Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 535 Making a grand appearance
"Get away!"

"Rustle... Bang!!"

In the dead of winter, when people in the north are hiding indoors to avoid the cold and using firewood for warmth.

In a dense forest in the south, a dozen men dressed in coarse linen and short brown clothes wielded heavy axes, just as they felled an ancient camphor tree that was more than ten feet tall, startling a flock of birds in the forest.

There are as many as a hundred logging teams like theirs, each responsible for a specific area. Almost every ten or so breaths, they can see trees being felled in the distant dense forest.

"Damn it, I never thought I could cut down these trees and sell them for money so easily!"

"Haha, if you ask me, Governor Li is indeed farsighted. Reclaiming wasteland can not only earn you land, but also a lot of money!"

“Xu Sanlang, you didn’t say that a few years ago…”

"Get out, get out, don't let that damn mother of mine get away with this."

"Ha ha ha ha……"

The dozen or so men in the dense forest burst into hearty laughter. One of them carried a banner on his back with the words "Guizhou Tuntian Zhechong Prefecture" written on it.

This place is Guizhou, not the Guizhou of Qianzhong Road, but the Guizhou (Guigang) of Lingnan Road, which is also one of the few flat areas in Lingnan Road.

This plain, located between Guizhou and Xunzhou, is flat, but because the population of the two prefectures is only a little over 10,000, it is impossible to develop.

After hundreds of thousands of people migrated to Lingnan Road in the first year of Hongwu, Li Yangchun ordered Liu Song, Zhang Guiba, Zhang Guihou and others to lead troops to suppress the barbarians in Lingxi. It took three years to wipe out and pacify the barbarians who occupied Xun and Gui prefectures.

Starting in the fourth year of the Hongwu reign, Zhang Guiba and Zhang Guihou continued to lead troops westward to suppress various barbarian tribes, while Liu Song was stationed in Xun and Gui prefectures, leading more than 100,000 garrison troops of the Zhechong Prefecture to begin developing this precious land.

It is now the end of the twelfth month of the eighth year of Hongwu's reign, and also the fifth year that Liu Song has been ordered to develop Xungui.

After five years of development, the areas surrounding the seven main county towns of Xunyang and Guiyang have all been developed, and the vast forests between the two counties are disappearing at a visible rate.

Outside the dense forest, the scorched black earth, burned by a great fire, stretched out in the view of the logging troops. There was not a trace of green, only densely packed soldiers.

Nearly 10,000 people are working on this scorched earth. Although they are as insignificant as ants, they are doing their best and taking on their respective responsibilities.

The men used pickaxes to dig out the deeply buried tree roots and rocks, while the women and children followed behind, picking up the pebbles and filling them into baskets. When they could no longer carry the baskets, they would put them on an oxcart not far away and exchange them for empty baskets to continue picking up rocks.

Around the scorched earth, hundreds of armored soldiers, armed with matchlock guns, bows and arrows, and spears, were vigilantly scanning the surrounding dense forest, both to guard against wild beasts and to guard against the seemingly wiped-out barbarian hordes.

After all, no one knows whether hundreds or thousands of barbarian troops might suddenly appear from these dense forests and attack.

"Father Wang! What can we do with this tree?"

The men of the logging team wiped the sweat from their brows. The younger ones asked the team leader a question, to which the forty-year-old leader chuckled and replied:
"The camphor wood is hard and corrosion-resistant, and can be used for shipbuilding, furniture and carving."

"If this tree is properly processed and transported to Qinzhou with some effort, it will be worth at least ten strings of cash."

"Trees are cheap in Lingnan. If this tree were in Jiangnan, it would be worth at least fifteen strings of cash."

"Fifteen strings of cash?!" The young man gasped. Although he was a garrison soldier, he was a local from Lingnan and did not know the value of these trees.

However, the other men who were captured after the defeat and sent to Lingxi to become garrison soldiers just smiled and didn't say anything.

"With just one tree like this, each of us would only get twenty coins. This is just too much..."

Before the young man could say anything, the leader said cheerfully, "Don't overthink it. Twenty coins is already a lot. We only care about cutting down trees, not processing or transporting them. We can earn two or three hundred coins by cutting down twelve or thirteen trees a day. You can't find such a good job in the Central Plains."

"But I heard from those merchants that the Central Plains is extremely wealthy..."

The young man smiled awkwardly, but the others couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing this: "Wealth is wealth, but it's not the kind of wealth that people like us can enjoy."

“Back when we were soldiers, we only received about twenty strings of cash a year. If we went to the money pits in the prefectures or provinces, we could only enjoy wealth for a couple of days.”

"We work hard and live a precarious life, barely making twenty or so strings of cash a year."

"Although farming and logging are hard work now, we can save more than 30 strings of cash every year, so life is better than when we were in the Central Plains."

“That’s right. There are also community schools in the Tuntian Prefecture, which exempt children from tuition fees. Such a good life was unheard of in the past.”

