Shuhan

Soon, the envoys set off with a large amount of gold, silver and treasures. They were dressed in the coarse linen clothes of ordinary people, and they were in a hurry, like thieves, and they carefully shuttled between the borders along the hidden paths.

The first to arrive at the Xiongnu royal court was Chen Song, the son of a wealthy merchant.

The royal court was located deep in a vast grassland, with white tents scattered all over the place like stars.

The huge wolf flag fluttered in the wind, and the air was filled with the smell of horse manure and barbecue.

Chen Song was brought before the Xiongnu leader.

The Xiongnu leader was a burly man, as tall as a hill, with a thick beard and a pair of eyes flashing with ferocity. He was wearing a colorful tiger-skin cloak and sitting on a tiger-skin chair, showing his wildness and majesty.

He looked at the pile of treasures in front of him, greed flashed in his eyes, and he asked in stiff Chinese: "You Han people, why do you give me so much treasure?"

Chen Song bowed respectfully, with a flattering smile on his face, and said, "Great Khan, we are here to cooperate with you. The Han court is now implementing the land measurement order, which has seriously damaged our interests. As long as you can send troops to harass the Han border, we will give you more gold, silver, treasures, and countless silk and wine after the success."

As he spoke, a barely perceptible cunning gleamed in Chen Song's eyes.

After hearing this, the Hun leader frowned and fell into deep thought.

His fingers drummed rhythmically on the armrests of his chair as he mentally considered the pros and cons of sending out troops.

After a long while, he suddenly burst into laughter, and his laughter shook the tent slightly. "Good! This is a good deal. Don't worry, my Xiongnu cavalry will roam the grasslands and will definitely give the Han court a headache."

As he said this, he stood up suddenly and kicked over the wine jar beside him, splashing the wine everywhere.

At the same time, Liu Fu, who was heading to the Xianbei tribe, also arrived.

The Xianbei tribe was located at the foot of rolling mountains and was surrounded by dense forests.

The wooden houses in the tribe were arranged in an orderly manner, and the warriors rode their horses back and forth on the open space, with shouts rising one after another.

Liu Fu was brought before the Xianbei leader.

The Xianbei leader was tall and slender, with a stern face, deep and cunning eyes. He wore a black mink coat and had a sharp sword hanging around his waist.

He looked at the treasure in front of him and thought to himself: These Han people are indeed cunning, but this is indeed a good opportunity for the Xianbei to strengthen their strength.

Thinking of this, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a barely perceptible smile, and asked: "What guarantees can you give me?"

Liu Fu stepped forward quickly, bowed and said, "Don't worry, Chief. We have many connections in the court. As long as you send troops, we will cooperate in the rear and provide you with food and intelligence, so that the Han army will be attacked from both sides."

The Xianbei leader nodded with satisfaction: "Okay, I promise you. But if you dare to play tricks, my Xianbei warriors' swords will not show mercy."

And in the south.

The mountain road was rugged and difficult to travel on. Led by a guide, three messengers dressed in coarse linen clothes carefully moved towards the mountain village.

These three people were exactly the lobbyists sent by local wealthy families. The leader was called Chen Feng. He was thin with a pair of calculating and shrewd eyes. At this moment, he frowned and was secretly worried, wondering whether this lobbying would be successful.

Outside the stronghold, there was a tall fence and several barbarian sentinels holding spears were staring at them eagerly.

The guide stepped forward to negotiate, and after some gestures, the sentry let them pass.

Walking into the village, I saw thatched houses scattered around and the air was filled with a pungent sour smell mixed with the aroma of barbecue.

The barbarians were bare-chested and had long swords hanging from their waists. When they saw the strangers coming in, they all cast wary glances at him.

Chen Feng and others were taken to a larger wooden house. The house was dark and damp, with animal bones and skins hanging on the walls. The barbarian leader Ulihan was sitting on a chair roughly made of a tree trunk.

Wulihan was a burly man with muscular build. His bronze skin was covered with scars. He had messy hair tied casually behind his head and a large copper ring on his left ear. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle, and he exuded an innate wildness and majesty.

Chen Feng calmed himself down, bowed respectfully, and said, "Master Chief, we have come from afar to give you an opportunity to seek justice for the people."

Wulihan frowned in confusion and asked in stiff Chinese: "Why are you Han people helping us seek justice for no reason?"

Seeing Wulihan's interest, Chen Feng was delighted and said hurriedly, "The Han court is now implementing a land survey policy. It's called a land survey, but in fact it's plundering the people's wealth. Countless people have been displaced because of this. My Lord Chief, you love the people like your own children. How can you watch them suffer?"

