Chu and Han contend for the throne

Chapter 489

The Donghu was originally a nomadic people on the desert grassland. It was adjacent to the Yan State in the south, and was later destroyed by Qin Kai, a general of the Yan State, and then moved to the Laoha River and Xilamulun River in the upper reaches of the Liao River. At the end of the Qin Dynasty, Donghu gradually became stronger. Once threatened the Huns, but was soon defeated by Mao Dun, who killed his father and took over the throne, and has never recovered from it.

After the Eastern Hu was defeated by the Xiongnu, one branch fled to Wuhuan Mountain, which became Wuhuan later, and the other fled to Xianbei Mountain, which became the Xianbei people. Wuhuan was once powerful at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty and almost unified the entire north. , but was defeated by Han Chancellor Cao Cao, Xuan and the Southern Huns merged into the Han nationality and disappeared in the long river of history.

After the defeat of Wuhuan, Xianbei took the opportunity to occupy the desert, quickly became strong, and invaded southward on a large scale at the end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, almost blocking the lineage of the Han family in the Central Plains. !Among them, the Xianbei people were the ones who killed the Central Plains Huaxia the most.

But at this time, the Xianbei people were just a small tribe huddled under the Xianbei Mountains, with a population of less than [-], and the number of strong men was less than [-], even worse than a slightly larger small tribe of the Huns.

Hearing that the "Huns' army" had arrived, the Xianbei people fled into the deep mountains and old forests early, and they didn't even dare to send out scouts.

Therefore, Chu Jun Xiaoqi's itinerary was extremely smooth.

When Mengxi marched to Monan with great fanfare, the Chu army Xiaoqi also protected 10,000+ women and children, and craftsmen arrived at the territory of the Beidiao tribe in the middle reaches of the Liaohe River, and were warmly welcomed by the Beidiao tribe.

Since the Warring States Period, the Northern Diao tribe has been a vassal of the Yan State. At the end of the Qin Dynasty, mobs arose, and the rulers of the Yan State also changed like a revolving lantern. However, the Bei Diao Tribe has always maintained close ties with the Yan State. After the alliance with the Chu Kingdom, the relationship between the Bei Diao Tribe and the Chu State quickly became closer.

In addition, there is still Zhaoshe begging and buying, and the relationship between the Beidiao tribe and the state of Chu is even closer. Among other things, Huyan's Sirius army is the Hu people recruited from Liaodong through the Beidiao tribe. Wumuya's spy who broke into Shan Yuting also infiltrated from the caravan of the Bei Diao tribe.

Northern Diao Wang Zhaoshe got seriously ill and couldn't go out to meet him in person, so he sent Zhaoshe Qimai to meet him.

Zhaoshe Qimai and the ministers of the Chu State are also old acquaintances, and they are very warm, and introduced as they walked: "General, this is the Liaohe River. Our Beidiao tribe has lived here for generations, relying on hunting and fishing. And herding for a living, but these years, we have started to emulate the people of the Central Plains in reclaiming wasteland and farming, and life is much easier."

Bi Shu said with a smile: "You Bei Diao people are almost the same as the Central Plains people."

Qi Mai sighed: "Oh, it would be great if I could really be from the Central Plains."

Bi Shu's heart moved slightly, and a thought suddenly popped up in his mind, and he said with a smile, "Do you really miss the Central Plains people? Maybe this general can help you realize your wish."

"The General's words are serious?" Qi Mai was overjoyed when he heard this.

Qi Mai has stayed in Chu State for many years, but he has seen the prosperity of the Central Plains, and he is particularly impressed by the prosperity of Ziling. He dreams of becoming a Central Plains native. Every time he returns to the tribe and talks about the Central Plains with his elder brother, Northern Diao Wang Zhaoshe The tail is also very envious, saying that in the next life he must be reincarnated in the Central Plains as a Central Plains person.

For a wild tribe like Bei Diao, the Central Plains world is simply a paradise.

Bi Shu smiled lightly, and said pointedly: "Of course what the general said is true."

Along the way, Bi Shu has been thinking about one thing, that is, how to deal with these more than 20 women, children, and craftsmen?It is absolutely impossible to hand it over to the Yan State. If you go back to Jiangdong by sea, the risk is extremely high. Women and children may not be able to endure the hardships of the sea. You need to know that even a strong man will vomit half to death if he goes to sea by boat. , let alone frail women and children?

Except for the sailors who walked on the water all the year round, even the most elite Chu Imperial Guards were extremely afraid of taking a boat. This time when returning to Jiangdong, the Xiao cavalry army would inevitably have to travel by sea. Bi Shuzheng was having a lot of headaches because of this.

If it weren't for the hardships of the sea route, and the fear of the entire army being wiped out by storms at every turn, Xiangzhuang would have sent elite soldiers to surprise Linzi by sea when they fought against Qi.

Therefore, transporting these women and children back to Jiangdong by sea is definitely not a good strategy.

That being the case, why not leave these women and children in Bei Diao, and then help Bei Diao establish a country?

Of course, only women and children are absolutely unacceptable, and young men have to be recruited from Jiangdong, but this is not a problem. Chu is a huge country with a population of nearly ten million, and thousands of people break the law every year. The death row prisoners who were supposed to be beheaded were dispatched to Liaodong to fill the frontier. Isn't it the best of both worlds?
In addition, there are great benefits to helping Bei Diao to build a country: recruit Bei Diao, Sushen, Wuhuan, Xianbei, Goguryeo and other Hu people nearby to form a cavalry army. These Hu people have an advantage over Chu people, that is, human life Cheap, no pension, no salary, these barbarians are not afraid of death, and their combat effectiveness is extremely strong.

