My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 110 Looting and fighting, public resentment rises!

Anagui received a crucial assist from Yu Jing, learning that Yuan Fu had already arrived in Rouxuan Town.

He once again summoned all the tribal chiefs to his Khan's tent.

The agreement had already been discussed, and now it's just a matter of making specific arrangements and deployments.

"Tomorrow, each tribe shall leave behind the elderly, women, and children, and take with them the soldiers who can fight, each with enough rations for fifteen days, and follow me south!"

The grassland is exactly the same as Liuzhen.

Once war breaks out, everyone becomes a soldier. Apart from the elderly, children, and women, all eligible men can serve as soldiers and are skilled in horsemanship and archery.

The tribal chiefs' eyes were fixed on the scene, and their breathing became rapid. Unlimited wealth was already beckoning to them!

Anagui is equally passionate!

This is an opportunity for him to deliver the benefits to the tribes, and also an opportunity for him to re-establish the Khan's authority. He must make good use of it!

After instructing the tribal chiefs to prepare,

Inside the tent.

Tutujia and Yijufa remained in the Khan's tent.

Even now, Yi Jufa still had some worries: "What if the Central Plains is prepared and sends the Central Army and the troops of the Six Garrisons to surround us?"

Before Anagui could speak, Tutujia said, “What is there to fear? Since ancient times, when have the Central Plains dynasties not been wary of us grassland peoples? When the Xianbei dominated the grasslands, they also raided southwards, plundered and fled into the depths of the northern desert. Faced with the vast grasslands, the soldiers of the Central Plains could not possibly hunt us down.”

Since ancient times.

The Central Plains dynasties mostly adopted a defensive posture towards the nomadic peoples of the grasslands.

It's not that we can't win, it's just that it's not worth it.

Even if we win against these grassland herders, what benefits will we gain?

Even if the land on the grassland is occupied, it cannot be cultivated or digested.

On the contrary, it was extremely costly.

In order to support Wei Qing and Huo Qubing in their campaign against the Xiongnu, Emperor Wu of Han used up all the accumulated wealth of the Han Dynasty since the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing. This almost caused the Han Dynasty to collapse completely, and the population was halved, taking many years to recover.

There are no rich cities to defend on the grasslands. If a large army from the Central Plains really attacks, the people will scatter and flee. You, with your people and horses to eat, can't possibly hold out against the tribes on the grasslands.
That's what "Tutujia" means; at worst, they'll just rob and run.

In the Central Plains, gathering an army is not as simple as it is for the grassland tribes. It's all about exploiting the time difference. By the time the Great Wei reacts, they've already fled.

Anagui nodded, "We've come this far, success or failure hinges on this moment, there's no turning back for us!"

"The central army's military equipment is in disrepair. If they dare to pursue us to the grasslands, it's uncertain who will win and who will lose."

He wasn't afraid of the central army, but rather of Huai Shuo, that peerless demon god.

The next day.

Anagui gathered his followers and, after taking stock, left only a small group to remain in place.

A total of 150,000 combat-ready soldiers, each carrying 15 days' worth of rations, were the first to head south!
Arriving at a place fifty miles from Rouxuan Town, Anagui once again ordered the camp to be set up and sent an envoy into the city, wanting to invite Yuanfu to go out of the city as the emperor's envoy to comfort the people.

Yuanfu had some doubts.

Logically, shouldn't Anagui be the one to enter the city and pay his respects first?
But then I thought about it.

Two years ago, when they went north together to fight the Gaoche people and reclaim the Rouran royal court, Anagui treated him with great courtesy along the way. Such a kind person would not have any ulterior motives.

"If that's the case, then General Yu, please take your personal guards and come with me out of the city to offer our condolences."

Yu Jing readily agreed, as he also wanted to befriend such a good person as Anagui and see if he could gain some more benefits.

Yuan Fu personally carried the white tiger banner given by the imperial court and accompanied Yu Jing out of the city to the location of the Rouran people's camp.

They did not notice that one of Anagui's personal guards was missing from the crowd.

The guard rode back to the camp at full speed, bringing back news that Yuan Fu and Yu Jing had already left the city.

"it is good!"

Anagui immediately got up and personally came to greet him with several guards.

Upon seeing Yuan Fu and his entourage's carriages in the distance, Anagui stopped in place and waited for them to approach.

He dismounted and stepped forward to greet her, kneeling in a very humble posture.

"Meet the king!"

Yuanfu stepped down from the carriage, holding the white tiger banner. Seeing Anagui's polite manner, he smiled slightly.

Is it...

Did I really think too badly of the Rouran people?

Upon closer examination, the Rouran people did indeed provide significant assistance to the Xianbei people in establishing themselves in the Central Plains.

Whenever the Xianbei suffered setbacks at the front, they would vent their anger on the Rouran to boost morale and incidentally earn some gold coins.

"Great Khan, please rise. There is no need for such formalities."

Yuanfu helped him up.

