Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 353 One must have backbone
The former Wuchuan Town has now become the site of the Rouran royal court.

The long, continuous tents, having endured the harsh winter, saw the Rouran people become more active on the grasslands as the weather warmed up.

Grasslands were very important to the Rouran people!

A high-quality grassland was not only a grazing ground for the Rouran people, but also a place for them to take refuge from disasters and live in peace.

The land south of the Yin Mountains was considered a harsh environment for the Han people and even for the former Six Garrisons.

But for the Rouran people, could anything be worse than the Gobi Desert?
Mosquitoes, wild animals, white plagues, strong winds, and extreme cold—these were the real calamities that plagued the Rouran people at all times.

A high-quality grassland with abundant water resources was able to raise livestock and provide a peaceful home for the Rouran people.

This is why the Rouran people were desperately trying to migrate south! A vast grassland with nothing to their name, which seemed desolate to the Han people, was the foundation of the Rouran people's survival.

However, the Rouran people encountered the Xianbei people, and their foundation for survival was never secure.

Why were the Rouran people weak? Actually, nomadic peoples were never strong to begin with.

The reason why nomadic peoples are difficult to defeat is that the Han people in the south do not know the situation of the northern grasslands and cannot find the way. Even if they do find the way, the nomadic peoples do not have fixed settlements and it is easy to miss them.

In fact, if the Central Plains had produced an emperor who was willing to go to any lengths to kill the northern nomadic peoples, the northern nomadic peoples would have been destined for annihilation.

For example, Emperor Wu of Han!
The Xiongnu lost the Hetao region and the Hexi Corridor, then lost the southern Gobi Desert, then the Western Regions, and finally hid in the northern Gobi Desert!
Is it useful?
The Han army crossed the desert as usual and found the Xiongnu's main camp.

However, Emperor Wu of Han's method of using massive force to wipe out enemies across the entire map was too costly!

But the Northern Wei Dynasty was different!

During the Qin and Han dynasties, the Han army needed to rely on the Xiongnu people who had fled south or the Han people who had returned from the Xiongnu territory as guides in order to find the Xiongnu.

But for the Xianbei people, they could accurately pinpoint which grassland the Rouran people went to in summer to avoid insects and heat, and which grassland they went to in winter to avoid wind and snow.

The situation north of the Yin Mountains was shrouded in mystery for the Han people, but it was crystal clear for the Xianbei.

The Rouran people's routes were all those that the Xianbei people had taken, and the Xianbei people knew the specific nomadic routes very well.

It's the same today.

After the Six Garrisons Rebellion, the Northern Wei's strength in the north was greatly diminished, but those northerners familiar with the affairs of the nomadic tribes were not all extinct.

You should know that the main job of the Six Garrisons was to fight the Rouran, and their secondary job was to rebel against the people of Luoyang!
Inside the large tent, Anagui sat on his wolf-headed throne, holding the arrow that had once been shot at him, stroking it carefully.

Outside the main tent, a voice announced that the Prime Minister of Rouran had arrived!

"Khan!"

The Prime Minister of Rouran looked at Anagui, the once down-on-his-luck Rouran prince who had traveled to Luoyang, and the brave and resourceful Rouran Khan who inherited the tribe. Now, his hair was gray and his face was weathered.

The northern desert is not an easy place to stay. Anagui has endured for so many years in order to go south and take revenge.

Anagui put the arrows back into the wooden box beside him and asked:
"Tutujia, what is it?"

The Rouran king held a high position of power, and Anagui always appointed his younger brother to the post.

Tutujia held a long box in his hands and said:

"Khan, these are newly made arrows, take a look!"

Anagui nodded, took the box, and picked up the newly made arrows from it.

This arrow has an ash wood shaft, eagle feathers for the tail, and is made by boiling and gluing together cow tendons, but the arrowhead is made of bone.

Not long after the Rouran people launched their large-scale southward invasion, they were facing a shortage of iron, which even affected the production of military equipment.

Anagui was the Rouran Khan and an expert in using bows and arrows. Holding this arrow, he knew that its quality was excellent.

How many were made?

"Thirty thousand of the first-class quality, and one hundred and twenty thousand of the second-class quality."

Anagui sighed upon hearing this.

"It's still too little!"

The Rouran army was mainly composed of light cavalry, and shooting was their primary means of attack. The production and stockpiling of arrows greatly affected the Rouran's combat strength.

"Khan, after that Prince Qin entered Taiyuan, he sent Yuwentai to replace Erzhu Tianguang and garrison Pingcheng. From Shuozhou to Yingzhou, people in the south have stopped selling us their goods."

Anagui was very wary of this and asked:

"In such a vast area, everyone listens to him?"

"Not everyone, but those northerners are terrified of him! He even came up with a policy that anyone who reports to Pingcheng or Jinyang who secretly sells us goods can get half of those merchants' fortunes!"

Anagui's gaze turned serious upon hearing this.

"This is not good news for us!"

