Si Xitong successfully set a precedent in the direction of Luerqu, giving the Hu and Xiongnu a chance to act at a predictable time.
Adding fuel to the fire and forcing growth can actually lead to success in chaotic times. This is the iron-fisted approach a ruler should have in times of turmoil.
Xie Lanzhi praised, "Little Phoenix's move is brilliant. In this way, you will keep the future war with the Northern Hu and Xiongnu within the northern region."
"As long as the Northern Hu and Xiongnu cannot go out to sea and are imprisoned in the northern region, the central defense line will be as solid as a rock."
Meanwhile, the little phoenix who kept the covenant will see her reputation as God soar in every country.
After receiving her praise, Si Xitong finally picked up the remaining half bowl of rice and ate it with the hot soup.
Xie Lanzhi was somewhat amused and exasperated: "When I go to Huayin this time, you can ask Wu Qiu for advice on what decisions you will make in Tianjing."
"Wu Qiu is too cunning. He's more inclined to think about you, so he can't truly work for me for the time being." Si Xitong immediately added Wu Qiu to her list of people she wouldn't use.
Wu Qiu is a strategist, but he prioritizes stability in his actions and always seems hesitant to act freely.
Xie Lanzhi asked, "Do you have some other plans?"
Si Xitong told him, "I am going to send him on a private visit to the countryside."
An imperial envoy? Xie Lanzhi felt that Xiao Fenghuang's move was intended to train Wu Qiu. After all, Wu Qiu was a retainer of the Xie family, having been raised there since his youth, almost like a scion of a prominent family.
Having not experienced much hardship, even if intelligent, their ideas tend to be unconventional. While they are generally reliable in their work, they lack a willingness to take risks.
Xie Lanzhi then thought of the ministers under Little Phoenix who were highly regarded, and they were completely different from her. Take Zhang Changle, for example; he was capable of anything, even causing the most outrageous incidents. Ma Hong, on the other hand, was fiercely opposed to evil and fearless in the face of danger.
There were also spies from the six major military strategists, and it's said that the Eight Generals were instigated by these spies. There were also the Qiankun spies operating covertly on the Yue battlefield. Each of them was a bold, fearless, courageous, and resourceful individual.
Let's look at the people in her camp. Xie Ji is somewhat intelligent but lacks decisiveness, while Xie Guang is highly skilled in combat but doesn't use his brain much.
Xie Lanzhi suddenly rubbed her forehead. Well, Wu Qiu really needs some exercise.
What does Lanzhi think?
"You make the decision; you don't always need to ask me," Xie Lanzhi said. "You're better at selecting talent than I am."
Li Li received news that Yelü Wen had secretly colluded with the Huns, seized Luerqu for himself, and let the enemy into the capital. He was on his way to Yifan.
Li Li was furious, and at the same time, Al-Na launched another attack. This attack was more intense than before. Al-Na created enormous pressure on his border defenses.
Xie Ji then regretted sending 30,000 troops to the Delta, leaving him short-handed.
However, Si Xitong was not unprepared. The Sun and Moon Secret Agents proactively assisted in the evacuation. Li Li had no choice but to entrust his people to Qiankun.
Although he felt that immigration was very difficult.
When the grand treasure ship of the new Tianjing sailed directly from Lu State to Yifan, its craftsmanship was more exquisite than any I had seen before, and its capacity had increased by 20%. It could hold 1,500 people.
There were fifteen large ships in total, like fifteen mountains. Each ship could make two round trips to Lu in a single day. They could carry 45,000 people a day.
The people of Luochuan were terrified when they heard that the Xiongnu were approaching. They all began to turn back.
Bei Luo issued a death order, dispatching 100,000 troops to block Luoxi and fight the Xiongnu to the death. Unexpectedly, the Xiongnu did not participate this time. Instead, the Eight Generals stormed into the city and opened a liaison for the Xiongnu.
The eight generals totaled 200,000 men. After deducting those who were willing not to risk their lives, there were still about 100,000 left.
With firearms, the 100,000 men inflicted heavy losses on the barbarian troops in Luoxi. Luoxi fell after only three days.
With Luochuan's army about to besiege the city, Beiluo had no choice but to seek help from Li Li and Xie Ji.
Xie Ji is currently busy resisting Al Na and has no time to deal with Bei Luo. Half of Li Li's men are stationed at the border, leaving him with very few available.
Unexpectedly, before the front lines were breached by the Huns, the rear was taken over.
Li Li was furious. Since the rear couldn't be defended, the entire region would inevitably be attacked from both sides. Li Li then received orders from Si Xitong to withdraw his troops to the State of Lu, leaving the region behind.
Ichiban's strategic location has always been advantageous, with easy access to waterways in all directions. Giving it up would be a strategic defeat. After all, Ichiban has incredibly convenient waterways, and it also possesses a vast amount of grain.