Seeing that the group was getting more and more involved in the conversation, the leader interrupted, saying, "Alright, we only felled two hardwoods today. Let's cut down all the hardwoods in the forest that was allocated to us first."

Seeing the leader say this, the others also shut up and began searching for hardwood and laboriously chopping it down.

Originally, these felled trees were left in place, but since Li Yangchun purchased a lot of furniture and shipyards in Qinzhou, Guangzhou and other places under the name of the military commander three years ago, the timber in Lingnan Road has found a place to go.

These soldiers who cut down trees originally received no compensation for their work, but Li Yangchun later proposed to provide them with wages for logging.

Each person receives a subsidy of twenty coins for each hardwood tree, fifteen coins for softwood, and fifty coins for better quality trees such as sandalwood and rosewood.

Although logging is profitable, the soldiers cannot log year-round; they also need to take care of the farmland.

Furthermore, the desolation of Lingxi is no joke; the Ghost Zhi is incredibly skilled at sucking blood, able to kill people without them even realizing it.

The suitable time for logging each year is only three and a half months, from the beginning of October to the Lantern Festival in the first month of the following year.

In just over three months, experienced players can earn more than 20 strings of cash, while novices can earn more than 10 strings.

Their lives were certainly not bad. If you add the salary from the military agricultural settlement and the output after the agricultural tax, it wouldn't be difficult for them to earn thirty or forty strings of cash.

For this reason, starting three years ago, many people began to enthusiastically sign up to join the Lingnan Road's military settlement.

This situation is unique to Lingnan Road. After all, there are many waterways in the area, which makes it convenient to transport timber. Many of the people who migrated to Lingnan had a skill to rely on. In addition, there was a real shortage of high-quality furniture and timber in the Central Plains, which led to the current prosperity.

In the dead of winter, the soldiers kept cutting down trees and then worked hard to dig trenches where the trees had fallen, using tree branches to lay tracks in the trenches.

After all this was done, the heavy trees slid down the mountain via a slide, and then the experienced carpenters among the garrison used logs to transport them to nearby timber warehouses to air-dry or kiln-dry, depending on their texture and species.

Although the trees have been felled, it will still take several months before they can be transported to nearby Qinzhou for sale.

The trees in these timber warehouses all needed to be registered and recorded, and then sent to the military command office by fast horse; this place was no exception.

As the year draws to a close, reports on the timber granaries and agricultural settlements in various military farms have been sent to Guangzhou. As the governor of Lingnan Circuit, Li Yangchun naturally needs to review them.

"More than 700 timber warehouses. If these timbers are sold to the ship supervision bureau in Jiangnan or made into furniture and sold north, they can earn at least 200,000 strings of cash. The governor's office can get at least 150,000 strings of cash, which will be enough to buy oxen for next year."

Inside the Governor-General's Office, Li Yangchun, now more mature than a few years ago, spoke these words, while Yuan Xi, who served under him, also smiled:
"This year, more than 540,000 mu of wasteland have been reclaimed, and three new military settlements have been established in Lingxi. It is expected that the reclamation will reach a new high next year."

"These are all thanks to you, Duke. I believe His Majesty will be very pleased to know this."

After the founding of the Han Dynasty, Li Yangchun was granted the title of Duke of Yue, so everyone in the Commandery addressed him as Duke.

Li Yangchun did not stop him, after all, he was a Duke, and he personally found Yuan Xi's words quite agreeable.

He has been governing Lingnan for ten years. Today, Lingnan has a population of nearly three million and nearly 20 million mu of cultivated land. Many of the former tributary states have now become directly governed states by appointed officials.

This achievement is quite praiseworthy across the country, and he has no reason to be modest in front of his own people.

"In front of His Majesty, one should still be more humble."

As Li Yangchun spoke, he picked up his brush and solemnly began to write on the memorial, while Yuan Xi dared not utter a sound to disturb him.

A quarter of an hour later, after Li Yangchun placed his pen on the pen holder beside him and let out a long sigh, Yuan Xi continued:

"More than 30,000 mu of wasteland in the plains of Tianzhou (Baise) have been cleared, and more wasteland should be cleared next year."

"If nothing unexpected happens, it will be converted into cultivated land in the eleventh year of Hongwu, producing tens of thousands of shi of grain for military supplies."

Although ordinary people were unaware that the Han Dynasty would one day reclaim Dali, the high-ranking officials in the southwestern regions were well aware of it.

For this reason, Li Yangchun did not rush to leave Lingnan, but instead planned to continue governing Lingnan and wait until Dali was recovered before being transferred elsewhere.

"After all, Dali has been divided for hundreds of years. It must be necessary for a person of great prestige to govern it properly after the war."

"Given the current situation in the south, only Prince Bachuan (Zhang Wu) and you, Duke, are capable of overseeing this area."

