My life is like walking on thin ice

Chapter 501: Barbarians Enter China, Then China
In the third year of the reign of Emperor Rong of the Han Dynasty, it was the fourth month of summer.

The grassland has completely recovered from the ice.

After fighting for most of the winter, Gaoque has completely stabilized.

The Xiongnu counterattack army outside Gaoque has become a defensive force of less than 20,000 people.

What to guard against?
Naturally, they were on guard against the Han army in Gaoque, and organized the Han army in Gaoque to march northward to cause chaos in the south of Mu.

Just like in the early years, the Han Dynasty stationed heavy troops at Chaona Pass at the border between Hetao and Beidi, which served as the Han-Xiongnu front line, to prevent the Xiongnu in the Hetao area from invading Beidi.

Today, Gaoque has become a key place that the Huns need to defend.

As for the Hetao area south of Gaoque, after the Han Dynasty moved into the Hetao area, the first large-scale and vigorous reform work carried out by the central government in Chang'an to supplement the Hetao area finally began with the arrival of April.

——The leaders of various tribes in Hetao gathered at the capital of Shuofang County: Bowang City.

Cheng Bushi, the prefect of Shuofang County, had also returned to Bowang City on the south bank of the river after the battle of Gaoque was settled.

Looking at the leaders of various Hetao tribes who gathered in groups of two or three and whispered to each other outside Bowang City, a bright smile broke out on Cheng Buzhi's face.

After gaining control of Hetao, the Han people did not immediately carry out drastic resettlement and reorganization.

Instead, in accordance with the instructions of Emperor Rong of Chang'an, they took "maintaining stability" as the first priority and preserved the original order as much as possible.

The various tribes in Hetao remained the same as they were during the period when the Xiongnu ruled Hetao, and after the Han Dynasty took control of Hetao.

When it is time to be nomadic, be nomadic; when it is time to migrate, migrate.

The only difference is that the migration and nomadism of the Hetao tribes are no longer completely free - they can leave whenever they want and go wherever they want.

Instead, it became: before setting off, one had to report to the local "county government office" and report to the county governor.

After the county governor issues the order of "permitting migration" and the Hetao area is replenished, they can start the migration and begin to be a nomadic people in the Hetao area.

And unlike in the past, when people could go wherever they wanted and change plans as they pleased after setting off - now, in the Hetao region controlled by the Han Dynasty, the migration routes of nomadic tribes needed to be determined before setting off.

Not only the route but also the time node must be determined.

For example, a tribe in the southern part of the Hetao region needs to make a clear report before setting out in the spring: where will the tribe go north, how long will it stay, then turn west, and how long will it stay there...

Just keep walking along this path, and when summer comes, start the return journey along the same route, stopping for a few days at different places along the way and returning to the starting point at approximately the same time.

This means that the order in the Hetao region has not changed because of the change of ownership of the Hetao region. It is just that under the control of the Han family, the order has become stricter and more "controllable".

Since it is a more "controllable" order, conflicts between tribes over water sources, pastures, and personal grudges are naturally prohibited.

The standard is based on the Han Dynasty law regarding group fights between two villages - those who should be imprisoned should be imprisoned, and those who should be punished should be punished.

It has to be said that the Hetao region is undoubtedly the most suitable place in the entire grassland to implement, or even copy and paste the Han legal system.

Because the Hetao region has abundant water resources and fertile grasslands, the conflicts of interest between the various groups are not acute.

In other areas of the grassland, especially the barren Mobei, the relationship between the two tribes is likely to be: they must fight for the only piece of grassland.

Whoever grabs it will survive this year, and whoever doesn’t grab it will starve to death this year!

With such a sharp survival conflict, the two tribes naturally fought to the death, hoping to beat their brains out.

But in the Hetao region, the survival conflicts between tribes were far less acute.

The situation between the two tribes is most likely: there are two pastures, one is better and the other is worse.

If I can grab a better piece of this, I can live a more comfortable life this year.

If they couldn't get the good piece, they could just make do with the bad piece so that the cattle and sheep wouldn't starve to death.

If the contradictions are not sharp, the acceptance of order will naturally be higher.

It can even be said that a considerable number of Hetao tribes have long hoped that there would be a decent order in the Hetao region to maintain peace and stability among the tribes.

——Everyone can get a share of pasture, but they end up fighting to the death just to get a better piece?

Why bother?
It would be better to decide early on which tribe owns which pasture and then refrain from invading each other.

Harmony and stability are always the prerequisites for development.

