Dahan: A 100-year-old veteran, I will build the strongest family

To the north of the Han Dynasty lies the vast Mobei grassland.

Clear skies.

Under the clean sky.

On the grassland, two large and continuous cavalry teams - the Han army and the Xianbei cavalry - were engaged in a fierce battle. The earth was shaking under the trampling of the horses' hooves, as if it was trembling for the bloody battle. The heaven and earth seemed to be deafened by the battle, and the shouts of killing filled the sky.

The Han cavalry were dressed in solid armor, armed with sharp weapons, and had strict discipline and tacit cooperation. They charged into battle like a mountain torrent, unstoppable. Every charge was accompanied by earth-shaking shouts that shook the entire grassland.

The Xianbei cavalry showed their unique nomadic fighting style. They wore light leather armor, rode sturdy war horses, and shuttled quickly on the battlefield. They were good at horseback archery, and their arrows rained down on the Han army, causing considerable casualties to the Han army.

The two armies fought back and forth, with no clear winner. The wind on the grassland seemed to be infected by the battle, whistling and roaring, helping both sides in the fierce battle.

This battle was not just a military contest, but also a war to determine the ownership of Mobei.

The three armies of Li Hong, Li Li and Ke Bineng coordinated and mobilized to charge back and forth. Finally, as the sun set, the battle came to an end. The poorly equipped Xianbei cavalry suffered heavy casualties, and eventually the morale to defend the Mobei grassland was completely wiped out.

……

"Canopy!"

"Your Majesty!"

Inside the big tent, Huang Zhong kicked over Putou, Suli and two Mobei Xianbei leaders who were brought in.

"Kill me if you dare, Li Hong. You went back on your word. You said you would support us to become the Chanyu of Xianbei."

Being kicked over by Huang Zhong, the Eastern Xianbei commander Suli fell down in a rather embarrassing manner. However, Suli's eyes were bloodshot, and he looked at Li Hong who was sitting in the main seat, gritting his teeth and shouting.

"Supporting you to be the Chanyu of Xianbei? Haha, what have you done for our Han Dynasty? Why should I support you?"

Sitting in the main seat, Li Hong looked at the embarrassed Su Li and said indifferently.

When he returned to the Han Dynasty with the Beiwei Army to fight against the Yellow Turbans, Suli gathered the grassland tribes in the eastern part of the south of the desert to form an alliance, fought against Li Li and Kebineng, and finally fled to the north of the desert. He fought with Li Hong for a year or two, and now, he has become a prisoner.

"Kebi Neng, he wants me to support him as the Chanyu of Xianbei, are you willing?"

Li Hong changed the subject and looked at Ke Bineng who was standing on one side of the big tent and asked.

Ke Bineng's face changed, and he stood up quickly. He bowed to Li Hong and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, Ke Bineng is loyal to the Han Dynasty and is willing to lead the Xianbei people to obey your orders. This Suli is just a prisoner who fought against the Han army. How can he lead the Xianbei people? He may even lead the Xianbei people to fight against the Han Dynasty and go to destruction. Your Majesty must not trust him!"

Ke Bineng took a deep breath. At this moment, he was completely submissive to Li Hong, but also completely afraid of him.

It's no wonder that he is like this. As Li Hong continues to attack the grassland, at this time, the Han people and the Xianbei coexist on the grasslands south of the desert. Even some of the Xianbei elite are in the hands of Wang Lei and Ma Tie. If he dares to have any disloyalty, he will die miserably.

But that’s not all.

After two years of fighting on the grassland, Ke Bineng felt powerless about Li Hong's command ability and the combat effectiveness of the Han army.

The southern desert forces such as Putou and Suli who fled to Mobei joined forces with the northern desert forces and mobilized all their forces, no less than 500,000 cavalry.

However, under Li Hong's command, they suffered repeated defeats and suffered heavy losses in manpower.

Today, in the battle that determines the ownership of Mobei, Putou, Suli and the Mobei Xianbei leader were defeated again and were captured. It was all over.