Tutujia nodded and said:
“I know that we are currently lacking a lot of goods and need to rely on exchanging them with the south.”

When the Rouran people lacked something, they had only two methods: plunder or trade in border cities. For example, Mayi was an important trading market in the north.

Anagui, however, thought even deeper, and looking at Tutujia, said:
"It's no easy feat for this King of Qin to command the northern people. I remember he was a general under Li Shengui back then!"

Recalling the past, Anagui couldn't help but sigh, and took out the arrow from the box again, examining it carefully.

"He might have been in the army during that battle."

"Khan, Li Shengui is now far away in Liang and Han, so you don't need to be so sad."

Anagui smiled, his smile carrying an indescribable expression.

After the defeat at Shuozhou, Anagui was still able to calmly analyze the situation with his subordinates, pointing out what went wrong, what needed improvement, and what to be careful about when facing Yuwentai again, summarizing a lot of experience.

That battle left Anagui with a very pure memory.

The battle between Anagui and Yuwentai was, after all, a fair and square duel, with both sides exchanging blows until a victor emerged. But back then, Anagui was completely outmaneuvered, trapped in a sack and utterly thrashed.

No experience, just emotions!
Especially under the cover of ice and snow in the northern desert, this hatred grew stronger day by day, almost becoming a demon in his heart.

"I'm calm!"

Anagui kept the arrow and even made it into a golden arrow as a warning to himself that he could not be as careless as he had been back then.

"Last time in Shuozhou, our army suffered a great loss. Since returning, I've been thinking about why we were defeated."

Tutu Jiadao:

"They are outnumbered, but their weaponry is far superior to ours!"

Anagui nodded and said:
"That's true, but more importantly, compared to the people of Luoyang, they are actually more like us!"

Tu Tujia was puzzled and asked:

"What does the Khan mean?"

Just then, a report came from outside the tent.

"Khan, our troops in Huaihuang Town have been ambushed by Yuwentai's army!"

Tu Tujia hurriedly asked:

"how?"

“Yuwentai abducted more than 3,000 of our people, tens of thousands of cattle, sheep, camels and horses, as well as furs and other goods that we had prepared for trade with the Wei people.”

Tu Tu Jia asked angrily:
"What is Ta Han doing? Just watching Yuwen Tai take people, livestock, and valuables back?"

"He led his men in pursuit!"

"How much was recovered?"

"Yuwentai led his troops to cover the rear, defeated our reinforcements, and then turned around and seized more than two thousand of our warhorses."

"..."

……

Yanzhou.

Guangning County!
Yuwen Tai had won many spoils of war during his campaign, but he had also suffered some minor injuries, which he was currently treating.

Yuwen Hu watched from the side, somewhat worried.

"Uncle, this battle was far too dangerous. Why did you insist on seizing those warhorses despite all the advice against it?"

Yuwen Tai looked at his nephew and chuckled.

"These warhorses weren't stolen for us, but to show off to those Han Chinese noble families!" The physician finished treating Yuwen Tai's wounds and went outside.

Inside the room, Yuwen Tai stood up.

Despite his robust physique and recent injury from commanding a surprise attack, he remained in high spirits.

"Don't you understand why the Cui family of Boling and the Lu family of Fanyang sent people to see me instead of going to Jinyang?"

Yuwen Hu listened, somewhat confused.

"What do you mean, Uncle? Aren't they all responding to Ohno So's edict to punish the Erzhu clan?"

Yuwen Tai smiled, seemingly amused by his nephew's youth, and said:

"To them, Da Ye Shuang is too strong. Our Yuwen clan is not that powerful. We need to rely on their strength to gain a foothold. If Da Ye Shuang really enters Luoyang in the future, they will have the power to protect themselves if they are with us. We will also be able to negotiate better with Da Ye Shuang."

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Hu understood, a smile appearing on his face. He said:
"So, do they actually want to see Ohno Sosuke enter Luoyang?"

Yuwen Tai countered with a question:

"The Erzhu clan is detestable, but Da Yeshuang is likable?"

Yuwen Hu chuckled; the answer was self-evident.

"Won't Da Ye Shuang disapprove of our getting too close to those aristocratic families in Hebei?"

Yuwen Tai laughed and said:
"Do you think that Da Ye Shuang would be happy to let us stay in Pingcheng? He gave me such great power, controlling the troops of several provinces, because he had no other choice."

"Then what should we do?"

"After the military households of Hengshuo went south, Shuozhou is left vulnerable. I want Yuwen Dao to lead the Xiazhou troops to Shuozhou." Yuwen Tai's expression turned serious. "What's important in the north is people!"
-
Jinyang.

Wang Sizheng brought documents that had just been delivered from Pingcheng to meet Li Shuang.

"Your Majesty, this is Yuwen Tai's request to transfer 5,000 Xiazhou soldiers to Shuozhou."

Li Shuang was in the armory, inspecting the latest manufactured military equipment, not paying much attention, and said:
"Shuozhou is sparsely populated with troops. If we don't let Yuwen Dao go, it will only benefit the Rouran sooner or later."

