Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 399 The Oriole and the Fisherman (5K+)

Hanoi, Hoai District.

Uvro is now suffering from a splitting headache.

The situation he is facing now is extremely difficult for him.

In fact, Yufuluo was a very intelligent man. After his father, Qiangqu Chanyu, was betrayed and killed by the old kings, Yufuluo staged a prince's revenge, contacted all parties for help, and went from a down-and-out prince to ruling the Southern Xiongnu again. This was a glorious achievement that could be written into an epic.

The problem was that after he led the Xiongnu army into Hanoi, he faced Han generals who were all of epic caliber.

In the Chaoge area, Zhang Yan is organizing a counterattack. He is the first commoner of the Han Dynasty to rise up against all odds, from a mountain bandit to the Fengyi General who controls the Taihang Mountains.

Zhang Yan was already a headache enough, and Yufuluo's headquarters had been locked in a tug-of-war with her.

In the Shexian area, Xu Huang, with only 2,000 men, held off the fierce attacks of the Xiongnu Xubu tribe's 20,000-strong army for nearly a month without making a single mistake.

After receiving reinforcements from Zhang Yan, Xu Huang also began a counterattack on Shangdang from Shexian, and Xu Bu's troops were tied down by Xu Huang's forces.

In the south of Chaoge, on the north bank of the Yellow River, Cao Cao's army is attacking the counties of Hanoi, and Sima Fang, Zhao Zi, and others in Hanoi are helping Cao Cao advance westward. It looks like they are about to capture Ji County.

Cao Cao's men all looked very fierce, and the Huyan and Lan tribes couldn't withstand them at all.

And then there's Zhang Liao. Yufuluo had heard of Zhang Liao's reputation at Yanmen Pass a few years ago.

This guy is even more formidable now; he's already killed three of Yufuluo's thousand-cavalry commanders. Yufuluo doesn't even dare send his own Luandi tribe to confront Zhang Liao anymore, and keeps sending the Qiulin tribe to deal with him...

The various Xiongnu tribes have now been forced to adopt a defensive posture.

Although the Xiongnu still had the advantage in military strength, the eastern part of Hanoi was mountainous and valley terrain, not the home ground of the steppe.

It's possible to escape; the Xiongnu have many horses.

However, if they were to withdraw from mountain passes and other suitable defensive locations, and instead place Heishan and Cao Cao's main forces west of Taihang, their base would likely be destroyed.

The Xiongnu didn't fight for the sake of fighting; they fought to gain advantages, not to fight the Han people to the death...

How to fight this?
Should we evacuate Hanoi?
Or rather... how should we leave Hanoi?

At this point, Huvro faced three choices and three messengers.

……

The first one was sent by Guo Tai, named Han Xian.

Guo Tai hoped that Yufuluo would cross the river immediately and join forces with him to attack Luoyang, the capital region.

In return, Guo Tai could cede all the territories he had already conquered, including Hedong, Henan, and Bingzhou, to Yufuluo, and promised that Yufuluo could plunder the capital region first.

Han Xian said that Guo Tai only wanted people, as long as she could lead them to become powerful and spread the Yellow Turbans all over the world, she would give all her wealth to Yufuluo.

This seems like a very sincere offer.

The problem is that Guo Tai's way of thinking is clearly different from Yu Fuluo's.

Hedong, Hanoi, Bingzhou, and the wealth of the capital region are all very good, but if we cross the river completely, who will deal with Cao Cao, Zhang Yan, Zhang Liao, and Xu Huang?
Guo Tai has some ill intentions. He's making Nai Gong take the brunt of the beatings, while the White Wave Army is actually getting stronger...

Uvro thought to himself.

Moreover, Yufuluo heard in the past two days that there had been some friction between Guo Tai's White Wave Yellow Turbans and his own troops, and they even fought over the spoils of war.

In fact, Yufuluo also wanted to go to Henan to snatch fat sheep.

But the Xiongnu were not like the Yellow Turbans; the difference between the Hu and Han was obvious on their faces, so they could not follow the route of bandits and bandits like Guo Tai.

If we cannot withstand the counterattack from the east of Taihang, once our rear is cut off, our homeland and pastures will be gone, and our retreat will be impossible... Even if 100,000 Xiongnu enter the heart of Henan, how long can they survive in the vast sea of ​​tens of millions of Han people?
Huchuquan has already been tried, and Cao Cao easily defeated it...

