wounded, while there are more than 200,000 foreign tribes outside the pass."

"If the reinforcements arrive late, we won't be able to hold this pass."

He Tong said loudly.

Although they repelled several attacks by the Northern Di at Yanmen Pass, they also suffered considerable casualties.

In addition, there was a significant disparity in the number of troops on both sides.

Even if the entire Zhenbei Army fought with all their might, they probably wouldn't be able to hold out for very long.

If reinforcements don't arrive soon, they really won't be able to hold onto this northern border barrier.

"Yes, General."

Vice General Zhang responded immediately and dispatched several more messengers to request reinforcements.

……

Jiuyuan City.

Like Yanmen Pass, it is also a barrier in the northern frontier.

Jiuyuan City, Mayi, and Yanmen Pass, together forming a barrier in the northern frontier.

However, unlike the flat terrain of Yanmen Pass, Jiuyuan and Mayi are both rugged and narrow, making them unsuitable for large-scale military attacks.

If Yanmen Pass is the main gate that controls the northern frontier, then Jiuyuan and Mayi are the side gates guarded from both sides.

At the same time that Yanmen Pass was attacked by the Northern Di, Jiuyuan was also attacked by the Northern Di tribes.

"kill."

On the walls of Jiuyuan City, the sound of fighting shook the heavens.

Corpses were everywhere, whether they were from the Zhenbei Army stationed in Jiuyuan or the Northern Di tribes.

Some of the corpses were even ordinary young adults.

Clearly, the able-bodied men and women of Jiuyuan City also went up to the city walls to defend it together with the Zhenbei Army.

Soon, only a dozen or so people remained on the city wall, still fighting against the Northern Di tribes.

One of the junior officers of the Zhenbei Army, wearing leather armor, killed several Northern Di tribesmen in succession. His body was already riddled with holes, and he knelt on the ground with his knife in hand.

"Why is this happening?"

"Why did the Marquis just transfer away the guards, leaving less than a thousand men, and the Northern Barbarians attacked so soon?"

"why is that?"

The junior officer, clad in leather armor, had blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and a look of utter resentment on his face.

Originally, there were 10,000 Zhenbei Army soldiers stationed in Jiuyuan. The terrain here is treacherous, and the city walls are high and solid. It would not be a problem for 10,000 soldiers to hold off tens of thousands of troops.

However, a few days ago, the Marquis of Zhenbei issued an order to transfer most of the garrison here, leaving less than a thousand men to guard the area.

And this junior officer in leather armor was the commander of this force of less than a thousand men.

This junior officer, leading less than a thousand soldiers of the Zhenbei Army, along with some able-bodied civilians, managed to hold off the attack of tens of thousands of Northern Di troops for a full day.

Unfortunately, in the end they still couldn't stop the northern barbarian tribes.

They sent messengers seeking help and persisted, hoping for reinforcements to arrive.

But when the junior officer finally fell, not a single reinforcement was seen.

The junior officer never understood what was going on until his death.

Why haven't we seen any reinforcements all day?
"puff."

A general from the Northern Barbarian tribe swung his sword and beheaded the junior officer. The few remaining soldiers of the Zhenbei Army also died one after another at the hands of the Northern Barbarian tribe.

Jiuyuan has been captured.

……

at the same time.

On the city wall of Mayi, the Zhenbei Army guarding the city was also completely wiped out.

Like Jiuyuan, the Zhenbei Army that previously guarded Mayi had most of its troops transferred away, leaving less than a thousand men to guard the area.

As a result, Mayi held out for nearly a day before being breached by the northern barbarian tribes.

These were all loopholes that Xue Shaowen, the Marquis of Zhenbei, had previously opened for the Northern Di tribes.

The Zhenbei Army, numbering less than a thousand men, was left to guard the area; these were all pawns abandoned by Xue Shaowen, the Marquis of Zhenbei.

If the garrison commanders of the Zhenbei Army, who fought valiantly against the Northern Di barbarians and held off tens of thousands of them for nearly a day with only a thousand men, knew that they were all abandoned pawns by Xue Shaowen, the Marquis of Zhenbei, I wonder what they would think.

Perhaps they all felt very disappointed!
Blood was shed on the battlefield, only to be abandoned and discarded in the end; this is undoubtedly a tragedy.

(End of this chapter)