Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 290 and

The Battle of Chaibi dealt a far greater blow to the Qin state than anticipated. The 40,000 elite troops were not killed in battle or buried alive, but were captured by the Wei state and became its slaves.

This greatly strengthened the national power of the Wei Kingdom.

Moreover, Tuoba Gui did not intend to let Yao Xing go so easily. His 90,000 infantry and cavalry continued westward to besiege Puban.

They were attempting to open a passage to Guanzhong.

During the Warring States period, Wei ceded the land west of the Yellow River to Qin. Taking advantage of the natural terrain, a pass was built to defend against Qin invaders, hence the name Puban Pass.

History seemed to have turned around, and Qin and Wei once again vied for this place.

On the east bank of the Yellow River, Wei cavalry galloped back and forth, their banners fluttering, blocking the Yellow River crossings.

This city has a very similar terrain to Chaibi. Chaibi is located east of the Fen River, while Puban is located east of the Yellow River. If the Qin army wanted to provide support, they would have to cross the Yellow River.

Yao Xing was deeply worried. Losing the Battle of Chaibi would only severely weaken the Qin state and cause it to lose its hegemonic status. However, if it lost Puban, the gates of Guanzhong would be wide open, and the Xianbei cavalry could freely enter and exit Guanzhong.

But he didn't have the courage to go up and rescue them.

Just like in the Battle of Chaibi, Yao Xing only dared to shout loudly on the west bank of the river, hoping that the defenders of Puban would fight to the death. Yao Ping was utterly despondent and led his troops to drown themselves.

This time, the morale of the Qin army was even lower.

Tuoba Gui always led from the front, while Yao Xing only dared to hide in the back, letting others go to their deaths.

"That brat Tuoba has broken his promise and betrayed the previous alliance. He massacred 50,000 Yan soldiers at Canhebei, and now he has attacked us without permission. He will surely be punished by heaven. One day, fathers and sons, brothers and sisters will surely kill each other, and their clans will be exterminated!"

Yao Xing was a devout Buddhist and deeply believed in karma and retribution.

During the conquest of Later Liang, he personally welcomed Kumarajiva to Chang'an, treated him with the respect due to a national teacher, and organized a large-scale translation center in Chang'an, ordering him to translate Buddhist scriptures, which drew huge crowds to the city.

Buddhism flourished in the Qin state, even more so than during the reign of Fu Jian.

Yao Xing built a Buddhist pagoda in Yonggui Lane in Chang'an and a Prajna Terrace in the palace. There were often more than a thousand monks meditating there. Buddhism became a popular practice in various counties of Guanzhong, and eight or nine out of ten people in the region worshipped Buddha.

Zhao Gong Yao Min said, "Divine retribution is a matter for the future. Right now, we cannot afford to lose Puban. Our army has been preparing for several months, while the Qin army has been besieging Chaibi for several months. Now, we have repeatedly attacked Puban but failed to capture it, and our soldiers are exhausted. Your Majesty can raise your arms and call for battle, and we will surely be able to wash away the shame of Chaibi!"

Yao Xing was quite tempted. He looked around at the generals, but none of them dared to meet his gaze.

Tuoba Gui came with overwhelming force, and even Murong Chui was helpless against him, let alone the generals under Yao Xing.

The Qin army was mainly composed of infantry and lacked cavalry. If they won, Tuoba Gui could turn around and leave; if they were defeated, they would repeat the same mistake as at Canhebei.

"Is there no one who can defeat that brat Tuoba?" Yao Xing asked helplessly.

Yao Min said, "The Heavenly King once fought against Fu Deng at Ma Mao Mountain. He was wise and brave, and his soldiers fought with all their might. Today, we should do the same!"

In the northern states, the rulers must be capable of fighting; otherwise, they cannot command the respect of the people.

Yao Xing was able to pacify Guanzhong because he defeated his nemesis Fu Deng in the Battle of Maomaoshan.

Today, there are 30,000 Qin infantry and cavalry in Hexi, 40,000 infantry under Yao Shuode in Hongnong, and 10,000 troops under the veteran general Yao Xu in Puban.

"Times have changed. That brat Tuoba is waging war and disregarding the lives of his soldiers. The Qin soldiers are all my brothers... Enough. Send someone to sue for peace. Let's stop fighting. He will attack Yan, and I will attack Liang. From now on, we will not interfere with each other."