Facing Li Hong, Ke Bineng naturally didn't dare to have any small thoughts now.

Even though he knew that Li Hong was criticizing him in public, Ke Bineng could only behave quite submissively.

Otherwise, now that the situation in the south and north of the desert has been settled, it might not be his turn to be the Chanyu of the Xianbei.

"hehe!"

Inside the big tent, Li Li, Huang Zhong, Xia Yu, Tian Yan, Zang Min, Zhang Fei, Zhang He, Ji Ling, Pan Feng, Yue Lu, Xu Huang, Yan Liang, Wang Lei, Ma Tie and other generals could not help laughing when they saw Ke Bineng's submission and the way he tried hard to flatter Li Hong.

Even Dian Wei couldn't help but grin and laugh.

However, Jian Shuo, who was sitting next to Li Hong, frowned slightly, and a feeling of displeasure emerged in his sensitive heart.

But it was because of what Li Hong just said.

Li Honggang said: "Kebi Neng, he wants me to support him as the Chanyu of Xianbei, are you willing?"

But Ke Bineng replied: "I am willing to lead the Xianbei people and obey the orders of the Marquis."

However, thinking that this might be an unintentional remark and that it was indeed Li Hong who had been giving orders, and there was nothing wrong with Ke Bi obeying Li Hong, Jian Shuo suppressed his displeasure.

"Suli, did you hear that? This is why I want Kebi to be the Chanyu of Xianbei instead of supporting you." Li Hong stroked his gray beard and smiled at the embarrassed Marshal Suli below.

"Bah, he, Kebineng, is nothing but a dog." Suli was angry and cursed again. It was obvious that he was ready to die.

"That's right, he is just a dog, just kill him if you want to, why are you talking so much nonsense? If it weren't for this dog Kebineng, how could we have lost?" Putou and the leader of Mobei beside him cursed.

Ke Bineng's face turned very ugly, he bowed to Li Hong and said:
"My Lord, these people are stubborn and unrepentant. Kill them!"

Hearing this, Li Hong showed a strange expression on his face and said:

"They are all criminals of the Xianbei tribe. Now that you are the Chanyu of the Xianbei tribe, you can handle them."

Ke Bineng raised his eyebrows, but remained calm and said:

"promise!"

Then, Suli, Putou and the Mobei leader were dragged down amidst the curses, and their heads were chopped off as they screamed.

"My Lord, now that Mobei has been pacified, is it time for us to return to the court? Your Majesty is looking forward to the great victory in Mobei. When your Majesty sent me the letter, he said that the Marquis of Shenwu should return to the court immediately after the great victory."

As Suli and Putou were pulled away, Jian Shuo could not wait to urge Li Hong again.

In fact, it was not Jian Shuo who urged Li Hong to return to the capital.

As early as the great victory in Mo Nan, when it was captured, he followed Liu Hong's wishes and persuaded Li Hong to return to the court.

However, at that time Li Hong wanted to pursue the victory and could not give the Xianbei in Mobei a chance to catch their breath, so Li Hong refused.

Although Jian Shuo had some doubts, he did not object because it was indeed a good opportunity to press on the victory.

However, later, in Mobei, Li Hong won several great victories and suppressed Mobei leaders such as Suli and Putou. However, Liu Hong received word of feeling unwell and wrote to tell him that he might not have much time left and asked Li Hong to return as soon as possible.

However, Li Hong did not agree, instead he said that now was a good opportunity to sweep across Mobei in one fell swoop, otherwise, the Mobei Xianbei would have a chance to recuperate, and it would be even more difficult to wipe out Mobei next time, and he, Li Hong, was also old, and he was afraid that there would be no chance in the future. Faced with Liu Hong's urging every one or two months, Jian Shuo finally waited for Li Hong to sweep across Mobei and completely incorporate Mobei into the territory of the Han Dynasty.

Can we return to the capital now?

