Upon hearing this, Banaro immediately ordered them to come over.
With an attitude that left no room for negotiation, he even got so angry that he pulled out a bamboo stick to hit Ren Gui, the envoy of the Western Jin Dynasty, before being shot in the head by the capital guards.
Ren Gui stood before all the Xiongnu soldiers and said, "Banaro, you love your soldiers like your own children. I think you'll never understand those four words."
"Just like the Empress Dowager and Prince Anshan, they will never understand how to love the people as their own children."
Ren Gui turned to the Xiongnu soldiers, raised his arms, and delivered a loud speech: "Now, under heaven, only the Emperor of the Western Jin Dynasty cares about the people. He brings income to the people, so that our people have no worries about food and drink."
"Our neighboring country is well-fed and friendly; we will not do evil to them!"
"These are facts that everyone can see with their own eyes, and they are achievements that our Western Jin emperor has never made before or since!!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the soldiers of the Imperial Guard stood tall and proud, their composure and confidence as soldiers of a great nation vividly displayed before everyone.
They were all soldiers, and this honor came from the bottom of their hearts, making the Xiongnu soldiers envious of the Imperial Guards who lived with more dignity than they did.
In the end, more and more Hun soldiers sided with Ren Gui, while fewer and fewer people remained on Banaro's side.
Banaro saw that his men were dwindling, but he was no match for them. One man cannot withstand a thousand; no matter how he tried to stop them, people kept brushing past him.
Until he frantically tried to persuade everyone by promising benefits based on his parents, children, relatives, and hometown.
In the end, however, he lost because of Rengui's two questions: "Can Barnaro represent the king and promise these benefits?"
"But I represent the Emperor of the Western Jin Dynasty!"
These words drew even more people to Ren Gui, vividly illustrating the saying, "He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world."
Finally, with the assistance of the Imperial Guards, Ren Gui, in a righteous and honorable manner, led 43,000 men to remain in Huayin Kingdom.
Only 8,000 people returned home because of family reasons.
Banaro was incredulous; he was in a foreign land, yet he couldn't stop the morale from crumbling. He was consumed by self-blame and anger, roaring in helplessness, unaware that he was merely a catalyst.
The real mistake was the Northern Hu-Xiongnu system's annexation of land by the nobility.
Otherwise, there wouldn't have been the Liu Cheng Rebellion, in which Liu Cheng led hundreds of thousands of Hu and Xiongnu people to attack cities and seize territories, plundering and consuming grain without paying taxes. This dealt a huge blow to the entire northern Hu and Xiongnu region.
This led to food shortages and rising prices in the Northern Hunnic region, leaving countless people at the bottom of society starving. Before long, they would not be able to survive, and Li Cheng and Zhao Cheng would continue their uprisings.
When news of Banaro bringing back eight thousand men reached the White Vine Palace, Liu Zi breathed a sigh of relief but couldn't help but feel resentful of the cunning of the new Tianjing.
Fortunately, the 50,000 men wouldn't side with Anshan Jun, allowing her to maintain power. Unfortunately, the Northern Huns were demoralized and unable to rally their troops.
It began its decline after Achina came to power.
Moreover, this decline was entirely due to a defeat in a southward campaign. This ironically highlighted the strength of the new Tianjing, winning the allegiance of various smaller nations, including the four Southeast Asian countries they had long coveted.
Aqina had previously spent a lot of money dealing with the four Southeast Asian countries, and had achieved some results. Unfortunately, his presence was not as strong as that of the Jin dynasty, which had accumulated prestige since its ancestors.
In the end, they still lost to the Jin dynasty. They lost to Si Xitong.
When Lord Anshan heard about this scandal involving the surrendered soldiers, he dared not even take in the remaining eight thousand men. His carefully laid plans fell apart once again.
Because of his disgrace, Banaro was relegated to guarding remote areas by the Banaro family and no longer held important positions. The Hun soldiers who returned with them found their homes gone. Famine raged everywhere, and people were resorting to cannibalism. Yet the local court remained indifferent.
Finally, the remaining eight thousand men, armed with hoes, led the charge into the nobleman's house, looted his granary, and distributed the grain to their fellow villagers and families.
