My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 62 A Powerful Enemy of the Celestial Empire (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

The Xiongnu people also knew that they were not good at attacking fortified positions, so they began to play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses.

They only raided southwards, grabbing whatever they could and leaving, rarely venturing into fortified cities or strategic passes.

The Han army could only be led by the nose, and in the end, they had no choice but to begin building the Great Wall.

But how can you guard against thieves for a thousand days if you're a thief for a thousand days?

Prolonged defense inevitably leads to defeat; border passes were still breached from time to time, resulting in heavy losses.

"But the Han Dynasty did not do nothing; they began to study their opponents' strengths and learn from them to find ways to deal with them."

"As mentioned earlier, agricultural societies actually have a variety of industries developing simultaneously."

"If needed, the imperial court can use resources from other industries to subsidize and cultivate a particular industry, enabling it to develop rapidly."

"Thus, the horse administration was established."

"From Emperor Gaozu to the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing, after more than seventy years of development, by the time of Emperor Wu of Han, the Han Dynasty had hundreds of thousands of warhorses."

"Having warhorses alone is not enough; we also need cavalry."

"But the people of the grasslands grow up on horseback from childhood, while Han soldiers only have the opportunity to come into contact with warhorses after they enlist."

"Even with training without eating, drinking, or sleeping, they are not as skilled as the Huns."

"If the Xiongnu cavalry scored 90 points, then the Han Dynasty cavalry only scored 85 points, still at a disadvantage."

"Since training can't solve the problem, let's use technology."

"Thus, the Takahashi saddle and stirrup were invented."

In the past, Western learning flourished, and public intellectuals were everywhere.

Saddles, stirrups, and horseshoes were all invented in the West, even though the earliest stirrups have been unearthed in China.

Moreover, the tomb dates back to the Han Dynasty.

Even so, some people close their eyes and refuse to admit it, insisting that it's just an isolated case and not evidence.

Later, stirrups were unearthed in other places, and they changed their story again.

The shape of the unearthed artifacts differs from that of modern stirrups, so it cannot be proven that they are stirrups.

All I can say is that they've been eating too much dog food and really think they're dogs; they've forgotten they're human beings.

But in the Ming Dynasty, no one dared to say that this was a Western invention.

Knowing the significance of this item to the cavalry, Chang Yuchun, Li Wenzhong, and others couldn't help but get excited.

Because what followed was definitely a major counterattack by the Han Dynasty, followed by the emergence of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, which completely reversed the situation between the Han and the Xiongnu.

Ma Yu didn't keep them waiting long, and continued:
"These two things were groundbreaking inventions for cavalry."

"They instantly brought the Han Dynasty's cavalry to a level of 95 points."

"Then the Xiongnu cavalry were horrified to discover that the Han cavalry, whom they had previously toyed with, were now in a different situation."

"Not only can you wield a machete and slash them while running at high speed."

"It can also fire arrows while running at high speed."

"As long as there are a few hundred Han cavalrymen, they dare to charge against their armies of several thousand or tens of thousands."

"From then on, the idea that one Han man could be worth five Hu men was deeply ingrained in people's minds."

"Huo Qubing's achievement of sealing the wolf's lair is widely circulated and regarded by many military generals as the highest merit."

"But everyone has overlooked the fact that it was the technological innovations of the Han Dynasty that supported all of this."

Chang Yuchun and Lan Yu were a little unsatisfied. How could you summarize such an exciting battle as Wei Qing and Huo Qubing's expedition beyond the Great Wall in just one sentence?

Li Wenzhong, however, felt as if he had suddenly seen the light, realizing that there were so many unknown secrets hidden behind this.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded repeatedly, about to say, "I see."

But Ma Yu spoke up again:
"But the Han Dynasty's advantages over the Xiongnu went far beyond that, such as its institutional advantages."

"The Han Dynasty had a well-established and rigorous organizational system, which could provide various logistical support for soldiers going to war."

"Even if the soldiers die in battle, the court will provide them with pensions, and their merits will be inherited by their families."

"Therefore, the Han soldiers at that time were very eager for military merits and dared to fight to the death on the battlefield."

"On the contrary, the Xiongnu had no system to speak of."

"Internally, it consists of divided tribes, with herders living according to their chiefs."