Yuan Xi shared his analysis, noting that the Dali region was prone to separatism, and only Zhang Wu and Li Yangchun were worthy of the emperor's trust.

Li Yangchun replied frankly, "Whatever Your Majesty arranges, I will simply follow it."

He picked up the memorial on the table, the ink of which had already dried, and handed it to the clerk beside him. Then the clerk took the memorial and walked out of the yamen.

Seeing his composure, Yuan Xi didn't say anything more. Instead, he continued speaking:

"After the situation in Dali is settled, you must not be in a hurry. Once I have investigated the situation in the north, I will find a way to recommend you for an official position in the capital."

"Yes……"

Li Yangchun knew Liu Jilong all too well; his teacher, now the emperor of the Han Dynasty, was not the same kind-hearted man he always was.

If the Khitan, Xi, and Dali tribes are all defeated, then there will be no forces around the Han Dynasty that can threaten it.

Li Keyong and Li Sigong were nothing but clowns, while Bohai and Silla were nothing but bones in a tomb.

Without external threats, I'm afraid my teacher will have to turn the blade inward.

"Hold the knife in both hands, one blade facing outwards, the other inwards..."

The words his teacher had spoken years ago in Linzhou flashed through Li Yangchun's mind, and his originally calm emotions inevitably turned somewhat anxious.

While he was anxious, the fast horse that had traveled from Lingnan also rushed into the new year of the ninth year of Hongwu and arrived in Luoyang in mid-March.

Li Yangchun's achievements in Lingnan are certainly noteworthy, and even the cabinet has been discussing them extensively.

"In recent years, only Guizhou, Henan, and Huainan can compare with the Duke of Yue, right?"

"That is not a fair comparison. Lingnan is a land of many forests and miasma. The Duke of Yue reclaimed more than 8 million mu of wasteland in just 10 years. The population of Lingnan has also increased from 2.4 million in the second year of Hongwu to 3 million today. These are all the achievements of the Duke of Yue."

"Making the best use of resources, the Duke of Yue truly deserves to be a disciple of the Emperor."

"Among the first batch of students at Linzhou University, only a handful of people, such as the Duke of Tonggu (Gao Shu), could compare with him."

"really……"

Inside the side hall, Jing Xiang and six other Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet passed around Li Yangchun's memorial for review, and they all sighed with admiration.

As they sighed, Liu Jilong's voice rang out from outside the side hall: "Is there a memorial from Qie Biao?"

Upon hearing this, the seven men immediately rose and left the side hall, went to the main hall, and handed the memorial to Ximen Junsui, who then passed it on to Liu Jilong.

Liu Jilong took the memorial and looked through it, smiling with delight, "Such achievements truly live up to his reputation."

As he said this, Zhang Ying also stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty. If this rate of land reclamation continues, the total area of ​​farmland in the country should exceed three million hectares before the winter solstice this year."

"Hmm..." Liu Jilong responded indifferently, not surprised that the arable land had exceeded 300 million mu.

The Sui and Tang dynasties reclaimed 600 to 700 million mu of arable land. Although it has been abandoned now, the abandoned arable land will only grow weeds and trees, not stones.

Wild grass and trees are indeed difficult to clear once they grow, but with the continuous increase in population, the few trees in the Central Plains are not enough for the people to chop for firewood.

The more people there are, the more arable land there is. Since the population of the Han Dynasty has already exceeded 40 million, it is normal for the arable land to exceed 300 million.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong thought of the Khitan and Xi tribes to the north, and couldn't help but slowly get up and turn his gaze to the map behind him.

Seeing him like this, Jing Xiang and the others followed his back to the map.

Because this map was commissioned by Liu Jilong, it encompasses Asia, Europe, and most of Africa.

These are all regions with verifiable historical records. The products made here are not particularly groundbreaking, but they are undeniably exquisite.

On this map, although the Han Dynasty is large enough, it always appears somewhat small in the northeast.

The Yanshan and Liaohe regions occupied by the Khitan and Xi tribes were like a butcher's knife hanging over the neck of the Han people, ready to fall at any time and sever the connection between Hebei and Liaodong.

"This year should be a bumper year in Hedong and Hebei. Grain from the Ever-Normal Granaries of the two prefectures should be transferred to Guizhou, Tanzhou, and Yingzhou. The military granaries of the three prefectures should be fully stocked with grain so that the army can launch a northern expedition at any time."

"Furthermore, we urge the Henan and Huainan routes to transport 200,000 shi of military grain northward to Kaizhou in Liaodong, so that after winter arrives in Kaizhou, we can attack the Khitan south of the Liao River."

Liu Jilong's words implied that both the enemy and the Han forces could be defeated.

In the past, the Khitan and Xi tribes would always invade from the south during winter. But now Liu Jilong wants Liaodong to be ready to send troops across the Liaoze River in winter to attack the Khitan.