We cannot continue down the path of roaming and plundering; otherwise, the Xiongnu will only dwindle in number with each battle, and they will eventually perish.

Yufuluo was still clear-headed. He only wanted to acquire more resources, expand the living space of the Xiongnu, and carve out a more suitable territory to settle down in.

However, the conditions offered by Guo Tai are indeed worth considering. Regardless of whether Luoyang can be captured, it should at least be possible to capture most of the area of ​​Henan Yin.

Moreover, they are very close together, so if everything goes smoothly, it is possible to take care of the rear at the same time.

……

The second messenger was sent by Wang Yun. His name was Wang Li, Wang Yun's cousin, and he was the Grand Astrologer of the Luoyang court. He was said to be an expert in astronomy and astrology.

Wang Yun hoped that Yufuluo would lead his army across the river to kill Niu Fu, and then quickly raid Qingzhou to seize the emperor.

Qingzhou was a wealthy and prosperous city, and the area along the way was relatively deserted at the time.

If we can quickly defeat Niu Fu, then take control of Yingchuan and Dongjun from Hulao Pass, and cut off Baimadu, we can cut off Cao Cao, Zhang Liao and others' retreat route and be able to drive straight into Qingzhou.

Wang Yun stated that the area to the east was full of wealthy counties, and with Empress Dowager Dong's authorization, as long as he claimed to be a "righteous follower," he could "requisition supplies" along the way.

In other words, they could plunder at the Empress Dowager's command, looting wherever they went, with the Empress Dowager's authority protecting them.

Moreover, once Yufuluo seizes the throne, he will have a great chance of becoming a powerful minister of the Han Dynasty, and he can also marry his daughter to Liu Xie—who currently has no empress, and Wang Yun has suggested that Yufuluo form an alliance with the Han Dynasty through marriage.

There's no need to worry about any obstacles from the court, because Yufuluo can take this opportunity to control all the officials.

But, but.

Choosing this path means giving up Hanoi, Bingzhou, and the Xiongnu's homeland.

Taking Qingzhou from the east would take an extremely long time and require all our strength, leaving no room to consider our rear.

Cao Cao and his men would inevitably march west into Hanoi and conquer Bingzhou, and they might never be able to return home again—there might be differing opinions within the tribe.

It's a huge gamble, but the temptation is indeed very strong.

Wang Yun's plan was quite well-thought-out.

……

The third envoy was sent by Yang Feng and was named Zhang Baiqi.

Yang Feng delivered a military intelligence report, saying that Dong Zhuo had sent Lü Bu to Hedong, and he was about to reach Shanxian County, where he should cross the river.

In addition, there was intelligence that Niu Fuzheng and Wang Yun were locked in a stalemate in Gong County, where Empress Dowager Dong and the court officials were also located.

All of this intelligence was true. Jia Xu usually didn't use false intelligence to deceive people. Niu Fu and Dong Min sent a message to Dong Zhuo, who then sent Lü Bu to resolve the issue.

Jia Xu is currently in Chang'an.

Dong Zhuo's order was indeed to have Lü Bu and Niu Fu attack the White Wave Army from the north and south respectively, in order to stabilize the Luoyang court. Dong Zhuo did not mention to Jia Xu whether to advance eastward to Qingzhou, but he also did not order anyone to attack the Xiongnu in Bingzhou and Henan.

Judging from this, Dong Zhuo wants both...

He had to defend Luoyang, keep Cao Cao and Liu Bei's troops tied up by the Xiongnu, and personally go to Qingzhou to seize the emperor.

This idea came from Liu Ai, Dong Zhuo's chief secretary, and Li Ru also felt that it best served Dong Zhuo's interests.

Jia Xu, of course, wanted to get involved.

Lü Bu went to Hedong to attack the White Wave Army, but Yufuluo had no idea why Lü Bu went to Hedong.

The reputation of Lü Bu of Jiuyuan was extraordinary for the Xiongnu people; it could truly stop Xiongnu children from crying at night.

If Lü Bu hadn't been taken away by Ding Yuan, the Xiongnu might not have rebelled, and Yufuluo's father, Qiangqu Chanyu, wouldn't have been killed.