"The lesser chieftain is loyal to the greater chieftain, and the greater chieftain is loyal to the Great Chanyu."

“When fighting, the Great Chanyu issues orders to the Great Chief, and the Great Chief issues orders to the Lesser Chiefs.”

"The herders who used to graze their livestock at home have become warriors riding warhorses."

"They also had no provisions or pay; part of the looted goods was given to the leader, and the rest was their own provisions and pay."

"But the premise is that you have to live; if you die, you have nothing."

"Of course, it's not like there are no rules at all; they do have some simple regulations."

"For example, the Xiongnu people had a rule about soldiers helping each other."

"If someone is in danger and is rescued by someone else, then all of their property should be given to them as a reward."

"If someone dies in battle, another person avenges him."

"Then his property, wife, and children will all belong to that person."

"The original intention of the Xiongnu Chanyu was to encourage his soldiers to help each other."

"However, the true effect is self-evident."

Upon hearing this, Chang Yuchun almost burst out laughing:
"Is this Xiongnu Chanyu a fool?"

"What are the soldiers fighting for? Isn't it just to plunder some money and go home?"

"Now, if we fight a battle and encounter some danger, not only will we gain nothing, but we'll also lose all our resources."

"I'm unlucky; my wife and children belong to someone else."

"Who would dare to charge into battle now?"

Li Wenzhong and others couldn't help but shake their heads. This system... can only be described as too naive.

Ma Yu also laughed and said, "That's why the Xiongnu soldiers cherish their lives and like to fight when things are going well. When they encounter adversity, their morale is easily broken."

"A cavalry charge can unleash tremendous combat power, often cutting through the battlefield and achieving victory against overwhelming odds."

"Both the Han and Tang armies liked to use this type of tactic, especially the Tang Dynasty, which invented the breaching tactic to maximize the advantages of cavalry."

"Xi Junmai of the Tang Dynasty led a hundred cavalrymen in a frontal charge against an army of tens of thousands in Kucha, and finally won the battle."

"However, mass charges can easily result in friendly casualties, so the Xiongnu and Turks, who lacked logistical support and compensation systems, could not emulate this."

"There is also a cultural advantage."

"We are a land of etiquette, and we value the continuation of our family traditions, so people place great importance on honor."

"This sense of honor can sometimes inspire soldiers to have a stronger sense of cohesion and fighting power."

"Furthermore, the rich agricultural civilization and the simultaneous development of all industries made the Central Plains dynasties extremely powerful in terms of overall national strength."

"Nomadic groups have a simple economic model, which makes them very vulnerable."

“A heavy snowfall on the grassland can severely damage their vitality, and it will take them years to recover.”

When a dynasty in the Central Plains experiences a major disaster, the imperial court will allocate resources from other places to provide relief.

"As long as we overcome the current difficulties, next year will bring favorable weather and a return to normalcy."

"This is why, after the fall of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, the Han Dynasty had no more commanders at the strategic level."

"The war with the Xiongnu also became a stalemate, with more defeats than victories."

"But in the end, it was the Xiongnu who couldn't hold out any longer and retreated to the harsher environment of the Gobi Desert."

"The reason is that the Han Dynasty had a more substantial financial foundation, even if it entered a period of exchange."

“Even if we exchange five pieces for one piece, we can still wipe out the Xiongnu clan.”

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and said, "This method is too cruel and not the work of a wise ruler."

Ma Yu did not disagree with this point: "At the end of Emperor Wu of Han's reign, the Central Plains were already in ruins."

"All industries are in ruins, the population has been reduced by half, and corpses can be seen everywhere on the roadside, with no one to bury them."

"It already looks like a country on the verge of collapse."

At this point, he glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang and said:
"Emperor Wu of Han's overall strategy was sound; the Xiongnu had to be fought."

"But he made the same mistake as Qin Shi Huang: he was too eager for quick success and tried to solve all the problems in one lifetime."

"Although they finally defeated the Xiongnu, they were ultimately unable to completely annihilate them, and instead almost made themselves the rulers of a fallen kingdom."

"The good thing is that he had Huo Guang and Emperor Xuan of Han to clean up the mess."

"Otherwise, the Han Dynasty might very well have followed in the footsteps of the Qin Dynasty."

Zhu Yuanzhang's face darkened.

That kid really doesn't know what's good for him. He's either messing with us or treating us like students, giving us pointers.