The deployment of troops should be tailored to local conditions. Hebei, facing the high mountains and dense forests of Yanshan, should have launched an attack in the spring or autumn. However, if Liaodong wanted to attack the flank of the Khitan, it could only do so after the Liaoze River froze in winter and then cross the Liao River to attack the Khitan flank.

His arrangements essentially determined that the Han Dynasty would launch a military campaign in the spring, preparing to spend a full year fighting against the Khitan.

"How are the preparations for winter clothing for each army progressing, according to the Five Military Commissions and the Ministry of War?"

Liu Jilong turned to ask, and Xie Tong, who was in charge of military affairs, quickly bowed:
"Last year, Guanxi produced four million catties of pure cotton. The government collected 800,000 catties and purchased another 1.2 million catties, spending more than 125,000 guan."

“All 150,000 new and old soldiers in Guannei, Hedong, Hebei and other places have two cotton-padded coats, two cotton-padded quilts and two pairs of cotton-padded shoes.”

"The cotton harvested last year is being rushed into making cotton-padded jackets and quilts. They will be completed and transported to Liaodong in July, with two sets of each being distributed."

After sixteen years of promotion, cotton production in the Kansai region has become quite abundant. However, due to its excellent warmth retention, many merchants travel to Kansai to purchase cotton, resulting in persistently high prices.

A pound of cotton wool costs around eighty-odd copper coins, while two sets of cotton-padded clothes, trousers, quilts, and shoes require about twenty pounds of cotton.

In recent years, the government has purchased most of the cotton produced in Guanzhong to make cotton-padded clothes, trousers, and quilts, which are then distributed to the border troops.

"What happens if the cotton-padded clothes and coats worn by border soldiers are damaged?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Jilong continued to inquire, and Xie Tong continued, "In the past few years, cotton production has doubled every year. This autumn, the imperial court can purchase four million catties of cotton, and even more next year."

“The Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue and the Five Military Commissions agreed annually to issue two cotton-padded jackets, two cotton-padded quilts and two cotton-padded shoes every three years, and old cotton-padded quilts, clothes and shoes will not be accepted.”

"Today, the country has 510,000 regular soldiers and 180,000 provincial soldiers. The southern soldiers use only half the amount of cotton as the northern soldiers."

According to the relevant government departments, 300,000 strings of cash are needed annually for the purchase of winter clothing and bedding for the three armies.

The additional expenditure of 300,000 guan was nothing to the Han Dynasty, which had just acquired the Sado silver mine. After all, only with warm clothing could the Han army adapt to a more difficult environment.

In addition, the common people could learn about cotton by observing the clothing worn by soldiers, which would then promote cotton cultivation.

"How much cotton did Anxi and Beiting produce last year?"

Liu Jilong thought of the cotton from the Western Regions. Xie Tong replied respectfully, "It has only been six years since cotton was first planted in Anxi and Beiting in the fourth year of the Hongwu reign."

"Last year, Anxi and Beiting harvested more than 60,000 catties, with an output of about 300,000 catties."

The imperial court also levied a tax rate of 20% on cotton, so using the tax rate to deduce the tax rate was a relatively convenient method.

More than 300,000 jin of cotton, which is roughly equivalent to about 20,000 mu of planting land.

Based on the continuous expansion of cotton seed saving, the area will reach approximately 400,000 mu in about five years.

However, due to insufficient population in the Western Regions, Zhang Huaishen would likely be unable to expand at the rate of cotton seed preservation.

Even so, with just over 200,000 mu of cotton, the annual economic output would be 300,000 to 400,000 strings of cash. Add to that the trade taxes from the Silk Road, and it wouldn't be difficult to support the 30,000 troops in the Western Regions.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong took a deep breath and looked at the seven Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet.

"By imperial decree, An Pohu is appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Expedition, and Husi Guang is appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Expedition, to command the troops of the three divisions of Hedong, Hebei, and Liaodong to launch a campaign against the Khitan and Xi tribes next year and recover the former Han territories north of the Yanshan Mountains!"

"Your Majesty, we obey..."

Although Jing Xiang and the others were prepared, they were still inevitably a little flustered when Liu Jilong issued the military order.

The renewed fighting will have a significant impact on the relatively stable north.

There were only a few seasons when the Han army could send troops to Yanbei. No matter when the troops were sent, they needed laborers. After the laborers were conscripted, their farmland could only be handed over to the elderly, weak, women and children.

This will have a significant impact on the economy of the Han Dynasty, but if the Khitan and Xi tribes in Yanbei can be pacified, even if they can only be driven further north, it will be excellent news for Hebei and Hedong.

After receiving the imperial decree, they quickly went to the Southern Court to contact officials from the Three Provinces and Six Ministries, and a series of decrees were issued.

As fast horses continued to travel in and out of Luoyang, even ordinary people could sense that something big was happening.