Jian Shuo looked at Li Hong with expectation and smile, but he was also anxious in his heart, because Liu Hong had written to him saying that his health was getting worse and worse, and he was afraid that he would not survive for more than a few months.

Inside the big tent, Li Li, Huang Zhong, Xia Yu, Tian Yan, Zang Min, Zhang Fei, Zhang He, Ji Ling, Pan Feng, Yue Lu, Xu Huang, Yan Liang, Wang Lei, Ma Tie and other generals were all excited when they heard Jian Shuo's words.

Great victories were won in the south and north of the desert, and the vast grasslands were all incorporated into the territory of the Han Dynasty. The grasslands really became the back garden of the Han Dynasty.

If the army returns to the capital, I'm afraid the whole world will be shocked, right?
"Although Mobei has been pacified, it is still one step away from the final success. It is not the right time yet." Li Hong's slow voice made the generals who had just smiled suddenly look stunned. Jian Shuo's expression changed instantly.

Before Jian Shuo could speak, Li Hong's voice became louder and he said:
"Like the Southern Xiongnu and the Wuhuan, they are all fence-sitters, and even attacked and plundered the people of our Great Han. To the west of the desert grasslands, the Wusun Kingdom and the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions were originally the territories of our Great Han, but because of the rise of the Xianbei in recent decades, they no longer recognize it as the territory of the Great Han, but instead pay tribute to the Xianbei!"

"Such an act would put the prestige of our Han Dynasty at a disadvantage. As a general of the Han Dynasty, I have the responsibility to guard the borders. How can I just sit there and do nothing? Therefore, I have decided to make a concerted effort to sweep across the southern and northern deserts, suppress the Wusun Kingdom and the thirty-six kingdoms in the Western Regions, and make them once again belong to the Han Dynasty. What do you think?"

Li Hong's sharp and majestic voice resounded in the big tent.

Li Li, Huang Zhong, Xia Yu, Tian Yan, Zang Min, Zhang Fei, Zhang He, Ji Ling, Pan Feng, Yue Lu, Xu Huang, Yan Liang, Wang Lei, Ma Tie and other generals all looked serious and angry.

"My lord, Huang Zhong is willing to be the vanguard and ride into the Western Regions to defend the prestige of our Han Dynasty!"

"My Lord, I, Zhang Fei, am willing to be the vanguard and defend the prestige of the Han Dynasty!"

As Li Hong finished speaking, dozens of generals stood up and asked to fight!

"Good, the morale is commendable!" Li Hong stroked his beard, seeming quite satisfied.

"This... General Li, His Majesty is not feeling well and urgently needs General Li to return to the court. It won't be too late to send troops to the Wusun Kingdom and the Thirty-Six Kingdoms in the Western Regions later, right?" Jian Shuo looked anxious and ugly, and tried to slow down his tone when speaking to Li Hong.

After listening to Jian Shuo's words, all the generals in the big tent fell silent and looked at Li Hong in unison.

Upon hearing this, Li Hong frowned, as if thinking for a while, then shook his head and said:

"Your Majesty is not feeling well, but the imperial physician is here to treat you. Your Majesty is young and strong, and you are in your prime, so how can anything go wrong? This Mobei area is very far from Luoyang, and it will probably take several months to return to the court. In addition, the troops are exhausted, so it is not appropriate. Needless to say, I have decided to send troops to the thirty-six countries in the Western Regions first!"

Li Hong's words made Jian Shuo's face turn red.

Li Hong actually refused again?

Kebi Neng, who was standing aside, watched the conflict between Li Hong and Jian Shuo, his eyes flashed with a thoughtful look, and then he bowed to Li Hong and said, "My Lord, Kebi Neng also thinks this is indeed an opportunity, and Kebi Neng is also willing to lead the Xianbei cavalry to help in the battle!"

Ke Bineng's sudden statement towards Li Hong shocked Jian Shuo.

