Outside the city of Xudu...
On the training grounds of the Long Xiao Battalion, the sound of "whiz, whiz, whiz" echoed consecutively.
Zhuge Jun held a repeating crossbow, followed by the rapid firing of over ten crossbow bolts...
Zhuge Jun quickly loaded a new wooden magazine onto the repeating crossbow, and the sound of "whiz, whiz, whiz" resounded again... another barrage of over ten crossbow bolts.
This repeated until over a hundred and forty crossbow bolts had been fired!
Zhuge Jun put down the repeating crossbow. Of the fired bolts, only one or two fell to the ground.
The rest had almost pierced through the stone wall in front of him!
"Wow..."
Cao Mu, who was watching from the side, almost dropped his jaw. This repeating crossbow was too divine!
Unlike the limited number of bolts in the "Zhuge Divine Crossbow," this repeating crossbow could fire arrows almost infinitely... and its power was much greater.
With this thought, Cao Mu opened his mouth and asked, "Is this... the manufacturing diagram that Lu Ziyu gave you?"
"En!" Zhuge Jun nodded. "For a continuous month, the workshop recruited three thousand craftsmen, and only then was this batch of ten thousand repeating crossbows produced. However, after repeated trials, I discovered... that this repeating crossbow also has its drawbacks?"
"What drawbacks?" Cao Mu asked curiously...
"The limit!" Zhuge Jun replied. "After a repeating crossbow fires four hundred bolts, the bowstring will inevitably break, and various mechanisms will suffer considerable wear and tear! It needs repair..."
"Four hundred bolts?" Cao Mu's eyes widened. "That's already a lot!"
Zhuge Jun shook his head. "Master Lu intends to use this repeating crossbow to deal with the wolf cubs in the north. Those are cavalry. Even the slightest mishap could lead to the soldiers being buried in the desert!"
"Then... will you continue to improve it? There isn't much time, is there?" Cao Mu furrowed his brows... Lu Yu had left Xudu over ten days ago, and calculating the days, he would soon reach Ye City. The northern expedition against the Wuhuan was imminent... could they still wait?
"We'll use it like this for now!" Zhuge Jun sighed... "I will continue to improve it here. For the time being, I will send these ten thousand repeating crossbows, six hundred thousand crossbow bolts, along with the hundred thousand caltrops from your forge, to Ye City!"
Speaking of this...
Zhuge Jun paused, then shook his head again, lamenting, "If only there were more skilled craftsmen in the world, then perhaps... this drawback of the repeating crossbow could be resolved!"
"That's easy to handle..." Cao Mu smiled. "I'll go find Sister Zhao Ji. Lu Ziyu once issued an order to the Ministry of Agriculture, stating... that anyone who invents or creates should be directly rewarded and have official documents signed, even awarded the position of scholar in the Imperial Academy. It's just... that this decree hasn't been promulgated yet..."
"Father also highly values talent, mentioning 'employing the intelligence of the world and guiding it with principles, and nothing is impossible!' I believe he will also support the workshop in recruiting talent."
"Phew..."
Hearing this, Zhuge Jun looked relieved.
Indeed, having the Prime Minister's daughter by his side made everything much simpler.
Who would have thought...
At this moment, Cao Mu opened her mouth and added meaningfully, "Jun! Do you know? What is the biggest difference between you and your Master Lu?"
"Where?"
"Confidence!" Cao Mu said earnestly. "You are in charge of the workshop, the most trusted person of Lu Ziyu, and moreover, the son-in-law of the current Prime Minister! Such a status is unparalleled in all of Xudu. If you want to do something, just do it! Be more confident!"
"This..."
Zhuge Jun paused, his face first filled with immense sorrow, then much calmer. He cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Madam, for your guidance!"
Cao Mu smiled warmly...
She suddenly felt that this Zhuge Jun was a bit silly, but... quite cute!
...
...
On the official road from Xudu to Ye City.
It was filled with the tents of the Long Xiao Battalion...
