Super Cultivation System of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 295: Three Strategies to Suppress the Hu
Another person lamented, "Alas, he is not the only one. Once the Xianbei people run out of food, they will snatch our children and women and use them as food. From what I know, there are 20 to 30 families whose children have been eaten by them..."

"My three-year-old granddaughter was also thrown into the pot alive by them... I am an old man who is incompetent..."

Several grown men collapsed to the ground, crying bitterly.

Guan Yu and the others' eyes turned red and their chests heaved when they heard this.

"Brother, no problem. Send me a thousand elite soldiers. I will start a massacre today. Kill all these damn Xianbei people!"

Cheng Liang clasped his fists, turned around and was about to leave.

"Third brother, I'll go with you!"

Zhu Ye shouted and wanted to follow.

Guan Yu stopped them and shouted, "Brother hasn't spoken yet, why are you two in such a hurry? Come back!"

Cheng Liang and Zhu Ye clasped their fists towards Liu He and pleaded, "Brother! Just give the order!"

Those Han people also kowtowed repeatedly.

"I beg you to help me, sir..."

"Please avenge my granddaughter..."

Liu He was extremely conflicted at this moment. For a moment, he didn't know what to say or do.

"Please get up first."

He looked around and saw many Xianbei people gathered in groups.

Although they could not understand the conversation between Liu He and others, after seeing this scene, especially the Han people kneeling and kowtowing, they probably guessed what they were asking for.

Many women pulled their children into their arms, some old people hid in tents, and the few remaining men took things like wooden sticks as weapons, pretending to protect their families.

Liu He felt confused for a moment when he saw these Xianbei people, who looked haggard and whose clothes were not much better than those of the Han people who had just escaped from hardship.

"The Five Barbarians invaded China. I used to think that these barbarians were so barbaric and rude. They occupied the Central Plains, killed innocent people indiscriminately, and treated the people of the Central Plains as two-legged sheep, eating them alive. They were worse than beasts. But now, looking at these Xianbei people..."

"Brother, what are you still hesitating about? There's no point in keeping these bastards!"

Cheng Liang urged anxiously.

Liu He suddenly said: "Can the barbaric behavior of the Xianbei nobles represent the Xianbei people?"

He spoke in a very soft voice, and his tone seemed hesitant. It was unclear whether he was answering Cheng Liang or talking to himself.

Cheng Liang didn't care about that. He shouted, "Who cares if they are noble or not? I know that the Xianbei are the mortal enemies of the Han Dynasty and have committed heinous crimes! Now that their leaders and army have been destroyed by us, we must not let these guys go!"

Zhu Ye also chimed in, "Yes, when they invaded our Han territory, they didn't care about the difference between officers and soldiers and civilians. Why should we be good people in vain? Our army is about to march north. From Qiangyin County to the entire Dingxiang County, there are 100,000 Xianbei people, two or three times the number of Han people. If they cause trouble in our rear, we will be attacked from both sides, which will be a big trouble!"

Zhu Ye's words hit the point, causing Guan Yu and Ye Xiang to stand up and agree.

"If they are not of our race, their hearts must be different. The Xianbei and the Han Dynasty have always been mortal enemies. Now our army has recaptured the city and killed their army. These people are frightened by the power of our army and have temporarily surrendered. If we leave, there is no guarantee that they will not come back again."

"I also think what General Cheng said makes sense. These Xianbei people are a hidden danger if they are left here, but it is impossible to let them go. There is no other way except to kill them. This can also serve as a warning to the people of other Xianbei tribes, letting them see what the consequences will be if they continue to oppose the Han Dynasty."

Although Liu He felt that what they said seemed to be correct, he instinctively felt that it shouldn't be like this.

He couldn't help but look at Zhang Yong and Cui Jun.

The two men had been silent, obviously disapproving of Cheng Liang's approach. When they saw Liu He looking over at them, they understood Liu He's intention.

Zhang Yong stood up and said, "No, if that's the case, what's the difference between us and those cruel and ruthless people? These are a hundred thousand lives! They are just unarmed people, and their hands are not stained with the blood of our Han people. Why should we kill them all?"

