Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Ma Chao led the central army on its march, only encountering the first tribe after four or five days. The Xiongnu had sent a force of 300,000 to invade the Central Plains, but fewer than 100,000 returned, mostly elite troops. A small tribe of perhaps 5,000 people not only had to conscript men to fight for the Xianbei king but also to provide food and fodder for the larger army. They had hoped to accompany the Great Chanyu on his campaigns, and even if they suffered losses, they would at least be able to plunder and strengthen their tribe. However, only a handful of men returned, and all were gravely wounded, a further devastation for the tribe.

Amidst this difficult atmosphere, the tribesmen struggled to survive. Unexpectedly, one day, the sound of war horses neighing suddenly reached them. Since the Han Dynasty had not actively attacked the grasslands in years, they were caught off guard. Only when the enemy reached them did they hastily attempt to resist, only to be met by the fierce Jie soldiers led by their leader, Moshilige. Eager to demonstrate their prowess before Ma Chao, these Jie soldiers gave the tribesmen no chance to react and charged into the tribe in a flash.

Most of the tribe's young and strong men had joined the Xiongnu army and died on the battlefield. The remaining ones were mostly women, children, and the elderly. Seeing this, the elderly, horrified, urged everyone to drop their weapons and kneel in surrender, offering to give the enemy whatever they wanted. Upon hearing this, the women and children dropped their weapons and knelt on the ground, trembling. Seeing this, Moshilige dispatched a messenger to Ma Chao at full speed to inquire about the situation.

Ma Chao's face darkened, and he coldly said, "Didn't your leader hear what I said before we set out?" The messenger, pale with fear, fled back to Moshilige, panicking, "The King of Liang is displeased. He says we haven't carried out his orders." Frightened, fearing Ma Chao's displeasure, Moshilige raised his sword without hesitation and struck the kneeling men. For a moment, screams rang out, and blood stained the grassland red...

When everything finally calmed down, the stench of blood still hung heavy in the air. Ma Chao, along with Lu Su, Zhang Xiu, and other generals, slowly rode to the front camp. The horrific scene before them was horrifying: corpses lay scattered across the ground, blood staining the grass crimson. The air was thick with the stench of blood and the stench of livestock. Lu Su couldn't help but smack his lips in astonishment. Even Zhang Xiu, Wang Fang, Niu Jin, and other generals, accustomed to witnessing life and death, could not bear to watch and turned their heads away.

Ma Chao watched this scene with a twinge of pity, but his expression quickly hardened as he barked out an order, "Kill all the cattle and sheep to replenish our army's supplies." Lu Su, a man of integrity, struggled for a moment before finally stepping forward and saying, "Your Majesty, this is a small tribe of only four or five thousand people. They pose no threat to our army. But isn't it too cruel to slaughter the elderly, the weak, women, and children?"

Ma Chao's face grew increasingly stern. He slowly turned around and scanned the generals, seeing that they all had expressions of pity on their faces. Ma Chao raised his voice and said, "Cruel? Have you ever wondered why this tribe only has the elderly and weak, but no young and strong? Their young and strong have all gone to invade our Han people! If it weren't for our army's desperate resistance and annihilation of them at the border of Xiliang, I'm afraid right now, they would be wantonly slaughtering our Han men, bullying our Han women, burning, killing, looting, and committing all kinds of evil! This is the cycle of justice, retribution! Now, it's our turn for revenge! Have your hands holding the swords softened?" Ma Chao's voice was as loud as a bell, echoing in the ears of the crowd.

The generals' expressions suddenly darkened after hearing Ma Chao's words. The Xiliang cavalrymen behind him also secretly clenched their swords, their eyes rekindled with fighting spirit and determination. Ma Chao continued, "Kindness is not a good way to command an army! Think about it, if you still want Xiliang to be plunged into war again and relive the pain of last year, then we can let them go. But if they escape, the following tribes will get the news one by one and unite. And with only 40,000 to 50,000 of us, how can we successfully advance across this vast grassland?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Su pondered for a moment, then, realizing the grave consequences, a chill seized him. He quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, calm down! It was Lu Su who was inconsiderate." Ma Chao, looking at his trusted advisor, felt a pang of pity. He dismounted, personally helped Lu Su to his feet, and said, "Zijing, everyone! They are not of our race, so their hearts must be different. If I don't kill them, they will one day, like ferocious wolf cubs, devour our flesh and blood." With that, Ma Chao looked into the distance, his eyes filled with determination and resoluteness, as if proclaiming to the entire grassland the Han Dynasty's majesty and inviolability...

Ma Chao's army had been on the march for days. After wiping out this tribe, they settled into their tents and enjoyed a hearty meal. A rare opportunity for the soldiers, resting after days of marching, offered a brief respite from their weary bodies. However, this land, rife with hatred and conquest, did not allow them to linger for long.

On the morning of the second day, before daybreak, Ma Chao gave the order, and a huge fire was ignited. The raging flames instantly engulfed the camp and tents, and thick smoke billowed up, as if another announcement to the grasslands. The army continued to advance, the horses' hooves kicking up clouds of dust, heading towards the unknown distance.

Meanwhile, the situation of the other two armies was roughly the same. Pang De's army was assisted by the wise and resourceful Jia Xu, known as the "poisonous scholar who caused chaos in the country."

