I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 535 Loyal and Righteous Divine Warrior Guan Shengjun

The issuance of the "Order to Move the Hu People" caused an uproar throughout Hebei!

Just as Yuan Shang had predicted, the people of Hebei were almost in a state of great agitation!
At the beginning of Emperor Guangwu's reign, the Wuhuan and Xiongnu joined forces to raid, with the area east of Dai Commandery suffering the most. Those living near the border could leave their yurts in the morning and arrive at the city walls by evening. The people of the five commanderies suffered greatly, with counties destroyed and many people forced to flee!
In the winter of the fourth year of the Yangjia era, the Wuhuan raided Yunzhong and intercepted more than a thousand carts and oxen of merchants on the road!
In the autumn of the first year of Yongjian, Xianbei cavalry raided Dai County, and the prefect Li Chao was killed in battle!
In the autumn of the second year of Yongshou, Tan Shihuai led three or four thousand cavalry to raid Yunzhong!
In the first year of the Yanxi era, the Xianbei invaded the northern border, entered Yanmen again, killed hundreds of people, and looted extensively before leaving!

In the summer of the ninth year of the Yanxi era, tens of thousands of Xianbei cavalrymen entered the nine border prefectures and killed and plundered officials and people!
……

Apart from the reigns of Ming, Zhang, and He, the people on the Hebei border were almost constantly ravaged by the nomadic tribes beyond the Great Wall!

The two sides are sworn enemies! Do you really think a single imperial edict can resolve this hatred that has accumulated over hundreds of years?

Not only was Yuan Shang right, but Shen Pei was also right.

Hate, definitely hate.

Anger, definitely anger.

But what else can we do?

Can anger and dissatisfaction really change the minds of those officials in the court?

Throughout history, the people of this land have always been subjugated and oppressed by those in power. There has never been a time when the people could force those in power to change their ways.

Unable to stop it, large numbers of Wuhuan and Southern Xiongnu tribes were relocated to Hebei.

In the Eastern Zhao court's plan, certain areas in Hebei were designated for these Hu people to learn farming, and then gradually turn them into obedient subjects who could grow food for them and be exploited at will.

The ideal is full.

However, the fetus died in the womb during the first step.

If it were possible to suddenly get a nomadic people who had been at home for thousands of years to put down their whips and pick up hoes, the Eastern Zhao dynasty would not be in its current state.

In the eyes of those who eat meat, they should be grateful for being given land by the barbarians and allowed to be bathed in the king's rule!
But the reality is that almost 99.9% of the Hu people, after arriving in Hebei, were like mice falling into a rice jar!
Food! Housing! Tools! Even women!
Haven't the Han people already made all these things? Why do we need to continue making them? Wouldn't it be better to just steal them?

It wasn't until a flood of official documents and memorials from officials all over Hebei reached Ye City that the officials there finally realized something was amiss.

The Hu people are not as easy to manage as the Han people!
They are not bound by anything like clan, morality, or etiquette!

Gradually, instead of getting back on track and recovering as the Eastern Zhao court had envisioned, the entire Hebei region began to plummet in another uncontrollable direction...

Yuyang Prefecture, Lu County.

Youzhou is bitterly cold. While people in the Central Plains are already wearing only a single layer of clothing, the people here are still wrapped in heavy fur coats, sitting in twos and threes at the village entrance, actively seeking out the ever-changing sunlight, struggling to survive like weeds.

Compared to the everyday family matters we usually talk about, today in Luxian County, the conversation revolves around one thing—

"Does the imperial court really intend to relocate the Hu people here?"

"Yes, I heard from the three elders in the village that there is one just north of our village."

"Can't we discuss it?"

"Let alone the officials in Yecheng, even the wealthy Zhang from the east of the village raises your rent every year. When have you ever seen him consult with you about it?"

"..."

"Pooh!"

Suddenly someone spat on the ground.

"What the hell kind of world is this?"

"What kind of world is this? It's a cannibalistic world."

The men sat together, talking about things they weren't allowed to discuss. The women, too, sat together, comforting the widowed women of the village.