"Fourth brother, you are too soft-hearted. When the Xianbei cavalry killed hundreds of thousands or even millions of innocent Han people, did they not think about whether they were unarmed? If you hesitate when you should make a decision, you will suffer the consequences. For the sake of our army's Northern Expedition and the long-term stability of the Han border, let me, Cheng Liang, be the villain!"

"Third brother, you can't tell right from wrong. If so, what's the difference between us and those brutal barbarians? We are a great nation, how can we imitate the brutal ways of the barbarians?"

The several people argued until their faces turned red, with no intention of giving in at all.

"Okay, what are you arguing about!"

Liu He was a little annoyed by their noise and couldn't help but look at Cui Jun.

"What do you think, military advisor?"

Cui Jun frowned and found that everyone was staring at him.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, took a deep breath, and then spoke. "My lord, I disagree with General Gongyi's words. Since ancient times, killing surrendered soldiers is unlucky. This is the case for surrendered troops, let alone civilians. This is definitely not what a benevolent lord would do."

Cheng Liang was about to explain himself but Liu He glared back at him.

Cui Jun continued, "However, the Xianbei people and our Han people have a deep hatred and are irreconcilable. We will march north and will not return until we destroy their royal court! But have you ever thought about this: if you capture a city, do you have to slaughter everyone in the city? If you want to take revenge on a nation, do you have to kill all its troops and civilians? How can you call yourself a righteous army if you act this way?"

Cheng Liang hadn't heard much, but Guan Yu seemed to understand a little. Zhu Ye and Ye Xiang also lowered their heads, looking as if they were thinking.

"Although these people are Xianbei, the Xianbei tribe has a strict hierarchy. All resources in the tribe are enjoyed by the royal family and nobles first. The suffering of the people is even worse than that of our Han Dynasty. They can only share very little of the spoils brought back by the Xianbei army. Look at their bodies, clothes, and the food in their pots. Compared with the refugees of our Han Dynasty, they are not much better. Can the crimes of the Xianbei nobles really be blamed on these poor people?"

There was a gleam in Liu He's eyes.

"The military advisor continued."

Seeing that Liu He seemed quite interested in what he said, Cui Jun continued speaking.

"When our army was in Qiangyin County, Jun and the other generals escaped from the city gate and were discovered by many Xianbei people, but no one shouted, so we were able to escape successfully. This shows that these Xianbei nobles are not supported by their people. Now that several tribes have been destroyed by our army, none of the 100,000 Xianbei people have expressed hatred for us. In their eyes, it seems that nothing has happened. When these villagers beat up those Xianbei people just now, none of their compatriots around them came to help. Their eyes were full of fear and terror. This shows how much torture they suffer in their daily lives, so that they have developed such a character of allowing others to bully them. Therefore, I believe that the hearts of these Xianbei people are not unconquerable, and their wisdom is not unteachable."

Cheng Liang obviously disagreed strongly with this.

"Military Advisor, I, Old Cheng, disagree with what you said. If it were me, I would never be able to return to Xianbei. It would be better to kill me. It is said that you should put yourself in others' shoes. I think the Xianbei are the same, so it is better to kill them."

Liu He quickly spoke up to ease the atmosphere: "Alright, alright, you don't like reading books on weekdays, but you just learned a few nice words and use them everywhere."

Cheng Liang couldn't help feeling a little ashamed when he heard what he said.

However, after Cui Jun's explanation, Liu He had completely figured out the matter.

"Okay, I agree with the military advisor on this matter."

"Big brother..."

Cheng Liang wanted to persuade him again, but was stopped by Guan Yu.

"Just listen to what Big Brother says and don't interrupt."

Liu He said, "I have three reasons for making this decision. First, from Qiangyin County to now, I have observed for a long time that these Xianbei people are indeed not abnormal. If one person or a group of people can suppress their hatred and lie dormant, it may be possible, but if 100,000 people are all like this, it must be due to their true character and not pretending."