As dawn broke faintly, Lu Yu emerged from his tent. Cao Xiu, who was guarding the entrance, was full of spirit.
"Young Master, so early!"
"How many more days until we reach Ye City?" Lu Yu inquired...
"If we proceed at the current speed, we will arrive by the morning of the day after tomorrow!" Dian Wei answered without hesitation.
Lu Yu nodded...
Speaking of which, he was not in a hurry... The campaign against the Wuhuan was not something that could be accomplished overnight. After all, it was a foreign land thousands of miles away, and everything was extraordinarily unfamiliar, requiring the most meticulous deployment.
Moreover, the repeating crossbows from the workshop had not yet been sent out!
This was the most effective lethal weapon for infantry against cavalry!
"Young Master... your subordinate cannot quite figure something out."
Cao Xiu scratched his head, seemingly troubled by something.
"Come, Wen Lie, come in!"
Lu Yu beckoned Cao Xiu into the main tent.
At a table, Lu Yu and Cao Xiu sat opposite each other. The table was laid out with the latest newspaper and a small pot of wine...
Lu Yu poured a cup for Cao Xiu!
"What is it?"
Cao Xiu took the wine but did not rush to drink. His eyes were fixed on Lu Yu. "Young Master Lu, the brothers of the Long Xiao Battalion have been discussing why Young Master Lu adopts different strategies for the different barbarian tribes?"
"For example, with the Southern Xiongnu, Young Master Lu actually supported intermarriage. For the Xianbei, Young Master Lu merely sold large quantities of Five-Stone Powder. However, regarding the strategy for the Wuhuan, there is much speculation in the camp. Young Master Lu wants to conquer them. Everyone is curious, why is this? Why treat the three barbarian tribes differently?"
Cao Xiu's question represented the thoughts of almost all the soldiers in the Long Xiao Battalion...
Many times, the soldiers could not fathom Lu Yu's intentions!
Of course...
This did not affect morale, but it was somewhat perplexing, and they hoped to find an answer.
"Phew..."
Hearing this, Lu Yu paused, thought for a moment, and then replied, "Do you and the soldiers want to know?"
"Yes!" Cao Xiu nodded.
Lu Yu smiled faintly. "Very well, today I will tell you why the strategy for the Wuhuan must be conquest, while the strategy for the Xianbei and Southern Xiongnu is primarily appeasement!"
Lu Yu picked up a cup of tea and took a sip.
"The brothers likely do not know what the Wuhuan are, do they?"
Lu Yu narrowed his eyes and began to meticulously narrate the origins of the Wuhuan to Cao Xiu.
To discuss the origins of the Wuhuan...
We must first talk about the human races distributed within China!
One is the "Ancient Southern Chinese" type, primarily distributed in the coastal areas south of the Huai River. Their facial features are a broad nose, thick lips that protrude forward, and they created the Hemudu culture.
The second is the "Ancient Central Plains" type, primarily distributed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. They created cultures like Yangshao, Longshan, and Dawenkou.
For example, the remains found in the tombs of Yin Xu in Anyang, the hometown of a certain ubiquitous and beloved, flower-blooming, yet unsuccessful author, Niu Nai Tang Tang Tang, were mainly of this type.
There is also the "Ancient Northwestern" type who created the Majiayao culture;
The "Ancient Northern Chinese" type who created the Xiajiadian Upper Stratum culture, and the "Ancient Northeastern" type!
In addition to these, what follows is the "Ancient Mongolian Plateau Type," which is closely related to the origin of the Wuhuan!
As the name suggests, this type of race was mainly distributed in the Mongolian Plateau and surrounding areas, characterized by a low cranial vault, prominent cheekbones, and a wide face. In ancient times, many ethnic groups belonged to the "Ancient Mongolian Plateau Type," including the Xiongnu, the Eastern Hu, and later the Mongols and Khitans!
According to the "Book of the Later Han," the Wuhuan were "Eastern Hu," and both were part of the process of Chinese origin.
