C164. Victory's Tears.
Having won the battle, Chuhe Chao ordered the slaughter of thousands of sheep to reward the army.
The bonfire burned, and the aroma of meat filled the air. The camp was lively, like a festive celebration, with soldiers eating heartily and making a lot of noise.
Chu Hechao sat at the head, holding a wine jug and looking at the sky above the grassland.
The stars in the sky seemed to be within reach, and Chu Hechao thought to himself that he would bring Yuan Li to see the grassland scenery someday.
The quartermasters who brought the livestock for the rear also arrived, presenting Chu Hechao with a package, "General, these are the items that your subordinate requested from Duke Wen."
Chu Hechao picked up the package, somewhat surprised and pleased. He had only joked about it before and didn't expect Yuan Li to actually send him anything, let alone a pleasant surprise.
Chu Hechao put down the wine jug, took the package, and slowly felt the texture of the package.
The firelight cast a warm glow on him, melting away the fierceness and determination from the recent battles, giving him a more approachable appearance. Even the smile at the corner of his mouth was filled with satisfaction.
Seeing his expression, those around him grew curious. Their eyes kept drifting to the package, eager to know what Yuan Li had sent.
But Chu Hechao ordered them not to pry before he opened the package.
To their disappointment, the package contained his old clothes.
Chu Hechao: "..."
He reluctantly took out his clothes and threw them aside, finding nothing else in the package, not even a note.
Once given permission by Chu Hechao, Yuan Congyun peeked inside and sighed disappointedly, "General, it's just your clothes, why did you make us not look?"
Thinking it was a new set of armor!
Chu Hechao chuckled in annoyance, sarcastically pushing his clothes back into the package, "Yes, I never expected it to be my old clothes."
Yuan Congyun felt a hint of gritted teeth in his tone, but seeing Chuhe Chao still smiling, he thought he had misheard, "The grassland nights are cold and damp, Duke Wen must be concerned you might catch a cold, showing his care."
Chu Hechao didn't mention that the clothes were old and couldn't provide warmth. He just smiled politely, "You're right. Since Duke Wen is so concerned about me, I should find a way to repay him. Let's rest here for a few days and then set off as soon as possible."
Everyone agreed.
*
After resting, Chu Hechao joined forces with the army of Lu He.
The army of the Zuoxian was larger than that of the Youxian's, and Lu He could not hold off all of them, allowing twenty thousand Xiongnu remnants to escape to the north of the desert.
Lu He felt guilty, "I brought too few troops and wanted to completely annihilate... I ended up letting some remnants go."
"No matter," Chu Hechao had anticipated this, saying, "The Xiongnu remnants are not a threat. After this battle, there is no longer a King's Court in the south of the desert. The main forces of the Youxian's and Zuoxian's have been almost completely wiped out by us. The Xiongnu have fled far away and are unable to move south again, the Xiongnu that has troubled our borders for centuries can no longer threaten us."
The simple words moved Lu He to tears, his emotions overwhelming him as countless words formed in his throat but remained unspoken, eventually reaching out to pat Chu Hechao's shoulder with all his might.
Indeed, the Xiongnu were completely defeated, and they no longer had the ability to engage in direct confrontation.
They had achieved what their ancestors could not.
This battle would surely make them renowned in history!
After the excitement subsided, Lu He looked around and asked, "General, where are the Wuhuan people?"
As soon as he asked, Lu He watched as Chu Hechao's face darkened, showing some disdain as he said, "The Wuhuan people conspired with the Youxian's forces, pretending to let Huyan Hutu and the Youxian Prince go. If I hadn't arrived in time, the Xiongnu Chanyu would have already escaped."
After the initial shock, Lu He was furious, cursing at the treacherous and heartless nature of these people. "I knew these barbarians were all untrustworthy, each more ruthless and treacherous than the other. Letting them attack the Xiongnu was their chance to gain merit. Have they lost their minds? To dare to secretly let the Xiongnu Chanyu escape! Despicable, truly despicable!"
Chu Hechao listened quietly to his tirade and then spoke in a deep voice, "When I return, I will question those Wuhuan people."
Strongly supporting Chu Hechao's decision, Lu He patted his chest and said, "General, we have fought together twice. If you need it, just tell me, and I, Lu He, will definitely come to your aid with my troops."
Chu Hechao smiled, "Then I thank Prefect Governor Lu He."
In the campaign against the Xiongnu, they eliminated over 150,000 Xiongnu soldiers, captured 200,000, and seized a total of 500,000 livestock, including 100,000 warhorses. Additionally, they acquired leather goods, tents, and precious metals from the Xiongnu, greatly replenishing their military resources.
Since Chu Hechao had the largest number of soldiers and had expended the most effort, he divided the spoils into four parts. He took two-fifths as the main force, then took the one-fifth that the Wuhuan people should have received, and finally gave one-fifth to Lu He.
Despite receiving only one-quarter of the spoils, Lu He had no complaints and instead grinned broadly. The Xiongnu captives were of no use to him, so Chu Hechao let him have all of them in exchange for livestock and precious metals.
After just this one battle, Lu He received tens of thousands of livestock, which was several times more than the losses he incurred while fighting the Xiongnu.
Upon receiving these goods, Lu He's first thought was to slaughter and eat all the livestock except for the horses, providing food for several years at least. However, he remembered the thriving Youzhou and Bingzhou, managed by Yuan Li, and approached Chu Hechao to ask, "General, how does Duke Wen handle all these livestock?"
Chu Hechao glanced at him and explained briefly, "Raise them, establish a livestock ranch. Use the horses for the army, and the cattle and sheep can be used for food in the army or sold in the south."