Li Shuang's words did not dispel Wang Sizheng's doubts; on the contrary, they made him even more uneasy.

After Yuwentai went to Pingcheng, he did not do a bad job, but rather did an exceptionally good one.

"But if we do that, the Yuwen clan's power will become too great. If this continues, from Xia Prefecture to Youyan, the entire region will likely be under the Yuwen clan's control."

Just then, a report came from outside the armory.

"Your Majesty, the people have arrived!"

"Let him in!"

Wang Sizheng was puzzled. Why would Li Shuang meet someone at the armory?
"Ohno Sawa, you've finally remembered me?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Sizheng frowned even more deeply.

Who is this, so arrogant!
Liu Lisheng, dressed in plain clothes, entered the armory and his eyes lit up when he saw the weapons and armor hidden inside.

He bypassed Li Shuang and walked straight to the shelf, stroking the horn bow and arrows on it.

"What a fine arrow!"

Liu Lisheng was the leader of the Shanhu, who were descended from the Xiongnu. Although they no longer rode horses, their love for bows and arrows had not diminished in the slightest.

In the mountains, horses may not be used often, but bows and arrows are essential.

"Da Ye Shuang, how many good things did you get from Er Zhu Rong? Along the way, I saw herds of cattle, sheep, camels and horses in the animal pens, there must be hundreds of thousands of them!"

Li Shuang smiled.

The animal enclosures in Jinyang were mostly built in the north, and Liu Lisheng came from the southwest, so how could he have seen them all the way?

"More than that, there must be at least a million inside and out!"

Liu Lisheng was startled, staring at Li Shuang with his eyes darting around.

"You're looking at me with such a wicked gaze, you wouldn't be thinking about how to steal mine, would you?"

When Liu Lisheng realized that Li Shuang had seen through his thoughts, he revealed a simple and honest smile.

"How could that be? Do you think I, Lao Liu, am that kind of person?"

Wang Sizheng watched as Liu Lisheng finished speaking in a very perfunctory manner and then turned his gaze to the armory.

How many arrows do you have here?

"There are three million arrows in Jinyang City!"

"And what about the armor?"

"Twenty thousand sets of various types of armor."

Upon hearing this, Liu Lisheng gritted his teeth and asked:
"There can't be many soldiers, can there?"

"There aren't many veterans; including the ones I brought from Guanzhong, there are only a little over ten thousand!"

Looking at Liu Lisheng, Wang Sizheng felt a sense of disappointment, like a thief who has broken into someone’s treasury, seen the gold and silver treasures, but is stopped by the owner’s guards and cannot take them away!
"That's good, Ohno, that's great. I'm not trying to be mean, but don't think that taking Taiyuan means everything will be fine. You can only be a thief for a thousand days, not a thief for a thousand days!"

Liu Lisheng spoke through gritted teeth, as if to remind him, but his tone sounded off no matter how you listened to it.

You're still trying to steal it, aren't you?

Wang Sizheng looked at Li Shuang, but the other party seemed not to have understood.

"You're right, Lao Liu!"

Liu Lisheng nodded and asked:

"You didn't invite me to Taiyuan just to show off, did you?"

"How could that be? I was just worried about you!"

Liu Lisheng looked at Li Shuang and asked:
"What are you worried about me for?"

"You're leading over 100,000 people, aren't you feeling stifled staying in Fenzhou?"

Liu Lisheng frowned, his heart filled with suspicion.

"What do you mean? Are you trying to kick me out?"

Li Shuang smiled and said:
"Those lands in Hengshuo and Liangzhou are just sitting idle now. You will lead your tribe north and manage the area. I will give you a sum of money and provisions every year. If you need anything, just ask me!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Lisheng was initially incredulous, then looked at Li Shuang with a suspicious gaze.

"Give me land, give me an official position, give me money and grain; if I need anything else, why should I ask you for it?"

Li Shuang nodded!

Liu Lisheng laughed heartily.

"Would others have agreed to such a good deal?"

Wang Sizheng spoke up at the opportune moment, by which time he already knew Li Shuang's plan.

"Does Your Excellency have any complaints? The specific amounts of land and taxes can be discussed."

Liu Lisheng snorted and said:
"A gentleman does not accept food offered with contempt. If I lack something, can't I take it myself?"

"..."

Liu Lisheng looked at Li Shuang and said:

"Unless you, Ohno, beg me!"

"You're asking too much of me, aren't you? When has my king ever..."

Before Wang Sizheng could finish speaking, Li Shuang interrupted.

"I beg you!"

Wang Sizheng was startled, but then he saw Li Shuang walk up and take Liu Lisheng's hand.

"Among all the heroes in the world, besides you, Old Liu, who else can I turn to? And who is worthy of my turning to!"

Liu Lisheng nodded, quite satisfied, and stroked his goatee, saying:
"You, Ohno Sou, have already begged me, so it wouldn't be fair of me to refuse!"

……

(End of this chapter)