With a million soldiers, the empress begged me not to rebel

Chu Wen said this as he presented a gold-embossed marriage certificate with both hands.

Princess Mingyue?

Lu Yan took the marriage certificate and sneered in his heart.

The Beixiang Kingdom was really willing to spend a huge amount of money and even sent Princess Mingyue out.

However, he didn't believe that Beixiang Kingdom would be so kind, there must be something fishy going on.

"Master Chu, this marriage is a matter of great importance. I need to think about it."

Lu Yan accepted the marriage certificate calmly, but was thinking of a countermeasure in his mind.

"Of course, my lord, please take your time to consider it. My king has already affixed his imperial seal to the marriage agreement. This is no joke."

Chu Wen still had a smile on his face, looking confident of victory.

Lu Yan said no more and ordered his servants to prepare a banquet to entertain Chu Wen.

During the meal, he tried to find out the true intentions of Beixiang State in an indirect way.

But Chu Wen was cunning and cunning, and he kept his word. He only repeatedly emphasized Beixiang State's sincerity in seeking peace and had no ulterior motives.

After three rounds of drinks, Lu Yan saw that he couldn't get anything out of the man, so he stopped asking.

He just said that this matter needed time to consider, and asked Chu Wen to stay in the government office first and wait for a reply.

After sending Chu Wen away, Lu Yan immediately summoned Li Kui, Zhang Xun and others to discuss the matter.

"Sir, the Beixiang Kingdom suddenly asked for peace and even sent a marriage certificate. There must be something fishy going on!"

Li Kui spoke in a muffled voice, holding the big knife tightly in his hand.

"Yes, sir, Princess Mingyue is a famous beauty in Beixiang Kingdom. They are willing to send her away, so they must have bad intentions." Zhang Xun also echoed.

"In my opinion, the Beixiang Kingdom is trying to use the beauty trap to paralyze you, sir, and then take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on us!"

"Sir, I believe this matter should be considered carefully. We should not readily believe the sweet words of the Beixiang Kingdom."

Tu Rong also expressed his views.

As Lu Yan listened to everyone's discussions, he felt that this matter was more and more strange.

Princess Mingyue is not in Shannan Prefecture now, but Beixiang Kingdom suddenly sent a marriage certificate.

There must be some conspiracy behind this.

……

Lu Yan is still worried about the marriage certificate from Beixiang Kingdom.

Twenty thousand miles away, a dusty team was slowly marching towards the royal court of the Xiongnu Empire.

These people were the remnants of the barbarians who had been defeated by Lu Yan and fled in a panic.

They were dressed in rags, had pale faces, and had scars of varying sizes on their bodies.

I don’t know how much hardship I have experienced along the way.

At the front of the team, a burly barbarian man was riding on a skinny horse.

He looked ahead with a serious expression.

He was the leader of the remaining barbarians, named Wutu, and was once a famous warrior on the grassland.

Now, he had to take the remaining tribesmen to seek refuge in the Xiongnu Empire.

They crossed the rolling mountains and the rugged mountain roads.

We crossed the cold, swift river, the water was raging.

They almost swept them away. They passed through a dense forest full of dangers, where wild beasts roamed and poisonous insects were rampant.

After going through countless hardships, we finally arrived at this legendary land.

Looking at the endless green grassland in front of me.

The barbarians were extremely excited; they finally saw the hope of revival.

They were once the masters of this grassland, but now they have fallen to the point of living under the protection of others.

They long to regain their homes and live a free life again.

Today's Xiongnu Empire is no longer the barbarian tribe they remember.

Under the leadership of the wise and capable Emperor Touman, the Xiongnu Empire experienced unprecedented glory.

Touman, a legendary figure.

His story was passed down orally on the grassland and almost became a myth.

His life experience is shrouded in mystery.

It is said that he was born on a night of thunder and lightning.

Born with supernatural powers, he can ride a fierce horse and shoot an eagle at birth.

When he was 18 years old, his tribe suffered a devastating disaster and was attacked by a coalition of other tribes.

Like a swarm of locusts passing through, they burned, killed, looted, and left no grass behind.

According to the rules of the grassland, children who are not taller than the wheels will not be killed.

However, the enemy leader, a ferocious Cyclops, scoffed at this rule.

He grinned grimly and raised the huge axe in his hand, wanting to wipe out the young Touman.

At this critical moment, a flash of lightning streaked across the night sky.

It struck the Cyclops, burning him to charcoal.

But Touman was unharmed.

He fought desperately to protect his baby sister who was still crying loudly.

Despite its small body, it bursts out with amazing strength.

He and the remaining members of his tribe struggled to survive on the dangerous grassland.

Avoid enemy pursuit and find food and water.

In order to survive, he had to learn various skills, such as hunting, tracking, and fighting, and he was proficient in everything.

He learned to use herbs to heal wounds, learned to identify directions, and learned to communicate with wild animals.

When he was sixteen, his fame spread throughout the grassland and people called him the "Grassland Eagle".

Because he is like an eagle, brave, agile and strong.

He was brave and good at fighting, both wise and brave, and led his people to defeat powerful enemies time and time again.

Regained the lost land and won the respect of everyone.

At the age of twenty, he unified the tribes on the grassland and established the powerful Xiongnu Empire.

It ended hundreds of years of division and war on the grassland.

Afterwards, he fought campaigns in the south and the north, and in the east and the west, leading the Hun cavalry to conquer more than a hundred surrounding countries.

Established a vast empire.

It is said that the countries he conquered would take three days and three nights to cover using camels.

He enacted strict laws and standardized the language and writing system.

He built a powerful army and transformed the originally loose tribal alliance into a highly centralized empire.

Today's Xiongnu Empire has more than two million soldiers.

The total military strength of the country exceeds five million, and its strength is comparable to that of the Three Kingdoms period.

The barbarian envoys were accommodated in an inn, which was simple and rough.

The air was thick with the smell of kumis and roasted lamb.

It is completely different from the fresh and moist air in their hometown.

They were anxiously waiting for Emperor Touman's summons, like ants on a hot pan, unable to sit still.

A young messenger named Agu rubbed his hands nervously and asked in a low voice:

"Will the Xiongnu Chanyu meet us?"

There was a slight tremor in his voice, revealing his inner uneasiness.

"Correction, it's not Chanyu, it should be Your Majesty!"

The Xiongnu officials who were responsible for receiving them.

A burly man with a full beard corrected him impatiently.

He glanced at these barbarian envoys with contempt in his eyes, as if he was looking at a group of lambs to be slaughtered.

"Yes, yes, yes, Your Majesty!"

Agu quickly changed his words, a layer of fine beads of sweat oozing out of his forehead.

"Will His Majesty meet us?"

He asked cautiously, fearing to anger the Xiongnu official.

"His Majesty is celebrating the eldest princess' birthday. He will probably summon you tomorrow. Wait here!"