The provinces of Hedong, Hebei, and Henan transferred nearly full grain from their rear granaries to the front lines, including Guizhou, Yingzhou, Tanzhou, and Kaizhou, via land, canal, and sea routes.

The recruitment and mobilization of over 200,000 laborers, along with the continuous northward transport of grain, all took place right under the noses of the people.

The world is never short of people who are only interested in profit. The Khitan and Xi tribes, as well as Li Keyong, Li Sigong and others, received the news in just the following month.

At the end of April, Li Keyong invited Li Sigong to go hunting in the southern part of Shiwei Mountain. Thousands of Hu cavalry surrounded the southern part of Shiwei Mountain, and Li Keyong and Li Sigong reunited there.

Li Sigong is older than Li Keyong; he is thirty-five years old, while Li Keyong is only twenty-six.

"Liu Jilong is probably going to wage war against the Khitan and Xi tribes, so we may not be able to advance eastward into the Songmo region."

Upon meeting, Li Keyong spoke first. Although Li Sigong had anticipated that the invitation was to discuss this matter, he still couldn't help but say:

"If I don't go to Songmo, I'll have no choice but to head north..."

His words caused Zhou Dewei and Kang Junli, who were standing behind Li Keyong, to frown, while only Gai Yu remained calm. Although the two deserts were vast, they were separated by the Gobi Desert, and only the two sides of the Shiwei Mountain and the northern desert, or the Khangai Mountain and Jinshan Mountain in the northwest, were suitable for nomadic life.

Li Sigong's words were undoubtedly an attempt to compete with Li Keyong for the pasture on the west side of Shiwei Mountain, but Li Keyong was not as reckless as before, and calmly replied:

“The Kyrgyz are in turmoil. If you are willing to continue to help me, there is a place for you in the pastures of the Kherlen River.”

The Luqu River, as the river connecting Julunbo to Langjuxu Mountain, naturally has abundant grasslands on both banks. However, given the current civil war in Kyrgyzstan, Li Keyong's hasty involvement and subsequent grazing on the banks of the Luqu River clearly indicate his attempt to use himself as a western bulwark.

Even though Li Sigong was fully aware of the situation, he did not refuse: "Okay!"

Seeing that he agreed, Gai Yu revealed a knowing look, while Li Keyong turned the reins around and said, "Let's hunt some good stuff today, and swear an oath of brotherhood again tonight!"

"Alright!" Li Sigong didn't say anything more, but turned his horse around and led his men away.

The two sides dispersed, while Gai Yu, Kang Junli, and Zhou Dewei followed closely behind Li Keyong.

Zhou Dewei remained silent, while Kang Junli spoke up: "Although the Kyrgyz were severely damaged by Liu Jilong, they still have over 300,000 men, while we, in alliance with the Tanguts, only have 100,000, with a maximum of 30,000 troops under our command. This..."

He clearly believed that it was not the right time to offend Kyrgyzstan, but Gaiyu shook his head and said:

"Liu Jilong is ambitious. Now that he has recovered Liaodong for more than two years, he is constantly mobilizing grain and fodder this year. It is clear that he is going to conquer the Khitan and Xi tribes."

"Once he has dealt with the Khitan and Xi tribes, he will probably target our Great Tang and His Majesty next."

Li Keyong now calls himself the Emperor of Tang. Although he does not actually claim the title of emperor, he does have the title of emperor.

Gai Yu addressed Li Keyong as "Your Majesty," and Li Keyong did not object. Kang Junli then continued:
"That being said, but with the combined strength of our Great Tang and the Tanguts, I'm afraid..."

“Gai Yu has already thought of this,” Li Keyong interrupted Kang Junli’s hesitation and said directly:

"While Liu Jilong is attacking the Khitan and Xi tribes, I will take action to gather the Khitan and Xi people who have fled to the southern desert and put them to my use."

"Moreover, although the Kyrgyz are said to have 300,000 archers, in my opinion they are nothing but chickens and dogs."

"Give me, Jia, eight thousand cavalry, and I can roam freely across the vast desert..."

Li Keyong's words were somewhat exaggerated, but the Kyrgyz were indeed weakened considerably due to internal strife.

As long as Li Keyong finds the right method, it won't be difficult to deal with and defeat the Kyrgyz, who are currently in internal strife.

The difficulty lies in the fact that after Liu Jilong has subdued the Khitan and Xi tribes, he will likely have to deal with them next.

Thinking of this, Li Keyong thought of the farmland and cities he was currently managing, and turned his gaze to Gaiyu.

"I have finally managed to cultivate so much farmland, and now I have to abandon it. I would rather die in battle than continue to flee."

Faced with Li Keyong's impassioned remarks, Gai Yu sensed his indignation and could only try to appease him:
"The northern desert is bitterly cold, and our army can come and go freely, but the Han army cannot."

"It is true that Liu Jilong is a man of great talent and strategy, but human strength has its limits. He is now nearly fifty years old. How many more years can he hold on to this world?"