Actually, it wasn't that they had lost their husbands; it was just that they heard from the government officials that their men had been kidnapped to the south by that traitor Liu Miao, and that Liu Miao himself was a heartless man who ate human hearts and livers. So, those men who did not return were simply considered dead.

But the government's casual remark, "Just die," was like the sky falling, the earth shaking, and the heart breaking for this newlywed woman.

In an army of tens or hundreds of thousands, one life may seem insignificant; but when scattered among families, each person is a living, breathing human being, born of parents, with wives and children, someone who is deeply missed and longed for.

They send it to you completely intact, but in the end they come back with a "just pretend it's gone" to fool you?
The bride's eyes were red and swollen, and her round belly rose and fell with her emotions, changing from full and round to incomplete and deformed.

The surrounding older women could only offer quiet words of comfort.

The most frequent advice I gave her was to let it go.

If worldly things were truly so easy to let go of, then where would the 305 poems of the Book of Songs and the 2,480 characters of the Li Sao come from?

A kind-faced old woman, unable to bear the sight, secretly told the bride, "Some men have also returned from this battle."

"According to them, most of the people who went to Henan actually did not die, but they could not cross the river because of the cold weather."

"He will naturally come back when the weather gets warmer and the water gets hotter."

The bride's eyes welled with tears: "Really?"

"Why would I lie to you at your age?"

The old woman added, "I have something to tell you, and you must promise not to go around telling anyone."

"Don't worry! Don't worry!"

"That's right! We're very tight-lipped! You can speak freely!"

"..."

After hesitating for a moment, the old woman still told everyone some of the information she had received—

"Actually, life isn't too bad in the south."

"I heard that the place to the south is also called Dahan. The people there, regardless of age or gender, as long as they are alive, will be given land by the government so that everyone can live like a landlord."

These words silenced the comforting voices of the surrounding women, and even the newlywed stared wide-eyed in disbelief: "Where in this world is there such an official government? Where is there such a place?"

"It really exists!"

The old woman reminisced, "That burly Han man, Liu Bei, the Prince of Yan, even helped my aunt's family chop firewood! Southern men must be incredibly kind!"

"Nonsense... Everyone, every single person has land? Where in the world is there so much land?"

“Silly girl. The sky is as big as the earth. The reason we don’t have land is because… because…”

Clearly, even with the old woman's limited knowledge, she didn't understand why this land, though seemingly boundless, couldn't be exclusively theirs.

Just as the women were still fantasizing about what the big man from the south would look like, they saw their men suddenly erupt in a commotion!

When the women looked at them, the men shouted even louder, "What are you looking at! You stupid women! Get back here! The Wuhuan barbarians are here!"

Upon hearing the name "Wuhuan," the women hurriedly and hastily headed towards their homes.

Only the pregnant woman, who was unable to move quickly due to her limited mobility, was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes.

"Hey girl! Come to my place first!"

The resourceful woman who had just comforted the bride and even knew about the Han dynasty's situation quickly pulled her hand and led her into the house.

At this moment, smoke and dust billowed outside, and about a dozen Wuhuan cavalrymen had arrived together, laughing and joking.

The three elders in the village quickly called out to the able-bodied men of the village to come out and meet the enemy.

But now all the able-bodied men in Hebei have been sent to Henan by Yuan Shao. Although they are called able-bodied men here, the youngest of them are already over forty years old.

Looking at these Han Chinese old men, their skin lined with deep furrows and their temples streaked with frost, carrying wooden sticks and sickles, the Wuhuan cavalrymen, whose average age was only seventeen or eighteen, burst into laughter.

"What are these Han Chinese going to do?" (in a foreign language)

"Ignore him!" (in a foreign tongue)

Seeing the wooden sticks in the hands of the elderly men with gray hair tremble slightly, the Wuhuan cavalrymen laughed even harder, and at the same time, they took something out of their pockets and threw it at them.

Someone picked it up and discovered it was a silk scroll.

They found another literate person to take a look, and the man was struck dumb as if by lightning!
The silk scroll bears an official seal!

The Wuhuan cavalryman opposite them chuckled and said in his broken Chinese, "This is an order from your prefect, saying that Han and Hu are one family! If we encounter any trouble, you are to help us as much as possible!"