As he spoke, Chen Feng secretly observed Wulihan's expression, only to see his face gradually become gloomy.

"How dare the Han court oppress the people like this. Well, I, the barbarians, will never let them go." Ulihan stood up suddenly and kicked over the wooden table beside him. His voice echoed in the room like a loud bell, and he exuded a barbaric aura.

Chen Feng was secretly delighted, but on the surface he pretended to be calm and said, "Master Chief is wise! As long as you send troops to harass the Han border, we will provide support from the rear, and we will divide the wealth we obtain equally."

Wulihan paced back and forth in the room, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

On the one hand, he was deeply dissatisfied with the actions of the Han court and had long wanted to find an opportunity to teach them a lesson; on the other hand, he was worried that this was a conspiracy of the Han people.

After thinking for a long time, he stopped, stared at Chen Feng and asked: "How can you guarantee support from the rear? If you dare to lie to me, I will make sure you die without a burial place!"

Chen Feng said quickly: "Don't worry, leader. We have arranged the personnel. As long as you send troops, we will meet you along the way and provide food and intelligence."

Wulihan pondered for a moment, and finally nodded: "Okay, I promise you. However, if I find out that you have betrayed me in the slightest, my barbarian scimitar will not show mercy."

After leaving the barbarian village, Chen Feng and others felt relieved.

Chen Feng looked at the rolling mountains, a smug smile on his face: "Now, the Han court will have a headache."

One of the people traveling with him said worriedly, "Brother Chen, if we do this and the court finds out, it will be a capital crime!"

Chen Feng snorted coldly: "Wealth and honor are sought in danger. As long as we can keep our land, what's the harm in taking some risks? Besides, we are acting secretly, and the court will not be able to find out about us for a while."

At the same time, in Luoyang City, Emperor Liu Chan was discussing the issue of land measurement with his ministers.

The atmosphere in the palace was tense and depressing. Liu Chan frowned and said, "Since the implementation of the land measurement policy, there have been many obstacles in various places, and the officials I sent have also been repeatedly blocked. I am afraid that someone is secretly making trouble."

Zhuge Liang stepped forward, clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I think it is the nobles who are causing trouble. In order to protect their own interests, they are willing to obstruct the imperial decree."

Liu Chan looked at me with a sharp gaze and snorted coldly, "I will not tolerate these powerful families. Pass on my order to increase the land allocation. Those who disobey my order will be severely punished!"

However, the court had not yet realized that a huge crisis was quietly approaching.

Under the planning of the vested interests, foreign forces such as the Xiongnu, Xianbei, and barbarians began to stir.

They were like poisonous snakes hiding in the darkness, ready to launch a fatal attack on the Han court at any time.

On the border, the Hun cavalry gathered on the grassland, the sound of horse hooves was like thunder, and the dust was flying.

The Xianbei warriors sharpened their long swords, their eyes revealing greed and desire.

In the barbarian village, Ulihan was directing the barbarians in military training, with shouts coming one after another.

In Luoyang City, Chen Feng and others hid in a dark corner, closely following the court's movements. Chen Feng played with the jade pendant in his hand and sneered, "The court is still busy with the land survey, but they don't know that a disaster is about to happen."

At this moment, a subordinate rushed in and said in a panic: "Master Chen, it's bad! The court seems to have noticed our actions and has begun to strengthen the border defense."

Chen Feng's face suddenly changed, and the jade pendant in his hand almost slipped off: "How could this happen? Is the news reliable?"

The subordinate hurriedly said: "It is absolutely true. I heard that the court has sent a large number of troops to the border."

Chen Feng paced back and forth in the room, feeling extremely anxious.

He knew that if the imperial court became prepared, their plan might fail.

After pondering for a long time, Chen Feng gritted his teeth and said, "At this point, we can only speed up our actions. Immediately notify all forces and proceed according to the original plan. As long as we can catch the court off guard before they react, we still have a chance of winning."

The men took the order and left. Chen Feng looked at the gloomy sky outside the window and prayed silently in his heart that the plan could be implemented smoothly.

On the border of the Han Dynasty, vast grasslands and majestic mountains are intertwined. It should be a peaceful and harmonious scene. However, at this moment, it is filled with a suffocating atmosphere of tension.

In the sky, the thick dark clouds were like a huge curtain, pressing heavily towards the earth, as if foreshadowing the coming storm.

The strong wind whistled past, causing the wild grass on the grassland to sway wildly and make a rustling sound, as if playing a prelude to the war that was about to break out.

The Xiongnu camp was bustling with activity. The tall and strong Xiongnu cavalrymen were dressed in black leather armor inlaid with glittering metal pieces, which still shone coldly under the dim sky.