The Xiongnu nobles were furious and demanded an explanation from Lord Anshan.
Lord Anshan had put a lot of effort into winning over these nobles, but now these eight thousand people not only hadn't brought him any benefits, but were also provoking him.
Thus, Lord Anshan launched the second civil war to quell Liu Cheng's rebellion—the Qing army's calamity.
A note from the author:
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Chapter 229 The Northern Expedition of the Western Jin Dynasty
The Northern Xiongnu launched a large-scale campaign to quell the unrest, prioritizing deterrence over appeasement. It's not that the Northern Xiongnu lacked astute individuals who understood the consequences of this campaign. However, deterrence was the most crucial approach at the moment, far more important than appeasement.
Lord Anshan represented the interests of the nobility, and the war pitted the commoners against the nobles.
Then the civilians who normally risk their lives for them naturally become enemies.
I believe no one can generously forgive someone who harms their interests.
Appeasing one group today only leads to another rebellion tomorrow, requiring appeasement of yet another, ultimately harming the interests of the nobility. It's better to eliminate them all at once and make an example of them.
Anshan Jun sent Aqina to stay behind and guard the firearms battalion of Baiweng Palace, numbering five thousand.
Five thousand men were dispatched to thoroughly suppress the surrendered soldiers who had instigated the unrest. In just three days, four thousand people died. The remaining four thousand fled the capital with their families, heading south in different directions.
The refugees who went south dared not cross the border and settled down in the vicinity.
After Anshan Jun annihilated four thousand men and found that the remaining men no longer resisted, he intended to give up.
Then he thought of how these Xiongnu soldiers had been moved by someone after only four months in Lu. He couldn't tolerate these people.
He then ordered the remaining troops stationed at the border to wipe out the traitors who had marched south.
But Anshan Jun underestimated the kind of people who had lived on the border since ancient times. Their original masters were Aba Na Apochi and others, and when Aqina pursued Aba, it caused a horrific tragedy here.
He had long lost the support of the people. Now that Aqina is dead, his brother is pointing fingers and giving orders.
The remaining three thousand men on the border did not participate in the mopping-up operation; instead, they absorbed the remaining Xiongnu soldiers, gathering an army of over ten thousand and becoming a force to be reckoned with.
The remaining troops remained loyal to Aba Na and hoped that Aba Na would return to lead the Northern Hu and Xiongnu.
They neither recognized the Empress Dowager nor Anshan Jun, and they loathed the current king. Therefore, only Aba Na could guide them.
It's not that Aba didn't want to come back; he originally had 20,000 people, but unfortunately they were all blocked by Xieji at Luerqu.
They claimed to be helping Xie Ji, but in reality, they had already been held hostage by Xie Ji.
Si Xitong's method of moving troops was ingenious; the further she progressed, the more important her moves became.
Now that Xieji has been moved to the Delta and Luerqu, it not only cuts off Aba's retreat route but also strangles the entire northern region.
As the saying goes, it's easy to invite a god, but hard to send him away. Wu Yuejun may seem to be seeking personal gain, but it's only for short-term benefit. In the long run, his disadvantages will become increasingly apparent.
Because he was about to be put on the defensive, the initiative would fall entirely into the hands of Si Xitong as the strength of the Western Jin Dynasty increased.
Yelü Lili was no exception; Wu Yuejun now regarded him as a mortal enemy. Wu Yuejun also saw him as a separatist force. It was impossible for the two sides to unite against the Western Jin Dynasty.
If they want to retaliate, the sooner the better, ideally now. Unfortunately, they are too caught up in reality to unite.
Now, it's not just Li Li and Wu Yuejun; the entire aristocratic and commoner classes are vertically divided into opposing sides. It's a comprehensive antagonism. The depth of their conflict is like the ocean, utterly irreconcilable.
Yelü Beiluo, the deposed Khan, had clearly been abandoned by the new powers. The old nobles were powerless to support him no matter what.
Wu Yuejun's current actions are like wielding a double-edged sword; she can stab Li Li in the back, but then injure herself in the process.
