Jinting Han people

Chapter 211: The Smoke of War in Shuofang (4k)

Upon learning that the other party was the Tuoba Xianbei, the most powerful among the Xianbei tribes, Liu Xian naturally gave up the idea of confronting them.

Judging from the current situation and their words, the force surrounding them wasn't the enemy's main force, but more like a detachment. The disparity between the two sides was too great to allow for a confrontation. The more appropriate solution would be to show some goodwill, find out exactly what was happening, and then report it to the Western Expedition Army Headquarters.

Thinking of this, Liu Xian asked Lu Quyang to convey, "We are the Jin army of the Western Expedition Army. Our superiors recently received news that horse bandits have appeared in the Luliang Mountains, kidnapping caravans and civilians. To protect the country and the people, we have been sent here to search. Are you the horse bandits who came to Xiayang to harm the people? I remember that your country and our dynasty have been friendly for decades. Why did you take the initiative to provoke the border? If you don't give us an explanation, the imperial army will be dispatched and you will be annihilated!"

As Lü Quyang translated these words, the Tuoba Xianbei were listening. Hearing that the Jin army mistook them for horse thieves, they burst into laughter, finding it hilarious. But then, hearing that the Jin army intended to wage war against them, the Xianbei became more serious, booing the besieged Jin army, expressing their disdain for the weak. Some even shot whistling arrows into the air in protest, but no one actually took action.

The leader waved his hand to signal all his subordinates to be quiet, and then looked at Liu Xian and others. He did not express any opinion, but just stroked the horse under him with his hand. The horse sneezed at the right time and circled in place.

He continued in Xianbei dialect, "It's no use for you to tell me these things. Since you've already come this far, why not follow me and go meet our leader? Tell him what I'm saying and see how he responds!"

After Lü Quyang relayed the information, Liu Xian asked, "I still don't know your name."

The man smiled, uttered a few syllables proudly, and said another sentence. Lu Quyang translated it and said, "He is talking about Baba Che, the cousin of the Tuoba family."

In this way, under the leadership of Baba Che, Liu Xian and his subordinates were forced to continue heading north.

Liu Xian had actually heard of the name Tuoba Xianbei a long time ago.

In his early years, when Wei Guan was in charge of the Northern Expedition Army, he repeatedly submitted memorials to the imperial court, extolling the power of the Tuoba Xianbei, whom he considered the most formidable threat to the Western Jin Dynasty's borders. Their leader, Tuoba Liwei, rose to prominence during the reign of Cao Cao, Emperor Wu of Wei. He swarmed across the Hetao region, annexing powerful Xianbei tribes like the Moluhui and Bai tribes, ultimately seizing the Han-era Yanmen and Dingxiang counties, establishing his capital at Shengle. He dominated the southern desert and intimidated the northern desert.

During Tuoba Liwei's reign, he established friendly relations with both the Wei and Jin dynasties, sending envoys to pay tribute. His crown prince, Tuoba Shamohan, was even brought to Luoyang as a hostage, reportedly holding a higher position than Liu Yuan. However, in the third year of the Xianning reign, when Liu Xian was five years old, Tuoba Shamohan returned to Shengle. Wei Guan seized the opportunity to orchestrate a sowing of dissension, winning over the hearts of Tuoba's subordinates and inciting them to denounce Tuoba Shamohan to Tuoba Liwei.

By this time, Tuoba Liwei was nearly a hundred years old and unconscious. Discontent with his son's overly Sinicized character, he joined in with a few insults. Unexpectedly, the other leaders immediately used this as an excuse to kill Sha Mo Khan. By the time Tuoba Liwei realized what had happened, it was too late, and he could only live out the rest of his life in regret. This allegedly sparked civil unrest within the Tuoba Xianbei, which never recovered and fell into decline.

Counting the days, it seemed like eighteen years had passed. Had the Tuoba Xianbei recovered from their internal strife? Why were they here? What were their plans? These were all questions Liu Xian wanted to find out.

However, according to Liu Xian's guess, the Tuoba Xianbei's base camp was in Yanmen, about a thousand miles away from Xiayang. They should not be invading Guanzhong from here, but just passing by here for some accidental reasons. That's why Liu Xian dared to raise the flag of the Western Expedition Army, hoping to make these Xianbei people have some reservations.

However, as Babache headed north, Liu Xian's confidence began to wane.

Along the way, Liu Xian often saw groups of Xianbei on horseback, some numbering in the thousands, others in the hundreds. A quick count would reveal that the number of Xianbei active in northern Xiayang exceeded 10,000, but this was clearly not their main force. An army of this size was more than enough to wage a large-scale national war.