Both agricultural civilization and nomadic civilization will achieve remarkable development under a harmonious and stable social order.

On the contrary, the turbulent social order will affect production activities and further development.

It’s true that on the grassland, we believe in the law of the jungle.

But as long as one is a human being, there is no one who does not like stability, a stable social order, and does not want to live in a stable and peaceful order.

The various tribes in Hetao are naturally no exception.

In the past year, the Hetao tribes continued to live their usual nomadic life under the control of the Han family, but they were also worried in their hearts.

——Whether in Hetao or anywhere else, such as Hexi, Munan and other places, the Xiongnu Chanyu court, as the ruler, maintained tributary relations with various tribes.

In principle, the Chanyu Court did not interfere with the free nomadic movement of the tribes or the fighting between tribes.

When the Chanyu's court needed it, each tribe had to respond to the call, eliminate the young and strong fighting forces within the tribe, and obey the orders of the Chanyu's court.

In addition, at fixed times each year, such as the Zhulin Conference in May, each tribe would pay tribute to the Chanyu court based on their respective cattle and sheep livestock base and population base.

Tributes included but were not limited to: good horses, breeding cattle, lambs, and even warriors and beauties.

If any rare items were obtained while plundering Han territory, they would most likely hand them over voluntarily to avoid being guilty of possessing a treasure.

Therefore, nomadic tribes almost all have this instinctive concept: the rule of the Chanyu court over the tribes is conditional.

The Chanyu Court provided "shelter" for the tribes, and the tribes were required to pay tribute to the Chanyu Court and, when necessary, offer their own armed forces for the Chanyu Court to command.

In the past, all the Hetao tribes under the rule of the Xiongnu Chanyu Court survived in this way.

Last year, Hetao was taken over by the Han people, and the various tribes in Hetao naturally believed that "he who knows the times is a hero" and immediately knelt down and surrendered.

At that time, most of the Hetao tribes were still thinking: Since the Han people are attacking Hetao, they should just surrender temporarily and survive first.

When Shanyu Ting returns to Hetao in the future, we will help Shanyu Ting drive the Han people out.

Later, as time went by, the Chanyu Ting not only did not return to Hetao, but also went to the West? Probably realizing that the Hetao region would not return to the control of the Xiongnu Chanyu Ting in a short time, the Hetao tribes thought: OK.

Who doesn’t surrender? Surrendering is surrendering.

In the past, they paid tribute and gave troops to the Chanyu's court. From now on, they will pay tribute to the Han people and use their troops.

With this spirit of "dedication", the Hetao tribes felt at ease and enjoyed the protection provided by the Shuofang and Wuyuan counties in the Hetao region.

But as time went by, a whole year passed, and the Hetao tribes, which had originally felt at ease, began to become increasingly uneasy.

Eh?
No.

Han people, why don’t you order me to pay tribute?

Even if the Han people don’t have the May Festival, there must be some important day in the year, right?

It’s fine if you don’t pay tribute—but why don’t you ask me to send troops to help during the war?
On the grassland, there is no such concept as "free help".

The rule believed in by the grassland is always: If someone shows kindness for no reason, he is either a traitor or a thief!
Even a shepherd slave, if treated with inexplicable tenderness by his master without reason, would wonder in his heart: What mistake have I made?

Am I going to be sold by my master, or am I going to be sacrificed to the gods?

The same principle applies - the Han Dynasty's rule over the Hetao region was not based on tribute or the right to mobilize military forces as a connection or bond, so the various Hetao tribes naturally developed a sense of unease as if "no merit, no reward".

Nomads don't believe that anyone in the world would be nice to another person for no reason.

In the nomadic people's value system, everything has a price.

As small as a cow, a sheep, or a bow or a sword.

From a grassland or a stream to the protection of one tribe over another and the rule of the Chanyu court over the various tribes on the grassland, all require "equivalent exchange".

The Han people ruled the Hetao region, and they had already fulfilled their obligation to protect the various tribes in the Hetao area, and even went further to build a new order.

In the eyes of the nomadic people, this means that the Han people have already given benefits to the Hetao tribes.

Next, we should demand benefits from the various tribes in Hetao.

For example, cattle, sheep, and war horses;
Or they could ask each department to gather its troops and help attack a certain place - at least to patrol and maintain law and order.

But the Han people did not do so.

A whole year passed, and the Han people neither asked the Hetao tribes to pay tribute nor asked them to send troops.

