Since Xie Lanzhi led a surprise attack, killing Banatu and seizing two cannons, the Xiongnu soldiers who landed on the shore dared not relax their guard any longer, fearing that Xie Lanzhi would launch another surprise attack.
The leader of the three thousand Hun soldiers was Banaro, Arnaud's sworn brother. Banaro was Banatu's elder brother.
Upon learning of his brother's death, Banaro, a high-ranking officer, deeply resented Xie Lanzhi.
Three thousand Xiongnu soldiers landed, and within a day, their high-ranking general, Zhongwei, died on the border of Lu, killed while roasting chicken. This was a disgrace to the Banaro family. Therefore, Banaro publicly declared that Banato had been surrounded and killed by an army of five thousand led by Xie Lanzhi.
Even before his death, Banatu bravely killed five times his number of She soldiers, which is five hundred men.
The Hun soldiers believed this news without question and regarded Banatu as a hero. The surviving soldiers of Banatu were all transferred away from their original positions. Therefore, no one could expose this lie.
When the royal family of the Northern Hu and Xiongnu heard of this, Aqina, in order to commend the warrior, bestowed upon Banatu the golden staff of the third warrior.
The matter snowballed, and propaganda played a positive role, ultimately backfiring on Arnaud and Banaro. The truth about Banato's death became increasingly untouchable.
In a ruthless act, Arnaud ordered Banaro to send the surviving soldiers of Banato to the border of Lu on a secret mission. They were all secretly eliminated in an attempt to cover up the truth.
The secret agent had been keeping watch.
These two spies were Rihe and Yue, who had returned from the Northern Regions. After completing their mission with the eight generals of the Northern Regions, Rihe and Yue moved to the State of Lu to continue monitoring the Central Alliance. Unexpectedly, they discovered that Alna had fabricated lies for the Bana family and claimed credit for them.
Riheyue reported the news directly to Xie Lanzhi.
Upon hearing this, Xie Lanzhi simply felt that his younger brother, Artu, was not very bright. He had many ways to motivate his soldiers; why did he have to use the controversial, dead Banatu as an example?
That's utterly foolish. It seems this person is inept at politics; he might even be less capable than Artur in a war.
Of course, Xie Lanzhi wouldn't laugh at Arna. Since he was able to conquer the Central Alliance, separate the royal family from the military, and to some extent weaken the regimes of smaller states, it showed he had some ability. Therefore, he also left weaknesses.
Xie Lanzhi didn't hesitate to let Riyue cause trouble in the Central Alliance. Ideally, it should reach the Northern Xiongnu. Even if Aqina temporarily compromised for the sake of the situation and suppressed the matter of claiming credit, he would still harbor resentment. She didn't mind planting this small seed first.
Ri and Yue accepted the order and left. These spies never acted honorably, so there was no need to ask questions; they only needed to achieve their objective.
The sun and moon move very quickly.
Just after Arna and Banaro conquered the Kingdom of Li, the King of Li died guarding his state at the palace gate. Before his death, he sent his children to the capital, Tianjing. Suddenly, a Li general rebelled and hunted down his children, attempting to capture them and present them to Arna.
The general from the Li Kingdom was shot dead as soon as he chased after the enemy out of the country. The remaining generals were so frightened that they scattered and dared not pursue them any further.
Ri and Yue put away their guns and began spreading the truth about Banato's real death, from the inside out. Although many people didn't believe it at first.
It wasn't until Banatu's concubine, who remained in the Xiong Kingdom, revealed that Banatu was killed by a knife, not a gunshot. She also revealed that Banatu was killed while roasting chicken at the military camp, when he let his guard down. Furthermore, the ambush was carried out by only fifty men.
When Xie Bing launched a surprise attack on Banatu and seized two cannons, he still had time to move the dead Xie Bing back to Lu State for a proper burial.
That evening, the news caused an uproar in the military camps stationed in both countries.
Arna was still fast asleep in the military camp, embracing the woman sent by the small country. Immediately, someone entered the tent and called for Arna.
Arna got up impatiently and found a group of guards surrounding the military tent. Everyone had a very strange look in their eyes.
He frowned immediately and asked, "What happened?"
A guard informed him: "General, Banaro has been taken to Lord Anshan today."
"What?" Arna asked, immediately puzzled. "Why take him away? Of the four kingdoms, only three remain to be fought. Why did Lord Anshan change the formation at the last minute?"
Xia Wei's expression was indescribable.
"explain!"