They galloped, covering a hundred miles a day, passing Hukou Waterfall, Mugua Beach, and Qiankun Bay. Then, following a tributary called Qingjianchuan, they turned westward, eventually arriving at a valley where three small rivers converged. They finally reached the Xianbei stronghold in Shuofang. Liu Xian no longer knew what this place was called. They had already left the Jin border for nearly three hundred miles, but he knew they were still within the boundaries of Shuofang.

Lu Quyang went to ask Babache, who smiled and told him that according to the Tiele people's memory, the place name here was Yongpingchuan.

At that moment, tens of thousands of horses of various colors were drinking from the Yongping River. They packed densely along the riverbank, their muscular legs striking the eye. The surrounding hillsides and valleys were dotted with Xianbei tents, flanked by flags of various colors and patterns. After the heavy snow, the sun was exceptionally bright, and the songs of the Xianbei people frolicking on the hillsides were resounding.

Liu Xian glanced over and practically groaned inwardly: How many people are there? Probably no less than 50,000 or 60,000! Considering that there are still quite a few Xianbei people wandering around, this is probably not even the total number of these Xianbei people.

Could it be that the Tuoba people were seeking revenge for the fallen crown prince? These were no match for the Xiongnu's ragtag band. Liu Xian knew from the layout of their tents, their horsemanship, and the gleaming golden armor that these Xianbei were truly skilled warriors. Even if the Western Expedition Army was under Zhang Gui's command, it would be difficult to resist, let alone with Sun Xiu in charge.

Soon after Baba Che arrived at Yongpingchuan, someone came to question him. He pointed at Liu Xian behind him and spoke a long, unrelated message to the person. The person nodded, walked over, and spoke a few short syllables to Liu Xian. Although Liu Xian couldn't understand what he was saying, he guessed that they wanted him to follow them. He ordered his men to stay and only took Lü Quyang with him.

The messenger brought Liu Xian to a large tent. In front of the tent stood a two-meter-long black banner with a tiger head and long tassels. Hundreds of guards stood in front of the tent, looking extremely majestic.

Liu Xian followed him into the tent. He saw a large woolen blanket with a brazier on top. In the innermost tent, on a fur-wrapped Hu bed several times wider than usual, sat a middle-aged man, clearly the Xianbei leader, with his legs dangling. Flanked by clouds of warriors in white robes, he surrounded them. Kneeling before him were dozens of Hu people, both young and old. Judging by their attire, they were of high status.

When a Han stranger was brought in, these people would clutch their swords tightly and stare at him fiercely, making people feel intimidated and afraid to look up.

The leader was tall and sturdy, his beard and hair not as dense as those of ordinary Hu people, but rather carefully groomed. A scar on his face gave him a complex aura, a blend of civil and military. He looked focused. As Liu Xian and the other two were brought aboard, the leader seemed oblivious. Instead, he pointed at a parchment-rolled map, seemingly contemplating a route for the march.

Liu Xian was led a dozen paces before the leader, where he was stopped by guards on either side and ordered to stand. Perhaps to intimidate him, they half-unsheathed their swords, their cold blades gleaming in the tent, their murderous aura radiating. But Liu Xian remained unmoved. He bowed and saluted, loudly declaring, "I am Liu Xian, Commander of the Western Expedition Army, and I'm honored to meet Master Tuoba!"

After Lü Quyang's translation, the leader on the opposite side raised his eyebrows and glanced at him, mumbling something in Xianbei language, as if he didn't take Liu Xian seriously at all. At this time, a scholar dressed in Central Plains clothes came out from the guards and said to Liu Xian:

"My master asked me to ask you, why are you Jin people tracking our army?"

Liu Xian looked at him in surprise, not expecting to see Han Chinese among the Xianbei. He said, "I'm not tracking your tribe. Some of your people have crossed the border, invading our territory and disturbing our people! I thought they were bandits from the north, so I crossed the border to fight them. I didn't expect them to be bandits. It's really unexpected."

Without waiting for the other party to translate, he immediately said sternly, "Instead, I want to ask your department. I remember that our dynasty and your department have a peace treaty, and our two countries do not offend each other. Yet, your department has mobilized such a large army, traveled thousands of miles to Shuofang, and even sent troops across the border. What is your reason? Are you planning to start a war?! Or do you have other plans?! In any case, you must give the court an explanation!"