"When he dies, will his successors possess the same talent and ambition as him?"

"Your Majesty only needs to wait patiently. Even if you are unable to enter the Central Plains again in the future, you can still dominate the northern desert and establish a new Northern Dynasty."

Gai Yu's statement is somewhat unreasonable. After all, Li Keyong did not possess an inch of Central Plains land, so how could he be called the Northern Dynasty?
Li Keyong knew this too, but Gai Yu's words still gave him the motivation to persevere.

Thinking of this, he took a deep breath, spurred his horse, took out his bow and arrow, and then shot at the wild deer that was fleeing in the distance.

The deer fell after being shot by an arrow, and Li Keyong rode up to its side.

At this moment, it fell to the ground, its belly rising and falling, and tears streamed from its eyes.

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Keyong drew his bow and shot the beast dead on the spot. At the same time, he turned his horse around and said to Zhou Dewei and the other two:
"I am only twenty-six years old, and I still have a chance to return to the Central Plains..."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The three men flattered him without hesitation, and then followed Li Keyong on horseback to continue hunting deep into the Shiwei Mountains.

While they were forming an alliance with Li Sigong again, the Khitan, who were slower than them, also received intelligence.

"Drive! Drive! Drive..."

In mid-May, the low hills, grasslands, and rivers complement each other, creating a beautiful scene.

Nearly 10,000 herders live and graze their livestock here, scattered around the area, while huge tents are pitched on the low hills, enough to accommodate dozens of people drinking and eating meat.

This place is Muye Mountain in Yanbei, which is also the core grazing area of ​​the Khitan tradition and the grazing ground of the Khitan Yaolian Khan.

The position of Khitan Yaolian Khan has been passed down to the ninth Khan. The current Khan is Yaolian Qinde, also known as Hendejin Khan.

Although Yaolian Qinde was the Khan of the Khitan, he did not wield much power, mainly due to the Khitan's eight-tribe alliance system.

The Khitan were divided into eight tribes, each electing a Khan as the leader of the alliance and recommending Yilijin as the military leader of the eight tribes.

The Khanate was hereditary, but its actual power was constrained by the various tribes. Yilijin, on the other hand, held military power and was nominally below the Khan, but in reality, its power was greater than that of the Khan.

In this situation, although Yaolian Qinde held the title of Khan, he still had to explain everything to the Eight Tribes and also had to see if Yilijin would agree.

Fortunately, in recent years, with the Khitan's repeated failures to invade the Han Dynasty, the authority of the contemporary Yilijin has been questioned, which has slightly improved the status of Yaolian Qinde.

In this situation, when he learned that the Han Dynasty was planning to conquer Yanbei, he immediately summoned the leaders of the eight tribes.

Currently, apart from the Diela tribe, the leaders of the other seven tribes have arrived at the camp on Mount Konoha. Only the leader of the Diela tribe, who is also the current Yilijin, has not yet arrived.

"Has the enemy chariot arrived yet...?"

Inside the tent, Yaolian Qinde, the Khitan Khan, sat high in the tent. He was about thirty years old, and his face was hidden in the shadow of his sable coat, but his gaze involuntarily drifted outside the tent.

Outside the tent, the wind on the grassland howled, swirling grass clippings and causing the nine-stripe white banner in front of the tent to flutter loudly.

Hundreds of armored soldiers stood outside the tent, their eyes constantly searching the grassland.

Gradually, hundreds of figures appeared in the distance, attracting the attention of the armored soldiers outside the tent.

Under their watchful eyes, hundreds of figures drew closer, and familiar banners fluttered in the wind.

"Yilijin is here!"

The shouts outside the tent caused Yaolian Qinde's breathing to catch slightly, but he soon resumed his even breathing.

Before long, as the sound of horses' hooves gradually subsided, the crowd outside the tent parted like a tide, and several tall figures stepped into the tent.

The gazes of the other seven tribal leaders and Yaolian Qinde all turned towards them, and they saw three figures nearly six feet tall and one figure about five feet tall gradually become clear.

The three brothers of the Diela tribe, Dilian, Shulu, and Sala, were those three tall figures. They had rugged appearances, thick eyebrows, and long eyes.

Beside them was a boy who looked to be just over ten years old. Although he was very young and had an ordinary appearance, his gaze boldly swept over the seven tribal leaders and the Khan, which was unpleasant.

"The enemy chariot pays its respects to the Khan..."

The thirty-something Di Nian placed one hand on his chest and bowed to Yao Nian Qin De. However, before Yao Nian Qin De could speak, he straightened his back and walked directly to the first seat on the left.

That was the location of Yilijin, a location that had long been controlled by the Diela tribe.

Faced with the enemy's posture, many leaders frowned, and the leader of the Chute tribe couldn't help but speak up:

"Enemy, you bring children to a place like this? Are you looking down on us?"