Not only is Aba unable to leave, but the entire northern region has also fallen into Si Xitong's control without him even realizing it.
All the current events that happened in the country within three days were reported to Jianzhang Palace.
Si Xitong received Ren Gui, an envoy from the Western Jin Dynasty. She heard that Ren Gui had persuaded 42,000 people to join him. These people are currently under the temporary rule of the State of Lu. They are to be allowed to set up camp in Lu.
Si Xitong said, "I hereby order you to personally go to the State of Lu to assist Ma Hu in guarding these 40,000 people."
Ren Gui said, "Your Majesty, these people are loyal to you."
“I know, but it will still take time for them to accept it.” Si Xitong had already made his decision: “The mountains of Luzhou Prefecture are connected to those of other prefectures. I order you to temporarily build a military base to train these people.”
"Everything during this period will be kept secret from the outside world. The fewer people who know, the better."
Upon hearing this, Ren Gui understood the Emperor's meaning.
The Western Jin Dynasty is about to go to war again. And it must be resolved in one go, otherwise if it drags on for another year or two, the Northern Hu and Xiongnu, who were already lagging behind, will catch up and become evenly matched with the Western Jin.
That was truly raising a tiger that would cause future trouble.
"Your Majesty, I wish you a resounding victory and the unification of the country."
Si Xitong nodded in satisfaction: "I'll leave the rest to you."
"How dare I? This is my duty." Faced with the Emperor's gentle and trusting tone, Ren Gui felt how much he was valued.
Ren Gui withdrew from Jianzhang Palace, while Ma Hong, Xie Ying, and Xie Shangguang had already entered the palace.
The three of them entered and stood in the hall, looking somewhat nervous.
Especially when Xie Shangguang saw that the mistress was already wearing a dragon robe, he dared not stare at her anymore.
Seeing how nervous the three of them were, Si Xitong smiled faintly and said, "I have summoned you here today, and I presume you have already guessed what the next task is."
Ma Hong said, "Your Majesty, please give me your orders. I will certainly forge ahead bravely and never back down!"
Xie Ying and Xie Shangguang stood there, suddenly realizing what it meant.
Si Xitong didn't waste any words with the three of them. She stood up and spread out a map of the Northern Hu and Xiongnu, pointing her jade finger at the Red River border: "Seven thousand Xiongnu soldiers are stationed here, though they claim to number ten thousand. It's just right to be close by."
"Now that we are in the Cold War with the First Front, it is not convenient for us to use their methods to launch a northern expedition."
“We’ll go from here,” Si Xitong said, pointing to Ai City. This was the closest northern Hu Xiongnu city to Huayin Kingdom.
Xie Lanzhi once went to this place to guard it, precisely to prevent the Northern Hu and Xiongnu from continuing to reinforce their troops and putting greater pressure on the army's logistics.
Fortunately, the Northern Xiongnu abandoned their reinforcements to preserve their strength, but were severely weakened by Liu Cheng's uprising. The Qing army's military campaigns further exacerbated the division between the lower and upper classes.
Now is the perfect time to enter the Beijing Chemical Industry Park.
After receiving the order, Ma Hong specifically suggested to Si Xitong: "Ma Hu is suitable for guarding the rear, Xie Ying is suitable for being the vanguard, and General Xie can be used as reinforcements."
In fact, Ma Hong had more reliable candidates, but they were not suitable for leading the charge or setting a good example. At this time, Xie Ying, known for her aggressive style, caught the eye of the influential figure.
As for Xie Shangguang, he was only so-so in battle, but he was reliable. The others could charge after them.
Si Xitong said, "Xie Ying will lead five thousand men to scout ahead, while Xie Shangguang will return to provide support from the rear. As for the others, Ma Hong, you can make the arrangements."
"Your humble servant obeys the order!" Ma Hong replied immediately.
Xie Ying and Xie Shangguang had no objections. Although Xie Shangguang also wanted to play forward, he knew he wanted to go, but because he was an only child, his family wouldn't let him take the risk.
It's already good that he can stay in the defense and go to the battlefield now.
Before letting them leave, Si Xitong specifically asked Xie Ying, "If you encounter Li Li at the border, what action will you take?"