Yang Feng's letter was very simple; it was just a military intelligence report. In addition, he only said, "I am worried and fearful that Lü Bu is no match for me. I earnestly request the Chanyu's assistance."

Guo Tai must have left someone to monitor Yang Feng; the real story will have to be relayed by Zhang Baiqi.

Zhang Baiqi asked Yufuluo, "Does the Chanyu wish to break free from the control of the Taiyuan Wang clan over the Xiongnu?"

This was of course taught by Jia Xu. Zhang Baiqi's eloquence was average, but he had a good memory.

The Wang family of Taiyuan currently controls most of the resources available to the Xiongnu people in Bingzhou, including money, grain, salt, iron, cloth, and the manufacture of daily tools.

In reality, capital controlled industry, agriculture, and commerce. The Xiongnu people were basically left with only animal husbandry, and almost all transactions and consumption depended on the Wang family's capital.

In particularly harsh climatic conditions, it would be very difficult for Huvro to escape this control.

Even if the Wang family is wiped out, they still can't escape it.

On one hand, there were various Xiongnu tribes, and there were bound to be different voices within them.

The Xiongnu had five tribes, not just the one led by Yufuluo. The leaders of each tribe had different considerations. Even within Yufuluo's Luandi tribe, there was the possibility that his younger brother, Huchuquan, could take over.

On the other hand, industries such as salt fields, weaving, farms, and workshops were easily destroyed, and the poor and technologically deficient Xiongnu people were unable to rebuild these industries in the short term.

Especially when there was a shortage of food and clothing, basic living conditions could not be guaranteed. Once the livelihood and industry were destroyed, they could not be rebuilt. There were no seeds or technical personnel, and the Xiongnu did not know how to farm. Without the royal family's commercial channels, they could not buy anything.

This is like an impoverished tribe plagued by long-term warfare, unable to stop the invasion of capital. If the factories and business environment built by foreign capital are destroyed, the tribe itself will immediately fall into full-scale turmoil.

Zhang Baiqi presented Hufro with a new plan that could free Hufro from this control.

—Change "robbery" to "kidnapping".

Cooperate with Yang Feng, take advantage of Guo Tai's lack of vigilance, and quickly eliminate Guo Tai from within and without, so that Yang Feng can take over the White Wave Army.

Yang Feng could hold off Yu Fuluo's retreat and temporarily resist Dong Zhuo's troops. Yu Fuluo only needed to go to Gong County, capture Empress Dowager Dong and the officials, and threaten Cao Cao, Lü Bu, Zhang Liao, Zhang Yan and other Han troops to retreat.

Instead of going to Luoyang, he retreated to Hanoi, taking Empress Dowager Dong and her officials hostage, demanding that Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Dong Zhuo provide supplies as ransom, and return Empress Dowager Dong and her officials, thus negotiating peace with the Han Dynasty.

This is the only way to negotiate peace with the Han Dynasty. Yang Feng will destroy the Wang clan of Taiyuan, form an alliance with the Black Mountain Army, and help the Xiongnu rebuild their economic system.

Only through Yang Feng could they still attempt to form an alliance with Black Mountain at this time.

Finally, relying on the natural barriers of the Yellow River and the Taihang Mountains, they held Bingzhou, Hedong, and Henan, gaining territory that belonged to the Xiongnu people. They could also cooperate with Zhang Yan, ensuring their safety.

In this way, Yufuluo could obtain sufficient supplies, relieve internal troubles, and allow the Xiongnu to actually grow stronger.

Moreover, the operation is not complicated and the success rate is extremely high.

……

Three choices, how do I choose?
Firstly, helping Guo Tai conquer Luoyang was feasible, but it wouldn't solve the fundamental problem of the Xiongnu.

Secondly, it would help Wang Yun attack Niu Fu and advance eastward into Qingzhou. If successful, it could potentially cut off Cao Cao and Zhang Liao's supply lines and even seize the emperor, seemingly offering the greatest benefit.

But the risks are also the greatest. Everything is unknown. Yufuluo doesn't know what the situation is in Qingzhou. Moreover, the consequences are easy to predict—regardless of success or failure, the whole world will unite to attack them, and there will be no chance for regret.