Xia Wei then told Al Nai about the rumors circulating today. Al Nai's expression immediately changed drastically. Although he spoke in a pretentious and self-righteous tone, he was actually feeling guilty: "How could Lord Anshan take Shang Wei away just because of a rumor? Isn't he afraid of getting into trouble!"
Xia Wei said, "Whether it's a rumor or not, everyone believes Shang Wei and knows... knows that Zhong Wei Banatu isn't that kind of person."
The rumors are already quite dubious. Everyone who knows Banato knows who he is. So once a rumor spreads, even those who initially disbelieve it will waver due to scrutiny of the nature of those they know. This person wavers, that person wavers. Ten people can make a tiger out of a thousand. Rumors are rarely dispelled without being challenged.
Many of the generals in the Hun army camp came from prominent families, and some were killed on the battlefield in Xiong State, while others were only sons. They should have been the warriors of the Northern Hun who died on the battlefield.
Everyone revered him. Especially Banatu, who was posthumously honored as the third warrior, was admired by all and looked up to.
Until one day, someone told them that the warrior they admired, Banatu, was killed because he was arrogant and careless. He did not earn the title of the third warrior by sacrificing himself.
This makes it impossible for those generals who died for their motherland and their families in the motherland to let it go!
Therefore, the families of the Northern Xiongnu put pressure on their subordinates, hoping that Lord Anshan would investigate. Lord Anshan was surprised to find that someone at the front, who should have been united, was falsely reporting his war achievements in front of him.
To stabilize the situation, Anshan Jun first brought Banaro over for a face-to-face questioning, and then sent someone to have Arnaud testify.
Arnaud reluctantly testified on behalf of Banaro, thus saving Banaro and temporarily quelling the rumors. This was done to divert everyone's attention from Banato.
Arna set a plan to conquer the last three kingdoms in seven days. Then, within a month, he would attack Lu and besiege Xie Ying!
The gimmick of besieging Xie Ying was well-crafted; there was no shortage of targets to divert hatred.
Soon, another 100,000 troops from the Xiongnu army arrived at the Red River border.
The area is now overcrowded, with 200,000 Xiongnu troops stationed there. Lord Anshan directly dispatched 50,000 men to the Central Alliance.
The border defense pressure on the State of Lu suddenly increased a thousandfold or even a hundredfold.
The official in charge was so frightened he dared not sleep. Li Li worried that the Lu state's forces were too small to fight. If they were to send troops again, they might not be able to withstand the attack.
Xie Lanzhi was also a little worried. With 50,000 people stationed in the Central Alliance region, if they were to wipe out the remaining small countries, then it would be Lu's turn.
However, the secret message brought by the Sun and Moon spies quickly relieved her stress.
Ma Hong has already reinforced his forces, which previously annihilated the three kingdoms, with 80,000 more troops converging from the north of the Central Alliance. This means that Lu is located in the south of the Central Alliance, while Ma Hong is in the north. Arna and his forces are sandwiched in the center of the Central Alliance.
Xie Lanzhi immediately clapped her hands and cheered: "As expected of Little Phoenix! First, she destroyed the three kingdoms' garrisons, and then, in addition, she gave benefits to various countries in the Central Alliance, making the passageways between the countries smooth and secure."
"If something goes wrong, the new Tianjing could send troops to drive straight in and surround Al-Na's main force!"
Thinking about how Little Phoenix had efficiently arranged logistics and shortened the battle lines, she felt an urge to go back and give her a good kiss. As long as logistics were fully operational, supplies were plentiful, healing capabilities were maximized, and weapons could be delivered quickly and efficiently, the central region would be Little Phoenix's territory within a year.
Her methods were subtle and understated, yet meticulous and strategic. How could such a wise and intelligent woman exist in this world!
The Sun and Moon spies said separately, "Marshal, His Highness's attention is currently focused on the Delta. Please keep a close eye on the land side as well."
"And our actions regarding Banathon stirred up public sentiment, but they didn't have an immediate effect."
"Don't rush this matter," Xie Lanzhi said. "For us, it's actually a good thing that Al-Na has deliberately set a trap for himself."
"Now is not the time to prove Mao Liang's merits to the Northern Hu and Xiongnu. As long as we plant a seed in their hearts, it will sprout sooner or later!"
All she has to do is watch them fight like dogs.
Xie Lanzhi slapped her hand back and gave Riyue another instruction: "I heard that the current general of the Northern Hu Xiongnu is named Dali Luo, and he is also a disciple of Artu."