Xie Ji was also completely baffled. It wasn't until the two secret agents, Riyue and Sun, delivered a new strategy.
"Since we can no longer hold out, we must immediately retreat to Lu and rejoin the Marshal. We must not let a small matter cause us to lose a greater one."
Xie Ji learned that the marshal had already dispatched troops to Huayin Kingdom, and that Huayin Kingdom was only a day's journey by water from Lu Kingdom. He was overjoyed; the marshal's appearance in Huayin Kingdom at this critical juncture, could it be...?
Li Li learned that Xie Lanzhi was in Huayin Kingdom. His resolve softened.
Could the Marshal's strategy in Huayin Kingdom be...?
Xie Ji and Li Li guessed the same thing. Soon they divided the work and began to evacuate while resisting Al-Na.
The Sun and Moon Secret Service also withdrew the Type 94 wheeled cannon. Although the cannon's range was only 150 meters, its advantage lay in the large quantity of shells, making it suitable for widespread use. After that, it depended on how people used it.
Al-Na also has 800-meter cannons, but they haven't fired them in a long time.
Li Li and Xie Ji believed that this cannon could not be moved so easily. Wheel-mounted cannons, on the other hand, could be pushed to the front line as long as the road was level.
Five Type 94 cannons were pushed to the fourth sand trench to face Arna's troops. The Type 94 cannons began to bombard the trenches as if they were free, and the bombardment made Arna's troops start to question their existence.
The Hungarian vanguard abandoned even their chariot shields and hastily withdrew from the border.
Arna learned that the Xie family had put new cannons into use again, and in large numbers.
Arna immediately counted his men and found that only 400 of his thousand-strong force remained, and his cavalry numbered only 15,000. If the Xie clan suddenly charged into the border, they feared they would not be able to withstand the enemy's firepower.
Just as Al-Na began to feel hesitant, fearing that Xie and Li Li would take the initiative to attack the Red River border.
Li Li and Xie Ji have already boarded a large ship bound for the State of Lu.
The remaining soldiers, along with some elderly, weak, and disabled, skillfully hid inside the base.
Arna's scouts had just reported the matter. He quickly led his men into the border area, only to be attacked by Xie's troops at the base entrance. Many men died.
Arna sent out a cavalry force of one thousand men to take a different route, but they were unexpectedly overwhelmed by a herd of cattle and sheep from the base and were completely wiped out. Arna nearly fainted upon receiving the devastating news.
He soon received a message from the rear guard: "100,000 troops are on their way, do your best to ensure a coordinated attack from within and without."
Luochuan's army soon besieged the city. Yelü Wen, however, did not rush to attack Luochuan. Instead, he hoped that Luochuan's ministers could persuade Beiluo to give way.
Dan Yuhou was waiting, and he was growing extremely impatient. He planned to attack Luochuan tomorrow.
The Hu people of Luochuan were now terrified and didn't know what to do. Then, someone spread the word that fleeing there would bring them salvation. The Crown Prince's army had firearms and cannons, which could stop the invasion of the Northern Hu and Xiongnu.
Many Hu people believed it and moved there with their families. Even the nobles of the great barbarians moved there, only to find it deserted, with only a few soldiers left to guard it.
Chapter 209 Xie Lanzhi Attacks Huayin Kingdom
Moreover, Xie Bing quickly withdrew to the base as soon as the appointed time arrived.
There's no way to get to the Al-Na base right now. It's not like you can just blast an exit out of it. The ground here is rocky; a single blast would cause it to collapse, making it impossible to get in. On the contrary, Xie Bing and the Fan soldiers know where to find hidden paths to escape. So even if there's no main road, the base must have secret passages leading out.
Those Xie Bing and the barbarian soldiers who hadn't evacuated immediately went to the base. The barbarian soldiers learned that the Great Barbarians had also arrived, bringing with them many civilians.
Some of the barbarian soldiers, feeling sorry for the people, wanted to go out and bring them in, but they were captured by the Xiongnu soldiers halfway and interrogated about the base's exit. The barbarian soldiers bit off their tongues and committed suicide on the spot to preserve the base's secret.
Arna also led his vanguard into the area and saw the Dafan and Luochuan migrants. While the Xiongnu soldiers were still engaged in executions, they immediately turned on the Dafan and the civilians, killing many.
Meanwhile, Shan Yuhou said that the attack would begin tomorrow, but Yelü Wen was too indecisive and still harbored illusions about his own people.
That night, without Yelü Wen's knowledge, Shan Yuhou ordered 5,000 Xiongnu soldiers to attack Luochuan, blow open the gates, rush into the main palace, and drag Beiluo, who was still asleep, out of bed.
During the day, Bei Luo was still discussing with his ministers how to negotiate with the Xiongnu to allow them to pass, but he did not expect the Xiongnu to be so untrustworthy and attack that very night.