Simply put, during the Qin and Han Dynasties, the Xiongnu shattered the Wuhuan. One branch of the Eastern Hu people, dispersed by the Xiongnu, reassembled around Mount Wuhuan, thus giving rise to the Wuhuan.
And after the Eastern Hu were completely conquered by the Xiongnu, the Wuhuan people lived a miserable life!
They had to provide cattle, sheep, and horse hides to the Xiongnu every year. If they couldn't, their wives and children would be captured by the Xiongnu!
Lu Yu concisely explained the origins of the Wuhuan to Cao Xiu...
Cao Xiu listened patiently. It seemed that the history of these barbarians was a huge blind spot for him... and for all the soldiers!
"Have the Wuhuan always lived such a miserable life?"
Cao Xiu asked in return...
Lu Yu continued: "That's right. It wasn't until Emperor Wu's reign that the Han army launched the Battle of Mobei. Although this campaign did not achieve the goal of completely annihilating the main force of the Xiongnu Chanyu, Huo Qubing's army in the east severely damaged a part of the Left Virtuous King, breaking the Xiongnu's control over the eastern region. Furthermore, on their way back, they conveniently relocated the Wuhuan people near the Han border!"
"They were made to bear the responsibility of monitoring the Xiongnu for the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty also established the position of Wuhuan Commander to monitor the ethnic groups outside the northeastern frontier, including the Wuhuan! They were to block their private contact with the Xiongnu!"
"Hiss..."
Hearing this, Cao Xiu asked in return, "In this way, wouldn't the Wuhuan be caught between the Han and the Xiongnu?"
"That's right!" Lu Yu nodded. "So, thanks to the Marquis Who Pacifies the Champions, Huo Qubing, the Wuhuan's existence in the cracks officially began! Of course, they also attempted to resist, but they were defeated by the Han Dynasty and honestly served as their border sentinels!"
"After that, the Xin Mang Dynasty was established. Through Wang Mang's series of clumsy operations, he successfully provoked all the frontier ethnic groups. During Emperor Guangwu's reign, the Wuhuan, along with the Xiongnu, continuously launched attacks on the Han Dynasty's borders. To the extent that the prefectures and counties north of Mount Yanshan were basically destroyed by the Wuhuan! Emperor Guangwu sent General Fubo, Ma Yuan, to conquer the Wuhuan, but he suffered a great defeat and returned. From then on... the areas north of Mount Yanshan in the Han Dynasty had effectively fallen and have not yet been recovered!"
Mentioning this...
Cao Xiu's brows furrowed, and his fists clenched.
As a Han person, he could not tolerate the loss of even an inch of territory! This was the Han spirit and Han bone... the bottom line of the Han people!
This ignited the ferocity within him.
"So, the area north of Mount Yanshan, where the Wuhuan are located, was once our Han territory!"
"That's not all!" Lu Yu continued. "After Emperor Guangwu's great defeat in conquering the Wuhuan, the following year, he adopted a 'redemption policy' towards the Wuhuan, presenting them with silks and grains to stop their attacks on the Han Dynasty!"
"Three years later, the Wuhuan pledged allegiance to the Han Dynasty, and the Han Dynasty officially allowed them to cross the original border line and move into the areas north of Mount Yanshan in large numbers! This is when You Province was formed!"
"Afterward... the Xiongnu were internally divided, and the Wuhuan also split into two. The Wuhuan north of the frontier actively aligned themselves with the Xianbei, while the Wuhuan south of the frontier, facing the dual pressure from the Wuhuan outside the frontier and the Xianbei, chose to align with the Han! In order to preserve the areas north of Mount Yanshan that they had encroached upon from the Han Dynasty!"
"Coincidentally, the Han Dynasty also needed a buffer zone with the Xianbei. Thus, the Wuhuan and the Han Dynasty maintained a tacit balance. This was equivalent to one party giving money and grain to the other, and the other party acting as a guard for the first party!"
"This..."
Cao Xiu silently noted down Lu Yu's words. He needed to explain these words to the soldiers of the Long Xiao Battalion, so that they could better understand their "opponents"!