Even if they could hold the emperor hostage, could the Xiongnu withstand a counterattack from the entire world?

Third, he joined forces with Yang Feng to kill Guo Tai, took Empress Dowager Dong and the officials hostage, negotiated with Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao, Liu Bei and others, collected ransom to obtain resources, and made peace with the Han Dynasty.

Using the Yellow River and the Black Mountain as natural barriers, the Xiongnu royal court was rebuilt in a large area encompassing Hedong, Henan, and Bingzhou.

This is the most feasible option, with relatively low risk. Most importantly, the returns are stable and reliable, leaving no worries about the future.

Jia Xu's plans were always based on the perspective of those involved, so if they could be implemented, they would certainly succeed.

However, whether the plan can be implemented as scheduled depends on whether Jia Xu is willing to trick people...

Yufuluo spent a whole day considering the matter, and even consulted with Huchuquan—this kind of decision, which concerned the life and death of the entire tribe, certainly required careful consideration.

Just as Yufulo was discussing this, his son Liu Bao was abducted...

……

Guo Tai's subordinate, Han Xian, is now in a panic.

He didn't understand why, after two days of running around delivering messages and catching up on sleep in his tent, he woke up to find a child tied up inside.

Besides, this child doesn't look like a male prostitute sent to warm the bed...

Judging by his attire, he looks like the son of a high-ranking Xiongnu nobleman!

The child appeared to be unconscious, and Han Xian was very panicked...

The more I look at him, the more he resembles Liu Bao, the son of Yu Fuluo.
I'm probably, possibly, maybe I've been framed?

After a moment of stunned silence, Han Xian pulled the cloth out of the child's mouth, splashed cold water on the child's face, and massaged the child for a while before finally waking him up.

Han Xian asked hesitantly, "Are you Liu Bao?"

The child, who had just woken up, reacted quickly, spitting a mouthful of saliva onto Han Xian's face: "You lowly slave! How dare you treat me like this! Guards!!"

Oh no... I really shouldn't have woken him up.

Han Siam tried to explain, "I don't know how you got here... It's a misunderstanding!"

But a voice came from outside the door: "...Here...Quick, right here!"

Han Xian quickly pulled out a knife and tried to cut the ropes binding Liu Bao.

But it was too late; someone had already rushed in.

Liu Bao also shouted, "Kill him! This lowly slave dared to kidnap me!"

Han Xian swallowed hard and shouted, "I didn't! This is a conspiracy!"

But the situation left him no room for argument. Han Xian quickly grabbed Liu Bao and held the knife to Liu Bao's neck.

The camps of the various envoys were not far apart, and Zhang Baiqi also "came upon hearing the news".

He immediately unleashed his signature move: rapid-fire throwing knives.

Actually, Zhang Baiqi's throwing knife skills weren't very good; it looked like it was aimed at Liu Bao... Zhang Baiqi just threw it randomly.

Because he knew that Han Xian would never dare to let Liu Bao get hurt in any way, and that he could only dodge any attack...

Liu Bao was the one Zhang Baiqi lured into Han Siam's tent.

They were all envoys who came to discuss cooperation, and everyone had to wait for Hufro to make a decision. The tents were very close together, and Hufro's guards found them very quickly.

Zhang Baiqi didn't need to take Liu Bao out of the camp; he only needed to move a tent, which wasn't difficult. In any case, it was just a matter of framing someone to make Yufuluo make up his mind sooner.

The flying knife stopped Han Xian from continuing his explanation. He pushed Liu Bao aside, dodging the knife.

Then it was tragic.

Zhang Baiqi shouted, "Loose the arrows!"

Without Liu Bao blocking their way, Yufuluo's guards all began to shoot arrows; these were all sharpshooters.

Han Siam was hit by several arrows on the spot, and he was unable to leave any last words.

Yufuluo was still discussing what to do with Huchuquan when he heard the news and rushed to Hanxian's tent. When he saw that his son was still tied up with ropes, he was furious.

First, the White Wave Yellow Turbans and his own forces were fighting over the spoils of war, and now Guo Tai's men are trying to kidnap Liu Bao...

"The White Wave bandits! They cannot be trusted! All troops, attack and annihilate Guo Tai!"