"General Li, I am the military supervisor. His Majesty has given me the power to return to the court!" Jian Shuo said angrily to Li Hong.

It is true that Jian Shuo wanted to use his power as military supervisor to forcefully lead the army back.

"presumptuous!"

Boom! Li Hong slammed the table, and it immediately broke into pieces. Everyone was shocked.

Li Hong was furious, looking at Jian Shuo and shouted:
"How dare you, Jian Shuo, order me around?"

"Someone, lock Jian Shuo up for me!"

As soon as Li Hong finished speaking, Dian Wei on the side immediately called the guards and took Jian Shuo out.

Li Hong then looked at Zhang Fei, Pan Feng, Yue Lu, Zhang He, Gao Lan, Xing Daorong, Wu Anguo and others in the big tent, narrowed his eyes and said:
"What's your attitude?"

These people were all recruited by Liu Hong and placed in the Beiwei Army.

According to the news from Jia Xu, Liu Hong was really dying at this time. He was seriously ill and it was feared that he didn't have much time left.

At this time, Li Hong naturally could not lead the army back in triumph, otherwise, wouldn't those ambitious people dare to show up? Wouldn't the Han Dynasty be in chaos?
In fact, if we go back this time, I'm afraid even the army will be taken away.

Give it to him. Li Hong will naturally not let go of such elite troops. This is the cornerstone of his Li family's dominance over the world.

And if you don't give it, you will get a bad reputation.

The world is not in complete chaos yet. If the reputation is ruined, it will be difficult for the Li family to achieve hegemony, and it will also sow the seeds of disaster in the future.

Therefore, his best choice now is to lead the troops outside and not return to the court. When the Han Dynasty really falls into chaos, he will lead the army back. At that time, this army will truly belong to the Li family.

In ancient times, it was very important to launch a war with a legitimate reason.

Inside the big tent, Huang Zhong, Xu Huang, Yan Liang and others all looked at Zhang Fei, Pan Feng, Yue Lu, Zhang He, Gao Lan and other generals.

As Li family generals, Huang Zhong and Xu Huang would certainly follow Li Hong.

Zhang Fei, Pan Feng, Yue Lu, Zhang He, Gao Lan and other generals felt their scalps tingling at this time.

However, they did not think too much about it and did not consider that Liu Hong might be dying.

They were naturally torn when choosing between Jian Shuo and Li Hong.

After all, Jian Shuo represents Liu Hong.

"My Lord, I, Zhang Fei, obey you. If you hadn't won every battle, how could we have pacified the Yellow Turbans and swept across the southern and northern deserts, achieving a great victory that will be remembered for ages? I listen to you, my Lord!"

Zhang Fei was the first to express his opinion. Seeing that Zhang Fei had spoken, Pan Feng, Yue Lu, Zhang He and other generals did not hesitate and said:
"My Lord, you have foresight and will use your great victory to intimidate the thirty-six nations in the Western Regions!"

"Okay!" Li Hong stroked his gray beard and expressed his satisfaction to several people. It was enough for now. When he returned to the Han Dynasty and learned that the world was in chaos, that was the time for Zhang Fei, Pan Feng and other generals to make a real choice.

……

Just as Li Hong led his army to sweep across the Mobei grasslands, creating an unprecedented victory over the grasslands, he turned westward, intending to invade, intimidate, and capture the Wusun Kingdom and the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions.

However, within the Han Dynasty, another change of imperial power was taking place.

Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, was the eleventh emperor after Emperor Guangwu, Liu Xiu, re-established the Han Dynasty. He died in February of the seventh year of Zhongping (190 AD) at the age of only . Perhaps due to the influence of Li Hong, he lived several months longer than historical records.

Liu Hong's death marked an important turning point in the Han Dynasty, as his reign is considered to be the epitome of political corruption and social unrest in the late Han Dynasty.

As the news of Liu Hong's death spread, the city of Luoyang was shaken, and the governors, county magistrates and other high-ranking officials from all directions were in an uproar.

(End of this chapter)