Hmph, wait until I've emptied your belly of all your knowledge, then we'll see how we deal with you.

Li Wenzhong and Chang Yuchun naturally knew that he was using the past to comment on the present, but they both pretended not to hear it.

He was already in awe of Ma Yu; such courage was truly extraordinary.

The person in charge really held back and didn't seem to have any intention of retaliating.

This kid's going to be something big in the future.

No, he's someone important now.

After all, there were many people here, and Ma Yu felt that he still had to save face for Zhu Yuanzhang, lest he lose his temper and really explode.

So he just nodded subtly, without saying much, and continued:
"Now let's talk about the Turks."

Li Wenzhong finally couldn't help but interject, "What about the Qiang and Xianbei?"

Ma Yu replied, "The Qiang people only managed to thrive for a hundred years or so while the Eastern Han Dynasty was weak; they are insignificant on a historical scale."

"The Xianbei were a combination of fishing and hunting and nomadic peoples, which we will discuss later when we talk about fishing and hunting groups."

Li Wenzhong nodded and said nothing more.

Ma Yu continued, "The Turks were stronger than the Xiongnu because they learned some of the technologies from the Han people."

"For example, saddles, stirrups, horseshoes, etc., which made their cavalry more powerful."

“However, in terms of their systems, they were not much better than the Xiongnu.”

"The Tang Dynasty defeated the Turks because of its institutional advantages and its stronger comprehensive national strength."

"First, let's talk about the system. As we mentioned before, the Central Plains dynasties had a well-established system that allowed soldiers to fight without any worries about their families."

"Neither the Xiongnu nor the Turks possessed this ability, so their soldiers were generally cowardly and only good at winning when the situation was favorable."

"That's why both sides are technically 95 points."

"But in actual battles, the Tang army was often able to win with fewer troops and defeat the Turkic cavalry."

"This situation also applies to the Tang Dynasty's later campaigns against the Xueyantuo and other tribes."

"Khan Jieli was aware of this problem, so he adopted Zhao Deyan's suggestion and prepared to imitate the reforms in the Central Plains."

"But the barbarians Jieli don't understand these things at all."

"And Zhao Deyan, whom he trusted, was only half-baked and could only blindly apply what he learned."

"Their reforms did not take into account the actual situation of the Turks at all."

"Unsurprisingly, the reform was met with collective opposition, plunging the Turks into a power struggle."

"The Tiele, Xueyantuo, Khitan and other tribes even rebelled directly and joined the Tang army."

"To make matters worse, the climate has changed drastically in the last two years, and the grasslands have suffered consecutive harsh winters, which has greatly weakened them."

"The Tang Dynasty has also suffered from disasters in the past two years, but the Central Plains dynasties have a stronger financial foundation, so these disasters have little impact."

"Emperor Taizong of Tang keenly sensed the internal turmoil within the Turkic Khaganate, and thus launched a decisive battle in the fourth year of the Zhenguan era, defeating the main force of the Turks in one fell swoop and capturing Jieli alive."

Li Wenzhong looked thoughtful. When he was talking about the Xiongnu, he didn't feel much about the advantages of their system.

However, the war between the Tang Dynasty and the Turks made him directly realize how influential cultural systems were.

After all, the two sides were not much different in terms of technology, and the Turks had a numerical advantage, but they still could not defeat the Tang army.

The role of the system becomes apparent.

This thing can influence the way an army fights, and the way an army fights influences its fighting style.

Combat style can really determine victory or defeat at crucial moments.

It's a very simple principle: one side is fearless and daring, while the other side is timid and hesitant.

The outcome of this battle is basically known even before it begins.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt this most deeply and realized that it was essential to ensure good logistical support for the army so that soldiers could fight without any worries.

Only in this way can we win every battle.

Chang Yuchun and Lan Yu were not too concerned about this; they were purely military generals with some interest in technology.

Cultural systems and such are a bit beyond their comprehension.

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly said, "The Mongols have perfected their technology and systems, so their fighting power is even stronger, right?"

Ma Yu nodded and said, "Yes, the Mongols initially only had technology, not a system."

"But they started building their systems when they were at their strongest."

"Although their system seems very rudimentary to us."

"But even something simple is better than nothing."

"Not only that, they also created a writing system with the help of the Tibetans."