Although many people present didn't understand Liu Xian's words, their tone and attitude made it clear that they were unfriendly. As soon as he finished speaking, many people stood up and glared at him. After hearing the translation, those warriors who had half-drawn their swords completely pulled them out and cursed Liu Xian.

Liu Xian had rolled through the swords, so how could he be afraid? He simply placed his hand on the hilt, staring back at them without flinching, not even giving in.

At this point, the Tuoba leader, surrounded by everyone, finally spoke again. He first spoke to the people around him in Xianbei language, very seriously and slowly, showing the majesty of a superior. Then the surrounding warriors sheathed their swords, and those who had stood sat down, and the scene returned to calm. Then he spoke to Liu Xian in Chinese:
"Your sword grip is excellent. Judging by the calluses on your hands, you must be a very accomplished swordsman."

Seeing Liu Xian's surprised expression, the middle-aged man smiled and said, "You should have heard of my father's name. His name is Tuoba Shamo Khan. He can speak Chinese, so of course I can speak Chinese too."

"I am Tuoba Yilu, the Western Lord of the Tuoba Xianbei. I am the grandson of Tuoba Liwei, the son of Tuoba Shamo Khan, and the nephew of the current leader Tuoba Luguan."

Liu Xian finally understood the identity of the newcomer. He had assumed it was the current Tuoba Xianbei leader, otherwise how could he mobilize so many men? Unexpectedly, it wasn't him. What did the Western Lord mean? Were the Tuoba Xianbei who had come here not the main force?

But his expression remained impassive. He bowed again and said, "I apologize for the impoliteness. I wonder if you could answer the questions I asked just now?"

Tuoba Yilu looked at Liu Xian with admiration, but this admiration was purely that of a superior. He commented, "Even General Ningshuo Liu Hong doesn't dare to speak to me like this. You are a courageous man."

After saying this, he leaned back slightly and said casually, "But this is not a secret, so it's okay to tell you. You can also help me tell your country that you are worrying too much. I came to Shuofang this time not for any other reason, but because my uncle, the current Xianbei leader Tuoba Luguan, made a decision this year."

"Our country has been at peace for decades, and the population has grown. The tribes have multiplied, reaching over a million, and the Hetao region alone is no longer able to support them. Therefore, he divided the Tuoba tribe into three parts. He led the eastern part, my brother Tuoba Yiyi led the central part, and I led the western part. Each of us will govern a part and find a way out on our own."

"Now, I am pursuing water and grass, leading a hundred thousand knights into Shuofang. My sole purpose is to intimidate these small tribes there, not to intrude upon your borders. By doing so, I do not believe I am violating the peace treaty between our two countries, am I?"

Tuoba Yilu's light words sounded like thunder in Liu Xian's ears: It turned out that Tuoba Xianbei brought 100,000 cavalry and prepared to occupy the entire Shuofang?

This number could be a threat, or it could be reality. However, based on what he had seen along the way, Liu Xian was more inclined to believe it was reality. He said to Tuoba Yilu, "If that's the case, then it's naturally a misunderstanding between the two countries. I hope you can restrain your troops and try not to disturb the people."

"Of course, but according to the peace treaty between the two countries, I hope your country can also provide some convenience."

Tuoba Yilu readily agreed and put forward a condition: "I hope your country can open a trade market in Xiayang and provide our country with some salt, wine, horse feed and other supplies. We can exchange them for sheep and horses."

"I will pass this on to His Royal Highness Prince Zhao."

At this point, the conversation between the two sides was basically over. This wasn't a big deal, just a simple announcement that didn't affect the internal affairs of either country. But before leaving, Liu Xian couldn't help but ask a question: "Sir, how many tribes have you conquered?"

"There are only seven or eight countries." Tuoba Yilu picked up the map again and pointed at it. "I just eliminated Liu Xundou of the Tiele tribe. The next step is to deal with Hao Duyuan of Fushi."

Liu Xian left the Tuoba Xianbei camp. As he made his way through the layers of guards and returned to the ranks of the Xiayang County soldiers, he saw someone lighting a signal smoke signal high above Yongping River. The smoke, carried by the wind, shone a distinctive pink, reminiscent of the delicate flesh of wounds. It was also a signal to rally the troops, visible to troops within a 20-mile radius.

The Xiayang people did not stay here for too long, but set out on their return journey under the supervision of more than ten Xianbei people.

On the way, Li Sheng asked Liu Xian what had happened. Liu Xian replied with a calm face, "A major change is about to happen in Shuofang."

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(End of this chapter)