“Here’s what we’ll do: you go to the other side and spread rumors and trouble, using Artu’s death to sow discord among him.” Xie Lanzhi paused, her eyes turning icy cold: “We’ll also have to use the Huns as a mouthpiece.”
The secret agents from both sides exchanged glances, then clasped their hands in a fist salute before leaving the military camp.
The situation on the other side of the river was also far from peaceful. Ever since Anshan-kun received Arna's personal assurance, he became increasingly suspicious of Arna's motives. Furthermore, when Banaro was brought to the riverbank, he clearly showed signs of guilt.
Regardless, Al-Na is currently keeping the matter under control. Even if the truth is false, Banatu must still be a true warrior!
We absolutely cannot afford any mistakes at this critical juncture!
Meanwhile, Dali Luo, unable to swallow his anger at not being able to personally lead the expedition, specifically captured Hu people to vent his frustration. He shot them with arrows and hacked them with knives, resulting in a bloody massacre.
When he heard that Banatu had been awarded the title of Third Warrior, he sneered repeatedly, because he was the Second Warrior, and the First Warrior was his master and his adoptive father, Artu!
As Dali Luo continued playing his hack-and-slash game, he soon overheard some Hun soldiers whispering nearby: "Really? No way. No matter how brave Banatu is, he can't compare to the Great General King."
"Besides, Banatu's death was just because he happened to be ambushed and faced Xie Ying!"
"I'm so envious. Just by facing Xie Ying, you can earn the title of Warrior."
"What's there to envy? Everyone outside is praising Banatu, even bringing up the death of the Great General. They're saying the Great General didn't die on the battlefield, but instead died directly at Xie Ying's hands. Clearly, he was arrogant and self-willed, and threw his life away..."
Before the Hun could finish speaking, a fist as hard as a rock shattered his gums.
Chapter 215 Muddy Water Revisited
Dali Luo's punch stunned everyone present. No one dared to utter a sound.
Dali Luo had no desire to kill anymore. He had already waited for more than ten days, and he couldn't wait any longer.
Lord Anshan watched him beat people up; normally, killing some Hu people was one thing, but this time, Dali Luo had started turning on his own people.
He went over specifically to remind Dilraba: "You don't need to pay attention to these rumors."
"Xie Ying is in Lu!" Dali Luo, completely oblivious to the fact that he had attacked the Xiongnu without cause, stared at Lord Anshan and asked, "Has the king given any secret orders?"
"It's my turn now."
"It's my turn too," Anshan Jun's expression changed drastically. He hadn't expected Dali Luo to say it in public.
Anshan Jun immediately cut him off from his unbridled words. His eyes sharpened: "Shut up!"
"Whatever." Unexpectedly, Dali Luo didn't continue the standoff with him. He withdrew his fist, turned around, and left.
The Xiongnu soldier on the ground had already fainted. Lord Anshan ordered him to be taken away, and then commanded people to investigate where the rumors had originated.
Rumors that are clearly inflammatory must be malicious.
Meanwhile, Arnaud and Banaro were constantly searching the border troops of the four kingdoms, trying to find any who had escaped. Before they could confirm this, all those who had followed Banaro were dead.
They breathed a sigh of relief. But not long after, a message came from Anshan Jun, telling them to control the rumors.
The rumors have already affected Daryl. Although it was only for a moment and insignificant, it's hard to guess that they originated from the enemy.
This enemy could be Xie Ying!
When Al-Na learned that Xie Ying might be the troublemaker, he was furious. Even he couldn't stand these rumors. Not to mention Dali Luo.
Arnaud immediately questioned the soldiers and discovered that not a single one of them knew who had started it.
He directly forbade the soldiers from spreading the rumors, but while mouths can be silenced, people's hearts cannot be stopped. Arnaud's forceful control of speech only fueled the rumors.
There are even rumors that the reason Dali Luo killed a Hun soldier was because he forbade the soldier to speak ill of General Wang Artu.
But the dead Hun soldiers told the truth: Artu was indeed inferior to Banatu, who at least conquered the Xiong Kingdom. Artu, however, died in the neighboring Lu Kingdom. (Niliubi)
Dali Luo's violent and eccentric behavior, coupled with his personality, made this rumor sound very plausible. Even those who didn't believe it would start to believe it after a little scrutiny.
Because Dali Luo did indeed strike an innocent Hun soldier, who died that same day from excessive blood loss.
The deaths of the Huns terrified the Huns who were part of the same group. Everyone felt insecure.
Al-Na did not expect that the rumors would spread even more widely despite being banned.
To avoid affecting morale, Al-Na led his men directly into the Ma Liu Kingdom.