"You should know that there are very few groups in the world that possess a written language."

"With writing, we have the foundation to form our own culture."

"Therefore, the Mongols can be considered the most powerful nomadic group in human history."

"Not only did they dominate the Eastern world, but they also fought their way to the West."

"If it weren't for the deaths of two consecutive Mongol Khans, which interrupted their westward expansion plans..."

"I'm afraid even the westernmost kingdoms were conquered back then."

"It is simply impossible to wipe out such a group in one go."

"The best way is to rely on a stronger national power to gradually squeeze their living space."

"Then we will use our cultural advantages to assimilate them little by little."

"This process may take one or two hundred years, or even longer."

Zhu Yuanzhang agreed with this, saying:
"We never thought we could completely eliminate the Mongols; we just wanted to eliminate their power as much as possible in our lifetime."

"To create more advantages for future generations."

Li Wenzhong cupped his hands and said, "Your Excellency is wise."

Chang Yuchun, on the contrary, became somewhat anxious: "So, we're not going to the grasslands to capture Emperor Zhizheng?"

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "We still have to fight. You'll have plenty of opportunities to achieve your goal of sealing the wolf's lair."

"It's just that we can't eliminate them in the short term."

Chang Yuchun replied nonchalantly, "That's good. As long as they can fight, that's all that matters. I can't worry about anything else. You guys handle it."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head helplessly, then asked Ma Yu:

"What are your thoughts on weakening the Mongols?"

Ma Yu nodded and said, "There is one, and it is something that must be done."

"If we can't do that, then managing the grasslands is just empty talk."

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression turned serious, and he said, "What?"

Ma Yu said, "The Western Regions."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned slightly. The Western Regions?

Ma Yu explained, "When nomadic tribes suffer losses in the Central Plains, they plunder the Western Regions and the Anxi Kingdoms to make up for their losses."

"Therefore, the Western Regions and Anxi were their rear base and their granary."

"Emperor Wu of Han went to great lengths to open up the Western Regions, not only to unite with the Yuezhi to fight against the Xiongnu, but also to cut off the Xiongnu's food supply." "Emperor Wen of Sui adopted Changsun Sheng's suggestion and divided the Turkic Khaganate into eastern and western parts."

"What the Sui and Tang dynasties were really facing was the Eastern Turks."

"The Eastern Turks were unable to obtain supplies from the Western Regions, which is why they were defeated by the Tang Dynasty in one battle."

"Now we are in the same situation. To fight the Mongols, we must first take over the Western Regions, cut off their connection with the outside world, and turn the grasslands into their prison."

"Without external supplies, they can only revert to a single mode of living by herding, and their ethnic culture will gradually decline."

“Even a blizzard could severely damage them.”

"At that time, just a simple trade fair will be enough to make them kneel down and beg us for mercy."

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly realized what was going on, and nodded repeatedly. This move to attack the Western Regions was indeed beyond his expectations.

But upon closer examination, it is indeed one of the most effective means of curbing grassland development.

No, it could even be said to be one of the necessary means.

It seems we must incorporate the management of the Western Regions into the national policy of the Ming Dynasty.

Li Wenzhong, who was standing to the side, didn't say anything, but his eyes were gleaming.

To manage and conquer the Western Regions?

I found out about this news before anyone else, and that was my chance.

The position of Grand Protector of the Western Regions belongs to no one but me.

Seeing that Zhu Yuanzhang had accepted the concept, Ma Yu was overjoyed.

What was the most regrettable thing about the Ming Dynasty in the previous life?
Instead of taking advantage of its strength to conquer the Western Regions, it wasted a lot of manpower and resources on the northern expedition to the grasslands.

Especially Zhu Di, whose five northern expeditions cannot be said to have been ineffective.

The first two times did indeed deal a heavy blow to the Northern Yuan.

However, during the subsequent three Northern Expeditions, the Mongols implemented a scorched-earth policy in advance, and he couldn't even find the main force of the other side.

It was a waste of manpower and resources, with three armed marches taking place on the grasslands.

If he had used the energy he had spent on those three Northern Expeditions to conquer the Western Regions, the situation facing the Ming Dynasty would have become much clearer.

If Emperor Yinxiang hadn't dared to launch such a reckless attack on the Ming Dynasty, perhaps the Tumu Crisis wouldn't have happened.