Know yourself and your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles!
"If that is the case, then wouldn't the interaction between the Wuhuan and the Han Dynasty be very deep?" Cao Xiu asked in return.
"Yes! It is very deep." Lu Yu nodded. "This is also one of the reasons why I insist on conquering the Wuhuan..."
"One of the reasons?" Cao Xiu quickly asked.
Lu Yu nodded. "Because of the years of interaction and development between the Wuhuan within the frontier and the Han Dynasty, their lifestyle has become very close to the Han border."
According to the records in "Records of the Three Kingdoms" and "Book of Wei," the Wuhuan within the frontier in the late Eastern Han Dynasty were no longer just a nomadic people. Their economy was very complete, with livestock, agriculture, textiles, metallurgy, forging, and pottery!
They had it all...
This was also the fundamental difference between them and the Xianbei and Southern Xiongnu!
It was also an important basis for Lu Yu to formulate the strategy for the northern expedition against the Wuhuan.
With this in mind, Lu Yu continued:
"In other words, after we conquer the Wuhuan, there are mature economic systems there, capable of growing crops, providing supplies, and also allowing Han people to migrate there, then establish cities and gradually occupy this area completely. However, compared to the Wuhuan, neither the Xianbei nor the Southern Xiongnu have mature economic systems or agricultural development... even if we occupy or capture them, the final outcome will still be to withdraw!"
"Oh..." Cao Xiu tapped his forehead. "So that's how it is. Young Master Lu's thinking is indeed profound."
"Let's continue talking about the Wuhuan... let's talk about this tribe surviving in the cracks." Lu Yu shifted the topic back. "As the pressure from the Xianbei in the north grew, the Wuhuan began to sway back and forth between the north and the south, which caused further internal division among the Wuhuan within the frontier. Some defected to the Xianbei in the north, while others more frequently infiltrated and encroached upon the inner regions of the Han Dynasty, seeking greater living space in the agricultural areas!"
"This is why the Wuhuan have repeatedly raided the border in recent years, and on the frontier, there have been guardians like 'Gongsun Zan' and 'Lu Bu'! The two sides have entered a long period of attrition and warfare. Among the Wuhuan, there have been brave tribal leaders, such as Nan Lou of Shanggu Commandery, Qiu Liju of Liaoxi Commandery, Wu Yan of Youbeiping Commandery, and Su Buyan of Liaodong Commandery. These leaders have all declared themselves kings in their respective territories, and the current Tadun has unified various Wuhuan tribes, becoming the undisputed King of Wuhuan on Mount Baima!"
At this point, Lu Yu asked Cao Xiu meaningfully.
"After hearing so much, can you find the second important reason for the northern expedition against the Wuhuan?"
"This..."
Lu Yu's sudden question made a big question mark appear on Cao Xiu's forehead.
But... thinking along with Lu Yu's words, it seemed... this question was not difficult.
"I know."
Cao Xiu suddenly stood up. "Young Master has just spoken so much about the Wuhuan, and all he mentioned was their survival in the cracks. Since Emperor Wu's reign, they have been gradually shrinking. They are caught between north and south, and their tribes are constantly splitting. It is no exaggeration to say that the Wuhuan are actually a tribe gradually heading towards extinction!"
"And the self-proclaimed kingship of the Wuhuan within the frontier is less a result of inflated power and more a desperate act in a state of chaos!"
"Well said!" Lu Yu also stood up... Cao Xiu's analysis to this extent made him very gratified, extremely gratified.
He patted Cao Xiu's shoulder. "As you said before, the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty temporarily provided fertile ground for Wuhuan incursions, but... this cannot fundamentally change the fact of their tribal decline."
"Precisely because of this, the Southern Xiongnu can be considered a lean camel bigger than a horse, but the Wuhuan are outwardly strong but inwardly weak!"
Lu Yu spoke eloquently, his words logical and well-founded...
After all, as a commander of strategy and tactics, not a single strategy is decided impulsively.