When Pang De showed an expression of pity, Jia Xu looked at Pang De with a faint smile and said, "General Pang, I see from your expression that you are moved by sympathy, aren't you?"

Pang De frowned and nodded slightly, saying, "Mr. Jia, although these tribesmen followed the Xiongnu to invade the Han Dynasty, now facing so many old, weak, women and children, it is really..."

Jia Xu sneered and interrupted Pang De, "General Pang, you and I follow the king. His ambition is to maintain peace on the Han frontier and deter those barbarians from committing crimes. Your softness at this moment may seem merciful, but it is actually cruel to the people of the Han Dynasty. Think about it, these tribes may be small, but if we let them go, word will spread, and the tribes will unite. What kind of predicament will our army face then?"

Pang De lowered his head in thought. Jia Xu continued, "Putting aside the numerous crimes this grassland tribe has committed against our Han people, just consider the king's instructions before leaving. Do you intend to betray the king's trust? The king entrusted us with this important task, not to come to this grassland to do good deeds. If this were to jeopardize the situation, how could the general face the king? How could he be worthy of the Han people who have suffered under the iron hoof of this foreign race?"

Pang De suddenly looked up, a trace of determination flashed in his eyes, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Mr. Jia, I understand." Pang De recalled the king's earnest instructions before leaving, and no longer hesitated. He ordered that all the tribes he encountered should be slaughtered as Ma Chao requested.

Meanwhile, Zhang Liao, initially undecided about following Ma Chao's orders, was torn between two paths. Just as he was struggling, Xu Huang intervened. Xu Huang, gazing at the soldiers who seemed to be showing signs of reluctance and showing signs of softness, demanded with a sharp gaze, "What did the king tell you before he left? You were all there at the time. Are you deaf? If you ruin the king's plans and he blames you, how will you explain this?" Without blinking, Xu Huang swung his massive axe and struck down an elderly man who was attempting to flee. The soldiers, shaken by Xu Huang's words, followed his lead, chopping down the men before them with their swords.

Zhang Liao and Xu Shu exchanged a glance, both nodding silently. They gritted their teeth, but ultimately remained silent. After all, it was their first time doing something like this, and everyone was inevitably a little hesitant and reluctant. But they also understood that in this brutal war, if they wanted to accomplish their mission, perhaps the second or third time, they would gradually become accustomed to it and become more adept at it.

Thus, like three sharp blades, the three armies steadily advanced across this vast grassland. Though blood and slaughter were their accompaniment wherever they went, they carried the mission entrusted by Ma Chao, and the resolve to defend the Han frontier, advancing step by step towards the North Sea, into the unknown and challenging depths of the grassland, as if to deeply imprint the Han Dynasty's majesty and power upon this land...

The three armies resolutely followed Ma Chao's orders, taking no prisoners, leaving no one alive, and not even coveting baggage, maintaining a rapid advance. Because of this, as they steadily advanced, the many tribes on the grasslands had no chance to react and were crushed like fragile ants.

In reality, the grasslands were in turmoil, with each faction preoccupied with its own affairs. Even as they returned from the Han border after their defeat, Right Wise King Murong Xuepo had harbored rebellious ambitions. After all, in this massive expedition, aside from the Xianbei King and his Right Wise King, the rest of the Left Wise King, the Left and Right Guli Kings, the Left and Right Generals, and numerous Wanhu (commanders) all perished on the battlefield. Their deaths left behind vast tracts of tribal territory, like ownerless property, exuding an alluring aura. Thus, even as the armies parted ways, Murong Xuepo had already made his rebellious intentions known, eager to return and seize the opportunity to seize those territories and expand his own power.

The Xianbei King, Kebi Neng, naturally would not stand by and watch Murong Xuepo's power grow and threaten his supreme position. Therefore, he hurried back to the grasslands in a state of panic. Upon his return, Kebi Neng immediately extended an olive branch to the various tribes, attempting to reunite their forces and consolidate his rule.

Back then, under Kebineng's leadership, the various tribes had indeed coalesced into a powerful force, jointly attacking the Han Dynasty. However, now, most of those skilled leaders had perished on the battlefield, and among those who remained, many had ulterior motives and were ready to make further moves.

Kebi immediately encouraged tribes close to him, such as the Zuoxian King and the Zuoguli King, to nominate new heirs and quickly held ceremonies to confer titles upon them, hoping to consolidate his influence. However, power is all too tempting to deceive. With the death of their former leaders, the Zuoxian King and Zuoguli King tribes erupted in internal strife over the new kingship. Within the tribes, the various factions engaged in internecine warfare, vying for supremacy. The once united tribes were instantly plunged into chaos.

At the same time, some tribes showed some sympathy towards Murong Xuepo. Naturally, Murong Xuepo would not miss this opportunity, using both soft and hard tactics to secretly win over these tribes. Under his tactics, many tribes joined him. This made Kebineng's situation even more difficult, and he was in a state of panic.

Today, the grasslands have become a vast battlefield. Wars erupt daily, blood flowing endlessly across this vast land. Territorial annexation is commonplace, with some tribes, dissatisfied with each other, constantly stoking disputes over resources, territory, or even the right to speak, constantly provokes conflict. Six months have passed, and the chaotic situation on the grasslands remains inconclusive. The various factions continue to struggle bitterly, with neither able to completely suppress the other. The land seems to have fallen into an endless abyss of darkness, with no sign of peace.