……

The following day, with Yang Feng’s secret help, Yufuluo mobilized all the ships to build a pontoon bridge at Mengjin and personally led a large army south, leaving only 20,000 men in Hanoi to guard the pass.

Guo Tai thought that Yufuluo had come to reinforce, but he did not expect that Yufuluo would organize a large number of cavalry to launch a surprise attack as soon as he crossed the river.

Caught off guard by his ally, Guo Tai died in the chaos of battle.

This was considered a breach of faith by the Xiongnu, and no one knew what Yang Feng had done. Yang Feng became the most senior member of the White Wave Army and stepped forward to take over the White Wave Yellow Turban Army again.

Yang Feng couldn't actually incorporate everyone. The White Wave Army was divided into three parts. Han Xian's subordinates followed Yang Feng, as did the people he had coerced in the capital region.

Guo Tai's staunch Yellow Turban followers were respectively with Li Le and Hu Cai.

These two men, one stationed at Mengjin and the other at Xiaopingjin, had a decent relationship with Yang Feng.

It would take time to reorganize the remaining Bai Bo forces, so Yang Feng remained in northern Luoyang.

In Yufuluo's view, this was how Yang Fengzai kept his promise and "protected his escape route".

Yufuluo's army began to march towards Gongxian, as he wanted to seize the time to abduct Empress Dowager Dong.

Niu Fu had just received a reply from Dong Zhuo, ordering him to attack the White Wave Army. He was preparing to ask all the officials to return to Luoyang when they encountered a large Xiongnu army attacking. He quickly ordered everyone to join the battle to resist them.

When Wang Yun learned that Yufuluo had arrived, he was overjoyed and immediately ordered Wang Rou to launch an attack on Niu Fu.

This can be considered as preparing for a coordinated attack from within and without, and it successfully created chaos.

But Wang Yun did not expect that after the arrival of Yufuluo's army, they would launch an indiscriminate attack...

Wang Yun was quick to seize the opportunity and immediately changed his clothes and ran away in the chaos—back then, he had even managed to evade Zhang Rang's pursuit, so his skill in escaping was indeed quite impressive.

In the midst of the chaos of war, no one paid attention to Wang Yun's disappearance, since it was hard to say whether he had died in battle outside the city.

Empress Dowager Dong and her officials did not flee. The Empress Dowager's carriage was too conspicuous, making it difficult and slow to escape. So they all hid inside Gongxian City for defense.

Niu Fu's three elite troops, led by Li Jue, Guo Si, and Zhang Ji, were all absent. They barely managed to hold off the first wave of attacks until nightfall. All the military camps outside Gongxian City fell, and Niu Fu and his men retreated into the city.

However, the Xiongnu did not bring siege equipment and were unable to enter the county town for the time being.

Yufuluo set up camp outside Gongxian, using the camp that Niu Fu and the officials had previously built, and surrounded Gongxian.

At this moment, Zhang Baiqi and Yang Feng appeared one after another at Li Le and Hu Cai's camp.

"The Xiongnu are utterly unethical, actually attacking and killing their allies. We must avenge the death of Envoy Guo!"

Yang Feng's acting was still on point: "Brothers, kill the Hu!"

This time, it will be much easier for Zhang Baiqi and Yang Feng to persuade Li Le and Hu Cai.

Zhang Baiqi added, "Heaven may perish, but China cannot be destroyed! We, the rebellious Han, though we plead for the people, are indeed guilty. If we kill the barbarians and punish the invaders, we can cleanse the sins in our hearts, and at least we, the sons and daughters of China, can find peace of mind!"

"Kill the Hu!"

Li Le and Hu Cai were both men, and they both felt a pang of sympathy upon hearing this.

Besides, killing the Xiongnu would allow them to kidnap Empress Dowager Dong and the officials... The White Wave Army understood this perfectly well; it was a case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

The White Wave Yellow Turbans regrouped and, under the leadership of Yang Feng, marched towards Gong County.

Moreover, Zhang Baiqi once again rode swiftly to Gongxian to meet Yufuluo, saying, "The defenses of Hanoi are probably in dire straits. We have come to help the Chanyu to quickly break through the city!"

Just as Guo Tai had no suspicion of Yu Fuluo before, Yu Fuluo also had little suspicion of Yang Feng, who came to "reinforce" him...

(End of this chapter)