The reason why Cao Cao in history campaigned against the Wuhuan and completely annihilated them, while never taking action against the Southern Xiongnu and Xianbei, was the result of a series of factors.
Firstly, the land of the Wuhuan was arable, and their economic system was perfect. Capturing the Wuhuan was equivalent to Cao Cao gaining a large rear base, capable of continuously supplying the front lines with warhorses, refined iron, and provisions!
But if he were to campaign against the Xianbei or the Southern Xiongnu...
Even if he captured them, Cao Cao would have to spend a lot of money and grain to maintain the victory, a result that Cao Cao could not afford.
Secondly, compared to the Xianbei and the Southern Xiongnu, the Wuhuan were outwardly strong but inwardly weak...
Pacifying Liaodong would only take one battle!
Of course...
Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi fleeing to the Wuhuan was also a reason, but not the main reason!
After Lu Yu's explanation, Cao Xiu understood and became enlightened... He knew how to explain to the soldiers.
Lu Yu was also very pleased...
He walked out of the main tent, greeted by the morning sun, and let out a long breath of turbid air.
"Wen Lie, order the brothers to set off. Let our Long Xiao Battalion reach Ye City earlier!"
"Yes!"
Cao Xiu cupped his hands and accepted the order.
Not long after, the magnificent procession once again traveled on the official road. As they passed each city, signal fires were lit...
The Long Xiao Battalion never stopped, but simply raised the military banner with the words "Long Xiao" high, signaling to the cities they passed that it was the Long Xiao Battalion acting, and no cities along the way needed to stop them!
...
...
In the government office of Ye City.
"Prime Minister, please reconsider the matter of the northern expedition!"
Xi Zhicai earnestly advised Cao Cao...
Xun You's expression was also not good, his brows tightly knitted. "Prime Minister, you must know... during the reign of Emperor Ling, there was also a northern expedition. That time... a hundred thousand troops were lost in the foreign lands beyond the frontier, and only a few dozen people escaped! This shows the terror of those barbarian lands... Prime Minister, please reconsider!"
"Your subordinate agrees..."
"Your subordinate agrees!"
Clearly... the ministers were once again convened to discuss the northern expedition.
Just like the previous time, almost everyone was against it, and everyone was losing heart.
This made Cao Cao's expression particularly unpleasant.
At this moment.
"Prime Minister, Imperial Censor Lu has arrived..."
Xu Chu entered the government office to report...
"Quickly let Ziyu in," Cao Cao said urgently... his gaze fixed intently on the entrance of the government office.
Then, the sound of "tap, tap" footsteps approached from a distance!
Lu Yu strode in briskly...
Beside him was Cao Xiu...
Cao Xiu carried a scarlet banner.
"Ziyu, this..."
Cao Cao looked at the banner, which was somewhat strange, and opened his mouth to ask Lu Yu.
At this moment, Lu Yu did not answer. He simply smiled slightly at Cao Cao, then turned around to face the officials in the government office.
Immediately, he took a brush from somewhere and lifted it, as if lifting a sharp spear.
Lu Yu did not hesitate... he immediately began to write on the red banner with his brush!
"This is..."
Xi Zhicai, Xun You... and a group of civil and military officials crowded over.
Cao Cao's pupils contracted, and he murmured,
"My hair stands on end with rage, I lean against the railing, the wind and rain cease!"
"Lifting my eyes, I look up to the sky and let out a long roar, my heart filled with passionate fervor!"
"Twenty years of fame are dust and earth, eight thousand miles of journey under the moon and stars. Do not wait idly, lest your youthful head turns white, and you grieve in vain!"
"The shame of the frontier has not yet been avenged, the hatred of Baima has not yet been extinguished! Ride the long chariot, crush the mountain pass of Mount Baima. Brave warriors shall feast on the flesh of barbarians, and laugh and drink the blood of the Xiongnu!"
"Hiss..."
As he recited to this point, Cao Cao gasped. His pupils looked towards Yu'er!
In an instant, he felt an endless aura of slaughter from this poem!