"It just so happens that we're short of women lately! I've heard there are many widows in Hebei these days. Why don't you give us some? It'll save you some food supplies, won't it?"

"..."

brute!

But the silk scroll bore a genuine official seal!
For a moment, the three elders, who had just picked up their weapons to resist, fell silent, and the weapons that had been hard in their hands humbly hung down.

The Wuhuan cavalrymen opposite were puzzled by this scene. These Han people dared to resist the heavy iron hooves of their own warhorses, so why did they dare not make a move when they saw the silk scroll stamped with the official seal?

Just how powerful is this official? So powerful that he can break a man's courage? Tear away a woman's shame? Turn the Han people, once vigorous and invincible on the battlefield, into spineless worms?
All of this was beyond the comprehension of the Wuhuan people.

But it doesn't matter, because this is the kind of Han Chinese who are true heroes!
If everyone were to become like before, with every household having horses and bows, how could the Wuhuan people possibly have a good life?

Seeing that the other side remained silent for too long, the Wuhuan cavalryman shouted impatiently, "Hurry up! They're just a few women who eat for free! Why are you protecting them like this?"

"Since those women's bellies are empty anyway, why not let them get pregnant with my child! Then they can give birth to a chubby Wuhuan boy!"

"Hahahahaha!"

"..."

Faced with such humiliation from these Wuhuan cavalrymen, whose ages were probably around the same as their grandsons, the three elders' eyes dimmed.

"Go and hand over those women from the village to them."

"Old Ai!"

"Go!"

The three elders impatiently urged him on.

They have no choice!
Their three elders were directly appointed by the government! Unlike the three leaders of the Han Dynasty, who were elected by the local people!
Their responsibility lies with the government that appointed them! The government that stamped the silk scroll! Not with the common people before them!

"Old Ai!"

Some people couldn't bear it and cried out, but the three elders could only close their eyes.

"Who can be blamed for this?"

"If anyone's to blame, blame that traitor Liu Miao in the south!"

Don't blame Yuan Shao for the defeat.

We should not blame Yuan Shang and the imperial court for relocating the Hu people to Hebei.

Instead, they blame a complete stranger, an enemy from afar...

The other men in the village clenched their fists.

But just as they were about to continue their resistance, they saw pairs of worried eyes peering at them from the cracks in the doors and windows of their home.

The clenched fist gradually loosened.

They could not resist.

Rebellion can lead to death.

Of course, they are not afraid of death.

But based on their understanding of the world, they knew that if they died, their parents and wives would certainly not have a good end.

The government cannot help them support their parents.

The family's surplus grain was not enough for his wife to raise their child.

If the man dies, the fate of the family is usually that the parents freeze or starve to death, the wife remarries, and the children live as dependents, forever in fear...

"What the hell kind of world is this?"

A man shed tears.

This is their still-warm blood.

The saddest thing is that they don't even know who the enemy is that brings them this sense of frustration.
Wuhuan?
Did they openly rob us?

Is it the government?
How could the government be wrong?

After much thought, it seems that only Liu Miao, whom they had never met, was the culprit behind their predicament...

One by one, women who had just lost their husbands were dragged out.

The piercing cries first made the men feel heartache, then helplessness, and finally, anger and resentment...

"No! This won't do!"

The old woman used her short, stout body to block the door, preventing anyone from entering, while shouting loudly at the three elders:
"Xiao Li is pregnant! And she's about to give birth! How could she possibly do that?"

"..."

Just as the three elders hesitated, the Wuhuan cavalryman approached, glanced at the bride inside, and exclaimed with delight, "I've never tried a pregnant woman before! You're the one! Hahahaha!"

Just moments ago, the newlywed woman was dreaming of her husband returning to take her away to the Han Dynasty to live a good life. But when she saw the Wuhuan cavalrymen, who looked like demons, and they specifically asked her to come and serve them, she suddenly felt dizzy and her vision went black. She then collapsed.

Fortunately, the old woman reacted quickly and helped the other woman up. At the same time, she gestured to the three elders beside her: "Elder Ai! You know she's frail! She can't withstand any more bumps and strenuous activity! Otherwise, it would have been a tragedy that would have killed both mother and child! Elder Ai! Please say something!"