Yao Xing proactively found a reason for himself.

In reality, he didn't want to fight, nor could he continue fighting, with the Qiuchi Kingdom and the various tribes of Liangzhou eyeing him covetously from behind.

Losing Hedong would only weaken us, but we could still hold onto Guanzhong. "A request for peace?" Yao Min's face was full of disappointment.

After defeat, there was no request for peace, only begging for it.

But Yao Xing was unwilling to fight again, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

The generals all breathed a sigh of relief. The pressure from the Wei army was too great. Not only was Yao Xing unwilling to fight, but the Qin generals also did not want their troops to die in vain.

Behind the crowd, Liu Bobo looked at Yao Xing under his banner, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

The Qin and Yan states had many similarities. Back then, Yao Chang relied on the support of powerful clans in Longdong to defeat Fu Jian and Murong Chong and occupy Chang'an.

If the alpha wolf weakens, the rest of the pack will become restless.

“Yao Xing is no match for Tuoba Gui. Qin will be swallowed up by Wei sooner or later. Qu Yuan should make plans as soon as possible,” Liu Youdi, Liu Bobo’s elder brother, said in a low voice.

Where do you think we should go?

Although Yao Xing valued Liu Bobo, he was also secretly wary of him, and his troops numbered less than three thousand.

If the number exceeds the limit, they will be transferred for various reasons.

"Your father-in-law, Meiyi, is the leader of the Xianbei Poduolan tribe, who has seized control of Gaopingchuan and commands tens of thousands of men. Why not surrender to him, and then gradually plot against him and take his place..."

In his early years, the Tiefu tribe was annexed by Tuoba Gui and his entire clan was exterminated. Liu Bobo fled to the Poduolan tribe and was taken in by Moyiyu, who even married his daughter to him.

Liu Youdi coaxed, "Mei Yiyu is getting old. If we don't take him, he will be swallowed up by others sooner or later. You know the rules of the grassland better than anyone else."

Liu Bobo looked sentimental. "Back then, I was desperate and had no way out. If he hadn't taken me in, I would have been a skeleton long ago. Now, I'm turning around and taking over his business. Wouldn't that make me no different from an animal?"

Liu Youdi was taken aback, not expecting that his younger brother had changed his nature and had some humanity left.

Liu Bobo was only ten years old when he was hunted down everywhere, living in fear like a stray dog.

Only after seeking refuge with Mei Yi did he begin to live a somewhat decent life.

Liu Youdi sighed, "Very well, let's return to Siluchuan now, gather our old troops, and wait and see."

Siluchuan is located south of the Yellow River, adjacent to Wuyuan County of the Wei Kingdom.

A sly smile crept across Liu Bobo's face. "How could we possibly be a match for Tuoba Gui? We should go and seek refuge with my old and frail father-in-law."

Liu Youdi was taken aback. "Didn't you just say... you weren't going?"

“I didn’t say we wouldn’t go. I’m saying—we are beasts by nature. Only beasts can thrive in this world. How did the Tuoba family rise to power? Wasn’t it because Tuoba Liwei killed his father-in-law Dou Bin’s entire family and annexed the Meilu Hui tribe that they came to be where they are today? Tuoba Gui’s first strike when he raised his army at Niuchuan was against his uncle Tuoba Kudu and our ancestor Modu Chanyu. He killed his father with a whistling arrow. We Xiongnu and Xianbei are all beasts. Since we are all beasts, we must be the most ruthless and ferocious ones!”

Liu Bobo's face was contorted, and his eyes were filled with malice.

His unfortunate childhood experiences made him deeply familiar with the rules of survival on the grasslands.

In the north, the principles of benevolence and righteousness didn't work. Fu Jian died and his country was destroyed. Yao Xing picked up his own methods, but he was no match for the fierce and barbaric Tuoba Gui.

Liu Youdi took a deep breath, his eyes filled with a hint of fear and a faint expectation, "You will surely revive my Liu family!"

Liu Bobo scoffed, "We're not really surnamed Liu, so stop trying to make ourselves look good. If you're going to be a beast, you have to abandon the ways of the Jin people..."

(End of this chapter)