Yaolian Qinde did not interrupt, seemingly prepared to watch the show.

Despite the teasing from the crowd, Di Lan pulled the young man in front of him, allowing him to scan the crowd without restraint, while laughing:
“This is the future warrior of the Diela tribe, my nephew Chuoliji.”

"In the future, he will help the Khitan invade the Han Dynasty, making the Khitan continue to grow stronger!"

The enemy's words displeased everyone, but the seven tribal leaders did not take offense.

"Everyone's here, let's begin."

Seeing that no one was provoking the enemy chariot, Yaolian Qinde suddenly spoke. His voice was not loud, but it was like a knife scraping through bone, cold and sharp.

Seeing this, everyone withdrew their gaze and turned their attention back to Yaolian Qinde, who then spoke directly:

"The Han people mobilized grain and recruited more than 200,000 laborers."

"They've already dealt with Bohai, and now they're probably going to start targeting us."

Yaolian Qinde's words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, causing everyone to show solemn expressions, and there was a lot of discussion outside the tent.

Upon seeing that Yaolian Qinde was deliberately creating this atmosphere, the enemy charioteer immediately interrupted:
“This is not Han territory. Their artillery weighs thousands of kilograms and cannot be moved easily. It would only be a burden on the grassland.”

"If they dare to come, I can guarantee that the vegetation at the foot of Mount Konoha will become even more lush!"

The enemy chariot spoke with great confidence, but the distant charioteer Qinde retorted sharply:
"If that were the case, that would be best. However, if we were to fight them, we would need enough beans to feed the horses, but we have come up empty-handed on our southward journey over the past few years."

"If Yilijin is willing, perhaps he can lead the warriors of the various tribes to the north and seize enough livestock and grain from the Shiwei."

Yaolian Qinde's words were like rubbing salt into the wounds of the enemy, since everyone knew that the Khitan had failed to invade several times in recent years under the leadership of the enemy, and had suffered tens of thousands of casualties as a result.

The failure of several plans not only damaged the Khitan internally, but also made the Xi tribe question whether the Khitan was in decline.

Di Lian was well aware that many people were dissatisfied with him because of these things, but he also had his own reasons.

"The firearms in the hands of the Han people are powerful. Bohai's 30,000 elite troops in Liaodong were defeated in less than four months. What is so strange about our nearly 10,000 casualties over the years?"

"At worst, we can submit to them and continue plundering them when their power declines."

These words from Dilian also reflected the sentiments of the other seven tribal leaders, as this was how the Khitan had always operated.

When the Central Plains were strong, they would honestly engage in trade; when the Central Plains were weak, they would constantly invade and plunder.

Now that the Central Plains are powerful, there is nothing wrong with bowing one's head and submitting.

"Humph!"

Seeing the enemy's carriage in such a state, Yaolian Qinde coldly snorted, "The Great Han is not prepared to accept our submission..."

He casually handed out a letter from the table. Everyone present was a Khitan nobleman, and they could basically understand the simple contents of the letter.

As a result, the contents of the letter were quickly known to everyone, and it was Yaolian Qinde's request to surrender and submit to the Han Dynasty.

After they finished reading it, another letter was handed out, this time a letter sent by Husi Guang.

The letter contained very simple information: all eight noble tribes were to be moved to Luoyang, and their followers were to be dispersed and relocated to Liaodong, Huainan, Henan, and other places.

"You bastard..."

Upon hearing Husiguang's request, Dilian was the first to speak, cursing in Chinese, before looking at Yaolian Qinde.

"At worst, we can head north first and then head south when winter comes."

He suggested avoiding the Han army's advance, but Yaolian Qinde sneered, "Bohai has increased the troops of Fuyu Prefecture. What do you think they intend to do?"

Although the Balhae Kingdom had a grudge against the Han Dynasty, it was now a vassal state of the Han Dynasty. The hatred between the Khitan and Balhae was even stronger. Even without the order of the Han Dynasty, Balhae would take the initiative to send troops to try to cut off the Khitan's retreat.

"The Bohai Sea is nothing to fear!"

The enemy commander did not take Bohai seriously; his only concern was the Han army.

Not only him, but the leaders of the other seven tribes thought the same way, after all, they had already experienced the power of the Han army's cannons and matchlock guns.

Since the Han army moved their cannons to the city walls, they have not been able to breach a single city or pass, and the amount of loot they can plunder has become increasingly scarce.

Thinking of this, the seven tribal leaders recalled the members of their tribe who had died at the hands of the Han people.

"First, withdraw from Checheer Mountain in the north. After winter sets in, send the main army south to engage them. As long as we hold them off until the snow covers Yanshan Mountain, they will surely perish!"

Many people nodded in agreement with Di Lian's words, which made Yao Lian Qin De feel a little jealous.

He was clearly the Khan of the Han Dynasty, yet now he acted as if he were merely a messenger, as if the enemy was the true Khan of the Khitan.