"..."

The three elders, who were respected by everyone in the people, were speechless when facing the Wuhuan... or rather, when facing the official seal on the silk scroll, so they simply closed their eyes.

Several Wuhuan cavalrymen entered the house with wicked smiles, intending to lift the bride and take her away. However, they were surprised to find that the unconscious woman was so heavy that they couldn't carry her despite their efforts. So, they simply kicked the family out and closed the door, clearly intending to do their business there.

Outside, the old woman who had been driven out had a vacant look in her eyes.

She looked at her man.

But she quickly looked away.

Not only do the men know that without their pillars of support, the world will devour their entire families, but the women themselves also know what will happen to them if they lose their men.

at this time.

The bride inside the house seemed to regain consciousness, letting out several shrill cries while constantly shouting at everyone in the village.

Outside, however, they remained completely indifferent.

"Tata!"

"?"

"Tata! Tata!!"

At first, everyone thought they had misheard.

However, as the sound grew louder, they all looked towards the east!

The Wuhuan people outside the village quickly fired whistle-piercing arrows, the rapid sound forcing the door to open, and at the same time, an exasperated voice came out: "Damn it, who is it..."

"call out!"

A whooshing sound suddenly rang out! Immediately afterwards, a bloody hole appeared on the forehead of the Wuhuan cavalryman!
Everyone stared in disbelief as the Han general, with a face as red as a jujube, lips as white as rouge, phoenix eyes, and silkworm eyebrows, rode a crimson warhorse charging like a mountain!
【Chinese】!
[Liu]!
【close】!
Guan Yu drew his bow and fired a volley of arrows, instantly killing several Wuhuan cavalrymen!

Behind him followed the young but imposing Guan Ping and the robust Zhou Cang with his flanks and beard.

The two men led Han cavalry and, in a single encounter, killed all the remaining Wuhuan cavalrymen, leaving none alive!
"Where are you soldiers from! We have this! Look at this! We were invited by your emperor! Do you dare kill me?"

The panicked Wuhuan man hurriedly picked up the silk scroll from the Eastern Zhao court, but what awaited him was Guan Yu's deadly blade, which sliced ​​him and the scroll in two.

"Hmph! How could the Emperor of Han do such an absurd thing?"

Guan Yu's eyes flashed with a sharp, cold light, but when he turned around and faced these Han Chinese people, his sharpness vanished instantly.

"I am Guan Yu, Guan Yunchang, a general under the command of the King of Yan of the Great Han Dynasty! The King of Yan has heard that Yuan Shang has moved the Hu people into Hebei, and he is deserving of death! Therefore, he has specially ordered me to come and gather the people!"

After the victory in the Han-Zhao War, Liu Miao not only took a large amount of money and grain from Hebei, but also asked Yuan Shang for the Liaoxi and Youbeiping prefectures.

Although the two prefectures were adjacent, the roads were inconvenient. So, following Zhuge Liang's plan, Liu Bei had Guan Yu lead troops to garrison Youbeiping to monitor Youzhou, while he himself continued to be in Liaoxi to deter Liaodong and Wuhuan.

Upon hearing Yuan Shang issue the "Order to Move the Hu People," Liu Bei, who had not studied much but was still a follower of the great Confucian scholar Lu Zhi, still angrily berated Yuan Shang: "Yuan Shao was still considered a hero! How could he have given birth to such a stupid and foolish son!"

The Chinese are close and should not be abandoned, while the Rong and Di are like jackals and wolves and should not be disgusted!
Having lived on the frontier and knowing the true nature of the Hu people, Liu Bei naturally knew what the Wuhuan, Xianbei and Xiongnu that Yuan Shang was going to relocate were like!
What's the difference between them entering Hebei and bringing jackals into their own home?
Therefore, Liu Bei immediately gave orders to Guan Yu, who had already led his troops to Youbeiping.

Save people!

"Crossing the border to rescue people...aren't you afraid of Yuan Shang's wrath and his army attacking?"

When an advisor asked him this question, Liu Bei simply snorted coldly, "He wouldn't dare?"

"do not forget!"

"Behind us stands the entire Han Dynasty!"

(End of this chapter)