With Bei Luo captured, the 100,000 elite troops were put on the defensive. No one dared to take any action.
Yelü Wen never expected that Shan Yuhou had captured his father, the Khan, behind his back. He steeled himself and went to see the captured Beiluo.
Bei Luo was clearly still dumbfounded. He never expected that the seemingly impregnable Luochuan would be so fragile and easily breached.
He also watched the Hun soldiers guarding him, each armed with a firearm. If anyone attacked, they would quickly fire, then reload just as quickly, killing one person at a time.
Bei Luo looked at this weapon; killing someone was as easy as crushing an ant.
Moreover, each Xiongnu soldier had at least five lives on their hands. Along the way, the Xiongnu soldiers, relying on cannons and firearms, had already killed 30,000 people. In just three days.
This shocking figure stunned North Korea and its ministers.
The destructive power of firearms in war is far more bloody than anyone can imagine.
Dan Yuhou forced Beiluo to abdicate in favor of Yelü Wen. He believed that as long as Beiluo abdicated and became the Khan of the Taibu tribe, he could survive and continue living in Luochuan.
Dan Yuhou's simple and brutal operation was highly efficient. Bei Luo struggled for a moment before finally signing the edict of abdication. Whether the ministers and generals of Luochuan were convinced or not, under the suppression of the firearms troops, they had no choice but to submit.
The following day, Yelü Wen hastily ascended the throne of the Upper Khan. He had expected the Empress Dowager of Luochuan to fight to the death, but to his surprise, the ministers were all secretly courting him. The defection was remarkably swift.
Yelü Wen, who was originally wary of etiquette and the hearts of the people, began to act recklessly, relying on Shan Yuhou's firearms troops as his backing.
First, Yelü Lili was stripped of his title as Crown Prince of the Northern Regions, and then Lili was branded a traitor and charged with desertion in the face of battle.
Li Li's retreat was indeed without informing Bei Luo or giving any notice. His abrupt departure also angered others in Luo Chuan. The Luo Chuan ministers seized the opportunity to suppress Li Li, hoping to gain some advantage.
The benefits that come with this are simply too tempting.
Many people had long coveted the throne. If it weren't for the Crown Prince's power, they wouldn't have dared to speak up. Now, the Crown Prince has become a traitor, hated by everyone. Many opportunists are taking advantage of this situation.
The patriotic people of Luochuan were dissatisfied with Yelü Wen's distortion of the truth and despised his usurpation of power by abusing his father's influence and colluding with foreign powers to seize the country. This group of patriots organized an assassination squad to assassinate Yelü Wen.
Shan Yuhou was responsible for protecting Yelü Wen. Most of these assassination squads were wiped out by the firearms operators. Shan Yuhou also used bloody methods to enforce collective punishment, arresting the families of the assassination squad members and executing them at the entrance of the market.
For seven consecutive days, the main capital of Luochuan was ravaged by bloodshed. The surviving residents kept their doors shut, and the streets were deserted. A chilling spring wind blew, carrying with it the stench of blood. It was like a living hell.
The rebels perished, and the invaders ran rampant in the streets. Al-Na also gradually seized control of the area. They began searching for water, intending to cut off the base's water supply and starve the surviving barbarian and Xie soldiers.
When Shan Yuhou received news that Alna had already conquered a territory, he had no time to rejoice before he heard that Xie Zhu had led five thousand men into Huayin Kingdom.
Dan Yuhou's expression changed instantly: "Why did that monster suddenly go to Huayin Kingdom?"
"Does she dare to lead her troops directly north?"
Dan Yuhou felt this was far too presumptuous. Then, thinking of An Shan's death at her hands, he felt a strange, inexplicable fear. In any case, he couldn't possibly underestimate Xie Zhu!
When Yelü Wen heard that Xie Lanzhi had entered Huayin Kingdom, he was still immersed in the joy of sitting on the throne of the Upper Khan. He did not have the same sense of crisis as Shan Yuhou regarding Xie, who had withdrawn from the battlefield and had not appeared for some time.
Because he had met Xie Zhu even earlier than Hu Xiong. No matter how exaggerated the rumors were, he still couldn't forget the expression on Xie Zhu's face when Huang Mang provoked him. He was as docile as a little lamb.
Yelü Wen said, "Xie Ying is not as terrible as you imagine. She only gained the upper hand by relying on firearms."
"Now that Your Majesty's good brother, the leader of the Mohist school, has invented numerous superior firearms and increased their numbers, we shouldn't be afraid of her!"
Dan Yuhou glanced at Yelü Wen and reminded him, "Don't forget, she relies entirely on surprise attacks in battle."
"Based on this alone, even a strategist couldn't analyze what she was planning to do next?"
Yelü Wen dismissed it, saying, "Does she dare to lead five thousand men north? The country has a million people; why would it fear a mere five thousand?"