Of course, this cavalry can only be formed in the name of Bei Diao Kingdom.

But to accomplish this, of course it is not that simple, Bi Shu then said: "But this has to be done slowly."

Zhaoshe Qimai nodded, and said again: "General, the Wuhuan people and Xianbei people along the way didn't make things difficult for you, did they?"

"Do they dare?" Hu Yan stared, and said disdainfully, "With their little strength, if they dare to provoke our big Chu Xiaoqi, I will take their lair, hmph!"

Bi Shu smiled slightly, suddenly remembered Meng Chu, and said, "I don't know how General Meng is doing now?"

"Old Meng?" Hu Yan twitched his lips, and said angrily, "This guy is a tough guy, he gave us a lot of trouble in Jiuyuan back then, even if Zhou Guanfu went, I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to get a little bit of money."

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The bonfire was burning vigorously, dispelling the chill in the desert. Mengji held the horizontal knife in his arms, leaning on the saddle and sleeping soundly. His beautiful snoring sound could be heard clearly even though it was several miles away. Not far away, Meng Keng was also curled up in a deep sleep, a prairie mouse ran past his face, but it didn't wake him up.

The young Meng Yuan and Meng Liao couldn't sleep at all. The brothers stared wide-eyed and stood up from time to time to look around vigilantly, but it was pitch black and they couldn't see anything at all. But they knew that the Xiongnu army and the Han army were spying on them. By the side, they might pounce on them like wolves at any time. Thinking of this, how could the two brothers sleep?

While the brothers were waiting nervously and expectantly, time was quietly passing by.

At the darkest hour before dawn, Meng Ji's snoring stopped abruptly, and he turned over from the saddle and sat up. Almost at the same time, Meng Keng, who was lying curled up by the fire, also stood with his horizontal knife in his arms. When they got up, the two old brothers looked at each other, and they both saw a gloomy look in each other's eyes, the Huns are coming!
"Meng Keng, Meng Yuan, Meng Liao!" Meng Chu jumped on his horse and shouted sharply.

"The last general is here!" Meng Keng, Meng Yuan, and Meng Liao all stepped forward and responded loudly.

Meng Chuan pulled out his horizontal knife loudly, pointed obliquely at the dark night sky in front of him, and said in a deep voice: "Call together the army, drive the Huns, women, children, cattle and sheep to the southeast, hurry up!"

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Zhou Guanfu woke up suddenly from his sleep, and got up abruptly.

Zhao Mu and South Korean general Sun Fen, who were sleeping soundly beside them, were also awakened. Sun Fen regained his composure and asked in a low voice, "Champion Marquis, what's wrong?"

"The Huns!" Zhou Guanfu said in a deep voice, "The Huns are coming!"

"The Huns?" Zhao Mu frowned, "The Huns didn't go to intercept the women, children, cattle and sheep of the Chu army, why did they come here? Could it be that they have already discovered our existence? It can't be, we are very well concealed .”

"The Chu army is here too!" Zhou Guanfu said coldly, "It was the Chu army who brought the Huns here!"

As soon as the words fell, a team of scouts rushed to the side of the fire, knelt down on one knee and reported: "Young Champion, the Chu army is driving cattle, sheep, women and children to the mountain pass, and the Huns are chasing after them! "

Zhao Mu and Sun Fen's countenance changed suddenly, and they all turned their heads to cast a horrified glance at Zhou Guanfu.

"You don't have to look at me like that, I just thought of it just now." Zhou Guanfu said, turned and left.

Zhou Guanfu took Zhao Mu and Sun Fen up to the cliff on the left side of the mountain pass, and saw the flames in the north. Because the distance was too far, I couldn't see the specific situation clearly. I could only vaguely see many people driving cattle and sheep to this side in a hurry. Fleeing, the faint cries of women and children, and the mourning and neighing of cattle, sheep and livestock also came from the wind.

Farther to the northwest, there is a sea of ​​torches that stretches to the sky.

Zhao Mu's face suddenly changed, and he lost his voice: "Champion Hou, something is wrong!"

Sun Fen was also extremely astonished, and said in a deep voice: "Really, although it seems that there are many women and children driven by the Chu army, they will not be as many as 30 to 10,000. The difference in the number of cattle and sheep is even greater. Judging by the situation, it will be exhausted." There are only [-]+ heads, how can there be millions of heads? Champion, don’t make a mistake, right?”

Zhou Guanfu was also puzzled, did the prime minister make a mistake?Or is this just a bait sent by the Chu army?

In just a moment, the raging fire from the north came to the mountain pass. With the bright fire, Zhou Guanfu, Zhao Mu and Sun Fen were even more astonished to find that the number of Huns, women, children, cattle and sheep was even less than they had guessed just now. , It's just that the marching queue is deliberately elongated, and the number of the Chu army seems to be only a few thousand.

"We've been tricked!" Sun Fen yelled, "If we had known earlier, we should have sent scouts to find out!"

"Send scouts? To put it bluntly, what if the Chu army finds out?" Zhao Mu said angrily. , you should quickly make up your mind, to kill or not to go out? The Chu army is about to rush across the mountain pass!"

"This..." Zhou Guanfu is also confused, the situation in front of him is different from what the prime minister said, which makes him feel a little at a loss, but he still ordered instinctively, "No hurry, wait first, wait and see first."

(End of this chapter)