Even the cattle, sheep and horses were exchanged for food and cloth by the mysterious department called "Han Shaofu", which was said to be more terrifying than the devil, instead of asking for them directly!

All of this made the Hetao tribes increasingly uneasy, and they increasingly suspected that the Han people had "other plans" for Hetao.

Although I can't figure out what the plot is, I have a feeling it won't be a good thing.

It was not until this past winter that the news of the Han people's capture of Gaoque spread throughout the Hetao area, and the uneasiness in the hearts of the chiefs of various tribes finally reached its peak.

——For such a difficult war, the Han people did not even draw troops from the various tribes in Hetao!
In the past year, the Han people did not withdraw troops from Hetao, and it can be barely said that it was not necessary.

In the Battle of Gaoque, the Han people also did not withdraw troops from the various tribes in Hetao, which was a naked lack of trust.

For a time, everyone in the Hetao tribe was in danger, and the leaders were anxious, like ants on a hot pan.

What to do!

How can we make the Han people see our role?
How can we make the Han people understand that the various tribes in Hetao also have their own role and can bring benefits to the Han people?
It was not until the fourth month of summer that the leaders of various tribes breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the call from Cheng Buzhi, the governor of Shuofang and one of the best generals of the Han Dynasty. They packed their bags and came to the outskirts of Bowang City.

On the grassland, this is actually the norm.

Unconditional goodwill from the superior to the inferior will only cause the inferior to feel uneasy.

When receiving free favors from the superior, the inferior will only suspect that the superior has greater intentions.

After the gratuitous displays of goodwill, the superior finally puts forward conditions and asks for benefits, and the inferior naturally feels at ease.

——Just want the benefits.

If someone asks for benefits, it means that the person in a lower position has benefits that are worth the person in a higher position asking for, and that the person in a lower position has value.

If you are valuable, you deserve the protection of those in power.

Just like a cow.

As long as the herders are willing to milk the cow and let it pull the plow, the cow does not have to worry at all. It can eat the grass provided by the herders with peace of mind and produce milk safely.

But if one day, the herder stops milking the cow and stops using it to plow the land, the cow will start to feel uneasy.

--broken!
——Could it be that someone here wants to eat beef?
What the Hetao tribes did not know was that over the past year, the Han Dynasty's attention to the Hetao region was even more than three or five levels higher than its attention to the city of Chang'an.

Because this was the first time that the Han Dynasty obtained a nomadic area on a large scale, including land and population, and the right to rule over the local nomadic peoples.

For the Han Dynasty - especially for Emperor Liu Rong who had the foresight of a time traveler, the Han Dynasty's rule over the Hetao region would provide crucial experience and reference for the Han Dynasty's future dealings with the Xiongnu and even all nomadic peoples.

It is naturally foolish to farm on the grassland and push the grass back to till the field.

However, allowing nomadic people to continue to maintain their ignorant tribal civilization is naturally not in the interests of China's agricultural civilization.

Therefore, over the past year, the Han people have actually been observing the Hetao region, hoping to understand the civilization logic of the nomadic peoples.

After figuring out the social order and civilization system under which nomadic peoples reproduce, the next step is naturally to adapt to local conditions and explore a new social model that is integrated with the Chinese feudal agricultural civilization and retains nomadic - or at least pastoral - characteristics.

In other words, it is to transform the unruly nomadic people into "new Han people" who call themselves the nobles of China but do not make a living by farming, but still retain the tradition of animal husbandry.

As long as this is accomplished - as long as the nomadic tribes in the Hetao region can successfully transform into this kind of "new Han people", then in the future, the Han people, whether in Hexi, Munan, or the more distant Mobei and even the Western Regions, will have a mature model for the resettlement of the people.

In the future, when we go to war with nomadic peoples, we no longer need to focus on beheading and capturing spoils. Instead, we can view the nomadic peoples as our future citizens from the perspective of builders.

Moreover, the existence of the "new Han people" in the Hetao region will also have the same effect as a log establishing trust on the grassland.

——There is no doubt that, whether it is farming people or nomadic and animal husbandry people, the living standards of the lower classes of people under the rule of the more civilized Chinese regime are bound to be much higher than those of the backward and ignorant tribal nomadic civilization.

In other words: as long as the Han Dynasty can find a model that allows the nomadic people in the Hetao region to obtain a much higher standard of living as "new Han people" while retaining their living habits based on animal husbandry, then the Han Dynasty's conquest of the grassland will surely be smooth and more effective.

(End of this chapter)