Cattle and sheep were much more valuable in the south than in the north.
Lu He nodded in realization, "So, your army and Duke Wen's forces are strong because you frequently consume meat?"
Chu Hechao nodded slightly.
Lu He pondered this and decided to follow Yuan Li's lead and try it out when he returned.
*
Without waiting for Chu Hechao to come back and reprimand the Wuhuan people, after receiving news that Chu Hechao had killed Puyan and the eldest son of Dadan with random arrows, Yuan Li swiftly dispatched troops to Youzhou Shanggu County and Yuyang County, surrounding the remaining Wuhuan people.
He appointed Jia Qing as the general and Zhou Gongdan as the strategist to deal with Dadan, and instructed Wu Kai and Guo Mao to collaborate in handling the remnants of Duyan's forces.
These four men rarely commanded operations themselves, especially Zhou Gongdan and Guo Mao, who were excited to take on their roles as strategists for the first time. The various Wuhuan forces in Youzhou were heterogeneous, totaling another 100,000 individuals, busy with nomadic activities but presenting some challenges. For them, this was a golden opportunity to make a significant contribution.
After discussing how to deal with the Wuhuan tribes, these four men quickly set out.
Military movements in Wen Fiefdom and Youzhou were frequent, especially during the campaign against the Xiongnu. When Dadan learned that an army was advancing towards Shanggu County, he didn't pay much attention, thinking it was merely passing through to support Chu Hechao on the grasslands.
However, when the city where the Wuhuan people were located was surrounded by soldiers from Youzhou, Dadan was taken aback, nearly falling off the bed in shock.
Shocked and angered, Dadan wondered what Yuan Li was up to!
He immediately sent his subordinates to the city walls to question the situation. They were subjects of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, allied with Chu Hechao and Yuan Li, and had sent troops to assist Chu Hechao in attacking the Xiongnu.
Why were they now being surrounded by Yuan Li's troops?
Did Chu Hechao win the Xiongnu war and now consider them useless?
Was he planning to turn against them?
This double-dealing and betrayal, wouldn't the world condemn Yuan Li for it!
People in the Central Plains always fought for a just cause, with reasons. Yuan Li's actions were really unfair. Dadan had confidence, and the subordinates sent to question were also very confident.
Zhou Gongdan calmly recited the reasons Chu Hechao had told by Lu He. "The Wuhuan people conspired with the Xiongnu to let the Xiongnu Chanyu and Youxian Prince escape when victory was imminent. Tell your leader that his son and Duyan have committed foolish acts and have both been beheaded by the Grand General. The Wuhuan people have betrayed Duke Wen, the General, and the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Our actions are justified!"
As Dadan anxiously awaited indoors, upon hearing that his son had been killed by Chu Hechao, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted.
When he regained consciousness, he was partially paralyzed, unable to speak clearly, his speech fragmented.
His subordinates were in a panic, and chaos reigned in the Wuhuan tribe.
The outcome was decided.
Chu Hechao left in early spring and returned in early summer.
Upon his return to Youzhou, the war against the Wuhuan people led by Zhou Gongdan and Jia Qing was nearing its end. Chu Hechao took a brief look at the city that had been occupied by the Wuhuan people for twelve years, standing silently in front of the ruins.
Twelve years ago, these cities had become the strongholds of the Wuhuan people.
The people within the city were relocated, and their homes were brazenly occupied by the Wuhuan.
Twelve years ago, Chu Hechao, who had defeated the Wuhuan and forced them to submit to Northern Zhou, was bestowed the title of Grand General and hailed as a hero and war god of Northern Zhou. However, the people of the five commanderies of Youzhou, who were forced to cede their homes and lived in constant fear of the Wuhuan within their own lands, never considered Chu Hechao a hero.
Jia Qing and Zhou Gongdan stood silently behind Chu Hechao, most likely intuiting his thoughts.
For every Northerner, the annihilation of the Xiongnu was a dream come true. For the people of Youzhou, only a Youzhou without the Wuhuan was their true home.
"Alas," Zhou Gongdan sighed softly, yet broke into a gentle smile. Gazing up at the gray sky, his heart filled with tranquility, he murmured, "It's finally over."
Jia Qing's eyes welled up with unshed tears.
Yes, the external threat was finally gone.
The Xiongnu were no more.
Chu Hechao ordered his men to bring wine and poured three bowls, spilling them before the Wuhuan city in memory of all the brothers and people who had lost their lives to the Wuhuan over the past twelve years.
"Shanggu, Yuanyang, Liaoxi, Liaodong, and Youbeiping, the five commanderies," Chu Hechao whispered, "all have returned. You may now rest in peace."
He remained in Youzhou for a day, then the next morning, he spurred his horse and galloped ahead of the main army, heading towards Jizhou.
News of the Xiongnu's annihilation spread rapidly throughout the south of the desert.
Upon hearing the news, old men hobbled out of their courtyards, leaning on their canes, and knelt on the ground, weeping profusely as they kowtowed. Young men raised their axes and hoes in the fields and streets, cheering and shouting the news to passersby.
Women wiped away tears in their homes, their sobs uncontrollable. Children, in their innocence, wiped the tears from their mothers' faces, asking in confusion, "Mother, why are you and Grandma crying?"
The old woman's rough, weathered hands caressed the child's tender cheek, her voice choked with emotion, "These are tears of joy."
The child asked, "Joy for what?"
"Joy that from now on, no one will come to steal your mother away, no one will come to steal our family's food..."