In her past life, when she was fighting with Ming Dynasty fans online, Ma Yu often used this incident to tease them.

Of course, Ming Dynasty supporters will definitely refute this, saying that there were no Han Chinese left in the Western Regions at that time, so what strategy could they possibly use to conquer them?

The problem is, when Emperor Wu of Han opened up the Western Regions, there were no Han people there.

Some argue that the Mongols' growing power constantly threatened the Hexi Corridor, preventing the Ming Dynasty from undertaking large-scale expansion into the Western Regions.

The problem is that when Emperor Wu of Han expanded into the Western Regions, the Xiongnu were even more powerful.

In short, Ma Yu believed that the Ming Dynasty's decision to abandon its efforts to develop the Western Regions was indeed a major blunder.

This concept was finally implanted into Zhu Yuanzhang's mind.

Given his hatred for the Mongols, he would certainly try to conquer the Western Regions.

I want to use facts to slap the faces of Ming Dynasty supporters and show them whether the Ming Dynasty was capable of managing the Western Regions.

Thinking of this, Ma Yu almost burst out laughing with joy.

This left Zhu Yuanzhang somewhat puzzled. Why was this kid so happy for no reason?

Could it be that he has a grudge against the Western Regions?

Perhaps some of his clansmen were killed in the Western Regions?
Just as Zhu Yuanzhang was pondering this, Ma Yu coughed and said again:

"Let me ask you a question: Throughout history, where did the most powerful enemies of Han Chinese dynasties come from?"

Chang Yuchun replied without hesitation, "It must be the grasslands. Aren't the Xiongnu, Turks, and Mongols all grassland peoples?"

Li Wenzhong thought for a moment and couldn't help but nod, saying, "The grasslands."

Zhu Yuanzhang also wanted to mention the grasslands, but he swallowed the words back as he was about to speak.

This kid is definitely up to no good; we can't fall into his trap.

So he pretended to be impatient and said:
"Stop rambling and get to the point."

Ma Yu rolled her eyes at him, annoyed, but seeing that he wasn't falling for it, she felt helpless. This beggar had gotten smarter.

"The real threat to the Central Plains dynasties has always come from Liaodong."

Everyone frowned. Liaodong? That bitterly cold land?
But Zhu Yuanzhang, as if struck by a sudden enlightenment, slapped his thigh and exclaimed:

"Why didn't we think of that? The threat from Liaodong is indeed greater."

Seeing that Li Wenzhong and Chang Yuchun both looked blank, he explained:

"When the nomadic tribes were at their strongest, their attacks on the Central Plains were indeed more ferocious."

"But they only have three tricks up their sleeve. As long as they can hold on in the early stages, the situation will quickly turn around."

"Moreover, the grasslands only know how to be nomadic and are good at mounted warfare but not at attacking fortified positions."

"They also lacked the ability to destroy the Central Plains dynasties; at most, they could only plunder."

"But in Liaodong, the Goguryeo, Xianbei, Khitan, and Jurchen, once they rise to power, can often pose a fatal threat to the Central Plains."

Chang Yuchun scratched his head and questioned, "Didn't the Mongols destroy the Southern Song Dynasty?"

Zhu Yuanzhang explained, "Because the Mongols first destroyed the Jin Dynasty, they obtained the Han people's technology from there and learned how to attack cities."

"Kublai Khan's main force in destroying the Southern Song Dynasty was Han Shihou, not the Mongol cavalry."

Then he asked Ma Yu, "Is that so?"

Ma Yu couldn't help but admire that this beggar's talent was indeed a little bit high.

His background limited his horizons, and without guidance from a mentor, he didn't understand many things.

Now, with just a little guidance from me, he understands the mystery behind it.

"That's right. The Mongols acquired technology from the Jin Dynasty and also learned some technology from the West through their westward expeditions."

Even so, it took more than forty years to destroy the Southern Song Dynasty.

Chang Yuchun nodded and said, "I see. I've learned something."

At this point, Li Wenzhong asked, "Why is this so?"

He was asking about things in Liaodong.

Zhu Yuanzhang also looked over. Although he had deduced the result based on historical facts, he did not know the reason for this result.

Seeing that he had piqued their interest enough, Ma Yu finally said:

"This brings us to the characteristics of fishing and hunting groups."