They sat astride tall war horses, holding sharp long swords tightly in their hands. The blades reflected cold light, which made people shudder.

These war horses were all carefully selected and trained by the Huns. They were huge in size and well-developed in muscles. Their hooves dug into the ground, making dull sounds, as if they were eager to rush to the battlefield.

The leader of the Huns, a burly, bearded man, rode on a snow-white horse, looking very majestic.

He wore a jeweled helmet and a scarlet cloak that fluttered in the wind like a burning flame.

His eyes were filled with ferocity and greed, and he shouted loudly: "My men, today is the day for us to plunder wealth and show our power to the Han people! Charge!"

His voice was as loud as a bell, echoing in the camp and inspiring the fighting spirit of the Xiongnu cavalry. Following the leader's order, the Xiongnu cavalry took the lead in launching an attack.

They rushed towards the Han army's defense line like a black torrent. The sound of horse hooves was like thunder, shaking the earth. The Xiongnu cavalry waved their long swords and shouted, the sound seemed to penetrate the soul and make people tremble with fear.

At the same time, the Xianbei and barbarian tribes also outflanked them from the flanks.

The Xianbei cavalry wore light armor and carried long spears. Their war horses were extremely fast and they galloped across the grassland like lightning.

The barbarians were shirtless, with strange patterns painted on their bodies. They held battle axes in their hands, let out strange cries, and had crazy looks on their faces, like a group of demons from hell.

In front of the Han army's defense line, the soldiers were ready for battle. They were dressed in neat armor, holding spears and shields, and looking forward with determined eyes.

Although they were somewhat nervous in the face of the joint attack by foreign races, as Han soldiers, their belief in defending their country made them fearless.

"Brothers, hold the line and don't give up an inch of ground!"

The general of the Han army, a middle-aged man in silver armor, riding a brown warhorse, patrolled back and forth in front of the formation and shouted loudly.

His eyes showed determination and courage, and his voice was firm and powerful, which brought great encouragement to the soldiers.

The Hun's cavalry quickly rushed to the Han army's defense line.

The two sides immediately fell into a fierce battle. The Xiongnu cavalry waved their long swords and slashed at the Han soldiers.

The Han soldiers used shields to block and thrust out with spears, fighting a desperate battle with the Xiongnu cavalry.

On the battlefield, swords flashed, shouts of killing shook the sky, and blood splattered, dyeing the grassland red.

"Kill!" A Hun cavalryman, with bloodshot eyes, waved a long sword and slashed at a Han soldier.

The Han soldiers hurriedly used their shields to block, and the long swords hit the shields, making crisp sounds.

But the Xiongnu cavalry was too powerful, and the Han soldiers were shocked and retreated again and again.

Just as the Xiongnu cavalry was preparing to attack again, another Han soldier rushed over from the side and stabbed the Xiongnu cavalryman's chest with his spear.

The Hun cavalry screamed and fell off his horse.

The attacks of the Xianbei and barbarians also brought tremendous pressure to the Han army.

The Xianbei cavalry took advantage of their speed and continuously attacked the Han army's flank defenses.

They thrust their spears like a forest at the Han soldiers, while the barbarians, with their fearless spirit, charged into the Han army and engaged in close combat with them.

For a moment, the battlefield was filled with smoke and chaos.

Although the Han army was prepared, it still seemed somewhat powerless in the face of the joint attack by foreign races.

Under the fierce attacks of the foreign race, the soldiers gradually suffered casualties.

The defense also began to loosen up a bit.

"Hold on, you must hold on!" The Han general was anxious. He waved his sword and shouted loudly.

His face was covered in sweat and dust, but his eyes were determined.

He knew very well that once the defense line was breached, the foreign cavalry would march straight in and the people of the Han Dynasty would suffer a disaster.

During the fierce battle, the spear in the hand of a young Han soldier broke.

He watched his comrades fall one by one around him, his heart filled with anger and unwillingness.

He picked up a long knife on the ground and rushed towards a Xianbei cavalryman.

Seeing this, the Xianbei cavalry sneered and raised their spears to stab him.

The young soldier dodged the spear nimbly, then swung his sword and chopped the Xianbei cavalryman's arm.

The Xianbei cavalry felt pain and dropped their spears. The young soldier took the opportunity to rush forward and stabbed the Xianbei cavalryman in the chest with his long knife.

However, the situation on the battlefield was still unfavorable to the Han army.

The joint attack of the Xiongnu, Xianbei and barbarians became more and more fierce, and the Han army's defense line was shaky.

The Han soldiers were struggling to hold on. They didn't know how long the war would last, nor did they know whether they could hold on to this land. (End of this chapter)