Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Mi Tang, the King of the Eastern Qiang, anxiously ordered all tribes to mobilize their troops and prepare for war immediately and with full enthusiasm. The Dongxiang people have always had a unique combat custom: they must carry their own food when going into battle. With winter approaching, the Qiang people were extremely anxious, desperate to quickly obtain food and fodder, as this was the only way to ensure they could survive the extremely cold winter. After all, last year's fierce battle with the Western Liang, the tribesmen had fought bravely and bloodily on the front lines, but in the end, all the benefits went to the Eastern Qiang King's tribe and those close to him. As a result, the lives of most Qiang people remained extremely difficult, with no improvement at all.

When the Eastern Qiang King's order was delivered, the Qiang people within the Eastern Qiang territory were plunged into deep pain and helplessness. They were filled with resentment and resentment towards Mi Tang. They viewed him as an extremely selfish individual, focused solely on personal gain for himself and those close to him, with no regard for the lives of ordinary Qiang people, treating them as if they were of little importance. But despite their deep resentment and resentment, they dared not defy the Eastern Qiang King's orders at this moment. After all, they had just experienced his brutal and ruthless suppression, and the memory of that horror was still deeply etched in their minds. Under these circumstances, they could only swallow their anger, suppress their emotions, and silently obey the Eastern Qiang King's orders. Even though this meant facing numerous hardships, they had no choice but to accept it.

Mi Tang knew full well that the people in the Qiang region were not completely submissive, so he dared not let his guard down or underestimate them in the slightest. Besides maintaining vigilance, he also secretly moved westward to contact Cheliji and also contacted Yufuluo, the Chanyu of the Southern Xiongnu. At this time, Mi Tang sent letters to Yufuluo and Cheliji requesting assistance, detailing the situation in Western Liang and explicitly stating that if Western Liang launched a war against the Eastern Qiang, Western Qiang and Southern Xiongnu would be able to send their troops to carry out plundering operations. Mi Tang's actions were essentially an attempt to mimic Ma Chao's previous strategy of rescuing Wuwei, aiming to distract the Western Liang troops and thereby alleviate the heavy pressure on the Eastern Qiang. However, such actions would undoubtedly bring further unrest and instability to the surrounding areas, making the situation even more complex and unpredictable. However, in order to protect his own interests and status, Mi Tang no longer cared about so much. He could only rack his brains to think of various ways to deal with the crisis at hand.

After receiving Mi Tang's letter, Che Liji immediately handed it to Cheng Gongying, instructing him to quickly take it to Ma Chao and await Ma Chao's response. After carefully reading the letter, Ma Chao feigned agreement to Cheng Gongying and Che Liji. This was the only way to effectively paralyze Mi Tang and lower his guard. Once this was achieved, he could then launch a surprise attack, dispatching troops from the Xianling Qiang tribe. This would make it easier to catch Mi Tang off guard and gain a greater advantage and initiative in the situation.

When Yufuluo, the Chanyu of the Southern Xiongnu, received the letter, a strange light flashed in his eyes, and his heart surged with emotion, clearly quite interested. Immediately afterwards, he solemnly summoned his generals to discuss this important matter in depth.

Inside the tent, the atmosphere was both solemn and enthusiastic. Liu Bao, the Left Wise King, was the first to speak. He frowned and said, "Chanyu, I think this might be a rare opportunity." His tone was tinged with excitement and eagerness.

At this time, Yufuluo's brother Huochuquan shook his head slightly and said in a deep voice: "Shanyu, in my opinion, we should first carefully understand the specific situation and not act rashly."

Yu Fuluo didn't respond immediately. Instead, he pondered for a moment and said, "No, Huochuquan, this opportunity is rare and we can't let it slip away. Think about it, Xiliang is preparing to conquer the Eastern Qiang with all its might. Once the war begins, they'll be deeply weakened. This is a golden opportunity for us. We can take advantage of this opportunity to plunder and perhaps escape our current predicament, allowing our tribe to safely survive the coming winter."

Huochuquan looked worried and continued to persuade him, "Chanyu, what if there is a trick? Wouldn't that put us in danger?"

Yu Fuluo's eyes were firm, and he said resolutely, "No! This is an opportunity given to us by God. We must seize it without hesitation or fear!" He then glanced at the generals present, as if seeking their support. The generals exchanged glances, and most of them expressed their agreement with Yu Fuluo. After all, such an opportunity was truly rare.

After reaching an agreement, Yu Fuluo replied to Mi Tang that once the Xiliang army entered Dongqiang to start a war, Yu Fuluo would pass through Dongqiang to go to Xiliang to plunder, so as to ease the pressure on Dongqiang.

The Eastern Qiang King Mi Tang's conscription message quickly spread to the Ehe and Shaoge tribes. Upon hearing the news, the leaders of the two tribes hurriedly gathered for an urgent meeting. Ehe frowned, his face as solemn as a dark cloud, and said anxiously, "Oh my, this is really terrible! It's all Mi Tang's fault. It's because of his reckless invasion of Xiliang that we've caused such a big trouble. Look, it's obvious that Xiliang is seeking revenge now. What should we do?"

Shao Ge on the side also had a look of deep worry on his face. He echoed solemnly: "Yes, the situation in Xiliang is not something that can be taken lightly. What's more, Ma Chao is extremely brave. If our men go there, I'm afraid they will just die in vain. I think Xiliang will never give up this time. They will definitely take more tough measures and actions. How should we deal with it? Our strength is really far behind that of Xiliang. What if we suffer heavy losses at that time? What will happen to our tribe in the future? This really makes people feel extremely worried and panic." As he spoke, Shao Ge could not help but shook his head, his heart full of sorrow and uneasiness.

E He, feeling a headache, continued, "Look, winter is almost here. If the young men of our tribe go out and participate in such fierce battles, how are we going to survive this difficult winter? Winter is already a huge test for us. All kinds of supplies are relatively scarce, and survival is already difficult. If we let these young men take this risk, what if something happens to them? How will our tribe continue to survive? How will we live in the future? Our population is not large to begin with, and every young life is invaluable. If we suffer heavy losses in this conflict with Xiliang, it will be a devastating blow to us. Will we be able to protect our homes? Who will protect and care for our elderly, the weak, women, and children? We can't just watch our tribe fall into despair. But facing such a powerful Xiliang, what good solutions do we have?"

After saying that, E He let out a long sigh, the anxiety and helplessness on his face seemed to be overflowing, and his whole body was shrouded in deep sorrow.

Shao Ge said with a hint of anticipation, "It would be great if we could be like the Western Qiang tribe. Look, after they got along with Xiliang, not only did they have caravans coming to exchange what they needed, bringing grain and salt, but Xiliang also sent people to teach them how to farm. Now the Western Qiang seem to be living a much better life. It would be great if we could be like them."

E He quickly interrupted him and said, "Don't even think that. Haven't you seen what happened to those tribesmen who followed the Shaodang Qiang in opposing Mi Tang? If we dare to make any move now, I don't think the devil Mi Tang will devour us before Xiliang can come to deal with us."