Anagui then looked at Yu Jing and took the initiative to bow, "Greetings, General. I have long heard of your bravery and martial prowess. Seeing you today, I can tell from your appearance that the people's saying that you are a great general is not an exaggeration!"

"You flatter me, Your Excellency."

This flattery made Yu Jing laugh uncontrollably!
After exchanging pleasantries, Anagui asked the most crucial question.

"Your Majesty, our camp's provisions have been exhausted, and our people are starving. I wonder if Your Majesty has brought any provisions with you on this journey?"

Yuan Fu smiled and said, "Great Khan, there is no need to worry. The court has ordered all the prefectures to prepare provisions, which will be delivered in a few days. I have already brought some provisions with me, which can relieve the Great Khan's urgent need."

A hint of joy flashed in Anagui's eyes.

He immediately knelt down again, saying, "Your Majesty is the benefactor of the people of the grasslands. Please come with me to the camp for a chat. I have prepared a banquet, which will also allow my people to feel the grace of the Great Wei. They will be eternally grateful to Your Majesty in the future!"

Yuanfu nodded in agreement and immediately got into the carriage, with Yu Jing accompanying him.

The group entered the Rouran's camp without any warning.

Yuan Fu didn't react inside the carriage, but Yu Jing wasn't completely stupid and noticed that something was wrong.

Anagui claimed to have led 300,000 people south, so why was his camp full of men, with no elderly, women, or children to be seen?

And it doesn't feel like a banquet at all, does it?

Don't wait for him to speak.

Anagui, who was in front, turned around. The fawning smile on his face was gone. Instead, he looked at him coldly and then shouted loudly.

"Men! Take them all down!"

Suddenly, a large number of soldiers rushed in from all directions and swarmed forward. Yu Jing's personal guards instinctively tried to draw their swords, but Tu Tujia shot two arrows in quick succession, knocking them off their horses and intimidating the others!
Yu Jing was first shocked, then screamed in fear.

"Great Khan! What do you intend to do? Are you planning a rebellion?!"

Hearing the commotion outside, Yuan Fu stepped out of the carriage, looking completely bewildered.

Anagui, however, had already arrived on horseback, looking down at him from his elevated position.

Even if Yuan Fu was stupid, he would understand. He pointed at Anagui in disbelief, and his words were incoherent. "Great...Great...Great Khan, the court has never mistreated you. Why do you do this?"

Anagui laughed, leaned forward, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will not harm you. In fact, there will be the most luxurious carriages for Your Majesty to read in, and you will be served delicacies and fine wines every day. However... Your Majesty must come south with my army!"

Yuan Fu was terrified and could only threaten him with a fierce but weak voice, "Aren't you afraid of being punished by the court?!"

"Let's wait until the court punishes us before we talk about it."

"The imperial court will naturally send its elite central army to assist."

Anagui laughed loudly, "The Central Army? Your Majesty must have forgotten that I also spent several years in Luoyang. I know the strength of the Central Army better than Your Majesty." Yuan Fu's eyes widened, but he could no longer say anything.

That's when he remembered it.

Anagui did indeed go to Luoyang and meet the people there.

Ignoring Yuan Fu, Anagui drew his precious sword from his waist and raised it high.

"My people, the subjects of Khan Doufa, the chief soldier! Now! In the name of the Khan, I command you, my loyal subjects, to follow in the Khan's footsteps and march south!"

Suddenly!

The warriors from various tribes, who had long been unable to contain themselves, let out excited shouts. Anagui had stirred up the 'evil' within their humanity!
The people of the grasslands all know how rich the Central Plains are; they have endured too much hardship for too long!
It's time to head south!

Let them go and plunder this rich land too!
The garrison of Rouxuan Town was dumbfounded when they saw the overwhelming cavalry charging from the north!

"What happened?"

"Where's the general?"

"The general has gone out."

With Yu Jing absent, the entire command system of Rouxuan Town was paralyzed. Fortunately, the deputy general of the town reacted quickly enough, ordering the city gates to be closed and summoning soldiers to the city walls to assume a defensive posture.

however……

Anagui completely ignored Rouxuan Town. He simply brought Yuanfu over, seized the grain and fodder piled up in the camp outside the city, and then divided his troops to leave 30,000 soldiers to besiege Rouxuan Town, completely surrounding it and preventing it from sending out any messages.

He then led the remaining 120,000 cavalrymen directly south!

Thanks to the White Tiger Banner brought by Yuan Fu, Anagui took advantage of Yuan Fu's identity to advance south with unstoppable momentum!

There was absolutely no resistance.

Because he had personally investigated within the territory of the Great Wei, Anagui knew better than anyone else.

The Northern Wei Dynasty is now outwardly strong but inwardly weak.

All the soldiers with fighting ability were assigned to the border towns, while the elite troops of the central army suffered heavy casualties after the Battle of Zhongli, and their fighting ability declined significantly, becoming nothing more than a stepping stone for the Xianbei people to advance in the officialdom.