He clenched his fists and coldly scanned everyone.

"If you think I'm right, then do it this way."

“After the Han army set out, our entire clan migrated north to Checheer Mountain.”

"it is good!"

The seven tribal leaders all chimed in, while the enemy leader looked at Yaolian Qinde with a hint of provocation: "Khan, we have already made our arrangements."

"As long as we agree on it..."

Yaolian Qinde's face was gloomy, and no one knew what he was thinking: "Since we've reached an agreement, let's do it the way we've agreed. I won't see you off."

Upon hearing this, Di Lian chuckled lightly, his smile tinged with contempt, before slowly rising and walking outside.

Seeing this, the other seven tribal leaders, even though they had previously thought the enemy's carriage was somewhat arrogant, still followed him out of the tent.

After he left, Yaolian Qinde clenched his fists, his eyes dark and gloomy.

At the same time, as the enemy chariot emerged, the seven tribal leaders exchanged a few pleasantries with him before departing on their own.

Dilian and his men from the Diela tribe also mounted their horses and turned them back to their grazing land.

On the way back, Chuli, who hadn't spoken a word the entire way, suddenly spoke up:

“Aru (Uncle), I don’t think Qinde will watch you lead the Diela tribe to such a strong position forever. He is not a magnanimous Khan.”

"Hahahahaha..."

Listening to his nephew's words, Dilian couldn't help but smile and look at his two younger brothers: "Listen to this, even the little warriors of the Diela tribe can see that Qinde is stingy."

Shulu and Salad both smiled, with Salad looking at his son and saying, "He's a stingy fellow."

“No…that’s not what I meant.” Chuli shook her head and continued:

"What I mean is that he is too petty. He was bullied by Aru today, and it might cause trouble."

"Trouble?" Di Lian glanced at his nephew and said with satisfaction, "That's a good word. Did the Han soldiers we captured last time teach you that?"

"Hmm." Chuli nodded, while Di Nian clicked his tongue and said, "Those Han soldiers are indeed very learned. I never thought that the emperor of the Han Dynasty would let such learned people serve as soldiers."

Faced with the enemy's words, Chuli simply nodded and said, "There are many people as learned as them. This soldier has only studied writing in the army for three years and he is already so learned. The Han people are indeed a remarkable ethnic group."

"Their firearms are too powerful. Perhaps after we go north, we don't need to go south. We can stay in the north and wait for the Han people to accept our surrender. Then we can pretend to submit and endure hardship."

Chuli's words made Di Nian slowly put away his smile. He shook his head and said, "We can retreat to the north, but if we retreat, the Han people will follow. In the chase, we will become weaker and weaker, like a deer hit by an arrow, and in the end we can only die in the north."

"Even if I support you, the other seven tribes will not be willing to stay in the North."

After Dilian finished speaking, Chuoli fell silent, while Dilian laughed at his younger brother, Sa La, saying, "You've raised a fine son."

Sala responded with a light laugh, while Chuli said, "Aru, I want to take a Chinese name."

"A Han name?" Di Nian was taken aback, but after a moment he shook his head: "Whatever you want."

Chuli simply nodded, while his father, Sala, asked, "What do you want to be called?"

Faced with this question, Chuli pondered for a moment and said, "I've heard that Han people all have given names and courtesy names, and I'd like to choose one myself."

“We are the Diela tribe, and the place where the Diela tribe originated is called ‘Shili’. Shili sounds similar to Yelü in Chinese, so my Han surname is Yelü and my given name is Yi.”

“A hundred million can be a measure of stability, or it can be a measure of 100,000. I hope that in the future I can have 100,000 warriors in the Diela tribe, so that we will no longer have to worry about being driven away.”

"Hmm!" Di Nian nodded in satisfaction. He liked the name very much, and then continued to ask, "What is your courtesy name?"

"A courtesy name is a name given in addition to one's given name, which indicates virtue or the meaning of the given name."

Yelü Yi explained, and Di Nian nodded in agreement. Sala then asked, "Han people's courtesy names are given by their elders. Let me give you your courtesy name."

"What courtesy name does Echige (Father) want to give me?" Yelü Yi asked, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

Seeing this, Sala smiled and looked at the vast grassland in the distance, when a flash of inspiration struck him.

“We are Khitans. The courtesy names of Khitans cannot be the same as those of Han Chinese. You already have a Han name and surname, so your courtesy name must let people know that you are a Khitan.”

“Your courtesy name… shall we call you Abaoji?” Sala said with a laugh, giving the courtesy name he had given.

Upon hearing this, Yelü Yi murmured softly, "Abaoji, Abaoji..."

After reading it a few times, he found the character "表" (biǎo, meaning courtesy name) quite interesting. His eyes gradually brightened, and he smiled, saying:
"Alright! From now on, my name will be Yelü Abaoji!"

(End of this chapter)