"The natural environment of Liaodong determines that the people there generally live by fishing and hunting, and some ethnic groups also engage in some simple farming."

"Hunting and fishing groups do not need to migrate around like nomadic groups; they have relatively fixed dwellings."

"With a stable place to live, various interpersonal relationships will form, and then a set of management systems will emerge."

"Moreover, having a stable place to live also provides opportunities to develop other industries."

"However, they are very backward, still in a primitive state compared to the Central Plains."

"When the Zhou dynasty destroyed the Shang dynasty, Jizi led some of the remaining people of the Shang dynasty to migrate to Liaodong and established Jizi Joseon."

"They also brought the culture and systems of the Central Plains with them, and then the locals learned them."

"This is equivalent to blessing them. Many tribes have become powerful by relying on the culture and technology brought by Jizi."

“A group of Fuyu people, based on the original cultural system of their tribe, absorbed the advanced cultural system brought by Jizi.”

"That's how Goguryeo came into being."

"He had a complete cultural system and developed all industries, bringing them to a level of 30 or 40 points."

"Compared to the Central Plains' seventy points, it is naturally not worth mentioning."

"But in Liaodong, they are already the overlords."

“The key is that they have developed a unified sense of community and become very resilient.”

"The Han Dynasty launched numerous campaigns against Goguryeo, and on several occasions nearly brought them to ruin."

"The most serious incident was when Cao Wei dispatched Guanqiu Jian to launch a second campaign against Goguryeo."

"This battle destroyed all their cities and wiped out almost all of their population."

"If it were any other barbarian regime, it would have been wiped out."

"But Goguryeo still maintained its ethnic identity by relying on its shallow culture."

"Then, by gathering the remaining people, they completed the revival."

"But after this national annihilation, Goguryeo's national strength was reduced to less than one-tenth, and it became a small country."

"It was at this time that the Murong Xianbei rose to power."

"The Murong Xianbei were a combination of nomadic and hunting and fishing, and they were not strong to begin with."

"But during the Yongjia Rebellion, hundreds of thousands of Han Chinese fled to Liaodong and joined their tribes."

"The scholars among these people passed on their culture to the Xianbei people, and the craftsmen passed on their skills to them."

"This wave has raised the cultural system and technology of the Xianbei by fifty or sixty points."

"So they rose rapidly, first conquering Goguryeo and dominating Liaodong, and then entering the Central Plains and establishing the Yan state."

"Emperor Murong Jun of Yan assembled a million-strong army, intending to annex the Eastern Jin Dynasty, but unfortunately he died of illness on the eve of the expedition."

"In the later Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Xianbei people were also important players."

"They simply embraced Han culture fully and gradually became Sinicized."

"By the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Xianbei people had completely integrated into the Han Chinese community."

Chang Yuchun touched his chin, thinking, "This Xianbei must be seriously ill."

Li Wenzhong naturally wouldn't think that way; he actually knew about this history, so he wasn't surprised.

He just hadn't expected that the Xianbei people's power was involved in so many things.

According to Ma Yu, they combined the strengths of nomadic and hunting/fishing practices.

They possessed a powerful cavalry, a certain level of culture and institutions, and a weakened version of technology, enabling them to conquer cities and seize territories.

No wonder they were able to build such a vast empire.

Zhu Yuanzhang understood immediately, and even drew inferences from similar cases, figuring out why the Khitan and Jurchen were so powerful.

But he still didn't say anything.

As I said before, one's own thoughts are one thing, but let's hear what Ma Yu has to say first.

See if what he says is different from what you think.

He might just say something you don't know.

Ma Yu paused for a moment before continuing:

"There's not much to say about Goguryeo at this point."

"They had actually begun to Sinicize, and by the Sui and Tang dynasties, their Sinicization level was already quite high."

"Although Emperor Yang of Sui's three campaigns failed, he still severely wounded them."

"After decades of hard work to recover its strength, it was beaten to the brink of death by Emperor Taizong of Tang."

"This time, the Tang Dynasty did not give them a chance to breathe, and during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, they were wiped out in one fell swoop."

"Moreover, the Tang Dynasty forcibly relocated millions of Goguryeo people to the Central Plains."

"The Goguryeo people, who were already highly Sinicized, were completely Sinicized and became Han Chinese."

"The few remaining people in the area are powerless to change the situation and have been absorbed by other ethnic groups."