Everyone wants to become an official in the imperial court, so who would want to train every day?

What's even worse is...

Apart from the central and border armies, the military preparedness of all prefectures and counties within the entire territory ruled by the Great Wei was also neglected!
Before Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital.

Indeed, each prefecture and county had Xianbei soldiers stationed there, the purpose of which was to strengthen rule and prevent rebellion.

However, ever since Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital and implemented the Taihe Reforms...

In order to strengthen centralized power, Emperor Xiaowen summoned all the Xianbei tribal troops scattered in various prefectures and counties to Luoyang, incorporated them into the central army, and used them to guard Luoyang and control the whole country.

This idea is actually quite perfect.

To the north, the valiant Six Garrisons defended against the grasslands, while Luoyang was protected by an elite central army. In addition, they confronted and resisted the Southern Dynasty on the southern front.

After the elite Xianbei tribal soldiers were withdrawn, each prefecture and county could only recruit militia within its own jurisdiction to maintain order. Such soldiers were barely able to maintain order, and if they encountered a powerful enemy, they would basically be useless!

This was also after Emperor Xiaowen's reforms.

The biggest drawback.

Once the defenses of the six northern towns are breached, the nomadic herders can move south as if they were in an empty field.

No one could stop them along the way.

Moreover.

Anagui led his people south this time only to plunder; he never intended to attack the city.

The governors of various prefectures and counties did not dare to go out of the city to fight, and relied on the peasant soldiers under their command who usually only knew how to farm and were temporarily conscripted to fight the grassland cavalry in the field outside the city.

Let's just steal it.

The common people outside the city died, and that was that.

The powerful clans had their own fortified villages and could protect themselves, so they couldn't care less about anything else at this time.

The Rouran people who moved south were like wolves among sheep, taking whatever they wanted.

They even managed to seize Pingcheng, the former capital of the Great Wei Dynasty.

And this time.

The news was only just received in Luoyang.

…………

"Damn it! Serves me right!"

"I knew long ago that the Rouran were a bunch of insatiable ingrates, and sure enough, they've started causing trouble!!"

"King Jiangyang!"

This was the first time Yuan Xu had shown such defiance in the Taiji Hall. He stood up and angrily pointed at Yuan Yi, "Is this what you mean by 'the Rouran will be grateful for the grace of our Great Wei and submit to our Great Wei for eternity'??"

Yuan Yi was no longer as domineering as before. Upon seeing the news, he first disbelieved it, and then became angry.

Now that Yuan Xu is pointing his finger at him and rebuking him, he is even more apprehensive!
He quickly knelt down and explained, "Your Majesty, that damned Rouran king, he deceived me!"

"If it weren't for the help of the Great Wei, these Rouran would have long been homeless dogs on the grasslands. The court, mindful of their suffering and the people's misery, provided them with grain relief, yet they showed no gratitude and dared to plunder southwards!"

"Your Majesty! Why not let the Duke of Chenliu lead the elite central army northward!"

"Expel the Rouran! No! This time, we must capture the Rouran King and bring him back to Luoyang, convict him, and execute him, only then can we put the people's minds at ease!"

Yuan Yi became increasingly agitated as he spoke.

That was the anger and embarrassment that came from being deceived.

He never expected Anagui to be so audacious as to raid southwards.

We still need to raid all the way to Pingcheng?
This is the birthplace of the Great Wei Dynasty!

The ancestors and relatives of the Great Wei were buried near Pingcheng. If these Rouran people were bolder and dug up the graves, wouldn't they be cutting off the fortune of the Great Wei?
Li Chong was pretending to be dead while watching the play.

Hearing that his name had been called.

He quickly stepped forward.

"Your Majesty and the King value you highly, and I am deeply humbled. However, I am old and no longer fit for military service... I beg Your Majesty and the King to have mercy and choose someone else to lead the army."

Yuan Yi immediately rebuked him angrily.

"One who eats the emperor's food should be loyal to the emperor! The court has promised Chenliu Gong a high position and generous salary, but now the court has been humiliated, and Chenliu Gong still wants to refuse. Is this the way of a minister for Chenliu Gong?"

"Lord Chenliu is appointed Grand Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Expedition against the Rouran, overseeing all matters. Lead your troops north immediately without delay!"

Li Chong had no choice but to agree.

"This was a slip of the tongue by your subject. I beg Your Majesty to forgive me. Your subject will now lead the central army northward. I swear I will not return to the court until the Rouran are defeated!"

"Very well! Once the Duke of Chenliu has captured the Rouran king, I will personally lead all my officials out of the city to welcome him!"

The Rouran people advanced to the vicinity of Pingcheng.

This was truly intolerable for the Great Wei.

If the tombs of past kings were indeed dug up by the Rouran people.

That would truly be a complete loss of face and a utter destruction of dignity!
It only took a few days.

Li Chong then assembled his central army, boasting 100,000 elite troops, and marched north to conquer the Rouran!
(End of this chapter)