"Secondly, there are already 100,000 Xianbei people here. If we continue to march north and recapture various counties, how many more Xianbei people will be taken captive? 300,000? 500,000? Or 800,000? Are we going to kill them all? This is such a huge sin that I, Liu He, cannot bear to do it, nor do I want to do it! If a few hundred thousand people cannot be educated and brought back to their hearts, how can our Han Dynasty make all nations come to pay tribute!"

"Third, the cities in the northern border have been ravaged by the Xianbei for many years, and the population is sparse. The total Han population of the five counties of Dingxiang Prefecture is not even as large as that of a Langtiao County. In the future, whether it is for labor or military service, a large number of people will be needed. It is not difficult to solve the fundamental problem by attracting people from surrounding states and counties. If we can recruit ordinary people from the Xianbei for our own use, wouldn't it be a great benefit?"

Everyone's eyes lit up: "This is a great idea! Using barbarians to control barbarians is indeed the best strategy!"

Liu He's words set the tone, and Cheng Liang no longer had any objections. Guan Yu and Zhang Yong also relaxed their brows. Even the Han people who were filled with righteous indignation and wanted to kill the Xianbei people for revenge seemed to understand Liu He's words, and the resentment on their faces was reduced a lot.

"Brother is kindhearted and far-sighted. I can't wait any longer. But how can I make them come back to me?"

Guan Yu asked.

Liu He paced back and forth, thinking for a while.

"Immediately announce to all quarters that in all the counties under my jurisdiction, no matter if they are Hu people or Han people, they will be treated equally. All people's sins, good and evil, life and death will be determined by the law, and there will be no discrimination based on their origins or races. Anyone who humiliates or oppresses others because of their race will be severely punished! If you want revenge, follow my army north, kill the enemy generals, and capture a few Xianbei leaders. That is what real men do. Bullying the weak people is really wrong!"

After hearing this, the Han people felt ashamed.

"Also, spread the word that I, Liu He, welcome all Xianbei tribes, big and small, to come and trade with each other. Their cattle, sheep, war horses, furs, various herbs from the grasslands, and various tools made by the Xianbei people can all be traded with my Han merchants in exchange for food, cloth, salt, and so on. If any merchant dares to do anything wrong, he will never be forgiven. At the same time, if any Xianbei tribe has ill intentions and wants to take advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble, they must also ask my army whether they agree!"

"Good!" Cui Jun exclaimed.

"My lord, this is a brilliant plan! The Xianbei people lack food, clothing, and salt, and it is difficult for them to survive, so they have to come here to plunder. The two sides will fight back and forth, and there will be no end to it if it continues like this. If we can use trade to replace war, there will definitely be many weaker Xianbei tribes, or those who hate fighting, who will bring supplies to trade. Then their survival will be guaranteed, and they won't have to risk their lives. In the long run, more Hu tribes will follow suit, and this is the way to long-term peace!"

Guan Yu and others also nodded, agreeing with this approach.

Zhang Yong said, "Brother, I have an idea, but I wonder if it is feasible."

Liu He said happily: "Fourth brother has always been thoughtful and resourceful, he must have a good plan, tell me quickly."

Zhang Yong said, "I was thinking that the barbarians are different from us Han people in terms of customs, people and products. Secondly, they have different cultures and languages. Therefore, if we want to truly assimilate the barbarians, we must educate them. We can recruit a group of people who are proficient in Chinese and Xianbei, and let them teach the Xianbei people to speak our Han official language. At the same time, we can teach them farming, weaving and other skills, and then give them seeds and farm tools like the Han people, and treat them equally."

Liu He clapped his hands in approval: "Good idea! If this works, it won't be long before these Xianbei people will be no different from us Han people. Let's do it!"

Treat everyone equally, exchange what they have and what they need, and assimilate cultures. With these three strategies to pacify the Hu people, plus the deterrent power of his own army, Liu He believes that the pacification of the Hu rebellion in the north will be just around the corner!

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(End of this chapter)