"That's how Goguryeo perished."

"On the contrary, the Khitan are more worthy of discussion than Goguryeo."

"Like the Xianbei, he was a combination of fishing and hunting and nomadic life, possessing the advantages of both."

"It possesses a powerful cavalry, its own culture and institutions, and various simplified versions of technology."

"It was only through their battles against the Tang Dynasty that they were able to gain the upper hand repeatedly."

"During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, heavy troops were deployed in Fanyang precisely to guard against the invasion of the Khitans."

"Then the An Lushan Rebellion occurred."

"However, even though the Khitans won more wars than they lost against the Tang Dynasty, they still had to submit to the Tang Dynasty and pay tribute in the end."

"It's actually due to the country's overall strength."

Li Wenzhong couldn't help but interject, "Exchange pieces, is that right?"

Ma Yu sighed, "Yes, the ongoing war between the Tang Dynasty and the Khitan was actually a war of attrition."

"The Khitan were a combination of nomadic and hunting and fishing. Although they developed various industries, their overall national strength was far inferior to that of the agricultural Tang Dynasty."

"The Tang Dynasty used five pieces to exchange for one of their pieces, and eventually they couldn't withstand it and conceded defeat."

"But even though they lost the exchange, they still retained their core base, and the Tang Dynasty couldn't do anything about them."

"Then, a sudden change in circumstances led them to successfully enter the Central Plains and establish the Liao Dynasty."

He paused for a moment before continuing:

"One point worth mentioning is that Yelü Abaoji also carried out a reform."

"This reform enabled him to unify power and become the sole king of the Khitan, laying the foundation for the subsequent establishment of the Liao Dynasty."

"Then why did Jieli's reforms fail before they even began, while Yelü Abaoji's succeeded?"

Zhu Yuanzhang replied, "The Khitans have long been Sinicized, and they are a fishing and hunting people, so they already have a certain culture and system."

"Therefore, Yelü Abaoji's real opponents in his reforms were the leaders of several other tribes."

"He only needs to deal with these leaders; the subordinates won't have much of an opinion."

"The Turks are different; they have little culture and no complete system."

"Jail's reforms were essentially starting from scratch, and he didn't even consider the interests of others."

"Not only did the leaders of various departments oppose it, but even the common people below could not accept it, so he failed."

Ma Yu thought to himself, "This stinky thing... cough, never mind, I won't cricket him this time."

"Your Majesty is wise; indeed it is so."

"That's why I say that hunter-gatherer groups pose a greater threat to us than nomadic groups."

Zhu Yuanzhang was somewhat incredulous; this kid had actually praised someone?
Ma Yu ignored his thoughts and continued:

“Let’s continue talking about the Khitans. They actually started to Sinicize long ago, and later they even took the initiative to embrace Han culture.”

"After being defeated by the Jurchens, a portion of them fled to the Western Regions and established the Western Liao, which was defeated and destroyed by the Mongol Western Expeditionary Army."

“Some of the remaining people joined the Southern Song Dynasty and integrated into the Han Chinese community, while others integrated into the Jin Dynasty.”

"Yelü Chucai's family joined the Jin state when the Jin destroyed the Liao."

"Then the Mongols destroyed the Jin dynasty, and he led his family to surrender to the Mongols."

There's really not much to say about the Jurchen situation.

“The fishing and hunting tribes seized the opportunity to destroy the Liao Dynasty and then established the Jin Dynasty.”

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded. If the rise of the Khitans was a repetition of the Xianbei, then the rise of the Jurchens was also a repetition of their predecessors.

This time, Ma Yu didn't give them much time to think, and continued:

"The fishing and hunting groups in Liaodong can be seen as a weakened version of the Central Plains dynasty."

"They also possess various technologies, have a weak culture, and have their own set of rules and regulations."

"Once they find an opportunity, they will quickly transform and then pose a fatal threat to the Central Plains dynasty."

"Therefore, the real threat to the Central Plains dynasties has always come from Liaodong."

"I also boldly predict that if the Ming Dynasty has a powerful enemy in the future, it will inevitably rise from Liaodong."

After saying that, he let out a long sigh of relief.

Damn it, I've gone to such lengths, I don't believe you, Wild Boar Skin, can still rise up.

We'll just scatter your ancestors' ashes!

(End of this chapter)